December 2012 Issue
The Blind Advantage A blind school leader reflects on the challenges, possibilities, and practicalities of including students with disabilities
“You should get out of education.” That's the advice Bill Henderson, a young teacher, received when he first learned he was going blind. Instead, Henderson persevered and became the principal of an inclusive elementary school. In this interview, Henderson describes how his blindness helped him to become a stronger school leader, and how the process of including children with disabilities helped his school to become a more effective learning community. Continue
Moving Schools and Districts Towards 21st Century Learning
With Ken Kay and Valerie Greenhill
What does a 21st century school look like and what should school leaders be doing to get there? Ken Kay and Valerie Greenhill, who are the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Learning Officer, respectively, at EdLeader 21, join us to address that topic and talk about where schools are in terms of teaching the critical skills students need to succeed in a globalized world. Continue
The Behavior Code: Understanding the Most Challenging Students
With Jessica Minahan and Dr. Nancy Rappaport
Between 9 and 13 million students struggle with a wide range of mental health issues. Jessica Minahan, a board-certified behavior analyst and Dr. Nancy Rappaport, a child psychiatrist and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School, join us to discuss the variables that cause students to act inappropriately and what schools can do to get these students onto a path for success. Continue
Professional Learning in the Digital Age
Kristen Swanson, author of the book, Professional Learning in the Digital Age: The Educator’s Guide to User-Generated Learning, discusses how school leaders and teachers can enhance and transform their professional development by becoming connected educators. Continue
Strategies for School Leaders: Building a Culture of Support
PJ Caposey, the principal of Oregon High School in Oregon, IL and author of the book, Building a Culture of Support: Strategies for School Leaders, discusses several concrete steps that school leaders should implement to create a culture of support in this segment. Continue
Making the Common Core Standards Work
With Bob Manley and Rich Hawkins
What should the role of school leaders be in making the Common Core State Standards work? How can school leaders engage teachers so that they become the critical thinkers and problem solvers who truly bring the new standards to life in the classroom? Dr. Bob Manley and Dr. Rich Hawkins, both former school superintendents, and the co-authors of the new book, Making the Common Core Standards Work, join us to answer those questions and more. Continue
Instructional Leadership: Saying No to Business as Usual
Drawing on 35 years of experience as a teacher and principal, Dr. Alan Jones believes that if school leaders truly want to improve schools they can no longer perform their jobs as if it were business as usual. The traditional view of instructional leadership sees it primarily as a management function, but Jones challenges school leaders instead to look at instructional leadership as an educational function. Continue