Dr. Jan's Blog

Bo graduates from high school...

My precious Bo graduates from high school tomorrow.  I have mixed feelings.  I am so thrilled to finally get that boy out of high school and into college (OU).  I am sad to see him leave.  Why is it so hard to let him go?

Here he is as the little chubby baby he once was with his mom (2005) at his first dance.  I miss Bo...or Rick as he has renamed himself... and he's not even gone... yet....

My Latest Publication-- from AASA

Something drives me to write.  I write this blog, I write for publication, I write for no earthly reason other than to just read my words.  Occasionally, I am honored to have someone else think that what I have written might be useful to others.

Tomorrow, May 1st, my latest publication appears in The American Association of School Administrators May 2009 The School Administrator.

I actually first wrote about using complaints to improve your organization on this blog; but since words per article are limited in publications... the latest publication is another version of that.  You can view the published version on the AASA web site at this link.   No one in my family reads my stuff; parents are past that kind of thing and hubby hates that kind of thing and kids can't be bored with that kind of thing.  So, today I share it with you... my one reader!

Legal Implications of Social Networking

I recently have started to see the worthwile aspects of Facebook; social networking is one of the only technological tools that I haven't embraced the minute I learned about it.  However, when one of my friends (also a principal) started using Facebook to keep up with what was going on with her old buddies as well as current friends with posts and pictures, I found it was also a very useful tool.  So, I created an account and have been enjoying the way to connect with my old buddies and current friends.

And, I have come across a new way for my school to connect with our parents.  I created a space for our school; and then I had a tough experience when I found that Social Networking Sites are banned from our district servers.  It seems that we won't be able to take advantage of this incredible tool.  I think that we need these tools, and it's time we find ways to train our students to effectively and safely use Web 2.0 tools.

Here's a great podcast I just came across today.  It's important to think about these things.  We can't stop the flood of technology; instead it's time to start to effectively think about and plan for how we will make the internet as safe and useful as we can manage it. 

My HERO, Larry Lezotte

Over twenty years ago, when I was studying like a mad woman at Vanderbilt to get my doctorate, I studied the works of Ron Edmonds and Lawrence Lezotte.  They were all about the Effective Schools Movement, and back as far as A Nation at Risk (early '80's when the writers claimed that if a foreign country had forced on us our shoddy public Ameican education system-- that we would have considered it an act of war) and the Coleman Report (mid 60's report concluding that schools don't matter in raising the performance of at risk children)... we were looking for "the answer."

My professional career has been in search of finding the way to teach and reach all kids, despite their economic and educational short comings.  I truly believed (and do believe) in the Correlates of Effective Schools.  And, all these years later, we have come to realize that we actually can teach every child whose education is of importance to us... whether we do or not is the point in question (kind of a paraphrase of Rod Edmonds).

Imagine my delight when my beloved Oklahoma City Public Schools brought in Lawrence Lezotte for two straight days of training for the principals.  Each day I marched right up to the front of the presentation room and sat squarely in front of Larry Lezotte.  I was mesmerized and entranced.  His message was as dynamic and awe inspiring today as it was over twenty years ago.

And, yes, I did make Betsy snap our picture.

Westwood gets nod from Oklahoma State Departement of Education!

Daniel Fryar from the Oklahoma State Department of Education called me to advise that Westwood Elementary would be receiving The Title I Academic Achievement Award (with a nice check for $28,000) from the State Board of Education for the academic achievement of our students on state criterion reference test.  I didn't even know that there was such an award because we just haven't been in the running for anything like this.  

When I made the announcement over the intercom, the kids and faculty/staff and I just screamed in delight.  How great is this?!!  We are carefully contemplating how we will spend the booty; so far, we are thinking that Smart Boards in as many classrooms as we can afford sounds pretty cool.  

Sandy Garrett, our Oklahoma State Superintendent, has taken our state into some uncharted territories in school improvement.  This would definitely qualify as teacher merit incentives, and I am so proud that I get to live and work in a state (that despite the low social economic status-- in comparison to other states) where we soar despite the many reasons we shouldn't.

Have I written lately about how great it is to lead the hippest school in America with the most passionately dedicated faculty and staff in America?  Hmm... well, I should have!  LIfe is very good here at Westwood.

Improve Learning Outcomes with Universal Screening

Well I just completed an interview for my first webinar this week with T.H.E. Journal.  I had been fortunate to have worked with American Education Corporation for A+ Anywhere Learning and had recently gotten an intro into their Learning Link.  When I got a call to speak about assessment, RtI, and Universal Screening for T.H.E. (which is the leading resource for Technology in Education) I was pretty excited.

Here's the link to the webinar  Improve Learning Outcomes with Unversal Screening

I was kind of bummed out when I listened to the webinar to discover that I sound like such a bumpkin.  A southern accent just sounds so hokey when recorded.  Surely I can't sound like that in person; that's my story and I am sticking to it.

I just feel this webinar business is an incredible way to differentiate professional learning opportunities for educators.  I have no doubt that we will be learning more and more through this medium.

Clear and Focused Mission

Today, after school, I was reading the book that our district administration has chosen for our professional development.  It is entitled Assembly Required by Lezotte and McKee.  I was a little overwhelmed by having to read another professional book along with the one we are reading for our school professional development (Teach Them All to Read by McEwan), the ones I read as part of my own professional direction, and stuff I read in my role with ASCD.  But, I just hunkered down and decided to read it.  The part I got to today had a part about Clear and Focused Mission; and I suddenly got an urge to find out what the folks in our school think is our mission.

 

So, I went out and asked, “What does this school care most about?”  Liliana told me, “It’s the kids!”  When I asked her what it was about the kids, she said, “Kids learning and everyone here making sure that they do.”  Gayla told me, “It’s the kids!”  Again, I asked what about the kids.  She told me, “Kids achieving to their fullest ability.”  Patti also told me it was about the kids and “students and their progress.”  And, I realized that we really do have a clear and focused mission and that everyone knows it.  Would you have said the same?

 

Then, I went down the hall to ask more folks; and I came to Keta’s room where she was teaching a small group of students (this is after school mind you); and she couldn’t be bothered with me.  So, I moved on… room after room had teachers and paraprofessionals intensively interacting with students… they were tired but you wouldn’t have known it.  No amount of pushing them on with money or praise would have gotten these folks to do this… somehow they are just doing what it takes to make sure all the students learn.

 

In Blake’s room, Sandy and Tammy were teaching fourth graders how to tutor second graders.  Then, DeWayne was also so busy tutoring that we just passed a knowing look of pride between us with no words but a fond smile.  And, I realized that I was quickly approaching my life long goal of finally being inconsequential to things just going great around here.  I went back to my office to read movie magazines and eat bon bons but then I remembered that I need to go feed Buttercup… and I am outta here!

Scott McLeod comes to Oklahoma!

Scott is coming to Oklahoma to present to the K20 folks.  I have invited him to anything Oklahoma that he has time for.  I will be posting on the GIFTED ONE soon!

I miss school....

It's been exceedingly nasty (weather-wise) here in Oklahoma.  The wind has blown (viciously), the snow and ice have poured, and school has been called off.  Monday afternoon, we instituted our first inclement day dismissal because it was cold, wet, and unbearable outside.  We did a great job with our new walkie talkies (thanks Jeanie, our FAC chair, and thanks Tracy with Drug-free and Safe Schools).  By the time I left school on Monday, everyone was gone (about 4:00) except Emerson and his brother (Patti, who lives in the neighborhood, corraled them).  It took over half an hour to get the ice off my wind shield (Sandy and Jo determinedly attacked my windshield), so I could begin the drive home.

It was kind of thrilling because we all knew that Tuesday was going to be called off.  As a matter of fact, Tuesday was called off all over the metro.  Our district's really cool Alert Now system called me and all our employees and parents to advise us that school was cancelled.  It was kind of like a great vacation in the middle of the hard driving get-ready-for-testing environment that we now live.

Today (Tuesday) Hubby Pat and I drove all around Oklahoma City.  We even drove by Westwood (my school) to check on it.  Then, we lunched at Cattleman's (in Stockyard City, close to Westwood).  It was totally yummy.  Then we crossed the street and bought horse feeders at Bentley Gafford.  The owner gave me a horse hoof pick... totally awesome.  We had also picked up alfalfa squares at Red Earth Feed and Tack and 10% sweet feed at Oklahoma Tractor and Supply. 

Then, we went to Buttercup and Dixie's pasture to feed and tend our precious horses (Betsy was snowed in, so we handled Dixie).  Buttercup was covered in ice; she was like a horse ice princess.  I put her new feeder in their lean-to and spoiled her with her favorite foods, as I curried and brushed out her icicles. 

Afterwards, I felt that the girls would be just fine.  But, then I began to worry about the children at our 99% free/reduced lunch ESL elementary school.  The children had not been as thrilled about leaving school on Monday.  Most had a sort of depressed attitude... no school with warm, loving teachers, yummy food, and safe/warm/dry classrooms.

When I learned that school would be cancelled tomorrow, I felt sick.  I worry about the children tonight-- over half of them receive food back packs for the weekends because they don't have that basic necessity.  I pray we will have school on Thursday.  I miss the teachers and kids and the school.  I hope that someone, somewhere realizes that school isn't just school for us at Westwood... it's our lives. 

Oklahoma City Thunder Basketball is amazing!

Well, I was lucky enough to be invited by hubby Pat's golf buddy, Ken, to go to the Thunder basketball game with all the golf buddies and their wives.  We got to sit in the amazing Cox box, and the evening could not have been more magical.

The Thunder was amazing and ended up winning by around 20 points.  They were ahead the whole time, but it was inspiring and intriguing as the Utah Jazz (love that name) fought valiantly to come from behind.  Poor ole Jazz just couldn't do it.  Of course, the win by the Thunder thrilled all of us Oklahoma Citians who are simply thrilled and delighted to have the Thunder here in the first place.

But, the game was more than just basketball (should I, as a non sports lover, say "Thank Heavens!"?).  The teams would play basketball, then have breaks where cool audience participation events made the whole athletic contest fun for me, and then we would continue with the game.   There were good visuals, great activities, something to interest everyone, and an endearing city spirit.

I can hardly wait to go back, and I am not even a basketball fan; but I guess that's not true any more.  After watching the Thunder last night, I just gotta go get a Thunder t-shirt and proclaim that I may not be a basketball fan; but my own home town team has won my heart... and I AM a Thunder fan!