Principals' Office

Educators Greet Secretary Duncan in Indianapolis

Educators from across the country convened in my home state of Indiana for the National Alliance of Black School Educators’ 37th Annual Conference, which takes place Nov. 18-22. The conference, whose theme was “Education is a Civil Right: Today’s Needs, Today’s Solutions, and Tomorrow’s Promise,” consisted of plenary sessions and workshops around the agenda of closing the achievement gap for all students, especially students of color.

Keynote speakers included U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who addressed the packed ballroom of the convention center. (Check out my picture with him!) During the 20-minute speech, followed by a Q&A session, Duncan was consistent in his message that strong leadership was needed at the building level by highly qualified principals and teachers. He also spoke of the unprecedented amount of funds that his administration has allocated for education. Duncan reiterated that his administration feels strongly about two issues: raising the bar of student achievement for all students and closing the achievement gap with underserved students. Duncan said that if our country is to be the leader in the world, we must reinvent our schools.

—Diane Cargile, NAESP President

How Do You Measure Success?

Among educators’ concerns regarding the No Child Left Behind Act is the law’s over-reliance of standardized assessments as the sole or primary measure of student, school, or educator success. The solution, many say, is using “multiple measures”—but what that encompasses is yet to be determined.

What do you believe should be measured to gain a full and accurate evaluation of your school and students’ success? Also, what do you believe is a fair and accurate measure of teacher and principal success?

Help NAESP define what principals mean when they request assessment by “multiple measures.”

A Day in the Life of a School in Manila

While in Manila at the East Asia Regional Conference of Overseas Schools (EARCOS) Administrators' Conference, I had the opportunity to visit Brent International School. Meeting the school’s principal and hearing him talk about his school is one thing, but seeing students in action takes it to another level.

What is evident at Brent International is that the 1,200 pre-K-12 students take their academics very seriously. Since most of the students are Americans living abroad, they study from an American curriculum and although their math and reading assessments are in English, they are designed specifically for students with diverse cultural backgrounds. Seeing students actively engaged in their classrooms brought memories of my students. The smiles and hugs shared was a powerful message to me—love is the same in any language.

But now it’s now time to pack up to return home. We had an incredible experience learning from our colleagues who live abroad educating American and indigenous children. The U.S. State Department provides a service for American children that we don’t always realize. Connie Buford, my host from the Department of State, oversees the schools in East Asia on behalf of the department. She did an amazing job of connecting me with schools and principals. I cannot thank her enough for her support and the Department of State for allowing me to have this experience.  

I am homeward bound – bye for now!

—Diane Cargile, NAESP President

National Elementary Honor Society featured on the "Today" Show

Members of the Gautier Elementary Honor Society—from Gautier, Mississippi—were recently featured on NBC's "Today" show. The students were highlighted in the show’s "Everyone Has a Story" segment after fourth-grade teacher Maury Gusta submitted a winning entry in the show’s essay contest. Gusta, who was in a devastating car accident his senior year of college, went on to graduate, realize his lifelong dream—to become a teacher—and found his school’s National Elementary Honor Society (NEHS) chapter.

The chapter is for fourth- and fifth-grade students who maintain a 3.0 GPA and perform community service. Gautier Elementary Principal Michelle Richmond is an NAESP member. NEHS was established in 2008; this Communicator article reviews the activities of the program’s first year. 

Sustaining a Global Society

Here are some of the highlights of the East Asia Regional Conference of Overseas Schools (EARCOS) Administrators’ Conference that I attended in Manila.

• Alan Atkisson, a keynoter from Sweden, presented global indicators of the effects of our changing world. He shared his four-point strategy for sustainability that can be used to teach students to live in a global society. His compass of sustainability—consisting of nature, economy, society, and well-being—was a quick way to remember the major areas that our world has unraveled and solutions to correcting the damages.
• Geoff Green, another keynoter, shared adventures of his expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic … with school-age children. Geoff, who is Canadian, has found a way to inspire what he calls “21st Century Generation G” with the greatest classroom on earth. He has taken over 100 expeditions and thousands of kids and their teachers to both polar regions. Students come from places such as Harlem, New York, and China, representing over 40 countries. 
• Japan’s Jesper Koll shared the economic picture of the world and reviewed the interdependence of the world economy. Educators worldwide have been affected in the delivery of services. He shared the importance of creating a world of economically savvy students. 

I was not only in Manila to learn from others, but to share my expertise as well. My workshop “Building Effective Teams,” gave educators techniques for creating relationships that benefit students and teachers. Techniques shared include strategies to strengthen positive attitudes, create a healthy work environment, create dialogue with staff that focuses on student success, and create an environment for student success. 

I was surprised to find that there were three principals with Indiana connections in the workshop! One principal from Hong Kong grew up in Indianapolis and another grew up in northern Indiana. And Ellen White, a principal in Singapore, has a son who attends Purdue University. We are planning to connect when she visits him in Indiana this Thanksgiving. It really is a small world! No wonder some statisticians say the population in Indiana is shrinking, Hoosiers are everywhere in the world! 

 

 

   —Diane Cargile, NAESP President