Episode Details

Bob Sonju, Director of K-12 Learning in the Washington School District in Southern Utah, explains why leading change in schools fails when you start with structure. He names three cultural fundamentals to settle first: why the school exists, what a perfect school looks like, and what the staff will commit to together.

Sonju learned it the hard way at Pine View High School. He returned from a conference, tried to implement common assessments and collaboration, and waited for results. Nothing happened. At Fossil Ridge, with 42 teachers, his staff used post-its so every voice was heard, and set norms where the will of the group moves the group.

What you'll learn

• Settle your school's purpose, vision of a perfect school and collective commitments before you roll out PLC structures like common assessments.
• Ask why your school exists and why it was built, instead of only debating which words go in a mission statement.
• Have teachers write thoughts on post-its in a faculty meeting so loud voices do not dominate and quiet ones still count.
• Set meeting norms early: all voices heard and respected, and the will of the group moves the group.
• Ask a few trusted staff members to be critical friends who will tell you when you are moving too fast.

Chapters

• 0:00 From special education teacher to district leader
• 3:44 Why structural change failed at Pine View
• 5:24 Purpose, vision and collective commitments
• 8:17 Getting every teacher's voice in the room
• 11:20 Faculty norms and consensus as the will of the group
• 14:57 Pushing your idea versus the group's will
• 15:58 Critical friends who say you are moving too fast
• 17:17 Interview question: anticipate your own mistake

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Questions this episode answers

Why do PLC and other structural changes fail in schools?
Sonju says he came back from conferences and pushed common assessments and collaboration at Pine View High School without preparing the culture. Teachers rolled their eyes and nothing changed. He says the school culture has to be ready for structural change first.

What does consensus mean when you lead a school staff?
For Sonju, consensus is the will of the group, not 100 percent agreement. With about 42 teachers, everyone is heard and validated, but if you wait for every person to commit, he says, the school never moves, so the group's will moves the group.

What is a critical friend for a principal?
Sonju describes critical friends as staff members he trusts to be frank, who tell him he is moving too fast, too slow or is misguided. They are not necessarily his friends, and he says they are different from cynics who disagree with everything.

About Bob Sonju

Bob Sonju is the Director of K-12 Learning in the Washington School District in Southern Utah and a former principal and special education teacher.

Links and resources

• Sponsor offer link
• Transformative Principal website
• Podcast on Stitcher
• Refer a principal form
• Best Tools for Busy Administrators survey
• Sponsor Sanebox

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