Education Week - May 17, 2023 - 15

and communicate those expectations, "
Arencibia said.
But there's also a level of trust
and professional freedom, where
teacher creativity is encouraged.
That doesn't mean they have free
reign, he said.
" They stay within the guidelines
that we use, " Arencibia said, referring
to state and district requirements.
" But beyond that, we really allow
them to be the professionals that they
are and be as creative as possible. "
" There are a lot of places that
are structured and rote, " he continued.
" We don't do that here. We
pull those constraints off of them
to allow them that creative teaching
flexibility. That's a very specific
reason that teachers enjoy time on
campus. "
McAvoy said she knew she was
a good fit for the school during the
interviewing process when she was
asked about her skills, strengths,
and values. She was interviewed and
hired on the same day.
" I was like, 'This doesn't happen for
anyone;' so, obviously this is where I
am supposed to be, " she said.
She'd worked in places where it
seemed like teachers were given
extra duties instead of opportunities
to grow if they were good at their
jobs. But, her takeaway from the
Colleyville interview was: " 'You're
a professional; now go do your job,' "
she said.
She'd never felt that way before.
" I think that's why people do
excel at CMS, " she said. " Because
you are allowed to be the professional
that you are and [practice]
the craft that you know. You're just
trusted in that way. "
Create a positive culture
and school environment
A positive school culture is essential
to keeping staff, Arencibia said.
Colleyville Middle School's administration
carves out time for culturebuilding
exercises during staff meetings,
with time for staff members to
get to know each other, as well as to
learn about their strengths and weaknesses.
Understanding
co-workers helps
to build empathy, said Arencibia,
who cited a Gallup survey that
shows that employee engagement
increases when they're connected
to someone at work or have a friend
at work.
In a state where fine and performing
arts may not always get the same
level of visibility as sports programs,
Arroyo, the theater teacher, said
both the school and district administrations
have enthusiastically backed
the program as he breathes new life
into it.
Just weeks after arriving, Arencibia
asked Arroyo what he needed for the
theater program. The list included
new lighting, sound, and a new stage.
Within weeks, those items were on
the district's bond program.
The school also paid for Arroyo
to immerse himself in a full-day of
professional development at Booker
T. Washington High School for the
Performing and Visual Arts, the largest
performing arts high school in the
EDUCATION WEEK | May 17, 2023 | www.edweek.org | 15
Dallas area, to deepen his teaching
expertise.
" It's investment, " Arroyo said.
" They are willing to go above and
beyond-just like fellow staff members-not
just for the fine arts. It's literally
for ELA, for the CTE programs,
for athletics. "
That helps solidify the positive
school culture, he said.
" It's also reinforcing that you are
going to be supported because you
matter, because we care, " Arroyo
said.
Celebrate staff
Staff members are routinely recognized
by peers and students, for
everything from a victory in the
classroom to a child's birthday,
McAvoy said.
One way students show appreciation
is through a monthly program
that allows them to nominate
a teacher who's gone out of
their way to help them. Those
nominations are given to teachers
so they learn firsthand how they're
impacting students, Arencibia
said. Some students submit video
nominations, which pack an emotional
punch.
" Those are bucket-fillers, " he said.
" Our staff and students love that. We
would do that in staff meetings as
well. We lift them up, and say, 'This
is what students are saying about
you.' ... We'll have teachers crying
because we are hearing straight from
our kids. "
The Parent Teacher Association
also plays a big role in honoring
teachers and staff and ensuring
they know that their efforts are appreciated.
Colleyville
Middle School has
the distinction of having more PTA
members than it does parents of currently
enrolled students-meaning
that lots of PTA members don't have
children in the school.
Parents show their gratitude in
a number of ways, including by
volunteering for projects, making
treats for staff, doing regular
food runs to surprise teachers with
lunch and other meals, and collaborating
with teachers on classroom
activities.
Teachers take note, he said.
" It's a good feeling when you're
recognized by the individuals around
you, " Arencibia said. " People are willing
to invest more of their time and
energy into those things " for which
they're being lauded.
Listen to your staff
Like many schools, administrators
at Colleyville Middle ask teachers
every year for a wish list. It can
include everything from classroom
supplies to things that would improve
teachers' professional and
personal lives.
One teacher, for example, had seasonal
affective disorder and asked
for her classroom to be moved to one
that had more natural light.
" Let me tell you, she was like a different
person that following school
year, " Arencibia said. " It truly impacted
her-from a physical, mental,
and wellness standpoint. "
Another teacher had to drop
off her daughter at a neighboring
school in the morning, which made
it difficult for her to do lesson-planning
early in the day. The school
moved her morning duties to the
afternoon. That accommodation
was a " game changer, " Arencibia
said, giving the teacher " a lot more
flexibility and freedom. "
Teachers said that when they
go to the administration with an
initiative or a request, administrators
don't reflexively say no. They
work to figure out how to fulfill the
request if it's a good thing for students.
That's
one of the reasons why
Lauren Jones, the school's head
band director, is still at Colleyville
Middle School, where she started 11
years ago.
" The answer is hardly ever no
when we are trying to do something
that's in the best interest of
our students and the community, "
she said. " It's always, 'Let's brainstorm
and figure out a way to make
it happen. Just think big picture.'
There's never a roadblock, and if
there is, it's like a team effort to talk
about it and find solutions and do
what's right for our kids on a daily
basis. "
Arencibia said it takes time to build
the kind of environment he has at Colleyville
Middle School, where he currently
has only two teaching vacancies.
That was not the case when he arrived.
" There
were some staff members
that we had to help move along, " he
said. " I had to help them find what
their next true passion was-whatever
that was-because it wasn't
teaching kids at the time. "
There's natural turnover, and people
leave because of spousal relocations
and promotions, for example,
he said. He's hired about threequarters
of the current staff and loses
about 10 staff members a year, with
custodians and secretaries included
in that number in addition to teachers,
Arencibia said.
McAvoy, the teacher who drives
nearly an hour each way to work, appreciates
the quality time she spends
with her daughter, whose school is
just down the hill from her mother's,
on the commute. They have heartto-heart
mother-daughter conversations.
She listens to the radio. She
decompresses.
This works for her, she said.
" The main thing with teaching,
I believe, is that you find your fit,
you find your family, and it doesn't
matter if you take a slight pay cut
or you have to drive a little bit farther, "
McAvoy said. " Quality of life
is worth more. Your life is worth
more. You being a really good parent
is worth more, and that's what I
have found over the three years, and
that's why I continue to do this. "
Principal David Arencibia,
left, talks with Brooke
Schuster, a learning
liaison, at Colleyville
Middle School.
"
It's a good feeling
when you're
recognized by
the individuals
around you.
People are willing
to invest more
of their time and
energy into
those things
for which they're
being lauded.
DAVID ARENCIBIA
Principal
Colleyville Middle School
Colleyville, Texas
http://www.edweek.org
Education Week - May 17, 2023

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