The Leader in Me

[Anonymous]

For those interested in reviewing research about the programs impact on Leadership, Culture and Academics visit

https://www.leaderinme.org/research-highlights-leadership/

[Anonymous]

The issue is that leadership ability isn't kids' greatest need right now. They need resiliency skills.

[Anonymous]

So, far the training has been un impressive.

Just constant buzzwords and jargon that are different from our usual typical phrasing in education.

This will bomb with my high schoolers.

We need trauma informed instruction. Not this.

The community requested specialized staff to work with students. This is not it.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:It's the wrong intervention for kids who have experienced trauma. They should be doing a program that serves kids who need resiliency skills (leader in me isn't it). School counselors were not consulted and are unhappy with the directive.

Agreed, leader in me is very much the 90's self esteem crap. It's not what students need

Every teacher I know was not happy when it was announced. I think the union put something together opposing it? I'm very much in favor of social emotional learning in schools--the kids really do need it--but this is NOT the program.

What makes you say that? How is this program lacking, and Is there something out there that would be better?

Go back and read the original post which talks about how curriculum does not address children who have experienced trauma

So what program would address that appropriately and how do we advocate for it? I'm all for supporting kids who have experienced trauma.

The Resilience Builder Curriculum by Dr. Mary Alford. She’s a local psychologist with a national reputation. It’s a tested and proven curriculum.

"tested and proven" by whom?

Many studies in several peer-reviewed journals. Here is one such study: https://psychology.catholic.edu/_media/rich-lab/rich_ijgp_18.pdf
Some of the research was done in MCPS schools. They should know it works and do more of it. NPR covered it as well, focusing in on MCPS schools among others. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/05/23/613465023/for-troubled-kids-some-schools-take-time-out-for-group-therapy

I read the first link. This was not in MCPS. It only applied to elementary schools in DC. in a group of 60+ students who opted in. In the clinical study: "Results indicate that, as hypothesized, compared to children in the
delayed treatment comparison sample, children who received the
RBP intervention reported significant gains in emotion regulation
and significant reductions in negative emotions. In fact, children in
the delayed treatment comparison sample reported significant
decreases in emotion regulation and significant increases in negative
emotions. Thus, results indicate that the RBP improves functioning in
these domains and may mitigate the risk for continued worsening of
emotional functioning. No change was noted regarding positive
emotions."

Doesn't sound like Leader in Me and doesn't sound that effective.

[Anonymous]

The second link refers to counseling in small groups with selected groups of students. Again, not Leader in me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, far the training has been un impressive.

Just constant buzzwords and jargon that are different from our usual typical phrasing in education.

This will bomb with my high schoolers.

We need trauma informed instruction. Not this.

The community requested specialized staff to work with students. This is not it.

I also attended a training and was unimpressed. I hated how they kept throwing us in rated breakout rooms to share very intimate details of our lives.

I really don't like how the leader in me framework is all about wins and victory. I don't think that's a very accurate paradigm for life

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's the wrong intervention for kids who have experienced trauma. They should be doing a program that serves kids who need resiliency skills (leader in me isn't it). School counselors were not consulted and are unhappy with the directive.

Agreed, leader in me is very much the 90's self esteem crap. It's not what students need

Every teacher I know was not happy when it was announced. I think the union put something together opposing it? I'm very much in favor of social emotional learning in schools--the kids really do need it--but this is NOT the program.

What makes you say that? How is this program lacking, and Is there something out there that would be better?

Go back and read the original post which talks about how curriculum does not address children who have experienced trauma

So what program would address that appropriately and how do we advocate for it? I'm all for supporting kids who have experienced trauma.

The Resilience Builder Curriculum by Dr. Mary Alford. She’s a local psychologist with a national reputation. It’s a tested and proven curriculum.

"tested and proven" by whom?

Many studies in several peer-reviewed journals. Here is one such study: https://psychology.catholic.edu/_media/rich-lab/rich_ijgp_18.pdf
Some of the research was done in MCPS schools. They should know it works and do more of it. NPR covered it as well, focusing in on MCPS schools among others. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/05/23/613465023/for-troubled-kids-some-schools-take-time-out-for-group-therapy

I read the first link. This was not in MCPS. It only applied to elementary schools in DC. in a group of 60+ students who opted in. In the clinical study: "Results indicate that, as hypothesized, compared to children in the
delayed treatment comparison sample, children who received the
RBP intervention reported significant gains in emotion regulation
and significant reductions in negative emotions. In fact, children in
the delayed treatment comparison sample reported significant
decreases in emotion regulation and significant increases in negative
emotions. Thus, results indicate that the RBP improves functioning in
these domains and may mitigate the risk for continued worsening of
emotional functioning. No change was noted regarding positive
emotions."

Doesn't sound like Leader in Me and doesn't sound that effective.

They are referring to a different social emotional curriculum that is focused on helping children overcome trauma.

[Anonymous]

Second Step is a social emotional curriculum that is practical and easy to implement in early childhood (pk-2nd grades). Mcps pk/hs classes have used it for quite some time.
Trauma informed practices have more to do with system wide routines and procedures and how we can set up our schools to be more trauma sensitive.

Leader in me does not speak to the needs of many students. There is very, very little teacher buy in for this reason. When teacher buy in is low, student buy in is even lower.

[Anonymous]

I’m in cohort 2 training now. A staff developer in a breakout room told us that Leader in Me is not being renewed and next year is the last year. Can anyone confirm this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m in cohort 2 training now. A staff developer in a breakout room told us that Leader in Me is not being renewed and next year is the last year. Can anyone confirm this?

I hope this is true!

[Anonymous]

A teacher who went through the training last year said is was barely used at her high school the school year. Hopefully that means they won’t force this jargon onto students in our advisory classes.

[Anonymous]

MCPS hates leaders. They're the kids who disrupt class, make their classmates laugh, talk back. Instead of harnessing "the leader" in them, they crush them. Who are they kidding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MCPS hates leaders. They're the kids who disrupt class, make their classmates laugh, talk back. Instead of harnessing "the leader" in them, they crush them. Who are they kidding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS hates leaders. They're the kids who disrupt class, make their classmates laugh, talk back. Instead of harnessing "the leader" in them, they crush them. Who are they kidding.

It's true. Those kids are the ones all the other kids follow. They laugh at their jokes, sit where they sit, wear what they wear. They have real leadership abilities. Instead of being recognized as leaders, they're a threat to the teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS hates leaders. They're the kids who disrupt class, make their classmates laugh, talk back. Instead of harnessing "the leader" in them, they crush them. Who are they kidding.

It's true. Those kids are the ones all the other kids follow. They laugh at their jokes, sit where they sit, wear what they wear. They have real leadership abilities. Instead of being recognized as leaders, they're a threat to the teacher.

There are lots of other student leaders at school in lots of other contexts.