Dissertation Idea

I have been considering a number of topics for my dissertation which I will be writing over the next year or so. I have a serious interest in the role professional development, opportunities to attend and present at professional conferences, and opportunities to collaborate with teachers from other districts has on young teachers' attitudes, innovation and ultimately retention both in a district as well as retention in the profession of teaching. When budgets get tight, more often than not, professional development and professional travel are often the first things in a budget to get cut. This is true even when there are staff which are no longer needed and could be reduced or staff that should be pressured/coached to improve or hang it up. We are a people profession and as such try to keep people we no longer need because we feel this is the right thing to do. We don't want to lose our young teachers. We don't want those we feel are already grossly under compensated to have to work even harder for the same amount of money. We don't feel there is enough of each of us to go around and the concept of working smarter or differently rather than just doing the same things with fewer people is not normal educational thinking.
I am the product of my professional experiences. I not only invested in my own professional growth, but was fortunate to work for districts that also invested in me. I have had opportunities to attend professional conferences both as a participant as well as those times I presented at them. I believe this is what enabled me to feel confident enough to try new things and assume leadership roles in each of the schools I have worked.
I think student achievement gains are positively impacted by the enthusiastic and innovative teachers in the building and to have those, continued investments must be made in professional development through opportunities to attend professional conferences.

Power of Cohorts

I am currently involved in a cohort seeking a certificate in advanced studies from Iowa State University. It is composed of administrators from the largest district in Iowa all the way to one of the smallest. We have administrators from the elementary, middle, and high school levels as well as one working in a central office director position. It has been an honor to participate in this professional learning community over the past two years. This last weekend, we began to discuss our plans after we finish the program. I know that there are several of us that are hoping to complete a doctoral degree while others who will seek a superintendent position sometime in the near future. I know that the one thing we will all have in common is the strong bond which has developed between members of this group.
This past weekend we began to discuss the end of the program and I can honestly say, I do not want it to end.

Greatworkshop

I spent the day today attending a workshop in Des Moines put on by Dr. Scott McLeod and his graduate assistant. The things that were presented were outstanding and really challenged my vision for 21st century schools and what they will look like. I see an extreme sense of urgency forming amongst educational leaders. As so wonderfully stated by Scott, "We can either change now or become obsolete. Some of our organizations today are doomed, it is just a matter of how long they can manage to flounder around before they die."

I see a great deal of things as an educaitonal leader that I need to be thinking about and a even more that I need to familiarize myself with.

Opening Post

I have been reading blogs on educational topics and posting on several blogs for sometime now. I have found it interesting to get feedback on my thoughts related to discussion items started by others. I thought I would try placing my own topics out there for comments and critique.
I am currently enrolled in a post-graduate program and have had the opportunity to share my thoughts with my cohorts in the program. I have found the feedback I have received to be the most valuable part of the overall program. We all share our thoughts freely and honestly. The one advantage a blog has over the feedback I get from my cohort members is that we all share a very common perspective. First of all, we are all from Iowa. Although the sizes of the schools we work in vary, we are limited in our understanding of how eduational issues are being dealt with in other parts of the country.

This is the foundation for my first post.
In Iowa, we talk a great deal about changes needed in our schools. We spend a great deal of time and money writing and re-writing curriculum documents. We do this in a very traditional manner. There is a curriculum cycle which is followed in most districts, focusing on one or more curricular areas each year. Many districts are using the Understanding By Design Framework. We have spent a great deal of time identifying Big Ideas, Essential Questions and striving for assessments to ensure Enduring Understanding in our students. My issue with this is we are still stuck foucussing on one curriculum area independently of another. Oh, yes, we do see occassional interdisciplinary units being conducted, but we still focus our attention on providing each subject area with an equal distribution of time. We still strive to ensure coverage despite the fact we know those going to college will start at the same point we did and not where we left off. If we do provide one subject area more time that the other, it is double the amount of time to ensure it "fits in the schedule". (i.e. language blocks in some middle schools)
When are we going to see a breakdown of curricular barriers, a more efficient delivery of concepts and skills, and a strategic allocation of one of our most valuable resources which is time. At this point I am not arguing that one "subject" is more valuable than another, as that debate is better left to another post. I will question the idea that all subjects need and thus should be alloted an equal amount of time?
Are there schools out there who are teaching merged social studies/English courses? Are there schools at the secondary level who integrate math and science for all students? Is there truly a theme based curriculum being delivered in a high school other than what I have seen at the high tech high schools who have begun such efforts with the assistance of huge influxes of money?
I would also question why learning at the collegiate level is not leading the way towards this paradigm? Why are our teacher preparation programs not advocating or at least investigating the idea of identifying cross-curricular standards. Professional organizations constantly advocate for an excessive number of standards and benchmarks in their particular field knowing full well that their subject is not the only one students will be taking in grades K-12.
When will we see the professional organizations/post-secondary departments begin to work together?