Innovation

I believe that Penn-Trafford has the potential to become the most educationally innovative school district in the Commonwealth.  Innovation may not be what you think of when public schools are mentioned, but it will be what you think of when you think of our public school.  Why do I think that we will become the innovative center for education in the State?  Two reasons: it is already happening, and we have great people.  Right now there are innovations occurring in every building.  I watch as schools in our district are working to build programs (innovations) that have the potential to fundamentally change the way we do business.  We have teachers thinking about how to individualize instruction for all students, math teachers incorporating literacy strategies in their instruction, and teachers struggling with how to provide the best individualized education plans for all of their students.  I am so proud to be part of an organization that shows this level of concern for our students.  We also have outstanding people working for the school district.  Our staff consists of people that have the best interests of the children at the forefront of everything they do.  They not only love their jobs, they love kids.  That is my highest compliment. 

How does innovation occur in an organization? In this video, author Steven Johnson shares what he learned about innovation while researching his book Where Good Ideas Come From”.   Innovation occurs in organizations when there is an atmosphere of collaboration and cooperation.  Innovation does not occur when a single person sits in a room with a goal of developing an innovation.  Rather, innovation occurs when a group of people work together toward a common goal and they share ideas together and create new ideas from scraps of everyone’s individual ideas.  I also want to make sure that we allow space for innovation to occur.  As educational leaders we must allow people the space to try new ideas, learn from mistakes and celebrate successes.  This cannot be from a “top down” organizational model.  I do not have the answers for how to make this school district the best in the nation; I only hold a small fraction.  The answer lies in everyone involved in the school district.  Working together, I believe we will innovate to become a premier school district in the nation.