3 big questions to ask after a visit from an outside helper

I’ve been blogging about bringing in outside helpers…

• Some good questions to ask before hiring an outside helper
• Put your outside helpers to work

Here are three big questions to ask AFTER a visit from an outside helper:

1. Are we tangibly better as a result of their visit? [or did we just waste everyone’s time?]
2. Can we actually do something differently as a result of their visit? [or did they just take the money and run?]
3. How do we know? [what evidence do we have?]

Great times to ask these questions include about a week after the visit (when the gloss has worn off) and also about 3 to 6 months after the visit (when the work should be well underway)…

How much of your work with outside helpers has resulted in tangible, concrete, actionable, beneficial changes in your school(s)? If not much, why is that?