Core rules for Staff - Working with Students

What is expected of the school and its staff?

There is an almost universal madness about schools at the moment:  "Mass standardised testing of students can measure how well a school is doing its job". 

Really? I don't think so!! That is like using the speed of motor vehicles to measure the quality of roads or the vehicles or the drivers. It just isn't that simple.

• "Not everything that counts can be measured" (Einstein) 

Students, families, communities... expect that (for each student), schools and their staff members will

1. Know what matters
2. Do what works
3. Be accountable

These rules have implications for the operation of the school and schools system. 

Partial knowledge of "what matters" and "what works" for each student exists in the student and each person who has engaged with the student including current and previous teachers, other staff, family members, friends... 

Schools and their staff members need to have the ways and means (processes, tools, relationships, culture...) to

• bring this knowledge together and 
• make it available to staff and other stakeholders in a timely manner
• give an account of their actions

When things go wrong

We tend to think of rules when things go wrong. In particular, we are likely to ask"

• "Who has broken what rules?"

In serious situations this can be important but it rarely improves things in the short term. Often it is difficult, and takes time, to establish responsibility.

In most everyday situations there is a need to take prompt and effective action. So the following "rules" can be helpful in choosing or constructing a response.

When things go wrong

1. Contain situation that has gone wrong
2. Repair any harm done (if possible)
3. Reduce the likelihood of the situation recurring