Creating Micro-Schools for Colorful Mismatched Kids with Maureen OShaughnessy Transformative Principal 371

Maureen O’Shaughnessy, EdD, is a career school innovator with over 30 years of transforming learning in schools to better serve all students. She is the founding director of Leadership Preparatory Academy, a nonprofit progressive micro-school in Washington State. With a master’s degree in educational administration and a doctorate degree in educational leadership, she has an extensive understanding of the components needed to transform the education system. Her book, Creating Micro-Schools for Colorful Mismatched Kids: A Step-by-Step Process that Empowers Frustrated Parents to Innovate Education, includes a step-by-step process for how to start a micro-school of your own. She also has a podcast called Education Revolution.

• Always worked to find new ways of supporting kids.
• Overseas work in Kuwait and Ecuador.
• A school that could meet each student where they are.
• Independent school with sliding scale tuition.
• Use alternative learning laws.
• If you know something, we move you on.
• Competency based.
• Geared towards students thriving.
• Don’t have incentives to change it.
• We have to have a reason to make changes.
• The system was more important than the human.
• We’re part of the inhumane system.
• We need to examine our hearts, and what am I going to do to buck the system?
• We need to gently examine ourselves.
• It’s hard and uncomfortable.
• Agency is everything for teachers and students.
• When we let people go with their passions, they work so much harder!
• Let go of control.
• Let the trailblazers lead the way.
• Sometimes kids learn so much more from seeing their teachers fail.

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• Microschool is just a small school. Could be like your school.
• The local school district
• Many choice schools within the district.
• There’s a need and a desire for specific schools.
• Many schools have a school within a school.
• We have this sense of entitlement that they have to get it all done in my class.
• Kids can do an 1/8 of a credit.
• If we can look at other ways for finding success.
• Start looking at the teachers and rethink how we get credit.
• Start with those that get it.
• How to protect teachers who are sticking their heads above the rest.
• Support those teachers and build support around them.
• When we highlight the problem, we offer a solution.
• Parents are a valued stakeholder.
• Have clearly delineated roles for who is doing what!
• Listen and think, how can we serve this population?
• Tap into that passion!
• How to be a transformative principal? Put reflection and personal growth in your calendar.

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John Catt

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• Teaching WalkThrus: Visual Step-by-Step Guides to Essential Teaching Techniques by Tom Sherrington and Oliver Caviglioli
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• The Teaching Delusion: Why Teaching In Our Schools Isn’t Good Enough (And How We Can Make It Better) by Bruce Robertson
• Stop Talking About Wellbeing: A pragmatic approach to teacher workload by Kat Howard

John Catt is also proud publisher of the new book from Transformative Principal host Jethro Jones: SchoolX: How principals can design a transformative school experience for students, teachers, parents – and themselves Visit this page to learn more about bulk orders and how to bring John Catt’s research-based materials to your school: https://us.johncattbookshop.com/pages/agents-and-distributors

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