Where you at? (After the dust has settled.)

As most, if not all, of the readers of this blog know, the contract dispute which spawned this blog has ended. A new three-year contract has been ratified.

The settlement that was finally agreed upon was almost surrealistic in its simplicity and fairness. It was a settlement that was overwhelmingly accepted by the teachers' union. (It also benefited other bargaining units who got similar offers.)

Had this offer been made earlier in the process... then it is likely that most of the difficulties that followed would have been avoided. But then, this dispute was simply part of a larger conflict.

My connect-the-dots conclusions?

1) The District unnecessarily wasted a lot of time, money, and goodwill in its fight to negotiate a new contract.
2) The District's lack of transparency, honesty, and care for its employees was unveiled. (The lip-service never stopped, but actions speak louder than words.)
3) The School Board's complacency in challenging "facts" and "findings" supplied by the Superintendent's office has been long-standing, and it has contributed to a lack of fairness and balance in District decisions. This complacency is also evidenced in the Board's general lack of seeking input both privately and publicly from other stakeholders in the District.

My connect-the-dots hopes for on-going improvements?

1) Voters have infused some new blood (and hopefully accountability) into an anemically performing Board via the election process.
2) Board members are beginning to ask a few meaningful questions, and/or calling for a delay in making decisions until they become better informed.
3) District employees are more on their guard regarding the District Office's oversight.

My connect-the-dots wait-and-see concerns?

1) Will the School Board evolve into a more informed, independent body that regulates the Superintendent, instead of vice-versa?
2) Will the voters and families of Lowell Joint continue to press for honesty, transparency, and change?

Although the contract disputed spawned this blog, that dispute was simply the tip of the iceberg. That dispute brought a sharper focus to what problems the District faces as it moves into the future. The problems are not chiefly economic: it's not the economy...

A telling feature in the new contract is the lack of "new" language that the Superintendent was seeking to add on many issues.

Why is it not there?

After the main economic disagreements were resolved, the union negotiators said something to this effect, "You want to change language? So do we!"

Given that prospect (and the changing political climate), the Superintendent dropped the call for "new" (and controlling) changes she had been seeking. By this time in the process, there was much more pressure from the Board and Public to settle the dispute.

One on-going concern?

The iceberg isn't gone.

Adapt and Thrive! (Some personal dots.)

Recently I read and reviewed a novel by Gerald Weinberg. Jerry is an author whose books have helped me over the years. In doing research for the book review, I reread several of my own blog entries that have helped me gain perspective regarding the current negotiating crisis.


I call it a crisis because it matters to me: it's personal. It's about trust, fairness, honesty, and leadership. Those things matter to me. I am that guy. Things bother me and I muse. I try not to obsess, but I do percolate.


So I was happy to find several posts that helped me get a personal grip on the crisis-de-jour.


The first post I found was called Let Kindness Rule! 


Here's an excerpt: 


All relationships involve a certain amount of patient endurance with the foibles of another; however, some relationships require larger amounts. Those cultures strongly influenced by Christianity acknowledge love and patience as virtues. We acknowledge that love should suffer long: and we try. But…

But we often overlook or fail on the other component of the advice offered in this New Testament proverb: Love suffers long, and is kind. 

What? I’m called to suffer long AND be kind! Ahhhh… there’s the rub: Kindness. While I am being loving and patient (suffering long), I am to do it with kindness. Kindness means no meanness, no sarcasm, no nagging, no belittling, no digs, etc. 

Hmmm… Anybody think that there would be fewer people problems among our friends, family, and community if we practiced this simple axiom: Love suffers long, and is kind?

Let kindness rule!


* * * * *


When I am faced with perceived unkindness, injustice, untruth, and insensitivity I want to get payback. That's my knee-jerk tendency. But after hitting the "pause" button, I am reminded of my core values and aspirations. If I go with knee-jerk, I must might end up being simply a jerk. That's not my aim.


Jerry, in responding to my Let Kindness Rule! post said this, "And people should remember, kindness costs you nothing. Meanness costs you a lot." 


As I begin my school year, with negotiations on-going, I am going to let kindness rule. I'm not sure exactly what that will look like, but I am resolved. (The current negotiations are only a symptom of a larger problem. Perhaps  the November elections will help remedy that problem... perhaps not.)


* * * * *


The second post I found was called Adapt or Die! 


Here are a few of the salient points: 


Changes at work made me want to take up arms, so I cleverly began to read a chapter called “Gaining Control Over Change” from my Secrets of Consulting book by Gerald M. Weinberg.
I expected to get some good advice on how to get people to see things my way, instead Jerry informed me that the best way get changed is to resist change. His answer to managing change was to embrace it.
Another name for embracing change is adaptation. Jerry points out that some organisms adapt in order to survive an increasingly hostile environment. This is also called evolution. Hmmm…
I can manage change by embracing change in an adaptive manner.(Or I can become a dinosaur. And perhaps extinct.)

Those who resist change often begin to act in ways that make them change a lot. Rats. That’s what I’m trying to avoid: big change.

Amazingly, Jerry’s advice on embracing small change in order to survive was comforting. It wasn’t the answer I wanted, but it was one I needed.

That’s why I went to Jerry’s book. He knows stuff. 

* * * * *

I like who I've become... and I don't want to change into something I'm not by reacting to the bad behavior of another.  Things in Lowell Joint's teacher/management interactions have devolved -- they've changed.  "Jerry informed me that the best way get changed is to resist change."


 As the new school year begins, I intend to "...manage change by embracing change in an adaptive manner."  


I'm not sure what that will look like, but at least I know what I'm trying to accomplish: positive adaptation. 


* * * * *


The final post that helped me in my thinking was called The Problem of Apparent Irrationality.


Here are some portions of that post:


...as a rational and reasonable man, my mind has a difficult time following unreasonable orders/dictates/policies. ...

Perhaps you’ve had such bouts with unreasonableness that interferes with a good night’s sleep? But what’s a person to do?

Me? I visited an old friend and mentor: Gerald Weinberg. Now, in reality, I’ve never met "Jerry." In fact, until yesterday, I called him "Gerald." But I do own three of his books, which I’ve read multiple times. He’s a “friend” I sometimes visit when I wrestling with a difficult problem. He’s always there for me, and he makes good sense. He helps me. ;-)...

As I read the preface, I was rewarded with a re-framing of my ... problem. I read the following account of Jerry’s approach to dealing with a major challenge of the consulting business:

“Most of the time, though, I enjoyed the direct interaction with my clients, if I could stand the irrationality. If I wanted to stay in the business, it seemed to me I had two choices:

1. Remain rational, and go crazy.
2. Become irrational, and be called crazy.

For many years, I oscillated between these poles of misery, until I hit upon a third approach:

3. Become rational about irrationality.

This book relates some of my discoveries about the rationality of seemingly irrational behavior that surrounds requests for influence. These are the secrets of consulting.”

Since I was currently going somewhat crazy, I recognized that my problem was really a problem of apparent irrationality. Once I could name the problem, I was partially relieved, because the correct naming of the problem is often the first step in finding a suitable solution: Become rational about irrationality.

A songwriter once said, “I may not have the answer, but I believe I have a plan…” I don’t even have a plan yet, but at least I know what the problem is.


* * * * *


Becoming rational about irrationality. It can keep you from going crazy. Or waking up in the middle of the night. 


The thinking reflected in this post has helped me sleep better at night and to look with greater hope towards the coming school year. 


What is my intention for the coming year? Adapt and Thrive! (It turns out, that is an option.)


My teacher-in-another-district friend has this quote on his FaceBook profile: "Kites rise highest against the wind -- not with it."


There may be an ill wind blowing, but I don't have to be driven along by it. I can be like the kite and rise up. 


So can you. 

What's a community/parent to do? (Run for the Board!)

This "connect-the-dots" blog has led me to see a bigger picture: one that includes parent involvement at the school board level. A good recent example was the service of Cathleen Greer.

Cathleen joined the Board, served several terms, and then moved on to other challenges. She stepped forward and took her participation to the next level. She added a needed voice.

Three of five seats on the School Board are up for election. Will the voters have a choice? Is it time for you to step forward and serve?

The deadline for filing papers is looming. Go for it!

Another level of parent involvement is simply raising your voice to be heard by the Board. They say they speak for the voters. Do they speak for you?

Got questions? (Ask them!)

Guest Posts: An Invitation

One of the goals/purposes of this blog is to provide a forum for others in Lowell Joint who want to contribute pieces to puzzle. If you have information or a story, or even a good question that you'd like to pose in a post... then type it up and submit to me at evansjrdon@sbcglobal.net

My belief is that the more information available, the easier to define the problem(s), and the easier to see viable solutions.

If you're interested in providing a guest post or posts... let me know.

What's the point? Connecting the dots!

LJSD is like a family. These days, the Spring of '10, it's more than just a bit dysfunctional. My mom used to say, "Son, don't air the family's dirty laundry." Most families heed that advice.

But LJSD is not a family: It's a school district. As a former systems engineer, I believe that the more data on the table, the easier it is for everyone to see what's going on and what needs to be done. You can't solve a problem until you have a clear picture of what the problem is.

Real-life problems are like connect-the-dot puzzles. In the case of LJ, many people have a piece of the puzzle: a dot, or two, or three. The more dots on the page... the easier it is to solve the puzzle.

So what's the problem? I'm not sure... let's get some dots on the table!

(If you'd like to add a post, e-mail me your story/facts/etc., and maybe I'll post it!)

e-mail address: evansjrdon@sbcglobal.net