District Administration - January 2012 - (Page 16)

Conversations Gene R. Carter Lessons from Abroad Gene R. Carter is a veteran educator with experience as a private and public school teacher, public school administrator, university professor and author. In 1992, he became executive director and CEO of ASCD, an educational leadership organization with members in more than 145 countries. As ASCD’s leader, Carter has participated in educational seminars all over the world. In 1988, he was selected the first National Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators. Carter: I traveled with a study group sponCarter: Finland, Singapore sored by ASCD that looked at potential and Ontario are probably at the top of opportunities for us to help Indian educathe food chain. The area that continues tors be effective, proficient and productive. to strike me is the role of teacher effective- The other goal was to look at what’s hapness and the relationship of quality and pening there as compared to the United productivity of the teachers and students States and other parts of the world. in these countries. Teachers are revered, We don’t want to mimic their system, and education is revered as a profession; at least what I’ve seen. There is a greater as a consequence, there is a great deal of spread between the haves and have-nots, respect for the professional role teachers and there are challenges with the profesplay. The United States needs to focus sionalization of teaching and attitudes of on strengthening teacher education pro- teachers toward professional development grams so that they help teachers become that we take for granted. The gaps beinnovators and researchers in education, tween government and private schools are not just deliverers of curricula. immense in terms of infrastructure, the In Finland, they select only the best quality of teachers and resources. and brightest applicants. Only one out of 10 candidates is recruited, and all teachers Is our nation’s education system in crisis? have a master’s degree. The government Carter: I think we have some real chalprovides all that’s required to educate lenges, and we are not going to be sucteachers. They are encouraged to be life- cessful if we continue to be partisan in long learners, especially as it relates to child our views. NCLB has to be reworked— development. In Singapore, teachers are as definitely. We have some major challengrespected as those in the legal and medical es to shift the focus of our schools from professions. And these three countries have the 20th century into the 21st century. strong proactive leadership development If you look at the experiences that programs. The relationship between teach- young people have outside school, they ers and principals is a critical one. are often very different from what they 16 January 2012 Q: On his recent trip to India, Gene Carter sits in a classroom to learn about the nation’s teaching, instructional and learning styles. You recently returned from a three-week trip to India. What did you learn? What are the biggest lessons we can learn from foreign education systems? experience in school. That is to suggest that schools must be a microcosm of the communities they serve and that teaching and learning extend beyond the traditional school building. Leveraging our technologies, emphasizing the value of growing our human capital, taking into account the connection between effective schooling and a productive economy—those elements are discussed, but they do not appear to gain traction. We need to be focused on bolder action than we have been in the past. How do you propose fixing this? Carter: We’d like to focus on the relationship between what’s best for our children and our nation’s future. ASCD would like to push its Whole Child initiative, which is a holistic approach to the education of young people. It underscores the importance of the health, safety and engagement of students in the learning process. We also must continue to provide greater clarity, not only about what students should learn and how to prepare them for opportunities beyond high school, but about the whole notion of citizenship and having young people lead purposeful and meaningful careers. —Angela Pascopella District Administration

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - January 2012

District Administration - January 2012
Contents
Letters
News Update
Conversations
District Profile
Administrator Profile
Finding the Perfect Fit
Kansas City Plots Next Steps
Seeking Savings in Special Ed
K12 Guide to Audio/Visual Solutions
Equipping Teachers to Infuse Technology
Flipped Classrooms Gaining Ground
Buying in Bulk
Online Identity Management
Going Mobile
Student Counsel
Online Edge
New Books
New Products
Product Focus
Professional Opinion

District Administration - January 2012