FarBucks

Ripped Off? Or Just Business As Usual??

I love the Bill Gaither Quartet.  I own most of the Gaither Homecoming CDs and Videos.  So when I heard that two of my favorite past members of the quartet (Mark Lowry and David Phelps) were rejoining for a tour, I was anxious to know more.

I went on-line and was referred to VividSeats.com to purchase tickets for an upcoming April concert in Fort Worth.

Long story made short...

I ended up paying $490 for 4 tickets.  When I actually received the tickets, the price printed on each ticket was $39.50.  Here, let me save you the time to do the math - 4 X $39.50 = $150.

I know there are various fees and surcharges and mark-ups the ticket agencies charge...BUT:

$490 - $150 = $340 in extra charges ??????

I surfed around and found similar costs on various ticket sites.

What is going on here?

The fact is, the individual consumer - that's you and me - has little chance of buying good seats for any concert directly from the original source.  Large ticket agencies are buying the best seats in huge blocks.  

I don't blame the Gaithers.  I don't think the performers have any control over this.  I do know that there is a HUGE Gaither audience of elderly retired folks on fixed incomes.  I feel sorry for them  -  even the $39 would be a stretch, but add on the extra charges, and they are totally blocked.

Something is wrong here.  Really wrong.

But if the average consumer - that's me - just puts the money down and shrugs it off as business as usual, nothing will change.

But what choice do we really have?  Pay the cash and enjoy a live concert, or save the money and stay home with my iPod? 

A Real Test of Love

They say one test of character is how you act when you know no one is watching.

I say another real test of one's character is how you react when you extend the hand of friendship and it is ignored or rebuffed.

This Week's "Here's Your Sign"...

 

Relaxed dress code on weekends...love it!

   

Yes, he's a hero.  Can we move on now?

NO NO NO!!

The Cowbell in the Orchestra

A few (not many) have asked why I'm not writing as much. Two reasons: I grew tired of reading all the essays that were not saying anything new and I grew tired of writing essays that did not say anything new or add value to the Grand Discussion.

Too many blogs began to strike me as nothing more than a form of literary masturbation.  Not that there is anything wrong with writing for writing's sake and the feeling of self-gratification when comments from others are solicited, but there is simply too much being written that is self-evident, redundant, or simply being re-cycled in an effort to impress the great blog-o-masses out there.

I read two books that caused me to stop and reevaluate my whole idea of blogs, web pages, wiki spaces, and All Things Web 2 Oh!

Garr Reynolds' Presentation Zen.  And Daniel Pink's A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future.

Then I discovered Japanese cell phone novels and Smith Magazine's memoirs.  New trends...

Brevity.  Focus on function.

Cell phone novels kept to 70 word chapters.  Memoirs in 6 words.

 

Wow. What. A. Concept.

Throw in a renewed appreciation for a long-time hero - Steve Jobs - and I am a Reformed Techno Geek.  Take a first time look - again - at the Mac, the iPod, the iPhone.  Art meets function. 

FREE apps?  iPhone apps for under a dollar designed by teens in their bedrooms??  Anyone can submit an application - the simpler the better.  Some great ones, too.

 

Yes, the cowbell CAN be an instrument in the orchestra!

Simple apps, simple functions.

Functional Design is the new driving muse.

Can - shouldn't - this apply to blogging?

I believe it must if it's going to add clarity to any issue.

Obama Starting Strong

He promised change.  So far, so good.  No, make that GREAT.

Bush had his style and no doubt some means of reaching consensus at his cabinet meetings.  Something tells me that generally speaking, consensus was pretty much a foregone conclusion before a meeting's agenda was even formulated.  I bet those were some B-O-R-I-N-G meetings.

I'd pay admission to watch President-Elect Obama's cabinet meetings.  Following the lead of Lincoln and FDR is not a bad way to start.  Remember, both of them appointed rivals, not cronies, pals, or co-conspirators.

 

I am not disappointed in how things are starting.  In fact, I am encouraged and excited.  So far (and no, the honeymoon has not even started yet), Mr. Obama seems to have a natural ability of leadership and knowing what to do. Is it possible we have elected a Man of Integrity and Honesty who is really going to listen, carefully weigh all advice, and make decisions based on what is morally right rather than politically expedient?

We can only hope he will be so audacious.

I'm still laying back and watching his moves toward public education.  Things are still a little vague on where things stand with NCLB, accountability, etc...The choice of Education Secretary will take some time to study.  Not sure what the PRESIDENT will do, but what the PARENT is doing is right-on.  (There he was, just elected President and his first act the next morning was to attend a previously scheduled teacher-parent conference.  No matter what you may think, you have to appreciate his sense of priorities.)

 

No Apologies...No Excuses

I HATE when people make excuses!  I have colleagues who start every conversation with a statement along the lines of, "You wouldn't believe how busy I've been..."  or  "I get to my office every morning at X O'Clock and still cannot get all my work done..."  or  "I work until 10 pm every night"....

It's like they're bragging or playing some game of I'm Better Than You Because I Work Harder Than You.

I have close administrator friends who brag about being at work from before sun-up until long after sun-down and go in on weekends to "get caught up".

Hey, if you're a workaholic - and you love impressing folks by telling them how many hours you worked last week...good for you.  Now shut-up, will ya please?

You really want to know what I think when friends tell me over and over how hard they work and what long hours they keep?  I seriously think, "So you have no clue how to manage your time?  And you expect what?  Sympathy?"

My observation is that folks who work more than a standard work week

• Have poor time management skills; or
• They don't know how to delegate; or
• They cannot prioritize [HINT: Family comes first!]; or
• They are Wannabe Martyrs.

[OMG!, did he really just say that?]

Listen? I hear eggshells being stepped on.

Look, if you're a school administrator and you consider football games, plays, concerts, academic and athletic events to be WORK, you're in the wrong career.

Sure, I'm "on duty" while at those events, but I'm also having FUN!  I see fellow admintypes so worried and uptight about the lighting systems, sound systems, crowd control, etc. that they completely miss a 98 yard punt return for a score.  Or they don't really HEAR that subtle oboe melody played perfectly during a concert.  

Kenny sings about knowing when to hold 'em and knowing when to fold 'em.  Effective - and the most healthy - school administrators know when to be vigilant, focused, and when to let go and just enjoy the moment.  Take the informal Walk Through Observation.  I have seen colleagues so intent on working through their checklist, they completely miss the sheer joy on a kid's face who just caught on to reducing 2/4 to 1/2.  ("I get it Mr. Jones! I finally get it!")  Any administrator who witnesses such an event and doesn't walk over and give the kid a high-five is just an empty suit pretending to be an educator.

I've been asked how I will know when it's time to retire.

Easy.

When going into my office, walking the halls, visiting a classroom, spending time with great teachers and super students becomes a "job", it will be time for me to leave.  

When I look at my watch and mentally calculate how much longer I have to stay at work, it will be time for me to quit.

When I start telling everyone how hard I work, how many hours I spent at the school, and how busy I am...it will time for me to retire.

******************************************************

So you see...I haven't been blogging lately...

...and many of you have been asking why....

and while it would be sooooo easy to just say "I've been too busy.."  the truth is, I just haven't had anything to say.

Stay Tuned.

Meaningful Revolution - A New Manifesto Which Must Be Heard

It is reported that when John Adams first saw John Trumball's famous painting of the signing of the Declaration of Independence he remarked that the picture was not at all how things really looked. The painting makes it appear as though the process of writing the document was a rather routine and tranquil group effort.  In fact, the process that led to the formation, writing, and acceptance of the Declaration was a partisan and contentious battle of arguments and clashing philosophies.

Yet somehow, from that crucible of mixed beliefs, disparate philosophies, and vested political interests a document of profound clarity of purpose and philosophy emerged that has withstood the challenges of time and politics for over 200 years and created what can arguably be called the greatest democracy in history.

A similar process has been repeating itself here in Texas.  Granted, this process will not impact the world to the extent of the Declaration of Independence, but it certainly has the potential of giving birth to a meaningful revolution of a different sort.

Thirty-five superintendents have been gathering and debating the state of education in Texas.  Calling themselves The Public Education Visioning Institute, they have engaged in what one participant called "truly courageous conversations".  These leaders of districts - which combined represent over 1.2 million students - have met to discuss, argue, debate, challenge, and begin a push for changes of historical magnitude in the educational system of Texas.

The Visioning Institute was initially conceptualized by Keith Sockwell, past Superintendent of Northwest ISD and now with Plano ISD, just north of Dallas.  The Institute eventually gathered support and co-sponsorships with the Texas Association of School Administrators, the Texas Leadership Center, and the SHW Group [1].

They have been meeting for nearly two years, but their work has not been widely heard about, published, or disseminated until very recently.  They have now published what might best be termed a manifesto...a call to action which in some ways can be compared to a declaration of independence from over-regulation by state (and federal) entities.  In fact, on page seven of the document they quote Thomas Jefferson's statement about the writing of the Declaration of Independence:

[A Moral Imperative: Why We as Public Education Leaders Must Speak and Act Now]..."not to find out new principles, or new arguments, never before thought of, not merely to say things which had never been said before; but to place before mankind the common sense of the subject, in terms so plain as to command their assent, and to justify ourselves in the independent stand we are compelled to take.  Neither aiming at originality of principle or sentiment, nor yet copied from any particular and previous writing, it was intended to be an expression of the American mind, and to give that expression the proper tone and spirit called for by the occasion."

The document's title is: Creating as New Vision for Public Education in Texas - A Work in Progress for Conversation and Further Development.

And setting the tone right from the beginning, immediately below the title you see:

"Respectfully Offered by Superintendent Participants in the Public Education Visioning Institute."

A free pdf download of the document is available from the TASA website or from www.tasanet.org/files/visioning/visioningfinal.pdf.

In many ways these thirty-five superintendents are not dissimilar from our country's forefathers in the courage they model by publishing their work. Superintendents work in a highly charged political arena and most go to great lengths to keep their personal opinions hidden from view and their politics close to their vests.  There is nothing inflammatory within the forty-two pages, but there is also nothing safe about this document.  It is a powerful statement from a group of educational leaders which may not sit well with certain power brokers.  It is not unreasonable to say that this document could be a risk to the careers of each superintendent who signed-off on the final published product [2].  But, as one superintendent told me, there is no longer any time to waste.  The "moral imperative" of doing what is right for the children of Texas demands that changes be made at the highest levels of educational governance and influence.

Again, quoting from page seven:

"The framers of the Declaration of Independence provided inspiration for this monumental task we have felt compelled to undertake.  While making no claim that this work is in any way comparable to their epic accomplishment, we have used what they did to inspire us, as a metaphor to frame our own efforts, and to reflect our deeply held belief in the assertion of Thomas Jefferson that learning is essential to liberty.  So in that sense, we, like them, find that we can no longer keep quiet and to continue the injustices the present bureaucratic school system is imposing on our youth and their future."

The true beauty of the document is that it does not dodge, run from, or argue against the continued need for accountability and testing.  The document does not call for an end to monitoring student achievement and holding staffs, schools, and districts accountable for results.  It is how these results are defined and the means of accomplishing them which are the targets for change outlined in the forty-two page publication.

The Visioning Institute's "Declaration" consists of Six Articles.  Under each Article, profound and positive changes to the educational system are outline and specific actions are recommended.  Many of the objectives and actions will take significant effort and time to implement.  Many will require a re-evaluation and new approach to issues at the upper levels of state governance.

The Six Articles are:

• Article I:    The New Digital Learning Environment
• Article II:  The New Learning Standards
• Article III:   Assessments for Learning
• Article IV:  Accountability for Learning
• Article V:   Organizational Transformation
• Article VI:  A More Balanced and Reinvigorated State/Local Partnership

Some of the goals set within these Articles will conflict with vested interests.  Others will run counter to traditional bureaucratic thinking.  But each has been well-considered, debated, negotiated, mediated, and ultimately agreed to by group consensus.

The purpose of this post is simply to urge all educators (and other visitors to LeaderTalk) to read the document.  Then ask yourself what you can do to promote the ideas (and ideals) outlined under the Six Articles.  The thirty-five superintendents have done their job.  While the Visioning Institute will continue meeting, the real responsibility for implementing their manifesto now shifts to the trenches.

Our forefathers wrote the Declaration of Independence, but it was the average colonial citizen who fought for its ultimate acceptance, defense, and application.  Parents, school staffs, PTAs, Lions Clubs, Rotary Clubs, Chambers of Commerce, churches, educational associations...as much of the public as possible must now learn of the publication and become familiar with the Visioning Institute's work and begin spreading the word and lobbying for its implementation.

There are FOUR ACTIONS we can take at this point:

1. Urge your school staff to download and read the document;
2. Promote the dissemination and reading of the publication to as wide an audience as possible through word-of-mouth, blogs, emails, phone calls, and other means;
3. Provide your input to the Institute (you will see how within the document itself); and
4. Begin a meaningful dialog with as many people as you can...working toward the implementation of the Institute's work at the local and state levels.

To the extent which each individual can, we should assist in meeting the challenge issued by the Institute's authors on page one of the document:

"Educators and parents have vital contributions to make and their insights and commitments should be utilized.  We knew it was time to begin a new and different kind of dialog.  We also felt that the only meaningful way to address the issues and challenge underlying assumptions was to define and express a vision, based on relevant beliefs, principles, and premises.

Our urgent desire is that this document be used to begin disciplined dialog, stimulate questions, identify problems, and frame issues that will eventually lead to strategic actions at the local level and in governmental capitols."

The collective talent and experience pool of the readers of LeaderTalk is tremendous.  The input that each of you could provide to this "disciplined dialog" would be invaluable to the Visioning Institute's effort. For the best way to participate, do not leave comments here, rather, follow the suggestions provided within the document itself.  As noted at the front of the publication:

"This edition reflects a revised document format from the initial printing, specifically including space for reader reflections, questions and recommended revisions or additions.  Comments may be submitted to any of the contacts listed on the acknowledgment page."

I know the majority of us agree that the time has come to challenge the status quo and the arbitrary mandates (funded and unfunded), laws, policies, and practices which have blurred the vision and derailed the mission of American Education.  This may be the opportunity many of us have been waiting for...

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world.  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."  --  Margaret Mead

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[1] Disclosure: The SHW Group continues to provide financial support of the Visioning Institute, but they neither seek - nor have - any input or influence regarding the content of any work products coming forward from the Institute.

[2] Disclosure: I have had professional working relationships with four members of the Institute, including one which is a personal friendship of over thirty years.

When My Muse Wanders Off

Over on Leadertalk, Reggie posts "To Blog or Not to Blog".  She raises some interesting questions which the more I thought about, the more profound they became.  At first, I was tempted to leave a response in the comment section and give six off-the-hip short answers...such as:

1. If you currently have a blog for your school/district, are you glad you started it or has it become more work than you thought? Yes and yes.
2. Do you get feedback on your blog or does it sometimes feel like you are talking just to yourself? Some of my best writing has only been met with my words coming back to me as faint echo and crickets chirping in the night.
3. How much time do you think you spend a week writing on your blog? Do you try to do this during your work day or is it mostly from home? 2-3 hours, at home - usually in the wee hours...it depends on when and where my Muse finds me.
4. Do you pay for the blog service or do you use a free one?  You get what you pay for... 
5. What advice would you give to an administrator who is thinking about starting a blog? Don't write just to write - wait until you have something to say.  And don't write for others...write for yourself...as a means of clarifying thoughts, expressing frustration, or just howling at the moon.

But, after some reflection, I wanted to offer a slightly more reflective response...

There are two primary reasons to blog: One is to disseminate information to others.  The other is to express thoughts and opinions either of a personal or professional nature. 

If you want a blog in order to set up a channel of communication between you and staff, students, parents, and community - go for it.  It can be on your school's web-site and can be monitored by you in a way that only campus-relevant, family friendly, politically correct material is posted.

On the other hand, if you want to blog personal opinions, take issue with local political initiatives, and discuss anything of interest to you without having to self-censor, you need to proceed down a different path.  Pay for a service with personal money, don't use your school computer, and be careful who you invite to visit it.  And although there are First Amendment Right protections galore, beware of libel.  And of course, while you may not give out the URL to anyone but trusted friends, remember, this IS the Internet and NOTHING stays private - or secret - for long.  I try to always be honest and blunt in my personal posts on this site, but I always keep in the back of mind that I can never know who is reading it...from family, to students, to my bosses.  It doesn't stop me from expressing opinions that sometimes provoke phone calls from peers and even supervisors, but it does prompt me to evaluate a conviction and believe I can support/defend it before I cast it out on the 'net.

One problem with blogging is finding your Muse.  My Muse is fickle.  She can toss ten great ideas at me in one sitting...and then she can wander off for days, leaving me with nothing to write about.  Normally there's nothing wrong with this unless you have certain blogging deadlines, like I do for Leadertalk, Big Ideas, and The Faculty Room.  Then the pressure is on.  I have a deadline, or the editor asking for a post, and my flighty Muse has gone on a long walk-about.  This is when things can get dangerous - because the worst thing you can do when blogging is to write when you have nothing to say.

The date of my last blog on this site was (in blog-o-think) light years ago.  I know I lost readers.  But my Muse took a longer vacation than I did, and when we're re-united, I'll start writing again.

Anyway...

My around-the-bush answer to Reggie then, is YES! BLOG! 

I'm Just Kidding, Right? Right?? Mmmm Maybe.

 

In the delightful book Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters, by Mark Dunn, the population of a small island find themselves being banned by the local government from using certain letters of the alphabet. By law they can only use letters which are part of a local statue.  The problem is that various letters are slowly coming loose and falling off the statue one at a time.  Taking this as a sign of the Gods, the local government decides it is a sign that fallen letters are no longer to be used.  As the novel progresses, the author is forced to show how the islanders communicate with fewer and fewer letters.

Highly creative and definitely hysterical! 

And it got me to thinking.

As the availability of letters became increasingly limited, everyone was forced to become clearer, more concise, and extremely selective in word usage.  No one missed the letter Q too much, but try communicating without the letter T.

I have been riding my staff about spending too much time in lectures.  Frankly, they do too much of the talking in class.  In looking back at my Walk-Through data for the year, I am embarrassed to admit that my staff was engaged in lecturing 89% of the time I observed.   I have come up with an idea for a new program next year based on Ella Minnow Pea.

I am calling the program Less Said the Better. { I was going to call it Shut Up and Teach, but my wife (the sweet kindergarten teacher that she is) reminded me that Shut Up is “not nice” to say.}  Anyway, here’s how it will work.

I will give each teacher an allowance of words and punctuation marks.  As the year passes, their allowance of available words will decrease each month.  It will also vary according to subject taught.

Here’s a brief look at what I have in mind:

For the first month of school, I will give the science teachers a starting allowance of 5,000 words, 100 periods, 100 commas, 10 exclamation marks, and  317 question marks.  The average sentence is 12 words in length.  Five thousand words will allow for 417 sentences.  Notice that I give a larger amount of question marks (317).  That’s because I want the teachers to use more questions, afterall, I am encouraging an emphasis on scientific inquiry.

Math is easy.  I just spent a fortune on graphing calculators and manipulatives, so they don’t need many words.  I am planning on giving the math teachers 2,500 words.  50 periods, 100 commas, and 150 question marks.   They won’t need any exclamation marks until the students master the basics.  I’ll allow some exclamation marks when math gets interesting a few months from now.  Just kidding!  I’ll give 50 exclamation marks for those exciting lessons which Dan Meyers has shared on his blog!!

Social Studies probably needs a few more words to get off to a good start, so I’ll give them 7,000 words (583 sentences) to get through the units of The Dawn of Mankind and Early Texas History.  175 periods, 200 commas, 450 question marks, and 250 exclamation marks (there was some really exciting action in early Texas history).

English gets a flat 1,000 words.  I’ll allow 40 periods, 50 colons, 25 semicolons, 60 commas, 40 question marks, 12 exclamation marks, 28 quotation marks, and 35 accent marks. “Wait!” you cry…”Shouldn’t ENGLISH get MORE words than other subjects?”  Nope, that would be counter-productive.   If I want the students doing well in English, THEY need to be doing all the talking, not the teachers…right?  It’s a simple equation: Hello! If I don’t hear them speaking it, how will I know if they know English?

As each month passes, the staff will have fewer and fewer words to use, but more and more question marks at their disposal.  They will have to monitor and adjust their teaching style to include more questions and fewer words.  Yes, they will need to get pretty creative. 

 

Imagine.  By the end of the year, teachers are out of words.  They are now engaged in nothing but modeling and demonstrating.  No lecturing, preaching, or dominating the learning environment.  It will be all student discussion, collaboration, give and take, and engagement.

 

Now I know what you’re thinking…this is a great plan!  Thank You.  And I know you want to borrow it.  Sure, go ahead!  But, you may also be asking, what will you do to compensate for the teachers not being allowed to talk for the entire class time?

Well, I will support them by increasing their budgets for reading materials, appropriate manipulatives, interactive technologies, and even new furniture that promotes collaborative teaming among the kids. I will also eliminate the rules that don’t allow students to leave the classroom.  Students will be allowed to form small groups and meet in the courtyard, the commons area, or hallway.  I will provide a special Feel the Funky Stuff Fund for things Luther Burbank mentions as essential to the learning environment:

Every child should have mud pies, grasshoppers, water-bugs, tadpoles, frogs and mud-turtles, elderberries, wild strawberries, acorns, chestnuts, trees to climb, brooks to wade in, water-lilies, woodchucks, bats, bees, butterflies, various animals to pet, hayfields, pine-cones, rocks to roll, sand, snakes, huckleberries, and hornets; and any child who has been deprived of these has been deprived the best part of his education.

On my walk-arounds I will simply stop here and there, close my eyes, and listen.  If I hear teachers talking, I will count words and probably intervene.  If I hear nothing but a loud buzz of student interaction and team work, I will move on…a very happy principal.

 

World's Greatest Billboards - Nominee #2

World's Greatest Billboards - Nominee #1

Wrong. Just Wrong.

Found while surfing:

I don't know why, but this is wrong...just plain ol' wrong.

Japanese Grow Square Watermelons

A round watermelon can take up a lot of room in a refrigerator and the usually round fruit sits awkwardly on refrigerator shelves.  Smart Japanese farmers have forced their watermelons to grow into a square shape by forcing the melons to grow and mature inside square, tempered glass cases.

                   

              

                         

Japanese square watermelons...it's just...just...not American!

Gorillas in Your Midst

                                                   

There are gorillas in the mist, and there are experts in your midst.

Has anyone taken a close look at the talent WITHIN your district?  So much is made of "outside" experts being brought in, and yet there are some damn creative leaders doing some outstanding work right under the noses of those who should notice.

One of the best mini-inservices we had in this district was led by one of the high school principals.  Dr. Jim Vaszauskas received a standing ovation.  He was good!  Now he's gone - hired away by another district.

Hmmmmmmmmm, Our loss...their gain...

Something tells me we have lots of gorillas in our midst - excellent leaders who should be allowed to conduct in-house inservices.  I'm curious, does it happen much in your district?

How to Kill Creativity and Morale

When you solicit input from staff and then receive it, just ignore it.  Toss it in the trash.  Make SURE you do not even acknowledge it.  The creativity level of your staff will start to dry up.  The morale will drop.  Future requests for input will be met with derision and a noticeable lack of response.

When consultants take on the role of judge and jury on all curriculum items and give the attitude that they want to hear from you, but then act as if the input they receive is below their superior level of knowledge, a wall is built.

Weary becomes wary and most staffs quickly grow tired of trying to climb that wall.

When any district's central office takes on an air of WE KNOW WHAT'S BEST FOR ALL, there is nothing good that come of it. 

Who is making all the decisions?  Small committees?  How often are the instructional leaders of your district polled...or better yet, called together as a whole to discuss major curriculum initiatives?

And is their input really heard?

Beware the "help" that comes in the guise of initiatives which you are told have have been universally agreed to and you were never consulted about.  Beware the consultants to won't make eye-contact, merely nod, and then proceeds as if you never spoke. 

A good C&I department can be the most benficial component in helping campus instructional leaders improve their campus.  A lousy C&I department is just in the way and is a waste of money.

Which do you have?  Consultants that roll up their sleeves, jump in the trenches with you, and get dirty?  Or do you have the type that sits on the mountain top and dispenses advice based on the latest workshop they attended?

Farr's Five Best Bits O'Advice

                   

Over on LeaderTalk, Chris writes an excellent post on the three best pieces of advice he has received regarding his career in education thus far.

Got me to thinking...

I started writing down some of the best advice I've been given.  I soon recognized a problem.  Maybe it's the mentors I have had.  Maybe it's just the type of people drawn to me with a deep-seated need to give advice to someone who looks like he really needs it.  Or maybe it's just that I live in Texas and advice here tends to run along the brutally honest.  I was going to add my advice to Chris' via a comment, but I just don't think it fits with the ultimate purpose, voice, or spirit of LeaderTalk.  Therefore, I'm posting this on Farbucks.

In no particular order, here are Farr's Five Best Bits O'Advice - as given to me by friends, family, mentors, and colleagues:

1.  Eat a live frog first thing every morning.  Nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.

2.  When you hear, "We're from Central Administration and we are here to help you", run.

3.  Try to avoid the elementary gymnasium on hot days, but if you cannot avoid it, remember: Do Not Pet the Sweaty Things.

4.  As principal, you can delegate assignments.  Always delegate clean ups of bio-waste and winter soccer games.

                     

5.  If a student asks, "Would you like to see my new tattoo (or body piercing)?"  ALWAYS say, "No    Thank You."

                                          

A Winning Bet for Mother's Day!

                        

My son and daughter-in-law invited Mommy Farr and me to join them for Mother's Day at the Lone Star Park Horse Races.  While that struck some of our friends as odd, it was a perfect fit for us.  (When Drew was little we would spend Mother's Day at Six Flags Over Texas because there were NO crowds.)  The Lone Star Park track is a five minute drive from our house, but we had never been before. 

The day started with a Five Star Mother's Day Lunch Buffet in the Silk Restaurant.  They start with eggs, omelets, the usual breakfast /brunch items.  As the day progresses along with the nine races, the offerings become more substantial with salmon, pork, prime rib, etc.  Toward late afternoon, it's cheese and crackers and desserts, desserts, desserts.  When you eat there, you end up spending the whole day there.  The restaurant is four stories up and enclosed in glass. Every table has a spectacular view of the whole track.  But (despite what it sounds like) the food wasn't really our focus.  We were busy being the ignorant, innocent newbies and asking all the predictably dumb questions..."what's the difference between Place and Show?"  "What's a Tri-Fecta?"

What no one else knew was that I had a secret going in my favor.  True to traditions of track lore and superstitions, I designated Erin's uncle Les, as my Good Luck Charm.  To my Contrarian Way of reasoning, his name LES meant we'd win MORE.  Besides that, he and I were the only two of the Thirteen Member Farr/Williams Family Entourage that looked like regular horse bettors:

                                 

It was fun watching everyone figure out what horse to bet on.  Erin had the right idea, she just laughed and had a good time throughout the afternoon, letting Drew place all their bets:

                                          

Martha studied the program closely - looking for colors.  She really looked like she knew what she was doing....and she even had a "system": If the horse's color was red or the jockey's color was pink, it had her bet:

                                     

I tried the "fake-em-out-approach".  I pretended I knew what I was doing and studied the stats closely...although if you look REAL CLOSE, you can see the remnants of the chocolate cake by my left hand that was my REAL focus.  (I took the E-Z way out and just bet the track's published favorites.)

                                          

But of course Baby Ethan had the best attitude..."What's the big deal, guys?  Just watch the pretty horsies run in a big circle!"

                      

It was fun watching the horses parade past the crowd, line up and load the starting gate.  The bugler did his thing, and there really IS something to be said for watching some events LIVE.  TV doesn't catch the whole essence - the noise, the smells, the vibrations as the ground shakes...

                            

                                       

We took a break between two of the races (there were 9 total) and decided to go down and watch the action in the paddock where the horses are held and prepped before each race.  As we walked towards the area, I became separated from the rest of the family and somehow ended up in the middle of a small group going through the Owner's Only Gate.  I looked up later to see the rest of the family waving and trying to discreetly tell me, "You are in the Owner's area...you cannot be there...get out!".  But hey, I was walking around with the jockeys, owners, I could pet the horses, and not a single security guard questioned me.  I guess I fit the profile of a Rich Horse Breeder - bearded, grey hair, paunchy...whatever.  I slowly made my way back out the gate and rejoined the family.  (Frankly, the only difference between the two areas that I noticed was that the General Public didn't get horse shit on their shoes.  I guess the owners don't mind it.)

               

                    

So how did we do?

Well, I paid for the $27 per person luncheon for Martha, Drew, Erin, and myself.  Then Martha and I placed bets.  I tried keeping a running comparison of wagers versus winnings, but I was visiting with others, playing with Ethan, eating, drinking, betting....I sorta lost track.  ("I lost track at the track"...there's a pun or country music lyric trying to break through there somewhere...)

All I know is, when we got home, I emptied my pockets and Martha emptied her purse and after we counted everything up, we had $200 more than we started with.  Folks who know about this sort of thing have been asking me all day if I'll take them with us next time Martha and I go to the track.

My answer?

You bet!

                                              

 

Wasted Resources and The Care and Upkeep of Our Elders

George Washington lived 2 years after he stepped down as President.  James Polk died the same year he left the Presidency.  Woodrow Wilson died 3 years after the end of his term.  Calvin Coolidge lived 4 years after his Presidency ended. LBJ 4 years.  Eisenhower 8 years.

Today, we note that ex-Presidents live longer and longer. Ford lived 29 years. Nixon 20 years. Reagan 15 years. Current living ex-world leaders include: Jimmy Carter - 27 years and still going strong.

The Ex-President of Mexico, Vicente Fox, is 66 years old.  Vladamir Putin, immediate past-President of Russia is only 56 years old.  Ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair is 55 years old.

George Bush Sr - 15 years out of the Presidency, 84 years old and has taken up parachuting for a hobby.  Bill Clinton - 8 years out of office, 62 years old, and still campaigns like a man in his 30s. George Bush Jr is only 62 years old and can outrun most men half his age.

With all of us living longer, and more and more world leaders passing the reins of power to others (peacefully or otherwise), we are facing an excess of Ex-World-Leaders.  This could be a real problem.  We have an expanding excess of past world leaders, powerful personalities, who are basically unemployed and growing bored.  I believe we have a responsibility to provide them opportunities to remain active and involved without overstepping their bounds, demeaning themselves, or endangering themselves.

What do you do once you have ruled a country, run a democracy, led a parliament, or otherwise had the ear of all other presidents, kings, and potentates of the world?  Face it, once you can write “President of the United States”, “President of Russia”, "Prime Minister of Britain”, or “Ruler of Zimbabwe” on your resume, there's really not much worth putting after that, is there?

What really got me thinking about this was a picture I saw of past Russian Premier Mikhail Gorbachev posing in an advertisement for Louis Vuitton satchels, luggage, and man bags.  What is this once immensely powerful man doing selling hand bags??

                                             

It got me to contemplating...what’s next? Vladimir Putin posing for Cabela's Sporting Goods?

                                     

Hmmmm, actually, I WOULD be interested in that knife, rod and reel, and hat...

But back to main idea...  Monarchy, Dynasty, Republic, or Tribe…once you have been in command of any type of country or government, it’s hard to retire and welcome customers to Walmart.

                                             

We have a responsibility to take care of our past leaders.  Their welfare and safe-keeping is clearly called for.  Unless we take action, we face such possibilities as:

            

Here’s Jimmy – notice he missed the chisel and is about to hammer his hand.  No gloves…no hard hat…and chiseling without safety glasses.  He needs protecting!

                                                   

Poor Al Gore.  He needs us to push him into new directions.  Sure, he won an academy award, but so did F. Murray Abraham and look what good it did him.  We all know that sooner or later Al's going to get awfully tired of just standing around and watching ice melt.

                           .

And what about George Bush Senior?  The man is OLD and he's jumping out of airplanes!  If ever there was a cry for help!  This man needs some serious safe-guarding and counseling toward projects that keep his feet on the ground

                     .

Other leaders need our help, also.  Tony Blair for example.  He wants to play cricket professionally.  First, he needs to be told that cricket is DEFINITELY an OUTDOOR sport.  He also needs to be told that children should never stand so close to the players!

                                                         

Then there's Bill.  Actually, I'm not too worried about Bill.  Once we get all the ex-leaders together, I have an idea he'll take control and have then singing bar songs and talking policy into the wee hours of each day...

I worry the most about George Jr.  He's never really had a real job.  He played in his Daddy's oilfields.  He part-time-owned a baseball team.  He was Governor of Texas - a symbolic position if ever there was one...everyone in Texas KNOWS it's the LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR who runs things.  And after eight years Junior was just starting to catch on to things...such as his way around the White House. (Junior and Rumsfeld often spent several minutes after their meetings looking for the cleverly concealed doors of the Oval Office.)

                  

Junior wants to return to baseball - possibly as commissioner.  Not a bad idea, but as this picture illustrates, future players and fans aren't too crazy about the idea.

         

His wife suggested he might try running a Day Care, but George Junior has his doubts...

                                                         

And while he IS good with his hands around the ranch...

                                          

Don't let him near a backhoe...

                                     

He hasn't quite got the idea how to use heavy equipment...as this effort at digging his truck out of the Texas mud shows...                                        

                                    

So what am I suggesting?

We cannot allow such a waste of talent.  We must help this expanding group of ex-powerful people find a new purpose and cause to pursue.  Yes, we need to give them purpose…but we also evidently need to protect these powerful ex-leaders from hurting themselves.

I suggest we set them up with a small country to run. I recommend that we find someplace for all the ex-leaders of the world to live.  I suggest a small country or island someplace.  In specific, I say we give them Guam.

                                                          

Countries from around the globe can send problem issues to the island for all these retired leaders to work on.  From Global Warming to World Hunger…

Once a year we need to bring them out into public and give them a forum from which to be heard.  We would hold it in California (of course) and sell tickets.  It could be run along the lines of a Bill Gaither Homecoming event.  All the old, great, old, not-so-great, old leaders of the world on one stage.  Co-Moderated by Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly (just because).  The opening prayer by the Rev. Wright (why not) and the national anthem sung by the Dixie Chicks (just for fun.)…..

They can have all the policy-talks they want.  Summits every Friday.  Build walls on Monday, tear them down on Tuesday.  The leaders have projects to keep them occupied.  The leaders are kept away from dangerous activities and sharp objects.  They have all the (local) TV coverage they crave.

And the beauty is – it’s all contained on the island Guam.

Is this a plan or what?

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Alright.  I've had my fun.  And with utmost respect (no, really, I'm being serious now), I truly appreciate the work of every past President.  I wrote all of the above with tongue firmly implanted in cheek to make a point.  Granted, I bird-walked 100 miles around the Bushes to make a point, but there really is one to be made.

As we have more and more skilled workers (be they world leaders, bankers, doctors, engineers...) entering the ranks of the retired, a HUGE untapped pool of part-time, HIGHLY-skilled teachers and mentors are being created.  I believe school leaders should be exploring ways to get this talent pool invested in their schools.

Tomorrow (May 7th, 2008) I am having a meeting and giving a tour to the retired members of the large church which sits directly across the street from my school.  We're talking less than 50 yards away.  A new young minster called me a few weeks ago and asked for a meeting.  We met and he said that he believed they could help the school.  We talked about mentors and tutors.  He took the idea back to his congregation and they leaped at it.  So at 10:30 tomorrow I will meet with these potential volunteers and we will discuss ways they can become hands-on involved.

This idea was further enhanced by the interesting question that Scott McLeod posted on Leadertalk.  Basically, his post asked what can be done about the lack of the best qualified candidates entering college education programs and then entering and STAYING in the career of teaching.  If we are really losing the best (i.e. brightest) teachers on a continuing basis, Dr. McLeod asks, "Now What?"

Well, among several other things, we can tap into the growing pool of mega-talented, highly intelligent retirees.  I'll be expanding on this in a more - ahem, academic/scholarly - manner in a post on Leadertalk later.

But my point stands.  While I used world leaders to over-state my point, I only have to look around my neighborhood to spot a retired Dallas Morning News reporter (think he could help teach/tutor English?), a retired gentleman who owned a very successful insurance office (think he could tutor Business?), a retired mathematician who worked for the local aerospace industry - yes, a real rocket scientist (uhm, I'm sure there's something he could teach...).

This pool of retired Baby Boomers are already growing tired of the cruises and days home working in the yard.  Face it, retirement sounds great to those of us who are of the Leave It to Beaver generation.  But the truth is, we get bored easily.  Virtually EVERY colleague of mine who retired when first eligible has gone back to work.  MANY have returned to the classroom and are happier than ever.

There is a tremendous untapped renewable resource available to school leaders.  We just have to figure out how to most efficiently and effectively use it.

   

 

Recommended Charities

                                             

                                                                  

                                     

                           

                                       

                   

Buckner International
600 North Pearl Street, Suite 2000
Dallas, TX 75201 • 214-758-8000

Can You Read The Can?

I am writing this out of concern as an administrator who often sees students drinking so-called sports or energy drinks in the morning.  We currently do not have a rule against them.  Aside from the health-related concerns regarding the ingredients, I am mad about a subtle marketing trend that promotes alcohol consumption among young people and is flying just below the awareness radar of adults who should be monitoring this type of abuse.

There are a number of these drinks on the market which cannot be easily differentiated from one another.  That is, all these cans begin to resemble each other with their bright colors, logos, stars, lightening bolts, and general appearance.  It doesn't take an advertising guru to see that product containers are designed to be misleading.  In fact, there are reports that both parents as well as store owners who sell the products have a hard time telling them apart.

The public seems unaware that some energy drink manufacturers are adding alcohol to their product.  And unless you know what to look for, you might be looking right at a minor...a student...drinking an alcoholic energy drink in class.  Spotting such terms as "malt beverage" or "A-L-C by weight" can be tricky when the lettering blends with the rest of the package design - or, you just didn't know that both of those terms tell you it contains alcohol.  Here are two popular products, one would be ok in the hands of a minor, the other not.  Could you tell the difference from several feet away as the can passed you in the hands of a student hurrying to class in a crowded hallway?

                                                    

          The black can is legal for minors to consume.  The gold can contains 6% alcohol (12 proof).

The marketing campaigns behind these drinks are as insidious as they are ingenious.  Product spin-offs at x-treme sport venues, equipment, sponsors, clothes, product placement in non-mainstream venues creates a demand that implies consumers are "in the know" and hip to a non-adult market segment.

I am writing this blog specifically to alert readers (hello fellow administrators) to the fact that those innocent looking energy drinks that may appear around your house or campus deserve a serious look.  There is a chance they contain alcohol, and you don't recognize it.

          

Drinks are being marketed to teens with an insidious implication that the drinks border on the illegal.  "Wow, how kewl!"  How else do you explain drinks named after illegal activities or drugs: Rehab, Ecstasy, Chronic (which comes with a faux parental advisory calling it an "explicit drink")!, or the not-even-pretending-to-be-subtle Cocaine: The Legal Alternative:

                               

I am not so naive to think that we can stop this marketing of over-the-edge energy drinks, but I do feel a responsibility to alert readers to be on the alert and help guard against the illegal use of these products by minors.  I also feel an administrative responsibility to urge my colleagues to more closely monitor the consumption of energy drinks by students.

Do you know what your kids are drinking - even if you are looking directly at the can?  You might be surprised!

You can bet that I'll be checking out the cans in the hands of my students...

Arts Music Food & Fun!

...so the prettiest, smartest, best looking better half looks at me and says, "Let's take the train to the Fort Worth Main Street Arts Festival this Saturday!"

                                     

                        

She had me at "let's take the train..." And NOTHING sounded better after spending past weekends building/repairing weather-damaged fences, writing about drop-outs, trying to catch up on my professional readings, etc...

A chance to unwind and walk the streets of downtown Fort Worth browsing through the works of a variety of artists and works that defy description...we're talking paintings of dogs riding bicycles, kinetic art that throws marbles across a canvass, and museum quality carvings of incredible value (try one piece "The Story of Noah's Ark" for $380,000). We try to go every year, and we add one piece of art to the house (we try not to exceed 1/10,000th of the cost of Noah's Ark piece...). This year we purchased two works and I surprised Martha with an early Mother's Day gift of hand-crafted earrings unlike any I've seen before.

            

                                        

It's always fun to do something that keeps me grounded.  Life is serious enough.  Nothing is more rejuvenating, re-creational than taking time to walk in the sunlight, meet new people, listen to great music, and look at talented artists and their work.

The next time there's any kind of "event" near you, go.  An Arts Festival, a Blue Grass Festival, Hot Air Balloon Fest...go. Sit on the grass if you can.  Take off your shoes and feel the earth.

Oh...here's the REAL kicker.  Let go of the technology.  LET GO of the pagers, the cell phones, the PDAs, the laptops; instead of taking your Blueberry, have a bowl of Blueberries with some vanilla ice cream.  Leave the Palm Pilot at home and walk down the street with your significant other's palm in your's.  The world will NOT end if you can't be found for a few hours.  (Psssst...Hate to tell you this, but you are really not THAT important.) :)

I will negotiate on one piece of technology.  Cameras are ok.  And here's why...MEMORIES:

                     

                                    

The Crawfish Band...they performed in the morning as a taste-teaser for Dr. John, who performed that night.

                      

Professor D had the babies dancing in front of the stage and the over-50 crowd tapping their feet in their seats!

I'm sure I passed lots of celebrities...but the one who caught MY attention was the Honey Bunches of Oats spokes-lady from the TV commercials...

                              

                                 

We even found the last of the bluebonnet patches for a late-season picture.

In closing, it was a great weekend at the Festival...

OK, so maybe there was ONE MORE SMALL PIECE of TECHNOLOGY that came in handy later that afternoon...my Palm Pilot: