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Contact:
Tom Hagerty
(863)
667-7077
LAKELAND,
FL (November 5, 2007) - Twenty-one principals and assistant principals from Polk County public schools attended the Quality School Leaders Symposia (QSLS) Diversity Session Oct. 30, 2007, at the Jim Miles Professional Development Center in Lakeland. The University of South Florida Lakeland was among the presenting sponsors.
The session’s theme was “Professional Learning: The Key to Effective Leadership.” Cheryl Joe, Senior Director of Professional Development, Polk County Schools, led the training.
“Our purpose today is to assist educational leaders in understanding diversity in the classroom, the school and the community,” she said. “We have an increasingly diverse population in our schools. Today’s seminar will help administrators become more productive leaders, which, in turn, will help them be more effective in raising student achievement.”
Cheryl Joe,
Senior Director of
Professional Development,
Polk County Schools,
leads QSLS diversity session.
According to Joe, the Florida Department of Education has made diversity in schools the number one issue to address across the state.
“We’re here today to equip school administrators with the techniques they need,” she said. “Administrators have a direct impact on teachers, who have a direct impact on students. We’re supporting a model of the instructional leadership that we want to see happen in Polk County schools. The key is how we take the information we learn today and use it in the schools.”
Morning activities included a team-building activity, discussion of the Educational Leadership Assessment, which provides each participant an assessment of their leadership skills, and an interactive diversity activity. In the afternoon, Bonnie Dupuis and Jami Yost of the Florida Inclusion Network presented “Collaborative Planning and Teaching: Flexible Support for Inclusive Classrooms.” Jerome Corbett, Senior Director of Specialized Services for Polk County Schools, led a discussion of managing and reporting student discipline.
“It was great to have a forum to discuss the issues with my colleagues,” said Tracy Collins, assistant principal, Lakeland High School. “It was important to talk about the responsibility of leaders to ensure that individuals' rights are protected and there is equity for all, especially in our schools. School leaders must work with staff to develop ways to celebrate diversity and to see it as an opportunity for learning, not just a challenge. Polk County Schools have a commitment to all students, and that is why we had the session yesterday. As up and coming school leaders, it was important that we all understand and accept the mission of the district.”
Assistant Principal Beth Ford, Jewett School of the Arts,
Winter Haven, takes part in a group exercise
with other school administrators.
“We often think of diversity as being only about accepting differences in color, race or gender; however, we often overlook differences in physical ability, learning style, and academic progress,” said Beth Ford, Assistant Principal, Jewett School of the Arts, Winter Haven. “As schools move to be more inclusive in their approach to close the achievement gap, it is important for our entire school community – teachers, parents, and students – to model our belief that every person has value. Talking about treating each other with respect means little if we are not living the experience each day.”
Principal Jodi Lamb of Loughman Oaks Elementary School, Davenport, appreciated the chance to interact with her peers.
“The session gave us a great opportunity to network with other administrators and to learn more about the way that we process information and work,” she said.
Assistant Principal Gina Williams, Winter Haven High School, plans to help others benefit from her experience.
Assistant Principal Gina Williams, Winter Haven High School,
participates in a diversity training activity.
“The session on diversity was very beneficial,” she said. “I enjoyed the way it was presented and received many innovative materials to present diversity awareness to my staff.”
Attendees also agreed that understanding and promoting diversity will benefit students.
Assistant Principal Crystal Richardson of Bethune Academy in Haines City said, “I was reminded how vital it is that educational leaders understand the true meaning of diversity. With an understanding of diversity, leaders can create school cultures that collaborate and educate effectively.”
Stacy Nelson, Assistant Principal, Eagle Lake Elementary School, Eagle Lake: “The session afforded all of us the opportunity to gain a better understanding of diversity, and in turn educate our staffs regarding the benefits of a diverse learning community. Honing our understanding of diversity will provide us a catalyst for celebrating each other’s uniqueness. Consequently, this will enhance our school’s climate and culture while improving student achievement.”
Kimberly Van Hook, Principal, Frostproof Elementary School, said, “The diversity training module was a wonderful way to develop awareness of the vast and diverse population in our schools. Polk County is growing so rapidly, and the makeup of our student population is changing just as rapidly. We as administrators need to lead our staff and ourselves toward sensitivity of the wonderful differences that make up our students bodies so that our school system can meet the needs of our learners.”
Assistant Principal Tracy Nelson, Jewett School of the Arts, Winter Haven, said, “The diversity session provided an understandable definition of diversity and how we, as leaders, could accomplish educating our staff about diversity through numerous activities and research. This session will support me as a leader in educating all members of the school community on diversity, which will enable us all to embrace our commonalities instead of our differences. Ultimately, this training would result in the creation of harmonious learning communities with the intention of improving academic achievement for all students.”
A professional development model in its fifth year, QSLS is a joint collaboration among USF Lakeland, Polk County Public Schools and Polk Businesses for WorldClass Education. Co-directors of the project are Cheryl Joe, Sr. Director of Professional Development, Polk County Schools, and Dr. Paul M. Terry, Associate Professor/Coordinator – USF Lakeland Educational Leadership & Policy Studies.
“The Quality School Leaders Symposia takes a comprehensive approach to professional development for school leaders through pedagogical and practical doctrine,” said Terry. “Through QSLS, new principals and assistant principals in each cohort not only connect their experiences and events within the daily functions of their schools to national, state and local standards, but also develop an ‘esprit de corps’ where they can tap into the great energies and talents of their administrative colleagues regarding their own leadership development.
“The QSLS collaborative is very fortunate to have strong support from USF Lakeland administration, the Polk County Schools administration and, most of all, the financial and collegial support of the Polk Businesses for WorldClass Education Foundation, which is the primary funding agency for this great project.”
According to Terry, the collaboration yields big dividends for all.
“USF Lakeland gleans an abundance of feedback regarding how and what our Educational Leadership program must include in our master’s degree (M.Ed.), and Polk County Schools benefits from the research-based information the university provides. It is definitely a win-win-win collaborative for USF Lakeland, Polk County Schools and our community we all serve.”
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