An Educator's Perspective

I returned yesterday afternoon from the Virginia Association of Secondary School Principals annual summer conference and am refreshed and full of new ideas. The conference was held at The Homestead, a resort that dates back to 1766, in Hot Springs Virginia. The idealic setting was perfect for me with the Appalachian mountains staring back at me from the balcony of my room, the beautiful grounds, the great food, and the history of the place.

Although Governor Tim Kaine did not stop in to see us this year, the conference was filled with excellent speakers and informative break out sessions that allowed me to add to my repertoire as an administrator. Stephen Peters delivered the most moving talk that did my heart good. His stories and 'reality' hit home and made me wish we could get all of our teachers to hear him as well so they would think about why they are teachers and the impact they as teachers have. Powerful stuff. Daniel Pink, who I heard once before at last summer's Fairfax County Leadership Conference, delivered a powerful message about preparing our students for their future and not our past. Speaking not as an educator but as a outsider, his information about globalization, competition, and developing right brain competencies in ourselves and our students should have given all administrators there a lot to think about. In break out sessions, I heard from various model high schools about how they work with freshmen, how they track and handle discipline, how they organize behavior review committees, and what new legal rulings we should be aware of for the coming year.

The Secretary of Education for the Commonwealth, Thomas Morris, greeted us as did several undersecretaries from the governor's office. Dr. Robert Holsworth from VCU spoke to us about state and national politics, especially the presidential election. Dr. Billy Cannaday, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, delivered another powerful message about our role in preparing our students for tomorrow. This conference attracts several hundred administrators from most divisions of the state, the leadership of the secondary schools of Virginia, and is an excellent forum to inspire and challenge this leadership for the good of the students of the state.

These conferences are great for meeting others in the state and for reinforcing the ties that link us all as educational leaders, and I for one am glad that I got to attend. There was a small group in attendance from Fairfax County, a bit larger than that of the previous year, and we got to talk with and get to know each other more in the informal conference setting over dinner or just chatting before the start of a session. I appreciate this opportunity to attend my second VASSP conference and learn more that will help me as an administrator to help those students in my charge.

Back before cable and satellite, there was broadcast TV. Technically, there still is broadcast TV, of course, but for today's generation the big three networks don't exist - they are simply one of hundreds of channels. When I was young we didn't regularly have a TV since our mom and dad decided we would be better off not having one - and I applaud their decision since it got my older brother and me to spend a lot of time outside and, when we were inside, reading books. We had one for a while when my older brother broke his leg when he was eight, but then it was gone again for a time. After a few more years, we got another TV, but living in rural East Tennessee as we did, we could receive only two channels - ABC and PBS - and PBS came in the best usually.

The ABC affiliate, out of Knoxville, also simulcast the television broadcast on the radio and their signal came through more clearly than our TV set, so we'd sit the radio next to the TV and turn both of them on. The picture was always 'snowy', and weather conditions could determine just how snowy it was on the screen, but TV's then had the channel selector dial (turn/change the channel) and also fine tuning. We'd hear from our friends at school that something was coming on CBS or NBC, and we turn the channel to the proper station and, sometimes, we could hear the show and even catch snowy glimpses of the show.

I remember sometimes we'd turn the channel to one of the 'empty' channels and watch the bees - just sit there for a bit and watch static. If you kind of vacantly stared at the screen, you could almost sense patterns in the static, but we really did that just to pass some time and act silly. Anyway, what I'm trying to get to is that the old analog TV broadcast that is coming to an end this year as we switch to digital broadcast serves as a decent analogy for our students. We have teachers broadcasting information, still too many just broadcasting, to whomever is out there. But like the old TV's, if the receiver isn't on and isn't on the right channel, there is no sign of the broadcast material on the set.

Our students need to be turned on and tuned in. However, in order to turn them on some work needs to be done to prior to the broadcast that the broadcaster has no control over. Is the set properly manufactured? Is it plugged in and is the power working? Is the set working properly? Is the set on the right channel to receive what is broadcast? Do we need to adjust the antenna or boost the signal? This piece in education is too often ignored - we always say that parents send us the best they have, they aren't holding any back and that it is our job to teach those who come to us in whatever circumstance.  It seems the evidence shows us that too often, especially with poor students in urban and rural areas, we aren't getting those students to turn on and tune in and they are not gaining an education.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week was spent planning for next year with the administrative team. Our principal had a list of things to discuss and we spent a good portion of time talking about how to improve our school and how to improve teaching and learning.

Day one was a close review of our student planner. This probably had not been done in some time, and was very helpful as we discussed and clarified the policies outlined in the book. We worked on wording and intent, decided where to place our priorities, revised our attendance and dress code policies, and generally worked the book over. Everyone knows that student handbook/planners are actually read that often, but it is critical that our policies and procedures be accurate, clear, and reflect our expectations for students. During that day one of the other AP's came up with a good solution for working in our PLC time into the school day, so we even did a revision of the PLC day bell schedule and discussed how that will work.

Day two and three were the other thirteen items on the list. From teacher evaluation, instructional focus, department chair responsibilities, freshmen seminar, we covered many of the bases. By late morning of the third day the group was about meetinged out, so we tabled a few items till when we are all together again in July. These days and these type of meetings were we actually discuss teaching and learning are important, and they're really the first ones we've had since I've been here as an AP. It's important to take the time to discuss what we want to do to improve the school and what steps we need to take to get the school moving in the direction it needs to be. We have to be in front of change, managing it and not letting it manage us.

Last night by some counts, maybe it will be today in the others, the democratic primary got its winner in Barack Obama. Several months ago the republican primary got its winner in John McCain. Barring some very strange series of events, the race for president will be between these two very different people to determine which direction this country should move.

I still find it hard to believe that George W. Bush became president in 2000 and that he was re-elected in 2004. He was actually a two term president. These seven years have been some of the worst seven years I have known and I am ashamed that we have allowed George Bush to do what he has done to this nation and to the world.  I fear that he and his colleagues will never be held accountable for the wrongs they have done. The arrogance and disregard for truth, reality, and right with which they have ruled this nation during two terms of office are unforgivable. I will be happy when this blight of Bush, Cheney, et. al. is behind our nation.

So, to the future - Obama or McCain? Without reservation I must support Barack Obama. I know he is a young, fairly inexperienced junior senator who lacks foreign policy credentials and doesn't have an extensive record to predict where he will lead. But I also know that Obama has something that is new and refreshing in a leader, and that is an ability to speak with passion, energy, and eloquence to evoke the better side of our nation. He is not a fearmongerer. He seems a man of action with a good head on his shoulder who has captured the hearts and minds of millions - he can lead this nation forward.

It will not be easy. The next president will have to deal with the myriad of negative consequences still to come from eight years of infrastructure neglect, economic malaise, warmongering, saber rattling, environmental neglect, energy policy absence, and educational lip service. It seems that we will be paying for the ineptness and stubbornness of BushCheney for some time to come. Mr. Obama can lead us forward, can help us believe in ourselves once more, can begin to set things back in order so that The United States can be the great and respected power it once was.

I just got back in from our graduation - the class of twenty oh eight - and wanted to put down a few more thoughts before going out for dinner with the admin team. Graduations really are wonderful events, sometimes it's easy to forget that during the course of the year and while you're caught up in the logistics of the event. This graduation was outside, my first as a teacher or administrator. The weather was warm but not too hot, and a line of strong thunderstorms held off for the ceremony but provided us with a steady breeze.

This graduation was about the students and was very nice - lasting just about two hours - and it seemed that everyone got it that the spectacle was for the families. The speaker praised our school as one of the top in the nation, and that is pretty high praise coming from the person who developed the high school challenge index. He was topped, though, by the student speakers who were excellent, eloquent, and thoughtful - not just the normal graduation speeches.

What I love to see, though, and put down in writing, are how the faces and feet of the students tell a tale as they graduate. They climb the ramp, hand their card to their counselor who will read their name, and then wait for their name to be called. Most have a smile, a beautiful smile that speaks volumes, but some have worried looks, some have sneaky looks, some have cocky looks, some confident looks, some nervous looks, and some have blank looks. Those expressions speak volumes. Some day I need to take pictures of those faces, before their name is called.

As their name is called they step forward and walk - of course a few dance - across the stage to the principal. They tend to focus on where they are going, to the principal to get their diploma, but then there are also those who put on a show for those in the audience. Many of the young ladies, ignoring the recommendation to wear 'sensible heels' walk carefully on their too tall heels and take small and unsteady steps as they move across the stage. Some guys stride way out, eager to cross that no man's land to the principal in shoes that look as though they've never been worn. Some move across to the loud cheers of many friends and families, and some move across to virtual silence - I always feel bad for them.

Such a wildly diverse group of graduates, such a great mix of people from every background all graduating together, it feels like what we should be as a nation. Where will their roads lead from here? I hope and pray they make the most of their lives. After the diploma covers had been handed out, our principal pronounced the class graduated and 'BOOM' it ended with a air cannon confetti bang - then here came the friends and family.

Congratulations once more, class of 2008.