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Point of View
It was a privilege to be one of 100 school leaders selected from more than 350 applicants to represent the great state of Texas at Harvard. Raise Your Hand Texas, a nonprofit, bipartisan public education advocacy organization, initiated the program in 2008 by sending more than 100 school leaders to one of five summer institutes at The Principals’ Center at Harvard University. Armed with two suitcases, a campus map and 12 years of public education experience, I was ready to start my learning adventure. 'It was a privilege to be one of 100 school leaders selected from more than 350 applicants to represent the great state of Texas at Harvard.' My time at the institute began in Harvard’s historic Longfellow Hall, where 181 school leaders representing 23 states and 11 countries met for the first time. Not knowing a single person was daunting; however, it was awesome to see so many people from so many backgrounds with the common goal of developing skills and beliefs to improve education. The first words spoken to us were: “Give yourself the gift of reflection and rejuvenation.” This was followed by a question: “How will you treat your time at Harvard when you get back?” I could not think of a better way to begin the most significant professional learning experience of my life. During the morning and afternoon sessions, lectures focused on education reform, accountability and closing the achievement gaps. I was in heaven; ideas filled my head as notes filled my pages. The lectures were structured to introduce new ideas and encourage thinking. I was asked to use my recently acquired knowledge to develop a personal challenge statement on ways in which I could improve public education. The statement had to include action steps and evidence supported by research. After the first few days of lectures, I decided to focus my challenge statement on effective instruction (based on Jeff Howard’s Efficacy Theory) that eliminates all achievement gaps. I chose the Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey “Immunity to Change” model to facilitate the adaptive change at Needville Elementary. Upon my return to Texas, I presented and shared my plan with my superintendent. A group effort We spent a day participating in Project Adventure, an outdoor team-building, “challenge by choice” experience that enabled me to build friendships and professional connections with people I would never have gotten to know on my own. Walking across logs 30 feet high in the trees while you and your new friends hold on to a rope for support definitely teaches you how to work as a team, communicate effectively and trust others! The magic that occurred on this day was immeasurable. For me, it solidified the lecture on “Everyday Mind Reading in Educational Contexts: Reducing Biased Thinking to Improve the Social Climate of Schools,” which was presented by Hunter Gehlbach. It did not take long to meet new friends. I met five principals from Texas whom I now call my HBFFs (Harvard Best Friends Forever). Each evening while attending the institute, my fellow HBFFs and I traveled by subway into Boston for historical tours and dinner. During these times, we talked about how each day’s learning fit into our respective schools of thought, experiences and current positions. We explored Boston and fell in love with the historical elegance, authentic food and academia. In the words of the HBFFs: It was “wicked pissah.” (Editor’s note: This is Eastern Massachusetts slang for “really great.”) The leadership skills I gained at Harvard’s summer institute support my everyday work in Needville. It is not surprising — although very reassuring — that Texas is leading the way in many areas concerning education. My Harvard training fits perfectly with Texas’ expectations, from state standards to assessment and teacher accountability. My time at Harvard has sparked a desire in me to learn more and study further. I liken the experience to getting eyeglasses; for the first time I have a clear vision of the positive changes I can make to affect school improvement. JENNA SNIFFIN is the principal at Needville Elementary in Needville ISD. |
In late June, I stepped off the Boston subway in Harvard Square into a world full of education’s top researchers, reformers and developers. Thanks to Raise Your Hand Texas (RYHT), I was attending the “Improving Schools: The Art of Leadership” summer institute at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. It was a long way from Needville Elementary School, where I have been the principal for three years. Needville is a small community southwest of Houston, and I have spent eight years as an administrator in the school district, including three years as an assistant principal at the elementary school and one year as principal at the middle school.