Rework School Leadership

I just finished reading Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeir Hansson. Although it has a business slant, there are many great links to school leadership. Here are but a few:

“Policies are organizational scar tissue. They are codified overreactions to situations that are unlikely to happen again.”

~ How many times do we see districts making policies based on a few infractions?

“It’s the stuff you leave out that matters. So constantly look for things to remove, simplify, and streamline. Be a curator. Stick to what’s truly essential.”

~ What if school leaders acted as curators and cut out initiatives, technologies, andprograms that were simply add-ons and not essential to the mosaic? 

“You should share everything you know.”

~ Do leaders do this? Do teachers? We should actively find ways to share our recipesof success with others.

“Everyone on your team should be connected to your customers.”

~ In the case of schools, how are those folks making decisions connecting to theneeds of students? Most often, those making policies and creating learningenvironments are the most removed from the voices of the clients (i.e., the student).