The Paradox of
Change
by Dr. Troyce Fisher, SAI Executive Director
There's a cartoon in The New Yorker that
shows a buffalo in the middle of his herd on the open range with
a cell phone up to his ear saying, "I love the convenience,
but the roaming charges are killing me." That's probably
the price to pay for being a buffalo in a technological world-it
kind of comes with the territory.
Well, we as school administrators have our own "price
to pay" for the privilege of working in systems that make
a difference for Iowa's young people. The demands for accountability
for student achievement present us with a lot of challenges:
deciding what measures will provide evidence that students are
learning, deciding what's worth learning in the first place, creating
new systems and structures that promote (or at least don't impede)
learning, supporting teachers and other staff in their efforts
to help all learners learn, and on and on. Whatever our title-superintendent,
principal, curriculum coordinator, central office administrator-we
all can attest to the fact that the expectations and stakes have
never been higher. And all of this comes at a time when more of
us will be retiring than ever before, and fewer of our educator
ranks view administration as a desirable job.
Some would be discouraged with these realities. But when have
complexities of the kind we face today ever stopped us? Granted,
we need to learn a different set of skills and dispositions than
we had to know before, but we're in the business of learning,
so we need to walk the talk. (The Iowa Standards for School Administrators,
reprinted in another part of this newsletter can act as a wonderful
guide for us.) As Paul Houston said in a recent column in AASA's
School Administrator: "Sure, we know that school administration
is a terrible job at times-it's just that it also happens to be
a wonderful calling."
And that's what will sustain us during these turbulent times-the
fact that the jobs we've chosen to call our vocation are molding
people's lives-certainly the students' lives for whom we bear
primary responsibility, but also all of the adults' professional
lives whose quality of life is directly affected by the quality
of our leadership. If we can keep our eyes on the moral purpose
of our work, the day-to-day challenges can take on new meaning.
In his book, Small Decencies: Reflections and Meditations
on Being Human at Work, John Cowan says, "What does it take
to be an innovative person? You must be enormously self-willed,
leap ahead of most people, view risk as of little concern, and
not tolerate nonsense. At the same time, you must be attentive
to the needs of others, let others think through things for themselves,
reduce the risk for others, and realize that 'nonsense' is a way
of organizational life." Tall order. But, just as our cartoon
buffalo needed to learn to innovate in a new reality, so will
we. SAI is committed to helping all of our members do just that.
Top
A Bit O' This and That
by Kathy Lee Collins, J.D., SAI Director of Legal Services
Keeping with the theme of those "pearls of wisdom"
appearing below, here are a few legally newsworthy jewels for
your education and enlightenment! Permit me to play Lois Lane,
please.
SPONSORS OF NON-ATHLETIC
ACTIVITIES NEED NOT BE LICENSED
Upon hearing that the Board of Educational Examiners believed
(and routinely issued a form letter to the effect) that one of
the Department of Education's accreditation rules [281 IAC 12.6(1)]
meant that all activity sponsors have to hold either a teaching
license or coaching authorization, S.A.I. asked Ted Stilwill for
a Declaratory Ruling on the subject.
The Ruling was issued in early January and clarifies that employee
or volunteer directors, sponsors, or "coaches" of non-athletic
student activities do not need to be licensed. The ruling covers
everyone overseeing student activities that are not governed by
the Iowa High School Athletic Association or Iowa Girls High School
Athletic Union. Naturally, a school district could choose to require
that all or certain activity sponsors hold teaching licenses,
but the Department of Education does not require it. The only
person who is required to hold a teaching license, under the rule
at issue, is the person who supervises the activity program for
students typically the principal or activities director.
Of course, coaches of all athletic activities (sports) do have
to hold either a teaching license or a coaching authorization.
STATE BOARD of EDUCATION
GIVES NEW RIGHTS TO HOME-SCHOOLED STUDENTS
From now on, schools are required to approve applications from
dual-enrolled home-schooled students to use the Post-Secondary
Enrollment Options Act ("P.S.E.O."). In a decision made
at the January board meeting, the State Board reversed an earlier
departmental declaratory ruling to the effect that home-schooled
students are not eligible for P.S.E.O. classes.
Meggan Stone, an Ankeny home-schooled student classified as
a senior, asked to take two classes at Des Moines Area Community
College and was denied by the Ankeny administration and school
board. Ankeny's denial was based on 1993 Declaratory Ruling #44
which stated that the Department did not believe the legislature
intended to make home-schooled students eligible for P.S.E.O.
The State Board, in the Meggan Stone decision, decided that such
students are eligible, and so overturned the Declaratory Ruling.
I can't be positive, but it appears to me that a home-schooled
student would have to be dual enrolled in the public school (deadline
for parents to notify the district is September 15 each year)
before being considered eligible to take classes under the P.S.E.O.
Act.
The only thing that would change this ruling is for the state
legislature to amend either the home schooling or the P.S.E.O.
chapters to state that a home-schooled dual enrolled student would
not be eligible to take college courses at school district expense.
Coming as late as this decision has, I doubt such an amendment
will be on any organization's legislative agenda for this session.
While we're on the subject of Post-Secondary Enrollment, let
me address an issue that has come up several times over the past
few years: To what extent can a school district impose additional
prerequisites for P.S.E.O. to what is established in statute?
I think the answer to that is "Not at all."
The Code says that ninth and tenth grade T.A.G.-identified
students are eligible and all juniors and seniors are eligible
to take nonsectarian (non-religious) "academic or vocational-technical"
courses at an eligible Iowa post-secondary institution. Students
may not enroll in P.S.E.O. courses full time, which means they
have to take fewer hours than what the college, university, or
community college considers a "full-time" load
typically 12 hours. The only other limitation imposed by the Code
is that the course the student wishes to take can't be "comparable"
to one offered by the high school.
Schools may not, in my opinion, impose additional requirements
on students, such as a certain grade point average, before they
are "eligible" to take college courses at district expense.
We successfully negotiated an amendment a few years ago that enables
schools to seek reimbursement from students who drop out or fail
the P.S.E.O. courses. Be thankful for small favors.
IOWA SUPREME COURT RULES
WEBSTER CITY C.S.D. NOT NEGLIGENT IN STUDENT SLEDDING INJURY
The news is good for our side. Attorneys for a seven year-old
second grader were unsuccessful in their suit against the school
district stemming from a broken leg the child received in a noon-recess
sledding accident at school. The district prevailed in a jury
trial; the parent appealed, and the defense verdict was affirmed.
At issue in the appeal was a jury instruction including the phrase
"Some risk naturally attends participants in recreational
activities." Mother and her attorney objected to this instruction
on legal grounds, arguing that small children lack the reasoning,
experience, or intellectual capacity to "assume the risks"
of recreational activities. But the Court sided with the school.
The doctrine of Assumption of the Risk usually arises in cases
involving injury during sports activities, and in essence states
that a participant assumes the risks inherent in a given sport.
The doctrine was extended beyond sports to recreational activities
in this case and was applied despite the tender age of the student.
Nobody is happy about the injury to little Drew Anderson, but
we are happy that the jury and courts found no basis on which
to hold the district liable.
Not-So-Confidential to
Whomever Called Asking Me the Question: Must a public school
accept nonpublic school students for participation in the district's
Talented and Gifted program under the "shared time"
statute when the nonpublic school doesn't offer a TAG program?
Unfortunately, I've long since lost the name of the member
I was supposed to get back to on this issue, but I decided I could
reach him or her through my column and it might benefit everyone
(well, those who read this column anyway) to know what I learned
in researching this issue. The answer is No, the public school
doesn't have to accept the nonpublic school students, and the
reason is that accredited nonpublic schools are excused, by D.E.
rule, from the accreditation standard requiring a talented and
gifted program for all eligible students. Therefore, since the
nonpublic school doesn't have to have a TAG program, the public
school doesn't have to accept its students under the "shared
time" statute; that statute is premised on the fact that
the unavailable course(s) are necessary for the accredited nonpublic
school to meet the standards. As that is not the case, they can't
"force" the public school to accept their TAG kids as
shared time students. Of course, if you WANT them, you may take
them and count them on a pro rata basis, I'm assuming . . . There
you go, Dr., Ms., Mrs., or Mr. SAI Member, whoever you are!
DO NOT INTERFERE WITH
A MANDATORY REPORTER'S LEGAL OBLIGATION TO REPORT CHILD ABUSE!
We have been asked, and we agreed, to publish a "word to
the wise" on this issue. The Governor's office and D.H.S.
have apparently had reports that administrators have "threatened"
employees who indicated an intent to report suspected child abuse.
I suppose anything's possible, but if that is happening, it's
unethical.
I must admit, my first thought when I heard this accusation
is that one of the following scenarios occurred: A teacher (or
coach or counselor) keeps reporting suspected abuse to D.H.S.
and the administrator tries to discourage it because (a) the teacher
thinks every bruise on a child is evidence of abuse; (b) the teacher
thinks s/he knows more than D.H.S. and won't take "unfounded"
for an answer; (c) the teacher is (unethically and illegally)
using "child abuse!" as a harassment tool against a
parent; or even (d) the administrator doesn't know the law changed
and the teacher is no longer required to report the abuse to administration
but rather directly to D.H.S. (This option doesn't excuse the
administrator's coercive tactics, but I suppose there might be
a dinosaur or two out there who think they're still entitled to
know before an employee makes a child abuse report and can, therefore,
impact that decision. Sorry; wrong.)
Remember, each administrator in the state is a one-person public
relations campaign for school administrators. Be the administrator
everyone can be proud of!
Keeping Track of Federal and State
Legislative Issues
by Dr. Marcus Haack, SAI Associate Executive Director
Legislative Listserve
Have you signed up for the SAI legislative listserve yet? If not,
you've already missed a lot of information regarding the 2001
session of the Iowa General Assembly. This year, instead of relying
on faxed or mailed legislative updates (which are outdated by
the time you receive them), we are making use of our legislative
listserve which allows us to get important legislative information
into your hands in a timely manner.
For those of you who don't know what a listserve is, it's simply
a method of sending e-mail information to a large number of subscribers
without having to enter everyone's e-mail address each time a
message is sent. In addition, it allows recipients to respond
quickly to requests for information. During the first week of
the session a request for information about principals and their
role in teacher evaluation resulted in 30+ responses within 24
hours of the request being sent from the SAI office.
Legislative updates will be distributed via the listserve three
or four times each week. If you haven't already signed up, but
wish to stay on top of legislative news, simply go to the SAI
Web page (www.sai-iowa.org), click on Legislative
News, and follow the directions for signing up.
Remember that you can also access the complete text of any
bill filed in the legislature by following the Iowa
General Assembly link on the SAI Web page. Bills are updated
regularly and reflect all amendments that are filed, along with
a complete bill history.
Bush Education Plan
Often, during this time of the year, we get caught up in politics
and legislation at the state level. And rightly so! Our future
is truly wrapped up in what the legislature does for (or to) our
schools.
This year, however, it's also important to keep watch on the
events unfolding in Washington, DC. With a new administration
assuming control of the federal government, we can expect to see
a number of changes in how Washington addresses education issues.
This article is being written on the the Martin Luther King,
Jr. Holiday. It's the day president-elect George W. Bush gave
a speech in which he promised to carry on the legacy of the civil
rights leader by improving public schools. And just what does
he mean by that? It's a little too early to tell, but some of
the initial signs are troublesome.
Mr. Bush argued that schools have two main purposes: intelligence
and character. He further stated that America has overcome access
problems since every child can go to school, unlike during the
days of segregation. However, the fundamental question today is
whether every child is learning.
In his January 15 speech, Mr. Bush went on to say that access
is now equal in this country, but not opportunity, because some
schools are not fulfilling their mission. This, he stated, is
a violation of America's promise. Without high-quality schools
that stress reading, discipline and character, the dream of equality
is empty.
Mr. Bush, along with his Education Secretary, Rod Paige, is
proposing an education agenda which focuses on holding public
schools accountable for their rates of success or failure. Under
their plan, local school districts would be allowed to devise
tests to measure student performance. Schools not meeting minimum
requirements as measured by those tests within three years would
have their federal funds diverted to parents, allowing them to
move their children to a more successful school.
While Secretary Paige indicated that he is not supportive of
vouchers, the new administration's rhetoric certainly leads one
to believe that vouchers are part of the mix. Already Congress
has filed bills that sound very "voucher-like." In their
first full week in session, Congress began moving on a bill that
would enact "Education Savings Accounts" (ESAs). These
accounts would allow parents and/or family members to invest up
to $2000 per year for each of their K-12 children in an "Education
IRA." Interest earned on these IRAs would be interest-free.
The accounts could be used for any and all K-12 expenses connected
to their child's public, private and/or religious schooling tuition,
fees, supplies, textbooks, tutors and home schooling.
Education Savings Accounts? Education IRAs? Hmmm. A voucher
by any other name is still a voucher. Stay tuned! This is an issue
we'll need to monitor very closely.
Modeling Leadership Learning
by Dr. Elaine Smith-Bright, SAI Director of Professional Development
We've all heard how important modeling is in leadership. Is
the leader willing to do, learn, act, perform, and try just like
s/he is asking her/his followers to do? In one of the National
Staff Development Council's latest publications "Learning
to Lead, Leading to Learn" it states quality professional
development:
l Validates teaching and learning as the central activities of
the schools;
l Engages all school leaders in well-planned, integrated, career-long
learning to improve student achievement;
l Promotes collaboration to achieve organizational goals while
meeting individual needs;
l Models effective learning processes; and
l Incorporates measures of accountability that direct attention
to valued learning outcomes.
In 2001, SAI staff will embark on a comprehensive professional
development component based on Systems Thinking from Peter Senge's
"Fifth Discipline." We all have our specific duties
here in the office, for sure if you want a legal opinion you best
talk to Kathy. Let's say it's a question on a purchase order,
you'll get the most accurate information from Mary Jane, and Pat
can fax you the latest brochure on any of our scheduled conferences.
That's great, and it's just like your everyday dilemma of management
versus leadership, we truly enjoy being of service, but we also
know we must work more as a learning team with a shared awareness
of the larger system. Therefore, periodically over 12 weeks in
March, April and May, everyone at the SAI office will be engaged
in Systemic Thinking training directed by Dr. Barbara Omotani,
Professional Development Consultant from AEA 11.
We want to model effective learning practices, validate learning
as a central part of our association, promote collaboration, renew
our commitment to helping members enhance their leadership skills
focused on student achievement, and hold ourselves accountable
for valued learning outcomes.
While acting as an Assistant Superintendent for the West Des
Moines Community Schools our administrative team received this
training. I know the power of thinking in terms of Personal Mastery,
the discipline of continually clarifying and deepening your personal
vision; Mental Models, deeply ingrained assumptions that influence
how we understand the world and take action; Building Shared Vision,
goals, values and missions that become deeply shared throughout
an organization; and Team Learning, always being in a state of
practicing the disciplines of learning. I look forward to revisiting
the concepts and sharing the experience with new colleagues.
We sincerely hope to use the training as a think-tank to review
all of the processes, procedures, guidelines, etc. that we employ
to conduct professional activities and day to day business. As
Peter Senge says, "A learning organization is a place where
people are continually discovering how they create their reality.
And how they can change it." We are proud to be a Community
of Learners in a Learning Organization. So, if you should call
in, on a portion of the day, on March 14, March 30, April 2, April
16, April 23, April 27, April 30 or May 8 you may get a recording
that says "the staff is in training." Never fear, in
just a short time we'll be returning your calls!
Did you know that there are more people over 75 in our state
than there are children under 5? There has been a definite shift
in population in Iowa. You may have noticed the change in your
area. In many communities, the percent of households with children
in the local schools is as low as 25%! On the other hand, the
greatest percentage of active voters is in the older age groups.
What do these statistics tell us? The people who have the least
contact with our schools exert the most influence over our funding.
On the positive side, we have a large pool of potential volunteers
who typically aren't tied to full-time jobs.
What can we do to ensure that our senior citizens are informed
and feel connected to their community schools? How can we tap
their talents and time for the benefit of our students?
Some tried and true activities come to mind:
- Grandparents or Grandfriends days.
- Pen Pal programs or visits to local retirement communities or
nursing facilities.
- Asking seniors to make classroom presentations (local history,
veterans, expertise in various academic topics, experience in
career fields, etc.).
- Rock and Read or other one-on-one reading programs that pair
a senior with a student.
- Lunch buddy programs, pairing seniors with students.
- Inviting seniors to be "principal" or "teacher"
for the day (shadow the staff
person for the full day).
But we must also look at how our schools can share resources
or offer benefits to our seniors. How can we meet some of their
needs? For example:
- Offer computer classes in the afternoon after school is out.
Use district teachers and student assistants to provide instruction.
- Schedule a special rehearsal day for the high school musical
and invite busloads of area senior citizens.
- Offer community education classes tailored to seniors' interests.
- Organize a school community service project to assist neighborhood
seniors with yard cleanup, house repair, etc.
- Put together a bus tour of your district for seniors; visit
a couple of schools and
have the tour participants enjoy lunch with students. A board
member can serve as tour guide.
- Offer free or reduced admission to athletics and other co-curricular
events. Provide a free calendar of events that includes both school
and local cultural events.
- If you have "snowbirds" in your school neighborhood,
welcome them back with a
special note or activity in the spring.
- Hold a senior senior prom in the gym. Use the high school band
and vocal groups for entertainment. Have the family and consumer
science classes provide refreshments. Have students take photos.
Don't always ask the seniors to come to you go to them:
- Hold board luncheons or breakfasts in retirement communities
or at senior
citizen clubs.
- Organize a "back-to-school" day at a senior housing
center, church, or library. Have participants experience mini-lessons
in math, reading, and science that are taught by your teachers
using your classroom materials.
- Encourage school musical groups to entertain at senior organization
luncheons and events.
- Display student work (artwork and academic projects) in senior
retirement communities and places where seniors congregate (cafes,
churches, etc.)
- Set up an email program (supervised!) between seniors and students.
- Provide videotapes of school programs to retirement communities
for their viewing.
- Use cable community access channels to showcase student and
school activities and achievement. Publicize the shows and times.
- Provide speakers for senior groups.
Things to keep in mind when working with seniors:
- Many prefer attending mid-day or afternoon events. Some seniors
are uneasy about walking/driving in inclement weather.
- Make sure you have asked about and can accommodate seniors with
limited mobility or other disabilities.
- The more personalized the invitation, the more effective. Use
seniors already volunteering or participating in your schools
to invite others. Ask your students' families to bring a senior
neighbor to the school concert or picnic. Work with activities
coordinators for local senior retirement communities or church
groups to get the word out about opportunities for seniors in
your schools.
- Make it easy for seniors to be in your schools. (Reserve parking
for voting days or special events, post large readable signs to
direct them to rooms, use student greeters, etc.)
- Seniors love interacting with students, although some can be
a little uneasy with older students. Emphasize this in your events
and programs.
- Seniors enjoy sharing their past experiences and memories. Involve
them in school/community history activities, interview them for
school and district publications, web sites, etc.
- Many retired people are as busy as the rest of us. When recruiting
volunteers, offer variety in scheduling and length of commitment.
Finding ways to connect with and involve seniors in your schools
is a win-win situation. Students and staff benefit from their
knowledge and their time. The seniors can gain new skills and
new friends. The community becomes more closely connected. That
has a positive impact that extends far beyond the voting booth.