In response to the 8/31/11 post, “The Summative Evaluation,” a LYS Principal writes: This could have been a conversation between you and any number of us LYS Rookies. This second year is tougher and already more exhausting because the focus has to be clearer and the conversations that much more explicit – not to mention the monitoring of any TINAs that were implemented. Today, I reflected that I had vowed that no matter what, I’d always put kids first. So tomorrow I’m going back and meeting with my people who aren’t behaving like they clearly understand that. That rearview mirror on my way home has a way of telling me the truth! SC Response I don’t know if the second year is tougher, but it is definitely different. Now that you have a better feel for the routine parts of the job, for the first time you have the opportunity to look beyond yourself, and start to focus on making your people better. But you can only do that if you protect yourself from all the politics, administrivia and distractions that steal your time, attention and brainpower from what is truly important. That’s the value of the external coach. The external coach won’t let you excuse your way out of doing what is right for your students. The internal coach often has a different focus. Not wrong, just different. 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 Attend the LYS presentations at the Texas School Improvement Conference on 10/27/11

• Improve Now – 8:00am
• The Fundamental 5 – 9:45am
• You Can’t Fix What You Can’t See – 10:15am

Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation Confirmed 2012 Presentations: NASSP Conference; NASB Conference