Stephen Pruitt on Removing Barriers and Leading with Compassion and Action

An Imperfect Leader

📢 We had an INCREDIBLE conversation with Dr. Stephen Pruitt, President of the Southern Regional Education Board. 🎧 We dove deep into education, leadership, and creating real change. Here are some of the key takeaways:

• 🤝 Stakeholder vs. Shareholder: Dr. Pruitt brilliantly explained that in education, we need to move beyond "stakeholders" and cultivate "shareholders"—those invested in a common vision and who feel ownership of the process!
• ✍️ Defining Standards: Standards are a "contract between the State Department of Ed and teachers". It's about shared agreements and collaboration, not top-down mandates.
• 🧠 Harvesting Wisdom: The development of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) was a masterclass in inclusion! 26 lead states, 40 writers, and countless public reviews ensured everyone's voice was heard.
• 🤔 Unintended Consequences: As Commissioner of Education in Kentucky, Dr. Pruitt created an "Unintended Consequences Committee" to identify potential negative outcomes before they happened. Genius!
• ⚛️ Systems Thinking: Drawing on his background as a chemist, Dr. Pruitt emphasized the importance of thinking about the world as a system, from education to the workforce. To make real change, we must address all parts of the system.
• 💔 The Three Phases of Crisis: In the face of a school shooting, Dr. Pruitt learned that there are three critical phases to address: prevention, management, and recovery. He realized that the recovery phase, especially the social, emotional, and mental health aspects, is frequently overlooked.
• 🚧 Removing Barriers: After the tragic event at Marshall County High School, Dr. Pruitt's focus was on removing barriers to recovery for students and staff. This included excusing students from state tests and prioritizing the needs of the community. He asks the crucial question: "Are you removing barriers to recovery, or are you creating more?"

📚 Plus, we discussed the SREB Journal of Education Practices and Trends, a resource designed to bridge the gap between research and practice! You can find it by searching "journal" at sreb.org.

🌟 Key takeaway: True leadership means embracing imperfection, constantly learning, and empowering others. Remember, as Dr. Pruitt said, "We need to treat education and our profession more like a Hallmark movie and less like a Lifetime movie." Let's choose to love the profession! ❤️

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An Imperfect Leader: Leadership in (After) Action is supported by ILAA, LLC, a firm dedicated to supporting aspiring, new, and established leaders. For more information, please find them at www.imperfectleader.com.

Music for An Imperfect Leader was written and arranged by Ian Varley.

Sam Falbo created our artwork, a wood-print inspired daruma doll butterfly.