Avoiding the School Initiative Graveyard with Dr. Kristilynn Turney - Ep 14
🎙️ Who's on the Mic?
I'm chatting with the absolute powerhouse that is Dr. Kristilynn Turney, a dear friend and a true force in educational leadership. With over 25 years in the game, she’s been a teacher, a principal, and now a consultant who has seen it all, from the highest-performing schools to those that need some serious love. She has this incredible gift for helping schools move past the fear and see data for what it is: a tool to tell the real, authentic story of their students.
Kristilynn’s journey, which includes being the first Black principal in two different schools, gives her a powerful lens on literacy, leadership, and equitable practices. We dug into how leaders can transform data from a weapon into a mirror for real, meaningful growth.
💬 Episode Snapshot
This conversation was like a masterclass in leading with data. Kristilynn took us way back to her early days as an English teacher in the late 90s, when her idea of data analysis was literally drawing a bell curve of A's, B's, and C's to make sure it "looked right." Even then, she was ahead of her time, breaking down student performance by specific skills, a foreshadowing of the standards-based thinking we use today.
From there, we jumped into her time as a leader, where she faced a familiar barrier: teacher resistance to data. This is where she dropped one of my favorite metaphors: data should be a mirror, not a hammer. It’s not about punishment; it’s about reflecting reality so we can see where we are and where we need to go. She stressed that to get teachers on board, you have to start by celebrating the wins. Find the bright spots first, and you create a culture of growth instead of a culture of fear.
We also got real about the pitfalls of rolling out new initiatives. Kristilynn pointed out that so many schools fall into the trap of doing too much, too fast, without a clear "why" or (and this is a big one) without ongoing support. It’s the classic “one-and-done” PD that leaves everyone drowning in resources but thirsty for guidance. I even shared my own epic fail rolling out the first student data dashboard at North College Hill (spoiler: I basically just threw it at the staff and wondered why no one used it, oops).
Finally, we tackled the crucial role of data in equity. Kristilynn shared a powerful story about leading a school with an "excellent" rating on the outside that didn't reflect the experience of all students on the inside. By digging into the data, she uncovered how they could adjust their systems to provide intervention that builds toward enrichment, leveling the playing field and giving every student a real shot at success.
💡 Key Takeaways
Data is a Mirror, Not a Hammer: This is the core message. Data isn't meant to be a weapon to punish teachers or schools. It's a tool for honest reflection that shows us our reality so we can improve it.
Celebrate Wins to Build Buy-In: If you want to overcome data-phobia, you have to change the narrative. Start every data conversation by finding something to celebrate. That shot of dopamine connects action to impact and builds the collective efficacy that truly moves the needle.
You Can't Replicate What You Don't Track: If your school sees a jump in scores but you have no idea why, you can't do it again next year. Making the explicit connection between the actions you take and the results you see is the only way to create sustainable growth.
Avoid the "Initiative Graveyard": Too many great ideas die because of poor implementation. A successful rollout requires a clear "why," a "start small" approach, and ongoing training. Treat your staff like you want them to treat their students: scaffold the learning.
Data Reveals the Real Story of Equity: A great school-wide score can hide the fact that not all students are succeeding. Data is the flashlight that helps us see into the corners, identify disproportionality, and ask, "How can we adjust our supports to give every kid an opportunity to thrive?"
🎬 Actionable Insights
Reframe Your Next Data Meeting: Start your very next data conversation by explicitly saying, "This is a mirror, not a hammer." Then, challenge your team to find one win, one small area of growth, and celebrate it before you discuss anything else.
Roll Out Your Next Initiative Like a Lesson Plan: Before you introduce anything new, define your "why" (the learning objective). Start small and model what you want to see (I Do, We Do). Then, plan for ongoing check-ins and support (scaffolding). Ditch the "one and done" PD for good.
Ask the Equity Question: Look at one of your school's proudest data points. Now, break it down by student subgroups. Does that data point tell the same story for every group of kids? If not, start a conversation about what additional supports are needed to close that gap.
From Burn-out to Buy-in-Free Resource: https://forms.gle/L4Lpu4m1CsYuu4R7A
In this episode of Data in Education, I'm chatting with the absolute powerhouse that is Dr. Kristilynn Turney, a dear friend and a true force in educational leadership. With over 25 years in the game, she’s been a teacher, a principal, and now a consultant who has seen it all, from the highest-performing schools to those that need some serious love. She has this incredible gift for helping schools move past the fear and see data for what it is: a tool to tell the real, authentic story of their students.
Learn more about Kristilynn Turney at www.drkristilynnturney.com
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Connect with Kristilynn Turney
Email: drkristilynnturney@gmail.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkristilynnturney/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristilynn.turney.50
https://www.youtube.com/@drturneyspeaks
