As the end of the year approaches we are reflecting on the tenth anniversary of President Obama’s receipt of the Nobel Peace prize and his lecture on war and peace. We are also anticipating a year that will be filled with public discussions about national challenges and town halls dedicated to gatherings of citizens to meet with candidates as they prepare to cast their ballots. After watching Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize lecture you may want to read The Leadership Dilemma in a Democratic Society (PDF).
2019
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On the Importance of Civil Servants in Democracy
As the country thinks about the role of public sector servants in diplomacy this fall with discussions about trade, war, peace and the environment we want to focus on one civil servant and their take on the importance of civil servants in a democracy. Prudence Bushnell. She often noted:
“Remember there are no healthy democracies in the world where there is not a competent, independent, civil service.”
School-focused Innovation Projects from the Leadership Matters Program
Around the country this month students, teachers and administrators to go back to school and we are featuring the Leadership Matters Innovations Projects focused on making changes in schools as a result of participation in Leadership Matters.
Pawtucket School Leaders lowered student suspension rates at all levels and credited, ‘Leadership Matters RI’ as a key driver for this major success. At one Pawtucket school, the principal reported that there were 231 ‘behavior instances,’ meaning a student was disrespectful of the teacher or disruptive in class. Due to a ‘shift in the alternatives created’ there were only 15 instances reported in the first half of the following school year. In another school there were approximately 3,500 suspensions, and now it is down to 150 in that same school.
The Unholy Structure of Two-Year Election Cycles
The 2020 election is only 14 months away and we are between last years’ midterms and next years’ presidential contest. When you have election fatigue, take a step back and think about the systems behind our electoral process. Public Sector Consortium President Georgie Bishop recently wrote a piece for Thrive on The Unholy Structures of Two-Year Election Cycles asking us: