School of the Future WebLog

Chronicle 11- Looking Back While Moving Forward…

2007-03-24T19:44:00Z

It's Still About Hope...

Hi everyone! As I sit here and reflect that it has been more than 6 months since the School of the Future has opened, I am constantly reminded that this is a work in progress, as are all great challenges. And while the journey has taken many different turns, I’m glad to report that the most important characteristic of this work still exists… hope.

Over the past six months visitors from around the world have come to West Philadelphia and experienced the people, process and environment of the school. We’ve conducted quarterly briefings where leaders from the US and abroad spend 2 days learning the process. We welcomed 50 countries to the School of the Future World Summit where we discussed the opportunities and barriers facing education today and tomorrow. We’ve traveled within the US and beyond talking about the school and why it matters. Articles have been written and movies made. Despite all of this attention…I’m still wondering. Have we done enough? Will this make a difference?

I must say, September 7^th is a day I think about often. It was a day full of promise and absent were the traditional tensions of urban school systems. It was a celebration where people were proud and children were happy. Few frustrations had been experienced yet. No budget crisis was looming. People were all focused on the same goal.

Looking back, I think it has been the energy created from that day that has fueled us over the past 6 months. I know this won’t come as a surprise to many, but the first 6 months have been difficult. And yet through the challenges one is able to see that we are pointed in the right direction. We are creating opportunities for kids that normally do not have opportunity. We are demonstrating that while it is hard, it can be done. And that is important.

So where are we? Well, no matter where we go I get asked the same question. I find it very indicative of where we are as a country in our analysis of education… “What are the test scores showing” Well… while the learners will be responsible for taking the PSAA’s in their 3^rd year, they are not taking the 6 week bench mark tests. So, from an assessment perspective? Each learner has a 17 page OneNote Assessment Portfolio. It documents and measures their work and competencies against a rubric. (Below)

Novice

Basic

Little understanding and minimal display of the skills included in the Pennsylvania Academic Content Standards. There is a major need for additional instructional opportunities and/or increased student academic commitment to achieve the Proficient Level.”

Pasted from <http://www.psea.org/article.cfm?SID=333>

“Marginal academic performance, work approaching, but not yet reaching, satisfactory performance. Performance indicates a partial understanding and limited display of the skills included in the Pennsylvania’s Academic Content Standards, and the student may need additional instructional opportunities and/or increased student academic commitment to achieve the Proficient Level.”

Pasted from <http://www.psea.org/article.cfm?SID=333>

Proficient

Advanced

“Satisfactory academic performance indicating a solid understanding and adequate display of the skills included in the Pennsylvania’s Academic Content Standards.”

Pasted from <http://www.psea.org/article.cfm?SID=333>

“Superior academic performance indicating an in-depth understanding and exemplary display of the skills included in the Pennsylvania’s Academic Content Standards.”

Pasted from <http://www.psea.org/article.cfm?SID=333>

Along with review of content, tremendous attention has been place in the development of the whole child. This work can is summarized below.

Conflict Resolution:

Learners worked independently and in groups to complete tasks which required compromise, discussion and self reflection. Learners completed inventories, reveling their individual styles of conflict resolution and their individual ability to compromise and work as a part of a team. In their continent, learners completed group exercises that revealed their group dynamics and tendencies. Learners achieved a basic understanding of conflict resolution and we will continue to work to develop these skills.

Brand Me – Group Dynamics:

As joint work between “Brand Me of Identity” and “Personal Development,” learners worked to complete a group project identifying their “brands” and the meaning these things have in their lives. In completing this project, learners were asked to examine the impact of group dynamics on their work and their collective identity. Learners answered questions about their group process of selecting images, creating their presentation, answering questions in a group, and presenting their project to their peers. Through this activity, learners achieved a basic understanding of group process and the skills that add to and detract from a quality end product. We will continue to work to develop their group work skills.

Myers Briggs Type Indicator:

Using the following resource:

http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes1.htm

Learners completed an online personality inventory called the Myers Briggs Type Indicator and then used online resources to investigate their type, the traits common to their type, the famous people who share their type, and the implications of their type on their styles of conflict resolution and group work. Through this activity, learners achieved a basic understanding of personality inventories and their own personality influences on their life. Learners were asked to record this type and we will revisit this information again, applying their self-knowledge in new ways.

Emotional Intelligence Activities:

Using the following resource:

http://www.operationhomefront.org/downloads/Emotional_Intellegence_13-18.pdf

Learners completed various self reflection exercises that investigated their degree of “emotional intelligence.” As a group, learners discussed the definition of this term and the implications on their lives. Learners have achieved a basic understanding of emotional intelligence; this is a concept and innate ability we will look to build in each learner over their time at School of the Future.

First Resume Workshop:

Using a template, learners created their first draft of a professional resume. The document included their personal contact information, educational experience, work experience, school and community activities, and honors and achievements. Learners were given creative control over the format and will use this document as a first draft for a resume. Learners achieved a basic understanding of a resume and will continue to work to improve this document.

Villanova Tutor Preparation:

Learners were each paired with a college student at Villanova University to be their online tutor. Learners prepared for this relationship by completing an interest survey, writing an essay of introduction to their tutor, and reviewing the necessary skills for online communication (email and instant messenger). Learners met their tutor in a face-to-face event at School of the Future in November. At this time, learners completed a interview assignment with their tutor.

Tutor Visit (Oceania):

Over a two week period of time, Oceania worked to design an afternoon program for 70 Villanova tutors. The task included project organization, data management, logistical knowledge and skills, tours of our school, creative activity planning, and presentation design and skills. Each learner was given a different job within the project and every learner in Oceania completed their job throughout the two weeks. Many members of the continent took on creative projects, designing their own presentations, arranging a song, and brainstorming creative activities for their tutors. The learners were praised for their achievements during and after the event and learned about project organization.

Are there challenges? Absolutely. Does a neighborhood school, and the academic variability it brings with it, present difficult scenarios? Absolutely. Is this a challenge for schools around the US? Absolutely. Do we think this is working? Absolutely….

So why do we think this? Let’s look at the trend data.

On any given day in Philadelphia Public High Schools almost 25% of students don’t show up. At the School of the Future there is almost a 93% attendance rate… One for us… they’re showing up!

Another trend… Visit the school. The kids are happy. There are smiles. For a schedule that requires them to be there at 9:15 AM… many arrive more than an hour early and stay far past the end of the formal day. No attacks on teachers. No vandalizing. On a white building, in the middle of West Philadelphia… not one ounce of spray paint has found its way onto the walls. An amazing fact.

So do I think we have something here? I do. Do I think the instructional methodology that is being deployed is a significant contributor? I do. Do I think the way the learners are being treated is a major factor? I do. Do I think the technology has had an impact? I do. Do have quantifiable data to support all of this… I don’t… not yet.

However, I also believe that the absence of quantitative data should not stop the progress being made nor should it cause the system to pull back. We’ll see.

So what have been the biggest challenges?

Well… the system. And I’m sure this comes as no surprise. And I don’t want to suggest that people have not been supportive. They have. However the system prevents them from going to the edge. The system prevents us from being creative. The system supports the status quo, not innovation. The system gets in our way. The system is frustrating.

I said to Chairman Nevels one day… imagine in our schools, if innovation was swimming downstream. Imagine how much further we could travel and how much faster we could get there. Unfortunately, in urban education, this is far from the case. In urban education, innovation is swimming upstream, encountering tides of policy and practice that slow its pace and prevent it from moving forward. And those taking the trip… swimming upstream is tiring. Let me tell you!

However, we will continue to move on. We will continue to attempt to remove the calcification that exists on the arteries of our systems and we will focus on the kids. That’s the plan.

Am I hopeful? I certainly am. I fundamentally believe that public private partnerships are an important strategy in our attempts to improve education in the United States. I believe our premise of technology making a difference is proving true and I believe our focus on people was appropriate. But most importantly I believe what I have said all along… there is no silver bullet. There isn’t a single strategy that can be deployed that will solve our problems. However if we take a step back… continue to demonstrate the courage and patience necessary to see this work through… support the belief that change takes time… years in fact, then I think we have a chance.

I’ll tell you this… it has been daunting. There has been many a day when I have wondered if this has all been worth it… and then I get a story like this…

One of our learner’s parents had a temp job with a company. When a permanent position became open, she went in for an interview. Unfortunately she did not have the technical skills required for the job and was told so. So the mother went home and told her child who was a learner at the School of the Future. The learner and her mother spent the next 2 weeks using the learner’s laptop to learn about the internet, Microsoft Word and Excel, all through the instruction and support of a 14 year old child. The mother went back two weeks later and yes… got the job.

This family’s life has been changed by the opportunity the School of the Future has provided them. And this family’s story has reminded me of what I believe this project has been about since day one… HOPE.

Chronicle 10 - The Calm Before the Storm

2006-09-03T08:12:00Z

Well, it has been a while since I have written. However, in 5 days, this school is going to open and I couldn’t allow that to happen without some reflection. So… what have we learned?

People first… everything else later. As a result of this project, I’ve been interviewed by a fair share of reporters. I’ve given a few speeches, and have spoken with educators from around the world. And there is nothing that I am more certain about than this… The School of the Future will open on September 7^th because we had the right PEOPLE on the project. They were passionate, focused on kids, willing to try new things and worked harder than ever. Finding the right people… Getting them on board… and then helping them cross the finish line is how great things happen. And it is certainly what allowed this school to open.
Politics and coalition building are necessary levers. The past three years has brought many challenges. Some more significant than others. And most had to do with politics and bureaucracy. During those critical points, our ability to not only identify the person who could remove the obstacle, but also have a pre-existing relationship with them, was critical. I can’t imagine what I would have done without the support and responsiveness of district leaders.
This is hard. It shouldn’t have been this hard. It shouldn’t take a miracle to build a great school in an urban community. It shouldn't be an exhausting experience, leaving participants tired and frustrated. It needs to be easier. We need more agile learning organizations. We need to figure out a better balance between control and creativity. We need to create an environment that is inspirational, not just functional. We need governance structures and public policy that set high standards, but also provide resource to achieve them.
Hope matters. This school was willed into completion. As the months progressed, more and more individuals jumped on board. More were motivated by the thought of creating something that hadn’t been created before. People were inspired. And when people are inspired, amazing things can happen. We need more inspiration in our schools. We need to fill district offices, hallways, community centers, neighborhoods with a sense of hope, We need to communicate a message that we understand the challenges, but that we are ready to take them on.
You have to ask the question. If you want to bring reform… ask. If you want to try something new… ask. If you want to change the status quo… ask. This project would never have come to fruition if Paul Vallas hadn’t ask the question, “What if”. 9 out of 10 times, the answer will probably be no. But if that one time the response returned is yes… all the years of being turned down just became worth while.
It’s the journey… September 7^th will be amazing. But it will pale in comparison to the moments experienced over the past three years. I’m pretty sure I will never have the opportunity to be part of something like this again. (I don’t think I’ll be up to it J) However, the past three years have been the chance of a lifetime. I hope I have served it well.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read these submissions. While they have not been as frequent as I would have liked, they have all been sincere.

I’m looking forward to next Thursday. I’m sure it will be a great day. I hope it will have a lasting effect.

I’ll let you know.

Chronicle 9 - Have Hope

2005-11-28T09:59:00Z

“All great things are simple, and many can be expressed in single words:

freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope.”

Winston Churchill

The last of these is certainly not the least. As we move closer and closer to the opening of this school, I am starting to believe more and more that success in this world is limited only by the absence of hope, not the absence of wisdom.

For the past two years we have been working very hard to dissect the intricacies of urban education. We’ve done the due diligence. We’ve read the “must reads”. We’ve participated in the education echo-chamber and we’ve “drilled down”, “data-drove”, “researched-based” ourselves until there was no other jargon left to use. And at the end of the day, I believe now more than ever, that it is all about hope.

The facts are often quoted. As our kids get older, their performance when compared to their international counterparts declines. In 5 years, 50% of teachers leave the profession. The District of Columbia spends more per student then any other district in the country yet finds itself at the bottom of the achievement lists. 28% of college freshmen must take remedial courses. It goes on and on and on…

Yet all across America there are examples of it working. In every state a story of excellence can be identified and celebrated. These random acts of greatest produce our poets, our Nobel prize winners, our doctors, and our leaders. The problem exists when we turn our focus to consistency.

Jeffrey Sachs, a noted economist at Columbia University and the founder of the Earth Institute decided to turn his head away, for a moment, from consistency and mass scale and decided to take on his cause one village at a time. His theory has led to the Millennium Villages Project. Focused on eradicating hunger in Africa… a simple goal… the Millennium Villages Project operates under the assumption that by providing limited, holistic packages of basic services, local communities can climb out of extreme poverty and create economic growth. He did not listen to the scores of experts that proclaimed systemic corruption will forever hold Africa in the hands of hunger. He, instead, said that for $110 per person, we can rid a community of hunger, disease, and lack of access to safe water and sanitation. And through the use of scientific proven interventions, a village can bring themselves out of poverty. His plan… one village at a time. His fuel… hope.

I’m starting to believe that we can learn a great deal from the Millennium Villages Project.

Two weeks ago we held the School of the Future Curriculum Summit. We brought together folks from the community, higher education, the School District of Philadelphia, students and education leaders. We asked them to set aside experiences that would limit their inclination to dream or their creativity. We asked them to envision what should be, not why it can’t be so. We asked them to create a blueprint of what the school day, curriculum, professional development, community partnerships should look like. We asked them to identify strategies that would allow us to turn these ideas into practice.

For two days, 35 people, with every reason to be cynical and negative, worked hard to create ideas that would support the students, teachers and community members in West Philadelphia. Despite initial reservations, when brought together, they had hope. It fueled their creativity and inspired their thoughts. And it is because of this that I am starting to believe this school is going to demonstrate something that we can all achieve.

I know people are going to read this and roll their eyes. I know when we go back to our offices the bureaucracies waiting for us will immediately slow our progress. I know money matters and politics rule. However I also know these are things we created and therefore they are things that we control.

Hope is an amazing ingredient. It calls us to do more than we think we can do. It calls us to believe in things for which there is no logical supporting evidence. It causes us to build “Schools of the Future” and believe that others will follow.

I don’t know how many people will read this, but for those that do, be the one… Be the one that knocks on the door and says we can do this. It may happen one classroom at a time, one school at a time… but don’t despair. Be the one who starts rather than stops. Be the one that brings hope.

Good luck!!!

Mary

Chronicle 8 - It's been too long!

2005-10-29T01:09:00Z

Yes, it has been too long!

My apologies to those faithful readers who have been following this project. There has been so much activity over the past 6 months that I never seemed to be able to find the time to write. However, all of this activity has produced some great content!!

So what have we been up to?

1. We've hired a principal! Her name is Shirley Grover. We will be posting an article about her very soon that recently appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Click here to view it directly off the Inquirer website. http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/states/pennsylvania/13016234.htm

2. The building looks like a building! Construction is moving along nicely. We hope to be almost 85% enclosed by the end of the month. If everyone visiting this website could think warm thoughts, I would greatly appreciate it!

3. We held a School of the Future World Summit in July! Over 220 educators from 30 countries attended this 3 day gathering. Education leaders around the world debated and discussed necessary actions for improvement. We will be posting a summary report from this event in a week or so. Check back at www.microsoft.com/education/sof

4. We've attended numerous national and international conferences sharing our vision and process for this school. The visibility of the project is increasing (11.5M media impressions to date!). With such visibility, the pressure to succeed is even greater. To check out recent articles on the project visit www.microsoft.com/education/sof.

5. We are a couple of weeks away from posting new resources from the project including the Technical Vision and Scope Document, a Discovery Brief on the hiring process used to identify and select Shirley Grover and the School of the Future Competency Wheel. Each of these resources will be able to help all of you meet your educational goals.

6. We are about to host our Curriculum Summit! This internal planning meeting will be used to identify curriculum, scheduling, and professional development for students and staff needs of the school. Look for some great insights in January based on this work.

7. With the new principal on board, we encourage you to contact phillyhi@microsoft.com! Shirley will be monitoring this email address and would love to engage with educators from around the world.

As a final note, below is the Microsoft update that I presented to the School Reform Commission last week. It provides an overall status of the partnership and thanks everyone for the tremendous amount of work that has been done to date.

We promise to writie again sooner!

Keep visiting...

Mary

To: Members of the Philadelphia School Reform Commission

Date: October 19, 2005

From: Mary Cullinane, Microsoft Corporation

Chairman Nevels, members of the School Reform Commission, Mr. Vallas and Dr. Thornton. On behalf of Microsoft Corporation I would like to thank you for this opportunity to provide an update on the School of the Future project from our perspective.

As you know, approximately 2 years ago, the School District of Philadelphia and Microsoft Corporation entered into an historic collaborative effort to build what is now being referred to as, the School of the Future. This collaboration was driven by a desire of both parties to demonstrate what is truly possible in urban education. Our intent, simple… Create an organization where learning is continuous, relevant and adaptive and do so in a way that can be replicated not only throughout the district of Philadelphia, but worldwide.

So for the past two years we have been working together to achieve these goals. We have made thoughtful and purposeful decisions along the way that will have significant impact on this story. The fact that this High School is a neighborhood high school, where approximately 75% of the students will come from West Philadelphia demonstrates our collective desire to meet the needs of local community members. The fact that this high school is not a special admit institution, demonstrates our belief that all children can succeed when placed in an environment that calls us all to be better. The fact that this High School is being funded by the School District of Philadelphia provides evidence that this can be done by others battling many of the same challenges being faced here. And that fact that to date, this story has produced 11.5 million media impressions demonstrates the opportunity and responsibility at hand to deliver on these promises and bring global recognition to the hard work being done here in Philadelphia. Members of the School Reform Commission, you should, as I know you are, be very proud of the efforts of people like Paul Vallas, Dr. Thornton, Ellen Savitz, Project Manger, Charles Allen, Natalye Paquin, Tomas Hanna, and numerous members of the IT Department who in our opinion have demonstrated what’s best about education and that is the passion of those who want to make a difference.

Please know that this collaborative effort has gone beyond Microsoft’s traditional engagement model. To date we have provided the School District of Philadelphia with training on strategic planning and organizational scorecard development. We have conducted trainings on behavioral interviewing and Microsoft hiring principles. This training led to the selection of the principal for the School of the Future and its practice is being reviewed for use throughout the district. We have provided regional superintendents with leadership training at our corporate offices. We have supported the Chief Academic officers’ cabinet retreat with facilitation and training resources. And we have supported Mr. Vallas and Dr. Thornton with additional input regarding business practice and planning development. While non-traditional in approach, we believe these activities demonstrate the true spirit of this relationship as well as our commitment to the district.

To say however that the past two years have been without challenge would not be accurate. As the person responsible for Microsoft’s investment and activities relating to this project, I have a new appreciation for the political process. I have learned more than I ever thought possible with regard to the construction business and I have a greater appreciation for the role of bureaucracy in our political and education systems. Despite these challenges, as Chairman Nevels and I have stated to each other many times, failure is unacceptable and is not an option.

We are now less than one year away. We are entering into the most critical phase of this project. Unfortunately, it is easy for organizations to become bored with initiatives. By definition they are seen to be temporary and, historically, focus tends to be lost. I ask that as leaders of the School District of Philadelphia you remain steadfast now more than ever. I ask that we don’t shy away from the hard work that needs to be done and I ask that we remain committed to an open and honest dialogue.

To date, our innovations have focused on 5 key areas, Instructional Innovation, Building Design, Business Management, Community Engagement and IT Infrastructure. As a corporation, we strongly believe that all efforts must be measurable, tracked, reported and revised. It is this process that we have brought to the School of the Future project and we believe is critical in demonstrating our success. Microsoft will be funding a formal evaluation program once the school is opened. This evaluation program will provide documented learnings and measurements in the areas of student achievement, professional and community engagement, customer satisfaction and organizational efficiency. The data collected will support the district in future decision making and strategic planning.

Currently there is significant work being done on developing the IT Infrastructure for this school. The District is being asked to make a strategic investment that will allow your current IT environment to be updated and upgraded. This activity will permit the new software we are developing to integrate with current systems being utilize within the district’s IT architecture. Please know that we have taken significant measures to insure that all innovation being developed for this school can be leveraged throughout the district. Each and every technical attribute of the School of the Future is being built in a way so that all schools can benefit from the innovation. At the decision and discretion of the School District, current and future schools will be able to plug in to the functionality found within the School of the Future. We strongly urge the district to leverage this IT investment.

The United States Army Corp of Engineers has a motto embedded within their seal… it is the French word, “essayons”, translated to mean… “Let us try”.

We echo that sentiment. Together, let us be the ones who do not turn our back on innovation in urban education. Let us be ones who do the hard work that needs to be done. Let us be the ones that are willing to demonstrate what needs to be the norm in urban education, not the extraordinary.

Thank you for all your organization has done these past two years and will continue to do in order for this endeavor to be as successful as it can be. We are honored to be associated with the School District of Philadelphia and we applaud your leadership and vision.

Chronicle 7 - Learnings from Abroad

2005-01-24T07:32:00Z

For the past 10 days I and the Chief Development Officer of SDP have been in the UK visiting with Local Education Authorities from around the country. We traveled over 700 miles and found out that, while separated by the Atlantic, our challenges and issues are quite the same. The UK is in the midst of an enormous state funding building project called "BSF"... Building Schools of the Future. Their government is committing over $4.2 BILLION to rebuild or renovate every secondary school in the country over the next 10 years or so. We had the chance to visit with many who are in the "first wave."

One such visit presented me a solution that I'd like folks to think about and let me know your thoughts... On first read it may seem impossible... but read on, and let me know what you think...

Three unique social variables currently present in the education community require educational leaders to drastically rethink the teaching and learning environments we are creating, specifically in urban education.

Factor 1

Significant research supports the idea that the most significant factor in student achievement is teacher quality. While great conversations have been had with regards to individual class size as well as school population, the fact remains the greatest variable is the quality of the teacher in the classroom. This variable is not dependent on the number of students the teacher is responsible for. A gifted and talented teacher will create a successful learning environment for all students given the appropriate resources regardless of class size. A good teacher can teach 12… 20…. 50…. or even 100 students, if they have available to them the tools and resources necessary for such learning environments. Similar research has been done in areas that can be drawn on for comparison. One of the most significant preventative suicide factors is the presence of quality relationships in the individual’s life. It does not matter if the individual comes from a small family of three or a large family of ninety. It is the quality of those relationships that matter the most.

Factor 2

Many would argue there is a significant shortage of quality teachers in the United States and abroad. Great Britain, Australia, and the US all quote similar figures. In the US alone, 50% of new teachers will leave the profession in the first 5 years. Limited teacher recruitment due to salary constraints, poor teaching environments, and few professional growth opportunities will create an economic condition where demand will easily surpass supply in the very near future. With evidence of such condition currently present, local education authorities are forced to seek alternative certification routes, causing concern for the dilution of the profession. The integration of technology, added demands of accountability and limited budgets are causing many good teachers to leave for the private sector. Federal legislation in the US, requiring all local education authorities to insure that classrooms are managed by a “highly qualified” teacher is causing panic in many districts.

Factor 3

Preparing students for the 21^st century requires significant investments in tools and resources that are not currently supported in local education authorities’ traditional operating expense budgets. Broadband access between home and school, 1:1 device access and technical support, and ongoing professional development for teachers and administrators, are required resources in today’s classrooms however they are unsupported by local budgets. Personnel expenditures including salary, pensions and health care represent on average over 80% of local education authorities’ budget outlays. These costs are required expenditures that must be met due to contractual obligations and create little flexibility with regard to supplemental funding of additional resources. As a result schools are forced to fund the status quo and innovation and advancement suffer. Such outcomes can be seen in the relatively few alterations made to our teaching and learning environments over the past century, especially when compared to other social industries such as health care and research.

Solution

At first glance, this proposal will yield drastic reaction. However, it is requested that serious thought and consideration be given prior to its dismissal….

In order for the US to regain global education leadership and address the crisis in urban education, specifically in grades 7 – 12, we must increase class size.

By increasing class size to 60 – 90 students, local education authorities will be able to:

Hire from a quality pool of “lead teacher” candidates due to the reduction of required headcount
Redistribute personnel savings that are achieved by hiring less “lead teachers” to fund appropriate resources and tools for student and teachers, including personal computing devices, broadband access and systemic professional development.
Utilize “teacher aide” model and pre-service “student aides” to provide the necessary additional support in these larger learning spaces
Create personalized, student-driven learning environments, realized through quality integration of technology and resources, where the student becomes more responsible for their own learning and achievement
Increase the professional status of the “lead teacher” through improved peer recognition, increased salary scales and time for professional growth opportunities.

Case Study

Hugh Christie Technology College, Kent, U.K

The Hugh Christie Technology College is a state run school for students aged 7 – 18, located in Kent, UK. This school of approximately 1100 represents and underserved population where the students failed to meet the standards necessary for them to attend a more prestigious “Academy”. (In the UK, the top 10% of students are availed this opportunity, with the rest sent to local LEA state schools.) Four years ago the Hughe Christie School scored in the bottom 40% of achievement scores for similar institutions. The school was facing financial crisis with almost 86% of their operating budget going to personnel costs.

In 2001 the school was placed under new leadership. Chris Gerry, the new “principal” (referred to as head teacher in the UK) immediately began to institute cultural change. Under his leadership he began to reinvent the classroom. Larger learning spaces were created so that classes of 60 – 100 students could be conducted. Curriculum modules were created so that students had increased flexibility and improved relevance while still meeting their educational requirements. Quality teachers willing to move to this new learning environment were provided the opportunity, while others remained teaching in the status quo. During this transitional period, teachers and students in large class sizes were all placed in environments that had 1:1 access. Such access was initially provided through desk top computers and now, every year 7 and year 8 student has their own Tablet PC. Incoming grades will continue to receive this type of access.

Over the next two years, Hugh Christie became revitalized. Student achievement scores in the new learning environments rose. More and more, traditional classrooms were no longer found. Lead teachers were now supporting with teaching aides and the quality of instruction and instructor rose considerably. And most important, as recently reported in their state wide achievement report, Hughe Christie has more that 54% of students at proficiency levels. This all being accomplished while decreasing their personnel operating expenses to 68% of total budget.

Chronicle 6 - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

2004-11-21T22:46:00Z

The Good, The bad and The Ugly

It has been a while since I have written. Sorry for the delay.

At the very beginning of this undertaking I promised that these brief insights would not be clouded by positioning or marketing. They would be sincere commentaries written with the sole purpose of sharing insight.

The past few months have yielded moments encompassing all three scenarios, good, bad and ugly. Each has provided learnings and each has once again reinforced our desire to build this school.

Good: Groundbreaking. On November 15, 2004 we “ceremoniously” broke ground. It was a tremendous day. The weather cooperated, the politicians were out in full force, the community was proud and the children were so excited. It was a great day for everyone involved. Governor Rendell spoke of the power of public/private partnerships. CEO Paul Vallas spoke of the intent for the learnings and applications of this school to be shared throughout the district. Chairman Nevels reminded us all that our actions are for the single purpose of helping children who need help. And Mayor Street spoke of the pride he felt because this school was going to serve the needs of its neighborhood, not the city’s elite. It was a good day.

Bad: Bureaucracy. The reason why this was a “ceremonial” groundbreaking was because all the necessary signatures have yet to be placed on all the necessary documents that have yet to have finalized all the necessary bullet points so all the necessary interests can be addressed. Frustrating doesn’t do justice to the past 3 months. At times I have wanted to get all interested parties in the room and just scream… “GET IT DONE”. I respect their charters and I respect their need to protect their constituents. I just wish they could meet their charters and protect their constituents with some sense of expediency.

Ugly: Egos. I think it is very incongruous of us when I listen to teachers and adults go on and on about the spiteful and petty way children deal with one another. When truth be told, adults can take these interactions to an art form. For the past 3 months we have had to deal with internal and political issues that have threatened the energy and spirit created at the beginning of this undertaking. I am starting to believe more and more that greatness in this world goes unrealized for one reason only; ego. And to be honest there have been days when I have no idea how to manage the situation. So, we gather those on board, energize them some more and hope that their collective spirit can win the battle. So far, so good.

We have accomplished a great deal these past few months. Least of which…we are still together building this school. We held our first international symposium which was a tremendous success. We’ve released our first Discovery Brief (you’ll be able to download this) talking about the process we have deployed to determine what this school needs to be. We’ve added to the website a new 3D rendering of the building. And there will be much more to come.

Doing something extraordinary by definition means ordinary efforts will not suffice. We’ve been reminded of that these past three months and I suppose we will be reminded of it again.

Chronicle 5 - Questions for you!

2004-08-03T23:53:00Z

So we’re back…

I figured most folks were not waiting with bated breadth during the months of June and July for the next installment of this blog, so we took a little break. But… we’re back!

We are back with a final building design plan, a formal development plan, and what we are calling an “Asset Framework” that outlines what specific deliverables will be created to deliver on the school’s mission. A great deal of work has been done over these past few months. The folks in Philly should be quite proud. Each of these documents will be made available on the School of the Future website shortly.

In a couple of weeks, we will be posting renderings of the school’s design. Please take a look and let us know what you think. Your feedback will be greatly appreciated.

In the spirit of “feedback”, I’d like to devote this blog to inquiry. I have some questions for all of you out there in the real world that I hope you can find the time to answer. Answer some, answer them all... your comments will be greatly appreciated!

What type of information regarding this project would be of most interest to you, and how would you like to hear about it?
With regards to your classrooms, what is the one thing you wish was designed differently?
If you are under 21 years of age, what high school building attribute do you feel is most important?
If you plan on attending NECC next year in Philadelphia is there a specific session regarding the School of the Future that you would like to see delivered?

See, that wasn’t so bad!

As teachers, we know how important questions are. However, sometimes we forget that power of inquiry. These past 3 months we have asked ourselves some very difficult questions. “What can we give up in this building to lower overall cost?” ”Where are we going to take 6000 square feet from?” When do I compromise and when do I stick to my guns?” Each inquiry has caused more debate. Some heated. All healthy. We have learned that this project is bigger than any individual involved. And we know that come September 2006, all of this will be well worth it…

Please respond to these questions above. Your feedback will help a great deal.

Enjoy the rest of the summer!

Chronicle 4 - "Nothing Without a Leader"

2004-05-19T18:17:00Z

The past month has proven that without great leadership, innovation drowns.

As with any large organization, found within are different agendas, perspectives, beliefs, and personalities. These “differences” help to make organizations unique and can provide an opportunity to differentiate. However, they can also stop change and innovation dead in their tracks. So the trick… create an environment where individuals can thrive, but where the collective whole moves towards one common vision. That… takes great leadership.

Fortunately, in Philadelphia we have that. Paul Vallas believes that in front of us is a unique opportunity to “break ground”. This convergence of two powerful organizations is unprecedented in school development and we can not waste the opportunity. Egos must be put aside, alternative agendas tabled, problems must be seen as temporary hurdles where a solution has yet to be discovered. We must raise the level of debate, but we must do so with one common purpose… to make this the most empowered learning community found in the United States. Period.

We can not ignore constraints of budget and time. We can not do once, what can never be done again. But we can not fall victim to what is, simply because that is what is. This takes courage, it takes patience, but most importantly it takes great leadership.

For all of you in such a position, a lesson can be taken from Mr. Vallas. Know that in times of changes and challenge those around you need you to be more visible. Those around you need you to know when to calm the waters and when to ruffle the feathers. Those around you need you to set the vision and reiterate it as many times as necessary. Send email. Hang posters. Make buttons for cry’n out loud… even make people wear them! Do whatever it takes.

Those being led… offer debate, challenge the course. But when the decision is made… when the course is set, get on board. Anything less is simply not fair to others around you.

I have always been a student of leadership. It’s been fun to get such a tremendous “hands on experience”. Thank you Mr. Vallas. J

Chronicle 3 - "Brick By Brick"

2004-03-27T07:40:00Z

Well, we’ve chosen an architect. Let’s just say it was a learning experience. Six firms made it to pre-qualification. At that point in the process, we gathered them all and over a three day period, interviewed each. The firms ranged from medium size with some education experience all the way to international firms with extensive education portfolios. At the end of the day, I believe passion won.

They all brought out the big guns. Some even brought doughnuts. But the firm that was selected was an organization that was able to demonstrate their proficiency and skill, but more importantly personified passion. They wanted it. They knew what it would mean if they got it. And they really really wanted it. So at the end of the day, I voted for them. There were others who voted too. And when the tally was counted, passion won.

I think it was a lesson. I think that sometimes we all forget how important it is to show how much we care about our work. I think that happens in education as well. I think sometimes we all get so bogged down in the day to day challenges that our passion for kids and for teaching gets lost in the crowd. And I think our students see that. I know it’s hard. I know there were days when I was tired and burnt out. But it is on those days, when a quiet student in the back of the room, needs inspiration from us the most.

We picked our architect. They are going to design the “School of the Future”. I hope within the bricks and glass, found in the chairs and hallways, will be the same spirit they brought to that interview room. I hope every stone is laid with that passion in mind. I hope that when anyone opens the doors, and steps inside, they feel it.

That will be this school’s legacy. Not the computers, not the software, not the technology. It will be a passion for learning found in the hearts and minds of every teacher and student who walks the hallways. That’s what I hope for this school.

Chronicle 1 - "The Journey Begins"

2004-02-15T09:14:00Z

Volume One: The Journey Begins

by Mary Cullinane, School of the Future Technology Architect

"Why Philadelphia?" The answer is surprisingly simple: They asked.

Through the visionary leadership of Paul Vallas, the CEO for the School District of Philadelphia, Sherri Bealkowski, Microsoft Education Solutions Group General Manager, and Anthony Salcito and Ann Alexander, members of Bealkowski's team, the opportunity to build a School of the Future for 800 kids in grades 9-12 was presented to and accepted by Microsoft.

The next question asked… "How much money will Microsoft donate?" Again, a simple answer.

From the beginning, the team at Microsoft knew that the value of this endeavor relied on the ability of others to replicate our learnings. Therefore, if Microsoft and our partners donated millions of dollars, others might look and just say, "Great for Philadelphia and 800 kids, but it doesn't scale."

So we knew that this school's funding had to come from Philadelphia, and the funding had to be part of their general school expansion capital plan.

In the end, that is exactly what happened. Microsoft committed to human capital and leveraged resources. By sharing our best practices and providing insight and access to internal resources, we believe, that together with the School District of Philadelphia, the School of the Future can be built. And what will be left, is a blueprint for others throughout the U.S. to leverage and follow.

So, to start we have implemented Microsoft's traditional 30/60/90-day plan format. We have outlined three specific areas of activities that will be addressed in the first 30, 60 and 90 days of the program:

Communication – Get the message out and build a collaborative planning infrastructure.
Integration – Understand the district's infrastructure and opportunities for leveraging Microsoft and partner solutions.
Innovation – Investigate best practices around the U.S. and document the desired education specifications.

Accomplishments

Conducted a three-day internal review of all district departments and strategic plans.
Visited "innovative application" school sites in Florida and identified future schools to be visited.
Created both this Web site and an alias for project communication. Correspondence and user inquiries will be addressed here: phillyhi@microsoft.com.
Started creating "Day-in-the-Life" scenarios for students, teachers, and administrators so that they can help develop applicable education specifications and space planning.
Formulated a partner matrix to act as a tool to maintain and manage partner inquiries.

Learnings and Next Steps

Embarking on a project such as School of the Future brings with it many challenges; current infrastructures and technology initiatives, political events, internal apprehensions and conflicting priorities. However, the people involved in this project are dedicated to kids. They are committed to making sure that nothing short of the best is available to the students of Philadelphia and they believe that anything is possible. It is this spirit that will lead to success, and it is this perseverance that will prove unstoppable.

On December 6, 2003, I will be moving to the East Coast to focus on the Philadelphia School of the Future Project, and to ensure that learnings are leveraged throughout the United States.

We hope you enjoy these chronicles and if you, your partners, or your customers have any questions or comments, please send e-mail to: phillyhi@microsoft.com.

Chronicle 2 - "Everybody's Watching"

2004-02-09T05:18:00Z

Before I get started on this month's chronicle, let me point out that we will be using a blog format from this point on. While a little more casual then our traditional postings on Microsoft.com, we felt that it was the perfect tool for this project. So, there will be no editors reviewing my verb usage or sentence structure! (Thank god for spell check!) Mrs. Pet (my freshman English teacher....) I hope to do you proud!

Each day I log onto my email and I am amazed at the breadth of inquiries we are receiving regarding the School of the Future. Email from all over the world, asking inquisitive and thoughtful questions regarding planning, integration, curriculum,.... employment opportunities, flood my account. As each day passes, we realize more and more, “Everybody's Watching”. And so this past month and a half has been dedicated to due diligence.

One of our biggest challenges over the last 45 days has been getting everyone involved on the same page. The Philadelphia Team has a better understanding of the scrutiny this project will receive because they have chosen to partner with Microsoft. Folks at Microsoft are beginning to see the opportunity that this project offers for their teams and strategic software pilot plans. Community members are becoming more and more energized over the possibilities that this school offers. A pioneering spirit is in the air and we are all beginning to realize that this is our chance to make a difference. This is our chance to deliver what has been promised for so many years. This is our chance to build something bigger than ourselves.

So what have we done these past 45 days? Well, first, we are narrowing in on a final location. Hopefully by the end of February, this challenge will be resolved and we can move on with the real work. We are also rolling up our sleeves and trying to figure out how this school will interact with the rest of the School District's technical infrastructure. This has been a challenge, but the solution will be invaluable to schools around the country. We are establishing an international advisory council to help us bring true innovation, perspective, thought leadership and great thinking to this project. Leaders in the areas of community development, curriculum development, technology integration, leadership development, and space planning and innovation will be brought together to review and participate in our planning and discussions. And finally, we will be taking another discovery trip to LA's HiTechHi in February.

All in all, the past 45 days have been very productive. In the next few weeks we will be adding video and document resources to the website so that schools from around the world can leverage our activities.

Talk to you next month!

Mary Cullinane - School of the Future Technology Architect - Microsoft Corporation