ADMINISTRATION & Supervision SPRING 2015
Admin & Supv Faculty Denny Berry, Assistant Professor U.Va. Northern Virginia Center
Dan Duke, Professor David Eddy-Spicer, Associate Professor Dan Player, Assistant Research Professor Pamela D. Tucker, Professor Admin & Supv Program Coordinator Michelle D. Young, Professor Executive Director, University Council for Educational Administration Read more about the work of our faculty online at curry.virginia.edu/ adminsupvnewsletter
ADMINISTRATION & SUPERVISION is edited by Lynn Bell, Director of Alumni Relations, and published by the Curry School of Education, P.O. Box 400268, Charlottesville, VA 22904. Email: lynnbell@virginia.edu curry.virginia.edu/adminsupvnewsletter
P H OTO B Y LY N N B E L L
Sara Dexter, Associate Professor CANLEAD Director
The Administration and Supervision faculty moved back into Ruffner Hall last summer. In this photo, Pamela Tucker and Michelle Young work on a project in the UCEA headquarters office in Ruffner.
Program News
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B Y PA M E L A D. T U C K E R , P R O F E S S O R & P R O G R A M C O O R D I N ATO R
reetings from Charlottesville to all of our alumni and friends. Welcome to our second annual newsletter for Administration and Supervision alumni. We were pleased to hear from so many of you over the past year. You are an impressive group and represent the full professional continuum of school leaders who work with energy and commitment to ensure high quality learning experiences for the Commonwealth’s students. Your work exemplifies the university’s commitment to leadership and public service, and we are proud of your collective contributions to the public good. We want to continue this tradition of excellence and high-quality leadership preparation, but we cannot fully engage with school divisions and future leaders by resting on our laurels in Charlottesville. Dean Pianta has challenged all of us as faculty members to move into the public space to make our work relevant and meaningful. For a leadership program like ours, this means developing authentic relationships with school districts to co-construct course content and powerful clinical experiences for our students. We have been pursuing these goals with efforts on multiple fronts. A prime example is the work by Professor Denny Berry, who has successfully launched our two-year cohort program for aspiring leaders in Fairfax, and it is well underway with exemplary leaders in Fairfax teaching many of the courses. Our partnership with Fairfax has improved the selection process for promising future leaders, has enriched the course content and delivery and has enhanced the administrative internship through the involvement of gifted school leaders who serve as our clinical supervisors. By working together we have built a leadership pipeline for Fairfax County—a model worth replicating. We are happy to offer reduced tuition charges to Virginia educators thanks to the generosity of the University’s Board of Visitors. As an example of their commitment to the public good, they have supported Curry’s extension of the K-12 Educator’s Rate to all full-time educators in Virginia. Even in these challenging economic times, we continue offering a high-quality educational experience at affordable rates. Let us know how you are advancing strong leadership in schools and how we can enhance our reach and impact. A D M I N I S T R AT I O N & S U P E R V I S I O N • S P R I N G 2 0 1 5
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Schools Learning from Schools
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Horizontal Accountability for Sustainable School Improvement B Y D AV I D E D DY S P I C E R , A S S O C I AT E P R O F E S S O R
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fforts to improve the lowest performing schools continually run into one major barrier: sustainability. How can schools and school systems develop the organizational capacity for sustained improvement over the long haul? National systems of education around the world are placing increased emphasis on horizontal accountability as a means of ensuring sustainable improvement within schools and across school systems. England, where I recently worked, serves as an interesting, if complicated, example of this effort to introduce horizontal accountability and crack the conundrum of sustainable school improvement. When we hear the term accountability, most of us think topdown—high-stakes testing and performance standards. Vertical accountability involves people outside of schools setting the terms. Horizontal accountability typically involves multiple stakeholders, not only those on the outside but the professionals who run schools and
the communities surrounding schools. England’s Ministry of Education aims to create the world’s first self-improving school system. At first glance, this has the ring of scam or fantasy. However, the English experiment is worth a closer look, specifically because it emphasizes entrusting professionals and the profession to hold itself to account. Key elements of the English approach include articulating a system of support so schools that have beaten the odds can work with chronically underperforming schools. High-performing schools can apply to become Teaching Schools. Teaching Schools serve as the nexus for initial teacher preparation and ongoing professional development, involving professional development and nurturing exemplary practice across schools. Outstanding school leaders can apply to become system leaders, achieving recognition as National Leaders of Education and Local Leaders of Education. These highly experienced leaders from a range of backgrounds
mentor and guide both newly appointed and veteran administrators. However, experience in England reveals that not much is currently known about the most important questions in this area. We don’t know basic things about how to select schools that offer the greatest promise of working effectively together. We also don’t know how to support both uni-directional and multi-directional learning so both the supported schools the leading schools are learning. I am conducting a landscape study to map the terrain of schools-learning-from-schools in the US, initiatives that enable schools to learn from one another without direct district or university involvement. If you are aware of such initiatives, I would welcome hearing from you. Read more about Eddy Spicer’s work on this topic from a recent lecture paper (https://collab.itc. virginia.edu/x/MP7dHw) and presentation (http:// bit.ly/18dSWZo)
THANK YOU!
The Curry School Foundation recognizes the generosity of the following alumni from the Administration & Supervision program who made donations to the school in 2014:
Heather Allen Albert Armentrout Bettiann Aylor Stephen Baker Beth Baptist Frank Barham Jane Barrell Marilyn Basham Mary Becker James Beckner Margaret Belda Fred Benham Dennise Berry Harry Bibb Margaret Blackmon Joanna Bopp Bruce Bourget Virginia Bowerman Elizabeth Brady John Brandt Douglas Bullock Eileen Burgwyn Carmen Burrows 2
Cecil Carter Robert Carter Carrie Cleary Beverly Cook James Cook & Nancy Cook Betty Covington Sara Crumpacker Sarah Cuccio Benjamin Cullen Jr. Winfred Culpeper Eric Cunningham Anthony DeLellis Martha DownerAssaf Dorothy Drake Irving Driscoll Jr. Rana DuncanDaston Stanley Durtan Mark Emblidge Staci England Jeffrey Farmer
S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 • A D M I N I S T R AT I O N & S U P E R V I S I O N
Page Faust Audrey Fogliani Mark Form Rachel Fowlkes Matthew Gettings Howard Gillette Mary Gillis Robert Greet Betsy Gregory Duanne Hawkins Robert Heffern Dennis Hensdill John Hiltz Maureen Hook Harriet Hopkins Patricia Hopkins Larry Howdyshell Benjamin Howerton Robert Izzo Joyce JenkinsWimmer Ranjini Johnbull Justina Johnson
Olivia Johnson Rudolph Johnson Sr. Charles Jones G. H. Jones III J. Wesley Kern, Jr. Margaret Klise Barbara Knecht Edward Kropp Donna Krueger Charles Leonard Judith Lewis Paul Linkenhoker Sally MacLean Douglas Magann Michael Mallory Robert Marchant Nicholas Maschal Carla Mathews Karin Matray David McBride Lisa McConnell C. Bruce McDade Timothy McIntire
Sandra McLaughlin Margaret McMullen Patricia Millman Andrew Moore Carol Moreth William Myers Sr. Reed Neuman William Niebergall R. Daniel Norman Dan Parks Sammie Parrish Emily Parry Thomas Pond Kellie Poole-Mason Cay Lee Ratliff & Chad Ratliff William Reaves Jr. Michael Rettig Beverly Richardson Leslie Roberson & Stewart Roberson Michael Robinson Sally Rodgers
Pamela Roland Barry Rosenberg Tricia Rubner Phyllis Shannon Larry Shortt Robert Shreve Robert Siegel Eugene Smith Selah & William Sprinkel C. Allen Sprinkle Stephen Stackhouse Robert Staley Sandra Stern Helen Stiff-Williams Howard Sullins Thomas Taylor Shirley Terry
Nancy Thomas Susan Valinski Alton Vincent Robert Vogler Patricia Walters Deborah Waters Andrea White & W. Brent White Henry Willett Jr. Bonny Wilson Jamelle Wilson Lee Wilson Harold Wright John Wright Deborah Yost
These gifts directly benefit Curry students and the quality of their educational experiences!
Curry’s Education Leadership Pipeline B Y LY N N B E L L
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ast August the Curry Magazine highlighted six alumni who have followed a familiar pattern: They earned their Curry masters in teaching degrees, worked in the classroom for a few years, then returned to Curry for an advanced degree in administration and supervision. (Access the full online magazine article from curry.virginia.edu/ adminsupvnewsletter) Amy Goodloe (M.T. ’96 Spec Ed; Ed.D. ’03 Admin & Supv) taught fourth graders in an inclusive classroom at Lees Corner Elementary School in Chantilly (Fairfax County, Va.) for four years after earning a masters in teaching degree from Curry. She then completed a two-year endorsement program through the U.Va. Northern Virginia Center and participated in a full-year administrative internship as an assistant principal at Westbriar Elementary School, which led to being hired there. During her five years there she earned her education doctorate, and in 2006 she was named principal at Oak Hill Elementary School. Brendan P. Menuey (M.T. ’98 Elem Ed; Ed.D. ’05 Admin & Supv), after teaching for three years in Fairfax County Public Schools, began working on an administration endorsement at U.Va.’s Northern Virginia campus. He returned to Grounds in 2002-2003 as a full-time graduate student to complete his education doctorate. He is currently principal at Lake Anne Elementary School in Fairfax County, where he is helping turn around the school and ensuring high quality instruction for all students. Kevin Clark (M.T. ’06 Math Ed; Ed.S. ’12 Admin & Supv) taught mathematics for seven years at Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Va. “After being selected as Mathematics Department lead teacher, I decided to take a course at Curry on professional learning communities,” he said. The experience was so positive that he decided to complete an education specialist (Ed.S.) degree in administration and
supervision through the off-Grounds program in northern Virginia. He is now an assistant principal at George Mason High School in Falls Church. Luvelle Brown (B.S.Ed/M.T. ’97 Health & PE; Ed.S. ’01, Ed.D. ’05 Admin & Supv) taught for three years in Fluvanna County Public Schools after earning his M.T. from Curry. He then completed the education specialist degree and went on to complete an education doctorate. A former chief information officer for Albemarle County Public Schools, Brown was appointed superintendent of New York’s Ithaca City School District in 2010. Aaron Spence (M.T. ’94 Foreign Lang; Ed.D. ’03 Admin & Supv) spent four and a half years as a secondary French teacher in Stafford County when he began feeling strongly that he could make a bigger difference outside the classroom. During his first year in the education doctorate program, he worked as a paid intern assistant principal at Henrico High School and took classes on Grounds all day on Fridays and Saturdays. The next year he was hired full time, and by the fourth year of his program he opened Henrico’s first new high school in 25 years as its principal. In June 2014 Spence assumed leadership of Virginia Beach City Schools, one of the largest school divisions in Virginia encompassing 86 schools and nearly 69,000 students. Jamelle Wilson (M.T. ’91, English Ed; Ed.D. ’02 Admin & Supv) taught secondary English at Lee Davis High School in Hanover County, Va., after earning her M.T. degree at Curry. Five years into the position, she became a curriculum specialist in English/language arts for Hanover County Schools and then moved into school-based administration as an assistant principal. She completed her education doctorate during this period. In 2011, Wilson became the first woman and first African-American to serve Hanover County as superintendent of schools.
Nominate Outstanding Curry Alumni Do you know an alum whose lifetime career achievements deserve recognition? In 2015 the Curry School Foundation is seeking nominations for outstanding alumni awards in the following categories: • Distinguished Alum • Outstanding Middle School Teacher • Outstanding Superintendent • Outstanding Human Services Professional (i.e., speechlanguage pathologist, school counselor, school psychologist, or athletic trainer) Nomination period runs from May 5 to June 19. Get more information and make a nomination at curry.virginia.edu/foundation/ awards
Submit a Guest Post to the Curry Blog Do you have a heartwarming story of a time when you helped an individual student overcome a challenge or you made a big difference in the success of your school? We would love to hear about it and share it on the Curry blog. Write up your story in 500 words or less and submit it to Lynn Bell, Director of Alumni Relations, at lynnbell@virginia.edu. If writing about a child, use only a first name or pseudonym. We will give preference to stories that also mention a way in which your education at Curry enabled you to influence the student or to make a difference in your school.
A D M I N I S T R AT I O N & S U P E R V I S I O N • S P R I N G 2 0 1 5
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Administration & Supervision Alumni Newsletter P.O. Box 400268 417 Emmet Street South Charlottesville, VA 22904-4268
CLASS NOTES Kitty Boitnott, Ph.D., NBCT (Ed.S. ’00) is
founder of Boitnott Coaching, LLC…. She is a National Board Certified Library Media Specialist … and she teaches a class on education policy, politics, and ethics at the University of Richmond.
Luvelle Brown (B.S./M.T. ’97, Ed.S. ’01, Ed,D. ’05) co-authored #Think Tweets: 100 transfor-
mative tweets for educators (2013). Chad Ratliff (M.Ed. ’06) was named an up-andcomer to watch by Pam Moran (M.Ed. ’80, Ed.D. ’97), superintendent of Albemarle County Public Schools, in the 2014 C-Ville Weekly’s “Power Issue: 15 under 40.” Chad is assistant director of instructional programs for Albemarle County. Dennis Gregory (M.Ed. ’76, Ed.D. ’87) recently served on the Negotiated Rulemaking Committee for the US Department of Education to develop regulations for the implementation of the Clery Campus Safety Act, resulting in passage of the Campus SAVE and Violence Against Women Act... Robert Grimesey (Ed.D. ’91) … retired after 31 years of service as a public educator in Virginia. Most recently, he served as superintendent of Orange County Public Schools (2009-2014). ... Bob was the 2012 recipient of a Curry School Foundation’s Outstanding Alumni Superintendent Award. Billy Haun (Ed.D. 11), formerly the assistant superintendent for student learning for Albemarle County Public Schools, was appointed to be the Chief Academic Officer for the state of Virginia. Michael Irani (Ed.D. ’14) is the new principal for Meriwether Lewis Elementary School ... which is one of only two schools in Virginia to earn a Blue Ribbon 4
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Submit your class note at curry.virginia.edu/classnotes/submit designation from the federal Department of Education. Jon Irby (M.Ed. ’84) retired from Virginia Beach City Public Schools in 2013. Prior to his retirement he was appointed founding president and chairman of the board of Vanguard Landing, Inc., a 501[C]3 nonprofit located in Virginia Beach... Jeffrey D. Litz (M.Ed. ’05) was named principal of George C. Marshall High School. Litz is currently working on an education doctorate degree in Curry’s administration and supervision program. Dave Morgan (B.S.Ed. ’74, M.Ed. ’79) will be inducted into the national high school athletic directors Hall of Fame in December 2015. …Dave retired from Fairfax County Public Schools. ... He and his wife of 39 years, Donna, currently live at Lake Anna, Va. James Mundy (M.Ed. ’71, Ed.D. ’80) has retired after 49 years of teaching and education administration. “I am now a Justice of the Peace and a Notary Public for Massachusetts (just to keep busy). I am writing a book, All the Reasons I Forgot My Homework! ” David B. Rogers (M.Ed. ’81) retired as principal of Sutherland Middle School in Albemarle County in summer 2014....where he had led since 2006. Tricia Rubner (M.Ed. ’99) is a school board member for Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School in North Carolina... Larry Shifflett (Ed.D. ’13) was named director of innovation and learning for Rockingham County Public Schools. Carol Sinwell (M.Ed. ’00, Ed.D. ’08) retired as dean of learning and technology resources at Northern Virginia Community College. She teaches in Curry’s off-Grounds social foundations program...
Cherish S. Skinker (M.Ed. ’10, Ed.S. ’12) is
a School Improvement Coordinator for the Virginia Department of Education.... Aaron Spence (M.T. ’94, Ed.D. ’03) is superintendent of the 70,000-student Virginia Beach City Public Schools...
Brenda M. Tanner (M.Ed. ’78, Ed.D. ’96)
was interim superintendent of Orange County Public Schools from July 1 to December 31, 2014... J. Roy Vorhauer (M.Ed. ’67, Ed.D. ’77) wrote Unshackled (2013) and was featured in Virginia magazine…. Vera Woodson (M.Ed. ’03, Ed.S. ’04) wrote Lady Bug, Beetle Boy, and Friends: Bullies Be Gone! (Mascot Books, 2014). She is a marketing teacher at South County High School in Lorton… Read more. Many class notes were abbreviated due to space limitations. You can read the full versions, including photos and fond memories, at curry.virginia.edu/URL
IN MEMORIAM Layton “Tony” Beverage (Ed.D. ’03) passed
away Monday, September 1, 2014. He had retired as principal of Gloucester High School in Virginia on May 1, 2014, for health reasons after leading the school since 2005. Beverage was named 2010 Outstanding Alumni Principal by the Curry School of Education Foundation and the 2009 Outstanding Youth Advocate by the Gloucester County Youth Commission. He received the 2009 Competence to Excellence Award from the Virginia Board of Education.