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PROFESSIONALISM: DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
In CJUSD, we value professionalism. We believe that professionalism involves trust, respect, and accountability. We believe hiring highly qualified individuals will lead to improved student outcomes. Our education partners will have shared, agreed-upon values and behave in a professional manner. We trust that employees and students will take pride in their performance, work to the best of their ability, and will treat others with respect and kindness. CJUSD has a culture in which people feel valued, needed, and heard. We presume positive intentions and expect that people will hold themselves and others accountable for performance, behavior, and actions.
When we show trust within CJUSD, we demonstrate trust in the process of hiring highly qualified individuals who will be positive additions to the organization’s culture. We see the best in one another and hold each other accountable to following through with expectations and actions. As a district, we presume positive intentions and do not rush to judgment with our colleagues and our students. It is important for employees to listen to one another and feel as though they are being genuinely heard. CJUSD has a culture in which employees and students alike feel valued, essential, and appreciated and receive due accolades, have collegial and professional relationships, and are open to new ideas.
As a district, we will respect one another—employee to employee, student to student, employee to student, student to employee, employee to education partners, and students to education partners. Everyone has a responsibility to demonstrate the utmost respect to all parties within CJUSD and the community at-large. The entire CJUSD is an environment where mutual respect and kindness are expected and can be seen and heard. If we see behaviors occurring that are contrary to the expectation of respect and kindness, we hold such persons accountable for the adverse behavior and continuously reiterate and model what is appropriate.
In continuing to create these positive relationships, communication is critical. Multiple platforms will be used to communicate with all education partners so that clear messages are sent and we have true transparency for the good of the organization. The point is for information to get to intended recipients and the intended message is received as opposed to hearing information through a third party. Ultimately, everyone will be on the same page because consistent messages will be sent and received.
CJUSD holds its employees and students to high expectations of performance. The district is to operate at the highest level, attaining greatness in all areas. Employees and students, as well as colleagues and peers, will hold themselves accountable to meeting the high expectations. The expectation is for all to demonstrate a strong work ethic with employees modeling these expected behaviors for CJUSD students. All members of the district will do what needs to be done without being asked and will be self-directed in their actions. CJUSD has a culture in which employees and students take pride in their work and work ethic and perform their assigned duties to the best of their abilities. Professional behavior and attire are also imperative for both employees and students; they are to be appropriate at all times.
For the district to continue moving in a positive and upward direction in its performance, all employees and students will strengthen their skills through ongoing professional learning and high-quality instruction, providing choice and input into where they would like to grow in their professional and educational journeys. We will continue to identify areas of growth and celebrate big and small successes through implementation of the continuous improvement cycle. As a district, we are open to new ideas and change and to improving what is currently happening.
As stated previously, for CJUSD to perform at its best and have positive outcomes, all education partners, regardless of position, will need to work at a premium level and hold each other accountable in these areas. High-quality employees and a culture exhibiting shared values, expectations, accountability, respect, trust, pride, and communication are essential to the improvement and success we want to see in the district for years to come.
Professionalism: Theory of Action
Trust
IF we rebrand The Colton Way to have a positive connotation, THEN employees and students will have pride in CJUSD and behave professionally.
IF the Colton Way involves employees treating each other with respect and kindness and modeling this for students, THEN students will treat others with respect and kindness.
IF we continue to nurture and keep already established partnerships, THEN we will continue to thrive as an organization and support all education partners educationally and professionally.
IF we faithfully implement the PBIS/MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) framework across all parts of the organization, THEN we will have a positive culture in which employees and students treat each other with respect and kindness.
Recruitment
IF more employees are involved in the hiring process, THEN employees will have more trust in the hiring process and the people we hire.
IF we look at a candidate’s interview AND body of work, THEN employees will trust that their work over time matters and will be considered, along with their interview skills, for advancement.
IF we include experts on interview panels, THEN CJUSD will hire highly qualified professionals.
IF we have a staff of highly qualified individuals, THEN student outcomes will improve.
Accountability
IF we have a robust evaluation process, THEN employees will remain highly qualified.
IF the evaluation process is truly a growth model, and interventions are provided to employees, THEN employees will trust the process and will grow professionally.
IF we hold employees accountable for high standards of professional behavior, THEN mediocrity will not be tolerated.
IF employees and students are held accountable for their actions (or lack of actions) and consequences are put into place, THEN employees and students will follow the rules/expectations.
IF there are follow-through and consequences when management writes employees up, THEN more management will hold their employees accountable.
Professionalism: Strategies
Strategy 1: Clear and Effective Communication
Action Steps:
We will determine what has been effective and ineffective in the past to create more transparent and consistent communication with all education partners.
We will develop and deliver clear, concise, and consistent messages.
We will identify the most effective mode(s) of communication for all education partners.
We will continue to nurture and keep already established partnerships so that the district will continue to thrive as an organization and support all education partners educationally and professionally.
We will develop communication norms and expectations for all education partners for checking and responding to messages.
We will have clear, concise, consistent, and timely communication about expectations and will share progress with students and parents/guardians.
We will develop a more efficient system of monitoring and communicating student progress.
Obstacles:
Being able to read your audience to determine the best method and mode of communication is key to crafting the most effective message.
Although all employees are asked to communicate through and monitor their district email, there are still employees who do not use their email to receive district information.
Many different modes of communication exist, especially in the electronic world. Being able to choose one most effective mode will be difficult because no one method is used by all employees, unless the district is able to enforce one common mode throughout the entire organization.
There may be employees who are not willing to change their mindset, thinking partnerships will not work or these initiatives have been attempted in the past with little to no success.
Systems do not exist to maintain partnerships when an employee changes position or leaves the organization.
Active directory and contact lists are not always accurate and up-to-date.
Employees are unaware of distribution email groups, which could improve communication.
Employees are not held accountable for sharing progress with students and parents/guardians.
Strategy 2: Build an Atmosphere of Mutual Trust and Respect
Action Steps:
Be willing to have the difficult conversations in an atmosphere of mutual respect to draw out the issues, problems, misconceptions, and misunderstandings in order to take steps to resolve problems and help each other feel heard and understood.
Look at a candidate’s interview AND body of work so that employees will trust that their work over time matters and will be considered, along with their interview skills, for advancement
Rebrand “The Colton Way” to “The CJUSD Way” to establish a positive connotation so that employees will feel a sense of pride in CJUSD.
If The Colton Way involves employees treating each other with respect and kindness and modeling this for students, then students will treat others with respect and kindness.
Faithfully implement the PBIS/MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) framework across all parts of the organization so that we will have a positive culture in which employees and students treat each other with respect and kindness.
Implement transparent and fair academic and behavioral policies to build trust with students and parents.
Teachers will build trust in the academic system by teaching grade-level standards through the adopted curriculum.
Obstacles:
Everyone has a different viewpoint and perspective that they bring to the conversations. It will be important to foster an environment where everyone feels comfortable having uncomfortable conversations.
The hiring panel needs to consider both the candidate’s interview and their works to determine whether or not the applicant is highly qualified for the site or department. Trust has been compromised because some employees believe favoritism, rather than their work history and ethics, gets applicants hired. Getting away from favoritism or nepotism as a hiring practice in the district will begin the repair of employee discontent to build a more trusting atmosphere districtwide. Although the interview is important, it is a short snapshot of the applicant’s character and knowledge and not necessarily a reflection of the quality of work completed throughout the applicant’s professional career.
People view and experience The Colton Way differently. To change how people respond to or perceive the “way,” it is necessary to start fresh with a new campaign.
As a district, we need to define what The Colton Way is because there are multiple definitions of what it is, which weigh heavily on the perceptions employees and students have of the district impacting culture, connectedness, relationships, and productivity.
There are employees who do not believe in the PBIS/MTSS frameworks and who do not carry them out with fidelity because they believe that PBIS is a way to excuse poor behavior for students by not following Ed Code with harsher disciplinary actions (e.g., suspensions, expulsions, etc.).
The ongoing teacher shortage makes it more difficult to hire and retain highly qualified employees.
We do not have basic expectations about teaching grade-level standards through the adopted curriculum. Teachers may be resistant and it may be difficult to enforce.
Strategy 3: Accountability
Action Steps:
Site and department administrators will be provided support and training for proper documentation methods and strategies for holding employees accountable for appropriate behavior and work ethic. Professionalism and proper behavior will improve when employees are held accountable in a supportive and productive manner.
Executive Cabinet and the Board of Trustees will model and uphold the district values, policies, and procedures and hold people accountable—not looking at the individual but instead paying attention to the practices—so managers feel empowered and supported when making decisions that will best suit the school site or department.
We will include expert input from individuals on the panel who have the same role as the applicant being interviewed. This will ensure that CJUSD is hiring highly qualified professionals who fit the culture of the district, site, or department leading to improved student outcomes and employees who feel valued as professionals.
We will develop, maintain, and communicate a system of high expectations of performance for students and themselves.
Obstacles:
Strategies for improving employee behavior and work ethic through the evaluation and documentation process are not consistently applied. Supervisors rely on past experience and training unless the district ensures that these strategies are reviewed and implemented on a regular basis.
Oftentimes, employees are not held accountable and unprofessionalism is not documented because they feel empowered to bypass and undermine the chain of command (not following protocols) and go to the highest offices in the district to express their discontent with managers and administrators. As a result, managers and administrators feel a lack of support and accountability is lost; this continues to perpetuate the culture of unprofessionalism.
Depending on who the experts are, employees may worry that past experiences with that expert (if the expert is an internal employee or relative) may influence their decision during the interview and that favoritism may be involved in the interview process.
Overly focusing on student accountability can lead to a reduction in adult accountability.
Currently no shared understanding of “high expectations.”
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