I am a first year administrator at a large, comprehensive high school in Denver. This week, our teachers went on strike, a strike that lasted 3 full days and ended early in the morning on the 4th day. This was the first strike in 25 years in Denver and came on the heels of the LAUSD strike and several other demonstrations across the country. Approximately 142 of our 145 teachers, nurses, and counselors participated in the strike. A strike is the type of school crisis that has the power to make or break new leaders. I had not yet felt my leadership or my commitment to education tested to such a degree. In the moments following my teachers return to the building, I began to reflect on this experience and what I have learned about leadership through it.
Lesson One: A Culture of Predictability
My principal made two commitments to the staff at the beginning of the year: to lead with purpose and to create a predictable school year to the extent possible. Clearly defined distributive roles, organizational structures, timely and relevant communication, and his own calm and consistent demeanor all contributed to creating school days that were largely predictable. When the strike was eminent, our leadership team got to work learning what we could from the L.A. teacher strike, which was still in progress at the time. Because closing school was not an option, we created structures for operations and instruction across multiple scenarios with as much predictability as possible. We knew who was taking the lead on what and felt confident that hiccups would be handled in a predictable way.
We were a bit surprised on the first day when 300 students more than we predicted showed up for the beginning of the day. Fortunately, we had a contingency plan at the ready that we immediately put into place. Many students walked out in solidarity with their teachers within an hour and did not return to school, which returned the initial swell in attendance to the level that we had originally predicted. As the strike stretched into the third day, we needed only to make small adjustments to the plans in response to minor issues as attendance dropped below 18%. Central office personnel and substitutes who were dispatched to our school would later say that they had a good experience with us and appreciated our efforts to make each day as predictable as possible.
Lesson Two: Impact on Students
The past week has made me think about the role of the students in a teacher strike. It reminded me of a child caught in the middle of two parents in marital distress. The child may be asked to choose sides and may hear more than they ever wanted to know about the relationship from one parent or another. The child may be asked to spy on or intentionally cause disruption to the other parent. Or the child may not be told anything at all, but still notices that one parent has been sleeping on the couch or has left the home. Our students have felt the stress and negative energy in the building for weeks. Students felt torn between joining the picket line, going to class, or going home. During the strike, I heard over and over again how much students wanted their teachers back. Because of their age and maturity level, I think most students understood that teachers did not intend any ill will toward their students by striking, but they still felt their absence very deeply. Students genuinely want their teachers to be happy.
Lesson Three: A Test of Team Loyalty
The Loyalist Team model, developed by the Trispective Group, identifies a continuum of four indicators that describe how individuals interact within a team to achieve goals. The Saboteur puts their own success ahead of others and often makes plays behind the scenes to sabotage their success. The Benign Saboteur seeks personal success independent of others’ success and often avoids risks to protect themselves. The Situational Loyalist meets others halfway and will help others as needed, seeking opportunities for collaboration. The Loyalist puts team goals above their own and acts with high standards and shared accountability to help others succeed.
For the better part of the school year, our leadership team described itself (collectively) as either the Benign Saboteur or Situational Loyalist. We genuinely wanted to be a loyalist team, but found ourselves often returning to the comfort of our own roles and familiar physical spaces in the building. Our loyalty and trust in each other was put to the test during the strike. Stress manifests itself differently in each of us and can make or break a team during a crisis. What I observed during the strike was a “whatever is needed” mindset. Radio calls came with needs and team members responded without hesitation. When we had to put our contingency plan in motion, my team acted with an interdependence that mirrored an artfully choreographed dance performance - catching, pulling, lifting, supporting, leaping - always looking and listening to adjust one’s own movement in step with the others. This, to me, was the epitome of a loyalist team. I am hopeful that we can continue the dance as we move past this crisis.
Lesson 4: Maintain Stability
Each day of the strike, attendance continued to drop except among certain populations. It became clear to me that most students had a safe, stable, and perhaps even fun place to be that was not school during the strike and had the flexibility and/or means to go there. But for many of our most vulnerable youth, school is the safest and most stable place to be, even without their normal routine. I had previously questioned the district’s decision to keep schools open, but seeing who remained in our classrooms through the last day of the strike made it clear why it was necessary to do so.
Lesson 5: Anchor in Values
When a new house is built in Colorado, it is anchored to the bedrock by a steel post. Because of shifting sediment in the soil, homes built only on a concrete foundation are susceptible to cracks in walls, issues with plumbing, and a host of other problems. As I reflect on the week, perhaps the greatest lesson learned during the strike is that our work should always be anchored in the bedrock of relationships, trust, and purpose. I knew that the strike was never about me personally, our school, or the leadership team. I harbored no animosity or resentment toward the teachers for taking action (and would have likely joined them if I were still teaching). Less than two hours after the agreement was announced, my teachers staged a “walk in”. I gathered a few students who were still lingering in the foyer to form a welcome line and we cheered and high-fived the staff as they made their way into the building. Many thanked me for the warm welcome. But for me, no thanks was ever necessary. This was this only appropriate attitude to have. Teaching is one of the most difficult and most important professions that exist. Learning and academic growth cannot happen without good teachers. We need to value and support them each and every day, in times of normalcy and especially in times of crisis, so that they know - no matter what happens - that they can count on us and the bedrock we've anchored to.
Comments
Post a Comment