Rethink.  Retool.  Reboot Your School!

Rethink. Retool. Reboot Your School!

Dumping the Factory Model School Structure

Keynote  
Program  
There are 3 reasons why failing high-poverty schools don't work: THESE ARE NOT THE 4 REASONS-- Not #1. Nobody cares. The kids don't care,teachers or parents don't care. Actually, EVERYBODY CARES. But nobody knows what to do about it. Not #2. Not enough resources. No money for books, training, or activities. Actually, there are HUGE resources. The norm is that they're misapplied. Not #3. The curriculum is bad. It's boring, out of date, and it's too easy. Actually, there's terrific & cutting-edge curriculum out there, much of it free and easy to access. But there's little incentive to use these resources. Not #4. Failing schools are scary. The kids are impossible to discipline. Actually, there are many examples of warm, inviting, and academically rigorous learning environments. But few school leaders have seen these. So what are the real reasons these schools just seem to get worse and worse? #1. Little inspiration. Faculty rarely has a chance to vision and dialogue. #2. Little collaboration. U.S. schools are organized in top-down models. #3. Structures built to fail. The factory model is extinct, yet still dominant. #4. Inadequate leadership. Principals & teachers are rarely are trained to change any of the above, and sometimes lack the skills to do so. The audience will nearly be stunned at the amount of evidence presented that we do not have to continue tolerating massive numbers of failing schools. The secret ingredients to change are initiative, the will to take risks and the consequences that go with them, and the resilience to work until and beyond breakthroughs that come. The biggest risk of all: to do nothing. The consequences of this path are far worse, consistent, and entirely predictable. The audience will be reunited with the passions they've had to see dynamic schooling really happen, and will take a leap in their willingness to DO SOMETHING PERSONALLY and professionally to work with others for change. This presentation is aimed at BIG picture thinking: getting us all to rise above the trees, and see the forest and its condition as a whole. From school board members to state superintendents to teachers and paraprofessonials, educators will see clear strategies that are available to change the structures --with present means-- and break the chains that constrict teachers from delivering a dynamic experience. Dr. Rhodes would love to schedule a way to connect with your audience--currently booking for 2024 and beyond.

Dr. Virginia Rhodes — Motivational Speaker

Dr. Virginia Rhodes

Rethink. Retool. Reboot your school or district culture.

Fresh thinking about equity, racial justice and school safety in K-12 public schooling; new models support student-centered, teacher-led, family-friendly education.

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