But local leaders insist the latest push to improve Madison County's
three school systems isn't about virtuous-sounding phrases that don't
lead to meaningful action.
The "Yes We Can Huntsville-Madison County!" movement calls for months
of input from citizens on what they want from schools, how people are
willing to help, and what they expect from school leaders.
Scott McLain speaks before business and education
leaders March 1 at the Huntsville-Madison County Chamber of Commerce
HUNTSVILLE,
AL -- When schools need money, politicians usually make their case to
taxpayers, telling them what's wrong and proposing a solution.
"That process does not generate buy-in," said Scott McLain, president
of The Schools Foundation. "It does not generate trust."
That's why McLain is helping preside over a community engagement
campaign modeled over the Yes We Can Community Agreement credited with
helping improve Mobile County schools several years ago.
From among 63 applicants, five public school teachers in the Huntsville,
Madison City and Madison County school districts have been awarded Excellence
in Education scholarships totaling $2.500 by The Schools Foundation. The 2009 teacher
scholarships are a part of The Schools Foundation’s ongoing effort to encourage
professional development and assist local educators defray the cost of graduate
study. The Foundation partners
with companies and individuals to provide these scholarships each year.Scott McLain, President of The Schools
Foundation said, “Partnerships with businesses, community leaders, and other
individuals make it possible for The Schools Foundation to support these
teachers in their professional development.”
The Boeing Math & Science
Scholarships
The Boeing
Company
sponsored three of the five $500 awards, which were awarded this year to Vonda
Pettigrew, a fourth grade/science teacher at Jones Valley Elementary; Paul
Davis, a seventh grade Advanced Math Teacher at Meridianville Middle; and Emily
Vandagriff, a sixth grade/science teacher at Horizon Elementary.
Emily Vandagriff, a sixth grade reading and science teacher at HorizonElementary School in Madison, said,
“When students see a purpose and the content matters
to them, they will be interested and motivated to learn. I undoubtedly know
that graduating with a masters degree in School Counseling will improve my
classroom.”
Yvonne Pettigrew is a first year fourth grade teacher at JonesValley elementary School in Huntsville.She
says, “While I feel that my undergraduate degree qualified
me to teach elementary students and equip them with necessary skills to become
a lifelong learner; I believe that a mastery of my content area is required to
provide students the best approaches and current researched methods. Along with
mastery of knowledge comes the high price tag of continuing education. The
Boeing Science Scholarship will help to alleviate a portion of the cost
associated with higher education and allow me to continue developing in
education so that ultimately I will be the most qualified and knowledgeable
teacher possible.”
Paul Davis teaches 7th grade advanced math at MeridianvilleMiddle School in MadisonCounty. Paul said, “This year I have been given several
Advanced classes(to
teach). I would love to be able
to not only show my students 'how to' work their math but to apply what they
learn as well. …..I love math! I am AMSTI trained and
this past summer I took part in the new A+ training that is laying the
foundation for students to prepare for AP courses. I feel as if I would be a
better teacher for these Advanced courses if I could take and complete these
classes.”
The Laura Hall Scholarship, reserved for teachers in a Title I school, was given to Candace
Gamble, an English Language Learners teacher who teaches children in three schools- University
Place, Jones Valley and Martin Luther King Elementary.Candace said in her
application, “This is my second Master's Degree so I will
not receive a pay increase upon completion of this degree, but I felt the
coursework would be beneficial to the program development in Huntsville City
Schools, the students I serve at my schools, and to me personally as I strive
to become a better professional.´
The Jenice
Riley Scholarship
Donna Lancaster of the Academy of Arts and Academics received the
Jenice Riley Scholarship, an award set aside for teachers in grades K-3 and
named to honor the late daughter of Alabama Governor Bob and Patsy Riley. “Each and every day I
realize how important the continuation of my desire to learn relates directly
to my teaching and my students' learning. I am a life-long learner and
therefore I am constantly looking for ways to improve my craft.”
Transition Counselor Institute (TCI) on January 27th and 28th.
The training has been revamped, so it is appropriate for
those who may have attended Level I in the past to attend again. Due to
recent BRAC announcement, the training will be focused on issues relevant to North
Alabama.
It’s applicable to counselors, administrators, local mental
health professionals, etc.
It’s FREE and provides CEU’s.
The registration deadline is January 12th, and it’s first
come, first serve.
Click on upcoming trainings and scroll down to TCI in Huntsville
TCI-1 Huntsville, Alabama
Transition Counselor Institute Phase One
National Children's Advocacy Center
210 Pratt Ave. N. E. Huntsville, AL 35801 1/27/2010 to 1/28/2010
Continuing Education/Graduate Credit
Continuing Education: The MCEC has been approved as an
Authorized Provider by the International Association for Continuing Education
Training (IACET), 8405 Greensboro Drive, Suite 800,
McLean, VA22102.
Several states have also given their approval. Furthermore, the MCEC is a
National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) Approved Continuing Education
Provider (ACEP) and may offer NBCC approved clock hours for events that meet NBCC
requirements. The MCEC solely is responsible for all aspects of the program. To
receive the MCEC CEUs, participants will be required to complete the CEU
Application during the Institute. CEU credits of 1.2 will be awarded for the
successful completion of each institute for the cost of $25.00 payable by check
only to the Military Child Education Coalition (no cash or credit cards
accepted). Twelve (12) full seat hours required for institute credit,
attendance is required for both full days, and no partial attendance will be
accepted. For CEU credit, participants are required to attend 95% of the training
institute and fill out an end of course evaluation.
Money spent early saves in the long run
Monday, 23 November 2009
In the coming months, Montana's Early Childhood Coalition plans to open a
one-stop shop for preschool-aged children to receive services in Great Falls,
according to The Great Falls Tribune. Their goal is to offer everything from
mental health screenings to Well Baby exams, preschool, and therapy programs.
Though it will be housed in a public school, the Early Learning Family Center
will be a partnership among several private and public entities. Read more: http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20091117/NEWS01/911170301/Schoo
Eyes are on 'Wild West' of charters as Ariz. ponders renewals
A free program outside of Santa Barbara, Calif. that encourages
Spanish-speaking families to develop reading routines and improve reading
skills has just wrapped up its second year, reports The San Luis Obispo
Tribune. The program, which cost the San Luis Coastal Unified School District
just $3,500 to implement, helps Latino parents develop an educational
environment at home and promote skills that will help their children get to
college. Read more: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/183/story/921642.html
Empirically assessing Harlem Children’s Zone
Monday, 23 November 2009
A recent study from the National Bureau of Economic Research looks at the
Harlem Children's Zone (HCZ), a program run by Geoffrey Canada in New York
City that combines community investments with reform-minded charter schools.
Calling it "one of the most ambitious social experiments to alleviate
poverty of our time," the report provides the first empirical test of
the causal impact of HCZ on educational outcomes, with an eye toward the
long-standing debate over whether schools alone can eliminate the racial
achievement gap or if the issues that poor children bring to school are too
much for educators to overcome. See the
report ($5 fee): http://papers.nber.org/papers/w15473
New photos from TSF's Principally Speaking Network!
The Huntsville Times Staff Writer
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Area educators share their ideas at Dynetics seminar
In a tight financial year for Alabama schools, local
principals were given a free tip Thursday to make their
teachers better.
The idea was one of many shared by dozens of principals at
Huntsville, Madison, and Madison County schools who gathered
at Dynetics in Huntsville's Cummings Research Park. The
Schools Foundation, a local school support group, put on the
"Principally Speaking Network" class for school
leaders in all three systems.
Mitzi Dennis, principal at Madison Cross Roads Elementary
School, said the teacher improvement seminar was helpful.
She noted that Alabama schools aren't getting money for
professional development this year from the state due to a
poor economy.
"It's not the money," she said of improving
teachers. "It's all about the focus and how you
improve yourself."
Principals were also urged to hire teachers that show strong
interest in education.
The theme of teacher improvement fell in line with another
common concern in American education: Competition.
Principals watched a video reminding viewers of China and
India, countries that are producing bright students at a
fast rate. Those students are taking tough classes in math
and science, which are needed for high-tech jobs.
The video's title, "Two Million Minutes,"
emphasized the approximate number of minutes during four
years of high school and how to make the best academic use
of them.
The video reported that 40 percent of American high school
students don't take a science class more challenging
than general biology. Also, more than half of students
don't take a math course beyond two years of algebra
and one year of geometry.
It sounds obvious, but teachers in need of professional
development can observe the best teachers in their school,
watching how they motivate students and maintain classroom
control.
News Release: Educators Institute
Tuesday, 21 July 2009
The Schools
Foundation announced today the creation and development of The Educators
Institute. The Educators Institute was developed in recent months as a
voluntary, non-profit, unincorporated association established by and composed
of members of the Schools Foundation and other volunteers. The Educators Institute is an organization within
The Schools Foundation.
The purposes
of The Educators Institute are: to develop, plan, and implement educational
initiatives that support the three public school systems in Madison County,
Alabama; to implement and collaborate on strategies that maximize resources and
opportunities of the school systems; and, toidentify and develop partnerships with local, state, and national
organizations in the support of public education and its programs.
“The board
of directors of The Schools Foundation has worked very hard to accomplish many
different functions for the three public school systems here in MadisonCounty,” said D. Scott McLain, president
of the organization.“We needed to
create a division with its sole purpose being to provide programs and
assistance for educators. The Educators Institute and its volunteers will be
focused on implementing the programs, events, and activities aimed at assisting
teachers, principals, and schools, and of course, students,” McLain said.
“The Schools
Foundation board will continue to concentrate its efforts on raising funds to support
The Educators Institute programs, scholarships, teacher grants, and the many
other programs that require funding throughout the year,” McLain said.“This division of effort will allow the
Foundation board to concentrate on education policy and fundraising, and let
the many dedicated volunteers with classroom and education backgrounds and
interest focus their efforts on development and management of programs for
educators,”McLain said.
The
first responsibilities of the Educators Institute include implementation of
programs that The Schools Foundation board and volunteers have historically
managed.Those programs include:Principally Speaking Network , where
principals from the systems gather for discussion of best practices, Team
America Rocket Challenge , where students design, build, and launch rockets, A+
College Ready, which encourages schools to offer and students to take advance –
placement courses, Laying the Foundation, a preparatory program for A+ College
Ready, and administering scholarships and grants to teachers in the three
public school systems. Volunteers interested
in joining the work of The Educators Institute may contact The Schools
Foundation at 256-503-3213 or
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.
EDUCATORS
INSTITUTE BOARD MEMBERS:
Avis Williams, Chair;
Principal, WilliamsMiddle School, Huntsville
City Schools
Dr. Stephanie Ledbetter,
Vice-Chair, MonroviaElementary School, Madison CountySchools
Susan Still, Community
Volunteer
Amanda Wallace, Community
Volunteer
Jeanne Welt, MadisonCitySchools
Ellen Thompson, Science
Specialist, Alabama
Math, Science and Technology Initiative (AMSTI)
Cindi Koopman, The Boeing
Company
A.J. Smith, Coldwell Banker
Commercial McLain Real Estate
Louis Berry, Principal, JohnsonHigh School,
HuntsvilleCitySchools
Sue Esslinger, HuntsvilleHospital
Dr. Willie Corlew, Community
Volunteer
Cathi Curtis, UA Huntsville
The Schools
Foundation
The Schools Foundation is a not-for-profit local
education foundation that supports HuntsvilleCitySchools,
MadisonCountySchools, and MadisonCitySchools through a variety
of programs including student scholarships, teacher grants, staff development,
technology deployment, and other educational programs.www.theschoolsfoundation.org.
Building Bridges Between Schools and Military Families
Tuesday, 23 June 2009
The Schools Foundation serves as
the bridge among education and business and the community, working to ensure
adequate funding and to provide academic program support. Our most recent project,
still under construction but nearing completion, is a bridge to the Military
Child Education Coalition (MCEC). We know that the unique needs of
military children often mirror the needs of children in families that move across
town or across the country. Thanks to Mike Gillespie and the Madison County
Commission, local schools now have access to multiple MCEC programs, such as professional
development for teachers.
