
“Discipline is choosing between what you want now and what you want most.” -Abraham Lincoln
There are lots of reasons as to why rebranding may occur. In 2007, Walmart rebranded their slogan from “Always Low Prices” to “Save Money, Live Better.” Quite possibly this can be credited to why just three years later Forbes Global 2000 recognized Walmart as the world’s largest corporation by revenue.
Maybe the rebranding occurs because it is outdated. Brad’s Drink, introduced in 1893, went through its first rebranding after being in existence for just five years. The new name in 1898? Pepsi. And that first logo, the swirly Gothic looking logo from 123 years ago for Pepsi? Well, it only lasted about seven years before it went through its first of many logo rebrandings.
McDonald’s went through a rebranding after Morgan Spurlock’s Super Size Me was released in 2004. Spurlock’s 30-day experiment in which he ate McDonald’s three times a day led to a 24 pound weight gain and a 13 percent increase to his BMI. Needless to say, upon the documentary’s release, sales fell drastically for the most recognizable fast food chain. That led to a change in restaurant colors and the introduction of salads to the menu.
Rebranding also occurs when there is an identity crisis. Although they’ve been rocking a new, simple logo since 2016, most of us think of the iconic blue box with white letters when we think of the clothing retailer Gap. Few may recall the seven days in October 2010 when Gap tried to rebrand to a new logo. Public outcry forced the old logo back and the executive behind the failed rebranding out of a job by February the following year.
Identity can also be a problem between two organizations. Financial tech behemoth PayPal took legal action against music streaming titan Pandora back in 2017 claiming that Pandora’s blue P was interfering dramatically with PayPal customer’s experiences. The lawsuit never made it to the courtroom as both parties came to an undisclosed agreement. While I’m not sure what the agreement was, Pandora now has a multicolored P that stands apart greatly from PayPal.
So why did I take you through some of this history of companies rebranding? Because sometimes we have to go through a rebranding of our own. And I feel that I am in the middle of a rebranding now.
I shared in my last post that I left the superintendent’s office to return to the classroom.
Not everything has gone so smoothly. I struggled with feeling like a failure for many months. How does one go from a district superintendent back to the classroom and feel successful? But the answer was right in front of me. No one forced me into a classroom. I didn’t even need to take a job anywhere.
The decision was mine and mine alone. If you can’t make a decision and stand firm on it, then what does that say about yourself? I did something I think many don’t have the courage to do. I revisited my why. I rebranded myself.
In the process, I have looked at jumpstarting Anchored in Education again. But I couldn’t put the cart before the horse. Anchored in Education is part of me, but it is not me.
Anchored in Education will air again. But it will be structured under my new rebranding of myself. My hope is that my rebranding will allow me the opportunity to work with others to reignite their fiery passion. Or if their fire is burning, then I want to stoke the fire. I want others to burn with the same energy I get from being an educator.
Engaging
I believe anyone can occupy a classroom. Many can probably teach. But engaging is the bread and butter of finding success in education. Engagement looks different at different levels. As a principal I engaged teachers in thoughtful discussions on what is best for students. We successfully transitioned away from traditional grades and became much more rooted in standards of teaching.
As the superintendent, engagement took on a different form but was still present each day. It might have been engaging city leaders on how we could collaborate to create opportunities that benefitted both the community and the schools. It was speaking before civic groups on what is happening inside our buildings. It was making sure outside providers were engaged so someone’s needs could be addressed immediately when they arose.
One of my favorite engaging activities was having conversations with staff on why they became a teacher. What their plans were following retirement. What were some of their proudest moments? Engagement takes effort. It takes an investment of time. But the return is incalculable.
Back in the classroom, engagement looks different based on what we’re doing. Maybe it’s standing on a chair and dancing to “Dem Bones” while we study the human body. Maybe it’s going beyond reading what animal researchers do and spending time outside using most of our senses as we observe life surrounding us. Maybe it’s making a late night trip to Walmart to buy a dozen flashlights so we could experiment with transparent, translucent, and opaque objects.
Engaging can be serious; it can be humorous. It cannot be absent though.
Passionate
If you aren’t passionate about what you do, then step aside and let someone who is, have their chance. Or find a way to reignite the passion. My passion is seeing students treated with respect and put first. As Joe Sanfelippo so passionately exclaimed on an episode of Anchored in Education, “Without students, none of us have jobs!”
When the insignificant people were after me, the focus was off the students. Some might argue that I abandoned the students by leaving. I struggled with that thought. Especially after reading a letter from a former student whose parent was one of the insignificant people. It ended with the student writing, “Keep being a great superintendent!”
