Speak Out
Have you ever wanted to speak your mind about education issues to the people who can do something about it—elected officials, such as the U.S. president, members of Congress, governors, state legislators, and local officials, as well as members of national and local media?
- Find contact information for federal and state policymakers.
- Register to vote.
- Research legislation.
- Learn about ASCD's positions on education issues.
- Voice their opinions and concerns through e-mail to their representatives and to members of the media.
With the 2004 election process under way, visitors can also find detailed candidate biographies, ballot initiatives, and polling sites. Visit www.ascd.org/actioncenter, and start speaking out.
Civic Development and Academic Achievement
ASCD and the American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF) recently collaborated to present a series of forums in Washington, D.C., that seek to connect academic achievement and civic development. ASCD's Diane Berreth moderated the forum entitled “Raising Academic Achievement While Supporting Civic Development.” Panel members discussed the importance of promoting a greater balance between academic achievement and civic development in our schools.
Panelists pointed to several initiatives across the United States that showed how schools can successfully incorporate civic development into their curriculums and provide students with opportunities to apply knowledge in meaningful and civically engaged ways.
Educational Leadership's Themes for 2004–2005
September 2004
Teaching for Meaning
How can such instructional practices as project-based learning and constructivist learning foster deep understanding in students?
Deadline: May 3, 2004
October 2004
Writing!
This issue will examine strategies for developing writing skills at all grade levels and in all content areas.
Deadline: May 3, 2004
November 2004
Closing Achievement Gaps
This issue will examine the complex issues that cause and perpetuate longstanding achievement gaps related to ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and gender.
Deadline: June 1, 2004
December 2004/January 2005
Educating Language Learners
What is the best way to learn another language? How can teachers integrate students from diverse linguistic backgrounds into the classroom?
Deadline: July 1, 2004
February 2005
How Schools Improve
What are the crucial ingredients needed to improve a school? How do schools overcome obstacles to improvement?
Deadline: September 1, 2004
March 2005
Learning from Urban Schools
How can urban schools attract and retain high-quality teachers and administrators, create safe environments for learning, and raise standards?
Deadline: October 1, 2004
April 2005
The Adolescent Learner
What are the classroom ramifications of research on the emotional and cognitive aspects of adolescence? How can schools tap into adolescents' potential?
Deadline: November 1, 2004
May 2005
Supporting New Teachers and Principals
How can schools provide innovative support to new teachers and principals, from the young and green to seasoned career-changers?
Deadline: December 1, 2004
ASCD in the Field
ASCD staff members regularly keep in contact with practitioners so that our products and services meet current needs in the field. This past November and December, 26 ASCD staff members participated in “Data in a Day,” a project that sent them to school for a day. Alone and in pairs, they visited elementary, middle, and high schools. School principals and teachers took the time to talk with their ASCD guests about such topics as leadership, professional development, classroom management, technology use, and instructional strategies. They also welcomed the staff into their classrooms to observe teaching and learning. Staff members returned to ASCD with detailed reports that were combined to examine trends.
Our thanks to the 15 participating schools in Virginia, Maryland, and Ohio for their help in guiding our current and future programs, products, and services.
Resources for “Leading in Tough Times”
<BIBLIST><HEAD>Books</HEAD>Accountability for Learning: How Teachers and School Leaders Can Take Charge. (2004). By Douglas B. Reeves. Price: $18.95 (member); $23.95 (nonmember). Stock No. 104004.Leadership Capacity for Lasting School Improvement. (2003). By Linda Lambert. Price: $18.95 (member); $23.95 (nonmember). Stock No. 102283.Leadership for Learning: How to Help Teachers Succeed. (2002). By Carl D. Glickman. Price: $19.95 (member); $23.95 (nonmember). Stock No. 101031.Finding Your Leadership Style: A Guide for Educators. (2002). By Jeffrey Glanz. Price: $21.95 (member); $25.95 (nonmember). Stock No. 102115.</BIBLIST>
<BIBLIST><HEAD>Action Tools</HEAD>Creating the Capacity for Change. (2002). By Jody Mason Westbrook and Valarie Spiser-Albert. 130-page manual with a 23-minute videotape. Price: $199 (member); $225 (nonmember). Stock No. 702118.Guide for Instructional Leaders: Guide 1. (essential leadership practices) (2002). By Roland Barth, Bobb Darnell, Laura Lipton, and Bruce Wellman. Three-ring binder, 215 pages. Price: $89 (member); $109 (nonmember). Stock No. 702110.Guide for Instructional Leaders: Guide 2. (curriculum development, classroom assessment, and grading) (2003). By Grant Wiggins, John L. Brown, and Ken O'Connor. Three-ring binder, 200 pages. Price: $89 (member); $109 (nonmember). Stock No. 703105.Analytic Processes for School Leaders. (2001). Based on the book of the same name, by Cynthia T. Richetti and Benjamin B. Tregoe. 169-page manual with a 40-minute videotape. Price: $199 (member); $225 (nonmember). Stock No. 701016.</BIBLIST>
<BIBLIST> <HEAD>ASCD Network</HEAD> <CITATION> The Change Agency: An Electronic Vehicle for Leadership in Learning. Go to www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~cll/CAN/frameset.htm or contact Charles F. Webber; (403) 220-5675; cwebber@ucalgary.ca. </CITATION> </BIBLIST>
<BIBLIST><HEAD>Magazine</HEAD>Educational Leadership. (2002, May). “Beyond Instructional Leadership.” Stock No. 102278. Price: $6 (individual copy).</BIBLIST>
Your Turn
The articles in this issue explore different viewpoints on and strategies for leading in tough times. Now it's your turn. What is your response to Michael Fullan, who argues that districts can implement meaningful education reforms even during tough times? Or to Larry Cuban, who cautions against confusing the often- noble call to leadership with the “less-than-subtle call to educators to do more with less”? Or to Andy Hargreaves and Dean Fink, who point to leadership sustainability as a key force to meaningful change? Or to Ronald A. Heifetz and Marty Linsky, who assert that true leadership can be a dangerous and difficult business?
Send a brief statement (100–300 words) toel@ascd.org. Indicate “Your Turn, April issue” in the subject box. Selected responses will appear in an upcoming issue.
