District Administration - September 2011 - (Page 22)

Br ie fings NewsUpdate Miami-Dade’s 2012 Playbook for the New School Year In August, As the bAck-to-school clothIng and supplies were hitting the stores, Miami-Dade county (Fla.) Public schools launched its own new “product line of services” to its student clientele, including additional magnet schools, a conservatory for the arts, salad bars, and new technology and online digital tools for students. This “ritual of reinvention” is a signature program of superintendent Alberto carvalho, as he’s unveiled similar plans each year since joining the district in fall 2008. “It’s important for effective school leaders to reinvent themselves,” said carvalho. “There needs to be competition in the public school environment. We need to develop innovative services for students and continue to tailor to their individual needs.” The district is continuing to support school choice by rolling out 18 new magnet schools, including two centers for autistic children, an arts conservatory and three technology-driven academies. currently, 41 percent of the district’s students attend nontraditional schools. In addition to school choice, wellness and technology are also cornerstones of carvalho’s plan. new salad bars will be opening in each high school, a children’s wellness center, and additional intramural sports. technology is getting a boost as well, with a new online personalized learning tool, links to learning 2.0, for students, as a supplemental resource after school. A new program, dubbed “e-campus,” will provide online instructional materials to teachers. creating innovation in an economic recession has not been easy, says carvalho, although he believes money woes cannot stifle progress. “I never benefited from an era of largess,” he says, alluding to the fact that when he became superintendent the district had less than $4 million in reserves. “Rather than succumbing to economic woes, we’re forced to be innovative and efficient,” he adds. some savings that have been put toward new projects came from closing six low-performing schools, reduc- Miami-Dade County (Fla.) Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho (above) has rolled out new initiatives for the new school year. ing administrative spending and redesigning the district’s health insurance plan. new partnerships with the community and private sector also made some projects possible. celebrity chefs Michelle berstein and Michael schwartz will continue to work with the district judging the best cafeterias. norman braman, a Miami-based car dealer, will allow students to enroll in automotive training centers, and former nAsA scientists have come to the district to teach advanced science courses. “hiring the nAsA scientists was an initiative out of opportunity,” says carvalho, noting that nearly one-third of nAsA was laid off last month. seizing the moment, the district contacted nAsA to recruit scientists with high-level science skills to teach advanced steM courses, as many districts struggle to fill those positions. “We’re relying on the community and private sector to reinvent our schools.” Encouraging Reading from the Top-Down The DeerFielD TownShiP SChool in new Jersey has been working on improving literacy across all grade levels of this PreK-8 school. To encourage curiosity in reading among students, Superintendent edythe Austermuhl personally mingles with students in their classrooms and libraries to hold informal book talks and find new readings. The school librarians have noted that if they label a book as a “recommendation by Dr. Austermuhl,” the book often has a waiting list. “The students are very excited to talk to me about their favorite books or even those they were disappointed with,” says Austermuhl. “i have found several books in my mailbox with notes to read this because they think i would like it based on our past conversation.” 22 September 2011 District Administration

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - September 2011

District Administration - September 2011
Contents
From the Editor
Letters
News Update
Tech Update
District Profile
Administrator Profile
Conversations
They Work Hard for the Money
The Road to Rigor
District-Charter Collaborations on the Rise
Designing Safe Facilities
Tony Smith Tackles Oakland
Product Focus
New Products
Research Center
Crisis Response
Going Mobile
Professional Opinion
Student Counsel

District Administration - September 2011