Difference Makers Dare to Think Differently
Difference Makers dare to think differently and dare to act.
I bet you can look at your past and discover times where you thought differently and acted. You overcame fear. You set aside anxiety. And, you trusted your instincts. Thats what difference makers do.
The superintendent of schools for the Houston, MN school district is a difference maker. His district has started an online venture and made it work. Enrollment is increasing and services remain stable - in spite of the recession. See his story below.
DARE TO THINK LIKE THIS SUPERINTENDENT!
“Of all the districts of southeastern Minnesota, none has run more against the grain than the Houston school district. In the last 10 years, no district has grown faster in percentage terms than Houston, thanks largely to its online school.
Kim Ross, district superintendent, said Houston has had double-digit growth every year for the last eight years except one and this year was the biggest growth year of all: A 35 percent increase in students over last year. It started this year with a fall enrollment of 2,037 students, more than quadrupling the 423 students it had in 2000.
“The economy is challenging, but the growth factor really takes the edge off. We haven’t had to cut back on services or programs. We’ve been able to add. It’s really different than it might have been,” Ross said.
The birth of the online venture was greeted with a fair amount of skepticism and opposition from some lawmakers and the state’s teachers union. But it has now become a part of the educational landscape, Ross said.
Ross said that even if other districts aren’t looking to start their own online schools, they are looking at how they can do things differently. The ability to personalize a student’s educational experience will transform schools, he said.
Ross added that the online school has imparted a dynamism to its traditional classroom activities. Where once Houston suffered from a net loss of students from open enrollment, it now has more students coming into the district than leaving it. And last year there were 115 classes that the district’s local students took from its online school.
“It just opens up dramatically the options for our kids here locally. It’s not only attracting kids statewide, but it’s making a world of difference for our kids here,” Ross said.”
Read the story here: http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=2&a=422704
Filed under: Appreciative Inquiry and tagged dare, difference makers, enrollment, Houston MN, kids, online, think, venture
A patient in a hospital television drama gave an unforgetable piece of advice to his doctor who was afraid to operate on him. He said” Don’t be afraid. Work through the fear because there is always a way; you just want to trust yourself to find it.”
I thought about that a lot because that is how I try to live my life. When roadblocks appear, I have discovered the peace and magic in finding a way around the problem. If we are working to find a solution for the right reasons, the answer always appears. Learning to trust myself , being patient in finding solutions, and listening quietly to the world has worked wonders for me, my family, and my school.