I was listening to a radio interview this morning on the way in to school with the new head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, Chip Kelly.  He said something that resonated with me and our belief about learning.  When asked what type of offensive coordinator he was looking to hire, Coach Kelly stated that he wanted to find someone who came from a completely different system as to the offensive style Coach Kelly is accustomed to running. The reason he gave for this thinking was that he wanted to learn and develop from a different perspective or point of view, other than his own.  I found this approach from the new head coach to be very “Lincolnesque”; Abraham Lincoln filled his presidential cabinet with people who often opposed Lincoln’s viewpoints so that all sides of an idea were examined.  Time will tell if Coach Kelly rises to the “Mt. Rushmore” of NFL coaching.  Mr. Lincoln’s status as a president is already confirmed in history!

This concept of collaboration, of embracing the idea of working with others with different ideas and perspectives, is becoming more the norm in both the work world and at school.  Hence, when I observe our students collaborating, sharing their ideas, problem solving, and even disagreeing, I am witnessing vital skills being honed to help our students thrive in the future.  Critical to this process is the belief of having an open mind to collaborating without a fixed outcome in mind for any individual within the group. The genius of the whole can be much greater than the persistent offerings of a few.  I frequently see our teachers helping students to understand this concept of  collaboration, even when bumpy, can yield huge results when all ideas are put out on the table.   

On the topic of collaboration, this past Tuesday the Los Altos School District teachers and administrators had a very productive day working together defining mastery, what is an essential standard, working in grade level groups digging into standards and looking at progression of Common Core Standards- Kindergarten through Eighth grade.  Teacher’s learned more about, not just the acquisition of knowledge, but how does knowledge become real and transfer for greater understanding.  This is hard work, but very exciting and worthy work to help prepare our students for their future.

Enjoy the weekend,

Wade Spenader- Principal