leadership in high schools

Kaitlyn O’Connor has been selected to be our graduation speaker for the class of 2009.  We have 18 graduates this year, the most we have ever had since I have been a principal of the Alternative and Special Education programs at the Hewes Center, Erie 2 CC BOCES.  Kaitlyn herself will be graduating this year from high school with an Advanced Academic Regents Diploma. 

She was chosen to be our speaker because she will share with us the voice of her generation.  She exemplifies the best of both general and special education - she is graduating with a high school diploma at at the highest level in New York State and she has done this with an IEP document - Individual Education Plan!. 

This weekend as we remember Tim Russert, national TV personality and political pundit who passed away last year, I am drawn to recollecting his words spoken at countless graduation ceremonies he spoke at.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5311801

Go to this link from National Public Radio to hear a recording by Thembi a young South African woman who became a aids activist and very popular for demystifying aids in her county and humanizing the face of this horrible disease.  Thembi was 16 when she first learned that she had contacted this disease.  Her voice resonates with emotional maturity, the musical voice and intonation evokes the rich culture of this part of southern africa…………..this weekend she died.  Learn about this battle in a modern world fought in the most developed county in Africa. 

Once a year as a supervisor/principal of this BOCES I have to complete summative evaluations for all staff including teachers, related service professionals. teacher assistants, aides and other support staff.  Suffice it to say that this most important work that speaks to assessments and accountability on the part of schools is like writing an essay that never ends.  I always feel that when I mark someone in need of improvement, I myself have failed as a principal……….the connection a principal feels to programs, teachers and staff is a very personal and profound relationship.  It is sustained by the excitement of new programs, tweeked programs, new emphasis etc.  This will be a very difficult week for me because all this work has to be completed before the June 1 deadline.  My rationale for waiting so long?

• I want to maximise opportunities for staff to shine
• I want to have examples of more than one stellar achievement.
• I want to give folks an opportunity to show growth and improvement. 
• I work best when under pressure and stress.  Words flow more smoothly and my creative juices are more visable in my writing style…..at least I think so:)

Tomorrow, Tuesday 1PM Dr. Kazi, Prof. School of Social Work, Univ of Buffalo will be visiting the Hewes Center to go over details of the the plan to initiatiate oversight of mental health collection of data amongst a set population - students K-12.  We will be joined in this visit by Danielle O’Connor, Director of Instructional Programs, Erie 2 BOCES, the school nurse, a counselor, a representative teacher and myself.  This visit will be followed up by interviews conducted in early June that will be set up by the BOCES for two interns that have shown interest in doing work on behalf of students, their families, schools and Chautauqua county.  The work accomplished by these interns in collaboration with our counselors and teachers will go toward informing our discipline and outreach practices at the Hewes Center as well as contribute to the body of work being produced by the Tapestry project at other schools and local community sites. 

Approximately 78 students at the Hewes Center indicate need for mental health services this is out of a total population of about 110 students.  This number is astronomical by any school standard.  However given the fact that these students have “earned” their way out of their local public school - discipline referrals, failing academics, suspensions, absenteeism, truancy etc, this is not unusual for a BOCES alternative and special education setting. 

In light of the above need, we at the Hewes Center have solicited the help of the University of Buffalo, School of Social Work which has recommended two interns to our school program next year.  The recommendation requires that we in the BOCES interview the 2 candidates, provide a BOCES cooperative social worker for them and oversee a body of work that will allow us to chart how we find success for this student population.  Our two interviewing interns will be Jonathan Livengood and Kim Cofer.  Our cooperative social worker from within our BOCES who will oversee the work of these interns directly because of certification requirements is Yvonne Bisel.   Interviews will begin in early June.