The Georgia Communicator

The Georgia
Communicator
Conducting Georgia’s Education
Fall 2015
In This Issue...
3 GAESP Executive Director
4 GAESP President
5-7 News Briefs
8-11 GAESP Happenings
12-13 Educational Insights
16 District Map
The Georgia
Communicator
Published three times a year by the
Georgia Association of Elementary
School Principals.
Contact:
GAESP
PO Box 6445
Athens, Ga. 30602
Phone: 706-250-4800
www.gael.org
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GAESP Exec. Director
To All Georgia Elementary Principals,
Welcome Back!! It is a song written and sung by John Sebastian and was the theme song
for “Welcome Back Kotter”!
We have start dates all over the calendar, but we are all in NOW! Some of you have been
going since the end of July and some of you started mid to late August.
I hope you are all rejuvenated and motivated for the year ahead of us, 2015-16. In most
professions leaders don’t get to “start-over.” We have the opportunity to start anew and
reinvent or even change our course. Summer allows us to reflect on our past successes
and plan for improvement for the next school year. It is like a football season, everyone is
tied for first! For principals and school administrators it is success for our students!
I know that you, just like me, compare your school to others in your district and in the
state; everyone does. I also know of all the wonderful things that happen in your school
each and every day. It is important for all of us to work together, network, learning from
each other, and be open-minded; let’s all learn from each other!
Please get involved with GAESP! Go to your district meetings, attend our fall conference
in Savannah, and attend a GAEL Conference.
As I travel the state and visit districts I am convinced we have the best leadership in the
country and doing what is best for our students! Best wishes for a great year!
GAESP Executive Director
www.gael.org
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GAESP President
Dr. Richard Bazemore
A New Beginning; What Will It Bring? As we all are undertaking the new school year, what do you have planned for
this year? How will you accomplish your goals? We all have goals mostly
relating to student achievement and success. There is an intangible ingredient
that will ensure that we meet and exceed these goals. Before I reveal this
powerful descriptor, I want to ask you a question. What kind of leader are you?
There are many definitions of leaders in all sorts of careers and I am not going
into all of them, but I want you to examine yourself. Do you have a plan? What
are your challenges? Who can help you accomplish your goals?
Most of you know the answers to these questions, but do you know what the common thread is? It is people,
not just employees. We are in the people business, some we like and want to be around more than others, that
is human behavior. In starting out a new year we make plans to cover every contingency. But, do we take into
account the people on our staffs that make the plans work? Who is good with safety, curriculum, RTI or Parent
Involvement? Do we consider getting the right people in the right seats on our bus we call school? Using staff in
their areas of strength can simplify your problems and make solutions easy to identify.
As we contemplate these few items, think on this: How do we treat these employees? What do we add to
their value as a person? As leaders it is our charge not only to look after our students but also to look after our
employees. Do we treat them as colleagues or as employees? These people are our backbone, our lifeline and
most importantly many are our friends. They should be treated as we want to be treated; respect is a very big
part of this.
Taking the treatment of our colleagues a bit farther, let’s think about grace. Grace is unmerited favor. Abraham
Joshua Heschel stated, “It is the grace of God that helps those who do everything that lies within their power to
achieve that which is beyond their power”. We all are instruments of grace, to our families, friends, students,
parents and colleagues. None of us deserve it but we receive it every day. It comes, and many times we do not
recognize it. It can be in the form of a handshake with a parent, a hug from a child or a kind word from a coworker. But just as important, it must come from us. It comes from our leading the charge against ignorance,
poverty and abuse.
When our faith gets tested by milestones, TKES, LKES, RTI, an unruly student or a misguided parent, think
about a Greater Power; lean on a friend for support. Then, get into the halls of your school and provide some
grace to your students, staff and parents, because the next gentle smile you see from one of your students is a
little grace coming from above.
Here’s to a great school year to you all and I look forward to seeing you at the fall conference in Savannah.
Your President,
Richard (Dick) L. Bazemore, Ed.D.
Principal, T.G. Scott Elementary School
Monroe County
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NAESP News
TM
National Association of Elementary School Principals
Serving all elementary and middle-level principals
NAESP is gearing up for National Principals Month in October! Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-CA) has
indicated that she will be introducing the National Principals Month resolution after Labor Day. NAESP is
also working with Senator Franklin (D-MN) to introduce a companion resolution in the U.S. Senate. Similar
to last year's efforts, educators are encouraged to work with their state legislators or governors to secure state
recognition of National Principals Month. This year's goal is to have all fifty states recognize the important
role of the nation's principals through a resolution, declaration or proclamation.
In addition to the Congressional activity, the US Department of Education (USED) will once again participate
in principal shadowing visits in the Washington, D.C. area that will culminate in a debriefing with Secretary
Duncan.
Throughout this month NAESP will be actively engaged on social media with the #ThankAPrincipal hashtag.
Members are encouraged to contribute to these conversations whenever possible. The NAESP contact for
National Principals Month is Kelly Pollitt (KPollitt@naesp.org).
One way YOU can support National Principals Month is by renewing or obtaining for the first time a NAESP
membership. Aspiring and current administrators benefit personally and professionally by expanding their
local and state connections to include NAESP membership. Limited liability insurance and the NAESP
magazine publication are two basic reasons to join NAESP; but becoming an immediate part of a nationwide
network of elementary school principals is the primary benefit. Join TODAY!
Many thanks to Todd Williford for serving as the Georgia NAESP elementary principal representative for the
past five years! It is my pleasure and privilege to fill his unexpired term. Should you have questions or need
additional information regarding NAESP feel free to contact me.
In closing, REMEMBER to celebrate our profession and the success of principals across the country during
the month of October! Join NAESP today!
Dr. Kim Halstead
NAESP Representative
Principal, Tucker Elementary School
Houston County School System
kimberly.halstead@hcbe.net
478-988-6278 ext. 9
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News Briefs
AS COMMON CORE RESULTS TRICKLE
IN, INITIAL GOALS UNFULFILLED
Results for some of the states that participated in
Common Core-aligned testing for the first time this
spring are out, with overall scores higher than expected
though still below what many parents may be accustomed
to seeing. Full or preliminary scores have been released
for Connecticut, Idaho, Missouri, Oregon, Vermont,
Washington and West Virginia. They all participated in
the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. Scores
in four other states that developed their own exams tied
to the standards have been released. The second testing
group, the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for
College and Careers, is still setting benchmarks for each
performance level and has not released any results.
Even when all the results are available, it will not be
possible to compare student performance across a
majority of states, one of Common Core's fundamental
goals. What began as an effort to increase transparency
and allow parents and school leaders to assess
performance nationwide has largely unraveled, chiefly
because states are dropping out of the two testing groups
and creating their own exams.
No Child Left Behind, President George W. Bush's
signature education law, requires states to test students
each year in math and reading in grades three to eight and
again in high school. Congress has been debating ways to
overhaul the law. The House and Senate have approved
differing versions this summer that would maintain the
testing requirement but let states decide how to use the
results. The Common Core-aligned tests fulfill the federal
requirement, yet are significantly different from the
exam that students are accustomed to taking. Rather than
paper-and-pencil multiple choice tests, the new exams
are designed to be taken by tablet or computer. Instead
of being given a selection of answers to choose, students
must show how they got their answer. Answer correctly
and get a more difficult question. Answer incorrectly, get
an easier one.
Field tests administered last year indicated that a majority
of students would not score as proficient in math and
reading on the tests. So this summer, states
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braced for the results, meeting with parents and principals
to explain why the results will be different.
Overall, the statewide scores that have been released are
not as stark as first predicted, though they do show that
vast numbers of students do not qualify as proficient in
math or reading. In Idaho, nearly 50 percent or more
of students tested were proficient or above in English
language arts. The results were lower for math: less
than 40 percent were proficient in five grade levels. In
Washington, about half of students across the state earned
proficient scores. In Vermont, English proficiency scores
hovered below 60 percent and dipped to as low as 37
percent in math. States using the Smarter Balanced tests
are using the same cut scores but different descriptors.
What is "below basic" in one state might be "slightly
unprepared" in another.
When the testing groups were created, PARCC was a
coalition of 26 states and Smarter Balanced 31; some
states belonged to both. This year, 11 states and the
District of Columbia took PARCC exams. Arkansas,
Mississippi, and Ohio have since decided to withdraw
from the exams. Eighteen states participated in the
Smarter Balanced test this year. Of those, three states
have since decided to abandon one or all of the grade
level tests.
“It’s always disappointing to have a state drop out,” said
Kelli Gauthier, a spokeswoman for Smarter Balanced.
“But we feel really confident in the group that we have.”
Aside from the defections, the exams have also
experienced from technical glitches and an opt-out
movement that surfaced this spring. Results in Nevada,
Montana and North Dakota were hit with widespread
technical problems; Nevada counted last year's scores a
total loss.
In Oregon, slightly more than 95 percent of students
took the exam, just making the federal requirement for
participation. For black and special education students,
as well as some districts, the requirement was not met,
meaning the state could potentially lose federal funds.
Most states have not been able to release test scores
before the start of classes, a delay that was expected in
the exam's first year, but nonetheless frustrating for some
teachers and parents. In Georgia, no content area or grade
level had more than 40% of students meet proficiency
targets.
Reprinted with permission. NAESP
Tools to Use
Want to increase your use of technology for your own productivity and
your school? Try these innovative tools.
Zite: Stay on top of research and trends while planning for tech implementation.
http://www.zite.com/
Feedly: Follow blogs and articles to help you with your practice.
http://feedly.com
Dropbox: Essential for sharing documents on iPads, your phone, anywhere. It’s a free
virtual flashdrive.
http://www.dropbox.com
Diigo: Social bookmarking site that allows you to share articles.
https://www.diigo.com/
TouchCast: Helps you create professional-quality videos.
http://www.touchcast.com/
Movenote: Allows you to video yourself next to slides.
http://www.movenote.com/
Common Sense Media: Digital citizenship resource that features sample student contracts.
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators
WeVideo: Easily create, edit, and share video presentations.
https://www.wevideo.com/
www.gael.org
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GAESP Happenings
GAESP provides several recognition opportunities annually for both individuals and organizations
that contribute to our mission of equipping educational leaders with research-based practices that
advance student learning. GAESP is proud to congratulate the following 2015 Award Winners!
The GAESP School Bell Award is given for outstanding programs in the area of curriculum and
organizational leadership.
SCHOOL BELL WINNERS
Blacks Mill Elementary WMBE Morning Student Broadcast
Cindy Kinney, Principal, Dawson County
City Park School “PAY IT FORWARD”
Jason Brock, Principal, Dalton City Schools
Holly Springs Elementary STEM Academy: Microsoft Innovative Educators Certification Dr. Dianne Steinbeck, Principal, Cherokee County
Welcome to Mattieville Economics Day 2015, Mattie Lively Elementary School
Dr. Carolyn Vasilatos, Principal, Bulloch County
Project-Based Learning 21st Century, Mount Vernon Exploratory School
Connie Daniel, Principal, Hall County
CAMP Learnalotta Volunteer Tutoring Program, Woodstock Elementary School
Dr. Kim Montalbano, Principal, Cherokee County
The GAESP Education Patron Award is given for outstanding educational support to a school or
district by an individual, group, or organization.
EDUCATION PATRON AWARD WINNERS
Blacks Mill Elementary Parent Teacher Organization, Black’s Mill Elementary School
Cindy Kinney, Principal, Dawson County
First United Methodist Church of Dalton, City Park School
Jason Brock, Principal, Dalton City Schools
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GAESP Happenings
The GAESP Teacher Education Scholarship Award is given to the most qualified graduating
senior from a public Georgia high school (whose elementary school principal is a current or
retired GAESP member) with the desire to enter a college program leading toward a teaching
career.
TEACHER EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
James Duncan Whitehead, Loganville, GA. Archer High School
Jasmine Meza, Tifton GA. Tift County High School
The Georgia National Outstanding Assistant Principal Award honors assistant principals at
Elementary and Middle School Levels and is given for exemplary leadership.
GEORGIA NATIONAL OUTSTANDING ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
Stan McMichael, Western Elementary, Coweta Co.
The GAESP Distinguished Service Award and The Jim Puckett Outstanding Educator Award is
given for exemplary leadership.
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE JIM PUCKETT OUTSTANDING EDUCATOR AWARD
Dr. Rick Little, retired principal of City Park School, Dalton GA
The Georgia Distinguished Principal Award is given for distinguished leadership and
extraordinary service as an educator exhibiting the highest commitment to improving young
lives
GEORGIA DISTINGUISHED PRINCIPALS
Dr. Kimberly Halstead, Tucker Elementary School, Houston County
Dr. Christi Hildebrand, Elm Street Elementary, Coweta County
Julia Mashburn, Riverview Elementary School, Dawson County
Dr. Jason Miller, Former principal Twin Oaks Elementary School and current Lee County
School Superintendent
Dr. Jennifer Scrivner, Clark Creek Elementary, Cherokee County
NATIONAL DISTINGUISHED PRINCIPAL
Dr. Christi Hildebrand, Elm Street Elementary, Coweta County
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GAESP Happenings
Student Leadership Conference
Step Up and Lead is a
student leadership conference
designed and facilitated by youth development professionals, featuring
exciting, interactive workshops for students in grades
fourth through eighth.
Fall 2015 Dates
September 21: Wahsega 4-H Center
Spring 2016Dates
September 22: Rock Eagle 4-H Center
March 11 OR 18:
GA Highlands College, Rome, GA
March 14: Fortson 4-H Center
September 25: Fortson 4-H Center
March 24: Rock Eagle 4-H Center
Dahlonega, GA
Eatonton , GA
Hampton , GA
Hampton , GA
Eatonton , GA
March 24: UGA Coastal Gardens
Savannah , GA
March 31: UGA Tifton Campus
Tifton , GA
Presented by:
www.georgia4h.org/sual/
The Georgia Association of Elementary School Principals,
The Georgia Association of Middle School Principals,
University of Georgia Extension, Georgia 4-H
18 USC 707
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GAESP Happenings
Georgia Association of Elementary School Principals
Georgia Association of Middle School Principals
Annual Fall Conference
The Three R’s
November 8th-10th 2015
Marriott Savannah Riverfront
Savannah, Georgia
Hotel Reservations
(800) 285-0398
On The Program
Who Packs Your Parachute? National Keynote Patrick Grady
Richard Wood, State School Superintendent
State Department of Education/Pam Smith
The Aptitude of a Leader, National Keynote Richard Hight
How Every Child Becomes a Super Reader, Pam Allyn, Author
Leadership, Deborah Tyler, Director of Leadership NAESP
Just How Important is Public Education! Valerie Wilson GSBA, Executive Director
Plus great breakout sessions on Sunday afternoon!
www.gael.org
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Educational Insight
Research Report: Diversity in Early Childhood Classrooms
In their recent report, A Better Start: Why Classroom Diversity Matters in Early Education, Jeanne L.
Reid and Sharon Lynn Kagan (Columbia University) have analyzed demographic data, research, and
the positions of national early childhood organizations to take the pulse of diversity in the nation’s early
childhood classrooms.
Their findings? Diversity is rare. Early learning classrooms tend to be homogenous in both race and income,
and—more troubling—the opportunities and experiences provided to the high-socioeconomic status
students are of a far higher quality than those provided to their lower-income counterparts.
This situation undermines the purpose of early childhood education. The students who are most likely to
need the head start already begin their school careers behind.
The good news is that the report isolates some elements that principals have the power to change in order to
create a more diverse and inclusive early learning environment, namely, targeted professional development
for their teachers and increased support for enrollment and engagement of diverse families.
What effective professional development looks like
Classrooms are becoming increasingly diverse. Within a decade, white students will be the minority among
their diverse classmates. One-quarter of students will be considered English-language learners.
A Better Start found that early childhood teachers enter the classroom wholly unprepared for this level of
diversity. The report offers recommendations to remedy teachers’ deficiencies: In the long term, teaching
programs should include curricula that addresses diversity education. Targeted professional development is
the short-terms solution to better equip in-service teachers.
To start, that professional learning should speak to celebrating diversity in the classroom. Too often,
teachers try to mold their classroom into a more homogenous culture. But every student should be proud
of his or her background. Teachers should use strategies that help celebrate diversity while maintaining
rigorous standards for all students.
In a diverse early childhood classroom, differentiation becomes even more crucial. Students enter with
enormously different levels of preparedness. Some might be able to identify their letters and numbers.
Others might call them by different names due to the language spoken at home. Others might have rarely
seen letters or numbers before.
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Educational Insight
Early childhood teachers need to have a range of strategies in their toolbox to target these diverse levels
of ability while moving these students toward a common goal: preparedness for the next step in their
schooling.
Engagement strategies to integrate families into the school culture
Cultural and language differences can create an uphill battle when it comes to families supporting
preschool education. In some cultures, formal early childhood education is unheard of. In others, parents
don’t see the need. The solution is two-pronged: respect for the wishes and beliefs of neighborhood
families while educating them about what goes on in the school and the importance of early childhood
education.
The divergent views of cultures on early learning are not wrong and should not be treated as such. Parents
might have specific views about what should happen in the classroom. Those views should be heard and,
if possible, respected.
In engaging diverse cultures, transparency is key. A more concerted effort needs to be made to allow
teachers to update parents on the goings-on in the classroom and to speak specifically about each child’s
progress. Electronic communication can help, but remember that low-income families might not have
access to devices. Consider open houses, potlucks, and anything else that might make families feel
included. Then move on from there to discussing educational goals.
Reprinted with permission. NAESP Principal Communicator
Three Tips for Difficult Conversations
Whether they are with teachers or parents, principals experience more than their fair share of difficult
conversations. Jennifer Abrams, author of Having Hard Conversations and a preconference speaker at
NAESP’s 2015 Annual Conference, offers tips to turn those conversations into growth opportunities.
1.
BE CONCRETE. This isn’t the time for fuzzy concepts and managerial buzzwords. Demonstrate
a firm grasp of what is currently going on (with metrics, if possible) and a proposed plan for moving
forward. Key phrase: “These are the standards that are currently not being met.”
2.
IT’S ALL ABOUT “WE.” For such small words, pronouns can have a big effect on a
conversation. “I” sometimes asserts authority. “You” is sometimes accusatory. Try to use a lot more “We”
in these sorts of conversations. It will help the other person feel a part of a unit. Key phrase: “We can
really move forward with this if we…”
3.
REMEMBER THE STUDENT. Students themselves are often overlooked in favor of how the
parent, teacher, or other party is affected. If you’re having a meeting about a student, the goal of that
meeting should be to help the student improve and grow. Key phrase: “We’ve noticed that Ayanna’s
problems usually occur during class transitions, so we’re going to help her be more successful during
those times.”
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Calculating your retirement income needs
If you follow the news at all, you probably know that saving for retirement is something of a
crisis for a significant portion of our country’s population. So how much do you need to save?
How much is enough?
The answer is both simple and complicated: At a minimum, you need to accumulate enough to
cover all of your essential living expenses through your entire retirement phase. If you intend to
do anything beyond merely existing, you will need to save additional money to cover your
nonessential expenses.
People tend to talk about “the number” that you should accumulate, but the place to start is to
determine what will it cost you each month to maintain the lifestyle you have. From there, you
can make your calculations using one of the online calculators on VALIC.com.
Can’t live without it
First, let’s address the difference between essential and nonessential expenses. Anything you
must have to live in relatively modest comfort may be considered essential. This may include:
 Shelter — rent, home repairs, property taxes, mortgage payments, homeowner
association dues, etc.
 Food — meal plans, groceries (for most people, these should be considered separate
from dining out)
 Health care — prescriptions, insurance, dental care, nursing aid, eyeglasses, etc.
 Clothing — everything from shoes to winter parkas
 Utilities — electric, water, gas, heating oil
 Transportation — car insurance and maintenance, bus/train tickets, taxi fares
Contrast this with nonessential expenses — the things in life you may treasure, but you
probably wouldn’t physically suffer without, such as:
 Travel
 Hobbies
 Entertainment — cable TV, concerts, movie tickets, special events
 Dining out
 Donations
 Subscriptions — magazines, newspapers, online subscriptions
 Gifts
 Club dues
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Only you can decide which expenses are truly essential to your life, and which you might be
willing to scale back on to stay within budget. If you consider something to be truly essential,
you need to make it a financial priority.
Big or small, include it all
For the most accurate picture, your tally needs to be realistic and thorough. If you don’t already,
you should carefully track all of your expenses, big and small, for at least a couple of years
before retirement. Some expenses, like heating and air conditioning, change dramatically with
the seasons; consider averaging them out over the course of the year. Don’t forget the little
things like toiletries, laundry detergent and everything in between. You may have annual
expenses like vehicle inspections, or future expenses like replacing car tires or a hot water
heater. Will your car last for 20 or 30 years of retirement? If not, factor in a future replacement.
Add it and pad it
No one knows what the future will bring. There is no guarantee that today’s heating bill — or any
other expense — will be representative of the bill you get 10 or 15 years into retirement. You
should factor in a reasonable inflation rate. To be conservative, build in some flexibility. After all,
25 years ago few people were paying for cell phones or internet access.
It’s easy to track, categorize and prioritize your expenses. If you’d like some help projecting your
expenses into the future, ask your financial advisor.
Securities and investment advisory services offered through VALIC Financial Advisors,
Inc., member FINRA, SIPC, and an SEC-registered investment advisor.
Annuities issued by the Variable Annuity Life Insurance Company. Variable annuities
distributed by its affiliate, AIG Capital Services, Inc. member FINRA.
Copyright © The Variable Annuity Life Insurance Company.
All rights reserved.
VC 22976 (02/2015) J95190
www.gael.org
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Georgia Association of Elementary School Principals
P.O. Box 6445
Athens, GA 30602
GAESP Districts Map
Georgia Association of Elementary School Principals
Executive Board
Dick Bazemore
Rick Little
Amy Duke
Shawn Williams
Rick Little
Kim Halstead
Julie Raschen
Julia Mashburn
Board of Directors
Cindy Kinney
Keith Carter
Leann Elesehuer
Bonnie Green
John Strickland
Carter Akins
Paul Hudson
Sonya Bennett
Richard Fisher
Trina Muse
Mike Parker
Jodi Clark
Heidi Pfannenstiel
Christi Hildabrand
Sherri Black
Diamond Jack
Donna Bishop
David Beard
Nicole Holmes
Pam Smith
President, Principal
Past-President, Retired Principal
Pres.-Elect, Principal
Sect., Principal
Treasurer, Retired Principal
NAESP Rep., Principal
GAEL Rep., Central Office
Awards, Principal
District 16
District 1
District 15
District 2
District 14
District 13
District 1 President, Principal
District 2 President, Principal
District 3 President, Principal
District 4 President, Principal
District 5 President, Principal
District 6 President, Principal
District 6 President, Principal
District 7 President, Central Office
District 8 President, Principal
District 9 President, Principal
District 10 President, Principal
District 11 President, Principal
District 12 President, Principal
District 13 President, Principal
District 14 President, Principal
District 14 President, Principal
District 14 President, Principal
District 15 President, Principal
District 16 President, Central Office
DOE
District 3
District 12
District 4
District 11
District 10
District 5
District 6
District 9
District 7
District 8