leadership in high schools

For two summers in a row I have attended the High Schools New Face Conference in Ellicottville, NY.  Both times I have been in the company of teachers I work with.  In 2006, Phyllis C., a High School English teacher joined me.  In 2007, Rose D. a Special Education Consultant Teacher accompanied me.  High Schools New Face has energized my practice as a school leader and broadened my thinking horizons.  In 2006, I was part of the CREATING cohort,  a group of educators who were exposed to the MET school model that exists in Rhode Island.  The Creating Cohort studied the question of how do you create a school that is student centered, focusses on project based learning and work experience;  how do you engage learners at 9th grade when they are on the verge of dropping out or being lost to the gangs and drugs around the neighborhoods they live in, how do you sell a package to parents who are disillussioned with public schools and what it does not promise their kids.  The MET school project is largely a private enterprise in education that works within the Rhode Island public school system.  The creators of this concept are two friends Elliot Washor and Dennis Littky

Ref:   www.metcenter.org and www.bigpicture.org 

In 2007, I was part of the CONNECTING cohort ( using Technology to develelop the WEB 2.0 classrooms).   November 7, 2007,  I will have the opportunity to present to the BOCES Board of Eduction,  together with Rose D.  what we learned in the High School New Face Conference and how what we have learned is changing the face of education in our school. 

2006 – the lines between special ed and alt. ed are erased at the Hewes Center.  We only refer to our differences when I talk to component school district personnel about costs and value added.  All faculty meetings are joint between departments.  All information is globally shared.  We amalgamate and become the instructional division with  a High School Graduation outcome. 

2007 – We are infusing technology into the classrooms using web technology.  Teachers are turning to the internet, blogs and wikis to inform their practice.  Technology use is is modelled at opening day, faculty meetings and daily references to the intranet and educational web sites.  Teachers will have blogs and use these tools to encourage reading and writing using computer technology.  We are doing co-teaching and using integrated teaching models to race down this technological skills path because our students future is dependent on our keeping pace with the world of work and the skills necessary to succeed there. 

The teacher assistant opening must be attended to this week.  This postion is unique within Alternative Edcuation because it supports the office of both the Counselor and Supervisor.  Knowledge of behavior modification is essential as is the ability to diffuse volatile situations and reason with students who are unable to process verbal and non-verbal cues.  In the absense of this abiltiy, students become enraged quickly misunderstanding context and nuance.  Alternative Education Teachers and Staff can never let their own emotions get in the way of the student’s mental processing of fact/action/reaction.  When this happens, an automatic Discipline Referral will be generated on the student, because the scene is set for the explosive behavior outcome that will inevitably follow.

In the above scenario, the Teaching Assistant has to become the medium of understanding for the student.  The students should be able to go and diffuse with the Teaching Assistant, (counselor is not always available)  be able to complete a Life Space Interview before any attempt is made at reconcilliation between offended parties and before responsibility can owed up to by the student.  Central Auditory Processing and frontal lobe development is affected in Alternative Education Students ( Right Brain Dysfunction). 

The ideal Teacher Assistant and Teacher candidate for Alternative Edcucation  is not the person who feels sorry for students out of a bel;ief  that the world can be changed because of his/her goodwill, but rather is the person who understands Right Brain Dysfunction, the unclassified Emotionally Disturbed student.  Alternative Education is about seeing the repressed anger in students, facing head on the verbal reaction of students to misunderstood cues in the world and community around them.  We teach by repeated examples of scenarios that develop daily in the program. Structure, Structure and more Structure is the only consistent basis for the program.  This is what our students have to rely on if they are to succeed. 

Interviews will be called this week. A recommendation will be made and we shall find our ideal candidate.  For the  safety of the program and for the success of our students.