leadership in high schools

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. 

Teachers:  If you are interested in attending this valuable all day workshop at St. Bonaventure University, please respond to me via this blog.  You will need a copy of the flyer to attach to your Absence Request Form as well as a conference request form turned in 30 days before the scheduled date. 

Below is the invitation I received from the coordinator of this event, who wrote the project proposal to bring this staff development opportunity to W. New York.  Teachers from component schools in Catt. Allegheny BOCES have been invited as have student teacher from St. Bonaventure.  I believe it will be a day well spent. 

Paula Kenneson, Ed. D.
Assistant Professor
Department Chair for
Adolescence Education
St. Bonaventure University
St. Bonaventure, NY  14778
716 375-2177
 

I am very excited at the thought of conducting a tour of our High School Special Education Programs which are aimed at three distinct student groups – 4 year College bound, Career & Technical College education with immediate entry into 2 year colleges or the work place and students who will need supportive living and job coaching.  Our programs currently consist of five 1:6:1 classrooms and two 1:8:1 classrooms.  We have not had this level of programming within our BOCES in Chautauqua County and have planned for  this over the past 5 years.   

Calls are coming in to tour of high school programs and a brochure is being developed so that high school Principals and Directors of Special Education can equally begin to plan their cohort graduation results four years before students enter high school.  Both these offices within a school share equal responsibility for planning, developing and investing in educational programs that benefit students and which will lead to 4 year graduations from high school.  School districts that are showing interest in our work at the Hewes Center include – Southwestern and Randolph.  Our goal is to reach all schools in the Southern Tier and to accomplish this teachers will be heavily involved with me in the crafting of our brochure so as to reflect the exciting instructional work being accomplished and the student learning taking place at the Hewes Center in our grade 9-12 programs.

Program Highlights: 

English:  Big Read America Project in colloaboration with area libraries and colleges – To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. 

English:  Celebration of the 200th Birthday of Abraham Lincoln – reading of the Speeches at Gettysburg. 

Electives:  Marine Biology, Foundations of Music, Creative Writing, CPR training, Work Experience and Job shadowing.   

Field Trips:  Step Into Africa, an interactive Exhit at the Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Skating Rink, Illstyle:  a hip hop production staged at the Reg Lenna Civic Center/Theatre. 

Extra-Curricular:  HIgh Student newspaper written and published by students, Student Council, Popcorn and Pizza sales to promote student entreprenuership, student membership in NAMI – National Association for the Mentally Ill, donation to St. Susan’s Kitchen by students on behalf of NAMI.  Honor and Merit Roll. 

Monthly Guest Speaker Series:  To date Jim Tillotson, His Climb Up the Himalayas, Kelly Joslyn, How the Democrats took the White House. 

First set of Implications:

1. Cost savings to college education ie. college level courses taught as electives to high school students
2. The affect of public trust and tax payer funding of public school eduction versus college investment
3. Are all teachers of high school prepared to teach this way?  What particular skill sets are involved with this type of instruction?
4. Is this type of virtual education one that will be recommended to certain types of students eg. advanced learners and denied others eg. special and alternative education. 
5. Curriculum course content exposure of high school student versus college student
6. Teaching credentials of instructors
7. Grade Inflation
8. The impact of on-line high schools on discussions like regionalism and consolidation of schools in W. New York
9. College level preparedness of students ie. their ability to access high end 4 year colleges as opposed to lower rated 4 year colleges. 

What a priviledge it was to spend Wednesday evening with @ 41 undergraduate and graduate students of Education at St. Bonaventure University in Olean, NY.  Ann Aversa, former BOCES special education supervisor/teacher, Brad Nunn – Jamestown Public Schools, Rochester City Schools and BOCES teacher/ administrator together with myself, Professors Paula Kenneson, Ann Claire Fisher and  >>>>>>>>>>>>> were delighted in the company of future educators in whose faces we re-discovered ourselves.  The passion, questions and thoughtful repose of the students in the class reflected our own journey of questioning and discovery so many years ago, when we ourselves were students just round the corner from entering a profession we could not wait to impact and change. 

I think that it is imperative that schools and universities collaborate in the educational training of future teachers and educational leaders.  We all recognize that professional growth goes both ways ( with students and bringing practitioners into colleges) and that informing students of current trends and the daily pulse of schools is critical to preparing them for the work they will be engaged in – work that is grounded in theory but is so much dictated by the human service needs of students, families and school employees.  When I was in college I thought that the lesson plans and curriculum were my foundations of instructional/professional success.  Today I know this to be a crucial piece but I do not discount the importance of my contacts with every manner of personal interaction I have with every member of the educational team.  I focus on this everyday when I enter the school building and immediately greet the maintenance and grounds staff, the secretaries, my peer superivisor, the teachers, the professional staff, the aides and the list goes on until 8:30 am when the students arrrive, and the parent calls come in, probation officers, mental health counselors, come into the building.  All these contacts and facets of a school make for the professional success of each and every school day.  These contacts spell passion and energy.      

It is my hope that the visit and experiences that we as collective educators shared with the students of St. Bonaventure University, will inspire you to be the change leaders in schools.  In addition to talking about IEPs, IDEA, FERPA, student PLEP statements, student accomodations, classroom sizes, least restrictive environments,  IEP direct etc.  it is our hope that you will enter this endeared teaching profession prepared to passionately save students one at a time and make this nation once again a leader in education, creativity, discovery and excitement.    

Student References:

Thomas Friedman, AUTHOR OF The World Is Flat and The World is Crowded    

SOCIAL NETWORKS: NING, TAPPED IN, CLASSROOM 2.0, TWITTER  

We look forward to hearing from all of you at St. Bona’s via this blog.  Please share with us, your insights, thoughts and ideas as to how we can better prepare you for the world of work you have chosen.  Our thanks to your professors, especially Dr. Kenneson for inviting us to your classroom and introducing us to Bona hospitality, Cafe La Verna and Plassman Hall. 

My night was gloriously blessed when I ran into one of my former students, C. Lombardo ( Bona’s 2011) - one day I hope he will be a businessman who will generate work for others and help pay the public taxes which we hope will continue to fund our programs. 

PS:  K. Blake, I met Ms. Tina Currie, CSE chair today at the Jamestown Ad. building.  She told me that you are a gifted teacher just waiting to be picked up by some lucky school!