Ryan Vernosh and Success
Elementary Principal Uses Meaningful Work, 10,000 Hours, and Opportunities to Make a Difference
By: Annika Swanson | Elementary Education major
After just three years of teaching at Maxfield Elementary, in the Rondo neighborhood of St. Paul, Ryan Vernosh crossed the stage to receive his 2010 Minnesota Teacher of the Year Award. Being nominated by Governor Mark Dayton, Vernosh beamed at the thought of getting somewhere with the work he had done. Vernosh had thought long and hard about what he wanted to get across to the teachers and aspiring educators in Minnesota. His strong beliefs about the achievement gap problem in the St. Paul school system is all that came to his mind up at the podium (Alumni Profile: UW-Madison).
“These gaps are unacceptable and are my driving force as I prepare to teach every day. It is my goal to continue these important conversations and share my experiences of what I and many others have done as we strive to eliminate the achievement gap and move all of our students toward excellence. Students living in poverty, students with exceptional needs, students from historically disenfranchised populations, all can and will succeed in my classroom.” (Sahli 0:00–1:00)
Now a principal at Maxfield Elementary, Ryan Vernosh is making a difference in all the classrooms. Author Malcolm Gladwell writes in his book Outliers: The Story of Success that energizing work is meaningful, which comes from having three distinct qualities: complexity, autonomy, and a clear relationship between effort and reward (Outliers, 64), all of which Vernosh has utilized to try and shrink the academic gap in his schools. Vernosh adopted Malcolm Gladwell’s ideas of meaningful work, 10,000 hours, and special opportunities to gain his success in his school district, and his own classroom.
Vernosh’s mind raced as he heard the news. His hard work paid off. His thoughts and ideas were finally being heard. Governor Mark Dayton appointed Vernosh to serve a four-year term on the Minnesota Board of Teaching and Vernosh was relieved to finally share the successes in his school district (Alumni Profile: UW-Madison). In one board meeting, he said:
“For me, the heart and soul of my teaching boils down to having an unshakable belief that all students can and will learn no matter what the circumstance. I cannot always control what happens outside of the school, but I do have great responsibility for what happens in my classroom, and I pledge to the families I serve that I will do everything in my power to ensure success for their child” (Alumni Profile: UW-Madison)
Vernosh came to teaching as a call to work for equity and social justice in his school and community. He believes that all children should have the opportunity to learn the same thing as everyone else under any circumstance. “Children from poverty, children with exceptional needs, children from disenfranchised and marginalized communities — all can and will achieve in his classroom.” Vernosh told his community after winning Teacher of the Year (U.S. Department of Education). Vernosh believes in the power of culturally responsive teaching, and this pushes Gladwell’s idea from Outliers of meaningful work. Vernosh genuinely cares for the students in his community, and promotes for equality in Minnesota’s schools, even though he has faced challenges from being in one of the poorest school districts.
Billy Beane, the Oakland A’s general manager depicted in the book and movie Moneyball, can be compared to Ryan Vernosh in the aspect of meaningful work. Beane advocated for his team and certain players who weren’t getting the chance to see the field because they didn’t look right or have some kind of wow factor. Vernosh advocates for his school and for his students to get a chance for the best education they can.
“I know these guys. I know the way they think, and they will erase us. And everything we’ve done here, none of it’ll matter. Any other team wins the World Series, good for them. They’re drinking champagne, they get a ring. But if we win, on our budget, with this team… we’ll have changed the game. And that’s what I want. I want it to mean something” (Moneyball)
Both men are in their professions because it means something to them, and something meaningful could come out of it that has the potential to change many peoples lives. Philosopher Susan Young touches on how meaningful work should make you happy, and finding the deeper meaning within your work should be your goal, which Ryan Vernosh has demonstrated. His job is most important to him and brings him joy when he sees the success in his students. “Reconnect to what makes you happy and brings you Joy. If there is something that used to make you happy which you have stopped doing, do it again. Seek to find deeper meaning and significance rather than living on the surface” (Young, Teacher Retention).
Knowing he wanted to impact lives somehow, Vernosh was excited to explore his options when he got accepted into the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Vernosh was born to teach, and he found his path in teaching, which led him to attend the University of St. Thomas for his master’s degree, which got him settled into the St. Paul area. His experiences in college with student teaching, all his studying to receive his master’s in education, and getting hired right into St. Paul Public Schools gained him a lot of attention. His many experiences confirmed he was in the right place (U.S. Department of Education).
Between his time at UW-Madison, St. Thomas, and his 15 years in the school district, Vernosh has received his Gladwellian 10,000 hours to become a professional at his vocation. “My time at UW-Madison has played a monumental role in my development as an educator. My passions focus around teaching for social justice and being an advocate for equity for all students, especially those that have been underserved as evident by the racial and socioeconomic achievement gap.” (Alumni Profile: UW-Madison)
Ryan Vernosh’s start to his 10,000 hours correlates with Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers, and how experience gets you closer to success. “To become a chess grandmaster also seems to take about ten years. (Only the legendary Bobby Fisher got to that elite level in less than that amount of time: it took him nine years.) And what’s ten years? Well, it’s roughly how long it takes to put in ten thousand hours of hard practice. Ten thousand hours is the magic number of greatness” (Outliers,41). Ryan Vernosh has hit his 10,000 hours through his meaningful work in the St. Paul schools, just like the Beatles got their 10,000 hours through their meaningful work by playing for 8-hours at a time in German clubs (Outliers 48) because 10,000 hours gets you to success, and Ryan Vernosh has reached that achievement.
“Regardless of how simple or complex the activity is that your practicing, your brain undergoes subtle yet significant changes as your skill mastery develops. In order to practice a skill, you first learn the basics of how it works. It may feel unnatural at first, and your brain may not be used to coordinating the series of actions required to complete the activity. Your brain cells are rewiring and forming new connections with one another through the process of neuroplasticity” (Miall)
Since Vernosh has been fighting for social justice and lowering the achievement gap for so long, he has found ways to master this idea and put it into place. His success in his school district has shown and solidifies that the 10,000 hour rule is effective in becoming successful.
Governor Dayton and Vernosh sat next to each other as they talked about Vernosh receiving the opportunity to serve a four-year term on the Minnesota Board of Teaching. His heart wanted to reach out to all the kids not given the right opportunities for education or treated like they deserve an education. Vernosh was given the opportunities to preach his teaching philosophies, and he was ecstatic he could make a difference in the Department of Education’s views and thoughts in Washington D.C. (U.S. Department of Education).
Being given the opportunity to be on the Board of Education led Vernosh to his job as principal at Maxfield elementary.
“Our academic achievement has seen double-digit gains on our state tests along with sustained improvement on our own formative and summative assessments. In addition to academics, we have seen a tremendous sense of brotherhood and sisterhood develop in each respective classroom community, resulting in decreased bullying and an all-around more positive learning environment.” (Alumni Profile: UW-Madison)
Because Vernosh had the opportunity to change the program, he has seen great success come out of it. Just like author and editor, Katelyn Beaty was given the opportunity as an editor at Christianity Today (Katelyn Beaty Interview). Or just like how Bill Gates was given the opportunity to use the University of Washington’s computers every night, he received his 10,000 hours from that opportunity and became very successful from that (Outliers 54).
“It is those who are successful, in other words, who are most likely to be given the kinds of special opportunities that lead to further success. It’s the rich who get the biggest tax breaks. It’s the best students who get the best teaching and most attention. And it’s the biggest nine- and ten-year-olds who get the most coaching and practice. Success is the result of what sociologists like to call accumulative advantage” (Outliers 30). Those who are given opportunities like Vernosh, Gates, and Beaty all took advantage and became successful. That is why Ryan Vernosh is known as one of the best educators in Minnesota today.
“For me, the heart and soul of my teaching boils down to having an unshakable belief that all students can and will learn no matter their circumstance. Students all will succeed in my classroom no matter where they are from, who they live with, what ethnicity they are” (U.S. Department of education). Vernosh’s mind raced as he thought of ways to better his own classroom each day. He believes these state tests are unfair and expose students who do not get the education they deserve. Treating each child as their own individual and not all the same remained floating in his thoughts. His thoughts and actions made him the man he is today, which is extremely successful in the education community (Alumni Profile- UW Madison).
“Special opportunities are the rule,” (Gladwell, Outliers). If everyone received the opportunity to practice 10,000 hours in what they consider meaningful work, everyone could be as successful as Vernosh, Gates, and Beane. It would make this world a better place if we all had people caring about their jobs and work as hard as the people we deem as successful. It is not fair that not everyone gets opportunities like Gates, Beane, or Vernosh. Being even a second too late from an opportunity can change your life for the bad or good. If given the opportunity, everyone could have the success they deserve, but Ryan Vernosh gives his students the opportunities that he got. With closing the education gap day by day, his students are feeling more empowered, and doing better in their academics. He believes all his students should receive the same educational opportunities he received, and he gives those kids opportunities each day they walk into Maxfield Elementary.
Works Cited
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Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers: The Story of Success. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2008. Print.
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Vernosh, Ryan. “Bulletin Interview with Ryan Vernosh.” Hangouts on Air. 05 January 2015.
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About the author: ANNIKA SWANSON
Annika Swanson, a freshman elementary education major from Plymouth, Minnesota, hopes to become a 5th-grade teacher at a Twins Cities elementary school. Swanson likes playing and coaching hockey, playing with her hamster, and cracking jokes.
What I’ve Learned:
Tell someone that they are someone each day to help them believe it someday.
Name your dogs, or no one is going to want to hear your story.
We are all brothers and sisters, so when you are speaking to them act like you care about them. Maintain eye contact, speak loudly and clearly, and don’t speak too fast like you want to get away from them.
We can’t be successful on our own so take the opportunities that are handed to you, even if they arescary.
Cherish your hopes and dreams because we live in a society where they are achievable. Not everyone gets the that opportunity. Be grateful for where you ended up, because not everyone ended up in a lucky place.
Use your writing to change lives. People need it.
Build on those relationships that are supportive of you. Do not look back one day and regret not putting time into someone. You could have benefited from it, and so could’ve they.
Do not give up, because if you do you will never know what could of come out of it if you kept going.
You can always improve things in your life. Proofread everything. Do not settle for draft one.
Give your audience so much detail that they believe they are in a movie theatre instead of in a classroom.
Listen to your peers and elders. Author and editor, Katelyn Beaty taught me that opportunities will come up, and you might have to end other important things for those opportunities. Things come to an end, and it might be sad but new things are to come and that is exciting. Grasp those new opportunities with all your might, and use those old important things you let go to help you grow in your new opportunity.
