Reflecting on what brought us here,

and setting our course for the path ahead

Storywall Session

Inver Grove Heights Middle School

April 27, 2015

In partnership with

Inver Grove Heights Middle School

April 27, 2015

Storywall Building
The step-by-step process for our session
FIRST STORYWALL SESSION Plotting Out the Timeline
1. Be responsible for a span of time that is familiar to you.
2. For that date range, discuss and plot out the following :
a. Using words and a drawn timeline to visually plot out the major events (internal and/or external)
that impacted the school (positively, neutrally, or negatively is not essential to determine at this
step).
b. Embellish those major events draw something or choose from the assortment of pictures that
characterize the emotion or energy of the time.
c. Use the Whole System View FrameWork to make sure that youve covered it with a system view.
d. Be prepared to report out for the group
SECOND STORYWALL SESSION Gallery Walk and Assessment
1. For each date range, discuss and record the following :
a. Looking back, what was the most influential event or change of that period was trust built or
eroded ?
b. What was rewarded during that time period ? Record at each interval.
c. Of the successes, what were the characteristics ?
d. Of the failures or challenges, what were the characteristics ?

Inver Grove Heights Middle School

April 27, 2015

2000 - 2004

During this span of time, there was a sense of advocacy for the middle school model and a focus on developing
relationships between the middle school and district. Behaviors and attitudes that were rewarded included:
Being creative and stepping out of your comfort zone
A whole child focus
A focus on competence, valuing it and building it up
Community problem solving encouraged

Inver Grove Heights Middle School

April 27, 2015

2005 2009

This time was characterized by a disconnection between the middle school and the district. An enormous amount of
change and contentious relationships between the board, district, and teachers union equated to diminished trust
and a deficit mindset. Student enrollment declined and it was the beginning of a churn of 4 middle school principals.
Behaviors and attitudes that were rewarded included:
Keeping your head low and doing your work
Stakeholders getting down on the middle school

Inver Grove Heights Middle School

April 27, 2015

2010 - 2015

From 2010 2012/13 continued change and leadership turnover occurred; while there continued to be some endings,
some beginnings were cited that signaled improvement (PBIS, AVID, PLCs, etc.). Over the last year and a half to two
years, a sense of stability and inspiration is emerging.
When asked to consider trends as the school moves into the 2015-2016 year, the participants offered:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

We have held onto our staff

There is hope for leadership
Were moving back to a focus on kids and a respectful approach
Well continue to have changing demographics and socioeconomic considerations
We have a steady commitment to kids the whole kid

Inver Grove Heights Middle School

April 27, 2015

KEY MESSAGES FROM THE SESSION

We acknowledge the good and bad lived we will rise above it

Time to take our rocks out of our backpacks so we dont stone each other
It is important for us to assess (and define the 2015 version) the value of the middle school model
Weve had a lot of change, perhaps too much but we must move with positive intent and
assumption in order to have stability
WE commit to this as OUR work and led by OUR expectations
We must be united for kids were moving toward that
It is not administrations duty to hold us accountable
A really clear system is on the way
Our expectations of our tone with each other can/should/will be high we are a team

Inver Grove Heights Middle School

April 27, 2015

Inver Grove Heights Middle School

April 27, 2015