Dear Administrator: Lead or Shut Up - A Rebuttal

I recently read a blog by Oskar Cymerman (@focus2achieve), Dear Administrator: Lead or Shut Up, and as I read I became more and more defensive. As an administrator I wanted to defend myself and even come to the defense of my colleagues. No way was what Oskar saying true of me or my colleagues, was it?

After some reflection and re-reading the post I realized that there were certainly times that each one of his statements were true of me. The result of this deeper reflection led to a feeling of disappointment and frustration. Parts of me wanted to show that these statements were not true more days than they were true.

The other part of me wanted to throw every excuse I could at Oskar. Not because I want to persuade him, but instead to take away the possibility that I could use those excuses in the future. I want to be reminded that teachers need administrators to lead, and so do our scholars!

So Oskar, here we go!

But Oskar… you don’t understand how busy we as administrators are. We have a lot on our plate. We don’t intentionally stop leading in areas we are passionate about.

Oskar: I probably don’t understand how busy administrators are. I just wanted to point out that while many call themselves progressive leaders and educators, they only actually act on those words when it’s safe...

My reflection: The idea that some leaders only act when it's safe is an extremely fair statement. As an administrator I find myself juggling a lot of balls and often times I am looking to find a calm balance in my work. So there have been times where I have chosen not to move forward out of fear of disrupting some sort of equilibrium. However, I know is that if the work is meaningful and best practice for scholars and staff, I cannot hesitate to act just because I am afraid of disrupting our "happy place". 

Hold on Oskar… you know how we (administrators) tell you to do things in your classroom, well the district gives administrators things to do in our buildings. Often times those take priority, and we lose focus of the areas we need to continue to lead.

Oskar: If the Pareto Principle holds true than 20% of those district assigned tasks lead to 80% of the results. Thus, many of them are probably managing, not leading. I think leading the charge in educating, encouraging, and empowering teachers to teach critical thinking using current events is one of those tasks that has a high return on investment.

My response: Your absolutely right that the district requests often take on the majority of our focus as administrators and we lose sight of our passion to impact meaningful change in our buildings. I believe I need to remember that district initiatives can be adapted to the needs of my building without imposing a threat to the work that must be done to change the work we are doing that holds the highest return.

Oskar… the reality is that I need more of the building behind me before I can continue to lead. When it comes down to it, most of the staff doesn’t back what I am doing.

Oskar: That is a tough one. You start with those who are receptive. If it’s only 30% of the building, then it’s 30% more than yesterday. My measuring stick: Is whatever action I take an attempt to make the world better for my students? If the answer is yes, then...

My response: This is a good reminder for me not to quit when I feel I don't have critical mass to enact change. Start with a small number and use that support to impact change amongst their colleagues. Build off the work of the teachers and continue leading in what I know to be best.

Wait a second Oskar… look around, the building is running real smooth. I don’t want to rock the boat. My leadership has helped us maintain a certain level of “happy”.

Oskar: It’s always calmest before the storm. Complacency is dangerous. And, it maintains status quo. Management is not leadership, because it’s unsustainable. Eventually, shit always hits the fan. It’s better to get your hands a little dirty first, so that you can have a clear conscience later knowing that you did your best to prevent a real mess.

My response: Complacency is dangerous. I know that I have told teachers that a quiet class (often the same as a complacent class) does not always mean learning is happening. The same is true of a building: just because the building is quite (staff are complacent in the work) does not equate to growth or change is taking place. Management is not leadership. Yup, that is so true. It is hard to process because management is a part of the job. What is important for me to remember is it will never be okay for the managerial parts of my job to take over the work of true leadership and getting my hands dirty.

Well, you know Oskar… I have over 1,000 followers on Twitter and I have helped co-lead a Twitter chat at least 4 times in the past year. I’ve blogged more than ever this year and the number of visits to my site are picking up. I am leading.

Oskar: Yes you are. Being a connected educator has opened up your eyes. You are learning and you are leading. Time to step up your game. Use all this learning to change the world.

My response: What I so often see and hear on social media from other leaders is how they take what they learn from their PLN and turn that into positive change in their building. I have started to do that this year, but I need to make sure that I continue to do that on a daily basis!

Okay, fine Oskar… I’m not leading like I should. So how do I start to walk the walk, in a way that teachers begin to trust?

Oskar: Culturally responsive education training for teachers, as most Caucasian folks do not know what culturally responsive education is. Encouraging and leading tough classroom conversations about the election, the racial divide, prejudice etc. Using current events, which are sometimes controversial, to teach critical examination of our values and critical thinking.

Many white people do not understand how white privilege works, because it is their “normal.” A cop car pulling behind a black person driving is very “real” for that person. As a white guy, I do not give it a second thought when cops pull me over. Even when it’s dark out, I feel safe and I know I’m about to be ticketed for something I well deserve.

My response: I couldn't agree more. My work as a leader is to lead as a culturally responsive leader to model and support culturally responsive teaching in the classrooms. As a white male in education I need to stand tall and speak up for my scholars and staff, especially for scholars and staff of color!

Oskar's passion and final thoughts

Remember Philando Castile? Here’s an excerpt from an NPR article The Driving Life And Death Of Philando Castile:

“An NPR analysis of those records shows that the 32-year-old cafeteria worker who was shot and killed by a police officer during a traffic stop in a St. Paul, Minn., suburb, was stopped by police 46 times and racked up more than $6,000 in fines. Another curious statistic: Of all of the stops, only six of them were things a police officer would notice from outside a car — things like speeding or having a broken muffler.”

I wonder how many teachers, especially those teaching in the Minnesota school districts serving predominantly white students, talked about Philando Castile, racial profiling, and how the justice “system” still works against individuals of color. We talk about slavery from the historical perspective, but what about it’s remnants and how prejudice still permeates this country?

There’s little real talk. It’s so much easier to just sweep it under the rug and put a fake smile on (or be “Minnesota nice” if you hail from the land of 10,000 lakes). We can talk a big game all we want, but unless we start getting out of our comfort zone and having real conversations, nothing will change. And that my friend, is scary to me. Does it not scare you?

Yes, my friend, it does scare me. As a leader I know I need to model vulnerability and get outside of my comfort zone. I need to be willing to take on challenges, make mistakes, and grow as a leader. I need to change how I lead, how I teach, and how I learn. Not because I want to feel better about myself, but because at the end of the day our scholars NEED me to! 

Thanks to Oskar for taking the time to dialogue with me about this important work.