Volume 1 Number 1
September, 2011
Welcome Back Issue Whether you’re a teacher, student, principal, professor, administrator, parent, retired, or simply interested… Florida ASCD wishes you a very successful and enjoyable year. We are here for YOU, so we hope you will take advantage of the benefits and services we offer our members, including: -Expanding network of Florida educational professionals who share your concerns -Reduced rates for ASCD materials, speakers and conferences -PDIs (Professional Development Institutes)
Florida ASCD Board of Directors Your Florida ASCD Board: Executive Board: President: Vice President: Vice President-Elect: Past President: Secretary: Treasurer: Executive Director:
Alina Davis Pat Melvin Sallie Payne John Nash Kelley Ranch David Magee Kim Pearson
Region III Region II Region I Region III Region II Region III Region IV
(Orlando) (Jacksonville) (Tallahassee) (Orlando) (Jacksonville) (Orlando) (Seminole)
Jason Flom Sallie Payne Lois Lee Dona DePriest
Region I Region I Region V Region VI
(Tallahassee) (Tallahassee) ( Pembroke Pines ) (Miami)
Ralph Barrett Marcy Kysilka Mike Mizwicki Shelia Windom Carlos Viera
Region III Region III Region III Region III Region VI
(St. Cloud) (Orlando) (Oviedo) (Orlando) (Miami)
Directors:
Past Presidents:
Congratulations to Sallie Payne, Florida ASCD’s new Vice President-Elect.
www.fascd.org
Today’s students think and learn by exploring and problem solving… --------- Florida ASCD Presents --------
Presenter: Art Costa Co-Director of the Art Costa Center For Thinking October 22, 2011 9:00 a. m. - 3:00 p. m. Nova Southeastern University, Tampa Campus For K-12 Administrators, Teachers of mathematics, reading, sciences and Academic Coaches Spend time with a top expert for in-depth learning about how to incorporate cutting-edge critical thinking, creative thinking, and problem solving strategies in today’s classrooms
Topics include: Thinking and communicating with clarity and precision Gathering data through all senses to meet student needs Coaching and Leadership in today’s schools Listening with understanding and empathy Creating, imagining, innovating Questioning and posing problems to promote engagement Thinking interdependently as a school Applying past knowledge to new situations Remaining open to continuous learning Take time to network with colleagues, administrators, and other practitioners Exchange ideas and best practices, and establish statewide professional relationships Cost: FASCD Member: $129 Non-Member: $159 Student Member: $69 School Team (4 or more participants on same registration): $119
REGISTER NOW! Visit https://fascd.org//11conference.html for more information.
Attendee Information Name ______________________________________________ Position ____________________________________________ School & District ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Mailing Address ________________________________________ City _________________________ State ____ Zip __________ Phone _______________________________ Email Address ________________________________________________________
Please print clearly, all communication will be via email
Registration Full Registration __ FASCD Member -- $129 __ Non-Member -- $159 __ Student* -- $69 __ School Team Rate** -- $119 *Student Rate—Please mail, fax, or copy current Student ID. **School Team Rate-Must include 4 or more team members on the same registration or at the same time
Book Purchase The following books, which are available for pick up on conference day, may be purchased now. Included with your purchase is a complimentary online book study! __ $17 – Habits of Mind Poster __ $20 -- Learning & Leading with Habits of Mind: 16 Essential Characteristics for Success (Discounted Price) __ $27 -- Habits of Mind Across the Curriculum: Practical and Creative Strategies for Teachers __ $70 -- Developing Habits of Mind in Elementary Schools: An ASCD Action Tool __ $70 -- Developing Habits of Mind in Secondary Schools: An ASCD Action Tool Total Amount: __________
Payment Information Purchase Order (Number ________________________ ) Please fax or mail a hard copy to FASCD. Check – Please mail in registration and check Credit Card Information – Please choose Visa Master Card Name on Account ______________________________ Credit Card Number ________________________________ Expiration Date __________________ Signature: ______________________________________________________ Mail to: Florida ASCD 11511 Pine St Seminole, FL 33772 Fax credit card or purchase order registrations to: 727-319-8427 More information on our website: www.fascd.org All registrations must be accompanied by a check, credit card authorization, or hard copy of purchase order. Written refund requests (only) must be postmarked by August 1, 2011 ($25 administration fee). No refund will be honored after that date.
Florida ASCD Goals for 2011/2012—and how we’re meeting them: At the Florida ASCD annual board retreat in June, we established three goals for our affiliate for 2011/12: Establish strategic partnerships to expand the work of the Whole Child Initiative. Become an exemplary affiliate in leadership and governance. Cultivate collaborative communities to build capacity for membership.
How we’re meeting our goals: Goal #1: Establish strategic partnerships to expand the work of the Whole Child Initiative. New Florida Commissioner of Education Robinson blogged his welcome message—and Florida ASCD president Alina Davis responded immediately to him. A subsequent letter to the commissioner from the Florida ASCD president and executive director offered him free membership into Florida ASCD. A Welcome Message from Commissioner Robinson Posted on August 11, 2011 by flschoolspeak As a newly arrived Virginia transplant, let me first express just how excited I am to be Florida’s Commissioner of Education. Leading up to my move here to the Sunshine State I wanted to make sure I hit the ground running through a ―look, listen and learn‖ approach, giving me a chance to talk with staff, educators and policy leaders. Fittingly enough, my first major opportunity to get feedback came from public school teachers and school district superintendents. In the weeks and months ahead I plan to continue these efforts, whether it is through in-person visits or social media opportunities. I will also be posting on this blog regularly about my experiences and opinions as they relate to a variety of different educational issues impacting our state, so make sure you check back in as often as possible. Additionally, with the new school year rapidly approaching I plan to be out and about to continue listening and learning. But if you don’t catch me in person, drop a comment or idea on any of our other social media sites, or via email at Commissioner@fldoe.org. Florida is a great place for public education and I am anxious to see what kind of successes we can create for our students in the coming years. I am looking forward to hearing from you! One Response to A Welcome Message from Commissioner Robinson
Alina Davis (@alinadavis) says: August 12, 2011 at 2:23 am Thank you for choosing to take the ―look, listen, and learn‖ approach. As a Florida educator, and president of Florida ASCD, I value a leader who pays attention to what’s happening in our schools and how our teachers, students, and administrators feel. Welcome to our sunshine state. ASCD’s Whole Child Initiative at a Glance Each child, in each school, in each of our communities deserves to be healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. That’s what a whole child approach to learning, teaching, and community engagement really is. The 5 tenets: Healthy: Each student enters school healthy and learns about and practices a healthy lifestyle. Safe: Each student learns in an environment that is physically and emotionally safe for students and adults. Engaged: Each student is actively engaged in learning and is connected to the school and broader community. Supported: Each student has access to personalized learning and is supported by qualified, caring adults. Challenged: Each student is challenged academically and is prepared for success in college or further study and for employment and participation in a global environment.
Ready to learn more? Visit www.wholechildeducation.org or scan the code below with your phone. Know someone or an organization already doing whole child work? Let us know about it at FASCDwholechild@gmail.com.
Goal #2: Become an exemplary affiliate in leadership and governance. Your Florida ASCD Board members have a vast array of experience, leadership and expertise.
Ralph Barrett. Ralph currently teaches high school math at New Dimensions Charter, as well as future teachers as an adjunct professor at Seminole State College. He has won numerous awards during his 33 year teaching career, including District Teacher of the Year and Disney's Teacherrific Special Judges Award. The Past President of FASCD and charter member of ASCD's Legislative Committee has also gained national recognition for his SMILE Lab©, which has proven to enhance learning through expanding neurological pathways. Alina Davis. Alina is an ESOL compliance and resource teacher at Arbor Ridge School in Orange County as well as an adjunct professor at Valencia College and an online course facilitator for CaseNEX. Her 15 years of experience include teaching k-2, supporting teachers of English Language Learners in k-8 and holding National Board Certification in Literacy. Dona DePriest. Dona is a 25 year veteran teacher in Miami-Dade County Public Schools and has passionately worked in some of Miami’s most struggling inner city schools and is genuinely interested advocacy for all students. She also has been a lead teacher on five outstanding Demonstration School Project-Based Learning programs supported through Professional Learning Community auspices. Dona has recently completed her Specialist degree in Educational Leadership and is waiting for the next chapter of her career to begin. Jason Flom. Jason is a 5th grade teacher and Communications Director at Cornerstone Learning Community in Tallahassee, FL. In addition to being the founding publisher of Ecology of Education, he is also a member of ASCD's Emerging Leader class of 2010.
Kevin Kjellerup. Kevin recently completed his Masters in Education, Teaching and Instruction degree. He has over 15 years of training experience in leadership and professional development for the Army. Kevin is an adjunct professor at Tallahassee Community College, is an associate member of The Deming Collaboration, an international quality management collaborative, and serves as a mentor to young entrepreneurs from the Jim Moran institute at Florida State University, and for the Junior Achievement program. Lois Lee. Lois is presently employed at Nova Southeastern University in the National Institute for Educational Options department as the Director of Professional Development. She is also a doctoral student a Nova University. Her experience spans more than 30 years as a teacher and administrator in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools district. David McGee. David is principal of Piedmont Lakes Middle School in Apopka. He has carefully and efficiently streamlined Florida ASCD’s financial processes and procedures. Pat Melvin. Pat is the reading coach and 2011 Teacher of the Year at Terry Parker High School in Jacksonville, as well as a mentor with the National Urban Alliance. Her strongest assets are her understanding of the intricacies of the reading process, her experience as a diagnostician in developmental reading, her affinity for instructional lesson development that open students' eyes to the awesomeness of the world, and her ability to work with adults who are hesitant to implement changes in their personal teaching styles.
Florida ASCD Board Member’s Continued. Michael Mizwicki. Dr. Michael Mizwicki is currently the principal at Seminole County’s Tuskawilla Middle School, a school which has earned an ―A‖ every year since school grading began. He has been employed in this system for over 30(+) years at various elementary and secondary schools. For the 10(+) years, prior to his tenure in the State of Florida, he was an active principal and teacher in the State of Illinois. John Nash. Now in his 13th year in education, John has served as a principal, asst. principal, teacher, and testing coordinator on the elementary, middle, and high school levels. During the 2001-2002 school year, he was selected as ―Teacher of the Year‖ on the middle school level, and in 2008/09 he was selected as an ―Emerging Leader‖ by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. His expertise includes developing highly effective Professional Learning Communities (PLC’s) which are driven by the school’s mission and vision, and an ongoing progress monitoring tool. Sallie Payne. Sallie is a regional facilitator for the Florida Inclusion Network/Florida State University. During her 23+ years in education, she has taught at the elementary and middle school levels. She has also worked for the district office and, most recently, Sallie facilitates a grant for the Department of Education. Her areas of knowledge include educating students with disabilities, working to increase inclusive practices, and providing professional development to educators. Kim Pearson. Although Kim is a Nationally Board Certified elementary school teacher, she now serves as the full-time media specialist and technology coordinator at her school. Kim is always searching for the latest technological advances to enhance classroom instruction and FASCD board meetings. Kim also serves as the web master for the Florida ASCD site. Kelley A. Ranch. A three-time teacher of the year, Kelley is the IB coordinator and Latin/Theory of Knowledge teacher at Ribault Senior High School in Jacksonville, as well as professor of Ed. Law at the University of North Florida. She has taught Latin, English and Reading over her 25+ years with Duval County Public Schools. Her areas of expertise include building academic vocabulary and enhancing writing through Latin and Greek. Carlos Viera. Carlos Antonio Viera has spent more than 25 years in a broad array of professional experiences and responsibilities, including classroom teacher, behavior management teacher, crisis counselor, educational specialist, teacher trainer, curriculum leader, academy leader, professional development liaison, graduation coach, and district administrator. He has also served as an independent consultant for Performance Associates, LLC, National Academic Educational Partners (NAEP), and the College Summit. His professional associations include serving on the Board of Directors and the Leadership Council for the ASCD and co-chair for the Position Development Team, Hispanic/Latino American Critical Issues Network; serving on the Board of Directors and past President for the Florida ASCD. Shelia Windom. Shelia is principal of Memorial Middle School in Orlando, an International Baccalaureate World School. She has held a number of leadership positions, including president of Florida ASCD and the Orlando Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa. She is also a professor at Nova Southeastern University.
Are you interested in being a board member? Contact Kim Pearson at fascd@aol.com.
Bringing Expertise to YOU! Count on your FASCD Board members to lead PDIs (Professional Development Institutes) or offer other assistance to you and your school. Kelley Ranch, for example, offers up the ‘Dead’ Language, Latin, as a viable educational reform in Florida. Who says Latin is dead? By: Kelley Ranch
Try convincing Aurelia Ogles, Latin teacher extraordinaire from Leesburg High School. When budgetary constraints and the need for more remedial reading instruction compelled her principal to consider combining levels or even dropping foreign languages, Ogles responded with a unique proposal: let me teach the struggling readers Latin. She developed hybrid Reading/Latin I and II courses for 9th and 10th graders—and the results were phenomenal. Her Reading/Latin students overwhelmingly passed the FCAT Reading, negating their need to continue in Intensive Reading. They also earned two years of critical foreign language credit, positioning themselves for continued post-secondary success. Ogles, who just returned from chaperoning her Latin students to Greece and Italy, as well as the National Latin Convention, looks forward to spending more time with her grandchildren as her career of more than 30 years as a Latin teacher winds down.
If you have a colleague or a friend who would benefit from a membership in FASCD, please give him or her this coupon. Be sure to fill in your name and your own membership will be extended for two months.
If implementing a hybrid Reading/Latin course as Aurelia Ogles did is not feasible at your school, consider the Florida Department of Education’s recentlyadded benchmark to Reading Standards: The student will use meaning of familiar roots and affixes derived from Greek and Latin to determine meanings of unfamiliar complex words. Do you know enough Greek and Latin words to help your students meet the standard for the FCAT and beyond? Could you use assistance with implementing vocabulary initiatives at your school, or integrating Latin and Greek words into classes to build academic vocabulary? Consider a PDI for your school or district with Kelley. Lingua Latin vivat! Please contact Kim Pearson, Executive Director, Florida ASCD to schedule a PDI with Kelley! She has received rave reviews from previous presentations. We will work out a price that is right for you. Don’t wait...schedule your training today! FCAT is right around the corner. You will not regret it! Kim Pearson can be reached at fascd@aol.com or 727-871-1112
Introductory Membership Coupon Dr., Mrs., Ms., Mr. _________________________________________________________ Mailing address: ___________________________________________________________ City: ________________________________________FL, ZIP: ____________________ E-Mail:__________________________________________________________________ Recommended by: _________________________________________________________ Copy or clip this form and mail with $35 check to: FASCD, 11511 Pine St. Seminole, FL 33772
Goal #3: Cultivate collaborative communities to build capacity for membership. These contributions come from Florida ASCD Incoming President Pat Melvin and Region VI Board member Dona Depriest. Consider contributing your ideas to Florida ASCD Insider! In Celebration of Teachers by Pat Melvin ―Oh please (Higher Power), I promise to grade my papers on time, exercise every day, and be kind to my students, family and friends. Today’s the first day of my new career/second career in teaching. Help me to be a great teacher today.‖ Whoa, stop this train of thought right now. Why would anyone expect to be perfect during the first days, weeks, and early years of a new profession? To all of you young teachers - just recently students yourselves - and all you mid-career-changing teachers who have been wage earners in other fields, please read on. As you enter the classrooms, remember that acclimating to these personal changes will take as much energy as juggling the additional responsibilities of maintaining classroom control, writing lesson plans in alien formats, learning the rules ―for teachers who work in this school‖ and fulfilling new teacher training requirements. You will be weary at the end of the day and in need of a reality check about perfection. Don’t panic now, but please expect bursts of instructional brilliance interspersed with days of less-thanperfect lessons. As the number of bursts increase (which they will), you will also decrease the number of in-needof-improvement lessons and, eventually, reach a position of competent calmness. And, that is what our students need - competent calmness. They need teachers with big hearts and big hopes who have ―up and down‖ days, just like they do. Becoming adept with the tools that characterize one’s life work requires a willingness to embark on a slow journey that takes decades to complete. Decades filled with equal parts satisfaction and frustration. So, let me tell you what I think you bring to our profession for those days when you are plagued by frustration. Your assets sustain us long-timers. You young teachers just beginning your careers: You bring an enthusiasm and optimism that is natural to youth. Let me inhale that sense of optimism and enthusiasm and rejuvenate myself! BUT, remember that your youthfulness is the kind associated with the early years of
adulthood, not the youth of adolescence. Your students are not your peers; they are teenagers who will gravitate to you for instruction because you are close to their ages. Enjoy and use this gift wisely. Let it spur you to deeper and sustained personal growth. You mid-career-changers who chose to make a huge life adjustment: You bring the hard-earned wisdom of another type of authentic workplace. You are full of the courage and spunk that is required for such mid course changes. I crave that spunk! BUT, remember that the education workplace is different from the business world. Our clients straddle childhood and pre-adulthood. It makes for a volatile emotional mix in a school setting. Don’t be discouraged as your attempts to share your insights are initially rebuffed by teenagers who appear content to stumble through life. That will change as the bonds between you grow. What can I suggest for those exasperating days? Well, if you believe that all the way to Heaven is a kind of Heaven, then link arms, draw upon each other’s special gifts and follow these suggestions:
Make a five-year plan of attack for becoming a great teacher. New business owners do that; why not you? Expect to be a star! Maintain faith in yourself. If you don’t have faith, fake it! Plan with a partner! Twice the manpower = half the load = more confidence in the outcome. Locate those seasoned professionals in your school! Tap them for all of their creative and common sense ideas that have made them successes in their fields. Continue your professional study! Don’t rely upon generic trade books written by people too long gone from the classroom. Become a teacher researcher; analyze the current studies; and always question the data and require independent evidence. Enjoy the peculiarities of the academic world without obsessing over some of the paradoxes that reside within it.
Every year after the first year of a teaching career offers another opportunity to modify and recreate your lessons and classroom procedures as you become one of us, lifers in the education world.
Industry Partnerships and Relationships are Key to building Success in Education by Dona Depriest The paradigm of education continues to change. The 4th largest school district in the nation, Miami-Dade County, has recently awarded vocational technical principal – Dr. Sean Gallagan as Principal of the Year. Dr. Gallagan understands the need for schools to build partnerships and relationships. He serves on numerous aviation boards, not only in Miami-Dade, but across the State of Florida. Dr. Gallagan is always working to build win-win relations with the industry. All of his hard work has certainly paid off. In the last three years, Dr. Gallagan has received more than 7 million dollars in donations for the school. As charter schools exponentially grow around the state, one of the oldest schools in Miami continues to be on the cutting edge meeting industry needs and has become the premier Aviation school in the nation. How do they do it? Partnerships and thinking outside the box! What other school in the nation has 2 fully functional passenger aircraft sitting only feet away from a classroom? In May of 2010, American Airlines donated a 6 million dollar MD-80 passenger aircraft. This past June, Baker Aviation, in partnership with over 35 local businesses, acquired a fully functional giant 737. If this wasn’t enough, in July 2011, Baker Aviation coordinated the delivery of a FED EX 727 to be used as a multiagency training vehicle on the tarmac of MIA.
Coming Events Do You Use Social Media? We Do!!! Look for us! Twitter: @fascd Facebook: Florida ASCD Linkedin: fascd
Habits of Mind with Art Costa Sponsored by FASCD October 22, 2011 Nova Southeastern University Tampa Campus FASCD Board Meetings 2011/2012
Let Florida ASCD empower you as an integral member of its dynamic collaborative community. We are here for you and hope that Florida ASCD will be a part of your growth and success this year. Welcome back—and have an outstanding year. -Your Florida ASCD
October 22, 2011 Nova SE University, Tampa March 2, 2012 Location: To be determined June 23-24, 2012 Location: To be determined