Abeo School Change's Organizing Framework

I’ve always been intrigued by the formation observed when geese fly overhead. The “V” or pyramid formation that the birds create to break through the air is symbolic in many ways to my mental picture of sustained school change and reform.

Abeo School Change uses our organization framework to create a visual model for how we think about sustained school reform and/or improvement.

First, students must be in the center of our work. Every decision made in and around schools to adjust pedagogy, support networks, and infrastructure should be made through the litmus test of measurable improvement for students. This simple focus puts any school community in the position of ensuring that their moral compass is adequately calibrated. We believe this target gets set through cultural development of the learning community or school.

The three outside triangles of our organizational framework represent “active behaviors.” One of my favorite inspirational posters says, “Leadership is an action not a position.” Likewise we think about the three triangles encasing students as actions. Collaborating, Leading and Teaching. At Abeo School Change we believe that sustained school improvement happens best when we engage school communities in the positive actions of collaborating (both amongst staff and with students), leading (a belief in shared leadership and that various stakeholders must step up and into the leadership role at different times), and teaching (where the rubber meets the road…all other efforts are insufficient without excellent, reflective teaching).

Our offer of support to both schools and districts is to embrace the three outer vertices of our organizational model (collaborating, leading and teaching) with measurable student gains in the center, through ongoing growth adult learning. This cycle of learning/reflective practice puts us all in a position to do our best work for the students who so desperately deserve our very best!

Contact Abeo School Change Executive Director, Andrew Kelly, to discuss how we might partner together to support school and district goals. Andy can be reached at andy@abeoschoolchange.org or 206-817-9344.