I heard the phrase, “superintendent as accelerator”, a few months ago and it really stuck with me.  It is a dynamic and forward-looking theme that is about motivating to lead with a sense of urgency, embracing innovation, and driving positive change throughout all my work.  Just what I am looking for in 2024.  It is my year to accelerate.  

This is the 9th year of my “One Word” Tradition. You can see the full list at the end of this post with all the links.  Before I get into 2024, let me talk about 2023 – and my word “coached”.  I know we often just put the best version out on the internet of what we want people to see, but honestly, I didn’t do well meeting the goals captured by my 2023 word for the year.  Coached was built around a commitment to being coached.  I joined a professional network, where I participated in regular coaching calls, set goals, read (a lot), listened to motivational talks from a variety of industries and generally tried to embrace being professionally coached.  And it started well.  But I just didn’t follow through all year in a committed way.  I think I need the accountability of a personal coach rather than just being part of a group, and I needed to be more clear about what specifically I wanted to be “coached” on.  So, it wasn’t what I might have hoped – but still some good learning.

And onto 2024.  And accelerate.  I think all the energy around generative AI has definitely contributed to my choice of words for this year.  I also like the implied urgency that comes with the word. 

To describe it in more detail, I like accelerate for this year because:

It is about pace – It is not just waiting around for innovation and improvement within the school district. It signals a proactive approach to achieving goals.  I think about our work around numeracy and transitions in our district and how we want to accelerate them in 2024.

It is about pushing boundaries – Back to the generative AI topic among others, accelerating is about embracing innovative strategies to enhance the learning experience for our students and the professional development of staff.

It is about adaptability – In our rapidly changing landscape of education, “accelerate” underscores the importance of adaptability and flexibility. It encourages us to respond swiftly to emerging challenges and opportunities.

It is about technology – Accelerate aligns with the adoption of innovative technologies and teaching practices. It encourages us to explore cutting-edge approaches that can modernize the educational experience for both students and staff.

It is about focus – We have a clear strategic plan, and a framework to enhance student learning that are guiding documents for our work.  Accelerating is about setting ambitious but achievable targets and mobilizing resources effectively to meet those objectives.

It is about student learning – The ultimate goal of acceleration is improved student success. As the world changes quickly around us, we  focus on initiatives that accelerate learning experiences, ensuring that students are achieving their full potential.

I am excited about using accelerate as a theme for my work in the year ahead.

What is your word for 2024?

And here are my previous words linked to the posts:

2016 – Hungry

2017 – Hope

2018 – Relevance

2019 – Delight

2020 – Hustle

2021 – Optimism

2022 – Focus

2023- Coached

All the best for the year ahead!