Professional Learning Communities at Work TM. Robert Eaker

potential minefields for those attempting to traverse the perilous path of transforming a school from its industrial traditions into a learning community. Any one of them can destroy the change process. The critical question thus becomes, “What strategies can a school use to avoid these mistakes as it initiates a change process?”

       Creating a Learning Community—Where Do We Begin?

      Kotter’s contention that successful change initiatives require a sense of urgency can, of course, be troubling for those who are considering school reform. Most educators simply do not seem to respond to warnings of impending doom. The rhetoric of A Nation at Risk was, after all, an explicit attempt to alert America to an alleged national crisis, and yet it failed to evoke much response from teachers and principals. Currently, both disparaging critics and critical friends of education warn that public schools are in peril. The chairman of IBM blasts public education as a “bureaucratic monopoly” that has been given one last chance to save itself before being “abandoned across the board” (Gerstner et al., 1994, p. 22). And after 10 years of research on the relationship between the public and its schools, the president of the Kettering Foundation made the following conclusion: “The research forces me to say something I never thought I would say—or even think. The public school system, as we know it, may not survive into the next century” (Matthews, 1997, p. 741). Phil Schlechty (1997) is among the reformers who warns educators that unless they move quickly to transform their schools in dramatic ways, “public schools will not be a vital component of America’s system of education in the twenty-first century” (p. xi). Nearly one in four Americans, when questioned on whether public education can ever be reformed, believes that finding alternatives to public education is preferable to further reform efforts (Elam, Rose, & Gallup, 1997). Yet, in spite of such urgent messages, there is little evidence to suggest that contemporary educators recognize a pressing need for change.

      Many contend that it is impossible to create a sense of urgency in school administrators and teachers, and they point to a history of failed reforms to support their contention. As the argument goes, there is virtually nothing that can be done to shake educators from their complacency and convince them of a critical need for change because public schools represent virtual monopolies in most communities, compulsory attendance laws assure schools of a captive audience, and many teachers are protected by tenure and seniority laws that seem to give them lifetime job security. Most of the present-day calls for school choice, charter schools, open enrollments, and the abolition of tenure reflect the argument that, under current conditions, there is virtually no motivation for educators to take any change initiative seriously. Proponents of these alternatives contend that unless schools feel “the spur of the market,” they will never change (Gerstner et al., 1994, p. 85).

      Is a sense of urgency a prerequisite for change? If so, is it possible to shake off the prevailing complacency and create that sense of urgency among the personnel in public schools? Can this be accomplished even in schools with good reputations and evidence of widespread community support? The answer to these questions is a reverberating yes. “Urgency” need not be the equivalent of “crisis” or “panic.” Certainly a struggle for survival can generate a feeling of urgency, but that feeling is likely to be short-lived. Motivation for change will last only until the crisis is averted. More enduring catalysts for change are a powerful sense of purpose, a widely shared vision of what an organization might become, and a collective commitment to act in a way that will make that vision a reality. A culture of continuous improvement does not require a persistent state of panic. Schools can certainly become organizations that are characterized by a consistently high state of urgency and the absence of complacency if they are guided by a compelling picture of a future that is clearly superior to the status quo. The concept of the professional learning community can provide that compelling picture.

       Summary

      Managing the change process requires the ability to operate within a myriad of paradoxes. Those who attempt to transform their schools into professional learning communities should recognize that change is difficult but not impossible. They must be prepared for the anxiety, the discomfort, and the ongoing conflict that always accompany change initiatives, particularly in the early stages of the process. According to Kotter (1996), the most common mistakes in the change process include:

      1. Allowing too much complacency.

      2. Failing to create a sufficiently powerful guiding coalition.

      3. Underestimating the power of vision.

      4. Undercommunicating the vision by a power of 10.

      5. Permitting structural obstacles to block the change process.

      6. Failing to create short-term wins.

      7. Declaring victory too soon.

      8. Neglecting to anchor changes firmly in the culture.

      Some contend that schools will never change unless those within them feel a sense of urgency. These critics call for doomsday strategies that threaten the very existence of public education. But while such a struggle for survival can generate a feeling of urgency, that feeling is likely to last only until the crisis has passed. A more enduring catalyst for change is a compelling picture of what the school might become—one that projects positive images and practical alternatives that are clearly superior to the status quo. The concept of the professional learning community can provide that picture.

      Chapter 4

      Building the Foundation of a Professional Learning Community: Mission and Vision

      The most important question in any organization has to be “What is the business of our business?” Answering this question is the first step in setting priorities.

      —Judith Bardwick (1996, p. 134)

      There is no more powerful engine driving an organization toward excellence and long-range success than an attractive, worthwhile, and achievable vision of the future, widely shared.

      —Burt Nanus (1992, p. 3)

      Imagine that the school as a professional learning community rests on a foundation of four building blocks or pillars that support the school and give direction to the people within it. Each of these building blocks takes its shape and form from the answer to a specific question addressed to the people in the school. If these people all take the time to consider the questions, engage in deep discourse about them, and reach consensus on how the questions are to be answered, the foundation of a learning community will have been established. Much work will remain, but the reconstruction work will have the benefit of a solid foundation.

       The First Building Block: Mission/Purpose

      Why do we exist? The mission question challenges members of a group to reflect on the fundamental purpose of the organization, the very reason for its existence. The question asks, “Why do we exist?” “What are we here to do together?” and “What is the business of our business?” The focus is not on how the group can do what it is currently doing better or faster, but rather on why it is doing it in the first place. Addressing this question is the first step in clarifying priorities and giving direction to everyone in the organization.

      Mission statements are nothing new to schools. Many states have passed legislation that requires schools to have a mission statement. Even in states without this legislative mandate, mission statements for local schools or school districts are commonplace. A cursory review of these statements reveals that they sound much the same. The generic mission statement for North American schools solemnly proclaims:

      It is the mission of our school to help each and every child realize his or her full potential and become a responsible and productive citizen and life-long learner who is able to use technology effectively and appreciate the multi-cultural society in which we live as we prepare for the challenges of the twenty-first century. (DuFour, 1997a).

      The similarity of mission statements is not necessarily a cause for concern. Whether their schools are in Miami or Vancouver, the province of Ontario or the state of California, educators