Much of our lives are spent trying to get to that next level....middle school, high school, college, graduate school, the first job, the next job, marriage, children, the next job. And most of us didn't do things in quite that order. But life really is so much about going and going and going. As I approach another birthday, I've paused to explore where I've been and where I want to go. The majority of the journey is about the narrative that is crafted and honed along the way.

I recently happened upon an article that had a very similar prompt....and it made me think. Really think. I read the comments from those who were interviewed, their responses ranging from the poignant "I escaped an abusive marriage" and "alcohol" to the radical (yes, judgment call on my part) "all my possessions" and "television." But when I thought of this question, I reflected back through close to 50 years of living and learning, leading and failing....and it was simple. I

This year, ACSA spent some time reflecting on the work we do. One of the more reflective parts of our time together was spent focusing on our WHY – why do we do what we do? Why do we lead? Why are we involved in ACSA? Why does our leadership even matter? Teams were able to talk and reflect on why they wanted to lead in the first place, some having been tapped by leaders in their districts while others shared the driving passion since entering the teaching ranks. But the culmi

Unique potential of expanded learning programs After the California State Board of Education adopted the Common Core State Standards in 2010, the CDE made significant investments to develop the infrastructure, guidance and communications around the CCSS implementation. California’s CCSS systems implementation plan, in particular, provides a timeline for implementation as well as an overview of seven key guiding strategies for districts. While most of the strategies refer to K

President Barack Obama recently launched a new initiative, a launch of "moonshot" to cure cancer. Leading the initiative will be Vice President Joe Biden. And while moonshot may be his term, it brings to mind a video I've used for years, as have many colleagues in educational leadership - Moonshot Thinking. What I love about this video is the focus of problem solving. How do you take a challenge, often a significant one if you contemplate space travel and ramifications on hum