I was dissatisfied with traditional school systems and learning after my first year of teaching. As an inexperienced young teacher, I went from the set to a flipped classroom (albeit poorly done) without knowing it. The students passed their STAAR tests with a rank of meets. I did this because it seemed natural, more effective, and helped my lowest-achieving student find success. Because of the ruthless character attacks I endured, I moved away from flipped learning. I then worked at schools that claimed authentic assessments; however, the instructional coaches tended to force teachers into doing meaningless arts and crafts. It was not until I worked at a Project-Based school that I realized there was an alternative and then saw the correct way to have an authentic assessment in my master's program. My journey began down this new road when my studies forced me to take responsibility for my learning. 

To say that this learning was out of the box would be a colossal understatement, as taking responsibility for my learning meant there was no box. Dr. Harapnuik was patient in explaining the freedom I had to demonstrate my learning. He did so every time I asked what the requirements were. I was in the third or fourth class when I began to make that adjustment and embrace a new way of learning.  

My first step to change meant I had to change my thinking. Like most learners, I was conditioned by the factory education system to attach learning to a numeric score and natural ability. My thinking changed when I stopped this line of thinking and began asking myself, "How did I grow, and what did I develop?" This question created a new level of confidence that some appreciated while others did not.

My experiences played a role in my change of thinking; however, finding my voice has been difficult because public school districts have a nasty habit of putting teachers that introduce change on growth plans if not firing them. It takes a particular person to suggest change, as the monolith that is the ISD system is usually political and corrupt. For this reason, I am taking my message to the airwaves with the podcast. My current company, Stride K12, welcomes the attention, and the administration welcomes change more than the private sector. We are currently using/adapting my innovation plan to change the culture of my school and the teacher's mindset. 

All these experiences have refined my learning philosophy in that I now realize that everyone in the school system would benefit from a growth mindset and choice. Teachers often have their jobs threatened by leaders who are afraid of state education agencies putting their school under a conservatorship which is essentially taking over. Everyone is afraid, which is one reason their standardized testing scores fail. 

COVA is a centerpiece of the plan, as my plan calls for project-based learning and cross-curricular collaboration. This fear not only creates significant learning environments but creates significant teaching environments. Teachers would have choices about how they teach the standards, and students would have a choice as to how they prove their learning. The students would prove themselves in a way that lines up with their skills and interest, showing long-term growth through well-developed thoughts and quality deliverables. Staff would undergo extensive training at the beginning of the year, and learners would participate in a culture camp. Some staff and students would want to leave, and their choice would be honored. Some would feel challenged by the lack of control needed; however, there would be trainers and coaches to help teachers and students. Everyone would be able to do what they do well. That is the spirit of the COVA framework.