Fullan believes
that the biggest fight is deprivatizing teaching, or establishing “a culture
in the teaching profession where it is normal and desirable for all teachers
to observe and to be observed teaching.” He believes we must measure
ourselves and be open about what we are doing in order to improve student
achievement, which means being transparent about student achievement: “How
well is the school doing? How well are individual teachers doing in
moving the school forward?” asks Fullan. “Student achievement
data must be transparent to members of the staff and to the public, while
protecting the school from data being used abusively.”
In order for this to happen, the school must build a climate and culture that supports a “safe to risk” environment. Taking the time to identify the traits for teaching and learning that are expected to be in place in both student and adult learning environments is time well spent. Creating a matrix that connects those traits to the school’s mission, collaborative learning climate, character traits, and essential learnings results in a defined “caring community and engaging curriculum.” This in turn provides the foundation for staff development structured around the Iowa Core Curriculum.
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