Is your staff sleeping through your vision? (Like literally snoring)

DO SCHOOL DIFFERENT

The Vision Alignment Matrix: A Ruckus Makers Guide to Staying on Track.

I’m sitting in the school library and my blood is boiling.

While the principal is sharing his “compelling” vision for our school I notice:

• Ms. Robinson is cackling and scrolling through her phone

• Ms. Macon is rolling her eyes so hard I’m wondering if I’ll have to cast a demon out of her soon

• And Mr Polk is dead asleep — literally snoring — while the principal pushes through his message.

Many of the staff are pretending to be locked into the message, but I can’t focus on their good behavior when someone is snoring through our meeting …

And why isn’t the principal saying anything?

There’s no way he doesn’t notice.

I worry that these few bad apples are going to spoil the bunch. After all, they are a thorn in our admin team’s side.

These three teachers represent a real life example of Pareto’s Principle. The majority of all our parent and student complaints … as well as student discipline referrals come from these three teachers.

So I get up and do what any educator could do …

• I walk over to Mr Polk.

• Reach out my hand …

• And gently touch his shoulder to wake him up

Kneeling next to the napping teacher I ask, “Is everything okay Mr. Polk.”

He says, “I was up late playing video games last night.”

I’m shocked.

And then it hits me.

I see a staff, most of who is pretending to pay attention and I feel defeated.

I think about the changes that need to be made to take our school to the next level.

And I know we have a lot of work to do …

Here's the thing: you can have the best plan in the world for your school, but if it doesn't connect with your staff, you're done. Your vision becomes just another PowerPoint presentation that puts Mr. Polk to sleep.

That's why I created the Vision Alignment Matrix — a powerful tool that helps Ruckus Makers like you assess exactly where your school stands, and more importantly, where it needs to go.

It categorizes your efforts into four quadrants:

On Track (High Alignment, High Progress)

This is the sweet spot.

Your vision for reimagining education is clear, and you’re making significant strides in the right direction. You have a culture of innovation, your team understands and embraces the mission, and the results speak for themselves.

For example, if your school has fully implemented personalized learning models, student engagement is high, and teachers are empowered to innovate—congratulations!

You're operating in the On Track quadrant.

How to maintain this position:

• Keep your vision front and center by continually refining and reinforcing it.

• Stay agile. What works today might need tweaking tomorrow.

• Celebrate wins to maintain momentum.

Efficient, But Off-Track (Low Alignment, High Progress)

This quadrant is dangerous because you’re moving fast—but in the wrong direction.

Your school may be implementing initiatives rapidly, but they don’t align with the vision you set out to create.

For instance, say you've rolled out a new digital learning system, and teachers are excited about it—but it’s not actually enhancing student learning outcomes or fostering creativity.

You’ve optimized efficiency, but the impact isn’t aligned with your broader vision.

How to course-correct:

• Pause and reassess: What’s the real purpose behind your initiatives?

• Engage your team and get input on what truly aligns with your mission.

• Redirect energy toward strategies that reinforce your long-term goals.

3. Right Priorities, Slow Execution (High Alignment, Low Progress)

You know exactly what needs to happen, but execution is slow.

Maybe bureaucratic red tape, resistance from staff, or lack of resources is keeping you from moving at the pace you want.

For example, if you’re committed to shifting away from standardized testing but district policies are holding you back, you’re in this quadrant. You’re aligned with the vision but struggling to push past roadblocks.

How to accelerate progress:

• Identify and eliminate bottlenecks—whether they’re systemic or mindset-related.

• Invest in leadership development to empower your team to move faster.

• Build momentum through small wins while pushing for larger systemic changes.

4. Needs Urgent Attention (Low Alignment, Low Progress)

In the story I shared today, this is where we were. If you find yourself here, it’s time to sound the alarm.

Your initiatives are neither aligned with your vision nor making meaningful progress. Maybe there’s a lack of clarity on direction, or perhaps old, traditional methods are creeping back in.

For instance, if your school is stuck in outdated disciplinary models, relying on compliance-based learning, and struggling to engage students, it’s a sign that urgent recalibration is needed.

How to turn things around:

• Reconnect with your core vision—why did you become a Ruckus Maker in the first place?

• Engage your leadership team in deep reflection and strategic planning.

• Prioritize one or two key shifts that will have the most impact and go all-in.

Where Do You Stand?

I never want you to experience what I did that day in the library.

And I never want your students to suffer through another year of disconnected staff who are just going through the motions.

The Vision Alignment Matrix is your first step to creating the kind of campus where:

• Teachers lean in during meetings (instead of nodding off)

• Staff are fired up about your vision (not fired up about leaving at 3pm)

• And students actually want to show up (because something remarkable is happening in your classrooms)

But here's the thing about transformation – it doesn't happen by accident.

The 90-Day Accelerator gives you all the tools, frameworks, and support you need to make these shifts actually happen. Not someday. Not next year. In the next 90 days.

The waitlist is open now, and we'll be enrolling new Ruckus Makers in just a few weeks. Since this is the only time we're running the program in 2025, I encourage you to join the waitlist today.