I

have spread my dreams under your feet

Tread softly, because you tread on my dreams.
-W.B. Yeats

As educators, we spread dreams of the image evoked by Ron Berger: The
students were walking on the sidewalk with their arms around each other, the girls
holding hands and skipping. Black, Hispanic, Asian and white kids, Deaf and hearing,
city and country (2003, p. 61). When I came upon this line, the author struck a chord.
Within these words, he paints a picture of all children sharing not only their own dreams
of opportunity, possibility, and confidence, but also of togetherness. And yet, in the 2006
AERA Presidential Address, Ladson-Billings draws our attention to the hard truth that
almost three-fourths of Black and Latina/o students attend schools that are
predominantly non-White (p. 9). The image evoked by Berger symbolizes the promise
inherent in Brown vs. Board, but it requires that we take a real look at the costs of
continued segregation in our schools.
Integrating students is a key tenet at High Tech High schools where the belief is
that heterogeneous groupings benefit students at both ends of the academic spectrum
(Riordan, 2010, p.3). The social and academic benefits of diversity are affirmed by HTH
students who repeatedly testify to the value of working alongside peers from widely
different backgrounds. Growing up in DC, I saw privilege and poverty. I decided that I
would work to ensure that what was possible for some children became possible for all.
But how would we begin to forge a better educational future in the face of an education
debt explained by Ladson-Billings as resulting from centuries of historical, economic,
sociopolitical, and moral disparities across subgroups (2006)? In her address, she urges
us to find the place where we could go to begin from the ground up to build the kind of
education system that would aggressively address the debt (p. 10). She elaborates that
this would need to be a place where, both, the schools werent very good to begin with
and regulations would not keep us from proposing aggressive and cutting-edge
research. In essence, Ladson-Billings is asking us to clear the drawing board and try
again when it comes to designing the type of education system that will serve all of our
students, regardless of background.
Mehta and Fine (2012) point to High Tech High as having a different vision of
schooling from what prevails today (p. 33). This vision rests in an approach that
prepares students to engage in complex challenges that professional work at its best
entails. In a project-based learning environment, students develop projects, solve
problems, build things, and present findings to community panels (Riordan, 2010, pp. 23). And so, in answer to Ladson-Billings urging, HTH is a place with both an urban
school setting and a determination to rethink school as we know it.
Only through actually participating in a project slice did I come to understand just
how engaging, motivating, collaborative, and authentic this learning environment could
be. I found myself captivated by each component of the project as it was skillfully
unveiled by our facilitators. There was an air of mystery surrounding our assignment, and
we were hyper-attentive to each nugget and task offered by the facilitators. In an
interview with 2 grade teacher Lauren Obregon, she likened this experience to being a
wide-eyed lemur. And although the expected products continued to accumulate, we
eagerly took on each new challenge. Remarkably, it never felt like work, but more like
heartsong. We were tasked with hand-crafting toys with accompanying story cards to be
nd

used in play therapy with preschoolers who were affected by domestic violence. And
with such a meaningful purpose, we worked with gusto and we committed to beautiful
products. The quality of those products continuously improved through peer critique. Our
backgrounds, races, strengths and difficulties were all sidelined in the face of such
important work and supportive community.
In the words of Jeff Robin, when we simply create situations in which student
activity integrates the hands with the head and heart, the outcomes for student learning
become amazingly complex in ways that are beyond what a teacher could possibly plan
for. This is school reimagined, a place where all students have the capacity to do
interesting and valuable work now (Mehta & Fine, p. 33) through encouragement to
pursue their interests and passions (Riordan, p. 2). Through this emphasis on integration
and authentic learning, HTH reports that 100% of students qualifying for free or reducedprice lunch have been accepted to college. This success seems to say that we are on the
road to understanding educational models that bring students together across a range of
demographics, all with dreams spread under their feet as their teachers tread lightly (yet
fiercely) nearby.
Now that I have developed a better understanding of equitable learning
environments, I turn to the question of how this becomes a reality. I am learning that
creating a culture rich with opportunity for all students relies on first creating a thriving
community of adults. Time and again, both Odyssey and GSE facilitators have
communicated a commitment to ensuring that all participants feel safe in order to allow
for risk-taking and vulnerability. This aligns with Weissglasss (1990) assertion that the
ability of a group to make sustained change relies on a culture of empowerment where
educators are willing to identify problems, examine their beliefs, develop new
understandings, and follow through (p. 365). I have worked in schools that believed in
the power of a professional learning community, even sharing book studies on the topic.
As an instructional coach, I understood that my effectiveness rested squarely on the
solidness of the relationships I developed. And yet I am amazed by how quickly
connected and open relationships have developed throughout the Odyssey and GSE
sessions. It seems that HTH knows real, lasting change depends on the learning
communitys willingness to [engage in] on-going cycles of inquiry, action, and
reflection [focused on] critiquing, challenging, and ultimately altering elements of
schooling that perpetuate inequities (Callier, 2008, p. 1). An initial investment in the
safety of adults is essential in order for these goals to be met.
I have observed a number of ways that facilitators here work to grow healthy and
collegial adult communities. First, there is a culture of what my church community in DC
refers to as radical welcome. Many current HTH faculty members made a concerted
effort to introduce themselves and others. This established a code of conduct, and new
colleagues joined in the rhythm of introduction. I comfortably chatted, lunched, and
collaborated with dozens of new people over the course of the week. Quickly entering
into the fold of the HTH network was also made possible by the many partnerships and
groups with whom I learned. The vast majority of learning experiences occurred with
partners allowing for widespread relationship-building, with even transition activities
calling for shared conversations. The benefit of the ongoing partnerships was that they
allowed for real safety and vulnerability with a known ally, while the benefit of shortterm partners was an exposure to many perspectives. Across these activities, I

experienced only one collaboration that was less effective than the others. In contrast to
the more successful collaborations, in this activity, adult learners did not have the added
supports of group roles or protocols. As my slice facilitators shared, although at times
protocols can seem awkward and stilted, the HTH community has found that they are an
important tool for promoting productive conversation and combatting unspoken
privileges in conversation.
Facilitators are intentional in the ways they lay a foundation for robust
collaborations. Here, group norms serve as more than an icebreaker and room dcor.
Norms are rooted in the hopes and fears of participants, ensuring that structures are in
place to protect these needs. In framing the purpose of norms, facilitator Paul North
explained, We believe that relationships are very important, maybe the most important
thing of all. In service of these relationships, over the course of the week certain norms
were called to our attention, with facilitators nudging growth in or reflection on these
commitments. Growing relationships was also made possible by contemplating and
sharing our personal and professional stories, with a real emphasis on responsive
listening. During the slice, facilitators would promote listening by preparing participants
to be ready to share their partners ideas.
It is because of this groundwork that HTH educators are prepared for roles as
action researcher, teacher as designer, and critical friend. They know that they need
partners, and this commitment to a flat hierarchy is a stark contrast to the lone warrior
myth of leadership (Heifetz & Linsky, 2002, p. 100). HTH is a place which has truly
committed as deeply to the learning environment of adults as it has to the learning
environment of students by invest[ing] systematically in the development of distributed
facilitative leadership (McDonald et al., 2003, p.12). By the end of the Odyssey, Lauren
Obregon compared herself to the Tasmanian Devil, so energized by active learning, peer
critique, and genuine support that she could not wait to begin.
In the name of creating a healthy professional learning community, we
acknowledge what a blessed if painful thing, [is] this business of being alive (Joe Hill).
Most striking to me were ideas presented by Heifetz and Linsky (2002) regarding the real
cost of change. The roots of resistance, according to them, are loss, uncertainty, and
disloyalty to the beliefs and values of their culture and loved ones (p. 30). No wonder,
then, that Weissglass (1990) implored us to consider that reform programs must include
methods that address educators feelings (p. 352). In his Cautionary Tales, Ben Daley
was diligent in acknowledging the feelings associated with the tough work of
transformative schools as well as the range of perspectives within the audience. This is
aligned with Heifetz and Linskys reminder to think politically by engaging inside allies,
outside stakeholders, and even opponents, for relating to people is central to staying
alive (p. 100).
In addressing the role of emotions, I am compelled by Heath and Heaths (2010)
analogy of the Elephant, Rider, and Path. In short, the Elephant represents our emotional
side and the Rider our rational side. They exist within an environmental context referred
to as the Path. I arrived at the HTH GSE with a strong desire to unpack the leadership
moves that help to light a fire within rather than under. The Heath framework provides
me with a three-part check when influencing change, and I know that I will have to pay
increased attention to motivating the Elephant in order to appeal to emotions, foster
investment, and influence sustained energy. In my residency, I hope to bear witness to a

director who leads, not by enforcing compliance, but by inspiration coupled with clear
direction. As I have the opportunity to gauge the effectiveness of change leadership, I
will be sure to heed Benjamin Zanders suggestion to ask, How many shining eyes are
around me? What a wonderful sign of relatedness, investment, and heartfelt emotion. In
the short term my goal is to be on the hunt for bright spots and to build trust and
relationship by exercising unconditional positive regard. In this way, I will tread softly
while coming to know the multicolored dreams harmoniously spread underfoot.

REFERENCES
Berger, R. (2003). An Ethic of Excellence: Building a Culture of Craftsmanship with Students.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Caillier, S. (2008). Transforming schools one question at a time. UnBoxed, 1, 1, retrieved from
http://www.hightechhigh.org/unboxed/issue1/transforming_schools/.
Heath, C. & Heath, D. (2010). Three Surprises About Change & Find the Bright Spots. Switch.
Broadway Books: New York.
Heifetz, R & Linsky, M (2002). Leadership on the line. Harvard Business School Press: Boston.
Ladson-Billings, G. (2006). From achievement gap to education debt. Educational Researcher, 35, 7,
October 2006, 3-12.
McDonald, J. et. al. (2007). The power of protocols: An educators guide to better practice. New York:
Teachers College Press, Second Edition. (Chapter 1.)
Mehta, J. and S. Fine (2012). Teaching differentlylearning deeply. Kappan, 94, 2, October 2012.
Riordan, R. HTH: Three integrations. Unpub. ms.
Weissglass, J. (1990). Constructivist Listening for Empowerment and Change. The Educational Forum,
54(4), 351-370.