I've been around long enough to know that if I'm the smartest person in the room I need to find another room. When I first became an administrator all those years ago, I was nervous for a lot different reasons. None more so than the fact that I was a former music teacher, now all of a sudden expected to know about all sorts of things that were not in my wheelhouse. When my administrative career began, one of the biggest worries I had was understanding this thing called 'DIBELS' (seems pretty trite now). I shouldn't have worried about it at all, because the teachers that were in the building knew exactly what it was, how it worked, and why it was important. I only really needed to know what it was from 'the balcony' view. So, my mantra since entering the administrative side of education more than two decades ago has always been that 'we hire professional people to do professional work'. When a parent presents a problem of practice; let's say it's reading, I'm not your guy. But the good news is that I have a whole elementary building full of people who are experts at solving reading problems.
Over the years I've also learned that I don't need to have all the answers. Every once in a while, a programmatic issue may come up that is a source of conflict. The concerned parties may come in to visit or send an email, citing Iowa Code chapter and verse. Want to know a little secret? It's entirely possible the concerned party knows more about the program than I do. When something is personal you tend to do your research. I don't know Iowa Code inside and out, even on education issues. Granted, the interpretation presented by the offended party may not quite be right, but sometimes it is! These issues should always be viewed as opportunities for us to get better, clarify a program, or to simply make a course correction.
The point is that while I don't need to have all the answers, it is absolutely a job requirement that I can find the answers. Which really brings me to the point of today's column. It's surrounding myself with people who do have the right answers. Whether that is a reading specialist or a building administrator.
Now, I'm a bit biased here but for the most part I think we get it right when it comes to making decisions on behalf of the school district. I know, I know. There are plenty of folks reading this right now who can probably cite multiple examples where we blew it. We'll get to that. But the reason I make such a bold claim is because those decisions aren't made in a silo. In other words, I'm not sitting in my office with some master plan or rubric making the call. No, I rely on my team to help sort through the complexities and nuances of the issues we grapple with. Yes, when it comes to the big problem(s) of the day I am sitting down with my building administrators and solving the problem as a team. Asking for their input, and having them challenge my thinking and exposing weaknesses in the possible solution. When we come together to debate and argue, it only makes the decision more sound. So, when we get it right-it's because I listened to the team. When we get it wrong? Well, I probably wasn't a good listener.
So as we close out the month of October, I'll do what I should have done at the beginning of the month. Thank our principals for all they do to to support learning in our schools. I am proud to have these leaders who guide our schools every day.
Thank you to Mrs. Betts, for fostering an incredibly positive and inclusive school culture, ensuring both students and staff feel valued and motivated to excel. She provides an extraordinary balance to our team and can be counted on to offer perspectives that may otherwise go unnoticed by the rest of the team. I continue to learn from her thoughtful approach to the multitude is issues that cross her desk daily.
Thank you to Dr. Zellmer, who has quickly established an atmosphere of high expectations and collaboration, working hard to bring together a cohesive middle school team that has long yearned for an identity of their own. His deep experience is already translating into tangible, positive outcomes for students and staff.
And we can't forget to thank our grizzled veteran, Mr. Dieken. He is an invaluable institutional anchor and visionary. His calm demeanor and decades of navigating every conceivable school challenge provides a steady hand for our team. His unmatched historical perspective and wisdom are one of the reasons we often turn to him first when complex issues arise, benefiting from his deep, proven experience.
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