When learning is something that lights our fire, a good programme and community of practice are fuel. Over the past weeks I have read more than I thought I was able to, losing track of time studying learning theories and innovative learning environments, making connections between books and articles and writing essays and presentations. I absolutely love this process and if it were not for … life … I would probably only do this. But it is not pure reflection that makes the Earth go round and so I am taking my fire to a directon of action.
Spoiler alert: I am working on developing a programme that provides inclusion professional development for operational staff in schools. Or maybe other organizations as well, but schools for now. I have said this phrase to a few aquaintances so far and to a few professional friends and each time I was intimidated by the silence that ensued. Initially I thought mine was a bad idea and that it won’t be of any use but then, internal motivation not subsiding, I realized I was asking the wrong people. Not because their opinion did not matter but because they were not and had not been operational staff.
For fifteen of my twenty five years of working in schools I was part of the group that is, affectionatelly, I am sure, called support staff. I went from a secondary school secretary role, to an advancement assistant role, to an admissions assistant and coordinator role, before my almost eleven years in a leadership position. I was not included when it came to professional development unless I pushed myself in (thus, the impetus for starting job-a-likes, one of the best growth enabler in my profession). This of course all changed when I became a member of a leadership team but by that time I had contributed to the “us versus them” atmosphere driven by a feeling of being left out. I knew that my school was not the only one. I was in a large enough network to understand that this was common practice. I wrote this article a while ago, advising whoever was interested in reading to mind a divide that had a strong potential of erroding organizational culture in schools.
So I have decided to transform my current professional life desert into a self imposed (and self funded) sabatical and imagine schools and organizations that looked to all their members of staff when professional development opportunities come around. I guess I still dream of the type of organizational culture that I would love to work in: one in which I feel safe, like I belong and where lifelong learning (in various approaches and at various levels) extends to all individuals in the building.
Years ago, a knee on the neck of belated George Floyd started a phenomenon that today we call DEI often without even stoping to think about the words that make up the acronym. Organizations websites, PD foci, values and visions changed little by little to include these letters but how much was truly translated into action – for everyone? To me, the quick way these letters are becoming invisible today is a clear indication that we did not put roots in the ground, just put some flowers in a vase, forgot to water them even and now they are dying.
When I think of building organizational cultures which are, to their core, inclusive, the first people I see (yes, I recognize my professional past makes me biased) are the security guards who protect our children and their caretakers, the reception and office staff who are front line workers in schools and have the amazingly hard job of being responsible many times for creating “the first impression” (no chance of redoing that), our communications, marketing, IT, HR (called People & Culture nowadays but … that is a conversation potentially for another post) and finance staff, our custodians and maintenance staff who handle the intricacies of running a school. In most of the schools I know, all of these members of staff are locals. They represent the most stable and committed resource the school has (from the point of view of permanent versus temporary engagements), they interact with parents, students and teachers and/or are present in areas where students congregate, communicated and … bully each other. And yet, I am yet to hear of a consistent effort, bespokely shaped, measured and followed up upon to integrate these important members of staff into the journey towards a vision of inclusion in schools.
Schools are learning organizations. I hear that so often. Shouldn’t then the expectation of anyone who works in a school, be it the Director, a teacher, the secretary or the cleaner, be that they not only receive a salary for their job but also that they leave it (whether upon retirement or for another place) a more educated person?
So, I am staring at the drawing board now, without knowing that this will ever be used. I am trusting that the process will bring to me so much that it won’t even matter. But what if it flies?
Connect 