District Administration - May 2008 - (Page 8)

Editor’s Letter Plane Truth at Conferences We love to meet DA readers on the road. HILE WAITING FOR A FLIGHT HOME AFTER THIS YEAR’S American Association of School Administrators conference in Tampa, I happened to notice a traveler reading the current issue of DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION. I tried not to be obvious as I invaded his privacy, but I was fascinated to see which features caught his attention. After he put the magazine away, I opened a conversation with, “So how did you like the AASA conference?” I then let him know my relationship to DA. It turns out that he was Lynn Vlasman, superintendent of the TrippDelmont School District in South Dakota, and we talked about AASA, his district, education initiatives in South Dakota, the state’s annual Technology & Innovation in Education conference (TIE)—which, by coincidence I keynoted while he was in the audience—and, of course, the design and content of DA. We exchanged a lot of information in a short period of time, and continued the conversation by e-mail. “This issue includes a In fact, I get some of our best stories through such chance meetings in airports and planes going to and from the conference calendar through professional conferences we cover. For example, I met Patricia the end of the year.” Green, superintendent of Pennsylvania’s North Allegheny School District, while standing in line for a ﬂight, and discussed how her administration collaborates effectively with the teachers union. This led to an Administrator Proﬁle last June. Similarly, on the way to another AASA conference, I ﬂew with William Singleton, superintendent of South Carolina’s Jasper County School District, who explained how he travels each year to distant states—armed with signing bonuses—to ﬁnd teachers for his rural schools. That prompted me to write the column “Web-Powered Job Recruiting” for July 2006. DA Conference Calendars Anne Bryant, executive director of the National School Boards Association, has said, “Attending an annual conference is one of the most worthwhile things an administrator can do.” Opportunities abound for hearing world-famous speakers, gaining practical knowledge and networking with colleagues. And collegial learning can also take place in planes, trains and automobiles. This issue of DA magazine includes a conference calendar through the end of the year, which is also on our Web site (www.DistrictAdministration.com), so you can make choices and plan ahead. We would also like to include your state and regional conferences on our Web site as an additional service for our readers, so please send those listings to our news editor Zach Miners (zminers@edmediagroup.com). W Odvard Egil Dyrli EDITOR-IN-CHIEF gdyrli@edmediagroup.com 8 May 2008 District Administration http://www.DistrictAdministration.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - May 2008

District Administration - May 2008
Contents
Editor’s Letter
Letters
News Update
Security Update
Curriculum Update
Inside the Law
District Profile
Administrator Profile
Book Excerpt
Addressing Food Allergies
Algebra: Changing the Equation
Stopping MRSA
Resources to Support Disabled Learners
Web Tools: The Second Generation
How Well Does This Web Site Work?
New Products
Speaking Out
Supervisor’s Opinion
Professional Opinion
Leadership Books
Research Center
Calendar of Events
Products Showcase
Understanding the Times

District Administration - May 2008