TIS Director's Blog

Last week we went on a tour of less visited monuments/memorials as part of the Leadership Possibilities and Paradoxes project hosted by the US State Department’s Office of Overseas Schools. We had an insightful tour guide, a former federal prosecutor, lawyer, and history buff who gave us the context and history of each monument. This morning we had a reflective conversation about the meaning of monuments of great leaders in our society led by a professor from St. John’s College. St. John’s is known for its Great Books curriculum so John was an expert discussion leader.

The Lyndon B. Johnson Memorial Grove is the bank of the Potomac River and is rarely visited. This spot was chosen because LBJ and his wife enjoyed relaxing there as it looked over the city. It made me think about how my wife Nadia is always there for me. Leadership can be stressful and emotional draining and it is important to have a supportive spouse or partner. LBJ had a tough time (1963-1969) because of taking over from President Kennedy and the on-going Vietnam War. Reading his biography, I was impressed with his accomplishments and his idea of the “Great Society”. He created Medicare and Medicaid, established federal loans for university students, and two important Civil Rights Acts. I can imagine him and his wife talking about a tough day in the White House and looking across the Potomac over the beautiful city of DC.

The Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial is more visited and more prominent in the city. He is the longest-served president, 12 years from 1933 to 1945. The monument has four “rooms” that cover each of his four terms. In reading his quotes and thinking about his accomplishments, the Democratic Party needs another FDR today! Someone who strongly advocates for marginalized populations (poor, immigrants, elderly, etc.) He also had a strong spouse and his wife is also featured with a statue, the only First Lady to have this honor.

The final monument was his cousin, Teddy Roosevelt Island. I have not read much about him and only know that he was a driving force behind the National Park System. I learned he was the youngest president, elected at age 42.

Some of the major ideas discussed by our group after the tour were as follows:

• John felt that no monuments should be taken down or changed as they are history. People today are taking down some statues and monuments because the values have changed since the monuments were reflected, for example Civil War Confederate heroes in the US South.
• One school leader thought it could be viewed as selfish, previous generations dictating to future generations what was important and to keep them forever.

In preparation for the US State Department’s Office of Overseas Schools Leadership Symposium, I read retired General Stanley McChrystal’s book, Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World. The premise is in a rapidly changing environment, the traditional hierarchical structures of leadership fail. It advocates for flexible, decentralized teams that can rapidly adapt and communicate across organizational boundaries to foster innovation and resistance in complex environments.

I see the leader needing to reiterate the shared purpose of our school often to all employees, emphasizing our goal and each team’s part in it. (COMMON PURPOSE). We need to ask good questions with a kind demeanor and look for ways for teams to contact each other more frequently. (TRUSTING TEAMS). Leaders should create a culture in which these questions are not threatening and develop non-defensive answering techniques. Hold more frequent, shorter, daily Operations and Intelligence briefings (SHARED CONSCIOUSNESS). School leaders have a mindset of “EYES ON – HANDS OFF” and show enthusiasm, and interest and offer not only advice but encouragement while doing the rounds. Remember to first observe and listen deeply to understand. (EMPOWERED EXECUTION).

I also read on his website this idea of “Leading Like a Gardener”. I see this style of leadership as focusing on coaching individuals to develop their decision-making skills and motivation, instead of telling people what to do all the time. A leader develops a soil (culture) that plants (people) can thrive in.

McChrystal is an interesting figure. Is was a career military man and an innovative US military leader in Afghanistan and Iraq. President Obama replaced him when Rolling Stone Magazine published his (and his aides) disparaging opinion of the US government’s policies and actions in the war effort. His techniques were also considered controversial by some. He seems highly respected, however, as his post-military life is successful. He teaches at Yale and runs a consulting firm, the McChrystal Group. We will be spending an afternoon at the offices of the McChrystal Group. I also am interested in his personal lifestyle of running 7-8 miles daily and eating only 1 meal. I think it is important for leaders not only to stay mentally sharp but physically fit as well and I would like to hear from him if he feels the same and exactly why this is so. I am going to listen to several interviews he has given over the years to get a better feel for his leadership philosophy.

I have time to read more in the summer. This week’s AAIE (Association for the Advancement of International Education) newsletter highlights the issues of Artificial Intelligence (AI) generating CSAM (Child Sexual Abuse Material). As an international school leader and the Strategic Head of our Child Safeguarding Team at our school, I need to keep abreast of online threats to children. The Washington Post reported a record high number of CSAM reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The Center was alerted to 88 million files in 2022.

The problem has a new layer with AI generating inappropriate images of minors. Governments are fighting it through laws and hearings. Tech companies are using AI to detect and scrub the internet of these images and videos. This article in Time “As Tech CEOs Are Grilled Over Child Safety Online, AI Is Complicating the Issue” has a good overview of the problem.

United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), through its Centre for AI and Robotics, launched an AI for Safer Children Initiative as described in the video below.

This NBC News article reports AI companies and the non-profit Thorn are combating AI-generated CSAM. Stanford researchers found CSAM in the data that some AI Large Language Models trained on. Thorn is helping companies develop principles, such as checking data sets before inputting them into their AI models. This is a link to the Thorn website for more information.

One of our professional learning themes next school year will be the impact of Artificial Intelligence in K-12 international schools. I am trying to read as much as I can this summer. I use Chat GPTo almost every day and appreciate it editing my writing and helping me make sense of a lot of data and information.

“Metal Machine Music: Can AI Think Creatively? Can We?” Laura Dubreuil Harper’s Magazine, July 2024

This article discusses the capabilities and limitations of AI in creative processes. Large Language Models (LLM) can figure out the patterns of language, grammar, and writing to produce solid, even really good writing. If everyone relies on AI to complete their essays, blog posts, school assignments, etc. Dubreuil sees a homogenization of writing. She also thinks AI is great at figuring out patterns and has a lot of source material to draw from but it is not as truly creative as the human mind. For K-12 international school leaders, the essay offers several insights:

• Students risk an over-reliance on AI for creative tasks and they have to figure out ways to use it to enhance their creativity.
• Students need to be skeptical when evaluating AI-generated information. They need to think critically when using it.
• Teachers should encourage original thinking and provide opportunities for students to do so.
• We as a school need to discuss the ethical use of AI. Maintain the most important part of the creative process is the teacher-student and student-student interactions.

The Future of Education in a World of AI Ethan Mollick

Dr. Mollick is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. One of his research interests is AI and he is optimistic about humans using AI. I placed a hold on his book, “Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI” Mollick compares AI to the introduction of calculators in schools in the mid-1970s. Initial resistance is followed by integration until a consensus is reached.

We’ll find a practical consensus that will allow AI to be integrated into the learning process without compromising the development of critical skills. Just as calculators did not replace the need for learning math, AI will not replace the need for learning to write and think critically. It may take awhile to sort it out, but we will do so.

Ethan Mollick

I already use Chat GPT to help me understand what I am reading and give me context and background to ideas and topics I encounter. AI Tutors will be used by all students, although it will never replace the human teacher-student relationship. Mollick sees the lecture/assignment model of education fading away as schools need to discover ways for students to become “active learners” in the age of AI.

Harassment has no place in the TIS community and will not be tolerated. This includes but is not limited to harassment over any of the following: religious beliefs, racial or ethnic background, sexual orientation, or gender.

TIS Statement of Community

June is International Pride Month and international schools around the world are challenged with protecting and supporting LGBTQ+ students in their schools. International schools in particular often are located in countries where homosexuality is illegal or there is strong religious or moral opposition.

Our school issued a Statement of Community this year in response to world events that created discord between nationalities. There are also misunderstandings and confrontations over race, gender, religion, etc. with a student body of around 50 nationalities. The Statement challenges us to protect ALL students. Schools need to raise awareness and educate not only the students but also parents and employees of this ideal. Child safeguarding is a primary of schools, and the network of parents, extended family, and school employees, need to be aware of this goal.

School leaders are in difficult positions. Many religions and cultures believe that LGBTQ+ people are devient and immoral. Other countries accept that homosexuality is normal and natural and 5-10% of any population will be gay and have laws protecting the rights, such as marriage or antidiscrimination. Diverse international schools will have significant numbers of students, employees, and families on both sides of this divide. We take the stance of “protecting” students from hate speech and discrimination. A family with strong religious views may feel the beliefs of their family are not being protected when Pride Month displays are shown on campus. I believe schools are places where the exchange of ideas and opinions is valued and protected. This must be balanced with treating everyone with kindness and respect. There are no easy answers, policies, or actions that schools can take to create a totally harmonious environment.

The Association for the Advancement of International Education (AAIE) sends a weekly newsletter (Friday’s Five Ideas for the Future) and this week’s topic looks at how international school leaders can support and represent the LGBTQ+ community. They always share articles and this is what I am taking away from my reading this morning.

I learned about the idea of the Overton Window a concept developed by the Libertarian Think Tank in my home state of Michigan, the Mackinac Center. The idea is society’s opinions on controversial topics changes with the times and politicians sense this and react through enacting laws that capture the Zeitgeist. Below is a short explanation of the Overton Window. In America, views have shifted to more freedoms and rights for the LGBTQ+ population.

I learned about the work of the Trevor Project, a non-profit organization that works to prevent suicide and intervene in crisises with LGBTQ+ youth.

AAIE believes international school leaders have the moral and ethical obligation to talk about these issues now because as leaders, we have the power to make schools safe and welcoming for all.

Five of my colleagues and I earned our certification as Emergency First Response Instructors yesterday. Our only certified instructor is leaving the school in June and we wanted to continue offering the Emergency First Response (EFR) training to our employees and students. We use the PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) courses and certification program. The courses are accredited by ILCOR (the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation) which includes the American Heart Association and other organizations around the world.

This is especially important to me as we introduced the TIS Adventure Program this year. Taking students out in the wilderness is a special responsibility, and I want to make sure we are doing all we can to keep our students and teachers safe. I’ve taken many courses of the years and they are invaluable in helping school employees respond in an efficient manner to injuries and emergencies. The following are points I am taking away from this course.

• I will use actual scenario photos from school for the Scene Assessment Skill #1.
• Using an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) is a victim’s best hope of survival.
• I will print the “Cycle of Care” AB CABS diagram and laminate for all future classes I teach.
• Teenagers need to learn the “recovery” position as it is highly likely they will encounter passed out, drunk classmates in university.
• With CPR, the compressions (30) are much more important than the rescue breathing (2). The idea is to circulate blood with oxygen already dissolved in it.
• The latest recommendation for tourniquets is the squeeze all the way at the top of the arm pits and groin. You need to completely cut of the blood supply to the extremities.
• We should offer a nannie/caregiver/driver course in Russian language for our families. We can also offer a parents’ course.
• It is my goal to certify most of our local employees in the 2024-2025 school year. The security guards, groundscrew, and housekeepers may be the first people to encounter an injured student.

I would like to thank Rob Tate for bringing the PADI EFR training to TIS. The six of now trained as instructors will carry on his legacy at the school.

This school year I’ve been thinking about the impact of cell or mobile phones on our students. I think they are a distraction to teaching and learning and they are preventing our students from developing their face-to-face relationships. The internet is wonderful with so much knowledge, skills, and entertainment to be had, we are all less ignorant than in the pre-internet world. The social media companies (Instagram, SnapChat, etc.) design their software to keep people’s attention. It is not that everything online is bad, I feel the problem is the loss of what students could be doing if they were not staring at their phones.

At a recent Director Coffee, I socialized the idea of a cell phone-free school with a group of parents and it was one of the most animated discussions I’ve led. This is also a hot topic with our fellow CEESA schools, along with the impact of Artificial Intelligence on teaching and learning. In my coffee presentation, I introduced the premise of NYU professor Jonathan Heidt’s new book, “The Anxious Generation”. He thinks that adolescent mental health problems skyrocketed starting around 2012 when smartphones and social media became in common use. He views this as a “collective action” problem and suggests four norms our society implements:

• No smartphone until grade 9 (high school)
• No social media until age 16
• Cell phone-free schools
• More independence, unsupervised, free play to develop responsibility in the real world.

I think 3 of the 4 norms are up to parents, but “cell phone-free schools” is one that I think TIS should implement in our secondary school. The temptation to check your messages and keep up with your friends is too much for young people to handle. It would be a nicer place to have students present for each other, especially during breaks, where they can work on one of our key Purposes, “make connections”. I have not heard any compelling arguments against having students put away their phones from 8:20 to 15:20 Monday through Friday.

In order to make this work, we will need the input of the students and faculty and staff.I hope to drive this effort over the next two months to trial a cell phone-free school program at the start of the 2024-2025 school year. Dr. Haidt is making the rounds on the podcast circuit if you want to learn more without reading his book. The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) interview show Firing Line has a 26-minute interview with Dr. Haidt that is a good introduction to his book and research. (link)

From talking with people from schools that have implemented these types of policies, it is a couple of weeks of tumult, but then everyone realizes that they are happier and appreciate the break from their phones.

Edutopia published a short post aimed at school leaders regarding conflict management. (What Conflict Leadership Style Do You Use?) The article states that 20-40% of a leader’s day is devoted to conflict management. I would say that is accurate as the issues that come to me are usually when there is a difference of opinion on which way to go forward and people are coming to me to find a mutually acceptable resolution that is in the best interest of the students and the school.

My natural tendency is to avoid conflict and to try to make peace at all costs. I’ve learned over the years that this is not good in that conflict is natural in organizations because they are composed of humans and individuals have different values and goals. A leader’s job is to address conflict in a meaningful and respectful way with both sides of a dispute or conflict emerging with respect for each other and the understanding that a leader needs to act in what he/she feels is in the best interest of the school.

Some avoidance methods the article describes are going around an issue by holding too many meetings about it or tackling smaller, less controversial issues instead of the big issues. Aggressive leadership techniques include outright hostility (raised voices, verbal threats), stacking decision-making committees with people who think like an agressive leader, or use appraisal systems, stipends, scheduled to reward or punish employees.

The best form of dealing with conflict is addressing it. Letting people state their concerns and views, understanding these views, and using collaborative approaches to finding solutions. It seems that divisive conflict is on the rise and the courage to address conflict is necessary of school leaders.

Last month I completed Emergency First Responder Primary Care and I wanted to share my 2-year certification on my blog. Rob Tate is one of our Curriculum Coordinators and is heavily involved in our Athletics and Outdoor Adventure Programs. He brought the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) Emergency First Responders Course to TIS. We are training many teachers and students, including several employees to be trained as instructors so the program is sustainable. Having many people trained in first aid and emergency medical care makes our students and parents safer. Especially as we develop our outdoor adventure program and athletics teams, having staff with medical skills and confidence to administer care may save a student, employee, guest, or parent’s life. I want to thank Rob for his initiative and passion for bringing this to our school.