Teachers Roundtable

MAKING SCHOOL'S RELEVANT According to a recent America's Promise Alliance report, only 51.8% of students in the 50 largest U.S. cities graduate from public high school. In 17 of those cities graduation rates fall below 50%. Suburban and rural-based public high school students do better, making the nationwide average to be 70%. What's wrong?

Here's what one astute Canadian administrator did to find out: Kelly Christopherson, a principal in a K-12 school in Saskatchewan, brought a group of high school kids together and asked them what they thought would be the characteristics of an effective school. They gave him four very significant characteristics: 1. A relevant curriculum 2. Broad connections with others (networks) 3. Transitioning skills to outside world 4. Lots of engagement with course work (participation).

It shouldn't be too difficult to build a relevant program around these four characteristics. Once an administrator knows what students (clients) want (need), she/he must bring teachers, parents, and students together into a truly collaborative planning effort to meet the real needs. In a relevant program, everyone matters. It can be very productive and meaningful when administrators drop their "boss" role and begin collaborating. See www.crisisinschoolmanagement.com

Teachers, kids, parents, be sure to catch the TED talk entitled Once Upon A School by writer Dave Eggers and an exciting volunteer program of the same name that is growing around the US. For the talk go to: www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/233

For the project's web site go to: http//www.onceuponaschool.org

Hey teachers - I thought you might be interested in this post: www.odemagazine.com/exchange/1104/equal_exchange_focuses_on_education

Equal Exchange offers a cool fundraising opportunitie for schools that focuses on Fair Trade. It's a win-win situation. Kids help get money for their own school while learning about Fair Trade choices while half of the money goes to that farmers who produced the products that are sold.

Joyce Lemke, a Positive Change Core member and a long time international consultant in Appreciative Inquiry sent out the following email announcement and a request: "Sally Smith, a pioneer in strengths based learning for children, died early this month. Founder of the Lab School in Washington D.C. in 1967, Sally Smith developed curriculum which has had uncommon success with those who learn differently. Smith gave respect, hope and the tools to succeed to children beginning over 40 years ago. Smith asserted that " A child's failure to learn means that the teaching staff has not yet found a way to help him. It is up to the adults to seek out the routes by which each child learns, to discover his strengths and interests and to experiment until effective techniques are found."

Sally Smith created a learning environment that used the arts to shape the school, and believed that the arts could and should be used to teach all manner of things. I remember when I was doing my graduate thesis in the early 70's, looking for positive approaches to teaching and learning, how strikingly different Smith's pioneering approach seemed from other models at the time.

Smith's passing is a reminder to us of the powerful legacy of an "early adaptor" of asset building as an avenue to improved learning and achievement. I wonder if the PCC might be interested in establishing an annual Sally Smith Award for an outstanding educational leader of our day who is using asset and strengths based approaches with great success? What do others think? Joyce Lemke ^<jole200@yahoo.com^>"

Those who'd like to read more about Sally Smith, check this entry from National Public Radio: www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16880570

www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16880570

To help teachers COLLABORATIVELY develop or improve the teaching of writing, I have posted a free guide and process journal on my web site www.jamesevers.com. Based on my 40+ years of teaching writing and working with teachers in the teaching of writing, the guide is called DEVELOPING THE WRITING IQ PROGRAM ( I=Content IMPACT, Q= Language QUALITY). It is used in schools in the metro area of NY and NJ.

Teachers may also download my free study on why school reforms usually fail. It's entitled CRISIS IN SCHOOL MANAGEMENT. (same web site) I welcome responses.