Thoughts for Hockomock Captains

Yesterday marked the Hockomock League Captains Leadership Conference, held at Lake Pearl Luciano's in Wrentham. The annual event is held for the senior captains of all interscholastic sports in the 10-school league. Mansfield's athletic director Joe Russo was responsible for the planning and implementation of the event, and he did an outstanding job, as the workshop for 480 student athletes featured preesentations on such timely topics as bullying and sports-related concussions.

I was asked to give some welcoming remarks to the students. Below is the text of my comments. This was an easy one for me, as I wanted to work in the recent story of Armando Gallaraga, a vignette that to me represents all that is right in sports!


Good morning and welcome! It certainly is a pleasure to be speaking to some of the best and brightest that the Hockomock League has to offer. I am certain that most, if not all of you are not only leaders on the playing field and court, but also in the classroom. Confidently, I speak for all 10 schools’ principals and athletic directors in the Hock when I say we are all very proud of your accomplishments and we wish you nothing but success in this school year! Keep up the outstanding work!

At today’s conference- you’re going to hear a lot of recurring themes: character, leadership, and sportsmanship- to name a few… But I also feel like we all need perspective. Out of curiosity- just by a show of hands- how many of you here plan on playing a sport at the college level? How many of you plan on being drafted to play for a pro team out of college within 4 or 5 years from now? Well, according to the most recent statistics from the NCAA, slightly under 4% of all high school student athletes go on to play at the collegiate level. They also report that 0.015 % of high school athletes- that’s 15 out of every 100,000 are drafted by Major League Baseball, the NFL, NBA, WNBA, NHL, or MLS. Not such great odds, huh?

I don’t bring up these statistics to be a downer, but rather to make a point. While many of you will here will no doubt be in that 4%... and with a little luck, one or two of you may even be the next Lofa Tatupu, and be in that 0.015%.... for the large majority of all student athletes in the Hock, high school is the highest level of organized sports they’ll reach. That is the reality, but for over 3,000 students who play a sport in our league, it is a very meaningful thing- a real passion in their lives as students. As captains in your respective sports you have the opportunity to positive shape their experiences. You have the opportunity to set the tone, demonstrate character, and lead by example, therefore making a real difference in so many lives. That, in my opinion, is a great responsibility but also a wonderful gift.

I’m sure you caught in the news two recent events in sports that I believe speak to character and sportsmanship (or lack thereof). In July, ESPN aired this ridiculous 2-hour special entitled “The Decision” which broke the news on which NBA team LeBron James would be signing his next contract. After much contrived suspense, LeBron announced that it would be the Miami Heat for a mere $110 million. He followed up the special with a garish press conference in Miami the next day- one complete with screaming fans, dancing cheerleaders, a smoke and laser show, and his two new teammates, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. During the special and press conference LeBron kept repeating that he joined the Heat because he wanted to win championships- win a lot of them- and how there would be a new, dominant “big three.” Did he ever discuss his love and respect for the game? Nope- just winning, and winning now. Did he ever speak about team building and chemistry? Nope- just how this new big three would cement his legacy as an NBA great by winning multiple rings. Now don’t get me wrong…. LeBron James is a great player, but his recent actions have caused many in the media to characterize him as a self-absorbed narcissist. I would have to agree with that assessment.

In contrast, there is the story of Armando Gallaraga. Now you may be sitting in your seat asking yourself, “Who the heck is Armando Gallaraga?” Armando Gallarago is a starting pitcher for the Detroit Tigers who presently has a 4-7 record and a 4.5 ERA. One night in June he electrified Detroit by pitching a perfect game no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians. Now mind you, a perfect game has been pitched only 18 times in the history of the game! The only problem here is that it wasn’t considered a perfect game due to a colossal blunder by first base umpire Jim Joyce. In the top of the ninth with two men out, Gallaraga pitched to the 27th Cleveland batter, #9 hitter Jason Donald. Donald hit a ground ball between first and second, the first baseman Miguel Cabrera made a nice play and tossed it to a covering Gallaraga. While it was blatantly obvious that the runner was out, the umpire called him safe, thus ruining the perfect game. Despite the protests of the Detroit manager, Joyce and the umpire crew did not change the decision, nor did Gallaraga react negatively. Thus, Gallaraga finished with a one-hit shutout, not making history.

After the game, when Gallaraga was pressed by reporters how he felt by getting so robbed by such a bad call, Gallaraga just smiled and shrugged and said, “Everyone makes mistakes… those things happen in the game.” To his credit, the umpire apologized directly to Gallaraga for the bad call, and even pleaded with Major League Baseball to reverse his decision but to no avail. The very next day, at the start of the game, Gallaraga brought out the Tigers scorecard to Joyce, who was the home plate umpire. The two men talked, shook hands, and embraced. The crowd at Comerica Park gave them an extended standing ovation for the incredible class, grace, and sportsmanship that was displayed.

So what’s my point in sharing these two contrasting stories? In my opinion, the sports world needs more Armando Gallaragas. And the good news is that it can start with all of you! We need to consistently stress sportsmanship- and respecting the game and each other- much more than winning and losing. We need to always conduct ourselves with class and dignity, as things in the game don’t always go as planned. These simple ideas transcend the playing field and will always be applicable to life- well after your high school playing days are over.

Chances are you will never play on as big of a stage as a LeBron James or Armando Gallaraga. However, your impact on your peers can be just as great. The way in which your impact will be realized is leading by example, namely by consistently making good decisions, treating all with respect, and exercising good sportsmanship. This is the true measure of your character as athletes, and most importantly, as leaders. I am confident you will live up to this challenge.

Have a great day, and best of luck in all of your seasons! Thank you.

Could the iPad Be a "Game Changer"?

During the tax-free holiday weekend in August, I woke up early and made my way to the Mansfield Best Buy for its 7:00 am opening. I was glad that I did, as I waited for the doors to open along with 50 or so other folks, with at least 48 of them being there for the same reason I was: to purchase an iPad. That day they were selling them like hotcakes!

I got myself one... actually it was for my 10-year old daughter, Molly. My wife and I decided that it would be a nice back to school investment for her, as she was entering the fifth grade and starting a new school. While she has definitely used it a great deal, and has downloaded a plethora of applications and silly games, I have been pleasantly surprised with its value as much more than an electronic game. Last Thursday night in our family room I noticed Molly very quietly and intently studying the iPad screen. When I asked her what she was doing, she informed me that she was reading Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech, a book that her class was assigned to read. On her own she downloaded the work from iBooks and was enjoying reading it. Seeing this with my own child made me think of the larger possibilities....

The iPad is a tablet PC, and there's certainly nothing new about that. However, its slick and intuitive Apple interface make it very appealing. When Apple CEO and founder Steve Jobs did the iPad product launch, he heralded it as downright revolutionary, as its superior text/book download and visual capacities would ultimately be the new medium for the fledgling newspaper and newsmagazine industry. While I question this, it is interesting think of the potential once the cost of technology like the iPad decreases even more. Education columnists and bloggers speculate that the iPad could replace the use of textbooks where students would simply download the textbooks they needed from year to year. The textbook content could be much more interactive, incorporating video as well chat, wiki, and blog capacities. Needless to say, this would be greatly beneficial to the environment, cutting down on all of that paper.

As of today, Apple has developed over 5,000 educational applications for use with K-12 students. As an example, here is The Elements: A Visual Exploration that could be used in any physical science or chemistry class. Check it out:
Think of the potential applications or "apps" yet to be developed-ones that could help the Web 2.0 generation process, synthesize, and evaluate new information. This technology has potential that I believe we have not fully tapped.

Most of all, the iPad is mobile- and invites peer interaction (such as discussions and editing), collaboration, productivity, and communication- essential skills for college and career readiness. Like most technologies, it is only as good as the skill of the teacher who is using it to facilitate the learning. In other words, it's only as good as how it's used.

But the possibilities!

Green Roof?? A Great Start!

When students returned to MHS this past week they noticed something new when they used the stairwell on the far end of the building near the modular classrooms. It looked like this:What they noticed was the fruition of the senior project of recent alum Kjirsten Seiler, '10. During last school year Kjirsten researched the topic of the green roof, a roof (or a portion of a roof) that is covered with vegetation and a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane. This type of roof has become more popular in the past 5-10 years, particularly in new urban construction. Its benefits include providing insulation, absorbing rainwater, reducing heat loss and energy consumption, and filtering out pollutants and carbon dioxide of the air.

While the scope of this project was small (only a portion of the roof to the modular wing was done), Kjirsten planned everything and constructed it over the summer with the help of some MHS friends. This includes the frame, the membrane, the drainage system, the medium, and plants. Interestingly enough, Kjirsten used a product known as GaiaSoil as the growing medium. This "soil" is an ultra-light, recycled foam that is enriched with nutrients so vegetation may grow. She also planted very low maintenance, ground cover plants such as sedum album and sedum pachycladus, ones that should flower in the spring.

With an increased emphasis on schools to be "green," this addition certainly is a timely one. More importantly, it was the culmination of one student's project-based learning. This topic is clearly one that Kjirsten is passionate about, so much so that she would like students from successive classes to continue the project, building their own sections. Perhaps that vision may be realized...

Many thanks also to MPS Director of Buildings & Grounds Walter Parker for his help with this project!

MA Scores $250 M in Race To The Top.... What Does It Mean?

Last week came the monumental news that the Commonwealth was one of the 12 recipients of the federal government's Race to the Top competition. Largely based upon total student population, Massachusetts was awarded $250 million by the US Department of Education. This is certainly great news.... but to be clear, by no means is this extra money for the operating expenses of cash-strapped districts. Rather, it is an infusion of funds for a four-year period to help accelerate the reforms envisioned by the Obama administration.

As the Massachusetts RTTT application indicates, the vision of the use of the funds is clearly aligned with the RTTT Program priorities: improving standards and assessments, improving teacher and principal quality, improving data systems that support instruction, and support to turn around failing schools. While implementing the four "turnaround" strategies is important for schools with chronic failure as measured by poor MCAS scores, poor graduation & attendance rates, etc., I honestly don't believe that aspect of the grant will affect our world that much in Mansfield. Here are the areas in which I believe it will:

1. Along with 34 other states and the District of Columbia, Massachusetts has adopted the Common Core Standards in English Language Arts and mathematics. This set of rigorous standards will replace the MA Curriculum Frameworks which have been in place since the early 1990's. While the new standards are very closely aligned with the existing MA standards, some curricular adjustments will need to be made in various grade levels. The grant calls for the provision of numerous curriculum maps and resources to help teachers with this change. Also, we can anticipate that the MCAS in ELA and mathematics will change, as a new state assessment (one that is computer-based) will commence in 2014 or 2015. Needless to say, there has been considerable political debate about this potential move.

2. Massachusetts' already rich education data warehouse will become more user-friendly, providing a wealth of information on student performance for teachers. However, accountability will take a quantum leap forward as the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE) will require all districts to provide student schedules and teacher names for the data warehouse database. The intent is to link student performance and growth on MCAS with individual teachers and classrooms. For teachers who do not teach MCAS-tested subjects, the grant calls for the creation and implementation of benchmark assessments to be given at all grade levels. Similar to MCAS results, student performance on these assessments would be tracked back to individual teachers.

3. The RTTT grant also will provide for a new teacher and principal evaluation framework that will help both have clearer standards of performance. A huge change here is the provision that student performance (as measured by MCAS results, benchmark assesssment results, MCAS growth factor, etc.) should be a significant portion of the criteria by which teacher and principal effectiveness is evaluated. Needless to say, the is an enormous shift!!

It will be interesting to see how all of this plays out in the coming year. Of the grant, $125 million is staying at DESE to develop these structures. The other half will be dispersed to the districts who signed on to RTTT vis-a-vis Title I eligibility. This money very much will have strings attached, as the expectation will be to have completed targets in the above strategic areas. To see this work through will take a tremendous amount of time and effort, but I believe that it is the next step in the standards and accountability evolution.

ImPACT Testing- A New Proactive Approach

I've heard some startling statistics recently regarding high school student-athletes and concussions. Roughly 1 in 5 student athletes experience one each sports season. Upwards of 85% of all concussions are never diagnosed. Fifty percent of all high school football players will experience at least one concussion during their playing tenure. The below short video clip from CBS News sheds more light on the topic:

Watch CBS News Videos Online

The Mansfield High School Athletics Department has purchased the ImPACT concussion evaluation software that is shown in the above clip.

ImPACT (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) is the first, most-widely used, and most scientifically validated computerized concussion evaluation system.

Developed in the early 1990's by Drs. Mark Lovell and Joseph Maroon, ImPACT is an approximately 30-minute test that has become a standard tool used in comprehensive clinical management of concussions for athletes of all ages.

The ImPact program is a computerized neurocognitive test which evaluates verbal and visual memory, reaction time, and impulse control. The test provides baseline information which can be used to help determine the severity of injury when a student hits his/her head and is believed to have a concussion.

Please refer to http://www.impacttest.com/ for more information.

Baseline measurements need to be taken of each student-athlete. The Athletic Deptartment will begin baseline measurements at Mansfield High School on June 21, 2010 for all high school students who are planning to participate in the fall sports of football, boys' and girls' soccer and field hockey. Students will be given schedules of testing times this week.

Thereafter, only new student-athletes receive a baseline measurement while anyone who is suspected of a concussion is closely monitored according to his/her situation.

Please note that if you do not want your child to participate in this program, the Athletic Department needs to be notified by the student’s parent/guardian in writing.

Outliers and Schools... What are the Implications?

I recently finished Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers: The Story of Success, a fascinating exploration of what factors truly lead to success. This book studies exactly what creates success for any individual person. Gladwell uses the term “outlier” to describe men and women who do things out of the ordinary. These are folks who are really at the top of their game or the best in their chosen field, hence they enjoy success. Furthermore, he debunks the notions that people are “born into greatness” or there’s such a thing as a “self-made man.” Rather, all of us have an advantage in one particular area, and good old-fashioned effort and hard work make the difference.

Interestingly enough, Gladwell asks the following question in the book: How much practice do you have to have before you’re really great at something? Through fairly detailed research, he comes up with the answer which he calls the “10,000 Hour Rule” which is this: For you to become truly outstanding at any cognitively complex task, you have to commit 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to it. Outliers have lived up to the 10,000 hours and probably then some…

The book gives examples from throughout history of famous outliers. For example, Mozart began playing the keyboard and violin at age 3, and started composing at age 6, easily working on his 10,000 hours by creating over 400 concertos before age 12. The Beatles amassed roughly 10,000 hours of live performances in Liverpool, England and Hamburg, Germany when they were still honing their craft between 1960 and 1964. Bill Gates, as a geeky, awkward adolescent, had the opportunity to practice computer programming (his passion from age 12 on) for about 10,000 hours in the elite Seattle prep school he attended from 1968 to 1973. When all of these individuals were presented with the opportunity to follow a passion and improve, they put forth the effort and practiced with a vengeance. Gladwell's point about these outliers having sufficient opportunities to meet these 10,000 hours is well-taken. Imagine if all students could have opportunities such as Gates', where a student could follow a passion to the highest degree in a highly personalized learning environment!

A second major area Gladwell delves into is the relationship between achievement and culture as he aims to untangle long-standing puzzles about success and nationality.

"One of the puzzles that educators have thought about for years is why is it that kids from Japan, Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and China vastly outperform their American or Western counterparts in math," Gladwell writes. "They score substantially better than American kids do."

Gladwell states that Asian children might be inheriting a particular cultural legacy from their parents and their society that was helping them succeed in math — and he says he found the answer in the agricultural tradition of rice farming.

"Rice farming lays out a cultural pattern that works beautifully when it comes to math," Gladwell hypothesizes. "Rice farming is the most labor-intensive form of agriculture known to man. It is also the most cognitively demanding form of agriculture … There is a direct correlation between effort and reward. You get exactly out of your rice paddy what you put into it."

While American students often say math skills are innate, Asian students more frequently attribute success in math to hard work. This was confirmed in a 2008 study by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania who dug deeper when looking at the TIMSS (Trends In Mathematics and Science Study) results for 4th grade students in the US and Singapore. They found that when students were interviewed after taking the TIMSS test, both the American and Singapore kids thought the problems were challenging, but there was a stark difference in attitude. Many of the American fourth graders got frustrated with many of the problems and gave up after a relatively short period of time. In contrast, the kids from Singapore had a “can-do” attitude, where they firmly believed that if they gave it their best effort, they would be successful! From this attitude, they would try numerous approaches to a problem until they had success. The UPenn researchers found that it is in the Singapore culture- and most of Asia on a whole- to instill in children starting as toddlers this mindset of strong, consistent effort.

With findings such as these, it is little wonder that so many of the major whole-school reform initiatives (such as the University of Pittsburgh's Institute for Learning or the network of KIPP Academy charter schools) stress organizing for effort as their philosophical underpinnings. I can honestly say that after 20 years as a teacher and principal, effort does determine ability- and everyone can achieve at high levels.

However, do we have systems and structures in place where effort is consistently rewarded? Do our instructional practices recognize that achievement of standards is a process, and effort is a key component? Do assessments that are given to kids reflect this? Food for thought...

Class Day 2010

As is tradition each year, last Thursday was Class Day for the Class of 2010, the 132nd class to graduate from Mansfield High School. It is a special ceremony to recognize individual student and whole class accomplishments. It is a wonderful celebration for our students, their parents, and the community. Below is a copy of my welcoming comments from the ceremony:

Good morning, and welcome to the 2010 edition of Mansfield High School's Class Day! As Principal of Mansfield High School, I wish to welcome our parents, relatives, students, special guests, teachers, and most importantly, our seniors on this special day to recognize and honor the achievements of the Class of 2010. I would also like to acknowledge the presence of some key individuals who have been instrumental in the support and promotion of our students' success: first, the entire Mansfield School Committee, Chair Michael Trowbridge, Assistant Chair Frank Delvecchio, Jean Miller, Lisa Losiewicz, and Jim Perry, our Superintendent of Schools Brenda Hodges, Director of Finance Ed Vozzella, my right hand men and woman, Assistant Principals Dave Farinella, Mike Connolly, and Dawn Stockwell, and the two outstanding class advisors to the Class of 2010, Gail Farrington and Christine Reilly.

When I think of this class, several words come to mind, among them, hard work, perseverance, commitment, and excellence. At 338 strong, not only are you the largest ever to graduate from Mansfield High School, you are one of the finest. Just look at some of the academic indicators- the highest MCAS scores in our region, the highest SATs in our school's history, outstanding AP participation rates and test scores, the number of students that have been inducted into the Spanish, French, and National Honor Societies, and so on... all of these facts can be attributed to this class. Athletically, you were second to none, as you took our school to new levels. Throughout your four-year tenure, the MHS varsity sports teams won 31 Hockomock League championships and 14 state championships in fall, winter, and spring sports, and 38 individual student-athletes achieved all-state or all-region status in their respective sports. You also have been the heart and soul of an outstanding school band, orchestra, and chorus that have won countless regional and national competitions, and might I add, a percussion ensemble that continues to dominate its competition. But most importantly, you are a class filled with young ladies and gentlemen- students who consistently act with class and respect for one another. Your collective character, integrity, and compassion- demonstrated consistently through acts where you gave to others, from tutoring students throughout the district through the ALC, to being a buddy through Project Teammate, to providing community service locally through vehicles such as The Leaf Raking Project and the Great Mansfield Cleanup….to name just a few. This work certainly has defined you as an outstanding class, one of the finest to graduate from MHS.

However, this Sunday afternoon, oh… by 3 o’clock… you will no longer be Mansfield High School seniors, but rather, Mansfield High School alumni. I urge all of you to never forget that you’re Hornets, but also never forget that you are an integral part of the larger community of Mansfield. There certainly is a great deal of pride that resonates in town as being an MHS alum. Please realize that you, Class of 2010, are the 132nd class to graduate from this institution. To be sure, you are a fine class, but you are also one deeply linked with the past, through your family connections and your work throughout the community. Always keep that link with Mansfield alive and strong…. as there will always be many in the community that love and support you, and likewise, the community needs the vitality and creativity that you bring as young adults. Thus the reciprocal cycle begins once again, part of what we are celebrating here at Class Day!

So I offer my most sincere congratulations to all of you! You deserve the many awards and accolades you will hear today. Reflect on your past successes and dream of the excitement of future opportunities. Thank you for serving Mansfield High School so well!