Search

Amid the focus on improved standardized test scores, differentiated instruction, value-added initiatives and improved teacher evaluation, one must not ignore an education leader's need to inspire and be inspired. But how do education leaders inspire their students and teachers during some of the most difficult economic times the nation has ever seen? What can district leadership do to support educators' dreams and nurture their creative visions? In this article, the authors, who are both education leaders, share their ideas.

Public schools must be the catalyst for achieving equity in education. Real equity is not simply achieving equality or about ensuring that everyone gets the same resources and receives the same instruction. Equity is about ensuring that all students get what they need to be successful. Fairness is not providing the same resources, instruction, and course selections to all students. Fairness is providing all students with what they need to achieve. This article illustrates how the professional learning community (PLC) initiative at Cromwell (CT) High School effectively supports student learning. Activities at Cromwell are structured around what students need, rather than what adults prefer. They compare and analyze class sizes and veteran teacher loads to answer the essential question, Who is teaching their struggling learners? If schools are to provide equitable education to all students, school leaders must change past norms and traditional mind-sets and have an action plan for recruiting and retaining quality teachers. (Contains 3 figures and 10 resources.)

This article discusses the Berlin (Connecticut) High School's NET (Non-Traditional Educational Training) program. NET is a self-contained program that is composed of three components: academics, social and emotional support, and vocational training. Rather than treat students alike, the NET program tailors their high school experience to meet their needs. Berlin has found that the best way to engage disinterested students is to provide vocational education, give them choices, and make them players in the decision-making process. The academic component of the program enables students to earn credits toward graduation in a supportive, personalized classroom environment. Class sizes are smaller, averaging three to six students per class. Class times are staggered to meet the individual needs of the students, and credits accrue on a monthly basis. The social emotional component of the program gives students the opportunity to take responsibility for their emotional well-being and success through the use of behavior modification. Each student's behavior is monitored and tracked daily and weekly. The vocational training component requires students to participate in a vocational education class where they learn about the needs and demands of the workforce. They also have the opportunity to work at a variety of job sites to gain practical employment experience (and a school stipend) while earning academic credit. (Contains 1 figure.)

After six months of grueling campaigning, the author anxiously began his tenure as mayor of Meriden, Connecticut, a diverse community of about 58,000 residents that is approximately 20 miles north of New Haven and 20 miles south of the state capitol, Hartford. As a former special education teacher and a current vice principal, it was no surprise to his constituents that improving the climate and culture of their high schools would be a top priority during his administration. The need for discipline reform was apparent. After watching their high schools suspend, expel, and arrest their most at-risk students for inappropriate behavior, he was frustrated, confused, and in search of alternatives. To address the challenge of keeping kids actively engaged in school, he recommends the federally funded program Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), which provides school resource officers (SROs) who are certified police officers and provide law enforcement and law-related teaching and counseling in public high schools. The program has improved safety and strengthened relationships with the local police department.