The Sunday Review
National School Boards Association Annual Conference

Trip Day 4 – Full Conference Day 2.

Sunday, March 30, 2008
From Orlando, Florida

Andrew C.M. Mizsak
Member of the Bedford Board of Education (Bedford, Ohio)
E-Mail: amizsak@sbcglobal.net

9:37 PM EDT

As I write this, I just found out less than a half hour ago that the body of US Army Staff Sergeant Keith Matthew “Matt” Maupin from Batavia, Clermont County, Ohio, who has been missing in action in Iraq since 2004 has been recovered and identified.

My condolences go out to the Maupin Family, the US Army, and my colleagues in Batavia and Clermont County. This is a sad day for the State of Ohio and the United States.

Let us all say an additional prayer for all of our men and women in uniform this evening.
Now, back to the original reason why I wrote this blog…

Today was a very productive day that just flew by. It is amazing how quickly the 8 ½ hours of sessions went by. I attended three very, very good sessions on two of my favorite topics: school safety and security and legislative lobbying. In two of the sessions, the presenters were friends of mine, so I was just thrilled to see them in action. The best part is that I was able to learn even more from them, and build upon previous presentations and conversations I have had with those individuals.

One of the most rewarding experiences I have had during the past few days has been the opportunity to bond with some of my fellow Ohioans, and continue to build and strengthen existing relationships.

In the first seminar, I thought it was great to hear from people who have dealt with incidents of school violence because they can provide a perspective that is cannot be found elsewhere. It is also good when one of the presenters oversees the federal program that is responsible for the administration of the Safe and Drug Free Schools, and I truly appreciate his willingness to answer questions and his accessibility to all of us. How often do you hear of a Flag-Level Federal official providing his business cards and e-mail address for us in order to contact him in case we needed additional information or had any other questions? I think that is great.

The other two presenters in that session also made the continuum of involvement of everyone from law enforcement to the Board of Education during a crisis situation come to life. That perspective hit home with me, given our District’s own lockdown situation two weeks ago, and how well everything worked and everyone knew what to do in order to properly respond to the situation.

In addition to the seminars I attended today, I was able to catch up on some reading regarding security measures that can be implemented into the design and layout of a school building.
Using the physical plant and structure of a building to protect all who are in it is the first layer of security. Use all of the tools you have available to you – it saves you money, it gives you familiarity with what you have, and it one of the “home court” advantages you have.

On a personal note, I just want to say thank you again to my OSBA colleagues. When I was elected to this position 2 ½ years ago, I never thought I would gain so many dear friends, and end up having yet another group of people in my extended family. They are a first class bunch of people, and I am so proud, blessed, and honored to be associated with them.

Tomorrow is the last full day of the conference, and I am looking forward to learning more in the morning!

Saturday night Sodexho, http://www.sodexousa.com/, hosted an eventful evening of tasty international foods, cool beverages, and incredible music. Lorna Donatone, President of Sodexho, thanked her Sodexho staff for their hard work all year. She also thanked the B.B. King’s Blues Club staff for making it a night to remember.

B.B. King’s all-star band featured eleven musicians who played the blues, Motown, R & B, and classic rock. (http://orlando.bbkingclubs.com/)They were incredible! It was a lively evening for school board members, superintendents, spouses, and Sodexho employees to celebrate at Pointe Orlando. I wish I could include some of the music to share with you.

Sodexho states, “Our goal is to drive greater satisfaction. Every day. Meeting our global responsibilities and the needs of our communities and our world is a part of who we are. Diversity and inclusion, sustainability, wellness, and fighting hunger are fundamental to our commitment to making every day a better day for us all.”

They certainly satisfied many attendees at NSBA’s 68th Annual Conference in Orlando. Thanks, Lorna!

Focus on Education Lecture

Focus on Health and Wellness: An Imperative for School Leaders in the 21st Century

2:00-3:15 PM

Dr. David Satcher stressed the importance of school districts promoting health and wellness. Students and teachers that are in good health miss fewer days of school and perform better when they attend. Below is his prescription:

1. Participate in Physical Activity (at least five days a week for 30 minutes). Allow every child to develop lifelong habits of exercise. It’s not just for jocks!

2. Prevent Obesity. Avoid dense calories, sweets and fats. Eat more whole grains, fruits and vegetables (five a day of varied colors). Drink low-fat milk.

3. Avoid tobacco use. Is your state smoke free in public places? If not, think about being a legislative advocate.

4. Don’t abuse substances: Children replicate what they see at home. What kind of example to you set?

5. Educate students about responsible sexual behavior. Approximately twenty-five percent of adolescents today have contracted sexually transmitted diseases. Satcher stressed abstinence education isn’t working: many students engage in sexual activity regardless of its inclusion or exclusion in their school curriculum. When students learn about sexual behavior in school, they aren’t necessarily more inclined to be sexually active. Studies show education about safe sexual behavior can effectively reduce high-risk behavior.

(For more information on Dr. David Satcher see a News Hour with Jim Lehrer http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/health/jan-june02/satcher_1-21.html)

(more…)

Safety and Security: Working towards mitigating threats against our students and our schools.
National School Boards Association Annual Conference

Sunday, March 30, 2008
From Orlando, Florida

Andrew C.M. Mizsak
Member of the Bedford Board of Education (Bedford, Ohio)
E-Mail: amizsak@sbcglobal.net

This morning, I attended the seminar put on by William Modzeleski, Associate Assistant Deputy Secretary of Education for Safe and Drug Free Schools; Thomas Heffelfinger, the former United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota; and Shamus O’Meara, dealing with school safety and violence prevention. These gentlemen had first-hand insight, as they were key players in the response to the school shooting in Red Lake, Minnesota. As a Board Member who is interested in school safety and security, given my professional background, I found their comments to be invaluable, because of the perspective they had due to their work following the incident they responded to.

To give you some background, the school shooting in Red Lake, Minnesota, occurred on the Tribal Reservation Lands of the Red Lake Tribe. In all ten individuals were killed, including the shooter (suicide), a Red Lake Tribal Police Officer (the shooter’s grandfather; he was killed and the weapons used in the massacre were law enforcement tactical weapons); a School Security Officer who confronted the shooter at the door, and seven others. According to the presenters, the additional loss of life was prevented due to the incredibly quick response of the Red Lake SWAT Team.

As I mentioned in a previous post, in light of the tragic events at Virginia Tech, at Northern Illinois University, and other places, school safety and security is back in the forefront in the law enforcement, educational, and governmental bodies. Within the past year, in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, where I am from there was a shooting at SuccessTech High School in Cleveland, Ohio, where the shooter ended up taking his own life after injuring four individuals (two teachers and two students). The response by the Cleveland School District Police, the Cleveland Police, the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, and others, prevented the additional, senseless loss of life.

The presenters mentioned two publications written by the US Secret Service that were released in 2002 dealing with school safety and security, and recommended them to Board Members for reading. Having read these two documents, I can tell you the Secret Service did an excellent job in dissecting incidents of school violence and coming up with how to assess threats against institutions of education. This, coming on the heels of the FBI’s report in 1999-2000, following the Columbine massacre, has demonstrated, at least to me, that the Federal Government is cognizant of threats against schools.

The District right next door to mine, the Cuyahoga Heights Local Schools, has an excellent presentation on how to handle a crisis in your District. Their approach includes having your local safety forces know the layouts of all of your buildings, especially if you are part of a multiple-community school district, and you have officers from other communities possibly responding in your buildings. Our colleagues from Cuyahoga Heights have done an excellent job in continuing to update their crisis plan and retrain on it, and it is looked at as a model for how to handle any situation arising in your school. The Cuyahoga Heights Local Schools are served by three police and three fire departments who continuously work as a team to make sure their plan continues to be effective.

Our friends from Cuyahoga Heights have an excellent, structured way of handling the business of their District and dealing with safety issues. I have seen this presentation several times, and each and every time, it gets better because the information is always current and relevant to what is going on.

In our own School District, we had an incident where our High School was locked down for over an hour, and because of our crisis plan, our training, our drilling with the students, and our partnerships with our local safety forces (four police departments and three fire departments; not including the rest of the mutual aid compact; and/or any other law enforcement agency).
Through the hard work of our District staff, and our law enforcement partners, there was no incident of violence, the suspect was apprehended, and none of our students at BHS or any other individual in the building was ever in danger.

The two presentations both discussed the incident command system (ICS) and the National Incident Management System (NIMS), and the establishment of a unified change of command in the event of a threat to school safety (all hazards; not just gun-related or violent). In our incident, the ICS worked. The building-level administrator handled it initially, and then so-on and so-forth. ICS saves lives and protects property because it lets people know who is in charge of whom, where and how resources will be deployed, and how to effectively handle and mitigate a situation.

As the presenters from Minnesota reminded us, there is no set profile of a school shooter, and as the Cuyahoga Heights presenters reminded us, all of us must be vigilant and be on guard for any type of threats to our schools: shooters, bombs, etc.

One of the issues that we had to deal with when BHS was in lockdown two weeks ago was that parents wanted to try to get into the locked and secured building during the lockdown to retrieve their children. Students in class (who were in clear violation of Board Policy) were text messaging their parents, friends, etc., and letting them know that we were in a lockdown. It is never the intent of the District to keep parents from their children, but when our staff is trying to restore and maintain the environment to a secure level, it is detrimental to all involved to be trying to get in the building.

Safety and security is now at the same level as curriculum and instruction, and in order to provide the best possible educational opportunities to our kids, we must have the means in place to protect them. It is only through the vigilance of all of us that we can prevent another senseless act of violence.

The key, as both presentations mentioned, to dealing with crises, is to engage in partnerships with our safety forces, other units of local government, and other agencies that provide health and wellness services, and to always be ready.

The Saturday Recap
National School Boards Association Annual Conference
Full Conference Day1 (Trip Day 3)

From Orlando, Florida
Saturday, March 29, 2008 (late, late at night)

Andrew C.M. Mizsak
Member of the Bedford Board of Education (Bedford, Ohio)
E-Mail: amizsak@sbcglobal.net

After a long day of activity all about the Orange County Convention Center Complex, I can say that the first full day of the 68th NSBA Annual Conference was truly outstanding. Whether it was in a seminar breakout session, or an inspirational speech by retired US Supreme Court Associate Justice Sandra Day O’Connor on a topic near and dear to my heart – civics education, to listening to the sounds of a great high school jazz band from the Cornhusker State of Nebraska, this Conference has, so far, been everything I have hoped for and more.

The thing that truly makes this conference one of the best professional events I attend on a regular basis is because of the people involved with it. The NSBA Staff, including, the new friends I made in February at FRN: Executive Director Anne Bryant, Kathleen Branch and Marc Egan from the legislative side of the house, and Christina Gordon and Linda Embrey in communications; coupled with our OSBA Staff who are here in Orlando, and our fellow Board
Members from across the country, give this conference the spark and overarching passion for public education that make this experience so special.

What just thrills me to death is that there are so many Board Members from across the country that are interested in learning more about No Child Left Behind, and what NSBA is doing to try to correct the flaws of this law. While it can be argued that the initial intent of this legislation was good, and that the Federal Government did want to do what it could to help our students compete on a global level, it hamstrung local Boards of Education and School Districts. Our fellow Board Members recognize this, and have said “What can I do to help?” Norm Wooten of Alaska, our National Association President, keeps reminding us that there are over 50 million public school children and 95,000 school board members that we represent and serve, and that we have to be a strong voice for them and for each other. In doing so, we must continue to lobby our Members of Congress to support HR 648, the NCLB Improvements Act, sponsored by Rep. Don Young of Alaska, and continue to find additional co-sponsors.

The thing about NCLB is that there are so many complexities to this law, and that the NSBA staff is so gracious and accommodating in presenting it to Board Members in a way that we can take back home to the people we represent and serve. I truly believe that if we continue to band together like this, we may see some progress on NCLB.

With regards to Justice O’Connor’s speech (and, I know that one of my fellow Blog Team Members wrote about it for Board Buzz), I am just tickled to see that a trailblazing figure in American History has taken this lead in saying that we need to do more to teach our schoolchildren about history, government, and those social science topics that mean so much to me. When I was in graduate school, and I was teaching American Government, I could see the disparity in the level of knowledge with regards to civics education among the students in my class. It was apparent that there was a gap among those from Urban school districts to suburban, highly funded school districts, and everywhere in between in the knowledge the students had.

I ask you, if it is our job to educate the future leaders of our land, then why is it nearly impossible to educate those future leaders by teaching them the rules of the game: how our government functions, what path did we take to have this system of government, and so on and so forth. While STEM subjects are important – yes, we live in a knowledge-based and technology-based economy – civics, too, affects each and every one of us from the cradle to the grave. From the moment a child is born, the government is already there (with a birth certificate). If a person wants to pursue a career in the STEM arena, they need to know that there are statutes and administrative regulations that govern every given profession – so why not give them a basic comprehension of government?

I would never say “we are teaching too much math,” or “we are focusing way too much in reading,” as I would be run out of town as a school board member, but within civics education, you can incorporate – you must incorporate – reading and math. While I am not a math guy, per se, I know I need those who excel in math to help me do my job. Our School District, for example, has a great Treasurer, who knows her way through the ins and outs of a budget, a CAFR, or any other financial document, and while I have a basic understanding of public finance, and can navigate my way through the language of an appropriations resolution, Janet Pavlic can break things down for me in a way I can understand. I am just really happy, though, to hear someone say that civics is just as important as any other subject.

Of course, I may be biased…growing up as the son of my parents, and having a seat at our dinner table was a lesson in civics education in and of itself.

I also want to share with you, briefly, a bit about the people who comprise the NSBA Blog Team for this conference. We all believe that blogging is a great way to communicate to our constituents back home and to anyone else in the blogosphere who may be paying attention, what we are about, what we are doing, and how we are serving and representing you. I had an opportunity yesterday to swap some ideas and share some thoughts with my colleague Molly O’Holleran of Nebraska. Molly is a veteran Board Member, but very excited to be sharing her experiences here in Orlando with the rest of us, and excited about the use of electronic communication like blogs. Her energy and insight as a Board Member, a mom, an educator, and community activist is infectious, and has encouraged me to rise to my blogging A-game.

Finally, one of the highlights of this conference, at least for me, and I believe I can say for the Ohio Delegation, is our annual State reception. Last night’s reception had an Ohio feel, as we were at Sea World, and I wondered how much of the stuff there used to be in Aurora? The Ohio reception is a great time for all of us to relax for a little bit; share in each other’s company as friends and colleagues; beg, borrow, and steal ideas from each other; and come together as a state delegation. Our State President, Edward Bischoff from Delaware County, has a great motto for his year as President: “Expect students to excel,” and this mantra is spreading to all of us to the effect of “If we excel in all we do, then our students will excel in all they do.”

Cuyahoga County is well represented by Board Members from Bedford, Berea, Maple Heights, Warrensville Heights, the ESC, Parma, Brecksville-Broadview Heights, and Independence, and we Bearcats are thrilled to be joined by our Lake Erie League brethren from Maple Heights and Warrensville Heights.

Day one was great…it truly was. Board Members are in tune with the issues that are affecting public education both in and out of the classroom. A little less than a year ago, the NSBA was gathered in San Francisco for our Annual Conference, and during one of the convention days, the tragic events that happened at Virginia Tech made us realize how we must work to protect our children and our schools. So many Board Members have been attending seminars pertaining to school safety and security, and as a former Member of the Ohio Campus Security Task Force that was created as part of the Buckeye State’s response to this tragedy, I am encouraged to see how serious everyone is taking this issue.

I look forward to an exciting second day of the Conference. Until tomorrow, I remain…

A grateful public servant,
A.Mizsak

Would you like a way to streamline your board work? Can you imagine a school board meeting where two hours is a long night? Want a strategy for taking on the challenges of your division in manageable pieces? South Colonie Central Schools in Albany, NY says the secret to good governance is the effective use of board committees.

(L to R: Board members Brian Casey, Tim Ryan, and Rick Dunn; and Superintendent Michael Marcelle)

(more…)

The guest speaker for the annual National Black Caucus of School Board Members Luncheon this year was Lorraine Monroe, educator and founder of the Frederick Douglas Academy located in Harlem, New York. Dr. Monroe thrilled the audience with her no-nonsense approach to educating our black youth. Her career and experiences have spanned the globe and her attainment of success in education is immeasurable.

Her charge to board members and administrators in the audience was to, “make our teachers crazy about the children!” She indicated that we need to challenge our children, from the womb and give them experiences that will take them well beyond high school. Dr. Monroe stated that, “the first step to college begins in kindergarten.” “As educators, she indicated that we can’t be just what the kids like; we have to ask more, demand good behavior and change their lives.” It is important to equip all children for the future and beyond.

It is easy to see why Dr. Monroe has attained her level of success in educating children because she has high expectations for our youth, accepts no excuses from staff and understands that you can’t change home, but knows that a child can be transformed from those circumstances. Her belief that you can create high achieving schools and transform children’s lives is real!

Dr. Monroe also indicated that teachers and administrators need to be on the same page at the same time. She stated that teachers cannot be children and shouldn’t dress like them or try to be their friends. Teachers are there to teach, inspire and motivate children to learn. There must be clear boundaries for success.

In the closing remarks, Dr. Monroe asked everyone in the room to stand and repeat these words: “With these hands, with this heart, with this mind, we can do anything!” Imagine starting the day at your school with this pledge. The children will learn it, live it and love it. I left that luncheon knowing that we have to meet our children where they are, show them love and teach them. They need to understand, according to Dr. Monroe, “that going to school is their job and that they need to get a diploma”. We should give them life changing experiences as young as possible so they know about college and have a plan to get there. Dr. Monroe told a story about learning various folk songs in her middle school years and how that impacted her later in life when she traveled to Europe. Her comment to a child, “you belong anywhere your American Express card takes you,” is a testament to her commitment of educating all children and changing their lives. She has no limits on what our children are capable of doing. Dr. Monroe is a dynamic speaker with an amazing message for educators. Attending this luncheon has definitely been a highlight for me! I am inspired to return to my district and assure that our children are positioned for true educational success. To read more about Dr. Monroe and her successful school model, see her book, Nothing is Impossible: Leadership Lessons From Inside and Outside the Classroom.

Imagine this, an IEP (Individual Educational Plan) for individual board members, the board as a whole, the superintendent and his or her administrative team. This fresh approach for assessing and improving that district’s climate was presented my Chuck Namit who spoke as a school board member with valuable knowledge and tools to identify individual strengths and weaknesses.

According to Mr. Namit, “The Individual Educational Plan develops a training matrix to manage weaknesses and build on strategies, with the goal of better governance that leads to improved student achievement.” This in itself is worth investing the effort to build stronger teams and creating environments conducive to learning.

We are all familiar with the development of IEP’s for our students and the intended goal to improve their achievement. It is important to understand the three distinct teams that should also develop IEP’s. The Leadership Team is comprised of the Governance Team (the Board) and the Management Team (the superintendent and his or her administrative team). With constant change in the composition of school boards and administrators, it is important to understand, that “whenever you have a new board member, you have a new team.” This also holds true for a change on the Management Team.

Mr. Namit also discussed the ten characteristics of well functioning teams and challenged all in attendance to complete a team climate survey. This survey required that we rate our board’s functioning on a 10 point scale, 1 being excellent. The questions were very thought provoking and are useful in assessing where your board currently is, in the eyes of its members. This exercise is the beginning of the process to build a Board IEP training matrix which identifies areas of weakness and strengths and results in goals being developed.

The importance of cultivating a climate of trust was explored. Individual board members have to understand that it’s not just their words, but also their body actions that acknowledge whether or not trust exists. Key characteristics of trusting relationships include open communication and consistent behavior to name a few.

Two different governance models were discussed to indicate the varied responsibilities of each team. The traditional Governance Model and the Policy Governance Model were explored in detail to indicate how most boards are governed. By examining the two models, it is useful in identifying Governance Team and Management Team boundaries. Namit indicates that, “it is important to establish and maintain a supportive Board – Superintendent relationship.” By self assessing each individual team, the possibility for improving the school climate, increases greatly.

I appreciated this fresh approach and the tools that we were given to apply in our districts. It gives each board an opportunity to look in the mirror, identify areas for improvement and focus totally on governance and student achievement. Isn’t that what we really are supposed to be doing as board members? I plan to challenge the board that I serve on to participate in developing our own IEP. This type of action will make us stronger as a governing body for our children.

Today’s general session speaker was ‘the’ Sydney Poitier. The Academy Award winning and knighted actor told his life-story with a series of 12 ’snapshots’. Mr. Poitier success in life didn’t come easy, but he was grateful to the many diverse people that helped him along the way. He told a very captivating story starting with his pre-mature birth in Florida and largely culminating with his arrival in Hollywood. He recognized the contributions that others made, from his mother who raised him with a firm hand (WAP! WAP! discipline) to a charitable New York Policeman that helped him find a tempory home and the waiter that helped him learn to read. I’ll have to read his book The Measure of a Man : A Spiritual Autobiography, but based on his statements of growing up on a ’semi-primitive’ island in the Bahamas to signing up to join the Army in at 16, I don’t believe Mr. Poitier had much in the way of a formal eduction. Even at 80 years young and having a very successful life, he feels ‘the best may be yet to come’.