Dear Colleague,

I’m writing to tell you about something that makes my life as an educator easier.

Hello, I’m Jon Acton. I’ve served as Superintendent for two school districts and as Principal of The Cascade High School, in Clayton, IN.

You and I have never met, but we may have a lot in common as educational leaders.

Things like:

  • Frustration about student engagement, behavioral issues, or academic performance.
  • Worry about morale and burnout among teachers and staff. You may be doing fine, but others are struggling.
  • Concern about the future for your students. Their empathy and social skills seem to be declining, especially after the pandemic.
  • Pressure to improve student performance and school culture. It feels like you’re under constant scrutiny from all sides.

I could go on, but I think you know what I’m talking about.

We have financial concerns, legislative concerns, programming concerns.

How do we get everything accomplished that we’re supposed to get accomplished?

Our profession is demanding, stressful, and sometimes heartbreaking. It’s not just how difficult our work is, but how it affects us personally. You may be hearing things like:

  • “School’s boring. No one cares about me.” – Students
  • “You’re not doing enough for my child.” – Parents
  • “We’ve tried everything. Nothing changes around here.” –Teachers
  • “Your school’s performance is lagging.” – School Board

Nobody likes to hear that. But the reason I’m writing is because I found a better way to do my job and it might help you too.

It’s called The FISH! Philosophy for Schools. It’s not a fad or some corporate training that was shoehorned into education. It was developed by educators for educators in 2005, used by over 1,100 schools worldwide. When I first introduced it to our teachers, they looked at me like, “Who is this guy? And what is he talking about?”

But the practices of The FISH! Philosophy – Choose Your Attitude, Be There, Play, and Make Their Day – are easy to grasp and implement. Since adopting them, here’s what I’ve seen:

  • In our school, office referrals dropped 73%, our culture improved dramatically, and we were selected as a National Blue Ribbon High School.
  • Students do better academically. The FISH! Philosophy teaches being present and being there for others. That helped our students be more compassionate and engaged, which spills over into everything that matters. They say things like, “We’re all a family and FISH! has helped bring us all closer together.”
  • Teachers were amazed after some initial skepticism. Nobody wants more things on their plate, but we all found out that FISH! works. One said, “Now students are able to learn happier. And when you’re learning happier, you can learn more.”
  • Families are excited about FISH!. I had parents comment on what a positive change in attitude their child developed at home.

Climate, culture, and relationships are the building block for everything. Because everything in life is based on our attitudes. We have a phrase here, “Have a day, good or bad, you decide.” As sure as I’m sitting here, I believe FISH! has been a key component for our success.

I don’t want to make this too long. If you’ve read this far and want to find out more about what The FISH! Philosophy can do in your school, you can get more information by contacting Charthouse Learning and asking them any questions about FISH! For Schools. They’re knowledgeable and friendly.

Thank you for reading this letter. I hope you found it helpful.

Jon Acton

Jon Acton
Superintendent and Principal (retired)

P.S. I don’t make a penny for recommending FISH! For Schools. I’m just happy to tell other educators about what it’s done for us. To learn more or ask any questions, you can schedule a call with Lisa Olsonoski.