How can 23 schools make a leap to greatness in Stamford? How can our district leaders and board of education members produce the best long-term results? Let’s try the hedgehog test from the ancient Greek poet, Archilochus of Paros:
The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.
Although the fox knows many things and is very cunning, he is constantly trying to devise complex strategies to launch sneak attacks on the hedgehog. The hedgehog, tiny and prickly, knows one simple but crucial thing. By rolling up into a perfect little ball with sharp spikes sticking out, he outsmarts the fox every time. His hedgehog thinking brings clarity in what to do and reduces dilemmas to a single idea. The Hedgehog Concept, developed by Jim Collins (Good to Great, 2001) discovered why some companies vastly outperformed the industry while delivering exceptional results. Why can’t SPS do this?
Perhaps central office leaders and Board of Education (BOE) members could adopt this concept and apply it to teaching and learning? Here are the challenges SPS faces:
District Challenges
Next year’s new semester high school schedule (flexible 4x4) has become highly contentious with parents, teachers and students—a repeat of 2022. Central office leaders have continued to ignore research (absenteeism) and subgroup trends for multi-lingual and Multi-Tiered Support System (MTSS) students. At least five BOE members are now questioning the validity of this schedule.
Instead of conducting audits in special education, the district cabinet’s solution is to add more administrators.
Teachers are fleeing mid-year and taking jobs in other districts. In fact, it is becoming a pattern, and shortage-area positions are at the top of the list.
Curriculums are still not provided for all teachers and subgroups (i.e., multi-lingual).
Approximately $6-7 million is spent on 27 central office administrators.
Top-down leadership, rather than stakeholder collaboration, has created a culture of fear.
Achievement, despite an increase in graduation rates, is still stagnant.
Two of five top cabinet members, although principals at one point, have been allowed to take high level positions with little or no teaching experience. None have public school, Gr. 7-12 core subject teaching experience in mathematics, science, ELA, social studies/history or world language. This has created a vacuum of instructional leadership.
Board of Education Challenges
Decisions can be made by the six majority members in private caucuses and then played out in public meetings. All nine members should be privy to details, but are not.
By monopolizing votes, majority members can use politics to lead (e.g., flexible 4x4 schedule). Groupthink and bullying are also part of their repertoire.
One-party-rule leaders have removed members from chair roles or committees if they are intimidated or angered by their decision-making patterns or expertise. Sadly, these leaders have even removed three of their own because those individuals dared to think and vote independently.
The three minority members will never hold a BOE president role (17 years and counting). Bottom line, when democracy is unbalanced, no one wins and our students and learning programs suffer.
In helping SPS find its Hedgehog Concept, we need to ask deeper questions. Are there too many foxes? Do we have the right foxes? What is the one thing that foxes should be doing well—listening, perhaps? Why are complacent BOE members enabling a struggling district? Why are they not expecting refinement of systems and the budget? Why has accountability been lax over a six-year period?
It is time for a change . . . we need to be hedgehogs.
Dr. Rebecca Hamman currently serves as a member of the Stamford Board of Education. Her comments are her own, and do not represent the official views of the Board of Education or its committees.
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