In response to the 5/3/11 post, “Remember the Main Objective is to Drain the Swamp,” a LYS Principal writes: SC, I really needed the reminder yesterday that my goal is to drain the swamp. I am up to my butt in alligators. I read the post, and then went into my procedural team meeting with all my “Type A, Pet Peeve” people and relieved myself of an alligator. I told one of the participants in the middle of the meeting, “We aren’t really here to fix your pet peeves and if that is why you volunteered to be on this team, you are wrong.” She excused herself and we moved onto a very productive meeting. Keep it up. SC Response It is so easy to lose perspective when you are in the thick of daily routines. As educators, we are attuned to customer service and problem solving. Overall this is not a bad thing. In fact it is a result of us being people-centric. But it also means that very quickly we can find ourselves spending much of our time working to solve issues and problems that have no impact on the greater good. That is why the Foundation Trinity is the engine of school improvement. Properly executed, we are forced to answer the following questions over and over again. 1. Are we teaching today what we are supposed to teach today? 2. Did our students learn what we were supposed to teach? 3. Did we deliver instruction to the best of our ability? If your daily activities revolve primarily around insuring that all three questions are answered with an “affirmative,” your part of the swamp is being drained. Think. Work. Achieve. Your turn… Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com! http://tinyurl.com/4ydqd4t Louise ISD is searching for a Superintendent. Application details at www.LeadYourSchool.com A Central Texas School District is searching for an Assistant Superintendent. Application details at www.LeadYourSchool.com Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation