Smart School Administration Valuing a Positive Story
It’s a long weekend, with many readers no doubt away from their computer screens — but I can’t resist sharing the latest installment of the Janet Ilko teacher story saga. As she explains on the NWP Connect website, the moment she returned from the Digital Learning Day in DC, Janet’s school administration valuing a positive story asked her to present to local business people. This enabled them to understand what creative teaching — instead of formula teaching — is about. And they promptly asked what funds she’d need. It just doesn’t get any better than this!
And as for the reach of the Digital Learning Day itself, the communication guy at the Alliance for Educational Excellence informed me that the media coverage of the day included TV news in 30 different markets, plus 175 news articles in print and online publications. We need this happening every day, about excellent education in every city.
Thanks for sharing my blogpost. I have been blogging for about 2 years now, at http://www.writinginmyhand.org, about my classroom and working with students. I ran across your site a few months ago, and initially I thought “What can I do? I am just one voice?” But I have come to realize that one voice inspires another, and that is how change happens.
I just want to clarify that at that morning meeting I was asked “What do you need?” , but it will take time to build those relationships that will help us find funding. The important thing we need to do as educators is bring people into our classrooms. Go out to our communities and really reach out and invite them in. The more people see the wonderful work in so many classrooms, the less value the negative media machines will have on policy makers. We have the power, and in my opinion, the duty to make sure the messages about our classrooms are accurate and fair.
Janet, thank you so much for your blogs over the past two weeks. You write in such a lively yet modest way. I am excited about the outreach you have done and will be able to do.
I posted Steve’s comment and your blog on the FB page of the Illinois State Association for Teachers of English.