Fenwick Academy in Salem, New Jersey, is an example of a school that created its own playbook for success and transformed its school culture, professional practice, and increased student reading scores steadily for the past four years.
A few years ago, I attended a State Consortium on Educator Effectiveness meeting in Baltimore co-hosted by the Council of Chief State School Officers and Learning Forward. At the meeting, principals from across the country were asked, “Is your job doable?” Their answers were both passionate and poignant.
It started with a simple statement: “We need a vision.” As the director of staff development for Gwinnett County Public Schools, I realized I was in trouble when similar sentiments echoed throughout our staff development team.