One of the things we love about our president, Dr. Lindsay Whorton, is that she is always reading and sharing insights with those around her. As you compile your summer reading list, consider Lindsay’s recommendations to help you deepen your leadership – and also give your brain a rest. Email1Facebook2Twitter2Google plus0Linkedin0X
Why do I need a coach? Overwhelmingly, that’s the initial reaction from education leaders when we introduce them to coaching, which plays an integral role in the Holdsworth partnership. Email1Facebook0Twitter1Google plus0Linkedin0X
Dr. Thomas Randle, superintendent of Lamar CISD, was a high school freshman in 1967 when Brenham ISD integrated black students into its classrooms. Instead of spending the first week of class taping hand-me-down books and repairing old equipment, Thomas walked into a brand-new school with fancy science equipment and gleaming books. He felt special. Email0Facebook2Twitter1Google plus0Linkedin0X
One of our beliefs at Holdsworth is that the most enduring work is done by teams, not individuals. That’s why we focus learning on how to work effectively in teams. In a high-performing group or team, everyone understands what their roles are, the work styles of others around the table and the ground rules for how team members will behave. Email0Facebook0Twitter0Google plus0Linkedin0X
The Holdsworth Center today announced that six new school districts will be joining the center’s 5-year partnership focused on building strong leaders at all levels in Texas public schools. The six districts are Mesquite ISD (Dallas-Fort Worth), Aldine ISD and Spring ISD (Houston area), Harlingen CISD (Rio Grande Valley), Judson ISD (San Antonio) and Lockhart ISD (Central Texas). Email0Facebook4Twitter6Google plus0Linkedin0X
I used to work in finance and business consulting. These days, when I put on my pressed shirt and my sport coat each morning, I think about why I am walking into a school administration building. As soon as I see the faces of students, the answer is pretty clear. Email2Facebook0Twitter0Google plus0Linkedin2X
Do Americans test students more than other countries? The answer may surprise you. Listen to this perspective from Andreas Schleicher, one of the world’s foremost experts on measuring the effectiveness of education systems around the globe. Schleicher is a member of Holdsworth’s Network of Scholars, serving as an advisor, resource, and advocate for our work. Email0Facebook0Twitter0Google plus0Linkedin0X
It’s never easy when a beloved principal leaves a school. Parents, students, teachers and staff must say goodbye to someone who has inspired them, challenged them, cared deeply for them, and made them feel safe and valued. To a school community, it feels like no one could possibly replace the leader who walked out the door. But someone must. Email1Facebook1Twitter1Google plus0Linkedin1X
He dismissed my ideas. She was short with me. They didn’t like my suggestion. We tend to think of other people’s reactions as a thing that is happening to us, something outside of our control. But is it really? Email0Facebook0Twitter0Google plus0Linkedin0X
“What are you listening to?” In the Holdsworth office, this is our most common water cooler question. We all travel quite a bit, whether to program sessions, site visits or on daily commutes, and most of us are addicted to podcasts. With Spring Break coming up next week for most Texas schools, we wanted to share a few top picks that will keep you thinking.
I proudly serve on the Programming Advisory Board for SXSW EDU 2019. After reading so many incredible proposals, I’m excited to see how the lineup came together. I’ve been attending SXSW EDU since the inaugural event in 2011 and have watched it grow into a can’t-miss learning event. For educators attending this year’s conference, I’ve rounded up a few of my favorite themes and session.
If you work in education, this might sound familiar. Your boss has asked you to serve on a committee or working group. She values your opinion and really wants your input. You’re tempted to feel flattered. But you and everyone else on the committee know she’s already made her decision. She wants you to feel as if your input matters, but she’s really just looking.
One day during Patricia Terry’s sixth grade class in Palmer ISD, she did something unusual. She stood by my desk and spoke only to me. Tall and lean, she always wore a classy blouse tucked into a long skirt and sprayed her hair into a neat coif. “I think you can do more in this class,” she said. “I bet you would enjoy ‘Billy Budd’.
One of the best things about teaching school are the many beginnings and endings, which provide opportunities to refine, adjust, and amend courses of action. Coming back after the holidays spurs reflections on past experiences and goal setting for the new year. This is the time we consider what is possible and renew our determination to make a difference in the lives of the students.
We are all works in progress. For some, 2019 may bring transformational change. Others may instead celebrate incremental wins. With 2018 behind us, Hitendra Wadhwa from the Institute for Personal Leadership at Columbia University shares insight on how great leaders view the past with a disciplined approach that helps them move forward into the future. Look back for learnings and inspiration, but don’t allow yourself.
At Holdsworth, we embrace equity as one of our core values. We believe all students no matter their background deserve access to high-quality educational opportunities. But what does equity look like in the day-to-day life of an educator? What does it feel like to a student? What does it sound like in the principal’s office? Three years ago, Dr. Andree Osagie became principal at Terry.
If leadership sets the tone for an entire organization, then school boards play a critical role in the strength of our Texas public schools. Recent research has shown that school boards can have an effect —positive or negative — on student outcomes. The impact is not direct like a teacher or school leader but stems from creating the right conditions for excellence to flourish and.
As we plan our Thanksgiving feasts, some of us may be visiting a Central Market for special ingredients or creative ideas – or maybe, let’s be honest, to purchase the entire pre-cooked meal. This year, if you talk to one of the many Partners walking around the store, ask them about the Uncommon Bond. While Central Market is a division of H-E-B grocery.
We are thrilled to announce that The Holdsworth Center has broken ground on a new home along the shores of Lake Austin. Peaceful, intimate and restorative, the 44-acre campus is designed especially for our Texas educators, men and women who shoulder the responsibility for educating 5.3 million K-12 schoolchildren. Our founder, Charles Butt, had a vision to create a transformative environment for public education leaders,.
Your eyes pop open in the darkness. You reach for your phone and look at the time – 2:00 a.m. You squeeze your eyes shut and try to settle back into the bed, but it’s too late. Your mind is churning, your heart is racing. Does my team respect me? Are they talking about me behind my back? Do they think I’m weak? What if.
What pops into your mind when you hear “internal communications?” Someone else’s job? Newsletter no one reads? Happens once a year at convocation? When you’re pushing a change agenda, these traditional avenues may fall short. It may feel like you’re putting a lot of information out there, but maybe it’s time to step back and ask what you are trying to achieve. Kate Rogers, president.
Culture is the air we breathe. We can’t see it. It’s difficult to measure. Yet it’s vital to the way any organization operates. “When you walk into a positive culture, it’s something you can feel immediately, whether it’s a store, an airplane or a school,” says Kirsten Hund, director of Holdsworth’s District Leadership Program. Recently, ABC13 news dubbed Polly Ryon Middle School in Lamar CISD.
This summer, the center launched its first Campus Leadership Program, bringing together 163 principal supervisors, principals, assistant principals and teachers from 30 schools across seven districts for a week packed with workshops, site visits and learning sessions with renowned leadership experts. The 2-year program represents the next phase of deeper engagement with Holdsworth’s seven partner districts, which began over a year ago with the superintendent.
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Recently, a few members of the Holdsworth team took a whirlwind, two-week trip to three countries and seven cities to garner a deeper understanding of their education systems. We traveled to Finland, Sweden, and Germany where we visited a number of schools and talked with leaders from the national ministries all the way to the municipalities, as well as a number of university researchers and.
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When teachers explain a topic to their students, they’ll often use a “compare and contrast” approach. There’s a lot of research around the power of “compare and contrast” as an educational strategy. It helps people learn using analogies, giving students a richer understanding of the material. I often think of the value of a “compare and contrast” approach when people ask me: “What makes the.
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