Recently, the LYS team completed the assessment of a struggling high school campus serving a high poverty clientele.  Things were not good. Teachers were not even pretending to follow the district’s scope and sequence. The quality of delivered instruction (when there was instruction, not a given) was sub-par. Student engagement was extremely low, with sleeping and watching YouTube rivaling actual on-task behavior.

When I asked the Principal what his main priority was for the next year, his response was, “Strengthen our volunteer mentor program.”

I suggested that his time would be better spent implementing, supporting and monitoring The Foundation Trinity, he was skeptical.  He was putting all his eggs in the “If the mentors can convince the students that school is important, then the teachers could do their job and the school would be successful,” basket.

That’s quite a stretch, and frankly, a passive approach and mind set.  It is never our recommendation to wait for outsiders to rescue you.  Instead do the hard work that matters, make your own luck and actively improve student lives. 

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/Fundamental5 
• Upcoming Conference Presentations: Texas ASCD Summer Conference, Virginia Middle and High School Principals Conference; The National Principals Conference; The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Keynote) 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook