Adminfo - and Vice Principals
Adminfo - and Vice Principals
Adminfo - and Vice Principals
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<strong>Adminfo</strong><br />
February 2008 Volume 20 • Number 3<br />
BCPVPA Journal<br />
embracing technology<br />
strong practice<br />
an ode to Sir Edmund<br />
early learning<br />
an educator’s life
A subtle <strong>and</strong> careful undertaking<br />
BCPVPA President Les Dukowski on the inherent controversy<br />
in preparing children to take their place as thoughtful <strong>and</strong><br />
socially responsible citizens.<br />
Jacob Bronowski’s intellectual<br />
pursuits encompassed both science<br />
<strong>and</strong> the humanities. He died in<br />
1974 at the age of 66 <strong>and</strong> is probably<br />
best known as the author <strong>and</strong> host<br />
of the 1973 BBC series The Ascent of<br />
Man. I recall being deeply impressed<br />
by the Ascent series <strong>and</strong> used material<br />
from the accompanying print materials<br />
in some of my classes — the visual<br />
proof of the Pythagorean theorem is<br />
particularly elegant.<br />
Bronowski’s interests extended<br />
far beyond his work in geometry;<br />
beyond the precision <strong>and</strong> proof of<br />
mathematics to the ambiguity <strong>and</strong><br />
controversy of the human condition<br />
in society. He is quoted as having said<br />
“Has there ever been a society which<br />
has died of dissent Several have died<br />
of conformity in our lifetime.”<br />
There is a science to the practice<br />
of education. Application of research<br />
<strong>and</strong> determination of effective practice<br />
can often take place in the context<br />
of dispassionate academic discussion.<br />
The heart of public education,<br />
though, is about the human condition.<br />
It is about the fundamental undertaking<br />
to make the world a better<br />
place by preparing children to take<br />
their place as thoughtful <strong>and</strong> sociallyresponsible<br />
citizens. There is bound<br />
to be controversy.<br />
What do principals <strong>and</strong> vice-principals<br />
do on those occasions when educational<br />
policies <strong>and</strong> practices lead to<br />
controversy In some instances the<br />
controversy does not evoke any strong<br />
feeling one way or the other. Other<br />
times one may hold strong views <strong>and</strong><br />
feel the need to speak out.<br />
Our positions as school leaders<br />
make us both highly regarded <strong>and</strong><br />
highly visible <strong>and</strong> our opinions <strong>and</strong><br />
actions carry considerable weight in<br />
the community. <strong>Principals</strong> <strong>and</strong> viceprincipals,<br />
however have a duty of<br />
loyalty to their Boards of Education<br />
<strong>and</strong> cannot compromise that duty.<br />
Court decisions have clearly indicated<br />
that this duty may restrict a<br />
principal’s or vice-principal’s right to<br />
freedom of expression.<br />
John Judson <strong>and</strong> Sarah Colman,<br />
of the London, Ontario law firm of<br />
Lerner <strong>and</strong> Associates, for the Ontario<br />
<strong>Principals</strong>’ Council, wrote an article<br />
for the OPC journal The Register<br />
in February 1999. In the article they<br />
state “Although your criticisms may<br />
be warranted <strong>and</strong> your concerns wellfounded,<br />
you have a duty to your<br />
board, as your employer, not to do or<br />
say anything that might be detrimental<br />
to their interests.”<br />
February 08 • <strong>Adminfo</strong> • 2<br />
The duty of loyalty to Boards,<br />
<strong>and</strong> by extension, to the provincial<br />
policies that govern the operation of<br />
Boards, does not make us powerless.<br />
As an educational leader we will hold<br />
strong opinions on policy matters<br />
<strong>and</strong> will feel compelled to act in the<br />
BCPVPA<br />
Board of Directors 2007–2008<br />
Les Du k o w s k i, President<br />
ldukowski@bcpvpa.bc.ca<br />
Ma r il y n Merler, President-Elect<br />
mmerler@sd22.bc.ca<br />
Directors<br />
Leslie Andersson<br />
<strong>and</strong>ersson_l@sd36.bc.ca<br />
Jameel Aziz<br />
jaziz@sd73.bc.ca<br />
Br i a n Chappell<br />
bchappell@sd57.bc.ca<br />
Ch e r y l Dew<br />
cheryl.dew@sd27.bc.ca<br />
Br i a n Ja c k s o n<br />
Brian.Jackson@sd41.bc.ca<br />
Su s a n Jo h n s e n<br />
sjohnsen@richmond.sd38.bc.ca<br />
Ch r i s Jo h n s o n<br />
cajohnson@deltasd.bc.ca<br />
El a i n e McVie<br />
emcvie@sd61.bc.ca<br />
My l e s Mo w a t<br />
Myles_Mowat@sd59.bc.ca<br />
Pa u l Ta y l o r<br />
taylor_paul@sd36.bc.ca<br />
ISSN: 1201-4214
We run the risk of having a particular st<strong>and</strong> taken as support<br />
for a purpose that we had not intended or, worse, making the<br />
fact that we’ve taken the st<strong>and</strong> the new controversial issue<br />
best interests of students. What, then,<br />
should we do Our most powerful tool<br />
is that of influence <strong>and</strong> the old adage<br />
of praising in public <strong>and</strong> criticizing in<br />
private is a good rule of thumb.<br />
I’m aware that the nature of school<br />
leadership makes us prone to want to<br />
take quick <strong>and</strong> decisive action. I’m<br />
also aware that engagement in interminable<br />
discussion sometimes appears<br />
to be a strategy to quash dissenting<br />
views. Pete Seeger, a notable from<br />
the time of the civil rights movement<br />
in the 1960s said “Down through the<br />
centuries, this trick has been tried by<br />
various establishments throughout<br />
the world. They force people to get<br />
involved in the kind of examination<br />
that has only one aim <strong>and</strong> that is to<br />
stamp out dissent.”<br />
That being said, taking a public<br />
BCPVPA_7.5x4.9_B&W 1/15/08 5:10 PM Page 1<br />
st<strong>and</strong> on a hot issue will not allow a<br />
principal or vice-principal to exercise<br />
the kind of thoughtful <strong>and</strong> reasonable<br />
voice that can bring parties together<br />
over a divisive issue or that can<br />
influence decision-makers to change<br />
course. Apart from the implications<br />
for censure or discipline from our<br />
employers, we run the risk of having<br />
a particular st<strong>and</strong> taken as support for<br />
a purpose that we had not intended<br />
or, worse, making the fact that we’ve<br />
taken the st<strong>and</strong> the new controversial<br />
issue. On the other h<strong>and</strong>, working<br />
within recognized <strong>and</strong> appropriate<br />
internal forums with no less commitment<br />
<strong>and</strong> passion <strong>and</strong> exercising<br />
influence through careful, cogent <strong>and</strong><br />
respectful discussion we have the best<br />
chance of making a difference.<br />
Controversies in education are<br />
messy <strong>and</strong> complicated. They do not<br />
lend themselves to elegant solutions<br />
like Bornowsky’s demonstration of<br />
Pythagoras nor to the direct action of<br />
the 1960s. Dissent is fundamental to<br />
a free liberal democracy <strong>and</strong>, for principals<br />
<strong>and</strong> vice-principals, a subtle<br />
<strong>and</strong> careful undertaking.<br />
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Our cover art is by Rosie Addiscott, a grade<br />
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February 08 • <strong>Adminfo</strong> • 3
Technology/Moving out of the comfort zone<br />
Embracing ambiguity<br />
Musings of a digital immigrant<br />
by Raymond Lemoine<br />
February 08 • <strong>Adminfo</strong> • 4<br />
Thirty years ago, computers hit schools <strong>and</strong> completely<br />
changed the world teachers <strong>and</strong> students<br />
inhabit. The problem then was, 1) the computer<br />
was a relatively new invention; 2) inventions revolutionize;<br />
3) revolutions are disruptive; <strong>and</strong> 4) schools <strong>and</strong><br />
people who work in them don’t like disruption. Like the<br />
tractor that first appeared in the mid 19 th Century <strong>and</strong><br />
forced the farmer to embrace the fact that his old tired<br />
yet reliable stallion was to be replaced by a machine, the<br />
computer dem<strong>and</strong>ed that educators look at the way they<br />
taught. The computer was to the teacher what the tractor<br />
was to the farmer … unknown, unproven, <strong>and</strong> up to<br />
a certain point, menacing.<br />
Although the red flag had been hoisted over traditional<br />
educational practices many times over the span of the last<br />
five decades, this new technology would rapidly bring<br />
to light that education was sadly focused on outdated<br />
metrics. It would catapult teaching away from the antiquated<br />
st<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> deliver pedagogy <strong>and</strong> would afford us<br />
new opportunities to improve our teaching. Some of us<br />
brushed it off as being another passing trend <strong>and</strong> would<br />
Sister Pierre-Joseph in a digitally altered photo by Raymond Lemoine.
scoff at any mention that it would<br />
eventually revolutionize teaching by<br />
teachers <strong>and</strong> learning by the learners.<br />
Many of us plunged head first into<br />
the technological revolution, all the<br />
while anxious about the anticipated<br />
ambiguity that this new technology<br />
would bring to our profession.<br />
At the outset of the revolution,<br />
most of us were unprepared for what<br />
was about to hit us. Lewis Perelman,<br />
author of School’s Out (1992),<br />
argued that schools were out of sync<br />
with technological change, “ … the<br />
technological gap between the school<br />
environment <strong>and</strong> the “real world” is<br />
growing so wide, so fast that the classroom<br />
experience is on the way to becoming<br />
not merely unproductive but<br />
increasingly irrelevant to normal human<br />
existence” (p.215).<br />
In 1993, Seymour Papert, one of<br />
the most important thinkers of the<br />
past half-century wrote, “ In the wake<br />
of the startling growth of science <strong>and</strong><br />
technology in our recent past, some<br />
areas of human activity have undergone<br />
mega change. Telecommunications,<br />
entertainment <strong>and</strong> transportation,<br />
as well as medicine, are among<br />
them. School is a notable example of<br />
an area that has not.”<br />
Granted, our concept of schooling<br />
had evolved <strong>and</strong> there were more <strong>and</strong><br />
more attempts to change the formal<br />
structures of education, (how can one<br />
forget the Year 2000 project, circa<br />
the early 1990s) but these shifts in<br />
educational trends were led more<br />
by changing demographics as well<br />
as economic structures <strong>and</strong> cultures<br />
than by our desire to rethink education<br />
so that it would be more in sync<br />
with the real world. For most of us,<br />
the arrival of technology into schools<br />
took us completely off guard. And<br />
yet, the writing had been on the wall<br />
for quite some time.<br />
I, for one, had first read the writing<br />
in 1963, in a prophecy uttered by a<br />
wise 71-year-old nun.<br />
Sister Pierre-Joseph was not only<br />
the grade six teacher of our small village<br />
school, she was also the Mother<br />
Superior to the other sisters <strong>and</strong> thus,<br />
the educational leader <strong>and</strong> pedagogical<br />
savant of our school community.<br />
I remember her greeting us every<br />
morning with her habitual shortwinded<br />
‘Bonjour les enfants,’ panting<br />
after lugging her 4-ft 8-inches, 200<br />
pound frame up the old school/convent<br />
gr<strong>and</strong> staircase (at least I remember<br />
them as being gr<strong>and</strong>), her red face<br />
accentuated by the blackness of her<br />
habit <strong>and</strong> that starched white visor<br />
that framed her face. Sister Pierre-<br />
Joseph was strict, but then, she was<br />
a nun, <strong>and</strong> all nuns were strict. What<br />
I remember the most about Sister<br />
Pierre-Joseph was that she was a true<br />
visionary.<br />
One day, in one of our math classes,<br />
Victor, my cousin (we were all cousins<br />
in that school), tired, bored <strong>and</strong> exasperated<br />
after having spent the past 90<br />
minutes working at five pages of long<br />
divisions, shared out loud his frustration<br />
in regards not only to the complexities<br />
of long division, but also to<br />
the redundancy of the whole long<br />
division phenomenon. The class’ collective<br />
gasp preceded what seemed to<br />
be an eternity as all of our eyes anxiously<br />
<strong>and</strong> nervously turned to Sister<br />
<strong>Adminfo</strong><br />
VOLUME<br />
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Editor<br />
Pierre-Joseph, perched high behind<br />
her elevated desk in front of us. Time<br />
stood still, the deafening silence individually<br />
punctuated by the inner<br />
sound of our pounding hearts, for<br />
some in excited anticipation, for others<br />
in anticipated terror.<br />
Needless to say, we, all 38 of us,<br />
were taken aback by Victor’s dare<br />
devilling <strong>and</strong> reckless outburst. Alas,<br />
the strict <strong>and</strong> m<strong>and</strong>atory silence permeating<br />
the classroom (essential element<br />
to the learning process, we were<br />
told) was broken. More importantly,<br />
Victor, a child, a student, <strong>and</strong> thus a<br />
mere minion in the vast pool of ignorant<br />
children that made up our world,<br />
dared question the validity of what we<br />
were asked <strong>and</strong> needed to do in order<br />
to one day, as all adults had done before<br />
us, ascend to the world of wisdom<br />
<strong>and</strong> knowledge. The silly girls in<br />
the front of class were of course sc<strong>and</strong>alized,<br />
if not traumatized, by Victor’s<br />
outburst. I, on the other h<strong>and</strong>,<br />
was impressed. This was not the first<br />
time that he would get into trouble<br />
for saying the wrong thing at the<br />
wrong time <strong>and</strong> consequently, Victor<br />
had a bit of a reputation as being the<br />
black sheep of the school. Victor was<br />
my hero.<br />
Sister slowly rose from her pedestal.<br />
Slightly leaning towards us, both<br />
h<strong>and</strong>s firmly on her desk as to get a<br />
Richard Williams<br />
20<br />
NUMBER 3<br />
February 08 • <strong>Adminfo</strong> • 5
For students starting a four-year degree, this means that half<br />
of what they learn in their first year of study will be outdated<br />
by their third year. What does an old guy like myself, who was<br />
around when Kennedy was shot, do when confronted with<br />
this great digital divide that separates the kids I serve <strong>and</strong><br />
myself, their educational Buddha<br />
good grip <strong>and</strong> footing before engaging<br />
in the anticipated <strong>and</strong> justifiable<br />
rant. “You may very well be right,<br />
Mister Victor,” she began. Not good.<br />
Whenever a nun began a reprim<strong>and</strong><br />
with Mister, you knew you were in<br />
deep trouble. “As a matter of fact, one<br />
day we may even get rid of long division<br />
all together! I predict that one<br />
day, we will invent a machine that<br />
will do long division for us. Children<br />
will have a machine on their desks<br />
<strong>and</strong> by merely pressing a few buttons,<br />
will automatically come up with the<br />
answer to their mathematical question.<br />
Not unlike those cash registers<br />
they have at Eaton’s. However, until<br />
the day we invent these counting machines,<br />
we have no other choice but<br />
to work our long division problems<br />
the old fashion way. Now, les enfants,<br />
please get back to your work, <strong>and</strong><br />
Victor, I’ll see you after school.”<br />
I admit that as an 11-year-old child,<br />
I did not quite grasp the totality of<br />
Sister Pierre-Joseph’s prophecy. However,<br />
today as a well-seasoned educator<br />
with more than 25 years experience<br />
under my belt, I can relate to<br />
what she was saying at the time. That<br />
day, Sister Pierre-Joseph warned us of<br />
the impending technological revolution<br />
that would eventually change<br />
every element of our lives. She was<br />
telling us that, she, as our teacher,<br />
was preparing us for a fast-paced <strong>and</strong><br />
rapidly changing world that would<br />
be far more complex than anything<br />
she had ever experienced. In fact, she<br />
was admitting that she was not really<br />
competent in preparing us for a world<br />
she knew nothing of.<br />
As educators, are we now facing the<br />
same dilemma Sister Pierre-Joseph<br />
was facing 40 years ago Are we not<br />
preparing our students for a life <strong>and</strong> a<br />
world we know nothing of The onslaught<br />
of technology has given rise<br />
to our challenge of trying to narrow<br />
the ever-growing chasm between the<br />
abundant opportunities emerging in<br />
the rapidly changing workplace <strong>and</strong><br />
the readiness of young people to access<br />
those opportunities. Not too long<br />
ago, Richard Riley, the former US<br />
Secretary of Education said, “None<br />
of the top 10 jobs that will exist in<br />
2010 exist today.” Heck, if that’s true<br />
(2010 is only a couple of years away),<br />
are we engaged in a loosing battle<br />
Are schools changing fast enough<br />
To answer my rhetorical question,<br />
I think not. Unfortunately, schools<br />
don’t change fast enough to keep up<br />
with the generation of children that<br />
it serves.<br />
For the past 30 years, schools have<br />
taken technology <strong>and</strong> tried to fit it in<br />
the box that schools are in. It doesn’t<br />
work that way. A systematic shift<br />
needs to occur. Schools today still own<br />
the learning; students should own the<br />
learning, co-design the curriculum,<br />
<strong>and</strong> learn how to design their own<br />
homework. Much of the education<br />
in my lifetime was focused on the<br />
remember/underst<strong>and</strong> lower order of<br />
thinking rather than the higher-level<br />
skills of analyzing <strong>and</strong> creating. Creativity<br />
is now as important in education<br />
as literacy <strong>and</strong> we should treat it<br />
with the same status. Our schooling<br />
systems are built on the concept that<br />
content is scarce. It’s not true; content<br />
is everywhere. We are today in<br />
the midst of seeing education transform<br />
from a book-based, linear system<br />
to a web-based, divergent system<br />
with profound implications for every<br />
aspect of teaching <strong>and</strong> learning.<br />
The children in our classrooms are<br />
exposed to more information in one<br />
year than their gr<strong>and</strong>parents were exposed<br />
to in their lifetime. Knowledge<br />
doubles every 24 months <strong>and</strong> in five<br />
years it will be every 24 days. It is estimated<br />
that 1.5 exabytes of unique<br />
new information will be generated<br />
worldwide this year. That’s estimated<br />
to be more than in the previous 5000<br />
years. For students starting a four-year<br />
technical or higher education degree,<br />
this means that half of what they learn<br />
in their first year of study will be outdated<br />
by their third year of study. So,<br />
what does an old guy like myself, who<br />
was around when Kennedy was shot,<br />
do when confronted with this great<br />
digital divide that separates the kids<br />
I serve <strong>and</strong> myself, their educational<br />
Buddha<br />
First <strong>and</strong> foremost, I’ve learnt to<br />
tolerate <strong>and</strong> even embrace ambiguity.<br />
Any change necessitates moving<br />
out of the comfort zone of the known<br />
<strong>and</strong> into the ambiguity of the unknown.<br />
Heck, with 1.5 exabytes of<br />
new information being created this<br />
year alone, there’s bound to be a bit<br />
of ambiguity. I’ve accepted the fact<br />
that I will be technologically inept.<br />
I’ve accepted the fact that the year I<br />
was put together, that techno gene<br />
did not exist <strong>and</strong> therefore my mind<br />
is incapable of coming to grips with<br />
all the new technology that is thrown<br />
my way on a daily basis. My antiquated<br />
VCR that I got back in 1992 still<br />
flashes 12:00, <strong>and</strong> I have no intention<br />
of changing it, to the chagrin of<br />
my 17-year-old son <strong>and</strong> the locust of<br />
geeky friends he hangs around with.<br />
Sure, I could take the time to read my<br />
manual <strong>and</strong> change the time on my<br />
February 08 • <strong>Adminfo</strong> • 6
VCR, but then, who needs it. I can<br />
h<strong>and</strong>le not knowing how to do it.<br />
Upon returning from a conference<br />
in Shanghai last September, I excitedly<br />
explained to my wife <strong>and</strong> my<br />
son the extent of my participation<br />
via Elluminate at our district’s principal<br />
meeting, despite the fact that I<br />
was 14 time zones away. My wife appeared<br />
to share my enthusiastic wonderment<br />
while my son (let’s not forget<br />
… different generation, different<br />
species) listened politely before interjecting<br />
“… <strong>and</strong> what’s your point.”<br />
We digital immigrants are amazed at<br />
the technological advances that come<br />
into our daily lives. To my son, the<br />
term “digital native” rubs him the<br />
wrong way. He feels he is part of a<br />
generation of people who grew up<br />
doing lots of the same kinds of things<br />
that are being lauded now as revolutionary,<br />
such as writing skills in multiplayer<br />
Dungeons & Dragons. I am<br />
always impressed with his encyclopedic<br />
knowledge about his favourite Internet<br />
game. He has more friends on<br />
Facebook than the number of people<br />
I’ve met in my lifetime. However, although<br />
he does well in school <strong>and</strong> has<br />
always brought home a good report<br />
card, I can’t help but worry about<br />
the apparent disconnect between his<br />
school life <strong>and</strong> his personal life. What<br />
I keep forgetting is that this ‘new<br />
technology’ is just ‘technology’ to my<br />
son <strong>and</strong> his peers.<br />
As teachers, we often have trouble<br />
with the concept of ‘not knowing.’<br />
I call it professional deformation.<br />
We still like to think of ourselves as<br />
masters of knowledge <strong>and</strong> not managers<br />
of knowledge. Most of us need<br />
to accept the fact that the kids we<br />
work with are digital natives. However,<br />
even if they know more than we<br />
do about technology, they still need<br />
guidance on its use <strong>and</strong> their learning.<br />
We as teachers must continue<br />
viewing ourselves as learning managers.<br />
Being confronted with 1.5<br />
exabytes of new <strong>and</strong> changing (When<br />
did Pluto stop being a planet) information<br />
can be daunting to anyone,<br />
therefore, digital literacy must be<br />
fundamental in any school’s teaching<br />
objectives. Kids need to know how to<br />
use, create, consume <strong>and</strong>, above all,<br />
vet information. As teachers we need<br />
to model the types of practices that<br />
we ourselves will need to have when<br />
we are ready to access, vet, produce<br />
<strong>and</strong> publish information. We need<br />
to model that learning is not merely<br />
finding an answer. Part of the richness<br />
of learning is knowing when you<br />
really know something <strong>and</strong> when we<br />
are barraged by info, we need to hold<br />
precious the knowledge of what we<br />
truly know. As school leaders <strong>and</strong> administrators,<br />
we need to help teachers<br />
see the opportunities that technologies<br />
afford them. We need to help<br />
them see education as an ongoing<br />
conversation, that some truths are<br />
negotiated around the facts.<br />
For the past 20 years, we have been<br />
given the prerogative to embrace<br />
technology or not. Today, do we have<br />
a choice whether to change or not<br />
It may become exceedingly apparent<br />
that we do not. The traditional music<br />
industry is being forced to change<br />
because it is becoming redundant as<br />
performers produce, promote <strong>and</strong> sell<br />
completely at home on their computers.<br />
If we, as educators, fail to accept<br />
technology, then schools become an<br />
obstacle to change thus making education<br />
about getting students to do<br />
what they do not want to do. And<br />
even though we may succeed in making<br />
them do what they do not want<br />
to do, they will know full well that<br />
what they are doing will most likely<br />
be redundant for their future.<br />
For the sake of our students, we<br />
have a moral responsibility to embrace<br />
technology <strong>and</strong> teach our kids<br />
skills that will last a lifetime. The real<br />
question is, are we willing to change,<br />
to risk change, to meet the needs of<br />
the precious folks we serve Can we<br />
accept that Change (with a capital C)<br />
is sometimes a messy process <strong>and</strong> that<br />
learning new things together is going<br />
to require some tolerance for ambiguity<br />
If not, then our only option is<br />
to continue engaging in 20 th Century<br />
pedagogy to hopelessly achieve 21 st<br />
Century learning. In this case, we are<br />
surely doomed to fail in the job we<br />
are hired to do.<br />
About the author<br />
Raymond Lemoine is a principal with the<br />
Francophone School District #93. He is<br />
currently at Ecole des Pionniers in Port<br />
Coquitlam. Raymond previously wrote a<br />
reflection on his 25 years as an educator<br />
for the April 2007 issue of <strong>Adminfo</strong>.<br />
February 08 • <strong>Adminfo</strong> • 7
Reflections/In appreciation of Sir Edmund Hillary (1919-2008)<br />
The beekeeper who did<br />
A BC principal travels to New Zeal<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
meets the man who climbed Everest.<br />
by Velma Sutherl<strong>and</strong><br />
In the summer of 2005 I<br />
was fortunate to find myself<br />
traveling to New Zeal<strong>and</strong><br />
with three other British Columbia<br />
educators as part of a<br />
UBC School Leadership Center<br />
exchange. It was a country I<br />
had always dreamed of visiting.<br />
So many things interested me there<br />
… Maori immersion programs, its<br />
climate, history, oceans <strong>and</strong> mountains<br />
<strong>and</strong> Sir Edmund Hillary.<br />
I have always had a fascination with<br />
mountains. I would read books about<br />
the great explorers <strong>and</strong> then head into<br />
the hills behind my home in North<br />
Hatley to climb a few ‘large’ hills that<br />
I would pretend to conquer <strong>and</strong> name.<br />
Sir Edmund <strong>and</strong> Tenzing Norgay always<br />
stood out in my mind as amazing<br />
climbers for reaching the top of the<br />
world, the peak of Mount Everest.<br />
As I grew I learned more about Sir<br />
Edmund <strong>and</strong> was tickled that he was<br />
a beekeeper, which further endeared<br />
me to him, especially when I would<br />
get stung as I helped my dad look<br />
after our own hives. As I became an<br />
educator I learned about the work he<br />
had done for education in Nepal <strong>and</strong><br />
hospitals that he had helped start. He<br />
became my hero <strong>and</strong> here I was on a<br />
plane to his homel<strong>and</strong>.<br />
As soon as I learned I had been chosen<br />
for the exchange a longing formed<br />
that I wanted to meet Sir Edmund.<br />
Once in New Zeal<strong>and</strong>, <strong>and</strong> billeted<br />
with my colleague, Gayle Bedard, I<br />
started to think about Sir Edmund<br />
<strong>and</strong> found his address in the phone<br />
book. It happened to be on a street<br />
we passed everyday on the bus to the<br />
University of Auckl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
One day I suggested to Gayle that<br />
we walk to town because our meetings<br />
didn’t start until later in the day.<br />
I memorized Sir Edmund’s address<br />
<strong>and</strong> had a gift for him … just in case.<br />
We got to his street <strong>and</strong> there was his<br />
house. I looked at the address on the<br />
modest home <strong>and</strong> froze.<br />
I looked at Gayle <strong>and</strong> said, “Oh<br />
my goodness, What do I do now”<br />
“Ring the door bell,” was her brilliant<br />
response. I nervously followed<br />
her instructions <strong>and</strong> a charming elderly<br />
woman answered. “You must<br />
February 08 • <strong>Adminfo</strong> • 8<br />
be June,” were the first words I<br />
uttered. Her beautiful smile immediately<br />
put me at ease. I explained<br />
that Sir Edmund was my<br />
hero <strong>and</strong> I had brought a present<br />
for him from Canada. She<br />
turned around <strong>and</strong> called, “Ed,<br />
Ed … we have visitors.” As he<br />
came up the stairs I was in awe. Thank<br />
goodness Gayle could still talk.<br />
We had a lovely visit <strong>and</strong> took some<br />
pictures. Sir Edmund <strong>and</strong> June were<br />
interested in our exchange <strong>and</strong> spoke<br />
highly of Canada. I left them with a<br />
signed copy of Jane Smith’s Gitxsan<br />
Legends — Returning the Feathers.<br />
Sir Edmund’s humility, wisdom <strong>and</strong><br />
kindness affirmed why he was my<br />
greatest hero. As we were leaving I<br />
noticed a large framed photograph of<br />
the top of Mount Everest hanging in<br />
their living room. At that moment,<br />
thanks to Sir Edmund <strong>and</strong> June, I too<br />
felt on top of the world.<br />
Hagwili yin Sir Edmund ansiipinsxw.<br />
(Walk softly <strong>and</strong> may the wind be<br />
at your back).<br />
Velma Sutherl<strong>and</strong> is principal of John Field<br />
Elementary School in Hazelton. This is her first<br />
article for <strong>Adminfo</strong>. She can be reached at Velma.<br />
Sutherl<strong>and</strong>@cmsd.bc.ca<br />
June <strong>and</strong> Sir Edmund with Velma Sutherl<strong>and</strong>.
Learning/The unending process<br />
Utilizing strengths<br />
In praise of the synergy of educators working together<br />
by Rhonda Togyi<br />
In A plea for strong<br />
practice (in Educational<br />
Leadership<br />
in 2003), Richard<br />
F. Elmore delivers a<br />
poignant view of the<br />
flaws of the No Child<br />
Left Behind (NCLB)<br />
policy from the United<br />
States. One of the<br />
most shocking <strong>and</strong><br />
hard hitting points<br />
he makes is that “policy makers usually<br />
know shockingly little about the<br />
problems for which they purport to<br />
make policy.” Despite the challenges<br />
faced in this policy, he offers some<br />
suggestions for educators.<br />
In his article, Elmore suggests<br />
that the focus of “school resources<br />
<strong>and</strong> effort (be) on the development<br />
of strong theories <strong>and</strong> practices of<br />
school improvement.” Rather than<br />
go for “the quick fixes,” it is important<br />
that time <strong>and</strong> energy be invested<br />
putting into practice that which will<br />
truly make sound educational sense.<br />
Schools need to ensure that students<br />
are learning deeply <strong>and</strong> are becoming<br />
thoughtful citizens who are valued. As<br />
a new principal, this resonates with<br />
me. I want to be sure that when decisions<br />
for my school are made, they<br />
develop from best practices <strong>and</strong> I am<br />
February 08 • <strong>Adminfo</strong> • 9<br />
able to provide solid<br />
evidence to support<br />
the tacit knowledge<br />
experienced educators<br />
possess.<br />
Elmore wisely expresses<br />
that “Improvement<br />
is a developmental<br />
process that proceeds<br />
in stages <strong>and</strong> is<br />
not a linear process.”<br />
The notion that education<br />
is not a straight path from “a<br />
to b” is difficult for many people to<br />
underst<strong>and</strong>. Many educators struggle<br />
with this issue themselves. We come<br />
from a society where historically we<br />
have been task oriented <strong>and</strong> believe<br />
that work must culminate in the making<br />
of a product. Early in my career,<br />
my mother, who worked in the forest<br />
industry <strong>and</strong> has a different perspective<br />
on “work,” would ask me if my
Schools need to ensure that students are learning deeply <strong>and</strong><br />
are becoming thoughtful citizens who are valued. As a new<br />
principal, this resonates with me. I want to be sure that when<br />
decisions for my school are made, they develop from best<br />
practices <strong>and</strong> I am able to provide solid evidence to support<br />
the tacit knowledge experienced educators possess.<br />
“work” was “done.” I would answer<br />
yes, but in truth I was lying: the work<br />
of an educator is never done. I did<br />
not want my mother to worry or to<br />
think I was a bad teacher, but I knew<br />
I would have to eventually find a way<br />
to resolve the conflict I was having<br />
about being untruthful. To compound<br />
my dilemma, my training had<br />
led me to believe that there would<br />
be a lot of hard work in my first few<br />
years as a teacher, but then it would<br />
be easier because my work would be<br />
already prepared. The theory was that<br />
as I approached five years of teaching<br />
it would become a nine-to-three job,<br />
unless there was a staff meeting. As I<br />
passed my fifth year <strong>and</strong> there was still<br />
always more work that could be done,<br />
I began to underst<strong>and</strong> that this initial<br />
<strong>and</strong> narrow view of education was inaccurate.<br />
I needed to explain the idea<br />
of learning being a process <strong>and</strong> not a<br />
product to my mother so that I could<br />
not only be truthful to her, but also<br />
to myself. This realization allowed me<br />
to be comfortable with the fact that<br />
to grow as a teacher my paradigm for<br />
teaching had to shift. I could now<br />
give myself permission to let tough<br />
concepts both for my students, <strong>and</strong><br />
for myself, time to marinate. The<br />
fundamental yet simple cooking principle<br />
of taking an unappetizing piece<br />
of meat adding some spice <strong>and</strong> the<br />
most important ingredient, time, has<br />
implications in education. Education<br />
<strong>and</strong> cuisine both require an appropriate<br />
set of circumstances so that the<br />
“toughness” can be mellowed <strong>and</strong> the<br />
once unpalatable can be appreciated.<br />
“Powerful Leadership is distributed<br />
February 08 • <strong>Adminfo</strong> • 10<br />
because the work of instructional improvement<br />
is distributed,” Elmore<br />
wrote. When all stakeholders in the<br />
educational system are contributing<br />
to ensure learning takes place, great<br />
things happen. A core value from<br />
the formal <strong>and</strong> informal leaders with<br />
which I have worked comes from the<br />
idea that there is a synergy when we<br />
come together: many minds are better<br />
than one, <strong>and</strong> that many h<strong>and</strong>s<br />
make light work. In education, it is<br />
important that our work is actualized<br />
in a thoughtful <strong>and</strong> smart way so that<br />
it can be sustained over time. As a<br />
formal leader in the school, I encourage<br />
teachers to utilize the strengths<br />
<strong>and</strong> talents of themselves <strong>and</strong> other<br />
staff. We work together to share classes<br />
with each other so<br />
students will receive<br />
instruction in art<br />
<strong>and</strong> physical education<br />
from the most<br />
qualified <strong>and</strong> talented<br />
teachers in these areas.<br />
To continue on<br />
the theme of distributed<br />
leadership, we<br />
can use the knowledge<br />
base for performance<br />
st<strong>and</strong>ards that<br />
we already have as a<br />
staff <strong>and</strong> look at how<br />
we can start to incorporate<br />
more formative<br />
assessment into<br />
our practice.<br />
Elmore’s article articulates<br />
various problems<br />
with the NCLB<br />
policy, but there appears<br />
to be some unanswered questions.<br />
There is still much investigation<br />
educators must undertake to better<br />
underst<strong>and</strong> the learning process<br />
themselves, but where is the moral<br />
accountability of the politicians to<br />
become informed of the true issues<br />
in education I wonder what can be<br />
done to measure both internally <strong>and</strong><br />
externally a school’s growth during<br />
a time of improving practice. How<br />
you measure this growth is especially<br />
important when trying to decide if a<br />
school has reached a temporary plateau,<br />
or is “cruising” <strong>and</strong> on the verge<br />
of “sinking.”<br />
Rhonda Togyi is principal at Fort<br />
Fraser Elementary in the Nechako<br />
Lakes School District. She wrote this<br />
paper as part of her requirements for<br />
her ED-D532 course at the University<br />
of Victoria (Faculty of Education,<br />
Certificate in School Management<br />
<strong>and</strong> Leadership). This is her first article<br />
for <strong>Adminfo</strong>. She can be reached at<br />
rtogyi@mail.sd91.bc.ca<br />
Our cartoonist is Rod Maclean, a former Surrey principal.<br />
For a weekly cartoon email Rod at ramaclean@shaw.ca
Good news/early childhood research<br />
Preparing early<br />
The StrongStart program in Nechako Lakes builds language, social skills <strong>and</strong><br />
emotional development in kids before they enrol in kindergarten<br />
by Leslie Dyson<br />
Countless studies, proposals,<br />
committee sessions, workshops<br />
<strong>and</strong> meetings have<br />
been held over many decades to come<br />
up with programs <strong>and</strong> strategies to<br />
help at-risk children experience success<br />
in school. Many educators in<br />
B.C. believe the Education Ministry’s<br />
StrongStart BC Program has features<br />
that will finally bring these children<br />
onto a level playing field when they<br />
start kindergarten.<br />
These free drop-in programs for<br />
all children from 0 to 5, running at<br />
least three hours a day <strong>and</strong> five days<br />
a week, are led by qualified early<br />
childhood educators. The programs<br />
are housed in unused classrooms <strong>and</strong><br />
give parents <strong>and</strong> caregivers new ways<br />
to support their children’s learning<br />
<strong>and</strong> connect with others. The goals<br />
are linguistic, physical <strong>and</strong> social development.<br />
Michelle Miller-Gauthier, literacy<br />
coordinator for the Nechako Lake<br />
school district <strong>and</strong> a principal for 10<br />
years, said, “If we can provide intervention<br />
opportunities at an earlier<br />
time <strong>and</strong> help parents know what’s<br />
important to keep doing, the better<br />
it is for the children.” Language skills<br />
play a large role in students’ success<br />
in school <strong>and</strong> society, she said. “We<br />
know from the Betty Hart research<br />
that language development windows<br />
start to close at age three.”<br />
February 08 • <strong>Adminfo</strong> • 11<br />
Early-childhood researchers Betty<br />
Hart <strong>and</strong> Todd Risley found that<br />
children are greatly affected by the<br />
number of words they are exposed to<br />
by their parents. In a child’s first four<br />
years, the average child from an economically<br />
advantaged family can hear<br />
nearly 45 million words spoken to<br />
them. The average child from a family<br />
living in poverty is just 13 million.<br />
That means impoverished children<br />
start school with a tremendous defi-
cit of 32 million words of language<br />
experience. How can those children<br />
possibly catch up<br />
Educators in Nechako, like those in<br />
school districts throughout the province,<br />
are concerned about the declining<br />
language skills of many children<br />
beginning kindergarten. “We have<br />
lots of theories about it,” Miller-Gauthier<br />
said. “Some think they’re not<br />
getting enough back <strong>and</strong> forth conversation<br />
or that they’re spending lots<br />
of time in front of TVs <strong>and</strong> computers<br />
which can’t replace human interaction.<br />
In our area, this isn’t related to<br />
financial status,” she added.<br />
StrongStart programs are intended<br />
to supplement existing services provided<br />
by pre-schools <strong>and</strong> community<br />
playgroups. They often work cooperatively.<br />
StrongStart differs from existing<br />
programs because it requires involvement<br />
from parents <strong>and</strong> caregivers<br />
<strong>and</strong> connects children, at an early<br />
age, to intervention services such as<br />
public health nurses, physiotherapists,<br />
speech <strong>and</strong> language pathologists,<br />
dental assistants <strong>and</strong> counselors.<br />
There are more than 70 programs<br />
running in elementary schools in<br />
most districts in the province. Nechako<br />
Lake school district, with some of<br />
the greatest challenges to overcome,<br />
opened StrongStart programs in<br />
Fraser Lake <strong>and</strong> Burns Lake last fall.<br />
Dianne Raymond, principal of<br />
Mouse Mountain Elementary in<br />
Fraser Lake serving 128 students in<br />
kindergarten to grade 3, said she’s<br />
amazed at the attendance <strong>and</strong> enthusiasm<br />
from the parents <strong>and</strong> caregivers.<br />
After just one month, more than 60<br />
children were enrolled in StrongStart.<br />
Fortunately, the wing of the school<br />
where the program is offered already<br />
had separate washrooms <strong>and</strong> childsize<br />
fixtures. The school decided to<br />
go with a homey look that includes<br />
couches <strong>and</strong> foamy chairs.<br />
She said she’s noticed over the years<br />
that many children are not ready for<br />
kindergarten because of their low language<br />
<strong>and</strong> social skills. “We’re working<br />
to bring out families that really<br />
need that support.”<br />
She said she believes this program<br />
will be successful because it brings<br />
parents into public schools on a less<br />
formal <strong>and</strong> judgmental basis. There<br />
are no report cards or required attendance.<br />
Parents can arrive when it suits<br />
their schedules.<br />
Providing programming for infants<br />
to preschoolers does present great<br />
challenges but unique opportunities<br />
as well. Building empathy in younger<br />
children is just one of the byproducts<br />
<strong>and</strong> is especially valuable for children<br />
without younger siblings.<br />
There is no upper limit on the number<br />
of participants who can attend.<br />
The program is designed to keep children<br />
<strong>and</strong> parents engaged on a daily<br />
basis <strong>and</strong> for several years. Raymond<br />
said she doesn’t believe participants<br />
February 08 • <strong>Adminfo</strong> • 12
will become bored because they’ll be<br />
fascinated to watch the changes that<br />
come as their children grow <strong>and</strong> develop.<br />
“Every time they come, something<br />
is learned.” The current group of parents<br />
is eager to help lead songs, play<br />
instruments <strong>and</strong> make play-dough.<br />
Guy Epkens-Shaffer, principal of<br />
Muriel Mould Primary School in<br />
Burns Lake, is delighted at the response<br />
to the program in his school.<br />
He said it offers a natural transition<br />
for children <strong>and</strong> their families.<br />
The K to 3 primary school serves<br />
139 students. Half the students are<br />
First Nations coming mostly from<br />
three b<strong>and</strong>s in the community. He<br />
said formal education was a negative<br />
experience for some of their parents,<br />
but this program helps parents <strong>and</strong><br />
children feel comfortable in a school.<br />
In addition, the number of kindergarten<br />
students has been declining.<br />
The school had 62 children a few years<br />
ago. It’s down to 23 now. Epkens-<br />
Shaffer is optimistic StrongStart will<br />
keep the kindergarten numbers up.<br />
About $20,000 of the $50,000 that<br />
came with Ministry approval was<br />
used to modify the classroom space<br />
<strong>and</strong> purchase early childhood materials.<br />
The remainder is being used for<br />
operating expenses.<br />
“We’ve had unbelievably strong<br />
support from the community <strong>and</strong> the<br />
College of New Caledonia,” he said.<br />
The school was delighted to find an<br />
early childhood educator from one<br />
of the First Nations b<strong>and</strong>s to lead the<br />
program. Sarah Green had just completed<br />
her training <strong>and</strong> returned to<br />
Burns Lake two weeks before receiving<br />
a call from the school.<br />
The program was launched in November<br />
<strong>and</strong> the number of participants<br />
has been rising steadily with an<br />
average of 10 children coming every<br />
day even in the dead of winter.<br />
StrongStart programs are run by<br />
a steering committee of volunteers<br />
committed to <strong>and</strong> knowledgeable<br />
about early childhood education. In<br />
the case of Muriel Mould, the committee<br />
includes the principal <strong>and</strong> representatives<br />
from a nearby preschool,<br />
the college <strong>and</strong> public library.<br />
They meet regularly <strong>and</strong> provide<br />
support so that the facilitator can respond<br />
quickly to needs <strong>and</strong> changing<br />
circumstances. The Muriel Mould<br />
committee decided that more should<br />
be done to reach out to parents <strong>and</strong><br />
preschoolers in the general community<br />
<strong>and</strong> nearby b<strong>and</strong>s. Green will use<br />
Thursday afternoon program time for<br />
this purpose. In addition, taxi vouchers<br />
will be provided to help families<br />
overcome transportation challenges<br />
in the district.<br />
Facilitators receive a framework to<br />
help them plan activities to develop<br />
pre-literacy skills through purposeful<br />
play. They also use their own skills<br />
<strong>and</strong> experience to keep activities fresh<br />
<strong>and</strong> fitted to the needs<br />
<strong>and</strong> interests of the<br />
participants. In addition<br />
to organizing<br />
age-appropriate activities<br />
<strong>and</strong> preparing<br />
healthy snacks,<br />
Green said she models<br />
behaviour for the<br />
adults. She has two<br />
children herself —<br />
a three-year old <strong>and</strong><br />
six-month old. Her<br />
husb<strong>and</strong> has brought<br />
them on occasion<br />
<strong>and</strong> that encourages<br />
other fathers to participate<br />
as well.<br />
Several of the children<br />
coming to the<br />
program are suspected<br />
to have Fetal<br />
Alcohol Spectrum<br />
Disorder.. “They are<br />
one of my targets —<br />
at-risk families,” she<br />
said. In addition to making sure the<br />
space can accommodate children at a<br />
variety of ages, she designed the room<br />
with non-distracting natural wood<br />
<strong>and</strong> muted colours. “That may be a<br />
unique feature of this program.”<br />
Schools that have welcomed Strong-<br />
Start are hoping to hear soon that<br />
current levels of funding will be available<br />
next year as well. The Ministry<br />
has not confirmed there is long-term<br />
funding.<br />
Raymond said, “There’s so much<br />
research that children who come<br />
with greater language <strong>and</strong> social skills<br />
<strong>and</strong> emotional development will do<br />
much better in school.” She said she’s<br />
looking forward to seeing if Strong-<br />
Start makes a difference for these preschool<br />
children. Her instincts tell her<br />
it will.<br />
Leslie Dyson is a regular contributor<br />
to <strong>Adminfo</strong>. She can be reached by<br />
email at dyson@uniserve.com<br />
DAD_3.437x4.937BW_3 1/10/08 3:48 PM Page 1<br />
Do you need help implementing<br />
the Guidelines for<br />
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these BC Healthy Living<br />
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Call<br />
Dial-A-Dietitian<br />
Greater Vancouver<br />
604-732-9191<br />
Toll-free in BC<br />
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To find packaged <strong>and</strong> franchised<br />
foods <strong>and</strong> beverages that meet<br />
the BC Guidelines visit<br />
www.br<strong>and</strong>namefoodlist.ca<br />
February 08 • <strong>Adminfo</strong> • 13
1st<br />
person<br />
Christine Dickinson,<br />
a former principal,<br />
shares her thoughts on<br />
a life in education<br />
with participants at the<br />
2007 Short Course<br />
A life well-lived<br />
Early in her career, Christine Dickinson (4 th from left, front seated row) was a teacher-librarian at Naenae College in Lower Hutt, New Zeal<strong>and</strong>.<br />
I<br />
want to begin by saying what an honour it is to be asked to speak<br />
to you today. It is also unbelievable that this phase of my career<br />
is over.<br />
I have been a part of Short Course on several occasions, but I will<br />
never forget the energy <strong>and</strong> excitement I felt in 1993, when I was in<br />
your seat. Listening to some of your conversations, knowing what an<br />
exhilarating week you have had, <strong>and</strong> simply feeling the energy in the<br />
room I have to say that I am a little envious. Those of you who are<br />
just beginning as principals <strong>and</strong> vice-principals are exploring a new<br />
<strong>and</strong> probably a daunting phase of your career with some trepidation.<br />
You may be wondering if you are a fraud <strong>and</strong> asking yourself just how<br />
long it will be before all those who have placed so much confidence<br />
in you, discover the truth. Those of you who are more seasoned principals<br />
<strong>and</strong> vice-principals are newly energized even though it is just<br />
days since you dragged yourself out the door of your school long after<br />
everyone else, knowing that much of what you hoped to accomplish<br />
will have to wait until summer’s end. All of you, I am sure, are eagerly<br />
anticipating next year, bursting with good ideas <strong>and</strong> new ways to approach<br />
your job — even though summer has barely begun.<br />
So I am a little envious – it will be hard for me to find that same ex-<br />
February 08 • <strong>Adminfo</strong> • 14
hilaration again, the same dedicated<br />
<strong>and</strong> inspired colleagues, <strong>and</strong> the fresh<br />
<strong>and</strong> creative energy brought into our<br />
lives daily by our students. Teaching,<br />
learning <strong>and</strong> leading in this most challenging<br />
<strong>and</strong> gratifying world of school<br />
leadership is something I feel fortunate<br />
<strong>and</strong> privileged to have enjoyed,<br />
<strong>and</strong> something I would not exchange<br />
for any number of free evenings or<br />
weekends.<br />
As with all of us who have made<br />
education a big part of our life’s work,<br />
my journey to this point has been<br />
unique. It is usually apparent to anyone<br />
I speak to that I was not born in<br />
Canada. Although I am now a proud<br />
Canadian, I was <strong>and</strong> still am, a New<br />
Zeal<strong>and</strong>er, <strong>and</strong> in fact until I was 27<br />
years old, I had never been anywhere<br />
else. New Zeal<strong>and</strong>ers are well-known<br />
for their w<strong>and</strong>erlust, but I was also of<br />
the generation that believed you went<br />
to school <strong>and</strong> stayed there until you<br />
were properly qualified to do something<br />
that would sustain you pretty<br />
much forever. That is true, even<br />
though, while I was at University in<br />
the 1960s I was proclaiming loudly,<br />
along with everyone else, that I was<br />
not there for a meal ticket.<br />
My own education was at a private<br />
school for girls — a convent. All the<br />
images that are passing through your<br />
head right now are probably very<br />
close to the truth of my teenage reality.<br />
Our teachers were all cloistered<br />
sisters, <strong>and</strong> in many ways my experience<br />
was narrow, protected <strong>and</strong><br />
socially unbalanced. Yet in that environment<br />
I learned something valuable<br />
from my teachers. They were all<br />
well-educated, independent, self-reliant<br />
<strong>and</strong> competent women, in charge<br />
of their world. With a great sense of<br />
social justice, they did not allow us to<br />
feel any sense of privilege, <strong>and</strong> as role<br />
models their impact has been marked<br />
<strong>and</strong> long lasting.<br />
I think I always knew that I would<br />
February 08 • <strong>Adminfo</strong> • 15<br />
be a teacher. My mother <strong>and</strong> many<br />
members of her family were teachers.<br />
My mother was a bit of an icon,<br />
<strong>and</strong> well into adulthood I would be<br />
regaled by strangers in the street with<br />
stories of her skill as a teacher loved<br />
by all. She had a passion for poetry<br />
<strong>and</strong> everyone who passed through her<br />
classroom emerged with a familiarity<br />
<strong>and</strong> a love for many well-known<br />
works.<br />
I completed my teacher education<br />
at Christchurch Teachers’ College, a<br />
one-year course for University graduates.<br />
In return for a commitment to<br />
teach at least one year we were paid<br />
$2900! The institution was ivy clad<br />
stone, dark <strong>and</strong> austere. The staff<br />
were a charming mix of the erudite<br />
<strong>and</strong> the bizarre, <strong>and</strong> I cannot say<br />
that I learned much that was helpful.<br />
I did, however, spend some useful<br />
time in schools. There were three<br />
different kinds of secondary schools<br />
in New Zeal<strong>and</strong> at the time <strong>and</strong> there<br />
was a firmly adhered to policy which<br />
required students to spend time in<br />
one of each. My first practicum was<br />
at Nelson College for Girls <strong>and</strong> again<br />
anything you are thinking right now<br />
is probably right. Decorum was paramount<br />
<strong>and</strong> the teachers wore academic<br />
gowns, but the students were<br />
as spunky <strong>and</strong> spirited as any you<br />
might imagine. Next I went to Temuka<br />
High School, a country school in<br />
the South Isl<strong>and</strong> populated by farm<br />
kids. While I was there Neil Armstrong<br />
walked on the moon <strong>and</strong> we<br />
gathered in an open space outside in<br />
the middle of winter to listen on the<br />
radio. Finally I went to Naenae College,<br />
a secondary school of 1200 in a<br />
blue collar suburb with a high Polynesian<br />
population. It was here that I<br />
got my first job. I was one of three<br />
first-year teachers, <strong>and</strong> we were treated<br />
well. We had an 80% assignment,<br />
although we were employed full time,<br />
<strong>and</strong> we were given no really challenging<br />
classes, although the school had<br />
more than a few of those. We met<br />
regularly with the principal to learn<br />
<strong>and</strong> debrief our experiences.<br />
I had been there a year when a<br />
young Canadian teacher who had<br />
come from Sparwood in British Columbia,<br />
joined the staff. We married<br />
<strong>and</strong> eventually returned to BC, <strong>and</strong><br />
after a short stint in Courtenay, to the<br />
Stikine.<br />
The transition was not seamless.<br />
In New Zeal<strong>and</strong> at the time, schools<br />
were like, but not quite as rigid as,<br />
English schools. The students wore<br />
uniforms, they rose to their feet when<br />
a teacher entered the room <strong>and</strong> their<br />
futures were pretty much determined<br />
by the program they chose or were<br />
directed towards at 13 years of age.<br />
Success was very much dependent<br />
on examination results, <strong>and</strong> many<br />
students left school at 15 to enter a<br />
wide open labour market.<br />
In Canada I found myself in a very<br />
experimental, if not a very rigorous<br />
milieu. I encountered a version of<br />
team teaching, not much structure or<br />
regard for the curriculum <strong>and</strong> fluid<br />
classrooms. I was puzzled by the fact<br />
that it seemed unclear just who was in<br />
my class or how long they would be<br />
staying. These students were exposed<br />
to a much more liberal approach to<br />
learning — they had choices, <strong>and</strong><br />
examinations were virtually unknown.<br />
Although their experiences<br />
were different, the students were<br />
like teenagers everywhere — curious,<br />
open <strong>and</strong> anxious to be taken<br />
seriously. Of course my experiences<br />
were different too. To this day I can<br />
see the mischievous <strong>and</strong> impertinent<br />
young man sitting in the front row of<br />
my math 9 class, testing me at every<br />
juncture, sporting an electric pink T-<br />
shirt emblazoned with “Archie Bunker<br />
for King.” His jaw dropped the<br />
day I said to him, “You made a mistake<br />
Well use your rubber!” He took
As a died in the wool secondary teacher, working shoulder<br />
to shoulder with some fine elementary educators, my<br />
professional growth was immeasurable. I came to underst<strong>and</strong><br />
the importance of process as well as content, the power of<br />
self-sufficiency, <strong>and</strong> I joined my colleagues in the relentless<br />
pursuit of best practice.<br />
on a stunned expression <strong>and</strong> for once<br />
he didn’t have a comeback — so on<br />
I charged — “If you don’t have one,<br />
you had better borrow one” <strong>and</strong> then<br />
“here I’ll lend you mine.”<br />
For two years we lived in Cassiar,<br />
BC, <strong>and</strong> that was an experience <strong>and</strong><br />
an adventure. I learned about 14-foot<br />
snow banks, -50° temperatures, curling,<br />
x-country skiing, skidoos, the<br />
midnight sun <strong>and</strong> the many layers of<br />
resource town society. Mountains I<br />
knew, but I had no experience of the<br />
remoteness, the endless wilderness<br />
<strong>and</strong> the long, cold, sunless winter. In<br />
February I was helping out in a grade<br />
2 classroom when suddenly every<br />
child rose to his feet <strong>and</strong> gravitated<br />
to the window as the sun peeked over<br />
the mountain, shone brilliantly for<br />
three minutes <strong>and</strong> disappeared. For<br />
grade 2 students seeing the sun was<br />
virtually a new experience as the last<br />
time had been in November.<br />
Our next stop, still in the Stikine,<br />
was Atlin, just 30 miles from the<br />
Yukon <strong>and</strong> the Alaska borders. It was<br />
there I came to love the North, <strong>and</strong> indeed<br />
became a Northerner. Although<br />
we were in BC, our nearest centre was<br />
Whitehorse, <strong>and</strong> I was sworn in as a<br />
Canadian citizen in the Yukon Legislature<br />
on July 1 st , 1981. It was also<br />
in Atlin that I grew as an educator.<br />
Most of what I know about learning<br />
I learned in a small 80 student K-10<br />
school. The term was unknown to<br />
us, but we were a learning community<br />
in the truest sense. We knew our<br />
students <strong>and</strong> their families well. We<br />
collaborated to provide the best individualized<br />
programs for all of our students.<br />
As a died in the wool secondary<br />
teacher, working shoulder to shoulder<br />
with some fine elementary educators,<br />
my professional growth was immeasurable.<br />
I came to underst<strong>and</strong> the importance<br />
of process as well as content,<br />
the power of self-sufficiency, <strong>and</strong> I<br />
joined my colleagues in the relentless<br />
pursuit of best practice.<br />
Twenty years ago when we needed<br />
to move to a larger centre for the sake<br />
of our own children’s education, good<br />
fortune took us south to the Bulkley<br />
Valley. It was there that personally<br />
<strong>and</strong> professionally I have had so<br />
many wonderful opportunities, <strong>and</strong> a<br />
chance to work within a true learning<br />
community that I am going to miss<br />
more than I know.<br />
So I am a little envious of you who<br />
will soon begin a new <strong>and</strong> exciting<br />
phase of your career. Some of you<br />
will find yourselves for the first time<br />
on the other side of the Union fence<br />
— your colleagues will still be the<br />
fine teachers they have always been,<br />
but you will have a new lens through<br />
which you will view your school,<br />
your students, parents <strong>and</strong> the people<br />
you work with. You will discover you<br />
have new responsibilities you never<br />
considered — overflowing toilets,<br />
mysteriously unlocked doors, smelly<br />
lockers, balls on the roof, stray dogs<br />
in the hallway, bussing controversies<br />
<strong>and</strong> lost clothing. Those of you who<br />
are principals for the first time will<br />
discover the true meaning of “the<br />
buck stops here.” I clearly remember<br />
my first few weeks as a principal.<br />
I had been a vice-principal for four<br />
years, <strong>and</strong> I thought I knew what I<br />
was facing, but it is a bit like becoming<br />
a parent, you don’t really know<br />
until you experience it. I constantly<br />
found myself looking over my shoulder<br />
to find the person who was going<br />
to field that insoluble dilemma or the<br />
“no win” situation heading my way. It<br />
took a little while to grasp that there<br />
was no one, <strong>and</strong> that I was it. Nonetheless<br />
I can tell you unequivocally<br />
that being a school principal is without<br />
a doubt the best job I have had.<br />
I cannot imagine there is another job<br />
which can offer as many high points,<br />
as many moments of sheer joy <strong>and</strong><br />
celebration <strong>and</strong> the privilege of being<br />
able to touch so many young<br />
lives. Even now walking down Main<br />
Street or strolling in the mall is likely<br />
to bring me face to face with an<br />
unexpected success story or a parent<br />
with some surprising feedback. Of<br />
course it is true, a principal’s lot is not<br />
without stress, hard work <strong>and</strong> sometimes<br />
anguish, but there were times<br />
when I marvelled that someone was<br />
actually paying me to be part of this<br />
great endeavour we call public education.<br />
I really believe that you have chosen<br />
the best time <strong>and</strong> the best place to be<br />
a school leader. We know so much<br />
more about education, than ever<br />
before — because of a wealth of research<br />
available to us, we as a profession,<br />
are in an excellent position to<br />
be able to make a real difference for<br />
all learners, creative, academic, analytical,<br />
unmotivated <strong>and</strong> struggling.<br />
Right now, British Columbia is the<br />
right place because collectively we<br />
have the capacity, the will <strong>and</strong> the<br />
resources to make our system, <strong>and</strong><br />
hence our students, more successful.<br />
We are gaining a good underst<strong>and</strong>ing<br />
about what makes a good school,<br />
what good teaching looks like, the<br />
quality of leadership we need, the<br />
importance of relationships <strong>and</strong> the<br />
role of parents. Most importantly we<br />
February 08 • <strong>Adminfo</strong> • 16
have begun to place real value on the<br />
professional judgment of our teachers.<br />
In our efforts to improve student<br />
achievement, we are no longer<br />
providing our educators with a new<br />
program, a new tool kit, a new recipe<br />
<strong>and</strong> calling it the solution, the magic<br />
bullet or the key to success. We are<br />
more likely to work with our teachers<br />
to examine the data, <strong>and</strong> engage in a<br />
conversation about the best avenues<br />
to improvement for each <strong>and</strong> every<br />
kid. As a result BC is developing a<br />
cadre of teachers who are reflective,<br />
collaborative, consultative; who believe<br />
in their own professional judgment<br />
<strong>and</strong> in their ability to address<br />
the needs of their students, <strong>and</strong> who<br />
are willing to take on leadership roles<br />
as teachers.<br />
In closing I would like to share with<br />
you my ten wishes for you as you take<br />
on the challenges of the new school<br />
year.<br />
I wish that you will continue to be<br />
a learner — be a part of the learning<br />
conversations in your schools <strong>and</strong><br />
among your district colleagues. Be<br />
part of the provincial conversation<br />
<strong>and</strong> find time to do at least a little<br />
professional reading.<br />
I wish that you will be a good listener.<br />
Parents <strong>and</strong> students especially,<br />
need to be heard by you.<br />
I wish that you will be able to resist<br />
the temptation to take affronts,<br />
assaults <strong>and</strong> insults personally. This<br />
is where empathy needs to kick in.<br />
Often looking at the situation from<br />
the perpetrator’s point of view changes<br />
everything — rarely will it be<br />
about you.<br />
I wish that you will have a generosity<br />
of spirit. Be willing to forgive, see<br />
issues from another’s perspective <strong>and</strong><br />
own your mistakes.<br />
I wish that you will remember that<br />
teaching is both an art <strong>and</strong> a science.<br />
In some situations there is a right way<br />
<strong>and</strong> in others it is a matter of style,<br />
philosophy <strong>and</strong> personality. Honour<br />
the wisdom, knowledge <strong>and</strong> skill<br />
of teachers. Not only will you learn<br />
everyday from them, but they will<br />
make you look good.<br />
I wish that you will follow Michael<br />
Fullan’s advice when you find staff<br />
who do not meet your expectations<br />
— assume a lack of capacity <strong>and</strong><br />
begin immediately to provide support<br />
<strong>and</strong> assistance. Often poor performance<br />
is a lack of confidence <strong>and</strong><br />
is rooted in feelings of not being valued.<br />
Sometimes it is a matter of will<br />
<strong>and</strong> capacity is not the issue.<br />
I wish you will care about Aboriginal<br />
<strong>and</strong> other at-risk learners. Sometimes<br />
the challenges seem insurmountable,<br />
but little by little we will have an impact.<br />
Celebrate small victories, keep<br />
looking for new ways to connect <strong>and</strong><br />
never give up.<br />
I wish that you will implement best<br />
practice <strong>and</strong> research findings with<br />
a sense of urgency. Rick Dufour <strong>and</strong><br />
others have told us that on average the<br />
education system takes about 20 years<br />
to fully implement research findings.<br />
That simply isn’t good enough — we<br />
would not accept that from other professions.<br />
That doesn’t mean we should<br />
grab every new fad; but we need to be<br />
aware of the research <strong>and</strong> underst<strong>and</strong><br />
when it is solid. Often the research<br />
confirms things we already know, so<br />
we need to spread the word <strong>and</strong> support<br />
the adoption of what we know<br />
to be best practice.<br />
I wish that you will not come between<br />
your teachers <strong>and</strong> their union.<br />
Let the players fight the battles where<br />
they will, but that does not need to<br />
be in your building. There may be<br />
times when you will have to take a<br />
difficult st<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> do what you have<br />
to do, as will your teachers, but in<br />
my experience it has always been possible<br />
to maintain a respect for <strong>and</strong> a<br />
mutual underst<strong>and</strong>ing of each other’s<br />
positions.<br />
And finally, I wish that you will<br />
maintain balance in your lives. As<br />
engrossing as this business is, you<br />
will do a better job, if you find time<br />
for your families <strong>and</strong> friends, your<br />
physical health <strong>and</strong> your spirit.<br />
Christine Dickinson shared her reflections on her life in education with participants at the 2007 Short Course.<br />
An educator in New Zeal<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> northern British Columbia since 1970, she was named one of Canada’s<br />
Outst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>Principals</strong> in 2005 (while principal of Smithers Secondary) <strong>and</strong> Assistant Superintendent in the<br />
Bulkley Valley. She is now an educational consultant <strong>and</strong> can be reached at chrisda@telus.net<br />
ShortCourse<br />
Professional development for newly-appointed principals <strong>and</strong> vice-principals<br />
July 7–11, 2008 • Watch for details in eNews <strong>and</strong> at www.bcpvpa.bc.ca<br />
February 08 • <strong>Adminfo</strong> • 17
In praise<br />
of the<br />
endless<br />
weekend<br />
by<br />
Vince Devries<br />
Vince Devries is retired after many<br />
years as a pension <strong>and</strong> financial<br />
consultant with the BCPVPA.<br />
He still prepares, for a fee, retirement<br />
financial plans for BCPVPA members.<br />
Vince can be contacted by email at<br />
vincedevries@shaw.ca<br />
or by phone at 250-245-0907.<br />
Saturdays are a mixed pleasure when you are working. You are free to<br />
do as you please but there are also the must-do jobs such as coaching<br />
a team or painting the living room. While it takes a while to get used<br />
to, after eight years of retirement, any day is a Saturday for us. That does not<br />
mean that Corine <strong>and</strong> I don’t have the pressure of a never ending list of mustdo’s.<br />
This pressure however is much reduced by our surplus of Saturdays.<br />
When you postpone painting of the living room, it weighs on you for seven<br />
days <strong>and</strong> possibly more. I can relax in the thought that I will do it tomorrow.<br />
Today it is an actual Saturday. After reading the paper, a leisurely breakfast<br />
<strong>and</strong> a few calls, I am at my desk at 11 (sharp). I like the sharp as it makes it<br />
look “planned.” I am faced with writing this article, hauling stuff to the dump,<br />
returning an embarrassing number of wine bottles to our depot, the first draft<br />
of my club’s monthly newsletter, finish our 2008 budget, review our investments<br />
<strong>and</strong> maybe drive to Nanaimo for shopping <strong>and</strong> a movie. There is also<br />
the leaking shower stall <strong>and</strong> the repainting of the bathroom <strong>and</strong> hallway. But<br />
it is not a nice day to be about <strong>and</strong> when I finish this article, I will likely set<br />
up a clever job planning schedule that will see everything done at some point.<br />
By that time the sun should be over the yardarm.<br />
Talking about budgets, this is a good time to take a look at your finances.<br />
A little bit of planning goes a long way to ward off financial anxieties. Take<br />
a look at your portfolio (RRSP or other). Had you invested everything in a<br />
low cost, low risk Exchange Traded Fund like the TSX 60 (invested in the 60<br />
largest companies listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange), you would have<br />
netted 11.8% for 2007. What did your investments average If you have more<br />
than one debt, consider a line of credit, secured by a mortgage on your home<br />
at prime or less (Beware: A line of credit only requires payment of interest, which<br />
can spell a financial disaster for those who lack the discipline to repay in a timely<br />
fashion). Now that you can split your pensions with your spouse when retired<br />
(new for 2007), should you continue to make contributions<br />
to a spousal RRSP The answer is yes, because<br />
RRSP withdrawals can’t be split between spouses until<br />
they are both 65 <strong>and</strong> you will likely retire sooner. If<br />
your parents or gr<strong>and</strong>parents are ready to assist your<br />
children with a Registered Education Savings Plan,<br />
look at the new rules which allow one to gain the government<br />
subsidies over a shorter period of years or pre-fund the whole Plan<br />
gaining more tax-sheltered income than the subsidies forfeited. If you didn’t<br />
do your own tax returns last year using QuickTax or a similar program, now is<br />
the time to do it. Borrow last year’s software from a friend (each year’s current<br />
tax package costs about $30) <strong>and</strong> redo your 2006 return as a learning exercise.<br />
Even if your tax experience is limited to the gathering of your tax papers <strong>and</strong><br />
turning them over to a professional, you can use it! We are not talking about<br />
saving accounting fees but about becoming tax smart in the process.<br />
If you want some help with your annual financial review, consider my Retirement<br />
Financial Plan. The Plan is designed as an audit of your current<br />
finances as well as a projection of your retirement income at two different<br />
retirement dates. This income is measured in today’s dollars, using today’s income<br />
tax rates <strong>and</strong> compared to your current income. The further retirement<br />
is away, the more you can profit from such a Plan.<br />
That is how we see it, here in Ladysmith.<br />
A little planning goes a long way<br />
to ward off financial anxieties<br />
February 08 • <strong>Adminfo</strong> • 18
Enhancing every child’s life chances<br />
Educator <strong>and</strong> proud gr<strong>and</strong>pa,<br />
the BCPVPA’s executive director, Ted Whitel<strong>and</strong>,<br />
on the research about early childhood development.<br />
In this edition of <strong>Adminfo</strong>, an article<br />
by Leslie Dyson entitled Preparing<br />
Early caused me to reflect to the December<br />
2007 issue of <strong>Adminfo</strong> where<br />
I stated that one must underst<strong>and</strong> the<br />
underlying research of early child development<br />
(ECD) to appreciate both<br />
where we are versus where we could<br />
be with implementation initiatives.<br />
I must also confess that as a gr<strong>and</strong>father<br />
to 14-month old Keanna, I<br />
marvel at the developmental milestones<br />
that she is able to meet. I also<br />
admire the work that our daughter,<br />
the mommy, does to better underst<strong>and</strong><br />
Keanna’s needs in every dimension<br />
of her growth.<br />
It would be easy to believe that research<br />
<strong>and</strong> programs related to effective<br />
ECD reside solely in Canada. In<br />
fact, there are many models of such<br />
effective interventions throughout<br />
the world, many of which have been<br />
in the mainstream for decades. There<br />
is much to be learned from these initiatives<br />
<strong>and</strong> the American Head Start<br />
program is but one example.<br />
As noted in the October 2007<br />
ASCD issue of Educational Leadership,<br />
Dr. Edward Zigler has, since<br />
1970, championed the Head Start<br />
program where he held the position<br />
of the first director of the Office of<br />
Child Development, which administered<br />
the fledging Head Start program.<br />
In a far ranging interview, Dr.<br />
Zigler identified the frustration of<br />
competing goals for Head Start. The<br />
desire to identify a quick fix literacyskills<br />
program based on cognitive development<br />
competed with the “whole<br />
child approach” which viewed the<br />
brain as an integrated instrument <strong>and</strong><br />
therefore capable of mediating emotional<br />
<strong>and</strong> social development along<br />
with increased intelligence.<br />
Dr. Zigler also identified two great<br />
achievements of the design of the<br />
Head Start program. Foremost, the<br />
program emphasized social <strong>and</strong> emotional<br />
development with an emphasis<br />
on the provision of health, social <strong>and</strong><br />
comprehensive services to families. To<br />
this was added parental participation.<br />
Research has identified that parental<br />
behavior is the most important single<br />
determinant of a child’s growth. Succinctly<br />
put, the research identifies the<br />
positive correlation between involved<br />
parents in the education of their children<br />
<strong>and</strong> the child’s education <strong>and</strong><br />
BCPVPA<br />
performance.<br />
When asked what is the best age<br />
at which to provide support for preschool<br />
children, Dr. Zigler is clear:<br />
conception, not birth, is when development<br />
starts <strong>and</strong> that when mothers<br />
are pregnant they’re extremely<br />
interested in both information <strong>and</strong><br />
instruction.<br />
It is within this context that I found<br />
Leslie Dyson’s description of Strong-<br />
Start programs in the Nechako Lakes<br />
school district so inspirational. Integrating<br />
what has been learned from<br />
research with local resources <strong>and</strong><br />
coupling these with exp<strong>and</strong>ing partnerships<br />
has established a dynamic<br />
which makes everything possible for<br />
enhancing a child’s life chances.<br />
And isn’t this what it is all about<br />
Ted Whitel<strong>and</strong><br />
Executive Director twhitel<strong>and</strong>@bcpvpa.bc.ca<br />
Sharon Cutcliffe<br />
Legal <strong>and</strong> Contractual Services, Student Leadership sharon@bcpvpa.bc.ca<br />
Gaila Erickson<br />
Professional Programs gaila@bcpvpa.bc.ca<br />
Ian Kennedy<br />
Legal <strong>and</strong> Contractual Services ian@bcpvpa.bc.ca<br />
Carol Powell<br />
Finance carol@bcpvpa.bc.ca<br />
Richard Williams<br />
Communications rwlliams@bcpvpa.bc.ca<br />
February 08 • <strong>Adminfo</strong> • 19
ShortCourse<br />
Professional development for newly-appointed principals <strong>and</strong> vice-principals<br />
July 7–11, 2008 • Watch for details in eNews <strong>and</strong> at www.bcpvpa.bc.ca<br />
Comments from last year’s participants<br />
Really enjoyed hearing this speaker …<br />
an inspirational leader <strong>and</strong> a wonderful role model<br />
Gives a wonderful building block as a guide to help us …<br />
Wow! I never thought I would think so much about thinking!<br />
Very useful <strong>and</strong> important<br />
Good concrete model to help with decision-making<br />
This blend of topics heightens<br />
awareness of important issues<br />
Good opportunity to share <strong>and</strong> hear about<br />
different leadership roles that people have taken<br />
Effective speaker who brought me a long way<br />
in underst<strong>and</strong>ing the whole idea of teacher leaders<br />
Informative, interesting <strong>and</strong> useful …<br />
notes provided were fantastic<br />
Practical <strong>and</strong> relevant<br />
Sponsored by the BCPVPA, UBC <strong>and</strong> BCSSA<br />
Financially supported by the BC Ministry of Education