Should Schools be Run For-Profit? I dug into recent evidence from PISA, Chile, Sweden, US charters and UK data, and the picture is more nuanced than the polemics. Profit status is a weak signal; how well schools are run matters more.
foxly.link/XB5szU
So, next time you are having a ‘good old moan’, remember it is possible to hold multiple truths at once—to applaud what’s working, push back where it’s not, and resist the comfort of a single, simplistic narrative.
It may not (all be) as bad as you think. [5/5]
....the strength of its safeguarding frameworks, exam results, or curriculum innovation. Schools are never monolithic; they are a mix of ambitions, contradictions, and competing priorities. [4/5]
So, whilst it’s necessary, cathartic—healthy even—to boo at the bad parts, remember to also cheer for the good parts. There’s no inconsistency in challenging, say, a school’s assessment structure or timetable while also acknowledging...[3/5]
It’s important to remember, though, that like all organisations, schools might be full of contradictions, ambitions, and behaviours, but they are also full of excellence, passion, and delightful people (yes, the students and the teachers).
[2/5]
Teachers like to moan. So do school leaders. And they both like to moan about each other. There’s a lot of moaning.
When you’re working in education—with all its emotional labour, policies, bureaucracy, and challenges—it’s easy to become jaded with a school, perhaps even with all schools.
[1/5]
Posted the wrong link to the book 🤦♂️, it's this one:
foxly.link/MyEducatedLife
For those interested in Paul's journey, his book, 'My Educated Life', is available on Amazon:
app.foxlyme.com/links
It's well worth a read. 🛋️📚
Most school change fails because leaders don't understand the subjective experience.
You see logic and data. They see extra work when they're already drowning.
The fix? Stop being a gatekeeper, start being cosmopolitan - open to ideas and emotions.
buff.ly/gicZQvR #EducationLeaders
It's the time when many teachers are packing for the BIG MOVE - the move to international school teaching.
If that's you don't forget to grab a copy of 'International Schooling: The Teacher's Guide'. Full of advice and tips from people already living the adventure.
Grab a copy here:
pedagogue.ac
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Thoughts on leadership, done differently
Follow or, sign-up to join my newsletter; wisdom direct to your Inbox weekly (no spam, just nudges to think a little differently):
sendfox.com/lp/3ed08p
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Believing in your vision is what fuels the energy, resilience, and commitment it takes to lead. So lead in a way that makes you proud to put your name to it…whatever the outcome. Believe you’ll make a difference—and, bit by bit, day by day, you will. [6/7]
If the initiative doesn’t land, you’ll still know you led with integrity, courage, and care. And if it does? You’ll know it wasn’t luck—it was leadership grounded in something real. [5/7]
The best way to hold both truths — the conviction that what you’re doing matters, and the humility to know it might not succeed (least not quite as you imagined it) — is to lead in a way you’ll be proud of, whatever the outcome. [4/7]
Still, schools are full of leaders who step up and try—not because they’re blind to the challenges, but because that’s the job. Making a difference is what we do; it’s why we get out of bed, day after day. [3/7]
Yet, as every school leader knows, the reality is that many initiatives don’t go the distance. Some lose momentum. Others fade into myth (and become the source of staffroom mirth). Even the most thoughtful strategies can fail to take root. [2/7]
To be an effective school leader, you have to believe that what you’re doing makes a difference—even while knowing that you might falter, stumble…perhaps even fail.
That’s obvious, of course. We became teachers to make a difference. [1/7]
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Thoughts on leadership, done differently
Follow or, sign-up to join my newsletter; wisdom direct to your Inbox weekly (no spam, just nudges to think a little differently):
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------------------------ [6/6]
Some invitations deserve a response. Others deserve your silence. Knowing the difference is leadership.
So next time one lands at your feet, pause. Then ask yourself: do I really need to be at this party?
If not, RSVP: no thanks. [5/6]
You’re allowed to let some provocations pass. You’re allowed to shrug and walk on. You’re allowed to be the adult in the room by not entering the room at all.
Because every argument attended is time, energy, and credibility spent. And in schools, those are limited currencies. [4/6]
Not every comment needs a comeback. Not every raised eyebrow needs levelling. Not every moment of staffroom drama needs a guest appearance from the leadership team. [3/6]
It’s one of those phrases that’s easy to nod at and much harder to live by. Because when tension rises—when a comment feels pointed, a tone feels off, or a decision gets questioned—our instinct is to step in. To correct. To defend. To push back.
And sometimes we should.
But not always. [2/6]
Continuing the theme of wit and wisdom, another quote I can’t claim credit for:
“You don’t have to attend every argument you’re invited to.” (Charlie Monger)
[1/6]
Great timing, literally just posted this musing the exact same thing:
bsky.app/profile/thew...
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Thoughts on leadership, done differently
Follow or, sign-up to join my newsletter; wisdom direct to your Inbox weekly (no spam, just nudges to think a little differently):
sendfox.com/lp/3ed08p
------------------------ [5/5]
Maybe AI is a threat. Maybe it’s a tool. Probably both. What matters most is that we stay curious—because curiosity, unlike content, can’t be automated.
The punchline’s on us if we’re not paying attention. [4/5]
And not just about how to use AI—but why, when, and what for.
Jimmy Carr might be joking, but like all good jokes, the humour hits because there’s truth in it. [3/5]
A useful bit of wit and wisdom. It’s also helpful as a provocation; perhaps even as a conversation starter with students.
We don’t know where AI will take us. But when even comedians are talking about it, we do know we need to be thinking about where AI might take us. [2/5]
I can’t claim credit for this one—that honour goes to Jimmy Carr:
“Students use AI to write essays. Teachers use AI to mark them. When those students graduate, AI gets the job.”
[1/5]
A young teacher, aspiring to leadership, messaged me asking for career advice. I replied that "you don't need advice, you need experience/s". You don't need to be told 'what' to do, you need to be told to 'do'. Doing will be all the advice you need.
My full advice here: bit.ly/3Flg8tH