District Administration - February 2010 - (Page 12)

Br iefings NewsUpdate AASA Superintendent of the Year Nominees Focus on the Future ThE 2010 NaTIONal SuPErINTENDENT OF ThE YEar cErEMONY, which commemorates the contributions and guidance of public school superintendents, will be held February 11 at the National conference on Education in Phoenix. We asked the four finalists what their number-one priority is for 2010. Joyce c. Levey, superintendent of Tuscaloosa city schools, Alabama Our school system has been in a position of reform and transformation to ensure children continue to be the focus of our daily interactions. Our aspiration is to lay a foundation for this systemic movement by professionally developing our faculty and staff as leaders and to build leadership capacity—authentic leaders that understand their role and responsibility to self, children, families—and a community that understands what must be non-negotiable. Our leaders are change agents. Interactive Whiteboards Becoming Multilingual The lATesT TrenD in The rApiDly advancing and fiercely competitive interactive whiteboard market reflects the ever-increasing popularity and global appeal of this technology: support for multiple languages. A variety of manufacturers have recently added or expanded their language resources because of U.s. demand for teaching ell students, the use of the devices in foreign language classes and strong sales in countries around the world. Language In Demand sMArT Technologies has sold over 2 million whiteboards worldwide including in Mexico, new Zealand and the Middle east, and its notebook teaching software supports dozens of languages, from Arabic to Welsh. Mimio plans to offer its software and online user community in 11 languages by the end of February. Global membership in promethean’s online community doubled in the last year, prompting the company to offer free teaching resources in ten languages and enabling teachers to connect and collaborate from some 150 countries. luidia’s user software is now available in 14 languages including Dutch, portuguese and russian, due to an increasing number of requests for more diverse language support from its customers. And the new online interactive whiteboard training course from Blossom learning that debuted last month at FeTC will soon be offered in French and spanish, with the official announcement assuring the public that many additional languages are planned “shortly.” —Kurt Eisele-Dyrli eLizAbeTh MorgAn superintendent of Washington county Public schools, Maryland Despite budget constraints, I want to maintain the momentum we have achieved in making system improvements and meeting federal and state standards. For 2010, we are increasing student exposure to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), raising the bar for academic rigor, and partnering with others to launch a “civility” project aimed at improving the climate of our schools and community. WALT ruLffes superintendent of clark county school District, nevada Producing more and better-prepared graduates is my goal for 2010 and every year. Success is possible when individual student needs are addressed in every grade, parents and children are engaged, appropriate professional development is provided, curriculum is challenging and relevant, and educational opportunities and choices are plentiful. cynThiA sTevenson superintendent of Jefferson county Public schools, colorado The number one priority for Jeffco Public Schools in 2010 is, to use our motto, “Building Bright Futures.” We intend to commit our hearts to ensuring that every child is challenged every day to excel in academics and to engage in the creative arts and athletics. We intend to reach a 100 percent graduation rate so that every student has great choices for the future. FAST FACT Forty-nine percent of Gen y teachers agree in part that performance pay is a way to improve teacher effectiveness, a drastic increase from Gen X at 32 percent, and Baby Boomers at 27 percent. Source: “Supporting Teacher Talent: The View from Generation Y,” Public Agenda. Nov. 2009. 12 February 2010 District Administration

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - February 2010

District Administration - February 2010
Contents
Advertiser Index
News Update
Facilities Update
District Profile
Administrator Profile
New Books
Problem/ Solution
Pursuing Peace in Chicago
English Language Learner Charter Schools
Tweeting Your Own Horn
Tech Disruptions
Professional Opinion
Research Center
New Products
Product Focus

District Administration - February 2010