Constant Reflection

[constantreflection]

Sabbatical: Month One

I have been at my current place of employment, which is a community college, for about 23 years. I have seen my colleagues take a "sabbatical" that ranged from publishing books to wellness but wasn't sure about the process therefore didn't entertain submitting a sabbatical application for myself. However, it was a conversation with a close friend and colleague that forced me to research this option into more detail.

I am a professional risk taker, and a passionate one as well. I think deeply about my work with students and the system I operate under, to see my level of impact and how I can be a mindful change agent. There are projects I helped either design and/or execute, some of which are used to this day. There was no place for credit or recognition, but simply peace in how it is being used and how it has grown. Now, there are quite a bit of projects that I helped design and/or execute that completely failed and even caused some surface harm. When I think about those projects, feelings of remorse and guilt definitely rises to the top but they were also important learning opportunities for me. Through this professional mental rollercoaster, I thought that I was crazy, like a rogue employee, but it was when I discovered Design Thinking where my perceived insanity linked me to a community of like-minded people (and no, they are not crazy).

Even though innovation gets me charged, my colleague and friend shared with me in these past few years that I have been saying, "I am over it" when talking about some of my projects. When he first brought that to my attention, I did some surface reflection to think about why I was saying it. When I started to take a deeper dive, some of the challenges I was facing I felt were attacking my belief system, my values. The five stages of Design Thinking includes "empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test." As a helping professional, I apply student development theories in most of these stages, especially "empathize". It helps me understand the landscape before I do anything else.

I don't know, but it must have been when I said "I am over it" for like the hundredth time that I looked into taking sabbatical. Now, these opportunities are not to simply take breaks but opportunities to grow professionally. Based on my attitude, I was in need of a professional recharge, something to get my head around what was possible versus complaining about the present. I was fortunate to be elected as a President for one of my favorite Associations. It is a large group of professionals who all share the same beliefs and values when it comes to students. The timing couldn't be more perfect. My sabbatical proposal was to help better organize and elevate this Association because it is managed by all volunteers. Applying my sabbatical for this Association will offer the members the gift of time, to make the Association better, to make the membership better, as well as to make me the best possible support for students. As I was crafting my application for sabbatical, it felt right, I felt this was the beginning of a professional and personal upswing. I was excited.

The completed (or so I thought) sabbatical application that was in front of me. I really didn't share with anyone what I was doing because I wanted it to be my journey. Nothing selfish, just wanted to explore this new path on my own. Well, after waiting months after submitting my application, I didn't have the points for an outright approval. However, the leadership of my campus provided tips on how to improve my application and offered the opportunity to resubmit, so I did and it was approved. Here we go! But what now?

I love what I do but there were rumblings about the uniqueness of my workload. Can I train others? Am I able to press pause and everything will be ok? I don't know, I really don't know. Rather than freezing, I reached out and shared what I knew and thought that I might be empowering others. Sounds egotistical but if I am to have a successful sabbatical then I need to be able to make a clean break, so I though. Anyway, leading into my sabbatical I purchased "Assembling Tomorrow, A Guide to Designing A Thriving Future" by Scott Doorley and Carissa Carter. This was from the Stanford d.school, the home of Design Thinking. I also bought a book on Robert's Rule of Order because as the President of this Association, I wanted to try my hand in leading meetings effectively. Based on this alone, one would think I am on my for an awesome sabbatical. When I started reading Assembling Tomorrow, my excitement did grow but so did my ideas. Since we were still in summer, and mosts of the Association members were on summer break, this was my opportunity to set some kind of foundation. Unfortunately in my nature of creating things, I had projects outside the Association in the queue that didn't have a pause button so now it is starring me in the face.

Like I said, my sabbatical was off to a decent start. I was able to organize the Association's digital folder and actually met with budget committee. This was helping me build my foundation. However, in my innovation ways of working, I had a major campus event I spent years planning plus another initiative that would help our students be more employable. Since these two projects had the needs of our students at the very core, I couldn't press pause. In my head I was thinking, "will this be a problem or is this part of my professional growth?" As the weeks continued, there were more non-sabbatical issues rising to the surface as summer was coming to a close. However, these issues involved students, so I can't just turn my head. Although this journey is at the very beginning, it is situations like this helping me to shape, or re-shape my priorities and really think about what is important to me.

Sorry if this new topic seems not aligned but since I briefly addressed priorities, I wanted to share a little about my health, both physical and mental. My physical health has not always been the greatest. I am not overweight but I do have issues with my cholesterol and sugar levels, a common thing I suppose. This pause has forced me to think hard about how I take care of myself. The time away from work has offered me time to visit the doctors, but then again, could I have done before? What were my priorities? Also, the months leading into my sabbatical was peppered with, what I think were, anxiety attacks. My heart rate and blood pressure would be fine but I would have the moments of worries, that was felt in my chest. Since the start of my sabbatical and paying more attention to my physical health, I have taken active measures to stuff like exercising more, decreasing my coffee intake, and taking a deeper dive on what truly matters. It is quite amazing when you step outside your normal patterns to see the chaos and really see what needs to change. I am happy to share my blood work has improved and there are no chest pains.

This is only month one, I got 5 more to go. At first I really thought sabbatical was this cut and dry process but it is a complex journey rooted in self discovery and growth. We'll see how this pans out!

[constantreflection]

Early College: A personal opinion about getting it right

February 2021

I have come to terms after years of denial that I may be a single voice with my opinions about Early College.  Early College is a program that places college courses from on high school campus for a fixed rate.  High school students benefit from this opportunity by potentially earning college credits and meeting high school graduation requirements simultaneously.  In Hawai‘i, most of these courses are offered through the University of Hawai‘i Community Colleges (UHCC) and some participating local “4-year” institutions.  High school students also have the opportunity of potentially earning an Associate’s Degree through the UHCCs while receiving their high school diploma – a pretty amazing concept, if done correctly.  The cost of this program to the participating high schools in Hawai‘i currently is $2000 per college credit, that is split between funds allocated by the State with the rest paid for by the participating high school.  High schools can make the decision to charge students a nominal fee or nothing at all, which is a benefit to families since the cost of attending college can be out of reach.  It is also a big deal especially since the State is trying to improve the job market by producing more qualified and college educated workforce.  

It sounds like an amazing opportunity for youth, and I don’t challenge that one bit.  I believe in pushing one’s limit because the results could change the landscape around confidence and personal success.  It can also impact families and communities in ways that change generation of learners.  

But I continue worry because there are important details that are overlooked.  

I see three major issues that are not addressed – understanding the salary structure of University of Hawai‘i (UH) faculty both full-time and lectures, the philosophical hiring practices of UH faculty and lectures, and the design and implementation of college degrees or certificates in the UHCC system.  

The cost of Early College to high schools is $2000 per credit so one 3-credit course will be $6000, this doesn’t include textbooks.  If the course is offered at the high schools, the cost also doesn’t cover mileage to and from the instructor’s UHCC campus and participating high school(s). 

The rationale for the cost, back when this was initially designed, was set when $6000 could cover a Step A lecturer and possibly an entry level full-time instructor under a classification called Rank 2.  However, salary schedules have increased in recent years.  

There are also no clear cut measures to assess the true dollar amount because full-time instructional faculty are not paid by the hour (UHPA Article IV, Faculty Professional Responsibilities and Workload).  The UHCC faculty are given teaching equivalencies (UHCC Policy 9.237) that assigns “27 semesters credits per academic year or equivalent” but the actual total credit workload is 30 semester credits.  This also may include projects outside the classrooms, or teaching equivalencies, through special assignments further complicating the breakdown of some kind of hourly wage.  In any case, I am going to make an attempt based on the documents available.

Let’s take the salary breakdown from the hire date of July, 2017.  Based on UHPA Article XXI, Salaries, a new hire would more than likely fall under a 9-month schedule at Rank 2, which come with an annual salary of $54,084.  If I were to divide that by 30 (referencing the 30 semester credit workload), I would come up with around $1,800 per credit, $5,400 for a 3-credit course.  If we were to hire a new lecturer, which are not permanent employees, the cost comes at $1632 per credit for Step A starting in Fall 2020, which comes out to $4,896 for a 3-credit course.  

If you look at those numbers and go back to the agreed Early College amount of $2000 per credit, the Community Colleges may break even with Rank 2 faculty or a Step A lecturer.  

Change is inevitable and March of 2020 presented the world with a life changing pandemic that required everyone to pivot quickly.  UH was not immune to this shift therefore requiring the entire UH System to refocus on balancing the budget.  One of the many adjustments that addressed the University’s shortfalls was placing a hiring freeze on lecturers therefore relying on permanent tenured or tenured track instructors to provide classroom instructions.  It is also important to note that the hiring freeze applied to vacant position, which means instructors are having to do more with less.  

Back to the salary structure. If the Community Colleges are short on new hires, or Rank 2 faculty, that means reaching into a larger pool of higher rank instructional faculty so let’s break that down.  A 9-month faculty salary at Rank 3 is $64,896 – divide that by 30 and you’ll get approximately $2,163 a credit ($6,489 for a 3-credit course); Rank 4 is $75,720 so that would be $2,524 a credit ($7,572 for a 3-credit course); and Rank 5 is $86,532 and that would be approximately $2,884 per credit ($8,652 for a 3-credit course).  Keep in mind, I am not including those with years of service and substantial raises.  It is quite possible to have Rank 5 faculty making approximately $100,000 a year so that would come out to about to approximately $3,333 per credit ($9,999 for a 3-credit course).  

There is also transportation cost.  As of January 2020, the mileage the Colleges are obligated to pay is $0.575 per mile.  One of Kapi‘olani Community College’s Early College partners is Radford High School, which is about a 24 mile round trip between school to school.  If a course is offered two days a week for 4 months, that would be approximately $441 per semester.  According to UHPA Article VIII.D under Faculty Travel “shall provide for reimbursement at the applicable federal mileage rate per mile traveled on business.”

Again, this is not to take away from the positive impact of Early College but are we executing Early College in a fiscally sound manner if what is coming in is less than what is being paid out?  

Through many conversations with my colleagues about Early College, I have come to a conclusion that the college experience does come at a cost.  If the goal of Early College is to provide a college experience then we really need to regroup and identify what is of high value and importance.  I also believe drastic changes sprout creativity but also open the potential of questionable practices.  As the budget continues to become tight, it appears colleges and high schools are exploring hiring alternatives such as hiring high school faculty to teach UHCC courses.  This leads to a lot of concerns I have especially during this pandemic.  First, prospective hires must meet the minimum qualification for hire in the UHCC System, which is to have a Master’s degree in the content area (to name a few).  Second, since they are full-time with their respective high schools, more than likely they would be hired as lecturers.  This creates Union concerns because if they are hired, the UHCC course has to be taught outside their primary teaching schedule – teachers can’t get double pay during their work hours.  Furthermore, the pandemic placed a freeze on all new hires so it is assumed this hiring practice maybe on hold as well.  

Even if we hired high school faculty to teach, are we neglecting our youth from a true college experience?  Or are we only interested in the credits and neglecting college experience in its entirety?  Think back to your own college experiences, it was more than just earning the credit.  In the classroom are experts in the content area with the personalities to match.  I remember instructors being both brilliant and quirky that contributed to my learning experience that I just loved.  This is not to say high school faculty have the potential of sharing those traits but let’s take a moment and visualize this scenario through the lens of a high school student.  Are they able to separate the person who at one point in the day was their high school teacher then later visualize them as their college professor?  Conversely, can the high school teacher flip that switch as well by following a different set of student learning outcomes and classroom management techniques as a college professor?  These are rhetorical questions but lends for a larger discussion.  

Studies have supported that a post-secondary certificate or degree (like an Associate’s or a Bachelor’s) has the strong likelihood of increasing student’s earning potential.  However, taking college courses for the sake of it being college courses, is very different with actually meeting degree requirements. Navigating through the degree completion process can be complicated and requires intimate knowledge of how it all works.  Degrees have course pre-requisites, and some may have more than others.  For instance, students interested in Nursing are required to take courses in Anatomy and Physiology whereas students interested in Automotive Technology are required to take a general Physics course.  If a student completes, let’s say, an Associate’s with a mix of courses that do not include pre-requisite courses for a particular degree of interest, that student will need to take those courses thus extending the time to degree completion.  Choosing the right courses also impacts financial aid because there are limits to what can be awarded.  We shouldn’t be selecting courses because they are available and convenient, we should be selecting courses because it is purposely aligned to a larger goal.  

Since navigating through the degree completion process is complicated, it further emphasizes the need to spend quality time and effort preparing students.  If we were to dive deep into student development theories in higher education, it focuses quite a bit on understanding one’s self.  It is through their interpersonal journey that students are able to define their values and beliefs that translate into meaningful next steps.  It is worth putting in the time to prepare because it makes the execution more effective.  It is not enough to introduce free college courses thinking that will change the trajectory of our youth.  It requires investment into the developmental process and offering tools that are aligned and purposeful.  

Finally, one of my major concerns that I can’t shake is the distribution of funds based on need at the high school level.  Throughout the years, as far as I can remember, Hawai‘i’s Department of Education is tight on resources.  I enjoy reading business magazines because their main focus is how companies succeed.  There are rich discussions around customer service, which leads into mindful and purposeful investment into their employees.  If I am looking at Early College at face value from a financial lens, couldn’t the monies earmarked for an outside organization or initiative (such as Early College) could be better used to support their employees?  If the concern is around college going rates of high school students, especially with underrepresented youth or youth from low-income households, wouldn’t it be wise to direct funds to those who have the most touch points with these students?  If you research anything around success, it comes down to addressing their basic needs and making sure their foundation is solid.  Does placing a student into a college course an effective move if their basic needs are not addressed and supported?  When I read through the reports around Early College, I understand the intent but there needs to be larger and more inclusive discussions at the high school level first.  

There are other options in addition to Early College if the goal is to provide a rich learning experience while preparing youth for college and/or the workforce.  Students can be exposed to high school courses with honors designation or Advanced Placement (AP) courses.  To me, this route is an investment into the teachers hired by the high schools.  There are non-credit certificates that bridge students to the workforce in a condensed, at times, hands on model.  This provides an option for youth who need to earn a wage at a younger age, whether it be to take care of themselves and/or their families.  There is the option of taking courses on a college campus.  This exposes students to a wealth of resources from the mere exposure to the dynamic demographics of a college campus to support resources such as tutoring and mental health support.  

When we think about success, I feel the discussions have to be more comprehensive.  Early College is locked into a definition and pay structure with minimal room for change when the target audience is constantly changing.  We all need to look at the core of why we have initiatives like Early College and navigate through the details so that efforts are clearly aligned with our student needs as the primary focus. 

[constantreflection]

Ever Faithful, Ever True: An interview with William Taylor

Ever Faithful, Ever True: An interview with William Taylor, Class of 1991 Date of Interview:  June 11, 2020

When I look outside my window it’s like a virtual postcard of Hawai‘i with mixed colors and imagery that cut across all feels and emotions.  What WAS is fading and what IS NEEDED is happening.  It is like a voice that has been calling for years but is now at the forefront asking us to pause and rediscover our core values, which brings me to an interview I conducted with Roosevelt High School class of 1991 graduate and friend for life, William Taylor.

William is a chef in an industry that was hit hard by this global pandemic.  He has been with the Royal Hawaiian Hotel for over 27 years while also working at the Hawai‘i Convention Center for about 5 years and the ‘Alohilani Resort Waikiki for about 2 years.  One would view his situation as somewhat grim because of its dependency on the tourist industry but he presented his situation through a different lens.

“When you can do better, you will do better.”  

Coming from a very rough and unstable upbringing, he knows very well what it means to struggle.  He has lived through the foster care system and knows what it is like to end the day hungry.  At a young age he had to pave his own way by taking on adult responsibilities when others in his circle had the comforts of home.  It was in high school when he made the connection to the culinary arts, which started his journey of closure, selflessness, and altruism.  

“If we are not put on this earth to help others, then what are we doing here?”

His life was also filled with many angels such as Chef Mark Noguchi and wife Amanda Corby Noguchi who according to William, “was sent from heaven to help feed Hawai‘i during this pandemic.”  His relationship with the Noguchi’s placed him on a path perfectly aligned with his core values.  It linked him to a place of healing where he knows at the end of the day that he and a team of volunteers made sure families were being fed and not going to bed hungry – something he knows all too well.  His motivation to help also bridged him to become a Make-A-Wish volunteer.

“I’m a very small small fish in an overwhelming pond of gratitude and thanks amongst all the volunteers.”

But just when you thought his heart wasn’t big enough, it gets better.  During the holiday season, William would go to WalMart about 2-3 days before Christmas to find a family to help pay for their Christmas gifts.  Friends would ask about his selection process but to him it is a simple formula – it is a combination of a gut feeling and faith.  One year it was a father of 3 with a fourth on the way, and another year it was a single mom wanting to make Christmas special for her kids.  As you can imagine, his act of genuine kindness was infectious and influential where his friends started to give forward as a result.  He talked about what he would do as a millionaire but you really can’t put a price on good will – no pun intended.

As a fellow Roosevelt High School alum we talked about some of our fondest memories, and what rose to the surface without hesitation was Boys Pep Squad.  Yes, you are reading this write.  It’s when a bunch of boys dress up like cheerleaders to do a bunch of dance routines during homecoming week.  We were just cracking up reflecting on the dance routines and mix tapes because it was a lot of fun.  Shout out to Kim Koki!  

Finally, I asked William to provide any words of advice for the graduating class of 2020 as they enter into this new normal.

“Be resilient.  When you wake up each day, just be the best YOU that you can be.”

He continued to share that life will lay out many bumps in the road but to move forward with true acts of kindness and selflessness through these times of adversity.  It also doesn’t hurt to be a fan of the San Francisco 49’ers but that is for another interview.  But then again, Roosevelt – Red and Gold, 49’ers – Red and Gold.  Just sayin’.

It was a gift to conduct this interview because William’s words and acts of kindness was a gentle reminder of the things we all do on a regular basis.  You can find William on Facebook and Linkedin by searching “William Taylor”.  

[constantreflection]

Fostering Change Agents

Our youth continues to inspire me on so many levels especially during recent events around climate change, health, and social justice that are deeply rooted in history.  In the thick of 2020, resiliency and perseverance are traits youth have been demonstrating through these very trying times.  I am reminded on a regular basis through conversations with our youth that their voices have depth, meaning, and passion that need to be nurtured as they navigate through life, solidify their core values, and become change agents.

I am fortunate to be a parent of two teenagers who are starring at these major life events straight on.  They are both provided an empty canvas to paint what they feel is true and color it with intent that is right for their family, friends, community, and the world.

I was reminded the other night through a conversation with one of my teen how current events are encouraging youth to critically reflect on these puzzle pieces of life, and to assemble them in a positive and forward thinking manner.  We spent several hours flushing out our raw feelings and discussed the kinds of changes we were witnessing yet questioning the notion around progress.  

Summer of 2020 for my teen was supposed to be filled with a once in a lifetime experience that was cut because of a health pandemic.  Upon learning of this change, it was too late to enroll in various school programs because they were either completely full or canceled because of social distancing, which led to an opportunity with dual credit.  Dual credit is an opportunity for high school students to enroll in college courses, whether on a college campus or college courses on select high school campuses.  

I was fortunate to have opportunities to talk about the deeper purpose around dual credit and college, therefore I felt it was important to revisit this topic in light of the world’s current events.  The recent conversation with my teen sent my thoughts soaring to which I reflected on two pieces that I submitted – one on Early College and another on preparing for college.    In my piece about Early College I wrote, “Time and care needs to be spent understanding their journey to ensure they are moving confidently in a direction that is aligned with their interests” which is related to what I wrote about college saying, “More than ever we need to place our students at the center. We need to understand their interest, their favorite subjects, and other factors that provide meaning to them.”  I feel those words still resonate today and perhaps I need to kick it into high gear.

My teen’s experience with dual credit thus far has been more about purpose and less about the credit.  My wife and I make time to understand what our teen is learning and it has been fascinating how the content are linked to situations that are important and relevant in my teen’s life.  These moments of inquiry are filled with questions around “why” and “what next”.  This triggered me to reflect on how I have been fortunate to be with a team that promotes change in the area of sustainability through avenues such as dual credit, and who recently have been creating pockets of young change agents.  In my podcast on Sustainability Part 1 and Part 2, you can feel the passion and commitment from these instructors who integrate “purpose” as the primary focus for students and it almost seems like the bonus byproduct are the college credits and a certificate in sustainability.  I was fortunate to witness the development of a specific cohort of students through a dual credit project around sustainability.  I learned through conversations with these students how they are creating purpose, addressing their “whys”, and executing their “next steps”.  

Make no mistake that there are very important and critical issues being absorbed by the minds of our youth, therefore taking a leap of faith around “what is next” can appear to be overwhelming.  My teen even added another layer and asked, “what now?”  In my capacity of as a project coordinator, counselor, and educator for youth, it has always been my duty to provide an avenue of exploration that is safe, productive, and a place of purpose.  I am to shed light on opportunities that fuels their passion for them to become change agents thus continuing the work of generations that preceded them.  

In my lengthy discussion with my teen we talked about how these current events are really nothing new.  Such as issues that were supposedly abolished in the 1800’s yet are still alive and well in our current century.  Why? It is the pace of progress that continues to be a cause for concern but offers more reasons for youth to continue to push forward.   Now this is just a small sample of our youths’ mindset, which stresses the importance of providing them a platform that fosters their belief system and opportunities to be surrounded by genuine support and guidance.  They need to heard and embraced because they are indeed creating the new norm on a foundation created by the fearless people before them.  Our youth right now, more than ever, need to be exposed to opportunities not barriers.  

As my teen and I were going back and forth, we acknowledged how the various media outlets has illuminated the changes that have occurred but also the vast amount of work that needs to be done.  We reflected on leaders, young and old, who starred adversity in the face and did something about it.  

We all have a role in supporting our youth and as members to their larger team, we can bring more of these bright and talented change agents to the surface.  At the end of the night, my teen and I thought of a new hashtag – historymatters, because as my friend shared with me many years ago, no history, no self that needs to changed to know history, know self.  

[constantreflection]

Feeling Anxious

The announcement was made (https://www.civilbeat.org/2020/03/honolulu-mayor-orders-stay-at-home-work-from-home-for-all-oahu/) therefore reality is now more than ever, staring right in my face.  I suppose it was there this whole time but these rapid changes created a degree of difficulty for things to settle in.  There was a brief moment over the weekend when the power shut off for a few minutes, which also added a layer of scary to this whole thing.  

Anyway, my wife and I are considered essential workers.  Now that “Spring Break” is over, she has been at work and I start today.  There is a level of uneasiness that I have never experienced before.  What happens now?  The virus will spread and the numbers will increase.  How am I suppose to think?  What am I suppose to think?  When I think about going into work, there will be no handshakes, no hugs, perhaps minimal in-person conversations.  That is SO strange, especially in Hawai‘i.  This is not normal, not by a long shot.  There is a promo going around pushing the “shaka”, which I can appreciate but it is not the same.  Yesterday I was thinking about the day the ban will be lifted and life will go back to “normal”.  What will that look like?  I had two thoughts - there could be this overwhelming display of compassion or a heightened sense of reluctance (what if it returns?).  I know, I am looking too far down the road but I can’t help it.  Each day I wake up forcing myself to embrace (not accept) this new reality.  It is 100% cliche but when is this dream going to end.   

My colleague and I are going to record another podcast episode (https://www.buzzsprout.com/604465) which is mainly a self-reflection on what is happening.  This is going to be new because we have to record remotely when we typically are sitting across from each other.  We both don’t know how we are going to filter ourselves and how we are going to contain our emotions.  We both have families with young children; we both have parents in the at-risk age range; we both work with students who are low-income with very limited resources.  We usually dive into our recordings with positivity but today will be different.

I need to take deep breaths and be in the present.  We are in it for the long haul. 

[constantreflection]

Forced to Change

It is no question the world is being pushed to think and act differently for the sake of humanity.  I’m speaking of the rapid rise of the corona virus.  Today, March 17, 2020, I am sitting in my home, watching the news, gathering information on my next steps.  There are so many layers to this issues that impacts health, economics, family, and relationships.  For the purpose of this post, I’m going to take the view of education.  

I’m in a position that requires me to toggle between higher education and the k12 public education.  I need to informed and mindful how both organizations operate in order to provide the best possible support to our target audience - our students.  In the past few weeks, I am learning that although both sides has the best intentions, they both have layers of bureaucracy preventing them to act efficiently and with purpose.  

On issue that rose to the top pretty quickly was equality.  Once the announcement was made of a possible switch to on-line instruction, it was made very clear there would be an unfair divide.  My struggle to makes sense of this divide stems from not understanding the core issue.  Is it a resource issue or is it a mindset issue that results in a resource issue?  I’ll try to explain.  

One of our k12 partners has restrooms with no hand soap, even till this day with the level of urgency for cleanliness.  Are they out of money?  Well, leading up to this day, I’ve had repeated issues with the custodial staff not cleaning the rooms, something as simple as sweeping.  It is not uncommon for myself and my colleagues to visit the class before and during the semester to do some kind of cleaning so that students have a clean place to learn.  Is this my job? At this point, it doesn’t even matter because of the kids.  On the other hand, I learned recently from a teacher’s union press conference that I’m not alone.  There are teachers out there who clean on a regular basis.  One example that was shared included a custodial staff leaving cleaning supplies for the teacher to use.  Now, this is not to create some kind of hierarchy but more an understanding of our roles, which leads to my question around mindset.  I was in a focus group in that included counselors, teachers, and custodians to discuss how they all support their students.  Because the messaging and support from their administration was clear and supportive, they all understood their roles and all had respect for each other.  As a result, the employees demonstrated a positive outlook on their job and the environment was a very clean place for students to learn.  The interesting part of all this is that the two examples I shared are from the same k12 organization, with probably similar budget challenges.  Yet, the mindset and the physical environment is very different.  Is the issue around resources or a mindset?

The topic of technology has been around for quite a while.  Schools have implemented varying on-line teachings from Google Classrooms to issuing iPads to students, but I’m not sure how it was strategically introduced to the teachers and students.  I visit on a somewhat regular basis two high performing public high schools, meaning they have demonstrated high on-time high school graduation rates as well as impressive college going rates.  Yet, their technology is very outdated.  And this is supposed to be perhaps the model high schools.  Now, let’s look at the lower performing schools.   You know that school with no hand soap?  Well, I visit that school regularly and their technology is not only outdated but counterproductive to student learning.  At times I wonder if they can’t afford soap, how can they afford new computers?  Or, is it something deeper and either 1) have no access to for some kind of answer or 2) my refusal to accept the sad reality of their situation?  

Which brings me to my current struggle with how COVID-19 is pushing change on how instruction is being delivered.  I managed a dual credit program called “Early College” that offers our college courses on a high school campus.  We have two courses completely on-line, which has demonstrated the ability of high school students have the skills to do college courses remotely.  But these HS campuses have students with access to resources.  My concern are with those who are forced to go on-line with almost no resources.  Here is my concern.  If campuses are mindful of the type of challenges students face in terms of resources, wouldn’t they equipped their campuses to equal the playing field?  But, if high performing high schools have challenges with resources, where then are the gaps?  Or are the gaps, again, around resources or a mindset?  

At the campus I work at, there is a certain mindset that is forward thinking.  As a result, there are workshops in place that thoughtfully support educators who want to change.  Is this a resource issue or mindset?  As a result, there are more instructors and counselors who are exploring beyond their comfort zone because they are in an environment that supports change.  

I feel if we fully embrace change and perhaps be comfortable with our vulnerability (shout out to Dr. Brene Brown), maybe we would be navigating through these changes with more compassion over panic.  Then perhaps our students will be on a equal playing field and we wouldn’t be having these series of emergency meetings to address something we should have addressed ages ago.  

[constantreflection]

Being Present or Chasing A Number

I think I may have reached a level of acceptance in my professional career.  I thought I could ignore it but what’s the point of denying my true self - a grouchy old man.  I have every reason to be one. 

I’ve been in my profession as an academic advisor (or counselor) for about 18 years with education and training ranging from counseling to education support.  I believe in being person-centered with developmental theories as the backdrop.  Recently I’ve been feeling my professional belief system is in complete conflict with the goals of my place of employment.  One of the goals include increase enrollment with our recent high school graduates but there is a lot of competition to consider since all higher education institutions share the same goals.  As I was navigating through the Hawai‘i census data, I found those graduating from high school in our county is somewhat flatlining meaning universities and colleges in our area, or probably even the entire state, are “marketing” their institutions to the same cluster of students.  My struggle is the System that my place employment falls under is doing a substantial amount of marketing (which I understand needs to happen) but unclear about the message.  Or, perhaps the message has good intentions (a college degree allows for greater earnings) but the level expectations of those on the front lines feels different.  It is less about meeting the needs of the students and more about increasing enrollment numbers.  I’m not exactly sure if those in high places realize there are people behind those “numbers”.  Anyway.

This is where I resist and is probably making enemies in high places as a result.  One initiative that is misguided and is being used to increase enrollment is “Early College”.  It is an opportunity for high school students to enroll in college courses that are located on their high school campus.  These courses are free to students at their respective campuses which strives to reduce the overall cost of higher education.  A worthy cause for sure but who exactly are we targeting and how are we preparing students for this opportunity?  I voiced my concerns through a local news outlet that resulted in a string of follow ups.  

https://www.hawaiibusiness.com/going-to-college-before-college/ https://www.civilbeat.org/2018/08/why-college-now-starts-in-high-school-for-so-many-hawaii-kids/ https://www.civilbeat.org/2018/08/there-is-clear-evidence-that-early-college-works/

I would like to think my voice was heard but nothing has changed, and if fact it got worse.....so maybe my voice wasn’t heard.  So I don’t know if people are not hearing me or maybe I’m misunderstanding the game of enrollment management.  Whatever the case might be, I still feel we are chasing numbers versus understanding our youth.  I don’t see meaningful conversation happening that allows deeper intrinsic values toward initiative like Early College - it feels more like I am checking items off a list.  Do students know why they are taking these courses?  Early College also undermines other opportunities that boost a student’s abilities and better yet, self-confidence.  What about student government?  What about internships?  What about study abroad over the summer?    

As with anything around navigation, you need to know where you are going.  That requires understanding the purpose of one’s journey and being equipped with the necessary tools to move forward.  Before taking that very first step however, it is best to be grounded and confident because it going to take a level of resiliency and persistence to be successful in this journey.  Maslow’s hierarchy of needs identifies some foundation needs, which is very important for anyone moving toward something that is new and unknown.  In working with youth and getting to know what tools they have in their personal toolkit provides an opportunity to create an appropriate road map.  Unfortunately, in the arena of higher education, enrollment means money and money leads to stability.  I understand that, but no one can seem to explain our roughly 50% year to year attrition rate.  Why are students leaving college without finishing?  I also feel these initiatives that place students in the middle of other people’s agenda disrupts the natural progression of our youth and puts them on a fixed timeline that is locked step to a pre-described end goal.  Students have varying life scripts yet we are expected to graduate mass amounts on a specific date and to have all them declare their life goals all at the same time?  That sounds counter to the term “development” yet I am asked to follow a script, a process, that best supports the System, not so much the student?

I suppose my resistance comes from a lack of communication and understanding of the process.  As an employee of an institution that has an open door admissions policy, I feel it is our priority to make sure resources are directed primarily to those who may not have had the upbringing and/or environment that involves looking at life from a larger scope.  Perhaps some of these students are continuously occupied by challenges beyond their control yet are forced to manage it regardless of what they want - they are survival mode.  It is our role to be present, to be person-centered, in order to effectively walk along side their journey to provide positive signages at the various crossroads on their life’s journey.  I was recently inspired by a colleague who directs a wonderful program in a low income community who said she “aims for depth rather than breadth“ when working with her target population.  Love it.  

Where I am going with this, I have no idea.  I just feel current initiatives to promote high education is heading into an unsustainable direction.  We need to focus on the strengths and interest of our youth and build of there.  It could be college courses among other initiative that promote critical thinking and learning what it means to be compassionate to yourself, family, and community.  I’ve attended conference where it was shared that we have NO idea what careers will look like in the future, as some are being created as we speak.  So with that said, who are we to determine a pathway without knowing what lies ahead let alone knowing the interests and needs of our youth?  If I had that kind of skill set, I would be elevating my profession right now with my added superpowers.