Dear Lansing School District Community,
As always, it is a pleasure to write to you all. I hope that you look forward to these Monday morning newsletters as much as I do. Today, I want to write about being proactive.
Since arriving in Lansing a little more than two years ago, I have witnessed an incredible amount of hard work. Our educators spend countless hours supporting our students. Our office staff goes above and beyond normal expectations. I have seen staff member after staff member sacrifice themselves for our children. And, of course, this goes the same for our families and community members. Everyone I have met wants to chip in and help.
However, so much of this extra support seems to come because of emergency situations. We seem to always be putting out a fire rather than fireproofing our house. So much of the work we seem to be focused on is reactionary. A great example of this came to my desk this week.
A well-meaning staff member emailed me that they didn't have paper towels in their classroom. This teacher, looking out for their students, wanted to make me aware that her students did not have what they needed and wanted my help fixing the emergency. I appreciate it when any teacher reaches out to me. Still, it struck me as odd that a teacher would be communicating with me about not having any paper towels when there were hundreds of paper towel rolls available. There are many people in our district who could better solve this problem than the Superintendent. However, because of either a lack of trust, lack of systems, or lack of communication, we had a classroom without paper towels, a frustrated teacher, and an emergency email to the Superintendent. But let's step back and examine what could've happened so that instead of having an emergency, we could be proactive.
- Don't wait until you run out - The email came to me after the classroom ran out of paper towels. Rather than wait until the emergency happens, we need to think ahead and ask for what we need way before the crisis. I have seen this happen so often in Lansing. If we see that supplies are getting low, the computers are not being charged; or the fence is getting loose, be proactive - ask for supplies before we run out, plug in the computers before they go dead, and tighten the screws before the fence falls down.
- Communicate with the people who have the best vantage point - The email came to me, but the teacher did not communicate with the Principal ahead of time. In schools, the best person to ask for help is almost always the Principal. The Principal has direct lines to facilities, supervisors, and a host of supports. By bypassing the best person to solve the problem, the issue spiraled to include many other folks who spent time addressing a relatively simple request. We need to communicate the problem to the best person who can fix it.
- Set up systems to prevent emergencies - Yes, the teacher could've asked earlier for the paper towel, but the school could also set up daily or weekly communications asking staff what they need and then set up a system of delivery, fixing, or check-ins. For instance, I live in an apartment, and I have to pay rent once a month. As you can imagine, I am pretty busy. I am sure I would forget to pay my rent on time. So, I have set up automatic payments. I never miss a payment because I have a system that takes care of my rent. There are many things we can solve in this district if we set up appropriate systems and structures. If we get on a schedule and follow through when we are supposed to, so many of the emergencies, rushed jobs, or last-minute work will evaporate.
Again, I love that the teacher felt comfortable emailing me about the paper towels, and I am thrilled that an Assistant Director was able to fix the problem very quickly. I appreciate the teacher looking out for their students. But we, as a district, should never have to be in that situation.
Let us work smarter, not harder. Let us try to set up systems at our schools, in our homes, and with our students that create structure and accountability so that we have fewer "fires." The more proactive we are in nature, setting systems in place, the better our school district will be, and the easier our work will feel.
If you have found any great proactive ways to allow you to work smarter, not harder, please feel free to email me. Have you found a way to get your child to do their homework on time? Have you found a way to get through the curriculum at the expected pace? Have you found a way for your classroom to be clean and organized? Have you found a way? Sharing tips and learning from each other is a great first step in becoming more proactive.
Thank you so much for all of your incredible support of our district. Together, we will do great things for the children of Lansing.
Benjamin Shuldiner, Superintendent
Lansing School District
