Posts about Transparency

Embracing change: New words, new acronyms? LOL!

Embracing change: New words, new acronyms? LOL!

February 1, 2012 4 Comments

If you want to know about the latest terminology and acronyms, ask a young person! It seems that the only thing you can really count on in this world is change, and we have certainly lived through huge changes in education as well. How do we keep up with changing and new terminology and new ...

What the heck is a QR code and why should I care?

What the heck is a QR code and why should I care?

September 2, 2011 12 Comments

You may have begun to see funny-looking black and white squares (QR Codes) that look a bit like stamps stuck on advertisements in magazines.  I really hadn’t paid attention (eyes rolled) because sometimes I get a bit wary when I hear about ANOTHER new techie thing.  Who has time to keep up with all that?  ...

School Board Meeting Agendas:  Who, What, When, Where, How?

School Board Meeting Agendas: Who, What, When, Where, How?

August 1, 2011 2 Comments

Local school boards meet all around this country in governing our nation’s public schools. Who makes the agenda? In my home state of Georgia, the superintendent and board chair have the responsibility of creating the monthly agenda; each member of the board can additionally request that an item be placed on the agenda. What’s put ...

Could the cloud be a silver lining for school leadership?

Could the cloud be a silver lining for school leadership?

June 1, 2011 No Comments

Is your head in the clouds? It should be. If you are a school administrator or a board member, you may have never heard or thought about “cloud” technology.  I mentioned the word the other day in an e-mail and was surprised to hear back that it meant nothing to the recipients.  I would respond ...

(Almost) Paperless Accreditation

(Almost) Paperless Accreditation

April 19, 2011 3 Comments

Planning for accreditation can be an incredibly busy time for any district. Our plates are all full, as the tired saying reminds us, but we needed to collaborate on this extremely important sign and seal of our district work. And as with all things in a school district, working with adults is an excellent opportunity ...

Fleshing out your meeting agendas

Fleshing out your meeting agendas

April 13, 2011 No Comments

If you’re like me, you’ve attended your fair share of meetings (staff meetings, board meetings, cabinet meetings…you name it.) Most of these meetings have had an agenda but many agendas were just SKELETONS, or basic outlines of the topics that will be presented, discussed or acted upon. So as we’ve had access to technology tools, ...

Board meeting agendas: Staying on track

Board meeting agendas: Staying on track

April 11, 2011 1 Comment

At the eBOARDsolutions User Conference in March 2011, I co-presented with Dr. Valery Hall of the Forsyth County Public Schools in Georgia. In her role of assisting both the superintendent and the board of education, Valery is integrally involved in preparing the agendas for their board’s meetings. Thus, our session involved agenda preparation and effective ...

A simple formula for excellence: People + Processes

A simple formula for excellence: People + Processes

March 11, 2011 1 Comment

Over the past two years, I have had the privilege and good fortune to be a part of what I believe to be one of the greatest movements in Georgia history to transform public education. In 2009, the Georgia School Boards Association and the Georgia School Superintendents Association embarked on a journey to bring together ...

Promote Your Schools Using These Five Freebies

Promote Your Schools Using These Five Freebies

February 20, 2011 No Comments

Now that doing more with less is the new norm, how do you market and promote your school district and successful programs? Maybe it’s time for a brainstorming session with your school public relations professional. Don’t know where to start? I’ll kick the conversation off with these five freebies: Create desktop wallpaper and screensavers for ...

Is your LEADERSHIP team effectively using technology?

Is your LEADERSHIP team effectively using technology?

February 10, 2011 No Comments

Over the last two decades I’ve worked with school systems (both administrators and teachers) helping them to more effectively use technology. In most of these cases, this has been in the service of a technology company such as Apple, Promethean or eBOARDsolutions. According to this Edupotia article “Shaping Tech for the Classroom” by Mark Prensky ...

Local Advocacy Ideas

Local Advocacy Ideas

February 3, 2011 No Comments

As legislative sessions have begun all around the country, school board members are advocating for their local public schools. Grassroots efforts are the heart of this kind of advocacy. School board members are the voice of their communities. How do they share their message with their legislators? Consider hosting a local bus tour of your ...

How to Work with Your Elected Officials

How to Work with Your Elected Officials

January 31, 2011 1 Comment

Alabama Association of School Boards President Florence Bellamy has advocated for education on the local, state and national scene. She knows first-hand that an educated populace is an issue elected officials can rally around. She advises education leaders to keep that in mind when they are advocating. “We must set aside personal and political differences ...

How are we doing? Appreciative Inquiry-style evaluations.

How are we doing? Appreciative Inquiry-style evaluations.

January 9, 2011 3 Comments

Successful school districts take accountability seriously and strive to cultivate a culture that values continuous improvement. School boards can model their commitment to these ideas by engaging in regular self-evaluation, in addition to completing timely evaluations of their superintendent. With the focus on technology and data collection it is easy to lose sight of the ...

New Board Members:  Focus on the Plan!

New Board Members: Focus on the Plan!

January 4, 2011 No Comments

With elections across the country at the end of 2010, there has been a good bit of turnover with locally elected officials. Simply put, 2010 was not the year for incumbents. In the world of public service, there are many new school board members beginning terms this month. How is a change in a school ...

Community Support for Funding

Community Support for Funding

November 5, 2010 No Comments

Georgia’s local school systems can ask their communities to pass a Special Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) for additional revenue. Those pennies can really add up. That’s how we paid for our high school’s auditorium. To the school board, how do you get your community to support this initiative? First, if you’ve passed a SPLOST ...

Creating a Performance Culture:  Elements for Success

Creating a Performance Culture: Elements for Success

November 1, 2010 1 Comment

Education leaders want their districts and schools to be high performing. To do that, leaders recognize that they must create Performance Cultures. But what exactly is does this mean and what do leaders do to create a Performance Culture? Culture, simply defined, means “the way we do things around here.” At Georgia Leadership Institute for ...

Wait for Superman or Build Transformation Teams?

Wait for Superman or Build Transformation Teams?

October 27, 2010 4 Comments

A solution to transform public education Last week I had the privilege of being one of three speakers in the TEDx session at the NSBA Technology and Learning Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. The first speaker, Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow addressed the importance of listening to students about how they want to learn in ...

PDF’s, Meetings, Policies and a Basket of Clean Laundry

PDF’s, Meetings, Policies and a Basket of Clean Laundry

October 22, 2010 2 Comments

Over the last few years, I asked many people from school districts this question, “Are your board meetings and policies online?” And I’ve been pretty content to hear the answer has most often been “Yes, they are.” “Great!” I think (until I go look on their website). In most cases, I’m finding a few PDF files ...

Leveraging Technology Leaders In Support of Continuous Improvement Outcomes

Leveraging Technology Leaders In Support of Continuous Improvement Outcomes

October 15, 2010 No Comments

School leaders remain committed to the success of their students, schools and communities. The commitment grows even as the pressures of diverse student populations, continued budget deficits and a persistent lean economy. Based on No Child Left Behind legislation, parents are increasingly aware of school choice options which place additional pressure on educational leaders for ...

It’s a new world.  Are you ready to play?

It’s a new world. Are you ready to play?

October 8, 2010 1 Comment

During the 2010 Council of School Board Association Communicators Conference in Atlanta, I finally put into words what I’ve been musing for awhile. We’re at a communication crossroads where ink-stained fingers meet digital dudes and divas meet those who like a little broadcast with their print news and social media. Media consumption is no longer ...

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Early Learning and School Readiness: A Worthy Investment?

As local school systems near the end of another school year and are planning and budgeting for the 2012-2013...

Planning for Mission: Possible

The eBOARDsolutions 2012 User Conference was held in late February in Atlanta, Georgia. Almost 200 eBOARD users gathered for...

The Flipped Classroom for Professional Development

Have any of the teachers in your school systems tried flipping their classrooms yet? Have you heard about it...

Embracing change: New words, new acronyms? LOL!

If you want to know about the latest terminology and acronyms, ask a young person! It seems that the...

What can we learn from…South America?

This past November, I had the opportunity to be part of the Senior Consortium for School Networking Delegation to...

What Does It Mean to be “On the Spectrum?”

As we try to raise the awareness level of special education and mental and emotional needs in the world...

Why School Boards Should Focus on Education Technology

Technology has changed the way virtually every industry in the world operates – from farmers to physicians – by...

The Amazing Story of Joplin, MO

In May 2011, tornadoes ripped through Joplin, Missouri. A community was destroyed. The hub of that community is the...

Do you grow your own leaders?

In a world where many are nearing retirement, public education faces changes in leadership across our country.  How does...

Transformative Teaching Practices

Missouri School Boards Association’s 2011 Pre-Conference was themed “Technology Trends in Education.” As a part of the day’s agenda...

Boards: Stay out of the Weeds

Is your school board’s work in the weeds or are you looking from a global perspective? It’s so easy...

What the heck is a QR code and why should I care?

You may have begun to see funny-looking black and white squares (QR Codes) that look a bit like stamps...

School Board Meeting Agendas: Who, What, When, Where, How?

Local school boards meet all around this country in governing our nation’s public schools. Who makes the agenda? In...

Art, music, PE and drama. Are they essential?

Art, music, P.E., drama…do we need performing arts and physical education in our schools? Absolutely. There are some students...

Could the cloud be a silver lining for school leadership?

Is your head in the clouds? It should be. If you are a school administrator or a board member,...

Connecting the Dots in Today’s Education Landscape

The Center for Digital Education held nine conferences this spring with a theme “Connecting the Dots” where participants not...

(Almost) Paperless Accreditation

Planning for accreditation can be an incredibly busy time for any district. Our plates are all full, as the...

Fleshing out your meeting agendas

If you’re like me, you’ve attended your fair share of meetings (staff meetings, board meetings, cabinet meetings…you name it.)...

Board meeting agendas: Staying on track

At the eBOARDsolutions User Conference in March 2011, I co-presented with Dr. Valery Hall of the Forsyth County Public...

A simple formula for excellence: People + Processes

Over the past two years, I have had the privilege and good fortune to be a part of what...