District Administration - May 2007 - (Page 26)

AdministratorProﬁle All teachers, including those in math and science, incorporate into their instruction such reading strategies as summarization, vocabulary techniques and note taking, Tromba says. Additionally, Cottage Grove has modiﬁed its schedule to create a mandatory 25-minute study period for freshmen and sophomores. (Juniors and seniors meeting a certain GPA requirement can opt out with parental permission.) During these study periods, students are sorted by reading ability, and those having the most diﬃculty use the time as a reading class, Tromba says. Those with moderate diﬃculties brush up on their skills, and students not having problems use the time to study for other classes. Struggling readers also are placed in remedial reading classes in addition to their regular English course and study period sessions, he says. Previously, such interventions were left to the teachers’ discretion, but they were too burdensome for the teachers, Parent says. “It can’t be up to the individual teachers. Our teachers are already working hard,” she explains. The study periods have the advantage of lessoning the stigma for low-performing students, Pierce observes. Because higher-performing students also attend the study periods, the low-performing students don’t feel singled out for help. Parent is a voracious reader whose interests extend beyond education books to include works on leadership and management. When principals and administrators meet, the books serve as starting points for discussions and activities. Parent participates in most of the same training sessions that the teachers receive. She also often trains her staﬀ members to use some of the same techniques that she has learned from books or conferences. Love for Teaching The AASA selection panel was also impressed with Parent’s listening skills and her ability to connect with and help her staﬀ. According to Pierce, Parent models leadership for others by her unique approach to staﬀ development and her willingness to become directly involved with teachers’ and administrators’ work. Pierce recalls an incident that illustrates just how involved Parent is: She once received a cell phone call from a teacher seeking advice on the inclusion of a class textbook. “I thought it was amazing that a teacher would call a superintendent” for advice like that, Pierce says. Parent’s attention to instruction is a product of her love for teaching, says Ali Nice, Harrison Elementary School principal. “She spent years working with kids, and kids remain her focus,” Nice says. And Parent says that instilling excitement is key. “It’s always about,” Parent says, “being with the kids and seeing them learn, being able to share my experiences, and creating the spark in them that turns them on to learning as well.” DA Kevin Butler is a contributing editor based in Los Angeles. 26 May 2007 District Administration http://www.vantagelearning.com/myaccess http://www.vantagelearning.com/myaccess http://www.vantagelearning.com/myaccess

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - May 2007

Contents
Editor’s Letter
Letters
News Update
Inside the Law
Curriculum Update
Administrator Profile
District Profi le
Focal Points for Pre-K8 Math
Games Students Play
Healthy Choices
Tragic Lessons
Learning with Personal Media Players
New Products
Computer Literature
Problem Solution
Professional Opinion
Speaking Out
Online Edge
Calendar of Events
Research Corner

District Administration - May 2007