Inside-Out and Downside-Up

Inside-out and downside-up How leading from the middle has the power to transform education systems A think/action piece by Steve Munby & Michael Fullan January 2016 1 The purpose of this think/action piece is to stimulate discussion at our Global Dialogue event, which brings together educators from five countries across three continents to debate the challenges and opportunities presented by cluster-based school collaboration when used as a vehicle for school improvement. The need for the Global Dialogue event has become ever more apparent in conversations we have been having over the last few months, so we are very excited to have the opportunity to share and debate some of the crucial tensions and issues facing educators and policymakers alike. In the paper we start by commenting briefly on what we see as the inadequacies of the status quo; second, we propose a model of school collaboration which we feel has the potential to mitigate this issue; and third, we return to the bigger picture and in particular the role of the Leader in the Middle – the networked leader. These are leaders who link laterally to create change in the middle as they partner upwards with the state and downwards to all schools and communities. In each section, we have included some questions to the reader as the basis for reflection now and as a stimulus for future debate. Finally, we think it is important to explain what this paper is not. This isn’t an academic paper and isn’t intended for submission to a peer-reviewed journal. We are interested in peer review, but not in this way! We have included some references in a bibliography at the end for anyone interested in finding out more about these issues, but the majority of evidence we draw on here comes from our practice and experience. We share this to provide stimulus both for leaders in localities who want to make a bigger difference, and for those whose role it is to support and leverage such leaders for system transformation. We hope you enjoy it and we look forward to discussing it with you. Steve Munby Chief Executive Michael Fullan Education Development Trust International Education Expert INSIDE-OUT AND DOWNSIDE-UP: HOW LEADING FROM THE MIDDLE HAS THE POWER TO TRANSFORM EDUCATION SYSTEMS 2 There is something wrong with the big picture 1 Many of us have worked for years in systems which because they are in a hurry; because the remedies are caught in a struggle between state- and can be made to appeal superficially to the public; country-level policy on the one hand and the action because (and unkindly on our part) some of them or inaction of individual schools on the other. Policy really don’t care about the public education system, pushes in one direction, the profession pulls in preferring that education be taken over by the another. The result is a type of friction which produces private sector; and (more kindly) because they do heat but not light: plenty of activity but not enough not know what else to do.” systematic change or improvement in outcomes. Even when politicians think they are supporting Where does this tension come from? A few schools – for example by freeing the professionals years ago, Michael wrote a policy paper entitled to teach and lead as they best see fit – the ‘Choosing the wrong drivers for whole system complexities of systems can have unintended reform’ that illustrates the way in which good or unforeseen consequences. Releasing schools intentions delivered through a ‘driver’ – a policy through greater autonomy and reducing central intended to bring about major improvements in control has the effect of reducing system presence learning and student attainment in the system – and capacity. Various site-based or school often fail to help or even make things worse. The autonomy policies have been tried, with the result wrong drivers that he identified are worryingly that some schools improve, but large numbers familiar: external accountability, individualistic don’t, and if, anything, the gap between high- and policies, superficial use of technology, and ad hoc low-performing schools becomes greater. Variety policies. External accountability fails to motivate and localism can easily become isolation and people; individualistic policies (standards and other fragmentation. The onus is firmly on the shoulders methods to increase the quality of individuals) do of schools and school leaders to mitigate these not affect cultures; technology skims the surface; issues, but – again – the capacity to really address and ad hoc policies undercut coherence and focus. them is often absent, leading to a sense of deep frustration on the part of many leaders. We all know what happens next. The end result is exhausted, discouraged teachers and leaders, A final bit of ‘negativity’ before we begin describing stretched on the rack of contract accountability the alternative. The changes we envisage will be but not given the capacity – the time, resources particularly difficult to achieve because the wrong drivers have been around a long time, and tend or support – to make any of this really work. to be deeply ensconced in the habits and cultures Policymakers are left scratching their heads, of most systems. Prolonged ineffectiveness also wondering why change is so resistant to their will. incubates bad habits on the part of leaders. In the Students – the intended beneficiaries of these same way that a bad relationship brings out the drivers – don’t really see what the fuss was about. worst in both parties, continuous bad policies Why might this be so common? As Michael has undermine leadership at all levels. A sense of ennui written elsewhere, “You might ask why politicians and victimhood becomes established and the endorse solutions that don’t work. The answer is appetite for leading system change diminishes. not complicated: because they can legislate them; If you can’t beat ’em… INSIDE-OUT AND DOWNSIDE-UP: HOW LEADING FROM THE MIDDLE HAS THE POWER TO TRANSFORM EDUCATION SYSTEMS 3 But enough doom and gloom! What is the way forward? We are all motivated, committed So, if top-down change does not work, professionals working in systems which – at least and bottom-up change is not coherent in theory – give us the licence and autonomy to or too variable, what is the solution? shape our professional futures. And despite the challenges described above, we do see individual How can we make national policy that schools, and even local areas, bucking these trends recognises and builds upon local solutions and establishing pockets of success (often as a and emergent effective practice? result of exceptional leaders). How can we create the conditions for Our claim, however, is that the exceptions do bottom-up change and ensure that it is not, and cannot, become cumulative across a joined up and focused on high quality whole system. You can’t run a whole system for across the whole system? all students in a region, state or country by relying entirely on exceptional leadership in each school. How do you transfer the learning from the The more things change in small pockets, the more pockets of success into system change? things, overall, tend to remain the same, with the What forms of accountability would exceptional schools attracting the best talent and incentivise system-wide school the rest left struggling in comparison. collaboration? In the section that follows, we propose that system-wide school collaboration is the key to unlocking this issue. But before we do, let us pause for a moment to reflect on some of the questions that are preoccupying the two of us, which we plan to debate in more detail with you at the Global Dialogue event. INSIDE-OUT AND DOWNSIDE-UP: HOW LEADING FROM THE MIDDLE HAS THE POWER TO TRANSFORM EDUCATION SYSTEMS 4 School-to-school networks: All rise 2 We now turn our attention to school collaboration. believe it promises – to become a reality? We have Given our interest in whole system change let us a pretty good understanding of the activities and be clear where we think we should be heading. Our leadership strategies which lead to within-school strong belief is that all schools, 100%, should be effectiveness; there is much less known about what involved in focused, productive networks within constitutes an effective school-to-school network, which leaders, teachers and students challenge, and still less about what constitutes an effective support, innovate and learn from one another networked system. Despite this, educators around in ways that measurably improve outcomes. the world are applying these approaches and in The solution we advocate is one of networks at some – though not all – cases, seeing real benefits local, regional and national level that respect the from this approach. autonomy of schools and their leaders, but connect Is it possible to bottle this understanding of what them together in focused cooperation, leading works? As a basis for discussion, we would like to to improved outcomes and strong collective propose the following as a list of the ‘critical success accountability for achieving those outcomes. Our factors’ in relation to school collaboration. These solution also connects schools and school leaders factors draw heavily on the wisdom of practice to the political and accountability system in a and the growing understanding we and our fellow coherent, positive and proactive manner. professionals are developing as we create, innovate Both of us are on record as firm advocates of and evaluate functioning school networks. This list this approach; but neither of us has shied away is consistent with what we are finding constitutes from the challenges involved in building system success in organisations that achieve greater transformation through a widespread commitment coherence – a clear sense of direction, effective to effective collaboration.

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