Summer 2009 Plans

Summer is here! Time for students and educators alike to step back, recharge their batteries and formulate a plan for the upcoming school year. Accordingly, this blog will be doing the same. I will be putting this blog on hiatus until the 2009-2010 school year commences. When it does commence there will be much to talk about including observations on a fledgling student dress policy in the district where I am employed, the second year of the cyber academy of which I am the coordinator and the reshaping of educational policy and direction under President Obama. All of that and more to come! I will be “tweeting” when the occasional educational topic warrants, so have your ears on for those. Thanks….and enjoy your Summer!

Status Report

As I look back on my experiences of the past year, I can honestly say that I do so with a certain level of satisfaction. Satisfaction? Yes. Contentment? No. I feel somewhat satisfied because I came into a brand new position this school year and helped shape it or influence it into what it became. I helped lead a brand new district endeavor and did so with an improved bottom line and positive feedback from the administrators to whom I report. However, I feel no contentment because there are new challenges ahead that require my focus and all the skills in my tool set, in order to meet them successfully.

 

When I look back on what helped me to make this year a success, I can look at three things. The first is my organizational skills. I believe these helped me to create order where there was none previously. Again, with this being year one in our district’s cyber education venture it is important to realize that there was very little process or protocol in place. Part of the challenge, and fun, was the creation and implementation of these protocols. I believe my organizational skills helped me meet this challenge. Another skill that I believed helped me tremendously was my ability to communicate effectively. More important than the actual skill was my commitment to utilizing it on a daily basis. Not only was this my first year leading a brand new district venture, but I was also interacting with an entirely new set of colleagues who knew very little about me or more specifically, my work ethic. I wanted to make sure that these new peers saw me in the way that I wanted to be seen: As a district coordinator with good organizational skills, a commitment to communication, and a sincere willingness to lead. I believe that willingness was evident in my daily actions as coordinator as well as in my interactions with administrators and staff.

 

As I head towards next school year I also know that there are many areas where I need to show growth and development. These are the areas which prohibit me from feeling that sense of contentment that I mentioned earlier. I believe I must gain more experience with the management of staff, specifically in the teacher observation process. I aim on improving my knowledge base of school law and district policy as well. My goal is to get to the point where I do not have to ask administrators for answers or reassurance on these matters because my grip on understanding them has become so strong. Finally, on a personal note, I believe I need to toughen my skin, so to speak. Currently, it is hard for me to not take work personally. My work / work ethic is a reflection of who I am. When someone calls into doubt the quality of my work or the sincerity of my intentions, it is hard for me to not take these things personally. I also know that if I am to have a successful career as an administrator I must make strides in this area. Without a doubt I know I must make a consistent effort to improve in this area and if I do, it will only benefit the quality of my work in the long run.

 

In the coming school year I hope to maintain those skills which I believe have helped me to be successful and improve in those areas where I know I need growth and development. I will also be researching various doctoral programs. I’d like to find a program that deals with technology in education, but I go into the process casting a wide net and may just find a direction that will be as new and exciting to me as distance education is now. I also will work on my writing skills over the next few school years. I already host an education based blog (www.douglaspalmieri.wordpress.com) and I am interested in writing for publication as well. While writing is a hobby and something I enjoy, I also know that solid writing skills will only aid me as a future administrator and doctoral program candidate. 

Tweets Ahead

Frequent visitors to the Douglas Palmieri / Ed_Blog site will notice the new link providing a click-through to the Douglas Palmieri Twitter page. This new micro-blogging feature will allow the blog to offer both content -rich entries commenting on the world of education and now, a link to a quicker, streamlined method of communicating about current education based events. Because of the nature of both methods of communication I believe that  the blog and the Twitter feeds will work hand in hand in bringing our audience a more complete user experience. For example, I will be co-presenting at a local Intermediate Unit this Friday March 27th in relation to my participation in cyber education. You can look for some tweets as we head towards that experience, and as a result of it. Please enjoy this new offering and as always, please feel free to post a comment or two with your thoughts and opinions. Thanks – Doug

Revisiting Resolutions

I like making resolutions. I however, call them goals. It’s easier, I believe, to be goal oriented than resolute. It just sounds better and its targets sound somewhat easier to achieve when called goals and not resolutions. With that being said as 2009 was just getting its legs I wrote in this space about resolutions that our soon to be President could make in regards to education (President Obama’s Resolutions for Education). I’m not sure what President Obama would call them (my guess is goals), but I do know that he has made the State of Education a major focus as part of his new budget. As an educator I believe that our place within the global community is dependent on the workforce that we prepare so I was very happy (thrilled really) when I heard him mention his goals in relation to his budget proposal.

The problem is (you just knew one was coming, be honest) how the significant amount of funding that President Obama has appropriated is distributed. The funding will not arrive to states and districts in the form of block grants that allow local education agencies to decide how best to use it. It will be attached to specific programs and for use with those programs only. I understand the reason for this. The government wants to ensure financial responsibility and prevent political casualties that could develop from a scandal. However, our students needs should trump savvy political maneuvering. Especially  in the current state that the United States of America finds itself in.

As I stated in the aforementioned article on Obama’s Resolutions for Education, our students today require a full service approach to their learning and advancement. MSNBC.com reported today about the “tidal wave” of homelessness that is effecting our youth. This article (required reading for educators really) is just the latest example of how the full service model of education is growing in both need and acceptance. Sadly the days of students walking through the school doors and being ready to learn, without any help, are long gone. It is an assumption we can not make anymore. Instead we must  assume that if a student is not coming to school ready to learn that he or she has a need that must be met first in order for that learning process to begin. While government assistance in the form of block grants would have given states and school districts options in meeting the ever growing needs of its student populations, these entities still have a very powerful force in meeting those goals: A resolute group known as teachers.

The Wave Builds

A while back I discussed a move I was making to Cyber Education, while also discussing the overall growth of the Cyber sector of education (The Next Wave). A recent article in Education Week states that I am not alone. While I moved from an employment perspective as the Cyber Academy Coordinator for my school district, it is the students that are making the switch to cyber or virtual schools that are the story. Researchers now estimate that there are more than 1 million students taking online classes. This represents a 47% increase from a survey done during the 2005-2006 school year. It’s easy to see where this is headed and just as with disruptors in other fields (communications, film and music industries) it’s best to ride the wave and adapt to change, rather than be left obsolete because of it. Please go to www.edweek.org/go/rr to read the entire article by Michelle R. Davis.

President Obama’s Resolution for Education

Hello all and welcome to the first post of the new year. As such, I thought it appropriate to discuss a resolution of sorts that I hope soon to be President Obama would adopt in regards to our Nation’s schools. With so much focus on the yet to be revised No Child Left Behind  legislation in education circles, I thought it time to take a fresh look at this federal mandate. As most education writers and wonks will tell you, the accountability facet of NCLB is here to stay. This largely is a good thing. But it’s not enough.

As educators I believe it is time to be more fully accountable. I think it is time that we are measured not only on the academic results that our students achieve, but on the results of our social interventions as well. Education has become a data driven, numbers crunching storage house of information. Some of this information truly is helpful to the cause, some of it is also meaningless in the larger scope of our students’ lives. If you have to change the whole system of education to make a federal mandate look successful, is it really successful? Of course not. Now is the time to do something about it.

My hope is that the revised version of No Child Left Behind carries with it some language that describes schools as what they have truly become, full service community outreach systems. Let’s face it: the field of education is not immune to downturns. As NCLB was being introduced and ingrained in our consciousness, our society was also facing it s own dilemmas. And all of these dilemmas have pushed the community school to the forefront in the battle to provide our children with what they need. This is nothing new. Schools have long been providing meals to children who otherwise would go hungry. Schools have been making connections for services that would otherwise go untapped. Schools, sadly, have been providing guardianship where otherwise it would be absent. Now all that’s left is for the future administration is the recognition of this and the provision of funds and leadership to make it a smoother and more efficient process. I say if you want to hold educators accountable, give us what we need to get the job done and make us truly accountable for the whole child, not just their data.

Happy Holidays from Ed_Blog 08′

As we head into the last few remaining school days before Christmas Break / Holiday Break / Winter Recess, I’d just like to ask a small favor of those who by purpose of action, or accident, visit this site. Thank a teacher. There are a hundred ways to do it and most won’t cost you a penny. Just thank a teacher. Thank a teacher who made a difference in your life. Thank a teacher who listened, or showed they cared. Thank one who believed in you. I’ve already done the last one this holiday season, and though it wasn’t nearly enough in comparison to how that person helped me, I’m glad they know how thankful I am. Many people think of  summer vacation as the biggest thank you that teachers already receive. Those days, while golden, are a necessary part of the rejuvenation cycle that aids all teachers, and as a result, students as well. Appreciation is the salve that helps teachers remember why they “got into” education in the first place. It helps them forget their bills, student loans and at times, their somewhat downsized lives (smaller and older cars, homes, etc.).Thank a teacher the next chance you get. And if reaching out to a special teacher in your life is now impossible, please use this forum to do so. Leave a comment for that person who made a difference in your life. By doing so, you just may be doing the same for them. Merry Christmas !

Vetting Education Leaders

With the landmark victory of Democratic candidate Barack Obama, the education world readies for another (albeit welcomed) shift in leadership and direction. Will the federally mandated legislation known as No Child Left Behind survive the transition, and if so, what changes will will be made  to both make it more “user”  friendly and less costly and punitive? Many educators (myself included) await anxiously for these new turn of events. One step along this pathway of change will be the choice  President-Elect Obama makes for Secretary of Education. This selection and the possible candidates, is creating quite a buzz in the field of education, and the world of politics in general. Some Ed insiders believe that Obama should choose a new school reformer, a “disruptor” if you will. Others believe that our new President will give thanks to the teacher unions for their support by selecting one of “them”: an old school educator from the trenches. It will be interesting to see the way this one goes because it really will say a lot about the direction of American education. My guess (my hope)? Obama goes disruptor.

Risk Management

Leadership Academy Summary – 11/20/08

At East Stroudsburg University, East Stroudsburg, Pa. 

 

The Leadership Academy experience truly was a moving one. To hear two speakers who have given most of their lives not to furthering their own careers, but to the support and lifting up of forgotten children was humbling. I took away many things from this event, but the biggest thing I took away was the idea that I, as a teacher and future administrator, did not have to give up my life’s current path to help at-risk children. Instead, I realized that as long as I was making those forgotten students a priority in the line of my daily work, then I was also helping in my own way.

“At-risk” can be used as a catch-all phrase indicating the relative degree of chance that a student has in not completing their schooling experience, the chance that a student has to fall behind academically, the chance that a student may be involved with drugs or gang activity, even homelessness. In general, these are (although not an exhaustive list) the at-risk students in our communities.

What we were presented with in the form of the Staples and Jaime lectures were extreme examples of what individuals, universities, and communities could do to attend to the problems of these at-risk students. Extreme or every day actions aside make no mistake that universities / communities do have an obligation to attend to the needs of these students if we are to call ourselves a democratic society. Our society, if it is to function as intended, needs an educated citizenry. If that means that the community must ensure what the individual parents / guardians can not, then it must. Otherwise that weakened educational system and the citizens it helps to produce will slowly infiltrate into the work force which can lead to diminished results in all sectors of society. In essence, the attention to at-risk students is vital in the commitment to a democratic society and subsequent education for all of its citizens. No small circumstance or task, indeed.

Because it is a daunting task, stemming the tide of loss in relation to at-risk students really should be a community effort. This should include, in my opinion, the aid of current students enrolled alongside those troubled students. From my experience, help from a peer can sometimes go much further than help from an “outsider” or adult. Peer to peer programs aimed at reducing at-risk losses can go along way on two fronts: keeping at-risk students in school and on track to graduate and helping those students who are not at-risk to grow both academically and socially. Either way, our society wins.

GOOD? No, GREAT!!

Please check out the magazine titled GOOD. I stumbled across it for the first time this weekend because the cover proclaimed “The Education Issue” and I have yet to put it down for more than a few minutes at a time. Also check out the companion website: www.good.is. It seems really progressive and they have a pay what you can feature ( Thom Yorke is calling his intellectual property lawyer as we speak) for a subscription that is truly appreciated by this low paid educator. Pick it up. Log on and check it out. Just spread the word!

Back From Hiatus

After a lengthy break (3 months) due to batteries that needed recharging and the responsibilities brought on by a new position (Cyber School Coordinator – discussed previously on this site), I am back and more than ready to share my thoughts on the world of education and to hopefully learn of your thoughts on the subject as well. I have spent some time recently thinking about and planning the direction of this site, and I am excited about the topics that this direction can bring. I will be sharing with you the start-up nature and day to day happenings of the current endeavor that I am partaking in and all the excitement and stress that brings. As part of this thread of posts I will be discussing my ideas for a new type of educational format and I will be counting on the wisdom of the people reading these posts (somebody is reading this, right?) to interact with me and help me take my ideas to a new level. As someone who works within the current educational system I can tell you honestly that the current model of education is broken. A better term might be, outdated. We are still educating students with the same approach that worked well in the 1950’s. But this  is not the 1950’s. It’s a new world that calls for a new approach so that students can have the skills necessary to compete and that our Country has the properly trained work force it needs to compete. Make no mistake, the stakes in education as they relate to the overall world, have never been higher. If we don’t begin planning this new model for education now, it will be more than students being “left behind”. It will be our country.