Suggestions based on lessons learned

• Partnerships are critical, especially when times are difficult. It is extremely time-consuming to develop these personal contacts and relationships. However, this time and energy must be committed because you can never be sure which partnerships will have the strongest long-term impact.
• Be as systemic as you can in how you structure your program. Never forget that the goal is for ongoing improvement, which must last long after this specific funding has gone. This means structuring cost sharing so that by the end of the project, the critical positions and programs to be carried through are under local funding. Look for ways that demonstrate district commitment to the vision of the project, such as using the professional day for in-service. Have a plan for where the future leadership is coming from.
• Be ready to adjust. Allow yourself to try creative alternatives knowing that not all these alternatives can be successful. Redefine 'successful' to allow good internal assessment to pinpoint areas where change is needed. Listen without a defensive stance to the recommendations of both internal and external observers. They may not always be100% right, but they almost always provide a key reflection point for your own analysis.
• Be ready to make dramatic changes. As you move into the realms of what you don't know, you may want to move in whole new directions. Often the core leadership becomes aware of these changes before the broader leadership group. Take time to move everyone along before moving away from decisions made through consensus.