1). More of a focus on meeting the basic needs of each student before trying to meet their academic learning needs... hungry kids, stressed kids, tired kids, emotionally traumatized kids, and defeated kids are highly disadvantaged over their peers when it comes to their ability and resolve toward learning.
2). Less of a focus on what's wrong with kids and what they are lacking, and rather more of a focus on understanding what our kids have gone through and experienced so far in their short lives.
3). More involvement of students in educator professional development planning/implementation as well as more students involved in a 'research and development' capacity aimed at finding the best new tools and resources for learning.
4). Less of a focus on answers and more of a focus on asking deep rich questions that more times than not lack a clear defined answer.
5). More inclusion of our classified staff members (maintenance, custodians, nurses, food technicians, administrative assistants) aimed at creating more relevant and real-world learning scenarios that allow our kids to see these critically important team members in a different light.
6). More educator-to-educator accountability and the willingness of professional colleagues to not just hold each other to the high standards our kids so desperately deserve, but to exceed those high standards.
7). More teachers standing at their doors and in the hallways greeting their students with handshakes and good solid eye contact like in the Capturing Kids' Hearts program.
8). More support and assistance for our least experienced educators with a focus on helping them not just survive their first few years, but to help them thrive.
9). Less of a focus on teaching and the management of schools and more of a focus on student learning and the actions we take that yield the highest student learning return.
10). More Legos.