Southeast Coalition of Essential Schools Center Update
Adjusting Services to Meet Needs Created by Current Economic Trends
Article Submitted by: Bill Storms, Executive Director
Bill Storms, former Choice Supervisor and CTE Director for Sarasota County Schools, was selected as the new Executive Director of the Southeast Coalition of Essential Schools Center. Beginning on January 1st, Storms began to guide the organization through tough economic times and ever tightening school budgets. At a time when many Florida districts have restricted staff training and travel expenditures and eliminated all but required meetings, professional development requirements remain at a high level and the push for secondary school reform and improved achievement has not lessened.
At his first January 15th, 2009 SCESC Board meeting, issues relevant to the organization’s Mission/Vision and the current state of the economy were discussed. Concerns were shared related to the education community’s perception of the use of SLC funds and this question. “How can those folks travel to meetings when the rest of us cannot?” An even more serious dilemma is that some districts have frozen staff development and travel for all, regardless of the fund source. So, the question was how can we assist school and district administration so that SLC funds benefit the entire instructional staff during the current economic hardship? Newly elected Board President Angie Grasberger began a brainstorming session.
In the brainstorming session, Sanders Bell mapped out our solution. It will be to take the professional development to the schools. The Southeast Coalition of Essential Schools Center (SCESC), in close cooperation with NOVA University, is in the planning stages of developing a potential 2009 Summer Institute focused on the various administrative and instructional issues surrounding implementation of Smaller Learning Communities in Florida secondary schools. The viability of establishing an Institute that would address critical issues through interactive sessions available to both administrative and instructional staff in on-site classroom settings and through video and voice teleconferencing is substantial and appears to be a solution to the current dilemma. Practicing Florida educators from model school programs will serve as the faculty for this effort and focus will be on such topics as a general orientation to the value of SLC’s at the secondary level. Administrators will be shown the research that proves the impressive positive importance of smaller learning communities on student achievement. Other proposed topics are: student scheduling for SLC’s (block and traditional); teacher assignments for SLC’s; establishing student advisory programs; inclusion of special populations, and budgeting and management strategies.
On the instructional side, sessions could include the role of smaller learning communities in secondary school reform in Florida; career academies and CTE in the SLC; when, how and why to integrate curriculum in SLCs, teacher leadership roles and responsibilities; forming a SLC at your school; teambuilding for SLC teachers; parent involvement and school level advisory committees; keeping subject area content current and much more.
All courses to be offered through this Institute will bear credit for re-certification and SCESC is currently in discussion with NOVA University to establish certain courses as sections within a newly established University Certificate Program.
In these difficult times, change in the way we offer our services appears to be imminent. The Southeast Coalition of Essential Schools Center will work to provide those services.
For more information, contact the Southeast Coalition of Essential Schools Center at captwindy@comcast.net
