Jane Dosemagen, Fast Company Article, November 15, 1999

Fast Company, "The Monroe Doctrine," by Keith H. Hammonds, October, 1999, pp. 230-236

How can a high school in Harlem with poor attendance, low level of academic achievement, and well known for violence turn itself around? Five years later, under the leadership of Lorraine Monroe, principal, student test scores in this school ranked it among New York City's best high schools with 96% of its graduating class going on to college. Monroe's answer to increased student achievement was her "Twelve Non-Negotiable Rules and Regulations." The core of her rules is: respect oneself, one's associates, and property. Her principles include: attend school every day, arrive on time, be prepared to work every day, do homework nightly, keep your desk area clean, and do not fight.

As a leader, Monroe believes in having a vision, making it understandable to people, never doubting its importance, and then watching people gravitate to it. She says that good businesses and good schools work the same way. Take care of the workers and recognize what makes them happy. Monroe goes in the classroom, watches teachers do their work, congratulates them, and reminds them why they're there. She also demonstrates various teaching methods to her staff.

As in a business, a school needs to examine its products and ask if they're something that they can be proud of. Monroe says that schools fail when they don't realize that they're producing something. "They're producing graduates - human beings who can negotiate their lives and who can give back to society." Monroe demands continuous improvement, looking for a measurable outcome everyday. The daily outcome for students is that they learn something, with achievement being higher everyday. She also looks for things "less measurable, but more visible - better behavior, lifted spirits." She says that if we ran businesses like we run schools, we'd be out of business. School leaders need to talk about the importance of their work, why they're doing what they're doing, and notice what happens to the kids.

She advises leaders to know the rules and understand that when the rules don't make sense, they should be dropped. Monroe takes calculated risks and breaks the rules for the sake of her vision. She encourages her staff to join her in being "creatively crazy on behalf of the children," tapping into their resources, being fearless, and creative. Monroe says that a concerned, "creatively crazy" staff can carry almost any organization. "Organizations die when they move away from the core principles of their mission, or when they fail to come up with new ways to make their mission happen."

In a business or a school, the core principles are very important. In Built to Last, Collins and Porras (1997) point to the success of visionary companies that always adhere to their core values, respect and encourage their employees, and manage continuity and change, just as Monroe did in the high school.

One of the major issues in schools now is raising student achievement. I recently participated in a focus group on student achievement, specifically on procedures that will ensure effective and equitable implementation of a policy regarding student promotion to the next grade level. We discussed the importance of various factors influencing student achievement. Some of the factors we discussed are the same as some of Monroe's principles, like the importance of good attendance and grades. These factors were measured along with standardized test scores, reading 25 books per year, teacher assessment and volunteer community service in regards to their influence on a student's academic achievement and ability to be promoted. We also discussed early intervention methods such as after school programs, summer programs, and Saturday programs.

Another way to raise student achievement is SEM (School-wide Enrichment Model). It is becoming widely used in the schools to challenge students who are gifted and need extra enrichment. The gifted and talented program can challenge students so they don't get bored and get in trouble. In our Diverse Families class, we saw how a philosophy class, including time for reflection and discussion, can also encourage students to think for themselves and become high achievers.

There are lots of programs that can be integrated into the schools to help raise student achievement. It takes a visionary principle like Monroe to allow teachers to work with the ways of raising student achievement, to take calculated risks, be creative, and always keep in mind their 'product,' the students.

-- Anonymous, November 15, 1999