March 31, 2008
Thoughts on MondayThoughts on Monday
A friend of mine who is an administrator in a neighboring School District once told me that her Superintendent told her this when she joined their leadership team: “If you are not going home exhausted at the end of the day, then you are not working hard enough.”
I am exhausted and definitely ready to go home.
Now, that does not mean that I have not enjoyed myself, learned a lot, and appreciated this conference. Oh, to the contrary. This has been one of the most enjoyable and worthwhile professional experiences of my career in public service.
Continue reading "Thoughts on Monday"
Posted by Andrew Mizsak, Blog Team, at 9:26 PM | Special Programs & Events
A Paperless Governance Solution that Increases Accountability and Community EngagementShare the Success Clinic
Accountability and Community Engagement: Communicating District Progress and Performance to the Public in a Continuous Improvement Model
Monday, March 31, 2008 11:15 AM-12:30 PM
Can your Board of Education go paperless? Is an electronic board meeting right for your district? Can you at the same time address accountability and community engagement on a budget? . BoardDocs Emerald Data provides a paperless governance solution. BoardDocs features contribute to a better experience for staff, board of education and the public. (See www.boarddocs.com. The phone number is 800-407-0141) This paperless solution complies with the open meetings act.
Marguardt School District 15 (Glendale, Illinois) http://www.d15.us/schools/mms/staff/678-encore.php highlighted the way to discuss accountability and community engagement. Their goal is to communicate district progress and performance to the public in a continuous improvement environment through BoardDocs Emerald Data.
1. Parent and community access to district information is important. Monthly communication with the community via public board meetings is a constant. BoardDocs educates and involves parents, students, and community stakeholders concerning district business and progress in achieving district goals. It helps build ongoing partnerships with community stakeholders. The public access page also allows the public to view committee meeting and agendas. Minutes of all meetings facilitate access to public information. The district’s mission and goals is the centerpiece of the BoardDocs homepage. All policies are also included.
2. The use of technology (BoardDocs Emerald Data Solutions) enhances community engagement. A search feature allows the constituent to quickly find answers. The superintendent and central office verified the paperless solution helps increase transparency with the public. The paper mailing to all constituents includes the web links to the district’s homepage and BoardDocs. Usually the superintendent’s executive assistant inputs the agenda, takes the minutes online, and receives ongoing upgrades. Having a director of technology helps coordinate the needs of the district with the wireless portal.
3. At the board level wireless communication increases internal communication in an affordable and immediate manner. This includes weekly reviews from central officers and committee meetings and agendas.
4. Benefits abound. It has proven to be cost effective. It makes more efficient use of time and personnel within the District. Also the flow and accessibility of information between the Board, community, parents and staff is increased.
5. The private site is password protected and visible only to specific members on the board and central office.
Unique properties of Marquardt School District 15
Essential standards of core subjects are in alignment. They are consistent between schools horizontally by grade and vertically between grades. This provides smooth transitions for student learning. Assessments are reliable and formative. The district has plans that address those students that don’t learn standards. Definite roles of strategic and operational responsibilities exist to advance student learning. At the base are core values.
Customer service requires input from stakeholders. Quarterly at parent/teach conferences, parents take a satisfaction survey. Staff and students also take the survey. The same twenty-five questions are asked each time. (Gallup can help your district ask the key questions for a healthy climate and educational culture.) From the results, the district addresses issues needing improvement.
Emerald Data BoardDocs can include a district scorecard. Each district can publish what it uniquely determines as most important. The input is displayed on the district BoardDoc site. Improve the system and you’ll improve results. It includes student achievement, safe and nurturing environment, fiscal health, customer service, and quality personnel. The priorities have corresponding goals. Each goal has indicators and timing. The priorities are hyperlinked to graphs and charts that are easily read by the public visiting the web site. This encourages consistent improvement. The school district can disaggregate the scorecard by school.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Posted by Molly O'Holleran, Blog Team, at 8:31 PM | Educational Sessions & Workshops
Life as a Board Member: Governing through the eyes of a twentysomething.Continue reading "Life as a Board Member: Governing through the eyes of a twentysomething."
Posted by Andrew Mizsak, Blog Team, at 8:07 PM
When the levy breaks... Communicate
Anoka-Hennepin [enr. 41,000] is the largest school district in Minnesota, and based on their presentation at the 2008 NSBA Annual Conference, one can only assume they are also the most prolific public education communicator in the state.
Vice Chairman of the School Board, Tom Heidemann, said the district got serious about community engagement when a levy failed to pass in 2001. “It was clear there were some communications gaps,” said Heidemann. After that, Anoka-Hennepin set a course for transparency, for an improved flow of information, and to regain the public’s trust. This session focused on their high-tech approach to improving communications.
As Director of Communications, Mary Olson added a couple staff to her team when the School Board was convinced that would deliver a sound return on investment. According to Olson, “Without understanding, there is often lack of support, and that is a key factor in the failure of [school] levies and bonds.” Olson and her team built a multi-faceted communications platform within the district.
Continue reading "When the levy breaks... Communicate"
Posted by Brian Wheeler, Blog Team, at 4:31 PM | Educational Sessions & Workshops
Legislative Update: A Briefing by our NSBA LobbyistsLegislative Update: A Briefing by our NSBA Lobbyists
National School Boards Association Annual Conference
Full Conference – Day 3
Monday, March 31, 2008
From Orlando, Florida
Andrew C.M. Mizsak
Member of the Bedford Board of Education (Bedford, Ohio)
E-Mail: amizsak@sbcglobal.net
Both this morning and this afternoon, the NSBA Legislative Staff provided for School Board Members a comprehensive briefing on legislative issues affecting public education at the Federal Level.
Here are some highlights:
• NSBA is continuing to work hard to promote HR 648 (NCLB Improvements Act, sponsored by Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska/At-Large), and those efforts are being led by our National Association President Norm D. Wooten of Alaska. This bill has 40+ provisions in it that would improve this law.
• With regards to federal funding – especially for Title I and IDEA; To provide public school districts with funding necessary for special education, and for mandates enumerated in NCLB.
• School-Based Medicaid Reimbursement: School Districts provide necessary health services to many students, and this has a large financial effect upon local School Districts. School Districts need money to provide these services, and we need to be rid of this underfunded mandate.
• Head Start: To support Head Start, provide Head Start instructors with opportunities for professional development; and for federal resources to be there for local head start agencies and school districts in order to help our youngest students begin to develop academically.
• Private school vouchers: The NSBA is in opposition to any and all funding for school vouchers.
It is encouraged that all School Boards pass the resolution in support of HR 648, and get their Member of Congress to sign the Pledge to America’s School Children if they have not done so.
Many of the things discussed this morning were those we lobbied for as Members of the FRN during our Day on the Hill in February. Our lobbyists work tirelessly on the issues that are important to this Association, and it is our duty as public officials to continue to convey to our Constituents what we stand for. We also have a duty to make contact and build relationships with our Members of Congress and serve as their local point persons on education-related legislation. As both our National Association and State Association lobbyists have said to us time and again, you want to be the person that your legislator or their senior legislative counsel calls to get the feeling of the public education community in their district when it comes to important pieces of legislation.
The way our lobbyists are effective, truly, in conveying the message of the public education community to elected representatives at the Federal and State levels is when Board Members are engaged and knowledgeable on legislative issues. To this end, we elected officials are looked at to be lobbyists on behalf of our local School Districts and our states in order to push for education-related legislation that makes sense. We, too, represent people, and if we say to our legislators that we are doing this on behalf of our constituents, our voices become a little bit louder, and our message becomes a little bit clearer.
I highly encourage you to get your District to pass the resolution in favor of HR 648, to continue to communicate with your constituents about ways they can get involved, and to communicate on a regular basis with your fellow elected officials.
For additional grassroots outreach information, please contact your State Association, or NSBA’s Kathleen Branch at kbranch@nsba.org
-A.Mizsak
Author’s Note: Andrew C.M. Mizsak is a Member of the Bedford Board of Education in Bedford, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, where he serves as it’s Legislative Liaison and National Affiliates Advisory Network (NAAN) Liaison. In addition to his District service, Mizsak is a Member of the Legislative Platform Committee of the Northeast Ohio and Ohio School Boards Associations, and is a Member of the Ohio Delegation of the National School Boards Association’s Federal Relations Network, coordinating the 10th and 11th Congressional Districts of Ohio.
Posted by Andrew Mizsak, Blog Team, at 2:51 PM
Religion and Public Schools: A First Amendment DilemmaContinue reading "Religion and Public Schools: A First Amendment Dilemma"
Posted by Andrew Mizsak, Blog Team, at 2:46 PM
Andrea Peterson - Teacher of the YearWhat an honor! Of all the teachers in the country who dedicate their lives to educating children, Andrea Peterson was chosen as the 2007 National Teacher of the Year. She began her speech by thanking all who paved the way to help her attain this level of distinction. Andrea is a music teacher and stated, “this was an unbelievable honor, a music teacher getting to speak to a bunch of school board members." The audience exploded with laughter and applause. She emphasized that there were so many people working together to help our children succeed. She thanked Board Members and community members for their overflow of support.
Andrea shared a story from earlier in her teaching career. She revealed that she made a "rookie mistake," and didn't take attendance prior to the start of a music concert. She talked about the importance of every member in the orchestra and how in this particular piece of music being played, she realized at the point of his solo, that the cymbal player wasn't there. Not only did he miss his queue, but in a moment of silence, someone exclaimed, "Wow, Joe didn't show up".
In short, the moral in Andrea’s story is that, "we all need to show up to the concert". She acknowledged that she failed as a teacher to show Joe just how important and valuable he was! Of course, this was a lesson learned and she has excelled to greater heights by making sure that she shows up for her students and values their contributions.
She inspired the audience by leaving us with the following quote:
"Everybody can be great... because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love."
-- Martin Luther King Jr.
Andrea is an amazing inspiration to the children of Granite Falls, WA and received this honor which was well deserved. Congratulations and continue the great work that you do on behalf of the children!
Posted by Terri Sharpp, Blog Team, at 2:07 PM | General Session Speakers
The path from 'random acts of improvement' to Baldrige excellence
Northbrook School District 27 northwest of Chicago [1,250 students in K-8] is about to submit its second application seeking recognition by the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Program. The Board of Education and staff were exposed to the Baldrige Framework at a past NSBA Annual Conference. In 2006, Northbrook submitted its first Baldrige application and in 2008 it will submit its second as they continue on their path of continuous improvement.
In this session, Northbrook Superintendent David Kroeze [Photo] shared background on the Baldrige framework and how his school district and board are using it as a tool for continuous improvement. Board member Sally Lane said it was not about getting the Baldrige award. “In all honesty… our focus is to figure what is important to us, how to get there, to then get there, and how to sustain it.”
Continue reading "The path from 'random acts of improvement' to Baldrige excellence"
Posted by Brian Wheeler, Blog Team, at 9:41 AM | Educational Sessions & Workshops
Sandra Day O'ConnorFor those who believe that civic engagement and learning is a core fundamental purpose for American education then listening to Sandra Day O'Connor was as exciting as the Westside High School Concert Jazz Band from Omaha, NE that played earlier in the session.
Former Justice O'Connor, who is now the co-chair of the Civic Mission of Schools, believes that civic learning has been pushed aside in this current environment of standardized testing and accountability. While she believes these are important goals we need to be careful that we don't lose sight of the fact that to sustain democracy we need an educated and informated citizenry.
Humorously, she cites a few alarming facts. For instance, only one third of Americans can name the three branches of government, but two thirds can name all Three Stooges. Less then 1 in 10 can name the Chief Justice of the US, but 7 out of 10 can name a judge for "American Idol"
She also noted that she's realizes that today's student is dramatically different. Education methods today need to be more engaging and relevant. She cited a few examples of Service Learning programs in Oregon, Maine and Arizona that have integrated civic education in an exciting project-based format. These classes are about teaching students to be citizens, and they will have a toolbox of skills.
Finally, she shared with us a project that is being collaboratively worked on at Arizona State and Georgetown University that is an interactive website to teach civics for K-12 student. It's scheduled to launch in the fall of this year. To learn more go to: http://www.ourcourts.org
Posted by Rich Parker, Blog Team, at 8:23 AM | General Session Speakers
21st Century SkillsThe mastery of 21st Century skills is a key requirement for every student regardless of their post high school graduation plans. These skills will have an enormous impact on students' prospects in today's global economy... this was the message delivered by Ken Kay, President Partnership for 21st Century Skills; Melissa Bartlett, Executive Director for 21st Century Learning, North Carolina; and Bob Hale, Board of Education member, Madison CT.
From their perspective the core subjects still need to be emphasized in education, however, additional emphasis must be placed on skills such as, problem solving, critical thinking, media literacy, global awareness, collaboration, and civic engagement.
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills is a non-profit organization located in Tucson, AZ. their mission is: "The Partnership for 21st Century Skills serves as a catalyst to position 21st century skills at the center of K-12 education by building collaborative partnerships among education, business, and community and government leaders."
So far, they're working in partnership with 7 states, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina, South Dakota, and Iowa.
Melissa Bartlett, from North Carolina provided the audience a State's perspective and Bob Hale give us the School Board viewpoint.
For more information on the Partnership for 21st Century Skills you can visit their website @http://www.21stcenturyskills.org
Posted by Rich Parker, Blog Team, at 7:23 AM | Educational Sessions & Workshops
What are the reasons students are absent in your school district?Absenteeism can be a chronic problem for some students, whether due to illness, family problems, or disengagement from school. For school districts, absenteeism often means a loss of state funding when average daily attendance (ADA) is the basis for funding. And absenteeism, of course, can also have a significant impact on student academic success.
Continue reading "What are the reasons students are absent in your school district?"
Posted by Brenda Greene, NSBA Staff, at 7:17 AM | Special Programs & Events
Rise and Shine: Don't Forget Breakfast and Pre-KMany dedicated preschool advocates woke up early today for the NSBA’s Pre-K Legislative Committee networking breakfast. These are school board members who signed up to join the Committee last October and are committed to be advocates to lobby for more federal investments in voluntary pre-k programs across the country. The Committee is part of NSBA’s advocacy programs in response to the increasing awareness that quality pre-k programs have long lasting positive effects on children’s development . This year, the Committee is geared up to respond to potential actions in Congress that would help states advance their pre-k programs or establish new programs. NSBA will host an online conference on pre-k messaging for the Committee members in April. For more information on the Committee and pre-k issues, check out www.nsba.org/prekcommittee and www.centerforpubliceducation.org.
Posted by Katherine Shek, NSBA Staff, at 6:58 AM | Special Programs & Events
Recognizing Effective School Boards Session CommentsThe Pennsylvania School Boards Assoc. is making use of the Iowa Lighthouse Study to strengthen their evaluation and recognition of effective governance. This year, they have adopted a new strategic plan, with the underlying belief that "excellence in the classroom begins with excellence in the board room".
Their newly devised Code of Conduct for Members of school boards, and associated recognition programs, helps boards focus on their role of governing.
As Pennsylvania has made use of the Iowa study, perhaps other state associations can utilize Pennsylvania's model in establishing similar programs. The session was inciteful & valuable.
Continue reading "Recognizing Effective School Boards Session Comments"
Posted by Rich Benson, Blog Team, at 4:31 AM | Educational Sessions & Workshops
March 30, 2008
Sunday ReviewThe 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!
Posted by Andrew Mizsak, Blog Team, at 8:42 PM | Conference Daily
Sodexho Making Every Day a Better DaySaturday 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!
Posted by Molly O'Holleran, Blog Team, at 7:49 PM | Orlando
Former Surgeon General David Satcher's Prescription for Health and WellnessFocus 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)
Posted by Molly O'Holleran, Blog Team, at 6:42 PM | Educational Sessions & Workshops
Developing a Grass Roots Network: OSBA’s Jennifer Economus gives pointers on advocacy at the most basic level.Posted by Andrew Mizsak, Blog Team, at 6:05 PM
Safety and Security: Working towards mitigating threats against our students and our schools.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.
Posted by Andrew Mizsak, Blog Team, at 2:59 PM
The Saturday RecapThe 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
Posted by Andrew Mizsak, Blog Team, at 2:57 PM | Conference Daily
Effective Use of Board CommitteesWould 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)
Continue reading "Effective Use of Board Committees"
Posted by Brian Wheeler, Blog Team, at 2:17 PM | Educational Sessions & Workshops
National Black Caucus of School Board Members Luncheon - Guest Speaker Dr. Lorraine MonroeThe 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.
Posted by Terri Sharpp, Blog Team, at 12:55 PM | Special Programs & Events | Comments (1)
Sharpening the District Leadership Through an IEP for the School Board and the Leadership TeamImagine 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.
Posted by Terri Sharpp, Blog Team, at 11:51 AM | Educational Sessions & Workshops | Comments (1)
Guess Who's Coming to the General SessionToday'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'.
Posted by Tom Reed, Blog Team, at 10:38 AM | General Session Speakers
Sidney Poitier Shares the Legacy of His LifeAt the beginning of this session, I wondered if I was in store for a rehash of the last speech Sidney Poitier gave for NSBA. Yet as his presentation unfolded, I realized I was in the presence of a great man who was before us distilling his experiences purely, authentically, and with much candor. The crowd had a pervasive feeling of a man sharing a meaningful life. I was struck by how much he loved his parents. His overwhelming gratitude and love for his mother helped mold him into the man he had become.
Over eighty-one years of life, Poitier experienced many challenges of poverty, homelessness, illiteracy, and prejudice. However, his speech was not one of animosity or bitterness. Through bits of self-deprecating humor, he portrayed the people who made a difference in his life. He often didn't know how to thank these people, but he remembered what they did that impacted his life for the better.
Maybe it is this type of sharing that can motivate each of us to be the person who chooses to take the time to recognize someone in need. In recognizing another, we are called to give that person the tools to be self-directed and empowered. Poitier discussed philanthropy. It reminds me that "what goes around, comes around." The ripple effect is powerful!
My favorite line was when Poitier said, "It doesn't matter how many times you fall. It matters what you with your time when you get back up." Thank you, Mr. Poitier, for sharing the legacy of your life. Thank you, NSBA, for bringing him to the 2008 Annual Conference in Orlando. (See related PBS article)
Posted by Molly O'Holleran, Blog Team, at 9:48 AM | General Session Speakers
Sidney PoitierPoitier's was quite the entertaining speaker. His deliberate, Bill Cosby like style, was enjoyable. He was terrific in his ability to intersperse humor with the "snapshots" of his life. Just when I thought his stories would end sadly, "wap wap", along came the humor.
While he didn't emphasize it, the fact that he lacked a proper education growing up didn't inhibit his success. That's a lesson for our kids.
Posted by Rich Benson, Blog Team, at 9:43 AM
$3 is too much for a bottle of water!If you agree with me, be sure to pick up your free water bottle from the NSBA School Health Programs display at the Health & Wellness Pavilion. I've been filling my bottle from the wonderful water coolers provided in every session room. And I plan to take my empty bottle through airport security and fill it with ice on other end.
Continue reading "$3 is too much for a bottle of water!"
Posted by Brenda Greene, NSBA Staff, at 8:57 AM | Exhibit Hall | Special Programs & Events | Comments (1)
Releasing Leadership Brilliance
How do you pick your sessions at NSBA? Do you find the topics challenging you in your school division? Do you look for marquee speakers? While I do both of those things, I also look for inspiration in the session title and description when I don't otherwise have a clear choice. That is what lead me Simon Bailey's "Releasing Leadership Brilliance" session Sunday morning. Who doesn't want to do that?
Bailey was introduced to the audience as someone who would reignite our passion and help us to inspire others to release their leadership brilliance. He did not disappoint.
Continue reading "Releasing Leadership Brilliance"
Posted by Brian Wheeler, Blog Team, at 8:02 AM | Educational Sessions & Workshops
Can You Hear Me Now Session CommentsA very good presentation from 9 presenters (all dressed alike in blue polo shirts). Board member tenure included individuals with 32, 24 and 17 years of experience! Their message was centered on communications. They started by explaining how they had experience sharing bad news. "The best way to eat crow is fast" was their take. Approaches for overcoming such situations included having student authored post cards sent to the media (extolling the virtues of the district). The most touching part of the presentation was the story about a Downs Syndrome grocery store bagger (Johnny) who took it upon himself to place hand-written "thought of the day" notes in customer grocery bags. The audience applauded following the video.
Continue reading "Can You Hear Me Now Session Comments"
Posted by Rich Benson, Blog Team, at 5:16 AM | Conference Daily
March 29, 2008
Understanding Student AspirationsFocus on Understanding Student Aspirations: Enhancing the Learning Environment
Saturday, March 29, 2008 3:45 P.M.
What makes a conference fun? It is the combination of learning new concepts, networking with other board members and superintendents, and (if you’re lucky) listening to someone who makes you laugh out loud while you’re being told some difficult truths. Positive change occurs when district leadership thoughtfully considers student, staff, and parent perceptions of school culture and climate.
Over the past twenty years Russell Quaglia (See http://www.qisa.org/about.php) has surveyed over 500,000 students and staff. Quaglia sums up his findings this way: “When administrators, teachers, and students become full partners in schools, self-worth is deepened. Everyone becomes more actively engaged in the teaching and learning environment. A sense of purpose permeates the efforts of all participants.”
Quaglia’s eight conditions that make a difference in student achievement fall into three categories: Self Worth (including belonging, heroes, and a sense of accomplishment), Active Engagement (including fun and excitement, curiosity and creativity, and spirit of adventure) and Purpose (including leadership and responsibility, and confidence to take action.) What surprised me is how important being recognized, supported, and valued contributes not only to a good climate but also to student and staff achievement.
In some ways Dr. Russell Quaglia’s three precepts parallel Dr. Willard R. Daggett’s three themes of Relationship, Rigor, and Relevance. (See http://www.leadered.com/) Both gentlemen base their hypotheses on research that provides a community-wide, common sense approach to increasing student learning, student achievement, and student success.
Posted by Molly O'Holleran, Blog Team, at 3:28 PM | Educational Sessions & Workshops
Meeting new Friends is a Convention HighlightOne of the best parts of coming to an NSBA convention is meeting board members, superintendents, and family members from other areas. In just a few minutes, you can learn a lot aboout school districts in other parts of the country. It helps make the bus rides or waiting in line more enjoyable. Since arriviing at noon yesterday, I've met some fantastic folks from Texas, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, New Mexico, Alabama, and even Florida. I'd like to meet folks from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and any US Possessions. We have many common problems, but we also have a common goal, 'improving the education of our nation's children'.
Posted by Tom Reed, Blog Team, at 3:12 PM | Orlando | Comments (1)
Blogging Increases Board Member's Community VisibilityConsultant and freelance writer Craig Colgan and school board members Brian Wheeler and Jennifer Abell provided a wonderful overview about blogging. They spoke to an over-flow crowd about this new and powerful tool. Craig's Blog Municipalist discusses blogging issues while Brians' Blog, SchoolMatters, and Jennifer's, Ready, Willing and Abell , deal with their school board issues. Everyone was encouraged to use blogs as another way to communicate with parents. If you have questions about blogging, these are the folks to contact!
Posted by Tom Reed, Blog Team, at 2:35 PM | Educational Sessions & Workshops | Comments (2)
Reading...and lots of itContinue reading "Reading...and lots of it"
Posted by Andrew Mizsak, Blog Team, at 12:32 PM
National Advocacy Networks Congressional LuncheonFeatured speaker Ken Kay opened the luncheon session by endorsing state partnerships with 21st Century Learning. 21st Century Skills promote economic stability and personal success in the United States. Anyone is welcome to explore Route 21 on their web site (www.21stcenturyskills.org). The Framework for21st Century Learning model looks like a half rainbow resting on four steps. Check it out.
The rate at which information is changing has created the need for a new educational model. Every twenty-four months the amount of technical information doubles. It no longer is enough just to know information. The questions become where do I find information and how do I work with information once I find it? The trend for current students will be three to five careers per lifetime.
Kay focused on federal and state legislation. Board members and superintendents can become federal advocates to spread the word about the relevancy of these skills. Legislative Bill S1483 (the Rockefeller Snow Legislation) is the 21st Century Incentive Fund. It provides a federal match for states who are part of this partnership. Nine state partnerships exist. Ask your governor and state commissioner of education if they would support this partnership in your state.
NCLB doesn’t come to terms with national assessment of many 21st century skills including technology competency. Kay sees NCLB being revised to include measurement of these global benchmarks. School systems need to emphasize critical thinking and problem solving. Our K—12 educational pedagogy and assessments must be in alignment with relevant career options that may not even exist at the current time. Our students will be competing with other students internationally for jobs. Funding should support education that prepares students for working and living in our changing global economy.
Posted by Molly O'Holleran, Blog Team, at 11:32 AM | Special Programs & Events
Got Gangs?I'm still thinking about the session I attended yesterday about gang prevention and intervention. Khaldun Everage, Gang Specialist for Chicago Public Schools made a huge impression on anyone who was in attendance. As part of CUBE's pre-conference programming, his energy and enthusiasm for a topic that is tough to handle was amazing. Mr. Everage's presence and style is engaging and he never let the school board members and others in the room grow bored. The message is clear--the gangs are almost everywhere and if you think they're not in your school system, whether your urban, suburban, or rural, you're wrong.
Gangs are powerful and they're getting more sophisticated. Mr. Everage stressed the importance of listening, not just as school board members, but every level of staff in the schools needs to listen to what students are talking about, from teachers to cafeteria workers. Popular culture often celebrates gangs and even those who many view as positive artists are still flashing symbols or perpetuating gang life. This was an afternoon that will be hard to forget.
Posted by Kevin Scott, NSBA Staff, at 11:19 AM
CUBE in the MorningCommunity Advocacy and Parental Engagement is clearly what will move a school to higher heights meaning achievement and accreditation. However, when the Parental Engagement is absent what is a school to do? Go to the community and build partnerships just don't complain, invest in parent liasons, just don't complain, invite college stduents to mentor or tutor, just don't complain.
If the mission is important then the message should be too - Get involved for the children's sake.
Urban districts continue to face problems with assigning students to schools where students want to actually attend. Sometimes it is overcrowding or sometimes oversubscription. The answer some say is to duplicate what is going on in the oversubscribed or overcrowded school in strategic areas throughout the districts.
Posted by Sandra Smith-Jones, Blog Team, at 10:47 AM | Special Programs & Events
Music to MotivateThe high-powered Concert Jazz Band from Westside High School in Omaha, NE provided quite a treat for conference attendees during the first general session the Annual Conference. The group, from the Westside 66 district, is easily one of the top jazz bands in the country.
Even more special was the band's encore performance as part of the Luncheon Concert Series.
Kudos to the band and their director for their hard work and energizing the conference!
Posted by John Boerger, Blog Team, at 10:43 AM | Conference Daily
Improving the Public Image of Your Board SessionThis was a very good session. The presenters were engaging as they explained the perception the community had, and the image they looked to create. The marketing efforts undertaken to improve this image were extensive. They included hosting expert speakers (covering professional learning & bullying prevention), opening of a state-of-the-art learning center, the creation of a leadership academy (for both teachers and administrators), a T-Shirt project (for 5700 students and staff), a new website, TV & radio advertising, as well as others. Their results were impressive! Rising ACT scores, better teacher and staff recruitment, legislator interest in the district, and a new "virtual school" for alternative learning. Overall, a wealth of information!
Continue reading "Improving the Public Image of Your Board Session"
Posted by Rich Benson, Blog Team, at 10:16 AM | Conference Daily
Lots to help school boards make informed decisons about health issues at this NSBA conferenceThis year's conference is providing a great opportunity for school board members to learn about a wide range of health issues, their impact on learning, and policies and practices that will make a difference for students and their success in school.
Posted by Brenda Greene, NSBA Staff, at 9:45 AM | Educational Sessions & Workshops
A Morning Chock-Full of InformationContinue reading "A Morning Chock-Full of Information"
Posted by Andrew Mizsak, Blog Team, at 8:38 AM | Conference Daily
Seeing the SchoolsCUBE is one of the groups that has pre-conference meetings before the NSBA Annual Conference, and about 50 school board members visited three different Orange County Schools on Thursday. I went along for the ride and got to see hands on some of the great things that are happening in Orange County. Our morning started off with a briefing from the school district where superintendent Ronald Blocker emphasized that academic rigor is the most important component for his district. He encourages all students, regardless of their background or family situation to strive for academic success. I visited Jackson Middle School, where Dr. Joseph Miller and his staff have embraced the AVID program (Advancement Via Individual Determination). AVID is tough, but worth it. Students go through an application to determine their likes, dislikes, and where to focus their attention. These students are often those who have the “potential” stamp put on them, but lack the structure and the support system to know how to get from potential to college (yes, they talk about college in middle school). All the subjects are taught, but Dr. Miller and his staff work in a unique way so that the students are active and engaged. They’ve been so successful there, they were named an AVID Development School and are accustomed to men and women coming in to eaves drop and see what’s happening.
Dr. Miller emphasized that his staff has complete buy-in with AVID and are eager to learn more about how to help the students at Jackson through regular staff development. Jackson also has an IB program for middle grades and as we visited classrooms we could see student work that incorporated higher level thinking and encouraged personal exploration for students. Tutors brought in from high schools and local colleges helped in a math class and as we disrupted classes the day before their spring break, students were still on task and working well. It’s encouraging to see that at any school, but one that has a high poverty rate and student turnover is especially important. It was evident that the students there were learning and engaged and Jackson clearly is a school that shows hard work and a great staff create success for students.
Posted by Kevin Scott, NSBA Staff, at 7:49 AM | Special Programs & Events
Making Meetings MatterI had the pleasure of attending one of the Early Bird sessions called Making Meetings Matter. The presenters were from the Illinois Association of School Boards and it was very informative with wonderful attendee participation and discussion. Here's some of the highlights...
Ingredients of a Successful Meeting
1. A focus on board work
2. Effective participation by individual members
3. Effective leadership by the presiding officer
4. Efficient procedures for transacting routine business
5. Well-understood rules of order
6. Legal compliance
7. Good record keeping, both minutes and policies
8. A mutually supportive relationship with the superintendent
9. Procedures for policy making and other board functions
10. Public participation that is orderly, democratic and constructive
Continue reading "Making Meetings Matter"
Posted by Jennifer Abell, Blog Team, at 6:23 AM | Special Programs & Events
A brush with greatnessLast night was really a thrill. During the Leadership Reception (with NSBA officers, Board of Directors, and state presidents), an unexpected guest dropped in. As I was waiting for the receiving line to greet the officers, a colleague brought a familiar face to step in front of us. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor had decided to join the reception.
She was wonderful! Justice O'Connor spent time chatting with reception attendees, and when Anne Bryant introduced her, she was gracious enough to speak to the crowd. She thanked the school board members for the work they do on the behalf of children to make education better -- and she acknowledged what a difficult job school board members have.
This blogger was not only moved, but inspired. For more inspiration, be sure to go to Justice O'Connor's General Session later this morning.
Posted by Christina Gordon, NSBA Staff, at 6:13 AM