Scholarship Opportunity

The Graduate Merit Scholarship applications are due May 1!  It is a one-page form and easy to fill out.  If you are interested, please follow these directions:

Go to http://academics.mwsu.edu/graduateschool/scholarships.asp
Scroll down to Online Forms (left side of screen)
Click on Graduate Merit Scholarship Application

I need to sign the form so please get it up to my office so I can do so before the deadline.

Dr. O

Final Module

Hello Students--
You should all now be well into Module 12, the culminating assignment made up of a community relations plan and an evaluation of a crisis plan.  If you need assistance or advice, please don't hesitate to email me.  I'll be happy to look over any of your work in progress for an unofficial review.  I also have additional materials in my office if you need something else to pattern after.

Please remember your projects will go better if you read all instructions, look over all rubrics, and review all materials given before beginning your work.

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone May 12, 7:00, FE 303 for your presentations and display of your community relations plan binders.  I'll bring refreshments!

Dr. O

My evaluation

I just checked my evaluation site and saw that only one student has completed the evaluation so far.  (Remember, I can't see what you wrote, only that you turned one in).  Please get this done as soon as possible--things will only get more hectic as the end of the semester approaches!
Thank you!

Additional Question

Dr. Owen,

What is your opinion or view on a two-track curriculum program, in which at some point in the secondary schools, students choose between continuing a liberal arts education for preparing for college while others choose a vocational-type track which provides job-related skills for such work as plumbing, electrians, mechanics, etc.?

Module 11

1.Question: With the budget like it is in today’s world, how are principals supposed to operate a school?

Concern: Not enough money to run the school in today’s low budget economy.

2.Question: How is one supposed to become comfortable with managing data?

Concern: Managing data might be hard for one who has not ever managed it before.

Questions and Concerns--Module 11

Concern: On page 408, Guthrie mentions that "an individual teacher's possible personal preference for upward mobility is reinforced by the widespread school district practice of paying classroom teachers a higher annual salary if the accrue added credentials or certificate and college credits in addition to their bachelor's degree." Wichita Falls ISD has mentioned that teachers receiving extra monthly stipends for added credentials such as being ESL certified or holding a higher level of education certificate will notice a decrease in their stipend amount. This concern raises the level of importance for participating in higher education. Teachers who are qualified for more than just the general certification for education will not be receiving much additional benefits. This concern raises the question to whether or not higher education is worth obtaining if it is for the purpose of receiving more pay.

Question: Has the level of respect for higher education decreased because of the financial crisis we are facing? Or is having a higher level of education not encouraged for educational leaders of the future since this is an area receiving a pay deficit?

Concern: Page 399 mentions that "today's K-12 education organizations, districts, and schools are larger than ever before in history. There are 53 million school children, 90 percent of whom are enrolled in public schools." With this said, I am concerned with the fact that school are being closed due to funding. Where are these students supposed to go? And, how are they supposed to receive and adequate education?

Question: How are teachers supposed to provide the best quality education to classrooms high in student population when schools are not receiving adequate funds and professionals to help aid in the growth of student knowledge?

Module 11 Questions and Concerns

Concern: After both studying this course and EDLE 5603 (Intro to Leadership), I am concerned that with all the emphasis on standardized testing and those tests being tied directly to much needed funding, public schools will fail to educate the whole mind of a child. My concern is that schools will continue to emphasize only the skills needed to pass exams, and take away from programs that teach creativity, real-world problem solving, and application. Concern: I am concerned that policy regulation and oversight will be placed more and more in the hands of the federal government to the detriment of not only the states but more importantly local municipalities. Schools not only serve as educational organizations, but also have the role of socializing kids to successfully function in the community. While increased regulation may not have much of a social effect in large urban areas, increased oversight could be crippling to small rural districts. For example, imagine if small farming communities had to take funds away from their agricultural programs in order to meet federal mandates. Question: I know that the principal is the highest paid individual in the school building, but how does assistant principal pay compare to the principal and other teachers? If one enjoys being the assistant principal and does not want the stress and responsibility associated with being a principal, is it possible to be a career assistant and does this "look bad?" How would it effect the career of an assistant who is asked to be a principal but turns it down because he/she prefers being an assistant? Question: There is no doubt that schools MUST be teaching students how to utilize technology to be productive workers. Besides keeping up with and knowing what technology should be taught in classrooms, what technology skills do principals need to directly do their job effectively? How do you see advanced technology effecting the every day life of an administrator?

Module 11 Questions and Concerns

Concern: The population of schools continues to rise while the number of available schools continues to decline along with funding for operating schools (the book is contradictory in this statement - page 399 mentions that the number of schools is on the decline; however, on page 400, it says that the number of schools is increasing. Having been witness to many schools closing due to funding and consolidation issues, the latter is probably not the case). Meanwhile, standards, which are not funded by the government continue to increase. The ideal here is oxymoronish. Along with those increases in population, more and more attention is being directed to the minority-driven population groups while asking schools (teachers) to accommodate and educate these groups in order to bring them up to par with the "rest" of the students - namely the whites - all the while raising the standards, which increases the risk for failure for groups already not performing equally across the board. Question: Why would the public and its government expect schools to operate on less, when standards and diverse populations increase? Concern: It is amazing to me that people are confused about the financial crisis America's schools are facing. When you look at the charts on page 407, it is clear that there is a great discrepancy among school districts. On the one hand, a larger school district may offer greater pressure just by sheer numbers. On the other hand, a smaller school district, with lower populations probably has somewhat less day-to-day "office-type" stress, but sometimes those smaller districts offer a greater sense of buearocratic problems because of tight-knit communities with very strong religious centers. That difference in salaries can be directly translated into the classroom as to how much money is spent on each child simply because where they live. Isn't this discriminatory? Question: How do we change the way America views public school funding? NCLB wants all children to be on the same level, learning the same things. But no one wants to change the way the money is distributed. No one seems to want to correct the problems that will likely plague public schools, forcing children to bear the load of inconsistencies in learning. The best way I can think to describe it is this: We feel sorry for the people of Japan in the recent tragedies they have faced. But it isn't directly affecting us - we see it on TV and say, oh - those poor, poor people. But we do nothing because it hasn't reached us personally and it hasn't changed the way we live our daily lives. It's the same in public school funding - no one worries about what's happening until it affects their children directly - when it comes into their living room and sits at the dinner table every night in their house is when people start worrying. Shouldn't this be where we begin to make the change?

Module 11

Question: The chapter mentioned repeatedly that schools are very different organizations now than in the past, and instructional leaders need different training to prepare for upcoming circumstances. The text also said leaders need to be specifically taught for this new leadership style. Do you feel like existing leaders that underwent training programs years ago will be prepared for "strategic leadership" by their experience alone? Question: A section of the text discusses the "great demand for leaders, and new leaders, in education." It was estimated that 10,000-20,000 new administrative positions open each year. Do you think that is likely to continue in the face of economic difficulties, or will we see more administrative job cuts? Concern: The chapter stated that current administrative pay salaries are based on enrollment size, level of responsibility, housing prices in the community, and geographic region, but that pay should be based on the academic performance of the campus. I am not sure if merit-based pay is appropriate for school leaders, with the obvious concern that the best teachers and leaders would avoid low-performing schools (where they are most needed) because they lose pay, or even their job, due to low test scores. Texas was listed as an example of where merit based pay is becoming more popular. Do you think we will see an increase in this with higher academic accountability, and do you think it is a good idea? Concern: The "ambitious, activist, fast-track leadership candidate" was discussed quite a bit in this chapter. The text even mentioned certification routes that allowed people to become administrators even though they had never taught before. I know that the majority of the students in this class, including myself, are young people without a lot of teaching experience. Do you think it is becoming a trend for more young people to seek this "fast-track" leadership route, and are you concerned that they are trying to enter administration without the experience to be prepared for it?

Module 11

Questions:
What attributes should we look for in a mentor?

Is there a professional organization for educational leadership that you would recommend joining?

Concerns:
1. I am concerned that public education will become more and more regulated in the future. What is good for one school is not always good for schools.

2. For the next few years education systems throughout the U.S. will likely face tough economic choices, at a time when they need to invest more in updating our technology and science programs. A tough road may lay head for principals in a time when more focus is being placed on leadership and teacher performance.

Module 9

I have assessed your Module 9 assignment that asked you to list all the stakeholders on your campus, list the ways you gather input from each group, list the ways you disseminate information to each group, and how you use each group as a barometer to ascertain if problems are brewing.  Since this will be part of the culminating assignment, I want to be sure everyone is on sound footing on this assignment.  Some suggestions:
1.  Your stakeholders are the community people who have a "stake" in your campus.  Each campus stakeholder list will look different, because each campus serves a slightly different community.  If you receive children from a military base, the base would be a stakeholder.  The business community is a stakeholder.  Churches, civic organizations, colleges and universities can also be stakeholders if they have an interest in education on your campus.  Be sure to tap into all groups that can give salient information to the school about our processes and practices, and all groups that need to know what is going on at school to build community support.
2.  Consider your parent group to see if it would be a good idea to divide it according to particular characteristics that require specific methods of communication.  For example:  do you have a group of Hispanic parents who only speak Spanish?  Or a low ses parent group who would not have access to computers and therefore email and a web page would not work well?  Sometimes the best way to reach an African American parent group is through the church.
3.  Methods that work well on elementary campuses don't work at all on high school campuses.
4.  Remember to put out all information in multiple ways to the same group.
5.  Don't rely on public communications (ie the newspaper) to reach important groups.  Target them specifically with information directly from the school.

If you have questions about this, please email me!
Dr. O

Crisis Plan

I forgot to announce my district for the Crisis Plan - it is Weatherford ISD (Texas) Cheryl Bailey