Blogging 'PFAD'

Our annual "Principal for a Day" (or "PFAD" for short) was a big success -- and a few of our guests have even blogged about their experiences! Please check 'em out:

Marjorie Arons-Barron: "To understand urban education, walk in the principal's shoes"

Linda Noonan: "Principal for a Day at the Bates"

If there are other blogs out there, please let us know in the comments! We would love to be able to share your experiences with the public.

Congratulations to our School on the Move winners

Our friends at EdVestors have named the Joseph Lee Elementary School in Dorchester as the recipient of the 5th annual $100,000 Thomas W. Payzant School on the Move Prize. The award names the school that has shown substantial progress toward closing achievement gaps for all students. runners up this year were the Clarence R. Edwards Middle School in Charlestown and the Charles H. Taylor Elementary School in Mattapan, which each received $10,000!

EdVestors also released a report on the common practices that the group has found across all five schools that have won the School on the Move prize in the past. Here's what they found in each highly-successful school:

-Strong and collaborative leadership from principals with active involvement and support from teachers

-Collecting hard student data beyond district requirements and using that data to drive changes in curriculum and instruction on a continuous basis

-Balancing high academic and behavioral expectations of students with high levels of support beyond the classroom to address students’ academic, social and emotional needs

Here are some great links to read the full report and learn about why Lee Elementary was selected. Congratulations to principal Kimberly Curtis and all of our teachers and students!
(photo courtesy Don West)

It's time to register for School Site Council trainings

The Office of Family & Student Engagement, in collaboration with the BTU, will be offering a series of School Site Council Trainings for principals/headmasters, teachers, parents, and high school students beginning in mid-November.

These trainings are an opportunity to learn about the key responsibilities and authorities of the SSC, gain information about the budget process, and receive a copy of the newly revised SSC Manual.

Dates and times are as follows:

SSC Basics: 11/15, 5:30-7:30 pm or 11/29, 4-6 PM
SSC Budget Basics: 12/7, 5:30-7:30 pm or 12/21, 4-6 PM
These sessions can be attended by either SSC teams or individual SSC members.

SSC Team Training: 11/20, 8:30 AM - 2:00 PM
This session is for SSC teams only; a team consists of the principal/headmaster, at least one teacher, at least one parent, and a student (high schools only). This training will consist of team working sessions on SSC Basics, SSC Budget Basics, and Shared-Decision Making.

All trainings will take place at the BTU Hall, located at 180 Mt. Vernon St. in Dorchester.

Registration & Deadline: RSPV by November 12 to Jasmine Raynor (jraynor@boston.k12.ma.usThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it / 617.635.9661)