Leadership is about Our Students’ Future
Dr. Joyce Phillips
November 15, 2006
Two weeks ago, while recovering from foot surgery, I began to reread the national bestseller that many leaders from business and education are enthusiastically discussing. This bestseller is The World is Flat, authored by Thomas L. Friedman, a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner for his work at The New York Times.
In the first one-third of his book, Mr. Friedman details the ten forces that have flattened our world. These forces begin with the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989. Among the ten, he also mentions Netscape going public (August 8, 1995), work flow software, open-sourcing, outsourcing, offshoring, supply-chaining, insourcing, in-forming, and the steroids (digital, mobile, personal, and virtual).
After he builds his case for flattening of the world, Mr. Friedman discusses what this type of world means to our children. He argues that many good jobs will exist in the flat world for those with the knowledge and ideas to seize them.
Is this important to Marshall? Are these ideas relevant our students’ future? The answer is yes!
Very few things in our lives remain exactly the same forever. The current frenzy about PlayStation 3 is one reminder of our appetite for newer, better, faster.
We need to keep our eyes focused on the world in which our young people will live and work. It is going to be different than ours, and the PlayStations of this world are going to accelerate that change.
Friedman uses four terms to describe the types of workers that our children will become: special, specialized, anchored, and adaptable.
Special workers are the Bill Gates of the world. Few will make it to that level, but those who do will dramatically change the world for the rest of us.
Specialized workers are those whose jobs cannot be digitized and/or outsourced because of knowledge. Examples of these jobs are brain surgeons, software engineers, and advanced machine tool and robot operators. Wages are competitive because they are based on specialized skills.
Anchored workers are those whose jobs must be done in a specific location and involve face-to-face contact with a customer, client, patient, or audience. Examples of these jobs are electricians, accountants, lawyers, plumbers, chefs, teachers, and physicians. Wages are set according to local market conditions.
Adaptable workers are those who constantly acquire new skills, knowledge, and expertise that allow them to create value. An adaptable worker focuses on continuous learning because innovation will happen faster and faster in our children’s lifetime. Wages are set according to the value of adaptability.
Friedman argues that the more we humans push out the boundaries of knowledge and technology, the more complex tasks that machines will do, the more that people with specialized education or those with the ability to learn how to learn, will be in demand.
Will Marshall’s students live, work, and play in a different word? Yes, they will. All you have to do is look around our community and state, to watch the current struggles as we work through some of these changes.
In Marshall Public Schools, we need to keep our eyes on the changing world and prepare our students accordingly.
We need to keep the main thing, the main thing.
Our Kids First
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41 comments:
The staff of the Marshall Public Schools want to move forward and meet all of the challenges of the future. Actually they are moving forward for the most part on their own with little help and much hinderance from the top.
I have also read Thomas Friedman's book and it does open up new perspectives about current trends. I have also read books on organizational management, motivating employees, gaining support and respect through good leadership, and improving communication and teamwork. Unfortunately these are all major problem areas for Mrs. Phillips.
Actions speak louder than words!
Yes-The Main Thing is Phillips is out of touch with real people not in books and has not made one bit of a positive difference in this district to the students or staff. Yes-let's put our kids first and find a great leader for them and their teachers.
Im sad about the situation in Marshall. I found the link to this site in this weeks marshall chronicle, didnt even know about it until now, and think that change really needs to occur quickly. We cannot sit back and allow this behavior. I suggest someone form a public group and host a public meeting. Anyone up for the job, or have any ideas of who to contact? Would you anonymous people show up, even just to listen? I could host the event at my church, although I would require someone to have their name at the top because of work regulations (political). Let's do this soon, if there is interest and someone willing to head it
Public forums are good in the right environment. If you understand the intimidation management at MPS you will understand that the employees of this community school district are being attacked daily. It is very difficult to know if persons would feel free to speak at a large public gathering. The great thing about this blog site is people DO NOT FEEL INTIMIDATED and can speak freely. Your idea is wonderful. Let's find a solution to this very grave issue at hand. Too bad our elected school board members have not solved this for us already. They have facts - they need to get to the bottom of it. The church atmosphere is favorable to me. Enough of all JP's talk - superintendents before her did not have to print propaganda...they spent their time doing the job they were hired to to...not writing articles about it...and spinning for the community.
There has been a total failure of leadership by Supt. Phillips. In oour modern competitive world this should not be tolerated. In the business world it would not be! Instead of holding Supt. Phillips accountable, our school board has extended her contract, given her generous raises and perks, bought her flowers the day they received the teacher surveys and have coddled and covered for her at the expense of our kids. The people of Marshall and the kids of MPS deserve and demand this stop!
I am new to this web site and I am amazed at the topics being discussed here. It is not really a surprise as I have been hearing about these problems for many months now. I hope the school board, the Superintendent and the staff meet soon to see if there is any chance of solving these big problems. If that fails then I would agree that new leadership is needed. Also I am not a school staff member or employee. I am just a very concerned citizen.
DEADLINE: IF THE SCHOOL BOARD DOES NOT ADDRESS THE ISSUE AT HAND, BY WEDNESDAY, A MEETING WILL BE SET UP FOR THE END OF THE WEEK FOLLOWING THANKSGIVING WEEKEND.
Does the Marshall School Board meet next Monday November 27? If not, why do they meet so rarely. These are important issues, but months drag on with no action.
The School Board meets once a month. The second Monday of every month. Sometimes they may schedule "workshops" on other days fo the month.
No wonder why things move so slowly in Marshall!
I still don't have an opinion about a recall, anyone who would be for it?
If the board keeps stalling and refuses to hold Joyce accountable, then a recal of at least 2-3 board members may be necessary. BUT there must also be some good strong candidates willing to run to replace them. If we had a recall and more of the same got on the board somehow, then nothing would have been accomplished. We need people who are willing to hold those at the top accountable for this current mess the Marshall schools are in, which were caused by their actions and failures.
Do you have any ideas of anyone willing to run? Has anyone talked about it openly? I can think of two, but don't know if they were willing. One, because of his/her employment...
I know just the person to put his name on top of the recall also. Are we thinking Darling, Potter, and... Beardslee or Stulberg?
I would first focus on Potter, Darling and Beardslee. Maybe Stulberg if he does not come around soon to the realities of the problems and the need to hold those at the top responsible and accountable.
I have heard the rumor that Steve Hageman and Ian Schnaitman are going to run for school board. Any thruth to that?
Part of the problem is that many of the current school board members (Janice, Vic, Paul and Dan) came in on the anti-Redskin platform. I think they have stuck together from those days and may mistakenly think the current opposition is based with the old "pro-Redskin" crowd. I can assure you that is not true. I was all for replacing the Redskin name and supported them in these efforts. Now I think it is ridicules that they refuse to hold Joyce Phillips properly accountable for an obviously failed leadership. Please Dan, Janice, Vic and Paul, pull together and do yoour job! The evidence is overwhelming. It is time to replace Joyce before it gets much worse!
I knew there were problems in the schools but I had no idea they were this bad.
You haven't even been informed on half of them.
I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving! I also hope the Marshall School Board solves these problems by the start of the new year.
Joyce seems to target the most competent and popular administrators and teachers that she considers a threat. It is out of her own weakness and insecurities that she targets people who are far superior educators and assets to the Marshall schools. If she was confident and competent whe would be working WITH the MPS staff, not against them So many have tried to give her a chance and work with her. It was Joyce who failed, not anyone else.
She focuses on well liked, educated, and quite often union leadership persons also. She takes them to the edge of what is considered legal tolerance then leaves them alone. Dan S. can choose to believe otherwise and discount any concerns that he reads here but he is very sadly out of touch in those beliefs. Of course, he as a board member, has mostly positive feedback regarding her. He is a board member for petes sake. Pretty soon there will be enough harmed employees that a 'class action' case could be in the working. In the spirit of the holiday I will be thankful for what each and everyone has done...but the holiday will not last for 12 months.
The school board seems to believe anything Joyce tells them and ignore anything anyone else tells them. The more they go to extremes to support Joyce against the staff and the community, the more they may need to be recalled. Everything else has failed so far! They are failing us all miserably.
Fact: Supt. Phillips is a failed leader and a huge liability and embarrassment to the Marshall Public Schools.
Fact: The Marshall School Board is now fully aware of this situation but has not had the leadership and the courage to hold Supt. Phillips responsible and accountable, as they need to do.
Fact: The future of the Marshall schools are at risk: staff morale is at an all time low, a bond for needed school improvement at MHS cannot pass with the untrusted Supt.Phillips still here, the community is outraged, the MPS is a laughingstock in the area due to Supt. Phillips.
What can we do as Marshall parents, students, staff adn other community members?
Think about why Amy still has her job after the $20,000 insurance settlement 'mistake'. Think why Brian was allowed to get that doctorate on school time with the school reimbursement. This is like 'blood money'. Joyce has done her homework. She has bought the loyalty of Amy & Brian. This is crooked, unethical behavior by Joyce Phillips. People - this is not her first time down this road - she learned everything she is doing from her experience in Indiana. She is the pro of deception. We are the novices here. BOARD WAKE UP - take another trip to Indiana - beg for a light of understanding.
I talked to John and Chris. They are quite aware of the problems at the top. They are not happy with Dr. JP. My fear is that they are unable or unwilling to take the actions needed to save our schools from further harm. Paul and Dan are intelligent and capable leaders if they choose to be. So far they have worked against the schools, not for them. Why, I do not know? I hope they use their abilities to solve these problems and not keep making them worse.
Maybe they are starting to wake up. But it may already be too late.
There has NOT been any evidence that the current MPS school board is taking this crisis seriously. I know of NO reports from any MPS staff members of school board members seeking them out with questions or asking opinions. The board has had two months now to deal with the surveys and have done nothing! I would have expected meetings, many reports of board members in the buildings asking qquestions and much more if they had in fact cared at all about the MPS staff and their concerns. The board has only done one thing, and that is to protect Joyce no matter how much the district is damaged. A recall is needed soon, this board has failed us all!
If anything the school board has shied away from the staff and have certainly not been seen seeking staff out in the buildings to my knowledge.
I hope after the Thanksgiving holiday the school board members get into the buildings, make phone calls and find out what is happening. Too much is at stake here!
The staff has been strongly discouraged by JP not to speak to the board members. That way she can pump the board full of her own drivel.She feels it's going over her head....I do know, however, that board members, including Stuhlberg, have been talked to.
All of the Marshall school board members have been informed by staff, parents and community members. I am also sure they are aware of this web site if they choose to learn more. They can no longer plead ignorance like they did last winter and spring.
I had a ray of hope left in Dan Stulberg until he wrote how any MPS employee can be replaced. Are we kinda like those dollar store batteries. Now Dan...shame on you...of course anyone can be replaced but it would be at a cost to this district in professional experience which will directly affect this community's next generation. I was also let down to hear he can't believe what is on this site... ????? What is next Dan... you going to tell us Joyce treats you nicely....OH YEAH>>>WE HEARD THAT ONE TOO!
Dan knows better and he should do much better! Come on Dan, the community needs you! The evidence is overwhelming, Joyce is a bad Superintendent. How much more information do you need? We know it is hard, as you have likely befriended her. She has put on an act for you and the board. She has used your good reputation as a cover. She is making a fool out of you and the other board members. You are smart and should be able to see through it.
I am hoping that our board members are not putting their personal interest in front of that of the society they are elected to serve. That is one of the 5 principals of being a board member.
I do agree with her article...keep the main thing the main thing. The main thing in this blog is "she has got to go". So what is the hold up? What is the board waiting for....do they think she is actually repairing her image? This is not true. I trust her a whole lot less than I did before she started her bs talk! Step down joyce....give someone who cares about children and has integrity a chance to preserve this once wonderful educational system....A CHANCE! Problem is...there are not alot of really good candidates this time of year. Folks - that is why we ended up with joyce in the first place. Administrative contracts end when the school year ends...those looking for jobs this time of year are usually the 'problem child administrator' and are being removed. Could Lou G. be paid to be interim until the summer search when we would likely get a very qualified, ethical candidate. I am not adversed to her be demoted. I think it would put her where she should be....she is out of touch...
There must be some plot to keep Joyce in power. There is no other logical explanation. Some mentioned that a now very rich former interim Superintendent may be behind it all. She supposedly put Joyce up in a condo when she moved to town for free and became very chummy with her. The theory says that much of Joyce's agenda may have originated from one or more people who are part of this small but powerful clique. Also this clique supposedly has several current school board members active in it. Look at who supports Joyce the most and you can likely figure out the names I have heard.
I was under the impression that Marsha retired because she became disgruntled when she was not appointed interim superintendent. Wasn't Gromer the interim? I thought the joke was 'how can you have an assistant superintendent that is not qualified to be interim superintendent'. Marsha was not a good candidate for the position. Just because she married Tom's money does not make her an authority now either. It just makes her richer than the rest of us.
I think the community and staff will pay a lot more attention to the next Superintendent search. Hopefully that will be soon.
It makes me sick when Phillips talks about putting the kids first in her columns. The teachers and parents all know that is the last thing on her list of concerns.
Employees at MPS have been making the 'main thing the main thing' for years as well as keeping 'kids first'. Why does the good doctor have to talk about what others have been doing for decades? Is she trying to indicate no one else at MPS is keeping kids first. Been going on for years now jp. Did I miss something in her chronicle articles for December....did she forget to thank the employees at MPS for all they do while she was profusely thanking the Frankes, the tennis court project people, and the PCO. Kinda forgot to thank the hands on people here that count I guess! Sounded alot like the Supt. Award at the back to school breakfast...give the award to every foundation in Marshall....covered that one real well.
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