A business approach to fixing the APS system

What the business world calls a turnaround — a struggling organization desperately in need of turning around — is really a golden opportunity shrouded in thorns. These opportunities bear good results only if we know the goals and the vision and where the obstacles may lurk, and we have an effective plan of reorganization with strong leadership.

Turnarounds require independent investigation and analysis of the organization and its people. We know that we don’t understand fully the strengths and weaknesses of the Atlanta Public Schools, and that investigation and analysis groundwork produces the steps that form a U-turn in the turnaround.

First step: Bring together the divergent players to define the vision and prioritize action steps. For implementation, turn to people whose judgment and experience will get the job done. Of course, they must have thick gloves to handle the thorns.

We all agree on the vision for APS. We want the best educational system possible. We want successful students who grow into well-educated employees and employers. We want everyone with a stake in a positive outcome to cooperate and collaborate. Those are the positives, the fun things to dream about.

The negatives are nightmarish — APS’ recent scandalous reputation; our students’ low rate of success; administrative backbiting and back-stabbing; financial hardship; under-appreciation of teachers; and the prevailing sense that the system is irreparably broken.

If APS were my company, I’d jump right in and start fixing.

I’d hire a turnaround specialist who’s both experienced and possessing creative fresh eyes, someone whose soft touch and hard knowledge can handle complicated and sensitive situations.

I’d ask the specialist to lead an independent analysis of the APS’ hurdles and identify the strengths of APS and its people.

I’d develop an action plan within two weeks and draw a spotlight to it on its first day in action.

I’d gather the stakeholders — parents, teachers, administrators, unions, political supporters, the business community, financial backers — to air the obstacles, to remember the strengths, to imagine the opportunities and to commit to cooperation.

I’d empower key management to carry out the action plan with measurable goals and tie their pay to their performance.

The APS today reminds me of the Chinese proverb, “Teachers open the doors, but you must enter yourself.” There’s a big opportunity right there in front of us; it’s up to all of us to step up to it.

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Orlando Lynch, President and CEO, Atlanta Peach Movers

The recent problems plaguing the APS can be attributed in part to a lack of motivation and a lack of imagination. I’d turn the Atlanta Public Schools around by hiring people with vision and passion and by doing my part to keep them empowered and inspired.

A motivated team starts with a strong leader, and I’ve built my business by leading by example. Servant leadership is an important part of my success, and the same principles could apply to turning around the Atlanta Public Schools. For example, my team members know how hard I’ve worked and continue to work to build the company from a one-truck operation to the largest moving company in the region. Knowing that their leaders have walked in their shoes and are willing to roll up their sleeves and join them in the trenches helps motivate any team to excel.

I’d also work to lead a cultural shift in the school system. Innovation and excellence thrive in a culture where people are comfortable voicing their suggestions and ideas; where new ways of solving old problems are accepted and encouraged; and where team members feel free to respectfully disagree without fear of reprisal. It’s not enough to demand accountability; you also have to give the team the knowledge and authority they need to get the job done. If you don’t empower them to challenge the status quo, how can you fairly expect a team to help the company prosper and improve?

I know teachers face unique challenges including low pay, lack of resources, etc., but a little imagination can go further than you think — as mine did when I started Atlanta Peach Movers from the ground up with little more than some used equipment and a small group of people who shared my vision. Our educators need leaders who will spark their motivation and imagination — helping them set high achievement goals our kids can live up to.

Failure of leadership to unite educators around the vision of a first-rate education for every child is to blame for the current debacle in our school system.

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C. David Moody Jr., CEO of C.D. Moody, Construction Co. Inc.

The first thing I would do is take the report and information gathered and go off to my favorite place in nature and review it, then think and pray for wisdom and guidance. Next, I would talk with other leaders that have successfully navigated a crisis in their company for additional ideas to have a successful turnaround.

Then I would meet with the entire staff that was not implicated in the event and get their ideas and opportunity to vent and express anything needed for them to start their healing. I would assure them that together we can turn the system around and make this the best system in the nation.

I would then meet with students, parents, business leaders, city leaders and all stakeholders to get their ideas, buy in, and ask for their help and assure them that together with hard work we can turn around the system. I would ask that they never give up hope or lose faith. We would work together to make sure the kids affected were helped until they were up to a level that would help them succeed in school and life.

I would make sure all of the staff implicated would have their fair and due process as required by their contract and the law, and those found guilty would be removed from the system.

My team and I would complete our plan and start the turnaround process with regular scheduled updates on success and never look back or dwell on the past.

We would focus on the kids and building a great system. We would find a way to heal and smile again and enjoy our passion for educating children.

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Henry Lorber, Director, Hays Financial, Consulting LLC

The most important thought in a turnaround is that all “stakeholders” must be participants in and invested in a mutually shared vision for success of the venture. In the case of the APS, this group includes the students, parents, the unions, teachers, administrators, the business community and the community at large.

Ultimately, success will be measured in the improvement of both the reputation and performance of the APS. The metric of test scores alone is a false one.

The cheating scandal has damaged not only the schools but also the city and those of us who live in greater Atlanta. The scandal directly impacts the ability of the city to attract new jobs, as businesses will be reluctant to move into an area with a substandard educational system.

Short-term “actions”:

● Termination of those who violated trust: All teachers and administrators who actively participated in the actual changing of scores need to be terminated. They violated the public trust and there should be no “mercy” in dealing with them.

● Establishment of codes of conduct: Very specific codes of conduct need to be established. Anyone involved with the APS should be required to execute an agreement stating that a violation of the codes, or the failure to report a violation, is grounds for immediate termination.

● Establishment of appeals councils: Appeals councils should be established to ensure that unfair actions are not taken in retaliation. These councils should consist of members from each of the stakeholders.

Longer-term “solutions”:

● Establishment of community councils: Establish individual community councils for elementary, middle and high schools with members from each of the stakeholders. Such councils should meet on a regular basis with teachers from individual schools to review current issues confronting those in daily contact with the students. Members of the Atlanta Board of Education should be assigned to each council as non-voting members and encouraged to attend each of these meetings.

● Interface with regional councils: These community councils, in turn, will interface with regional councils tasked with overseeing age-specific schools (i.e. high school, middle school and elementary school). Regional councils will be responsible for evaluating individual teachers’ performance.

● Reward the teachers for outstanding performance: With the consent of all parties and approval of the regional council, reward teachers for outstanding performance. Evaluate performance based upon a combination of test scores, demographic factors, class size and the availability of support provided to the teacher. Judge administrators in the same fashion.

By ensuring all stakeholders have an interest and a voice in ensuring a quality education, not simply high test scores, APS can provide its students with the tools they need to succeed and restore its tarnished reputation.

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Ron Clark, Founder of Ron Clark Academy; author of “The End of Molasses Classes: Getting Our Kids Unstuck — 101 Extraordinary Solutions For Parents and Teachers”

There are a lot of outstanding and dedicated educators in the APS system who earned their scores and who are professional, trustworthy and phenomenal at what they do. In my first few weeks I would meet with every one of them to let them know how I appreciate and value their commitment as professionals. I would fire them up and hopefully renew any sparks that could have been recently diminished.

I would stress what I value from members of my team: excellence with integrity, support of each other, parent involvement based on trust, and a dedication to doing whatever it takes to help children succeed. All of this, I would explain, must be done in a school culture that cultivates the feeling of family.

Most importantly, I would tell every staff member in the APS that they are to avoid mentioning test scores.  They are not to say, “We need to learn this because it might be on the test.” And they are not to tell children that the reason they need to work hard is because they want to score highly on an end-of-year exam.

I would stress the importance of teaching kids to have a love of learning that will last a lifetime. We must have high standards and make sure that our students are prepared for any test that comes their way. But we have to educate them in a way that is exciting, hands-on and meaningful. Achieve that and the road to high test scores becomes a much easier path.

● Long term: I would encourage principals to place any educator who isn’t performing at high levels on a professional development plan. I would ask for documentation of the educators’ efforts. I would strongly suggest that the ones who did not show marked improvement be dismissed.

I would meet with principals throughout the school year in order to make sure they are instilling a climate and culture of passion, high expectations and mutual respect. I would insist they reach out to the families to build bonds, visit homes and invite them into the school. Teachers would need to contact parents with positive news; respond within 24 hours to emails and phone calls; invite parents into their classrooms to learn what is being taught; and, first and foremost, learn their names. Learning someone’s name is the key to building a relationship.

Principals who weren’t on board with the vision would be encouraged to make a change within themselves or be prepared to make a change of occupation. Finally, I would make high-quality professional development for every educator a top priority.

-- Compiled and edited by Tom Sabulis, tsabulis@ajc.com