1. education
2. school

NewsLeader
January 2015  Vol. 62  No. 5
E-Rate to get its first funding
increase since 1999
 In a big win for U.S. schools, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) expanded funding to
improve school broadband access and ensure reliable
Internet for all students nationwide. The vote follows
more than a year of tireless advocacy by NASSP and
other education groups.
In a 3-2 party-line vote at its December 11 meeting,
the FCC approved chairman Tom Wheeler’s proposal
to increase funding for the federal E-Rate program by
$1.5 billion, bringing the annual total to just under $4
billion. NASSP has long supported the E-Rate program
and urged the FCC to provide additional funding to
meet the growing need for Internet broadband and
Wi-Fi services in our nation’s secondary schools. Over
the past year, NASSP has called on the FCC to immediately and permanently increase the program’s annual
funding level.
“The FCC vote reflects our national commitment to
educational excellence and equity,” said NASSP Executive Director JoAnn Bartoletti. “A solid technology
infrastructure in schools places a world of knowledge,
expertise, and resources at students’ fingertips, and
empowers students to develop and practice the skills
they will need to meet the high standards for college
and career readiness states are currently implementing.”
NASSP Digital Principal Daisy Dyer Duerr, principal of St. Paul High School in Arkansas, addressed the
FCC about the importance of reliable broadband for
students in remote, rural areas.
“Broadband has been a real challenge for us,” Duerr
told the FCC just before the vote. “And for my small,
rural school, reliable broadband is the only way to connect students with people and resources to which they
would not otherwise have access.”
Funded at $2.25 billion annually since 1999, the
E-Rate program was level-funded until 2010, when
it began receiving annual inflationary increases. Total
funding for the program in FY 2013 was $2.43 billion,
less than half of school and library demand for that
year.
Without the ability to access greater bandwidth
speeds in classrooms, our nation’s students are
hamstrung in their efforts to use digital textbooks,
participate in online and distance learning courses,
and take online assessments. In addition, NASSP has
consistently maintained that E-Rate’s annual funding
cap, essentially unchanged from its inception, is grossly
inadequate to fund the bandwidth increases so many
schools require with the growing use of laptops and
digital devices.
Through the Education and Libraries Network
Coalition (EdLiNC), JoAnn Bartoletti and NASSP’s
advocacy staff attended meetings with chairman
Wheeler and his staff to advocate on behalf of E-Rate
beneficiaries—schools and the students they serve.
NASSP also submitted comments in response to proposals to modernize the program that were released
earlier this year and has urged principals to talk about
the importance of the E-Rate program in meetings
with their federal legislators.
Despite this favorable vote, NASSP advocacy efforts
will continue as the new Congress is expected to review
the FCC’s actions in 2015. NL
At the leadership symposium, principals from NASSP and U.S.
Army leaders discussed their joint commitment to supporting
school leaders as they prepare students for college, career, military
service, and citizenship.
 For a second year, NASSP and
the U.S. Army gathered principals
from around the country for a
leadership and professional development symposium to give them
insight into how the Army develops leaders, adapts to the new generation’s personalities and ways of
learning, and enhances leadership
qualities within the organization.
The November 12–14 event
at the U.S. Army Command and
General Staff College in Fort
Leavenworth, KS, featured speakers from the U.S. Army Cadet
Page 6 »
NASSP Digital Principal Daisy Dyer Duerr from Arkansas shares a
laugh with FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler prior to Duerr’s testimony
on the importance to rural schools of expanding E-Rate funding.
At a
Glance
The High-Speed Internet
Connectivity Gap
According to a fact sheet from the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC), 68% of all districts say that not a single school in their district
can meet high-speed Internet connectivity targets today. The gap is
biggest in rural and low-income areas, where libraries and schools
must upgrade their infrastructure to access new educational tools and
technologies available online. The E-Rate program highlighted above
seeks to address this issue.
32%
Districts with
high-speed Internet
68%
Districts without
high-speed Internet
Source: FCC.gov Fact Sheet: FCC Chairman Wheeler’s Plan to Reboot the E-Rate Program to
Meet the Needs of 21st Century Digital Learning
Inside
Photo courtesy of U.S. Army
Principals and Army Leaders Unite to
Discuss Education and Leadership
Photo courtesy of FCC
FCC Votes to Expand School
Broadband Access
2 Editorial
Keeping the Person in
Personalized
3 Attending Ignite ‘15 7 Teacher Preparation
A principal explains why
professional conferences are
worth attending
The Department of Education
releases proposed teacher
preparation regulations
2
NewsLeader
n
January 2015
Message From the Executive Director
Keeping the Person in
Personalized
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President
G. A. BUIE (KS)
Principal, Eudora HS
JOANN B ARTOLE TTI
President-Elect
MICHAEL ALLISON (PA)
Principal, Hopewell HS
DANIEL SHANE AZURE (ND)
Principal, Northwood HS
• During the holiday season I, like most
of humanity it seems, did a portion of my
shopping on Amazon.com. It is undeniably
an exquisite shopping experience. The site
is seamless and the recommendations are
so precisely tailored to my interests that it is
almost as if Amazon knows me.
Almost.
Of course, Amazon does not know me. It
has collected certain data about me and calculated my interests based on previous visits.
But I am much more than just the sum of
my preferences of book topics, movie genres,
and countertop appliances. I have goals and
aspirations, pressure points, motivations,
shortcomings, and everything else that makes
a person a person. So while the Amazon
experience is customized, it falls far short of
being personalized.
A similar debate is now under way in the
world of education. In an era of big data,
principals’ inboxes are barraged with promotions for “personalized” learning solutions that are sometimes little more than
adaptive technologies. A term that once
represented a noble educational aspiration has unfortunately been co-opted by an
industry that regards it as little more than
marketing lingo. Will Richardson identified
the dichotomy—characterized as delivery vs.
discovery—several years ago in his e-book
Why School? Where technology is just a tool
to more efficiently deliver content, personalized instruction adapts content and problems
to individual students based on their assessed
skill level. This model focuses on the most
quantifiable learning tasks: information
acquisition, basic skills, a bit of critical thinking, and analysis accomplishments that can
be easily identified and scored. Richardson
contrasts this model with a more genuinely
personalized, technology-enabled approach
to education:
“In this new narrative, learning ceases
to focus on consuming information
or knowledge that’s no longer scarce.
Instead, it’s about asking questions, working with others to find the answers, doing
real work for real audiences, and adding
to, not simply taking from, the storehouse
of knowledge that the Web is becoming.
It’s about developing the kinds of habits and dispositions that deep, lifelong
learners need to succeed in a world rife
with information and connections. The
emphasis shifts from content mastery to
learning mastery. That means students
have more ownership over their own
learning, using their access to knowledge
and teachers to create their own unique
paths to the outcomes we, and they, deem
important.”
These last few lines echo NASSP’s definition of personalization, which we have
promoted since the 1996 launch of Breaking Ranks—one that emphasizes student
empowerment and discovery according to
a student’s own needs and interests. Such
learning can flourish only in a supportive
environment that places a premium on caring relationships.
Fortunately, recent conversations have
renewed personalization in the context of
educational technology. The progressive nonprofit Next Generation Learning Challenges
identifies four attributes of personalized
learning:
• Learner Profiles: Students' strengths and
weaknesses, motivation, and goals are
visible to them and their teachers. Profiles are constantly refreshed.
• Personal Learning Paths: Each student
follows a path through content and
skills in ways that work best for him or
her. Though students' paths vary, the
destination is the same—clear, high
expectations.
• Competency-based Progression: Student
learning is continually assessed against
clearly defined expectations and goals.
Each student advances as he or she demonstrates mastery.
• Flexible Learning Environment: Time,
space, roles, and instructional modes flex
with the needs of students and teachers
rather than being fixed variables.
These attributes move us closer to restoring the person in personalization. Yet, while
the definition is still up for grabs, school
leaders must remain vigilant to ensure there
is substance behind the label of any program
they select. NL
MARILYN BOERKE (WA)
Principal, Liberty MS
DEBBIE BROCKETT (NV)
Principal, Las Vegas HS
RICHARD BROWN (AL)
Principal, Beauregard HS
LESLIE FRAZIER (OK)
Principal, Coweta Intermediate HS
RALPH FUNK (TX)
Principal, Jersey Village HS
MARTIN GUILLORY (LA)
Principal, Oak Park MS
CHRISTINE HANDY-COLLINS (MD)
Principal, Gaithersburg HS
CURTIS JOHNSON (PA)
Associate Principal, State College Area HS
BONNIE JOHNSON-ATEN (VT)
Principal, Edmunds MS
CHRIS JOHNSTON (NC)
Principal, Oak Grove MS
DANIEL P. KELLEY (RI)
Principal, Smithfield HS
TROY KILZER II (TN)
Chester County Schools
BRUCE LOCKLEAR (MN)
Principal, Edina HS
RODNEY LOGAN (NJ)
Principal, Ewing HS
SUSAN BOSSIE-MADDOX (WV)
Principal, Minerva Center
KRIS OLSEN (OR)
Principal, McMinnville HS
LARRY ROTHER (AZ)
Principal, Chandler HS
MIKE SCHOLZ (IL)
Principal, Father McGivney Catholic HS
BRAD SEAMER (SD)
Principal, McCook Central Schools
DEBRA THOMAS (OK)
Principal, OCPS Extended Ed
School Services
DAVID L. THOMSON (MA)
Blackstone Millville Regional School District
Photo courtesy of G.A. Buie
Trust is Hallmark of Finnish Education System
Students led NASSP President G.A. Buie
(center) on a tour of their school in Finland.
 In a society where trust prevails among educators, students, and parents, a delegation of six
NASSP members had an eye-opening visit to
Finland in November.
Led by NASSP President G.A. Buie, the
American visitors got an up-close-and-personal
look at Finland’s education system to find out
what works and—given their reliance on trust—
learn whether accountability measures play a
role for students, teachers, and administrators.
Buie reported, “Trust was a consistent theme
throughout our visits. There is a mutual trust
among parents, teachers, and principals. This
is a stark contrast to the top-down, test-driven
accountability we have here in the United States.”
The delegation probed the topic of teacher
evaluation as well. In a blog post, Buie wrote,
teachers “discussed the autonomy they had to
teach their lessons … one teacher shared she
had been teaching for 15 years and never had
an adult observe her in her class and had never
been through an evaluation process.” One principal explained, “If teachers are not doing well,
the students and the parents will let the principal know. If they hear concerns with the same
teacher a few times the principal will step in to
meet with parents, students, and the teacher.
Teachers don’t want to have that conversation!”
Delegates asked one principal about standardized testing and its influence on measuring
performance. He responded, “We are doing well
on the PISA because we are studying for LIFE,
not the TEST.”
Buie observed, “At a very young age, students
are expected to be responsible for their own
learning.”
With regard to special education, Buie said,
“Finnish schools identify problems and remediate early. We were told multiple times that 75
percent of P–2 students have special services.
…U.S. schools are not remotely resourced to
engage in that scale of early intervention. They
are much more proactive than reactive.” Thus,
the need for special services declines as students
progress.
The delegation included Kevin Shelton, principal, Johnsburg High School in Johnsburg, IL;
Diane Cooper, principal, St. Joseph Academy
in St. Louis, MO; Ann Davis, clinical assistant
professor, University of North Carolina, Greensboro; Carol Rigby, headmaster, Taveres and
Apopka Middle/High School in Gallman, MS;
and Bill Truesdale, principal, Chicago Public
Schools. Each paid his or her own way.
In Finland, a nation of 5.4 million, all individuals receive a totally free education. Kevin
Shelton explained in a blog post, the education
system is based on a “framework curriculum
they started in 1994 and updated in 2003 …
teachers get to choose how to meet that framework in their classroom. Some use textbooks,
some use the Internet.” After ninth grade,
students are competing for placement in a traditional secondary school or vocational school.
Competition to become a teacher is fierce, with
4,000-plus students vying for 700 positions in
intensive teacher training programs.
Buie concluded, the Finnish students “don’t
have the baggage ours do. They are supported
and they know that if they work hard, they can
get to college and fulfill their dreams. Food and
health are taken care of. They arrive at school
ready to learn. The differences in poverty levels
between our two nations is huge.” NL
NASSP STAFF
(not a complete listing)
Executive Director
JOANN BARTOLETTI
Deputy Executive Director, Programs and Services
BEVERLY J. HUTTON, EdD
Deputy Executive Director, Operations
DENNIS SADLER
NewsLeader
PUBLISHING STAFF
Director of Communications
JENNIFER J. JONES
Graphic Designer
MICHELLE DELAPENHA
CONTRIBUTORS
Director of Public Affairs
BOB FARRACE
Director of Advocacy
AMANDA KARHUSE
Associate Director of Advocacy
JACKI BALL
WASHINGTON PARTNERS, LLC
The NASSP NewsLeader, ISSN 0278-0569, is published
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Secondary School Principals, 1904 Association Dr., Reston,
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NewsLeader
Guest column by David S. Ellena
 The landscape of professional
development for school administrators has changed dramatically
over the past five years, for a variety of reasons. The ability to be
connected through Twitter chats
and online resources make staying up-to-date on best practices
easier than ever.
But is it enough? Is there still
a place for face-to-face meetings?
Is there still a reason to attend
professional conferences, like
Ignite ’15? For the cost, is there
enough of a benefit in this day
and age of reduced budgets and
financial worries? I say yes. Hear
me out, because I know what you
are thinking: it’s too expensive,
I can’t miss school days, what
would my staff say? Yes, these are
all valid thoughts. And yes, I still
maintain that these conferences
have their place. Here’s why:
Face-to-Face Interaction
Don’t get me wrong, I am all
about learning through the Web.
I love a good Twitter chat (if you
haven’t tried one of these, you
are really missing out) and following great blogs and websites.
But nothing beats the power of
face-to-face conversations. Take
it a step further. Combining the
two forms is even more powerful. Knowing the people I interact
with online personally enriches
both forms of learning. At the
NASSP Ignite Conference, there
are so many great opportunities
to connect in numerous ways.
I follow the live Twitter feed so
that I can keep up with sessions
I can’t attend. I also renew old
friendships and make new ones.
Invariably, these conversations
revolve around issues we see in
our schools and how others are
dealing with these issues. I never
fail to walk away with something
I can use back at my school.
Keynote Speakers
Yes, I can follow keynote
speakers online. I can read their
blogs and websites. But that is
not the same as seeing and listening to them live and in person.
Normally, these well-known
speakers have a book signing or
some other session where you
can interact with them personally. You can’t do that online. I
have been to seven consecutive
NASSP conferences. I can tell you
that the breadth and depth of
these speakers is the best I have
ever seen. I have had the chance
to talk to many nationally known
speakers, and gained a different
perspective about education at
the national level from speaking
to them.
Networking
Some of the most informative “sessions” I have attended
at conferences weren’t sessions
at all. They were impromptu
social conversations with other
attendees. The opportunity to sit
down over a meal, a beverage, or
just sitting around the conference venue cannot be duplicated
online. I have learned so much
from my colleagues outside of
formal sessions. The Ignite conferences I have attended provided
me with an opportunity to meet
and interact with people from
across the nation and the globe.
That alone is sometimes worth
the cost.
A Different Environment
Most of the rea ding and
contacts I make online are done
when I have a few free minutes
at home or at work. Being at a
conference location forces me to
slow down and focus on what I
am learning about. This is much
different than the hectic minuteto-minute school day. I find that
after a few days in this setting, I
return to my work rejuvenated
and with more energy.
Ig nite has always b e en a
source of renewal for me. I
always feel more positive about
what we, as educators, do on a
daily basis. The Ignite conferences provide me with the inspiration and drive I need to be a
successful school administrator.
It also doesn’t hurt that Ignite ’15
will be in beautiful, sunny San
Diego. Sounds like a great place
to learn and revitalize! NL
David S. Ellena is the principal
of Tomahawk Creek Middle School
in Chesterfield, VA. A version of
this article previously appeared on
his blog at aprincipalslife.wordpress.com.
Follow NASSP
facebook.com/principals
twitter.com/nassp (@NASSP)
January 2015
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Principal of the Year Advises on SelfAdvocacy at First Teach to Lead Summit
Photo courtesy of Teach to Lead
Why Professional
Conferences are
Worth Attending
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The participants of the first Teach to Lead summit
in Kentucky gathered for a photo after an exciting
first day of discussing teacher leadership ideas.
 2015 NASSP National Principal of the Year Jayne
Ellspermann was among the leaders sharing their
experiences at the first Teach to Lead Summit for
teachers who aspire to take on more leadership while
remaining in the classroom.
The December 6–7 event drew several hundred
teachers from the southern states and beyond to
Louisville, KY, for discussions on the role of teacher
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leaders and review of teacher-driven proposals for
generating more leadership opportunities in schools.
“We need teacher leaders now more than ever,”
said Ellspermann, principal of West Port High School
in Ocala, FL. “As schools implement standards for
college and career readiness, we will need to take full
advantage of all the skills and talents teachers bring
to their work, including their desire and ability to
lead teams and initiatives.”
Ellspermann underscored the value of a summit
for teacher leaders and indicated that attendees especially valued that the event was created and executed
completely by teachers.
Teach to Lead is an initiative jointly convened
by the National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards and the U.S. Department of Education to
advance student outcomes by expanding opportunities for teacher leadership, particularly those that
allow teachers to stay in the classroom. NASSP is an
official supporter of the Teach to Lead initiative.
The Louisville summit was the first of three currently planned Teach to Lead summits. Future summits will be held in Denver in January and in Boston
in February. Visit http://teachtolead.org/ to learn
more. NL
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Ignite ’15 Learning Labs will give you a concentrated and focused dose of
knowledge on a hot topic—from leadership to technology to college and career
readiness standards. In a lively 20-minute exchange, get some quick and
meaningful takeaways on topics such as:
■
■
Leading Change in School: What Great Leaders Do
Chaos to Confidence: Tips and Tricks to Help the Busy Administrator
Engage directly with presenters and other attendees to get the answers you
need at Ignite ’15.
REGISTER TODAY!
NASSPCONFERENCE.ORG
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NewsLeader
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January 2015
With NASSP Efforts, Federal Spending Bill
Recognizes Importance of Principals
Small increases for education,
but big mandate for states
to invest more in principal
development
 Education saw a minimal increase in the
recently signed FY 2015 federal spending bill.
But NASSP and its partners continue to make
big strides in getting school leadership recognized as a federal budget priority.
For the second year in a row, Congress
passed a massive “omnibus” spending bill
that covers every facet of federal spending—
including investments in education. Funding
for the Department of Homeland Security
will be operating under a Continuing Resolution (CR) until February 2015, giving rise
to the term “CRomnibus” to describe the
hybrid.
Despite cuts in the School Leadership Program and other education programs, NASSP
got a big advocacy win: The omnibus report
includes language about the importance of
NASSP, State Associations
Collaborating on PD Outreach
 NASSP is working with state
associations to bring professional development initiatives
right to your state. These PD
offerings can be customized to
needs of a particular state or
population.
One such oppor tunit y is
being rolled out in several locations this month. The Assistant
Principal Institute is a highly
f o c u s e d o n e - d ay wo r k s h o p
being offered in three locations.
Based on NASSP’s book 10
Skills for Successful School Leaders, this institute will target the
improvement of key skills necessary for leadership success. Institute leaders will introduce the
10 skills, then guide participants
into understanding the behaviors that make up the skills.
In collaboration with Kans a s ( KA S S P ) a n d M i s s o u r i
funding, and several were cut, including two
programs NASSP has consistently advocated
for: the School Leadership Program and the
High School Graduation Initiative. Title II,
Part A funds for improving teacher and principal quality and career and technical education state grants were flat-funded at their
FY14 levels, leaving those programs at $2.3
billion and $1.1 billion respectively.
Congress once again cut the School Leadership Program, which NASSP encouraged
Congress to create in 2001 to recruit, mentor,
and train principals to serve in high-need
schools. Since FY12, this program has seen
decreases in funding, this time by $9.4 million to $16.4 million. These continued cuts
are disappointing considering the expanding roles and responsibilities of principals,
including implementing new teacher evaluation systems, college and career ready standards, and new online assessments.
NASSP was also disappointed to see that
the High School Graduation Initiative program was zeroed out in the FY15 omnibus.
school leadership for student achievement
and directs the U.S. Department of Education to provide guidance to states to ensure
principals are receiving “sufficient professional development opportunities” to support their instructional leadership capacity.
“The inclusion of language in the omnibus that identifies principals’ vital and
expanding role in learning is a clear mandate
by Congress that we need greater investment
in principal development,” NASSP said in a
joint statement with the National Association of Elementary School Principals and the
American Federation of School Administrators, who advocated collectively for the
language. “This is a great first step in improving the instructional leadership capacity in
our nation’s schools. We will continue the
momentum to ensure that the Department
of Education provides states with guidance as
Congress directs.”
Unfortunately, due to budget caps
established in December 2013, many education programs did not see any increases in
(MASSP), NASSP will present
this institute in Kansas City,
MO, on January 12. NASSP is
partnering with FASA in Florida
to offer the institute in Tampa
on January 23. In these sessions,
attendees will have an opportunity to align the skills with
the respective state’s principal
standards.
NASSP is hosting the instit u t e i n L a s Ve g a s , N V, o n
February 6.
To learn costs and link to
online registration sites for each
location, visit www.nassp.org
/apinstitute.
If you w ish to bring this
initiative or other professional
development programs to your
state, contact [email protected]. NL
This is the only federal investment dedicated
to reducing the nation’s dropout rate. We
were also disappointed that despite the attention on digital learning over the last year and
a half, there was no funding allocated for education technology and related professional
development programs.
However, NASSP was pleased to see that
two foundational investments for high-need
students, Title I and IDEA, each saw an
increase of $25 million from the last fiscal
year. Additionally, the Striving Readers program, which supports comprehensive literacy
programming for students from birth to
grade 12, received an increase of $2 million
in FY 2015.
NASSP will continue to advocate for
investments in school leadership that support
the profession and benefit students. NASSP
is particularly concerned with the impending return of sequestration in FY 2016 if
Congress does not take action to replace the
sequester in the 114th Congress. NL
Omnibus Action Alert
NASSP would like to acknowledge the following individuals who responded to the NASSP action alert
asking Congress to pass a FY15 omnibus appropriations bill. Thanks to all of you, Congress passed a
bill that, while not perfect, provides needed investments in education and a level of fiscal stability and
certainty to students, schools, and all educators.
Franklin Acojido
Cory Dziowgo
Kevin Acquard
Kathryn Allaman

Carol Kane
Scott Pyy
Jayne Ellspermann
Michael Kaufman
Damon Rainie
Aaron Eyler
Daniel Keever
Michael Resener
Christopher Ashley
Mike Finco
Carole Kihm
Dan Richards
Derek Atherton
Bill Fitzgerald
Troy Kilzer
Shawn Rickan
Brian Begley
Ty Flock
Ann Knell
Aaron Robb
John Belcher
Liz Freedman
Corey Knighton
Christopher Roberts
Peter Bergeron
Tami Garrett
Shane Knoche
Jeremy Roche
Daniel Bettin
Martin Geoghegan
Bill Kruskamp
Michael Scalco
James Bever
Paula Girouard McCann
Mary LaFreniere
Jeff Scherber
Allan Beyer
Carlos Gonzalez
Paul Lamb
Jane Schuck
Dana Bickmore
Justin Gross
Kathy Lemberger
Vicki Scott
Susan Bossie Maddox
Nikki Guilford
Lisa LeVie
Eddie Shawn
Carl Boyington
David Hansen
Bryan Lombardi
Kelley St. Coeur
Frederick Briggs
Chad Harnisch
Thom Loomis
Chris Stogdill
Natalie Brozy
Ursula Harrison
Laura Love
Thomas Storer
G.A. Buie
Muriel Heanue
Kevin Maines
Julie Straight
Sheryl Burk
Joanna Hebert
Peter Marano
Jamie Stump
David Burkett
Karen Hessel
David McDonald
Deborah Sullivan
Erik Burmeister
Carrie Hoffman
Ginni McDonald
Michael Sundin
Kelly Caldwell
Jay Homan
Martin McEvoy
Carl Svagerko
Candace Caluori
Grant Hosford
Shawn McLeod
Kent Swearingen
Jimmy Camp
Matthew Hosmer
Cari Medd
Joel Swenson
Rick Carter
Andrew Huben
Eva Merkel
Joseph Takacs
David Chappell
Jamie Huizinga
David Miles
Stan VanAmburg
Audra Christenson
Barish Icin
Brock Mitchell
Mandy H. Vasil
James Christenson
Karen James
Robert Moore
Dan Voce
Linda Chudy-Bowman
Joseph Jensen
Robert Mullaney
Tim Wald
Stephen Coons
Sharon Jensen
Vickki Nadler
Aimee Copas
Carey Johnson
Ted Nixon
Jakie Walker
Edwin Webbley
Joshua Cornwell
Keith Johnson
John Nori
George Whittemore
Patrick Cwayna
Lisa Johnson
Lisa Oliveira
Tracy Williams
Elizabeth Daugherty
Michael Jones
William Parker
Todd Wolverton
Frank De Rosa
John Jordan
Damian Patnode
Nestor Diaz
Roland Joyal
Trish Perry
NewsLeader
n
January 2015
5
 On November 20, President
Obama announced executive
actions that his administration will
take related to immigration reform.
Referred to as the Immigration
Accountability Executive Actions,
these new programs “crack down
on illegal immigration at the border, prioritize deporting felons
not families, and require certain
undocumented immigrants to pass
a criminal background check and
pay their fair share of taxes as they
register to temporarily stay in the
U.S. without fear of deportation.”
While it has been well reported
that these steps have strong
supporters and detractors, the
question for NASSP members is
“what impact will this have on
the students, families, teachers,
and administrators in my school
building?”
According to NASSP’s Board
Position Statement on Undocumented Students, NASSP believes
that each child is entitled to an
excellent public school education regardless of his or her
immigration status. A number of
education and civil rights organizations believe that President
Obama’s executive action will aid
student achievement by allowing
families to stay together because
certain undocumented parents of
U.S. citizens and parents of lawful permanent residents can no
longer be deported. This is because
the president’s order expands the
Deferred Action for Childhood
Arrivals (DACA) program for
youth who came to the U.S. as children. This program was established
by another executive action by
President Obama in 2012.
These youth—which are sometimes referred to as “Dreamers”—
and their parents may be granted
a type of temporary permission
to stay in the U.S. called “deferred
action.” According to the Department of Homeland Security, these
programs are expected to help up
to 4.4 million people, including
about 300,000 Dreamers and 4
million undocumented parents
who have been in the country for
more than five years and have no
criminal record.
In response to these actions,
Education Secretary Arne Duncan
stated, “These executive actions
will not only help our nation’s
immigrant families to succeed,
they also will help sustain America’s economic competitiveness into
the future.”
A number of Republicans in
Congress disagree. “The president’s
brazen disregard for the rule of
law and the constitutional limits
of his office continues to divide
our nation,” House Education and
the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN) said in a
statement.
While a specific legislative
response remains unclear, it will be
up the 114th Congress to craft and
pass new legislation specifically to
counter the president’s immigration order and reform the nation’s
broken immigration system. NL
Prepared by Ellen Fern of
Washington Partners, LLC.
So many depend on you
And your family is first among them.
PROTECT THEIR FUTURE
Your income is a critical component of your family’s
life. Without it, challenges are inevitable. Life insurance
proceeds can be an important tool in helping your family
afford final expenses, such as funeral and medical bills,
as well as day-to-day and future financial obligations for
which your income would have otherwise been used.
Photo by Regina Spatarella
Executive Order on
Immigration Impacts Schools
NASSP welcomed eight executive directors of NASSP-affiliated state
principals organizations for the State Executives Advisory Council
meeting. NASSP created the Advisory Council to ensure mutual
support between the state and national organizations, and to
encourage complementary efforts in our shared goal of supporting
principals in their work.
NASSP Advocate of
the Month
 Advocacy is more than just
principals meeting with their
members of Congress or sending
a letter through NASSP’s Principal’s Legislative Action Center
(PLAC). We also want to engage
our members in the development
of our positions on key issues and
create recommendations for federal, state, and local policymakers.
In July, the NASSP Advocacy
staff realized that the association
needed to develop a position on
student data privacy, especially
since many laws had already been
passed in states and Congress
had begun to hold hearings and
draft legislation. We put out a call
to our board members and state
leaders and even posted a public
plea for assistance to our Twitter
followers. Eighteen school leaders volunteered their time and
formed the Data Privacy Working Group. They participated
in a conference call in July and
reviewed draft recommendations,
which became our position statement on Student Data Privacy.
The NASSP Board of Directors
stated its intent to adopt the position statement in November and
is expected to give final approval
at their February 2015 meeting.
We would like to thank the
following members of the Data
Privacy Working Group for their
advocacy!
Marilyn Boerke
Liberty Middle School
Camas, WA
Pender Makin
The REAL School
Falmouth, ME
Gary Snyder
Princeton High School
Princeton, NJ
Debbie Brockett
Las Vegas High School
Las Vegas, NV
Mark Mambretti
East Aurora Middle
School
East Aurora, NY
Eric Stennett
Hampton Middle School
Allison Park, PA
Carol Burris
South Side High School
Rockville Centre, NY
As an NASSP member, you and your spouse have access
to exclusively negotiated Group Term Life Insurance of up
to $500,000.
Cheryl Dominichelli
John C. Kimball High
School
Tracy, CA
And, unlike employee benefits, insurance through your
membership with NASSP remains with you even if you
change schools or districts.
Willy Haug
Hillview Middle School
Menlo Park, CA
PROTECT YOUR LEGACY
Learn more today
Michael King
Dodge City Middle
School
Dodge City, KS
NASSP.ASSOCIATIONLIFEINSURANCE.COM
Patrick Larkin
Burlington Public Schools
Burlington, MA
David McDonald
Northwest Middle School
Travelers Rest, SC
Joe Nelson
Pass Christian Middle
School
Pass Christian, MS
Tinell Priddy
Thomas Jefferson High
School for Science and
Technology
Alexandria, VA
Roderick Sheppard
Florence Freshman
Center
Florence, AL
Chris Stogdill
Blair Middle School
Blair, NE
Michele Zee
Pleasant Hill Middle
School
Lexington, SC
Bill Ziegler
Pottsgrove High School
Pottstown, PA
6
NewsLeader
n
January 2015
Principals and Army Leaders Unite
continued from page 1
Command and Recruiting Command leaders, corporate leaders,
and group discussions highlighting
the parallels between military and
secondary education for the 36
attendees selected by NASSP.
“[This] was an effort to establish communication, establish
common ground around leadership, and to build and enhance
understanding for Army personnel
about schools and what happens in
them, and for school personnel [to
learn] about what happens in leadership in the Army and what some
of the possibilities and opportunities are for students in schools as
they move forward in regard to
Army service,” said Pete Reed, associate director of program services
with NASSP.
In 2013, a Memorandum of
Understanding between the U.S.
Army Marketing and Research
Group (AMRG) and NASSP was
signed in Reston, VA, grounding
the partnership’s joint commitment to supporting the nation’s
school leaders as they prepare
students for college, career, military
service, and citizenship. This year’s
gathering was built on momentum
sparked by the inaugural symposium in 2013, with an added focus
on best practices in leadership
development.
Michael Allison, presidentelect of NASSP and principal
at Hopewell High School in
Aliquippa, PA, said he was surprised at how translational the military and educational systems are.
“The things that they’re talking
about and how they develop leaders in the Army are really important factors when you talk about
how we develop strong school
leaders,” Allison said. “Many of the
same characteristics surrounding
integrity and core values are things
that are the basis for any form of
leadership. It’s important to see
how those two things support each
other.”
Allison added that the Army
and school principals have to
work together to accomplish their
missions.
“In the Army, to accomplish
their [recruiting] mission, they
need to have access to schools and
students, and as principals we serve
as the gatekeeper to that access,” he
said. “Having a solid understanding of not only the mission of the
recruiter but also the mission of
the Army in general really helps to
open your eyes to understanding
that we have a mutually rewarding
situation. The Army offers our students opportunities that many of
them would not have unless they
take advantage of what the Army
offers.”
In addition to leadership training, the symposium offered information for educators to share with
students about careers in the military or joining the Reserve Officers’
Training Corps (ROTC).
Lt. Col. Paul Haverstick, a public affairs officer with U.S. Army
Cadet Command, sat on a panel
and discussed leadership and
ROTC opportunities. Haverstick
said the symposium was unique
from other events he participates in
because he actually got to collaborate and show the military as an
education and leadership development process.
“It’s a win-win, because they’re
telling us the latest and greatest of
what’s going on in the high schools
that they’re teaching at and how
the kids are developing there … it
helps us identify and understand
the newcomers as well as we get
the opportunity to educate them
on the opportunities we have,” said
Haverstick.
Beverly Smith, assistant principal at Garner Magnet High School
in Garner, NC, a school of 2,700
students, said she’s appreciated the
interaction with other principals
and the information she’s learned
about the military.
“I’m taking away lots of things
that other great principals are
doing in their buildings,” Smith
said. “Also, I’m taking away a little
bit more about how the military
really wants to work closely with
high schools to get high quality
students to enlist in the military or
even go into ROTC at the college
level.”
Mike Solem is the principal at
Gervais High School in Gervais,
OR, a high-poverty high school
with about 350 students. About
four to five graduates go on to military service each year. Solem said
the symposium debunked many
of the myths he’d heard about the
military, including the myth that
anyone can join.
“Now that I have a better
understanding of what the Army
can offer,” Solem said, “I’m going
to sit down with the recruiter back
home, have him be a little bit more
aggressive with our kids, and give
him more opportunities to [reach]
kids and explain to them how
and why the military might be a
good solution to help them be a
success.” NL
A version of this article by
Jennifer Walleman previously
appeared in the Fort Leavenworth
Lamp.
Students Sing, Dance to
Celebrate Principals
Students and teachers from Archbishop Edward A. McCarthy High School expressed gratitude in a big
way by gathering on the football field for Principal Richard Jean.
Reservoir High School
students put on a memorable
performance in honor of
Principal Patrick Saunderson.
Harmony School of Excellence
students demonstrated their
appreciation for Principal Engin
Dogan through original song
lyrics and bold dance moves.
 National Principals Month brought an outpouring of support for principals this past October. In
addition to principal shadowing, op-eds, and social
media buzz by elected officials, school staff, and district administrators, students from across the country participated in a big way.
To enter NASSP’s annual National Principals
Month video contest, students were asked to create a
short video describing why they love their principal
and what he or she means to their school and community. This year’s response was the biggest yet, with
over 70 videos submitted.
The videos came from schools large and small;
urban and rural; public and private; from Guam to
New Jersey. But the common theme among them all
was a genuine love and appreciation for their principal. Four winners were selected, with each receiving a
$200 Best Buy gift certificate.
Archbishop Edward A. McCarthy High School in
Southwest Ranches, FL, expressed gratitude to Principal Richard Jean for how much he has done for the
school and student activities. One teacher said, “He
has a vision for the school and he makes that vision
known to the teachers and gives us the resources to
reach that same vision. He’s an amazing man.” The
video comes to an impressive finish with students
spelling out his last name on the football field.
Reservoir High School in Fulton, MD, decided
to honor Principal Patrick Saunderson with a music
video. Rewriting the words to the song “Cool Kids,”
the students performed the song on their football
field and featured clips of Principal Saunderson
Principal Paul Covey was
surprised by Valle Verde Early
College High School students
and staff with posters and
signs as they led him around
the school.
throughout. The song’s chorus says, “I wish that I
could be like P. Saundy, cause that P. Saundy, he is the
coolest.”
Harmony School of Excellence in Washington,
D.C., also praised their principal with music. Remaking the song “All About That Bass” into “He’s All
About Our School,” Harmony students and teachers paid tribute to Principal Engin Dogan though
unique lyrics and fun dance moves.
Valle Verde Early College High School in El Paso,
TX, took Principal Paul Covey on a journey to show
their appreciation. The video followed him as he
walked through the school grounds met by words of
praise written on the sidewalk and posters. He was
greeted with cheers and signs of thanks and support
at the end.
These four winning videos received top scores
from the judges at NASSP, but it wasn’t an easy decision. It is clear that all of the students who entered—
from elementary schools to high schools—dedicated
a lot of time and effort into producing their videos.
In many cases, the students impressively got teachers,
administrators, and the entire school involved in the
making of their video.
This year’s National Principals Month video
contest truly demonstrated just how much of an
impact principals can have on their students and
staff, whether it be supporting student activities,
encouraging students to be their best, or serving as a
role model.
View all the video contest submissions by visiting
www.principalsmonth.org/contest. NL
NewsLeader
n
January 2015
7
ED Releases Proposed Teacher Preparation Regulations
 On November 25, the Department of Education (ED)
released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to
strengthen teacher preparation programs. The announcement followed news from ED and the White House earlier
this year that the agency intended to revive the regulatory
package that had been abandoned in 2012. The community has been expecting the package since this summer.
According to ED, the purpose of these proposed
regulations is to better inform prospective educators
of effective teacher training programs; assist schools in
identifying the most effective programs from which to
recruit new teachers; and build best practices for creating
and improving teacher preparation programs. The new
regulations primarily focus on teacher preparation program data that shows outcomes—unlike the current data
reporting requirements that focus on inputs—and builds
transparency.
“Leaders in this field are already moving in the direction of our proposal, and our regulations try to align with
their best thinking on how to prepare effective educators
who are ready to hit the ground running on day one,” said
Education Secretary Arne Duncan of the NPRM. “If we
are going to improve teaching and learning in America, we
have to improve the training and support that we give our
teachers.”
ED held a public conference call on November 25
to discuss the release of the new teacher preparation
regulations and Secretary Duncan praised Tennessee for
receiving the top academic improvement score on the
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
assessment, which he correlated to the state’s strong
teacher preparation programs.
Ted Mitchell, undersecretary of ED, also mentioned
the department’s work in streamlining the data that currently is collected and discussed the four key indicators
that states would need to report annually for each teacher
preparation program. The four key indicators include:
• Employment outcomes for new teacher placements
and retention rates, up to three years
• Teacher and employer surveys with feedback on
the effectiveness of a teacher’s preparation for the
classroom
• S tudent learning outcomes that include student
growth data or performance measures on state and
local teacher evaluations during the first three years
of becoming a teacher
• Assurance of specialized accreditation or evidence
that a program has rigorous entry and exit requirements and quality clinical preparation
Along with reporting the four annual indicators for
each teacher preparation program, a state must rate each
program based on four tiers: low performing; at-risk;
effective; or exceptional. Each program’s ability to offer
federal aid for teachers in the form of TEACH grants will
be subject to this rating system. All ratings and reports are
required to be posted on a state report card that must be
uploaded to the institution’s website to increase program
transparency.
Interested parties have an open comment period of 60
days to respond to the proposed regulations. Final regulations are scheduled to be announced in September 2015.
States and providers are expected to begin collecting data
points by school year 2016-2017 with a pilot year starting
in April 2018. The first official report with full ratings—
including the four indicators and a list of performance
categories—will be submitted in April 2019 with full
implementation and annual report submissions by April
of 2020.
Since the 2012 negotiations, ED has agreed to extend
the timeline for implementation of their proposed rule,
but many advocates are still concerned about the indicators not accounting for factors that are out of a teacher’s
and institution’s control. Numerous groups also fear
that teacher preparation programs will start to incentivize employment at high-skilled schools over low-income
schools to keep their federal aid. For more information
and additional resources from ED, visit www.ed.gov/
teacherprep. NL
Prepared by Della Cronin and Joshua Westfall of
Washington Partners, LLC.
For Your Information
Resources, contests, and opportunities for principals
and their communities
Apply for the Principal
Ambassador Fellowship
Program
The U.S. Department of
Education has announced that
2015-2016 applications are now
available for a part-time Campus
Principal Ambassador Fellowship and a full-time Washington
Principal Fellowship program,
as well as the department's
Teaching Ambassador Fellowship program. Applications
close in mid-January and details
are available at www.ed.gov/
programs/princpalfellowship/
applicant.html.
Report Investigates
Surveys in Principal
Evaluations
The National Center for
Education Evaluation and
Regional Assistance (NCEE)
recently released a repor t
titled, “The Utility of Teacher
and Student Surveys in Principal Evaluations: An Empirical Investigation.” Findings
include that adding teacher
and student survey measures
on school conditions to the
principal evaluation model
can strengthen the relationship
between principals’ evaluation
results and their schools’ average value-added achievement
gains. The full report is available at http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/
edlabs.
Recognize Students Who
Excel Athletically and
Academically
The U.S. Army’s Pro Football Hall of Fame Award for
Excellence program recognizes
sophomore, junior, and senior
high school athletes who excel
athletically and academically
and are active in their community. Do you know a student
who fits the bill? The 2015 winner will be honored at a tribute
during halftime of the NFL
Hall of Fame Game. Visit www.
profootballhof.com/army for
entry details. Applications are
due on January 23, 2015.
This listing of sites and resources is provided
as a service and does not constitute any
endorsement or approval by NASSP.
WHERE STUDENT ACTIVITIES GO,
PERFORMANCE FOLLOWS
STUDENT ACTIVITIES COULD BE JUST
WHAT YOU NEED TO IMPROVE STUDENT
PERFORMANCE.
Participation in student activities increases
standardized test scores, graduation rates, and
college acceptance rates. Student activities also
develop core social and emotional skills while
reducing high-risk behavioral problems.
STUDENT ACTIVITIES MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
This DVD includes videos, presentation slides,
and printable materials to help you present the
benefits of student activities to administrators,
faculty, or parents.
ORDER ONLINE AT STORE.NASSP.ORG
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Honoring Your Best!
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NewsLeader
n
January 2015
Calendar of Events
Upcoming national and state association events
JANUARY
8 NHASP (NH) Winter Conference (Meredith, NH)
8–9 LASSP (LA),
“Targeted Feedback for Teacher Growth”
CEL, NASSP (Baton Rouge, LA)
12 MASSP (MO), “10 Skills for Successful School
KASSP (KA), Leaders: A Focus on the Assistant Principal”
NASSP
(Kansas City, MO)
12–13 FASA (FL)FASA Legislative Days Conference
(Tallahassee, FL)
15–16 TASSP (TN)TASSP Winter Conference
(Murfreesboro, TN)
21–23 MASSP (MN)MASSP Winter Conference
(Bloomington, MN)
23 FASA (FL), “What Good APs Know and Do”
NASSP
(Tampa, FL)
25–27 WASSP (WY) WASSP Winter Conference (Lander, WY)
26–28 UASSP (UT) Midwinter Conference (St. George, UT)
28–30 AWSA (WI)Associate Principals Convention
(Madison, WI)
3 0–Feb 1 NASSP
LEAD Conference (Washington, DC)
Get Ready for National Student
Leadership Week 2015
2015
National Student
Leadership Week
Photo courtesy of Maine West High School
8
Throughout National Student Leadership Week,
students will celebrate the power of one, like the
power of one National Honor Society chapter to
raise $500 for charity by participating in a Color Run.
FEBRUARY
 Have you started thinking about National Student
Leadership Week yet? It’s an annual recognition of the
important roles that student leaders play in schools
and communities, and this year’s celebration will take
place April 19–25, 2015.
A different theme for the week is chosen every
year, and this year’s theme, “The Power of One,” is
an opportunity to inspire your students to imagine
the difference they alone—as an individual or as a
group—can make in driving change.
This theme is an excellent platform to cultivate the
21st-century skills that result from participating in
school-based student activities. When students work
individually or as a team, they are able to strengthen
the skills, values, and perspectives that best prepare
them for their future. Your school will also benefit from the positive climate that results from such
endeavors.
We encourage you to begin working with your
student leaders now and start thinking about creative
ways they can individually or as a group show “The
Power of One.” Consider how you can contribute too.
To learn more and for resources to organize a celebration at your school, visit www.nasc.us/nslw or www
.nhs.us/nslw. NL
6 NASSP“10 Skills for Successful School Leaders:
A Focus on the Assistant Principal”
(Las Vegas, NV)
9–10 MASSP (MI)AP and Deans Summit
(Bay City, MI)
10 NHASP (NH)Assistant Principal Workshop (Concord, NH)
11–15 AWSA (WI)High School/Middle School Principals’
Convention (Madison, WI)
13–15 NASSP
LEAD Conference (Chicago, IL)
19–21 NASSPNASSP Conference: Ignite ’15
(San Diego, CA)
MARCH
16–17 OASSA (OH)Assistant Principals Conference
(Columbus, OH)
19–21 MASSP (MD) Annual Spring Conference (Ocean City, MD)
20 NASA (NV)Annual Assistant Principal Conference
(Las Vegas, NV)
23 NHASP (NH) Law Conference (Concord, NH)
25–27 NDASSP (ND)NDASSP Midwinter Conference
(Bismarck, ND)
26–27 MPA (ME)
MPA Spring Conference (Rockport, ME)
29–31 MASSP (MO) MASSP Spring Conference (Lake Ozark, MO)
APRIL
13–14 OASSA (OH)School Secretary Conference
(Columbus, OH)
14–18 NASSPNational Assistant Principal Week
15–17 MASSP (MT) MASSP Spring Conference (Bozeman, MT)
28 AWSA (WI)Aspiring Administrators Workshop
(Madison, WI)
29 AWSA (WI)Aspiring Administrators Workshop
(Stevens Point, WI)
30 AWSA (WI)Aspiring Administrators Workshop
(Appleton, WI)
This is not a complete listing, and dates and locations are subject to change. For
additional information about state conferences or for information about state
workshops, contact your state association.
ENGAGE. LEAD. ACHIEVE.
When you start a National Honor Society or National
Junior Honor Society chapter at your school, you give
your students the valuable opportunity to be part of a
long tradition of excellence—a prestigious honor
Questions?
Contact
[email protected]
or 800-253-7746
throughout a student’s academic life and beyond.
Make plans for your new chapter now and get 25% off
your first merchandise order until January 31, 2015.
Fill out your school’s application at nhs.us/25off
or njhs.us/25off.
START YOUR CHAPTER TODAY
RECEIVE 25% OFF MERCHANDISE
USE CODE NL115
NHS & NJHS are programs of NASSP
nhs.us/25off
njhs.us/25off