leadership in high schools

Alternative Education:  4 core teachers, 1 consultant teacher, I counselor, 1 teacher aide, and 1 teaching assistant.  Total student population will be 60+ this year which is based on slots that are sold each year.

Special Education 12 classroom teachers, 1 work experience teacher, 1.4 speech teachers, .80 Occupational Therapist, .80 Physical Therapist, 2.4 Phys ed. teachers (shared with Alt. Ed), I guidance counselor, 4.5 social worker, 1 teaching assistant, @28 teacher aides.  Total student population 76. 

.8 = 4 days of related service, 1.0 is five days of service.  See descriptions above that denote number of days of service for each professional staff member. 

The number of faculty and staff reflect the proportion of need in each of the programs. 

Alicia was hired a week ago.  We opened school without her.  She started the second day that students were in attendance.  Her classroom is delightful to visit because every time I notice something new.  Yesterday, Friday, I noticed that a large hamper like chair with animal print cushions has been placed in the corner of her L – shaped classroom making for a distinct reading area.  Below the chair lies a classroom carpet.  She has been successful in appropriating a fancy clapboard executive style desk which I though would never survive a move from an office area close to Alicia’s classroom, but it did!. She has artfully placed reading and soft light lamps in different areas of this class space.  The atmosphere created makes for a comfortable, welcoming environment.   

Posters have been displayed on the wall, the chalkboard shows evidence of daily planning and lesson activity and order is beginning to take shape in this classroom.  Teachers have to be leaders and Alicia has shown evidence of this already.  This is her classroom and her personality is shaping it. 

This past week, Alicia has had to contend with a parent who calls the office daily to speak to her and inquire about his son’s behavior and level of ability and a very weepy mother who drove into the school parking lot mad because her son has been impossible to deal with at home.  Alicia has graciously tackled both parent issues and at the same time is working with the school nurse to deal with the messy bathroom problem being created by  her 11 year old male student.   He has been defacing the restroom with excreta and has been discovered the second day of this anomaly.  Teaching is not always pretty:(

This coming week, we have a new student in-take and Alicia will join me in describing the goals of her class this year and her instructional plans for getting her students to succeed.  This will bring her class size to 5 students.  This is a I:6:1 special education classroom.