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What Is School 2.0?
By Kaylen Tucker

"We're not in Kansas anymore," said Timothy Magner, director of the office of educational technology for the United States Department of Education. Using the example of the leap in technology from public telephones to the proliferation of cell phones, Magner argued that new technologies and the Internet will continue to transform the way we live our lives. Because young people use the Internet in different ways than adults-text, instant messenger, self expression, and community groups, for example—"they have fundamentally different expectations about what is possible," said Magner.

This new Internet-savvy world will have a significant impact on education as we reconsider how to retool services, re-engineer processes and structures, and realign existing technologies to better compliment learning.

The technology that many schools have now is disaggregated. To remedy, Magner suggests that education administrators centralize the technology platform by taking a systemic approach that is driven by educational and administrative needs to:

• Select new technologies;
• Evaluate existing infrastructure and bandwidth;
• Collect data that is aligned to goals;
• Evaluate the impact of new initiatives on learning; and
• Link the backroom to the classroom—meaning using data to create individualized learning plans for students.

Magner presented the U.S. Department of Education's School 2.0 Map, a tool to assist schools and districts in integrating technology into their school's culture and classrooms. Magner also described School 2.0 as a "learning ecosystem" that links technology use for home, school, and community. Educators can use School 2.0 as a blueprint for starting the conversation about connecting services between these three sites.

Visit the School 2.0 Web site to access an interactive map that will help you develop a new vision that can be supported by technology.

Mentoring Black Males
By Kaylen Tucker

Eric Brown was the featured speaker Sunday for the Minority Networking Session, Mentoring African American Males for the 21st Century. I recently had the opportunity to talk with Brown about leading minority students to their highest potential. Brown is the co-founder of a program in Rock Hill, South Carolina, that is tailored to meet the needs of black males. He is also the principal of Killian Elementary School in Columbia, South Carolina.

What is the biggest challenge for leaders of schools that have predominantly minority student populations?

Brown: The biggest challenge is that we can't change the situations that our children face each and every day. We can't change what society thinks of them, nor can we change the circumstances or conditions that they are exposed to. However, it is my belief that no matter what obstacles they face, it is our job as principals, teachers, etc. to ensure that the children who come to us get our very best each and every day. Children don't get to choose their parents or the situations they face. Principals, however, have the resources, education, and hopefully the determination to make a difference in the lives of these children.

Why is the mentoring process important to the academic success of black male students?

Brown: The mentoring process is key because society and the media have painted a picture of black males as only being able to effectively exist as athletes, singers, etc. Black males, however, have many more talents than that. Exposing young black males to the careers and opportunities that exist for them will help dispel the myths that are associated with them only being proficient in areas that do not require a good education.

What do principals need to know and be able to do in order to be effective leaders of schools serving minority populations?

Brown: In order to effectively serve as a leader of a minority school, principals must have passion for what they do. They must commit to doing whatever is necessary to successfully educate the children in their school. They need to be innovative and have vision. They also need to identify and hire teachers who buy into the vision that all children can learn. Principals must commit to creating an environment where "excellence is the expectation" and they must never stop holding every teacher and child in their school accountable for teaching and learning.

Brown's book, My Soul Looks Back And Wonder: Empowering African American Children for Success, is available in the National Principals Resource Center Bookstore at the convention and online.

Kickbusch Weaves Inspiring Story at Third General Session
By Vanessa St. Gerard

"I'm not a speaker," are the words keynoter Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch opened with during the Third General Session. "I'm just a storyteller, a conversationalist. And what I've come to share this afternoon are words from my heart."

With that, Kickbusch—who was raised in a tiny Texas barrio and overcame the challenges of poverty, discrimination, and illiteracy to become a successful leader—began to chronicle her life from first grade through college and beyond.

Throughout the heartfelt story, Kickbusch explained to the audience how her first-grade teacher insisted that she be called Connie instead of Consuelo; how her fourth-grade teacher called her a liar for telling the class she was rich (rich in culture, values, and traditions, Kickbusch's father had told his young daughter); and how a high school teacher, Mr. Cooper, became the one person throughout her educational career to actually believe in her.

Words that she holds dear are those that came from Cooper. "Miss Castillo, you are brilliant," he told her one day. Cooper presented Kickbusch with a dictionary and helped her to become literate when he found out that she needed assistance. "The dictionary is the most powerful book next to the Bible, for many," Kickbusch said.

When he saw progress in her, Cooper told her: "You're doing wonderful, Miss Castillo. I have great hopes for you," Kickbusch recalled. So it was with his assistance and dedication that Kickbusch was able to graduate high school and go off to college—and eventually become the highest-ranking Hispanic woman in the Combat Support Field of the U.S. Army.

"If a heart is good, we should never be afraid to hug a child; to tell them they are special," Kickbusch said. "A leader's greatest gift is to be a listener," she added. "What a gift we can give ourselves when we can listen to each other, especially children."

Kickbusch's immigrant parents were also a significant part of her life growing up, she said. They instilled in her valuable lessons about life—integrity, ethics, hard work, respect, and love, Kickbusch mentioned. "Little did I know that having so little would mean so much to me," she said.

Kickbusch drew upon her insights and lessons learned from her personal experiences to inspire principals to keep believing in and supporting their students so that they can succeed.

Are Personality Preferences Impacting Your Leadership?
By Jocelyn McCabe

Do interruptions drive you nuts, or do they energize you? When asked to write a memo, are you more focused on the details or the strategy and vision?

On the surface, they may seem like minor differences, but for Jane Kise and the principals she works with, they can make or break a career. Like differentiated instruction, Kise's differentiated leadership can help school leaders better meet the needs of all of their key audiences, including teachers.

During her Author Presentation on Monday, Kise discussed the success she has had helping principals and teachers identify these preferences. Together, she and her business partner, Beth Russell, have developed a research-based program that identifies eight personality preferences and 16 personality types that can be used to help principals become better leaders and teachers become better instructors.

The traits analyze everything from how individuals gather information to how they make decisions. Are you more analytical or more feeling in your approach to things? Do you gain energy from interaction with the outside world or through solitude and reflection? Kise admits it sounds like a lot of common sense, but the clients she works with suggest it's more complicated in practice.

In her presentation, Kise drew on the experience she had with one client, a principal of a K-8 school. Staff evaluations, Kise said, cast the principal as either the Wicked Witch of the West or Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. After interviewing both the administrator and her staff using her personality type pairs, she was able to zero in on substantial style differences between the principal and her teachers that were contributing to the disconnect. The principal eventually acknowledged she had some work to do—difficult though it was to change—but knowing her personality preferences has helped mend fences in her school.

"The successful manager knows what their style is and tries to look for the other side to balance them," said Kise. "When you have a common framework like this, you can collaborate and make changes. It has huge implications for how we run our buildings."

Jane Kise's book, Differentiation Through Personality Types: A Framework for Instruction, Assessment, and Classroom Management is available at the National Principals Resource Center Bookstore and online.

Students Attend the Principal's Read Aloud Award
By Raven Padgett

Third and fourth grade students from Cockrill Elementary in Nashville, Tennessee, gathered together in a circle and listened intently as principals read the five nominated books for the second annual Principal's Read Aloud Award.

The students laughed and clapped as Kentucky principal David Poer read Sweet Tooth; Virginia principal Darnella Cunningham read Wide-Mouthed Frog; Idaho principal Ted Popplewell read Big Al; Michigan principal and creator of the Read Aloud Award Bill Rich read Dogzilla; and Montana principal Sharon Redfern read the winning book, Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type.

The students belong to an early morning book club and the school's student council. They were accompanied by their principal, Catherine Prentis; teacher Chastity Shipp; and family school coordinator Loretta Shipp.

"Our teachers read aloud to children all the time," said Prentis. "It's very important that principals read aloud as well and that children see and hear them reading."

More than 900 principals from across the country selected Click, Clack, Moo as this year's winning book. To begin the selection process for the 2009 award, NAESP is asking members to nominate a favorite title. Many of you have already responded but if you have a book that you have enjoyed reading to children, please submit the title, author/illustrator, and publisher along with your name to childrensbookaward@naesp.org. We are looking for books that are currently in print and therefore readily available to members.

Getting Answers for a Successful Retirement
By Vanessa St. Gerard

Retirement is a hot topic for many principals, as evidenced by the number of people who attended Monday's session, Retirement: Learning for OUR Next Generation of Life, with Kevin O'Connor. Having retired just last year after a 21-year career in education, O'Connor admitted that he didn't have all the answers, but wanted to use his session as an open forum for everyone to dialogue and share experiences, fears, issues, joys, and questions about life after the principalship.

The attendees were a mixture of recent retirees, principals retiring this year, and principals who were simply planning for the future. "Retirement is a very important aspect of our career span," O'Connor said.

The session opened up with O'Connor asking participants to complete one of the following analogies:

• Retirement is like Woodstock because...
• Retirement is like the TV show Happy Days because...
• Retirement is like the song "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" because...

Participants offered such responses as "Retirement is like Woodstock because it's the freedom to do what I wish" or because "it's wild and free." Retirement is like "Happy Days," one person said, because "it's about spending more free time with friends" and, as another said, because "it's full of possibilities."

One analogy that most of the room agreed with came from one participant who said that retirement was like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're going to get. The floor then opened up to the retired principals in the audience, who offered advice from their experience thus far.

One retired principal said that he's definitely enjoying his retirement because "there are things that I can do with the family and for the family now" without worrying about balancing his time with work responsibilities. Another retired principal advised that you should not make any promises to others regarding what you'll do for them once you retire because you want to maintain your flexibility. "You'll end up breaking those promises," she said.

O'Connor then instructed participants to gather in one of four groups to discuss either:

1. Ways to make new connections in the retirement zone;
2. Opportunities within NAESP and other organizations for retired principals;
3. Reinventing yourself—welcoming and embracing the concept of change in our lives; and
4. Aging successfully.

When the floor was opened back up to the entire group, two of the points that generated numerous comments and responses were:

• Retire with a purpose. One principal said that during a previous session he attended here in Nashville, he learned that the life expectancy of an educator who doesn't retire with a purpose to his or her retirement is only 13 months post-retirement.
• When you leave your school, trust that the faculty and staff that you had will fare well in your absence. "The people you leave behind will be just fine, "one participant said. "You've got to let go."

"I don't think there are solutions [to retirement]; it's like an exploration," O'Connor said. "You can design it."

Lead Like You Mean It
By Vanessa St. Gerard

"Why would anyone want to be led by you?" This is the question that Ronald Areglado asked participants at the New and Aspiring Principals' Forum Sunday afternoon. Included in the long list that attendees generated were "I'm motivated," "I have a vision," and "I'm a problem solver."

"In order to do the job well today, you have to be a master of many, many things," Areglado said while pointing to the long list the participants produced. He described three layers necessary to become an effective leader: culture, leadership, and change.

There are four lenses you must look through in dealing with school culture.

1. Structural. Structural leaders emphasize rationality, analysis, logic, facts, and data, Areglado explained.
2. Human resource. Human resource leaders emphasize the importance of people.
3. Political. Political leaders believe that managers and leaders live in a world of conflict and scarce resources and, thus, must mobilize the resources needed to advocate for the organization's goals and objectives.
4. Symbolic. Symbolic leaders believe that the essential task of management is to provide vision and inspiration.

"You have to be all four as a leader," Areglado said.

Leadership is a purpose-driven activity that has at its basic premise in interpersonal accountability, Areglado explained. He described the five leadership imperatives necessary for lasting change in organizations that author Michael Fullan details in his book Leading in a Culture of Change:

An absolute in being an effective leader is having personal integrity, Areglado stressed. "If you don't have personal integrity, give it [leadership] up," he said. He told participants to consider "What am I willing to fall on the sword for when push comes to shove?"

Avoid the word "change," Areglado suggested, because it usually breeds negativity. Instead, use "improve" and "strengthen" to garner greater support from staff. "The only people who like change are wet babies," he said.

Areglado went on to explain an eight-step change process adapted from Kotter and Cohen's The Heart of Change:

In closing, Areglado advised participants to "understand what it is that makes your school successful and why they want to be led by you." He continued: "This work...is not for the faint at heart; but it is doable."

Simple Strategies to Help Students with Autism
By Vanessa St. Gerard

According to the latest research, one out of 150 people is diagnosed with autism and the disorder is typically identified in a child's early years. For this reason, K-8 principals must be prepared to learn how to best make their school and classroom environment conducive to educating children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

During their session, Strategies for Providing Developmentally Appropriate Environments for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, speakers Christy Isbell and Clarissa Willis presented a solid foundation of the difficulties children with autism have and how to offer a school setting that helps manage their behavior.

Children with autism have difficulty with social interaction, communication, behavior, and sensory integration, the speakers explained. "It is one of the most puzzling issues that we face in education, especially special education," Willis said. This is because it is such a complex disorder that causes delays or problems in varying ways with different people.

The biggest enigma in autism, Willis explained, is that you may find one strategy that works extremely well with one student with ASD, but it may not aid at all for the other student with the disorder.

The strategies that both Willis and Isbell offered during their session are a starting point for any teacher and principal with a student with ASD. They said that it was critical for children with ASD to know what's going to happen next, so clear schedules (perhaps using pictures instead of just words) are important for these children. The speakers also suggested simply tapping the child on the shoulder five or 10 minutes before a new activity begins so the child can be ready for the change.

For those students who need to be constantly moving, give them regular "movement breaks," which could entail allowing the child to run an errand for the teacher, such as returning a few books to the library.

Also, every classroom that has a student with ASD should have a "quiet center." This is a small area in the classroom where a child can go to diffuse when they are over stimulated by sensory inputs. For example, some children with ASD are sensitive to clutter; there's just so much to look at that they get visually over stimulated. If they get to a point where they sense they can't focus, the quiet center in the classroom can become a brief escape for them to regroup before returning to the general classroom area.

Bright lighting is also visually distracting to many children with ASD. So, limit the use of fluorescent lighting, use table or floor lamps, and use incandescent light bulbs in your classrooms. For students who are sensitive to loud noises, use sound-soaking carpet and rugs, pillows, curtains, and even plants in the classrooms, Isbell and Willis said.

"These changes will not only help the ASD student, but all the students," Isbell said. "Change the environment for all children to make it conducive to learning."

Building Communities in New Orleans
By Candice Johnson

NAESP's 88th Annual Convention and Exposition, April 2-6, 2009, will be the place for principals to start building everything from learning communities to neighborhood communities in New Orleans.

Next year's convention will bring an impressive lineup of speakers, hundreds of informative sessions, and a fun-filled exhibit hall to New Orleans. Also, NAESP is arranging for a unique service project for convention attendees to help a New Orleans-area school and its staff members get back on their feet in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

There is a new spirit in New Orleans. The most celebrated and historic core of the city—including the Faubourg Marigny, French Quarter, Central Business District, Warehouse and Arts District, Magazine Street corridor, Garden District, Audubon Zoo and Park, and the beautiful St. Charles Avenue, lined with shady oaks, stately homes and historic mansions—is thriving. The cultural riches, lavish indulgences, and unparalleled service that define the New Orleans experience continue to flourish, as they have for centuries.

New Orleans remains the Crescent City, rich in culture and history, a city of chefs and delectable cuisine, and the birthplace of jazz. It is a city teeming with music heard from the streets, immersed in art and architecture, and burgeoning with celebration and beauty.

Come and see for yourself what this lively city has to offer when you attend NAESP's 2009 convention. Make sure you visit www.naesp.org frequently for updates on the convention, including registration deadlines, call for proposals, housing information, speaker information, and more.

Test Your New Orleans IQ It may be a year away, but it is never too early to get ready for the next convention. NAESP is already preparing for the 88th Annual Convention and Exposition in New Orleans, April 2-6, 2009. And now here is your chance to do a little preparation and see how much you know about next year's host city. 1. The colors of Mardi Gras are? a. Red, White, and Blue b. Green, Purple, and Gold c. Pink, Green, and Orange Answer below. 2. New Orleans is the birthplace of what American music form? a. Jazz b. Country and Western c. Rock and Roll Answer below. 3. The area known as the Louisiana territory has been owned by how many countries? a. 16 b. 1 c. 3 Answer below. 4. What is the difference between Creoles and Cajuns? a. Creoles are people from a variety of backgrounds who were born in the United States, also know as colonials. Cajuns are descended from a specific group of Catholic, French-speaking trappers and farmers. b. Creoles are native New Orleans residents. Cajun is the name of the food they prepare. c. Creoles are the Spanish descendents in New Orleans and Cajuns are the French descendents. Answer below. 5. Which one of these foods is not a New Orleans standard? a. Beignet b. Gumbo c. King Cake d. Jambalaya Answer below. 6. New Orleans is home to how many cemeteries? a. 142 b. 42 c. 2 Answer below. 7. The invention of what waterway mobile led to New Orleans' importance to the U.S.? a. the barge b. the tug boat c. the steam boat Answer below. Answers 1. Answer: b The colors green, purple, and gold were chosen in honor of the Russian royal family. In 1872, Russian grand duke Alexis Romanoff visited New Orleans during Mardi Gras. A group of businessmen organized the Krewe of Rex to hold a parade and named a king and queen for the day, a tradition that has endured. They also used the colors of the House of Romanoff: purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power. These have remained the official colors of Mardi Gras. 2. Answer: a Jazz, the original American art form that gave birth to the blues and rock and roll, can be heard just about anywhere in New Orleans. Greats from Louis Armstrong to Lenny Kravitz have called New Orleans home. A melting pot of musical inspirations and innovations, New Orleans has embraced music as an indelible part of its history, an important facet of its identity, and one of the most colorful threads in its cultural tapestry. From street performers and intimate clubs to festivals and headlining rock concerts, music continues to permeate—and enrich—every part of New Orleans. 3. Answer: c In 1718, a French gentleman founded a strategic port city five feet below sea level near the juncture of the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The new city, or ville, was named La Nouvelle Orléans for Philippe, Duc d'Orléans, and centered around the Place d'Armes (later known as Jackson Square). It was confined to the area we now call the French Quarter or Vieux Carré (Old Square). In 1762, Louis XV gave Louisiana to his Spanish cousin, King Charles III. Spanish rule was relatively short— lasting until 1800— but Spain left its imprint. Louisiana then went back under French influence until the Louisiana Purchase, when the United States bought the territory for a mere $15 million. 4. Answer: a The original New Orleans Creoles were thoroughbred French, who were the first generation to be born in the colonies. The word Creole derives from the Spanish criollo or the Portuguese crioullo (depending on whom you ask), which distinguished a person born in the colonies from an immigrant or an imported slave. In present-day New Orleans, there are people of various combinations of French, Spanish, West Indian and African ancestry who proudly call themselves Creoles. Cajuns, on the other hand, are descended from a specific group of Catholic, French-speaking trappers and farmers exiled from Nova Scotia by the ruling English Protestants in 1755. About 10,000 eventually settled in Southwest Louisiana, in what is now called Acadiana. Some later came to New Orleans neighborhoods like Westwego. More than 1 million people of Cajun descent live in Louisiana. 5. Answer: Trick Question. It is hard to find a food item that isn't on a menu in New Orleans. The French and Spanish influence, along with Caribbean and other influences make eating in New Orleans a culinary wonder. 6. Answer: b The 42 cemeteries in New Orleans have been the sites of a multitude of unusual happenings and no doubt a source of fascination for visitors. The largest is Lake Lawn Metairie Cemetery, which locals always refer to simply as Metairie Cemetery. If you wish to see the architecture of the world, you need only visit Metairie Cemetery. There are hundreds of interesting stories about this graveyard, beginning with its origins. In the mid-1800s, this was the site of the Metairie Racetrack and Jockey Club. According to lore, an American millionaire named Charles Howard was denied admission to the clubhouse, his sin being that he was not a Creole. The miffed millionaire vowed to buy and bury the track and the club. In 1872, the site did become a cemetery, and in 1885, when Howard died, his eternal resting place was on the grounds of the former Jockey Club. His ornate mausoleum features a statue of a man with his finger to his lips. 7. Answer: c With the arrival of the first steam-powered paddlewheel in 1812, the city became the premier market for the new nation's bounty. Millions of bales of cotton— called by some "the South's white gold"— traveled down the Mississippi by steamboat to New Orleans. The rewards of prosperity— fashion, grand pianos, French wine, the latest books, actors, opera singers, news— flowed upriver from New Orleans to plantations and towns. New Orleans was pivotal in this economic exchange of raw material for fine finished goods; and, for more than a century, row after row of steamboats stretched for miles along the city's Riverfront. The Mississippi was alive with their comings and goings. While the old packet boats are gone from the Mississippi River today, their legacy lives on in New Orleans. Several excursion boats offer daytime and evening cruises that give modern-day visitors the same view of St. Louis Cathedral and Jackson Square enjoyed by steamboat passengers more than a century ago.

Counsel and Comfort for the New Principal
By Vanessa St. Gerard

It can be very intimidating for new principals in their first few years in the principalship. But with the advice speaker John Blaydes offered during his session, Surviving Those First Years! A Workshop for Beginning Principals, new principals were armed with guidance in acquiring the wisdom, knowledge, and experiences of veteran principals, and avoiding the pitfalls, mistakes, and conflicts new principals often make.

Blaydes explained the three R's that beginning principals must master as leaders: renewal, reflection, and resiliency. Regarding renewal, "No one wants to follow a stressed, burned-out leader," Blaydes said. Thus, it is important for you to make time for yourself to restore or regain physical and mental vigor.

Also, find someone who you can commiserate and celebrate with. Blaydes suggested finding a "job-alike" colleague—someone who is your equal (i.e., principal to principal or assistant principal to assistant principal)—who will be a great listener. That way, you have a peer who can directly relate with the ups and downs you encounter.

"We are deluged with all kinds of crises and problems throughout the day and if we allow that to get us down," Blaydes said, "you're not going to make it." Therefore, resiliency is key in surviving the principalship, especially as a beginning principal.

In addition, Blaydes described different activities that new principals can do in order to establish trust and rapport with their faculty. One example is having a "grand conversation" with each of your teachers. This entails an hour-long conversation simply to get to know them. Principals tend to only talk "business" with their staff, Blaydes explained, so carving out time at the beginning of the year, or even before the school year begins, gives you time to learn about your teachers on a personal level. "The main idea is to share a little about your background and you learn about them," Blaydes said. "It is one of the best investments of your time."

Blaydes emphasized that work should not take over your life. Working more hours, he said, is not the answer to accomplishing everything that you believe needs to get done. It only will cause added stress and lead to burnout, as well as what Blaydes called the four D's:

1. Deterioration of your health;
2. Disintegrating relationships;
3. Dissatisfaction with your work; and
4. Decrease in what you're able to accomplish.

"You have an obligation to your family and to yourself to have a life," he said. "Being a principal should not be the top priority in your life. ... Put your family and yourself first."

Speaking the Language of Math
By Kaylen Tucker

Nationally known and renowned speaker, educator, and author Char Forsten shared practical ways to help students internalize, understand, and apply math concepts.

Forsten's teaching models are derived from 18 years as a teaching principal and are easy to use. With the goal of helping students value math, communicate mathematically, and become confident in solving math problems, Forsten offered the following tips:

• Use response cards to engage all students in math;
• Use triangular flash cards to reinforce number relationships;
• Use alternative ways to teach and reinforce math skills;
• Create a math word wall; and
• Practice finding math in everything you do.

Forsten's presentation left those in attendance with strategies to help students retain what they learn rather than cram for a test.

Forsten's book, Math Intervention Strategies You Can Count On: Tools and Activities to Build Math Appreciation, Understanding, and Skills (Grades 2-6), is available in the National Principals Resource Center Bookstore at the convention.

Steve Gilliland Says "Enjoy the Ride"
By Kaylen Tucker

Between the gut-wrenching laughter and truth-filled, aha moments, principals received important motivational lessons from Distinguished Lecturer Steve Gilliland. Gilliland's message, "It's not how you start or finish; the true joy of life is in the trip," was riddled with impersonations, jokes, and revelations imparted by Margaret, his first secretary who gave him countless life lessons that he has shared with his many audiences.

Gilliland makes the case that passion, purpose, and people-skills are the three features that will increase leadership effectiveness. Using the example of the famed In-N-Out Burger in California, where Gilliland is regularly impressed with the ardent customer service, he argues that principals must leverage their passion, which is an educator's greatest asset. "Principals must love what they do and why they do it, and why you love it is most important," he said.

Gilliland also said that because you lead with the essence of who you are as a person, passion is proportionate to purpose. He urged the audience to reconsider their thinking about their purpose as educational leaders.

Last in Gilliland's leadership trifecta is people-skills. Gilliland's message about influencing people focused mostly on the principal-teacher relationship. Principals must use their leadership to influence others, just as they have been influenced by powerful mentors. What better way for principals to change the thinking about their own work than by reflecting on how they influence the working and learning environment for others in their own schools.

Steve Gilliland's book, Enjoy the Ride, is available in the National Principals Resource Center Bookstore at the convention and online.

Pundits Offer Insider's View on Politics and the 2008 Presidential Campaign By Raven Padgett

Morgan Seiferth, a fifth grader from Rose Park Magnet School, told the crowd at the Second General Session that she normally doesn't work on Sundays, but she couldn't turn down a request from her principal to introduce political power couple James Carville and Mary Matalin.

After the laughter died down, Carville and Matalin took the stage and, in between light bantering, offered insights into the 2008 presidential campaign. Both discussed the historical nature and the increased voter turnout in this year's primary.

Matalin said that she was not speaking to NAESP members as a partisan, but rather as a parent of two elementary school-aged daughters. Calling education the "gateway to success," she applauded principals for the work they do. Matalin implored attendees to contact their local policymakers because principals have their fingers on the pulse of education.

LEAD the Charge Inspired to take political action? It's easy with the Leading Educators' Advocacy Dashboard (LEAD). Lead allows you to contact your legislators, stay current with legislative actions, and more. Register on LEAD and start taking an interest in how politics influences your schools.

Carville, a former teacher, agreed that principals need to invite politicians into their schools. He recalled the names of his own teachers, from the first through fifth grade, and said that the fact that he could still rattle off their names years later demonstrated the tremendous impact that educators have.

"It's important as educators that you remember how important the work that you do is," said Carville. "We are a little envious that you get to shape so many young lives everyday."

After Carville and Matalin spoke, they answered a few questions from NAESP members, including ones about the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind, the legacy of President George W. Bush, and the impact of technology on this year's presidential campaign.

Before Carville and Matalin spoke, John Flores, the executive dean of Nova Southeastern University, presented two principals with NSU scholarships—Judy McCollum, principal of Katherine Lee Bates Elementary in Colorado and Bonnie Tryon, principal of William H. Golding Elementary in New York.

James Carville's book Had Enough and Mary Matalin's book, Letters to My Daughters, can be purchased at the National Principals Resource Center or online.

Be a LEADer for Your Profession
By Abbie Evans
Assistant Director of Government Relations

Do you have concerns or questions about the federal education conversation? Make your voice heard by joining the political process with NAESP's Leading Educators' Advocacy Dashboard (LEAD).

Principals are experts on the teaching and learning in their buildings and can easily identify the challenges and successes their schools have faced. For these reasons and many more, principals make excellent professional resources for legislators and their staffs. With only a few minutes of time per year, principals can make federal legislators aware of what on-the-ground educators truly think and need. NAESP is encouraging principals to become advocates for their profession by using LEAD, an online grassroots advocacy tool available to principals at www.NAESP.org.

NAESP's Leading Educators' Advocacy Dashboard (LEAD) provides principals with the means to:

• Access the latest updates and alerts from NAESP Government Relations,
• E-mail legislators,
• Find important contact information and key legislative staff assignments, and
• Track votes and key legislation moving through Congress.

During NAESP's convention, principals are invited to attend a 30-minute LEAD demonstration and training on Monday, April 7 at 1:30 in Jackson E of the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. During the training, principals will be able to access LEAD, find information on elected officials, ask questions, and even send an e-mail to their federal legislators.

Be a LEADer for your profession!

How to Impact Student Achievement and Make a Difference
By Robert Heath

All teachers should take a lie detector test to answer this question: "Do you love children more than anything?" Those teachers getting a positive response from the detector may well be the best teachers of all. Those with negative responses may want to consider a different line of work, says author Annette Breaux during her Sunday morning session.

Breaux engaged attendees with humorous stories and anecdotes, heartfelt stories about children and inspirational teachers, and audience participation to demonstrate and teach practical classroom instruction and management techniques. She described characteristics of poor teachers and great teachers amidst obvious agreement from the audience.

What are some characteristics of poor teachers? Breaux refers to these teachers as "1s":

• Don't do much teaching;
• Complain the majority of the time;
• Rarely smile;
• Have lots of management problems;
• Sport an "I don't care" attitude; and
• Always talk negatively about everyone.

Diverse Learning at Convention
By Kaylen Tucker

This year's convention is featuring special sessions to meet the needs of principals serving diverse learning communities. The first of these sessions was a stimulating discussion from a knowledgeable panel at the Diversity Forum.

Moderated by former Nashville mayor William Paxton Purcell III, he introduced a notable panel that included Carol Brunson Day, president of the National Black Child Development Institute; Bernadette Nevarez, West Mesa cluster leader for the Albuquerque (NM) Public School District; and Linda Agustin Simunek, professor at the Fischler School of Education and Human Services, Nova Southeastern University. He also generously received convention attendees to Nashville, conveying the enormous significance of serving diverse learning communities from a mayor's perspective.

Brunson Day, whose experience is in early childhood development, started the panel's discussion by stating that the achievement gap can be solved at the leadership level and to do so principals need to create culturally competent schools. By creating opportunities for school personnel to understand the role of cultural competency in learning, including distinguishing between the content and process of culture and learning how to systematically address bias, principals can lead the way in assuring that each child thrives in a culturally competent environment.

Nevarez offered her school-based experiences with leading a school population that is 85 percent Latino and receives free or reduced-price lunch. Speaking about the tremendous needs of this student population, she reasoned that the most important quality is starting with the core belief that every student can learn. Additionally, teachers need English language learner training. What is equally crucial but less quantifiable is the ability to accept student differences and understand parents' varied experiences with school.

Agustin Simunek echoed Nevarez's claim that cultural competency requires acceptance of student differences and adds that educators must take a holistic account of their student backgrounds. For example, the Asian population is rapidly increasing, but many educators do not realize that many students arrive as refugees from Southeast Asia.

These issues and others will be further addressed at the other Diversity Program events: the Minority Networking Session on Sunday at 9:00 a.m., the First Annual Diversity Reception on Sunday at 4:00 p.m. (schedule it), and the Cultural Competencies Administrator Workshop on Monday at 12:30 p.m. (schedule it).

Daniel Pink on Using the Whole Mind
By Kaylen Tucker

Barely able to look over the podium, Nashville first grader Lauren Surles wowed the crowd by delivering a powerful introduction for innovation expert and keynote speaker Daniel Pink. The focus of Pink's address was to explain how changes in the economy have affected the work force and the implications of such changes on K-8 education. Pink acknowledged that the purpose of education is not to create and deliver future employees, but to help children like Lauren develop their full potential. Even still, Pink made the powerful argument that educators must align education with the future economy and not with their past.

Pink's keynote address was based on the arguments made in his latest book, A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future, which charts the rise of right-brain thinking in modern economies and explains the six abilities individuals and organizations must master in an outsourced and automated world. Pink reasons that although the linear, left-sphere skills that defined the past are still necessary, innovative, right-sphere skills will be essential to future success.

Using the example of the popular iPod, Pink explained that the American economy is based on providing consumers with products they do not yet know they need, which requires a right-brained approach to thinking. Paradoxically, the economy is moving toward novelty, nuance, and customization while education is moving toward routine and standardization, said Pink. Schools must equip students with the ability to perform skills that are hard to automate or outsource. Schools must teach students to design, empathize, and play and create narratives, assess the big picture, and establish meaning. In other words, schools must teach students to value and use their whole mind.

Also at the Opening General Session, NAESP awarded John Forsyth, former president of the Education Research Service (ERS) with the Distinguished Service Award. NAESP President Mary Kay Sommers remarked on how deserving Forsyth was of this award given his 30 years of service at ERS.

A Whole New Mind is for sale in the NPRC Bookstore in the exhibit hall and online.

Stressed? That's a Laugh!
By Jocelyn McCabe

What if laughter really is the best medicine?

For Dr. Jack Singer, a clinical psychologist specializing in stress management, it's a prescription he's more than happy to write for today's stressed-out, over-scheduled school administrators. A crowd of about 600 convention-goers gathered early Saturday morning to hear Singer offer his humorous, practical tips on how to deal with life's challenges in a positive way. And he practices what he preaches.

While warming up the audience, Singer engaged participants in a fun "human treasure hunt" where attendees sought out colleagues who had similar birth months or were willing to share an embarrassing story. Singer shared his own tale involving a pair of maxed—out double-knit red pants, to be fair to the two principals kind enough to share theirs. Even the prizes for audience participation—rubber chicken keychains, clown noses and paddle balls—reflect Singer's belief in the notion that stress can be managed through humor.

"If you keep laughing—every time you laugh—you zap your immune system with powerful negatively charged ions that enhance your health," said Singer. "Laughter is critically important. It enhances the immune system."

To release those ions regularly, Singer recommends a daily trifecta of positive thinking, learned optimism, and regular doses of fun and laughter to ward off stress and 3 a.m. insomnia sessions. Before closing out his session, Singer encouraged attendees to find ways to put more fun into their personal and professional lives. This could range from creating your own "humor survival kit" to hosting a "positive party funded by negative people"—with monies paid by fines from people caught being negative around the office.

But the best source of laughter, Singer advised, may be found in your own classrooms. Children, according to Singer, laugh up to 300 times a day. Adults? Only 17 times a day. His advice: "You need to let that little child in you out—you need to laugh."

Drive Your Staff Happy With Recognition, Celebrations
By Jocelyn McCabe

Diane Hodges never met a Monday she didn't like.

A former secondary and elementary school principal, Hodges is now channeling her passion for school culture and education into helping administrators build positive staff morale-and Mondays are just one of her many opportunities to do so.

Drawing on humorous images, Internet videos, cartoons, and parodies, Hodges used her presentation time Saturday to inspire attendees with ideas for staff meetings, recognitions, and just plain fun around the office.

"We do these things for the kids, why not for the students?" she asked.

A creative and energetic presenter, Hodges shared brief, practical, and sincere ways to infuse humor and recognition activities into meetings and other events on the school calendar. Some of her inspired ideas include:

• First Day of School: Throw a "Happy New Year" party to mark the start of the new school year, complete with party hats, noisemakers and streamers.
• Halfway: Mark the semester change or halfway mark in the school year. Throw a staff party with literally half of everything, including plates, food, tablecloths. Ask a local business to donate "half off" coupons for goods or services, too.
• Spring Cleaning: Celebrate spring with a good classroom cleanout. Stage an area for staff to leave items they'd like to trade or recycle.
• New Teachers: Throw a New Teacher Shower with your staff for incoming teachers. Give them supplies they'll need to succeed at your school.

Recognition does not have to be fancy and expensive, either. Hodges offered dozens of ways administrators could provide group or individual kudos without a lot of resources. Opportunities to reward—for good attendance, for birthdays—are all around, she said. And throwing a packet of M&Ms in a big project for your administrative assistant with a note saying "thanks for working so hard, you're halfway there" takes no time and shows your appreciation for their time and effort.

Hodges will be doing additional sessions here in Nashville on Sunday and Monday (schedule it), or visit her Web site at www.dianehodges.com to review her work or suggest a celebration idea of your own.

Diane Hodges' books Grin and Share It, Laugh Lines for Educators, Looking Forward to Monday Morning, and Looking Forward to MORE Monday Mornings are available at the NPRC Bookstore in the Exhibit Hall or online.

The National Elementary Honor Society™ Launches
By Raven Padgett

NAESP's executive director Gail Connelly announced the launch of the National Elementary Honor Society (NEHS) at the Opening General Session. Connelly was joined onstage for the announcement of this new program by Gerald Tirozzi, the executive director of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). Connelly and Tirozzi presented the first NEHS charter to Shepardson Elementary School, where NAESP President Mary Kay Sommers is principal.

"Whole child development is imperative for our schools to be successful," said Connelly. "The National Elementary Honor Society is a great way for schools to focus on this development and to recognize our young students for their accomplishments in leadership and service. We are excited about providing schools with the opportunity to participate in such a prestigious program and to help develop our nation's future leaders."

NASSP administers the National Honor Society™ (NHS) and the National Junior Honor Society™ (NJHS) and the NEHS was created to help schools give students in grades 4-6 national recognition for their accomplishments.

"The National Honor Society and the National Junior Honor Society have done a tremendous job of giving outstanding students the recognition they deserve for excellence in some of the most important aspects of their lives," said Tirozzi. "We are confident that the National Elementary Honor Society will enrich the education and the educational experience of younger students as well."

The NEHS booth, located in the Exhibit Hall, has materials available for schools to begin implementing an NEHS program. For more information on NEHS, visit www.nehs.org where you will find a list of Frequently Asked Questions with answers for school administrators, students, parents, and the general public.

The Ethical Principal
By Vanessa St. Gerard

When confronted with an ethical dilemma, how do you determine what is the best decision? This question is what presenters Gretchen Donndelinger, Mary Anne Weegar, and Shirley Willadsen discussed during their session, The Ethical Principal, on Saturday morning.

The purpose of ethics is to help people make better decisions, the speakers explained. Ethics can be defined as the norms, attitudes, and beliefs that are reflected in the way people treat each other and the manner in which people are able to adapt to the environment. "The higher morals you have ... the more difficult it will be to make a decision," Donndelinger said. Conversely, if you don't care about the matter or the consequences, the easier the decision is to make.

Session attendees learned the four basic dilemmas that people face:

• Truth vs. loyalty;
• Individual vs. community;
• Short term vs. long term; and
• Justice vs. mercy.

Each dilemma presents a right-versus-right situation, which is why it is so difficult to come up with the best solution. Deciding which is "more right" is what individuals grapple with.

The process of solving ethical predicaments, the speakers explained, begins first with identifying which of the four dilemma types you are facing. Next, identify one of the following solution principles:

• Utilitarian—which result will do the greater good?
• Rule-based—which result aligns most with what the rules indicate?
• Care-based—which result aligns most with the Golden Rule? In other words, do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

The presenters suggested that principals perform these ethical practices: openly talk about values, make the decision process transparent, discuss dilemmas as a team, and spread good examples. To ensure an ethical culture in your school, you should:

• Value employees and their contributions;
• Foster a work environment of respect and trust;
• Support conversations about values and provide help for ethical decision-making; and
• Have leaders at every level who model the behaviors you demand of others.

By offering these tips throughout their 90-minute presentation, the speakers provided principals with a solid primer on how to make the best decision when confronted with the various ethical problems that arise in the education setting.

Curriculum Design Crash Course
By Jim Warnock

A foundation in curriculum design in three hours might seem impossible, but that is what presenter Michael Chirichello set out to provide principals at his Three-Hour Workshop, Curriculum Design: Learning for the Next Generation, on Saturday afternoon.

Participants in this workshop learned that results from curriculum work will be greatly compromised unless the learning community clarifies the underlying beliefs and values to provide a strong platform that serves to direct the development and delivery of the curriculum. Chirichello began the session by leading participants to look at common assumptions often made about education. A number of assumptions were listed by participants, including arbitrary divisions of disciplines, letter grades, moving students to the same level of achievement at the same time, and textbook-driven curriculum.

Chirichello utilized a three-question device to model the process that should be used with teachers in developing a curriculum platform, or set of beliefs and values, that guide and influence the curriculum throughout the process.

1. What's so? Participants discussed their beliefs about various aspects of the curriculum, including knowledge, productive learning, intellectual character, creativity, technology, teachers, and students. Participants clarified their beliefs and values for each area using graphic organizers at their tables. It was noted that the group's beliefs about knowledge reflected higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills as opposed to narrow information-based skills.
2. So what? This question was addressed by asking "What will I see in my school in five years based on my beliefs and values?" It became apparent that values have a significant impact on the design of curriculum because the beliefs of the participants would require engaging, relevant, and collaborative instructional approaches and assessments as opposed to the "teacher as sage" model with students working alone.
3. What's next? Chirichello concluded his fast-paced session with a challenge. Participants responded to the question "Based on today's learning, will you change the way you do things?" Responses to this question were shared and the challenge was made to take this learning back to school staff members, leading them in developing strong platforms for the development of a curriculum for the next generation.

To find out more about Michael Chirichello, visit www.leadershipmatters.us.

You can purchase Michael Chirichello's book, Learning to Lead, at the National Principals Resource Center bookstore or online.

Bridging the Gap Between Preparation and Practice
By Raven Padgett

NAESP released two major publications Friday during a lively panel discussion between principals and professors about the most effective ways to close the gap between preparation and practice. Watch the Panel Discussion on SchoolTube.

The two publications, Vision 2021: Transformations in Leadership, Learning and Community and the second edition of Leading Learning Communities: Standards for What Principals Should Know and Be Able Do, outline implications for the principalship, define standards for school leadership, and examine the role of K-8 principals in preparing children for the future.

Panelist Jim Grant founder and executive director, Staff Development for Educators; Mary Kay Sommers, NAESP president; Myron Oglesby-Pitts, assistant professor of education, Belmont University; Kris Kurtenbach, Founding Partner, Collaborative Communications Group and Ellen Goldring, professor of education policy and leadership, Vanderbilt University discuss closing the gap between preparation and practice.

NAESP's executive director, Gail Connelly, opened the session and discussed how the two new publications will help shape the preparation and practice of school leadership.

"School leadership has never been more important to supporting the development of the whole child and to improving the performance not just of students but adults," said Connelly. "The standards and strategies in these publications were developed by principals for principals and set a framework for the future as well as practical guidance for today's school leaders and those who are preparing tomorrow's school leaders. Vision 2021 frames a preferred future for schools and school leadership, and the second edition of Leading Learning Communities is a how-to guide to help principals lead learning in that future framework."

Connelly was joined by Gary Martin, executive director of the National Council of Professors of Education Administration, and the panelists were Mary Kay Sommers, NAESP president; Jim Grant, founder and executive director, Staff Development for Educators; Myron Oglesby-Pitts, assistant professor of education, Belmont University; and Ellen Goldring, professor of education policy and leadership, Vanderbilt University.

Copies of both publications will be available to attendees at the opening General Session. All NAESP members will receive a copy of Leading Learning Communities, 2nd edition, in fall 2008 as a special membership benefit.

PALing Around at Convention
By Vanessa St. Gerard

Earlier this week, 12 current and retired principals participated in the PALS Mentor Leadership Immersion Institute that took place in Nashville, Tennessee, during NAESP's convention. The PALS (Peer Assisted Leadership Services) program trains mentors to play a vital role in the future of new principals, their leadership, and their schools by certifying them to become a National Principal Mentor.

The 12 participants represented nine states and three countries, including Canada and Australia. Irene Blackburn, a recently retired principal from Tennessee, said she chose to participate in the PALS program to continue making an impact on the principalship. "Since I just retired ... I feel like I still want to contribute in education and support other principals," she said. "I want to offer support to principals since it's such an important job."

"I see the principalship as kind of a dying breed and [principals] need ... this support to be successful," added Colorado principal Denny Ingram, who has led schools for the past 17 years.

The first day of the training began with a review of NAESP's standards publication, Leading Learning Communities: Standards for What Principals Should Know and Be Able To Do. Participants then discussed the NAESP publication Changing Lives Through the Principalship: A Reflective Guide for School Aspirations.

During the second day, the participants learned how to discover and build on their strengths, and how to provide effective feedback to counsel their protégés. "Counseling skills are an important skill to refine," said Blackburn, who retired after 10 years in the principalship. Participants learned the acronym FACT, which stands for Facilitator, Advisor, Coach, Teachers. "All of those encompass what we do as mentors," Blackburn said.

Principals discuss the value of mentoring.

The entire training process involves much reflection both individually and with the other participants. Day three involved learning how to reflectively listen so that the mentors are able to help their protégés with the issues that arise. Reflective questioning was also reviewed.

The three days of training culminated with each participant receiving a certificate of completion. Participants viewed this training as a true asset to the principalship. "The acquisition and retention of principals will be solidified," Blackburn said.

"If more principals can see the job as doable, then they're going to have more success," added Ingram. "The last three days has been the learning. Now the work begins."

For more insight on the NAESP PALS training program, visit NAESP's blog, the Principals' Office, which chronicled the experience of three principals who participated in PALS training in February. Simply click on the "Mentoring" category.

For more information about PALS, visit www.napes.org/pals.

Redefining the Principalship: Leadership for the Next Generation
By Robert Heath

Presenter Nancy Richmond reads to her audience.

Picture your school's vision; believe in it; paint a picture of it for your faculty; and do it passionately. This is one building block toward redefining the principalship discovered by attendees at a Pre-Convention Workshop presented Friday by veteran educators and authors, Michael Chirichello and Nancy Richmond.

School leaders can no longer be managers. They must be leaders with vision and passion. They must be leaders who inspire others to live and promote the school's vision through collective leadership and the development of trusting, nurturing relationships.

School leaders who are prepared to lead the next generation of students and teachers must find their "voice," create a vision, build trusting relationships, be a competent leader, and nurture potential. Workshop participants began work on personal Professional Leadership Plans through reflection activities and collaborative discussions.

Getting to know your self as a leader and as a person was described as the first step toward becoming a reflective leader. Attendees heard stories about frogs and butterflies, bugs, dreamers, and an emperor who had new clothes to illustrate the power of listening and reflection toward authentic, competent leadership.

Chirichello and Richmond asked attendees to reflect on such questions as

• What evidence do you have that you lead by example?
• Are you authentic?
• Can others watch what you do and listen to what you say and know what you value and believe?

Attendees were encouraged to engage in regularly planned reflective activities throughout their principalships to assess their own capacities and growth, and to use this information in their own continuous leadership skills improvement.

Attendees learned that to develop consistency, congruity, and integrity—qualities found in authentic leaders—they must believe, think, speak, and do. Leaders must always be aware that, "What we do speaks much more clearly, more loudly than what we say…never forget that you are being watched."

Creating Resonance with Style
By Vanessa St. Gerard

The goal for any effective leader is to create resonance in your school building, said former principal Betty Hollas, who led Saturday morning's session, Uncommon Leadership. To accomplish this, Hollas said, principals must use a collection of six different leadership styles—with the right measure at just the right time.

When a leader drives emotions of others positively, the best in everyone is brought out. The effect, Hollas explained, is called resonance. Resonant leaders excel by connecting with others. "You are the E.G.O. in your building," Hollas said, "An Emotional Guide for Others. ... When resonance is going around, you're driving emotions in a positive way, and that's what we want."

Hollas made a point that emotions are contagious, so if a leader or teacher has a negative attitude, it is likely that that negativity will filter throughout the school building, creating a negative climate. "We catch emotions like we catch a cold," Hollas said.

The six leadership styles that Hollas outlined are:

1. Visionary: Inspires by articulating a heartfelt, shared goal; routinely gives performance feedback and suggestions for improvement in terms of that goal.
2. Coaching: Develops people by talking to them to learn their aspirations; routinely gives feedback in those terms and stretches assignments to move toward those goals.
3. Democratic: Develops consensus through participation.
4. Affiliative: Realizes that having fun together is not a waste of time, but builds emotional capital and harmony.
5. Pacesetting: Leads by hard-driving example and expects others to meet the same pace and high performance standards.
6. Commanding: Gives orders and demands immediate compliance; tends to be coercive.

Hollas stressed that leaders should use the last two styles with caution because if used too much or in the long term, they are not effective. Both styles often have a negative impact on climate because they are often poorly executed or misused. It is appropriate to use the pacesetting style to get high-quality results from a competent and motivated group, according to Hollas. As for the commanding style, it is appropriate to use in situations of crisis, to kick-start a change, or with difficult people.

The leadership style with the greatest effect on climate is the visionary style, Hollas explained. However, regardless of the combination of styles you use, you must use them more deliberately in order to be most effective, Hollas said.

The way in which each of the leadership styles corresponds with resonance is as follows:

• Visionary style creates resonance by moving others toward shared dreams;
• Coaching style creates resonance by connecting others to the organization's goals;
• Democratic style creates resonance by valuing the input of others;
• Affiliative style builds resonance by connecting people to one another;
• Pacesetting style builds resonance by meeting challenging and exciting goals; and
• Commanding style creates resonance by soothing fears in an emergency through clear directions given to others.

In closing, Hollas said, "You want to be the person who says we can work together; we can do this."

Podcasts: Is Your School Missing Out?
By Catherine Prentis

The NAESP Technology Center was alive with possibilities Saturday morning as Steve Decker challenged us to become "inspired to try something new or to simply use the technology that you already have."

Why should educators use podcasting? That's simple to this principal. "Because the kids are using this stuff and if they know more than we do, then why would they listen to us?" He references the popularity of YouTube as a reason attendees could understand.

His other reasons to use podcasting:

• Reach a broader audience.
• Get your message out using new technology in order to look current.
• Make you message come alive.
• "Reviewability" for the receiver and the sender.
• Focus your message through editing or for a targeted audience.
• Mass distribution.
• Ability to publish to any Web site.
• Add a personal touch to communication.

Decker also presented some interesting ideas for podcasts, including a virtual school for students who may have to be out for illness or as a way to get your vision out to all stakeholders.

According to Decker, all you need to start a podcast is a computer with a microphone, software, and maybe a mixer for more control. Software includes Garage Band (built into a Mac) or for a PC try Audacity or ipodcast, among many others.

He challenged the audience to let go of fears and learn more about this cutting-edge communication tool that is simple and very portable. He promised the audience they could podcast anywhere. The point is to find out what you and your school might be missing and get current.

To find out more about speaker Steve Decker, visit www.stevedecker.org.

RTI 101
By David M. Hanson

I must admit that I came into Evelyn Johnson's Author Presentation with a very low knowledge base of response to intervention (RTI). Some schools in my state of North Dakota are using this model and it is a growing area of emphasis from our State Department of Public Instruction. I understood the premise of the model but did not have a lot of specific understanding. However, I left this session with a much better understating of how RTI is implemented.

Johnson's PowerPoint presentation highlighted what she found out about RTI when writing her book, RTI: A Practitioner's Guide to Implementing Response to Intervention.

In preparing to write the book, Johnson and her coauthor began looking for model projects. Their goal was to identify best practices of schools using the RTI model. The purpose was of course to identify successful school-based models of RTI. The RTI how-to manual can be found on the National Research Center for Learning Disabilities' Web site, www.nrcld.org. These best practices were a part of the basis for the book.

The discussion of the fidelity of RTI implementation was one of many important topics covered. According to Johnson, research suggests that positive student outcomes can be attributed to one out of three related factors:

1. Fidelity of implementation of the process.
2. Degree to which interventions are empirically supported.
3. Fidelity of implementation of the intervention

Another interesting discussion took place on the idea of using RTI as a method for determining specified learning disability (SLD). Johnson stated that she did not think that the RTI model was ready to serve in that capacity, but that it could some day.

I asked Johnson what would be one of the most important things she would like to emphasize from her presentation. One of the areas that she asked me to share were the resources that can be found on the National Center on Response to Intervention's Web site, www.rti4success.org and the National Research Center on Learning Disabilities' Web site, www.nrcld.org. Both sites offer a lot of information on the RTI model.

Anyone interested in Johnson's PowerPoint presentation from today can contact her at EvelynJohnson@boisestate.edu.

Principals can purchase the book at the National Principals Resource Ceneter Bookstore at the convention or online at http://web.naesp.org/nprc/findII.php?II=RTIPG-OL.

NAESP Membership Booth Rolls Out the Red Carpet
By Candice Johnson

NAESP is giving the red-carpet treatment to our VIPs—Very Important Principals—at the booth this year. Stop by booth 441 in the exhibit hall and you can:

• Speak one on one with an NAESP representative about member benefits. This is your chance to get the personal attention you deserve from NAESP.
• Pick up your free copy of the second edition of Leading Learning Communities. The newly revised NAESP standards publication is sure to be a hot item at the booth, so make sure you stop by early to receive your copy.
• See NAESP's new logo and hear about NAESP's new vision. NAESP is headed in a new direction, committed to establishing leading learning communities for principals and schools. The Board of Directors selected a new logo to represent the forward motion of the association and the renewed emphasis on the principalship.

Also, don't forget to enter to win the fabulous prizes NAESP is giving away at the booth. Scan your name badge at the NAESP booth each day and you could win any of the following:

• $100 gift certificates for NAESP's National Principals' Resource Center
• PALS Mentor Leadership Immersion Institute registration
• $50 Starbucks gift card
• $100 American Express gift card
• One year NAESP membership
• 2009 convention registration for New Orleans
• Leading Learning Communities video series set
• Round-trip coach airfare to the 2009 convention in New Orleans (maximum $500)
• MP3 player
• NAESP gift basket

You must be present to win each day's drawings, which will be held at 11:45 a.m., Saturday through Monday.

Principals Promote Reading with Second Annual Read Aloud Award
By Kaylen Tucker

When principals read, the whole school reads. That is why NAESP has instituted the Principal's Read Aloud Award, a program that recognizes quality children's books and encourages principals to read aloud so the book's characters can jump off the page and into the imagination of their young students.

The winner of NAESP's second annual Principal's Read Aloud Award is Click, Clack, Moo, Cows That Type, written by Doreen Cronin and illustrated by Betsy Lewin. This is the second year that principals nominated books to be considered, and then voted on five finalists. More than 900 principals from across the country voted for Click, Clack, Moo, a charming tale about Farmer Brown and his barn full of literate cows.

The Principal's Read Aloud Award presentation will be Sunday, April 6 at the National Principals Resource Center book store, located in Ryman C of the convention center, at 2 p.m. Members of the Read Aloud Award advisory committee will read the winning title, along with the runner-up titles, to a group of children, demonstrating the power of reading aloud. Come be a part of this interactive event, and purchase the titles for your school's library while you are there!

The Door Is Always Open in the Principals' Office
By Vanessa St. Gerard

NAESP's award-winning blog, the Principals' Office, is the ideal venue to share your thoughts on a variety of education-related news, issues, and innovation with your peers.

Take a position on whether the latest school or district program making the news will prove successful; express your opinion about the latest "Speaking Out" entry, which presents a strong argument on a controversial topic; or provide insight on how a local or state decision regarding schools affects your job as a principal.

The blog is updated regularly, so make sure to check back often to find out what the latest talk is about. When you read current and past entries that pique your interest, keep the conversations going by leaving your thoughts. NAESP's blog connects principals with their colleagues and other K-12 educators. Come in and join our community of principals—where the door is always open!

Groundbreaking Publications Frame the Preparation and Practice of School Leaders
By Kaylen Tucker

Effectively leading schools requires more than raising assessment scores; it demands the art of instilling a culture of learning. At this year's annual convention, NAESP is releasing two landmark publications to shape the preparation and practice of school leadership, focusing especially on leading and learning. The two publications outline implications for the profession, define standards for school leadership, and examine the role of K-8 principals in preparing children for the future.

Vision 2021: Transformations in Leadership, Learning and Community is a provocative report that examines trends in leadership, society, and education to present a vision of the future for principals and how that vision will transform schools, teaching, and learning. It is the culmination of an 18-month study forecasting the vision of school leadership for the year 2021, when NAESP will celebrate its 100th birthday.

Leading Learning Communities: Standards for What Principals Should Know and Be Able To Do, second edition, is an operating manual for school leaders that features new strategies to help principals structure and support learning communities that develop the whole child, prepare students for a changing global economy and society, rethink the learning day by bridging school and community and make decisions based on data.

NAESP members can pick up advance copies of Leading Learning Communities at the NAESP Membership Booth in the exhibit hall (#441). Convention activities dedicated to exploring these publications are: the Principals' Preparation and Practice Press Event on Friday, April 4 at 2 p.m. in Delta Island C (add to my planner) and "Leading Learning Communities: Standards for What Principals Should Know and Be Able To Do—How Were They Developed? What Will They Mean for Me?" on Sunday, April 6 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Lincoln A (add to my planner). Time will be provided for audience questions and discussion.

Nashville Initiative Help Students Transition Smoothly from Middle School
By Catherine Prentis

Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) is in its third year of implementing small learning communities within the eight largest comprehensive high schools of the district. In 2006, the idea was piloted at Antioch High School where 700 first-time freshmen were placed into a separate Freshman Academy to help ease their transition from middle school. In 2007, the district won a grant for more than $5 million dollars to implement the same program in the other large high schools.

MNPS is in line with the reform movement to divide large comprehensive high schools into small learning communities, which included creating Freshman Academies. Designed to create an academic setting full of nurturing support, the Freshman Academy appears to be a solution to the monumental task of successful transition from middle to high school. According to the Southern Regional Education Board, if a student fails the ninth grade one time, there is a 50 percent chance that the student will drop out of school. If a student fails ninth grade twice, there is almost no chance that the student will graduate.

MNPS is now taking the next big step in the high school redesign initiative based on the small learning communities model. In the fall of 2008, MNPS-zoned high schools will implement Career and Thematic Centers, which will mature into Career and Thematic Academies over a multiyear phase-in process.

The mission of the redesign is to provide a caring and personalized learning environment in which all students master the skills they need to succeed in the 21st century, acquire universal values, connect to post-secondary and career opportunities, and become successful, contributing members of the global community. The redesign will provide students with rigorous and relevant curriculum, allow for more nurturing relationships between students and teachers, and provide students with applicable knowledge of core curriculum and industry skills.

The presence of a nurturing environment for students after the elementary grades gives meaning to the foundations that are laid for students in their early years of school. Administrators in elementary schools appreciate the continued efforts our colleagues in high school put forth to ensure that students stay in school and graduate.

RTI Action Network Launches at NAESP Convention

The RTI Action Network, a national initiative dedicated to the effective implementation of response to intervention (RTI) as a means of raising student achievement, will launch during NAESP's convention. This unique initiative brings together the public and private sectors as well as representatives from general education and special education in active collaboration to guide educators and families at the local level where RTI implementation occurs.

"We're very pleased to be launching at the NAESP convention," said Kathleen Whitmire, director of the RTI Action Network, "as we consider principals to be critical in establishing an educational context to support effective RTI implementation and enhance student success."

The cornerstone of the initiative is the Web site, www.RTINetwork.org, which will launch on April 7 and offer informational resources and professional development as well as the opportunity to interact with top researchers and experienced practitioners. The site will also allow educators and families to exchange information through discussion boards, shared stories, and other networking opportunities.

Tom Komp and George Batsche will present the session, "Building Your Blueprint for RTI Implementation," at the NAESP convention on Sunday at 3:15 p.m. in Bayou B (add to my planner), with a focus on how principals can establish RTI programs at their schools. Komp is a member of NAESP, and both presenters serve on the RTI Advisory Council. (Rich Barbacane, former NAESP president, is also a council member.) In addition, the RTI Action Network will have a booth in the exhibit hall.

The RTI Action Network is a program of the National Center for Learning Disabilities, funded by the Cisco Foundation and in partnership with the nation's leading education associations and top experts in RTI. NAESP is a founding partner, representing the principal's perspective on the RTI Advisory Council and in ongoing discussions about resource development.

Schooling Educators on Web Videos with SchoolTube
By Candice Johnson

Web videos are for more than entertainment and laughs. They can help students better understand math concepts, connect teachers around the world and help them see best practices in action, and can help principals showcase their school to the public.

This is what drives SchoolTube to provide students and educators a safe, world class, and FREE media-sharing Web site that is endorsed by NAESP.

NAESP and SchoolTube have teamed up to create a safe media-sharing Web site for elementary schools across the country. Videos on SchoolTube.com range from in-class activities and field trips to local school news programs.

SchoolTube is the recognized leader for moderated Internet media content sharing for teachers and students. All student-created materials on SchoolTube must be approved by registered teachers, follow local school guidelines, and adhere to SchoolTube's high standards.

SchoolTube at Convention

To give you an idea of how your school can use this tool, NAESP is using SchoolTube at convention. Check the Convention News Online homepage to see video coverage of the convention, including interviews of principals about their convention experience and varying education topics, recordings of events at the convention, special messages from NAESP's Board of Directors, and more.

Once you see what SchoolTube can do, sign up for your own account. Visit the Elementary site, http://www.schooltube.com/page150409.aspx, and start learning and sharing media files with other elementary schools across the country.

NAESP Introduces Its New Logo

NAESP is very excited to announce the launch of our new logo. This new look serves as the start to a visibility campaign we hope will educate pre-K-8 principals and the general public about the new direction of the Association.

Our Board of Directors selected a new logo that represents what the organization is today and where it is headed. This logo was chosen to represent the forward motion of the Association and an emphasis on the principal.

The lower case "naesp" suggests the beginning of learning and what children do in primary grades. The words "National Association of Elementary School Principals" grow progressively larger, suggesting the growth of children from elementary through the middle levels. The "wave" underline represents flow and lateral movement. Finally, the three stacked lines represent the three vision goals of the NAESP strategic plan: leading, learning, and communities.

The new NAESP logo is a fresh image that reflects the professional organization we have become and our vision for the future. We welcome your feedback on the design by sending us an e-mail at naesp@naesp.org.

Hot Off the Press: Preview of May/June Principal
By Raven Padgett

You won't want to miss the latest issue of Principal magazine, which will soon be landing in your mailbox. The May/June issue takes a close look at how principals can help expand the continuum of learning and provide high-quality early childhood education in the schools they lead. Articles include: ways that principals can improve early childhood literacy outcomes, the value of play interventions to enhance learning for young students with developmental delays, steps to take when starting a preschool program, and an examination of children's readiness for formal education.

The issue's Hot Topic section is written by authors from the Autism Society of America and offers suggestions on how principals can create schoolwide support for students with autism spectrum disorders. NAESP's annual principals' salary survey is also included in the issue and highlights the trends in salaries for principals compared with those of other administrators and classroom teachers.

As you read the final issue for the 2007-2008 school year, consider writing and submitting your own article to Principal magazine. The themes and deadlines for 2008-2009 are below. Descriptions of these themes and writing guidelines are available at www.naesp.org/writing.

Issue	Theme	Deadline
September/October 2008	The Future of K-8 Education Is Now	May 5, 2008
November/December 2008	Special Education and Early Intervention Strategies	July 7, 2008
January/February 2009	Arts Education for the Whole Child	Aug. 20, 2008
March/April 2009	Many Stages of the Principalship	Oct. 27, 2008
May/June 2009	The Talented and Gifted Child	Dec. 10, 2008