Author Archives: Dr. Tim Uhl | Superintendent

April 19th Newsletter

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This week’s newsletter focuses on the pandemic and our doubts about the future.  My hope is that we’ll acknowledge those doubts and fears and build our faith for the future.

This week’s Top 5:

  1. Everyone needs to read the extraordinary publication “An Open Letter to Independent School Leaders” from a couple of faculty members from Kennesaw State University. It will cause you to refocus your efforts as your school faces this great challenge.
  2. We need to remind ourselves and our communities about why we’re staying at home. For the Catholic perspective from “First Things,” read this essay by Thomas Joseph White “Epidemic Danger and Catholic Sacraments.”  I fear that our response to the pandemic will become politicized in our parent communities so it’s good to read this essay to support the actions of the Church.
  3. To develop a little patience with yourself and your teammates, read this great HBR article entitled, “Is It Even Possible to Focus on Anything Right Now?” It’s good to remind yourself that this trauma (defined as “too much, too fast”) is taking a toll on all of us.
  4. We need to face the brutal facts of our current crisis. Neal McCluskey’s “Private Schools Face an Existential Threat”  spells it out in clear terms.
  5. I recommend Tom Barrett’s blog post “9 Strategies for Thinking Obliquely.” We are all faced with new problems and trying to figure out new approaches (quickly and accurately to boot!) demands creativity.

April 13th Newsletter

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Happy Easter!  Thanks to Frank Donaldson of ISPD for sponsoring this week’s newsletter.  The Top 5 this week:

  1. The first link is from Beth Blaufuss from Partnership Schools “Adaptability: the Secret to Survival.” It’s a quick but insightful blog post describing that fear of closure and adaptability have defined Catholic schools for years.  We can turn these traits into strengths in 2020.
  2. George Couros, educational innovator and blogger, brings his “A” game with “Toward a New and Better Normal.” When I read this I remember thinking that was exactly what I needed to read at the time.
  3. Jesse Remedios of NCR reminds us that there is life outside of the pandemic with a piece called “What Does Climate Change Demand of Catholic Schools?” In my podcast conversation last week with David Quammen about the current pandemic, he referenced how climate change and overpopulation are playing a role in disrupting ecosystems and causing pandemics.
  4. “Real Leaders are Forged in Crisis” from HBR serves as a reminder to us that these difficult times are calling for leadership.
  5. “What You Truly Value” from the Farnam Street blog. Who hasn’t spent a little time thinking about how different life seems?  Read this for further reflection.

April 5th Newsletter

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The Top 5 this week:

  1. In the first section, “It’s Your Leadership Moment” by Knowledge @ Wharton is a really great reflection piece giving leaders tangible advice on what to do now and how to begin thinking strategically. It’s a short piece but full of practical advice.
  2. The next article is a blog piece in the Arrupe Virtual Learning Institute’s “CrossCurrents” blog entitled “Future-Forward Leadership: Leading Catholic Schools Through The Covid Crisis Through Living Our Mission.” Jeff Hausman, the director of AVLI, is uniquely poised to assist schools through this period of remote learning.
  3. I’ve included a number of great religion resources for Holy Week. But the first one is from the McGrath Institute at Notre Dame: “Simple Prayers for Complicated Times.”  Have you seen a million different “free resources” and “simple plans” and “webinars for remote learning.”  Are you overwhelmed?  Read this blog piece for three simple prayers to help you refocus and re-center.  As I wrote this, Johnny Cash’s “To Beat the Devil” was playing in my ears.  “The devil haunts the lonely man,” he crooned.  We need simple prayers to stave off the loneliness and disconnection gripping our communities.
  4. The next two articles from NCR are interviews with theologians and church leaders imagining how the church might look different after the pandemic. They make for great reading because they are first-person accounts.
  5. In the Educational Resources section, the first link is to the Cult of Pedagogy’s “A Gently Curated List of Resources for Distance Learning.” This is Jennifer Gonzalez’s site and it’s top notch.  Everyone is bound to find something of value.

March 29th newsletter

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The week has been spent focusing on Coronavirus matters—operational questions, HR questions, cash flow questions, remote learning issues, closures, etc.  So, again, I’m sharing some of the best articles in this week’s newsletter that I came across to give you a little food for thought and a sense of connection to others who are struggling to make sense of their new realities.  The Top 5 (all listed at the top of the links):

  1. Brene Brown’s great blog post “Collective Vulnerability, the FFTs of Online Learning, and the Sacredness of Bored Kids” really struck a nerve. Check out this quote: “how hard it is to be new at things – from small things to global pandemics. When we have no relevant experience or expertise, the vulnerability, uncertainty, and fear of these firsts can be overwhelming.”  Aren’t we all feeling a bit of this vulnerability?  Trying something new, not feeling entirely comfortable at what we’re doing.
  2. The HBR article “That Discomfort You’re Feeling is Grief” has become one of their most popular articles for good reason. We have all lost a little something and we need to recognize it.
  3. Chris Lehmann’s “Doing School in the Time of Coronavirus” is a great article born out of his experience when his school was shut down earlier this year.
  4. Tom Barrett also came through again with another great article, “The Post Corona World.” This is about strategic thinking.  Can you imagine a good outcome to your school after this crisis?
  5. Deborah Cohan presented some great thoughts on the struggle to set up a remote learning experience for her students in “What Do We Need to Teach Now?” It’s a look at how teachers need to balance the technological learning curve, the reality of their own lives, the place where the students are, and the need to teach what’s important.

March 22nd newsletter

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My past week was dominated by Coronavirus concerns so in this week’s newsletter I’m going to share the resources and articles I found valuable.  The Top 5:

  1. In the first section, Fr. Joe Corpora from Notre Dame has written a poignant piece on navigating this crisis: “Being Mercy, Salvation, and the Laundry Left Undone” is simply wonderful.
  2. Later in that section, to remind yourself why we’re doing this, make sure to read the Imperial College report which changed everything, or the “Extraordinary decisions” article about Italian hospitals.
  3. In the Operational Resources section, Dr. Julie Cantillon and the Diocese of San Diego Catholic schools team has put together a super website with resources for remote learning. Check it out and sign up for her daily updates.
  4. In the Religion Resource section, I’ve come across a number of great resources for religious content (Formed, Word on Fire, Sadlier) but the best is the Diocese of Grand Rapids. It’s what church looks like during this difficult time.
  5. In the last section on Crisis & Communication, the HBR article “Build Your Resilience in the Face of a Crisis” is a great reflection. Call this what it is (a crisis) and look to learn to improve your skills navigating.

Be safe and be courageous.  We need great leaders now more than ever.

March 15th Newsletter

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Last week, I said I was going to take a break for a couple of weeks.  However, everything has been cancelled so I have had time to collect some great articles and put together this week’s issue.  I don’t imagine this is going to change because I think we’re in for a long disruption in travel and social interactions.  The Top 5:

  1. Let’s start with the Coronavirus. If you haven’t looked at the CDC guidance, please do so.  And even if you have, look again.  There’s a lot of great information here.  I’ve also included four different links in the Teaching & Learning section which present resources and tips for virtual learning, including one teacher’s online teaching plan.  In the Miscellaneous section, there are two articles dealing with communication tips with children.  Frank Donaldson of IPSD passed along his crisis management tips which are certainly valuable.  I imagine this is as far as most of you will get with the newsletter since Coronavirus is dominating our work right now.
  2. In the Leadership section, the Science article “Does Closing School Slow the Spread of Coronavirus?” is insightful and should help school leaders deal with confused stakeholders who don’t understand why school must be suspended. The Atlantic’s article on the “triage” approach and moral dilemmas in Italy’s hospitals is worth a look.
  3. William D. Parker’s powerful blog post “The Power of Sharing Your Own Story” is simply wonderful. He worked to identify 8 powerful stories about his life which he can use to illustrate who he is.  Worth a read for every school leader.
  4. The HBR article “How to Spot an Incompetent Leader” is delightful. It includes a measure of narcissism (!) and discussion about our ability (and failure) to detect signs of incompetence.
  5. At the end of the Miscellaneous section, I include two resources from Dr. Ashley Berner of Johns Hopkins. First, there is a report on pluralism studying the results of the School Choice movement in Indianapolis titled “Does Educational Pluralism Build Civil Society?” and then there is a 45-minute webinar on a new measurement of school culture which she helped develop.  Looks like an interesting and valuable project.

March 8th Newsletter

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In this week’s blog and podcast, I introduce my new book, Orchestrating Conflict: Case Studies in Catholic School Leadership.  I’ve also included a case study about discipline and African-American braids and some great articles.  The Top 5:

  1. In the Leadership section, the first link is to information about a new Strategic Planning course produced by the Arrupe Virtual Learning Initiative. I’ve taken the course and found it extremely useful.  See this link for more information.
  2. In that same section is a 5-minute TED video on effective feedback. It’s a very interesting and practical video.
  3. In the Teaching & Learning section, the best link I can provide in this issue is from the great blogger Larry Ferlazzo entitled “Gold Mine of Resources for Educators Preparing for School Closures.” He provides a link to many resources and it will be a page I will want to continue to check.  How does one plan for a Virtual Day for 2nd graders?  (this is a question I ponder since I have one of those living in my house!).  Larry delivers once again!  We need to be prepared for how the Coronavirus response will impact our schools.
  4. In the Miscellaneous section, the first article “The Definitive Guide for Handling Haters” by Maria Popova (of the “Brain Pickings” blog) is simply fantastic. It gives you inspiration on how to handle criticism and push forward with your ideas.  If you’re a school leader facing criticism about a tuition increase, or the parent of a middle schooler (!), or guiding a project toward completion, you’ll find this article speaks to your reality.
  5. The next article in that section details Mitch Daniels’ efforts to freeze tuition at Purdue. In Catholic schools, I hear talk about what we don’t have (resources, students) or what we can’t provide (higher salaries, better facilities) but we don’t focus on what we do—provide an excellent education for as little cost as possible.  Mitch Daniels has done this on the university level and it’s worth considering.

March 1st newsletter

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In this week’s newsletter, I discuss one school’s successful innovation to build community and morale.  It should serve as good food for thought for this crazy month.  With one foot firmly planted in finishing this year, we all have another foot planted in planning for next year.  Add to that the inevitable meltdown (staff member or student) and it’s usually an interesting month.  The Top 5:

  1. In the Leadership section, blogger David Geurin has a great piece called “Experience Alone is Not Enough” where he explores the idea that simply doing something for a few years doesn’t make you a master. There is an old joke about a retiring teacher (“he had one year of teaching experience that he repeated 24 times”) that could just as easily apply to school leaders.  How are you learning from your experience?
  2. The next link in that same section is from Tom Barrett who explores the meaning and application of design thinking principles. Have you heard “design thinking” thrown around educational circles?  Barrett’s article provides you with a great framework for understanding.
  3. In the Teaching & Learning section, George Couros has a great blog piece on learning new skills, “Switching it Up.”
  4. The next article discusses the academic benefits of hiring a school counselor. It’s worth considering the priority of student mental health.
  5. In the miscellaneous section, Farnam Street’s article on the mental models of an astronaut is worth a read. The discussion of mental models is thought-provoking and Shane Parrish is doing great work in this area.

Feb 16th Newsletter

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In this week’s newsletter, I discuss the reality that most of us face at one point in our Catholic school careers—we can often be treated in a very un-Christian manner.  I’ve also collected some great articles and here are the Top 5:

  1. In the American Catholic news section, the first article is an in-depth look at All Hallows High School in the Bronx. It’s inspiring, well-written, and worth your time.
  2. Take a look at the Catholic schools opening & closing section to read about the brand new Catholic school opening in Henderson, Nevada as well as the stark contrast in Flint, Michigan whose St. Pius X Catholic School is closing. In one place, the sheer number of Catholics is staggering compared to the dwindling numbers in the school and parish in Flint.
  3. At the end of the “Leadership” section, this 22-minute video from Brené Brown “Why Your Critics Aren’t the Ones Who Count” is a great reflection on responding to criticism. It was shared by educational blogger Tom Barrett from Australia.  Not caring what people think shuts us off to human connection, according to Brown, but allowing us to be defined by what others say cuts us off from vulnerability.
  4. In the Miscellaneous section, the New Yorker article on Richard Rohr (“How Richard Rohr is Reordering the Universe”) is a fascinating piece which reveals his appeal and explains his theology in very clear terms.
  5. In the same section, the next two articles highlight the phenomenon affecting private, small, and often Catholic universities. Concordia University in Portland just announced it is closing, the Chronicle of Higher Ed gives a guideline on school closings.  Small Catholic liberal arts colleges are closing at the rate of one every 10 months and there are lessons that K-12 schools can learn.

Feb 9th Newsletter

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In this week’s newsletter, I blog about a tough lesson I learned in 2004 from the now-deceased Archbishop of Seattle, Alexander Brunett.  I’ve also collected a wide number of articles for your reading pleasure.  The Top 5:

  1. In the American Catholic News section, Kathleen Porter-Magee is at it again! This week’s featured article is from America magazine entitled “In An Age of Extreme Individualism, Catholic Schools Are More Important Than Ever.”
  2. In the Leadership section, the Harvard Business Review’s “5 Tips for a Great Presentation” is worth reading. In this month when I encourage school leaders to give a “State of the School” presentation, these tips might help.
  3. The next article from the Farnam Street blog is about elastic thinking. Letting go of our patterns of thinking and learning to navigate a confusing world is essential.
  4. In the Teaching and Learning section, blogger Tom Barrett from Down Under presents two articles on the SOLO taxonomy which I found to be a different paradigm for learning.
  5. The next two articles are on Project-based Learning (PBL) and center on research and practical ideas for implementation. Who says these articles can’t be practical?
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