Program Series

PROGRAM SCHEDULE 2009-2010
"LEADERSHIP CHALLENGES: INCREASING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IN A CHANGING SOCIETY "

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September 29 - October 2, 2009: Study Tour participants are scheduled to meet with William Holland, Professor Emeritus from Rhode Island College, Providence, RI, and former school superintendent and RI Commissioner of Higher Education.  Dr. Holland will discuss superintendent leadership, especially the human dimension of leadership and changes in superintendent’s role and influence over the years. The participants will also visit successful programs and meet with school leaders from the Central Falls School District. In addition, sessions will be arranged with the Director of Annenberg Institute for School Reform, Director of Planning from University of Rhode Island, and Senior Policy Consultant from National High School Center from Washington, DC.

October 21, 2009 - John Kloss, Director of Operations, Eastern PA EMS, Joseph Kavalchic, Assistant Superintendent of Northampton School District, Beth Trapani, Communications Consultant, Nicole McGalla, Community and Public Relations Director, Parkland School District will discuss emergency response ideas and protocol in school districts relative to communication and media interaction from varied perspectives of governmental agencies, school districts, and business.

November 18, 2009- Politics, Issues, and Possibilities -
Tom Gentzel, Executive Director of PSBA Jay Himes, Executive Director of PASBO, TBD - from PASA, and James Vaughan, Assistant Executive Director for Government Relations of PSEA will participate in a panel discussion on current and future issues regarding school governance, school administration, and classroom instruction.

January 13, 2010 - Alexander Wiseman, Associate Professor, College of Education Lehigh University, and coordinator of the Comparative and International Education Program will speak on the topic of “Creating Global Citizenship in an Era of International Competition”.  The governance of educational systems has been profoundly influenced by internationally comparative information about how schools perform leading to widespread expansion of internationalized governance models for educational systems within individual nations.. The presentation and the discussion that will follow will address questions like: How does education in the US compare internationally? What does it mean for American society, economy, and global standing? What is global citizenship, and what is the social or economic advantage to creating “global citizens” in our schools?.

March 17, 2010 -Tom Gentzel, Executive Director of Pennsylvania School Boards Association, will address the topic of “School board – Superintendent Relations”.  Effective school governance does not require unanimity by the Team of 10 (school board and superintendent). School boards exist to bring disparate views of the community members to the table, so there is bound to be some disagreement, at least initially. Effective governance takes those divergent perspectives and turns them into common goals and concerted actions. That requires clear understanding of roles and responsibilities, agreed-upon process for making decisions, and a commitment to success and continuous improvement.

May 5, 2010 -Director of Souderton SD, Bob Keegan, Executive Director of Intermediate Unit 21, Bob New, President of Mid-Atlantic Consortium of Education Foundations, Kati Farrer, Executive Director of Wilson West Lawn Foundation, and Jeff Bertoni, Market Street Sports Group will discuss the topic of “Alternative Funding for School Districts”. Given today’s financial climate and the challenges schools face funding their programs, it is imperative that they investigate alternative sources of funding. The panel of experts meeting with the Study Council members represent organizations that have successfully identified and acquired funding through alternative means. After they share thoughts, ideas and suggestions, they will entertain questions regarding the topic with the Study Council members.