Leadership is Tougher than Woodpecker Lips

I'm extremely excited to be a presenter at the NETA Conference in Omaha on April 20th. I will be in Room 215 of the Century Link Center from 11:15-12:00 giving a presentation titled, "Leadership is Tougher than Woodpecker Lips." I will not use any technology but instead just talk about some things I've seen, beliefs I have, and answer questions.

My notes are below.

• Brief background info

• Changes I’ve seen in my 19 years as a school administrator
o Technology Integration (Kathy Ireland and Fun Brian)
o Teaching & Learning
o Curriculum alignment
o Differentiation
o Expectations
o Accountability
o Schools are community service centers
o Needs of students and families -- social-emotional, LEP, poverty, lack of HOPE, etc.
o Public relations and communication -- monthly newsletter vs. hourly newsletter
o Kids today are better than they’ve ever been, more talented, deal with more distractions, maturity level, etc. (so are teachers!)

• My leadership strategies and beliefs
o Transparent and engaging
o Follow-through
o Relentlessness
o Accountability, ownership and pride
o Focus – “the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing”
o Action – “talk doesn’t cook rice”
o Courage - we simply need more difficult and awkward conversations…“All winning organizations have a comfortable level of discomfort”
o Enthusiasm
o Sense of Humor
o Communication – strategic and diverse
o Be an unselfish team player without an ego problem

• Toughness is needed
o Assault on public education...spending, property taxes, choice/privatization…..perceptions of some elected officials
o Social media
o Entitlement and urgency
o Student needs

• Q and A