During the 2014 Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball run to the Final Four, I fondly remember Charles Barkley’s halftime commentary during their Elite Eight game.
If you prefer not to watch the video below, Barkley’s advice to head coach Bo Ryan was a three-step plan:
1. Get the ball to Mr. Kaminsky.
2. Get the ball to Mr. Kaminsky.
3. Get the ball to Mr. Kaminsky.
Frank Kaminsky was the Badgers’ go-to player during March Madness. He was virtually unstoppable. No elaborate plays or special defense necessary. Just find a way to get the ball in Kaminsky’s hands.
This memory came to mind as I worked with a number of school and district leadership teams this week. They engaged in root cause analyses to determine what’s contributing to their challenges. They articulated SMART goals. They identified at least one strategy to implement as an organization.
Putting together these improvement plans feels good. That’s because the process is valid. Root cause analyses and SMART goals are genuinely helpful. As a principal, I felt a greater sense of control before the school year began. I carried myself with more confidence as I communicated our plan with teachers and the community.
And yet if any school leader expects to see growth in student learning outcomes, there really is only one thing they can do: improve schoolwide instruction.
Improving schoolwide instruction is every school’s Mr. Kaminsky. The ball - our focus - has to be on teaching and learning. All other challenges funnel down to this priority.
• Student attendance has not bounced back after the pandemic? Improve schoolwide instruction.
• Too many behavior referrals? Improve schoolwide instruction.
• Want to improve relationships with families? Improve schoolwide instruction.
This is not an argument against other strategies. For example, improving home-school communication can positively influence attendance and relationships, which in turn can increase student achievement. But if strategic efforts dance around the primary driver of high-quality instruction in every classroom, growth will be limited.
So how soon can you get the ball to Mr. Kaminsky?
Take care,
Matt
P.S. One of the best ways I know for positively influencing instruction is by getting into classrooms. I’ll be hosting a free webinar on Tuesday, August 11, where I share a simple process for making that happen. In September, I am co-facilitating a paid course on how to make instructional walks a habit. We hope you can join us.
As you prepare for the new school year, where is your initial focus? If it is not on improving schoolwide instruction, do you see a natural transition point?
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