leadership in high schools

I am humbled today.  Our Special Education School team has successfully accomplished what we so desperately need for students – another middle school classroom at the Hewes Center.  The new referrals were accepted by the Director and Assitant Superint. and the OK was granted to open a new class.  A tremendous committment by our BOCES in students and the future of this area.  I sense the excitement of the faculty!  Our first student sat in the classroom today.  He has a schedule and routines he is familiar with.  He transitioned to this point via the OSS room which is housed in the same building.  When I saw him in the school this morning, he could barely contain his excitement.  It is Nov 1, 2007 and as promised his mother and the CSE committee – he has a classroom!  What a relief for me…………………….

Our teacher needs have not changed.  A posting has been prepared  to announce the teacher opening.  We at the Center need a certified Special Education Teacher with the reading or content area specialization as well – Math, Science, Social Studies and English.  Our classroom opened today.  The room is set up.  Instructional Resources will be set up tomorrow.  The classroom has 5 computers, matching individual student desks, TV/VCR combo etc.  Should I add grand, beautiful windows overlooking a neat flat playground?  I am so excited.  I think back to my days as a teacher.  I know where I would like the group table.  I might have moved the desks differently…………..I was in the classroom with the maintenance staff this evening.  I cannot wait to have the new teacher start and lay his/her imprints on the room.  Our collective hopes have been answered – Faculty, Staff and Administration.  Now let the process unfold to find the best teacher for these young students. 

At the Hewes Center we have 2 positions.  One is curently open because of a resignation.  Discussion has been generated about the kind of candidate we need to fulfill the needs of the program.  At this interview I will have representatives of the program partiscipate with me at the decision making table.  It is imperative that we find the right candidate so as to meet program needs – entry by adults into the Quality World of students, a person who can help bring fresh ideas to the table with regards to improving daily student attendance, providing students’ with instructional assistance, honoring, respecting, valuing everyday with the faculty and staff, the tremendous odds students face in order to fight for school success. For the Alternative Education student, the challenges of daily living are a tremendous burden - insignificant or non-existant role models, children raising children, the street culture, a life without structure, behavior without consequences and a lack of any affiliation to cultural/societal instituitions that provide stabilty to family.   Amidst these tremendous odds children are being raised, leadership is being developed and America’s future is being secured. 

Two high schools students who are classified, in the 11th grade are in need of work experience preparation.  Both students found the Career and Technical Education programs too overwhelming for various reasons.  The march is on to continue life skills training and to begin work experience because in a year and a half both students want to graduate and need work force preparation.  The work experience teacher, Amy M. has today informed me that she needs to team with the high school teachers in order to brain storm about best work placements for these two students – on or off campus, in the company of a work experience teacher/other adult support or independently? 

I am glad this realization has come forth without prompting and more importantly with the caveat that ” I need the insight of the classroom teachers.  We need a teem approach because I do not know these work experience students until I interview them.  To remove all bias I need to work with the classroom teachers”.  This insight is tremendous particularly since we in ERIE 2 Boces are poised to expand Work Experience for all Special Needs students those in Gen. Ed as well as those in more restricted environments. 

Planning has begun on allowing Work Experience Enclaves to exist within the summer school high school programs for students that will experience regression.