l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l -l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l -l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l ll l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l ll l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l ll l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l ll l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l ll l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l

February 2015 Linking Leadership & Learning

ReportIncoming SAI Executive Director Roark Horn Eager toServe School Leaders Throughout the State

The SAI Executive Committee January 22 named Dr. RoarkHorn as the incoming executive director. Horn, currently chiefadministrator at Area Education Agency 267, will begin his newrole July 1, 2015.SAI President Deron Durflinger expressed, "Roark has

demonstrated the qualities and skills any organization looks forin its executive leader. We had some wonderful applicants, yetRoark's leadership style and vision for moving SAI forwardmade him the right person for the position. Though replacing

[current Executive Director] Dan Smith won't be easy, we are excited to haveRoark leading our organization in the future."Horn's prior administrative experience includes serving as superintendent of

the Hudson and Northeast Hamilton school districts, and as high school princi-pal at Jesup. He began his career in education teaching language arts at JesupHigh School. He also served as SAI president in 2012-13.“I am honored, proud and humbled by the opportunity and very excited to

serve all of the school administrators in Iowa,” the incoming leader shared.With his appointment, Horn becomes the fourth executive director in the asso-

ciation’s history.

Tune in to TeacherLeadership

Ready to draft job descriptions foryour teacher leadership posi-

tions? Teachers21 has created tem-plates to assist you along with aninventory of 43 different formalteacher leader roles. You can accessthese by linking to their TeacherLeader Resources page:http://bit.ly/16ahCQr

Additionally, TNTP has provided anoverview of hiring practices worth alook—slides 14-21 in particular,http://bit.ly/1DozD8P.

SAI Annual Conference to feature Leaders Eat Last Author Simon SinekAttend this don’t-miss keynote August 5Simon Sinek is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together.Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Sinek teaches leaders and organizations how toinspire people. With a bold goal to help build a world in which the vast majority of people go home every-day feeling fulfilled by their work, Sinek is leading a movement to inspire people to do the things thatinspire them.A trained ethnographer, he is the author of two books: the global best seller, Start With Why: How Great

Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action and his newest book, the New York Times and Wall Street Journal best seller,Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t.Fascinated by the leaders and companies that make the greatest impact in their organizations and in the world, those

with the capacity to inspire, he has discovered some remarkable patterns about how they think, act and communicate andthe environments in which people operate at their natural best. He has devoted his life to sharing his thinking in order tohelp other leaders and organizations inspire action.He is best known for popularizing the concept of Why and for the talk he gave on the subject that became the second-

most-watched talk of all time on TED.com.Sinek’s unconventional and innovative views on business and leadership have attracted international attention and have

earned him invitations to meet with an array of leaders and organizations, including: 3M, Costco, Deckers, Ernst & Young,HSM, jetBlue, KPMG, Pfizer, NBC/Universal, the military, government agencies and entrepreneurs. Sinek has also had thehonor of sharing his ideas at the United Nations, the United States Congress and with the senior leadership of the UnitedStates Air Force, United States Marine Corps, and United States Army. Sinek shares his optimism with all who will listen.He speaks around the globe and has commented for local and national press, including The New York Times, Inc.Magazine, NPR and BusinessWeek. Sinek is active on Twitter and writes his own blog, simonsinek.com.Sinek is an adjunct staff member of the RAND Corporation, one of the most highly regarded think tanks in the world. He

is also active in the arts and not-for-profit world, working with charity: water, an organization devoted to helping bringclean water to the over 700 million people around the world who don’t yet have it. He also serves on the board of the TamiStronach Dance Company. SAI is pleased to provide this thought-provoking speaker to kick off the conference and your school year!

President Deron Durflinger, superintendent / sec. principalVan Meter Community School Districtderon.durflinger@vmbulldogs.com

President-elect Tim Kuehl, superintendentClear Creek Amana Community School Districttimkuehl@ccaschools.org

Vice President Paul Wenger, elementary principalEdgewood-Colesburg Community School Districtpwenger@edge-cole.k12.ia.us

Past President Patty Morris, elementary principalDallas Center-Grimes Community School Districtpmorris@dc-grimes.k12.ia.us

AASA Governing Board MembersTim Kuehl (SAI vice president, see above)

Mary Jo Hainstock, superintendentVinton-Shellsburg Community School Districtmaryjo.hainstock@vscsd.org

Theron Schutte, superintendentBettendorf Community School Districttschutte@bettendorf.k12.ia.us

NAESP State Rep. Chad Shook, principalLawton-Bronson Elementaryshookc@lb-eagles.com

NASSP State Coordinator Justin Gross, principalNevada High Schooljgross@nevada.k12.ia.us

Business Manager Cyndi Petersencpetersen@sai-iowa.org

Communications Director Tracy Harmstharms@sai-iowa.org

Executive Director Dr. Dan Smithdsmith@sai-iowa.org

Government Relations Director Dr. Tom Naraktnarak@sai-iowa.org

Legal Services DirectorMatt Carver, J.D.mcarver@sai-iowa.org

Professional Learning DirectorDr. Dana Schondschon@sai-iowa.org

Program AssistantAmy Swansonaswanson@sai-iowa.org

Program AssistantCheri Wiggercwigger@sai-iowa.org

Receptionist/SecretaryDebbie Wrenndwrenn@sai-iowa.org

School Administrators of Iowa12199 Stratford Drive, Clive, IA 50325-8146Voice: (515) 267-1115 l FAX: (515) 267-1066www.sai-iowa.org Follow SAI on Twitter - @sai_iowa

2

National Representatives

SAI Staff

SAI Officers

Building Principals andNCLB Renewal

Two of SAI’s national affiliates, NAESP and NASSP, have sent a letter to U.S.Representatives John Kline and Bobby Scott who are the Chair and Ranking

member of the Education and Workforce Committee in the United States Houseof Representatives. The letter urges renewal of the Elementary and SecondaryEducation Act currently known as No Child Left Behind which was passed in2001. Although NCLB has been up for renewal since 2007, it has not beenrenewed.

NAESP and NASSP list several priorities that should guide the renewal process.The heart of these priorities is the focus on the principal as the key to schoolimprovement. Below are portions of the suggestions for improvement of NCLB:

Focus ESEA on Supporting School LeadershipThe emphasis on school-level outcomes and student achievement places theschool leader at the center of all school improvement efforts. Today’s principals and assistant principals are expected to be visionary leaders, instructional experts, building managers, assessment specialists, discipli-narians, community builders, and more; they are also the ones ultimatelyheld responsible for student achievement. If principals and assistant princi-pals are to meet the growing and evolving expectations of this demandingposition, they must be provided ongoing personalized professional develop-ment to meet their individual and school needs. This is true for all schoolleaders, regardless of their initial preparation or their length of service. Tomeet these demands, ongoing mentoring and job-embedded professionaldevelopment are necessary to support all school leaders.

In addition, states and districts must be directed to put in place more rigor-ous efforts to recruit and prepare principals and assistant principals toimprove student academic achievement in high-need schools throughresearch-based programs. Congress should support principal preparationprograms that require candidates to demonstrate leadership competenciesthrough an assessment prior to entry into a qualified principal preparationand certification program that includes partnerships between districts andlocal preparation and support programs. Furthermore, qualified schoolleader candidates must complete a one-year principal residency programunder the guidance of an accomplished school leader and after completingtheir preparation program, as aspiring principals they should demonstrate adeep understanding of the domains of effective school leadership and relat-ed competencies through a performance-based assessment before com-mencing work as school leaders. This level of preparation is critical forevery principal to enter the profession ready and properly equipped toimprove student achievement and effectively lead schools

Professional Development Designed Specifically for PrincipalsNAESP and NASSP call for states and districts to provide professional devel-opment for principals on effective instructional leadership skills to lead ournation’s schools. An investment in principals is an investment in learning.Professional development for principals has been largely overlooked bystates and local districts because NCLB or current statute “bundles” teachersand principals together in a lengthy “laundry list” or “use of funds” underTitle II. As a result, a 2013 Department of Education survey recently foundthat districts use only an average of 4 percent of these dollars for principalprofessional development, falling far short of what states and districtsshould be doing to support principals to meet the increased demands asinstructional leaders of schools. Research and evidence over the past 10years substantiate the role of principals and prove that they have an impacton student performance, second only to teachers in the classroom. Giventheir importance as the key catalysts for school improvement, ESEA andTitle II funds must be refocused on providing professional development forprincipals and assistant principals in a manner that effectively supports- continued on page 8

l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l -l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l -l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l lExecutive Director’s Message from Dan Smith

InBrief

3

REPORT

The SAI Report is published for asso-ciation members and selected com-munity and business leaders bySchool Administrators of Iowa. Theviews expressed in the SAI Report donot necessarily reflect SAI opinionnor does acceptance of advertisingimply SAI endorsement.

Your comments and suggestions arewelcomed.

Tracy J. Harms, editor

At the January SAI Rep Councilmeeting, members:l were informed of the process forthe executive director interviews(more information on incomingExecutive Director Roark Horn is on

page 1);

l were updated on the legislative ses-sion with school funding as themost important issue and approvedthe 2014 legislative priorities;

l discussed the upcoming release ofAttendance Center Rankings;

l reviewed financial reports andmembership figures, and approvedthe 2013-14 association audit;

l were apprised of the professionallearning activities (promos ofupcoming events are included inthis issue);

l were updated on IPERS currentfunding level of 82.7 percent;

l received updates from SAI’s nation-al representatives emphasizing thepush for ESEA authorization (readDan Smith’s article beginning onpage 2 for more information);

l engaged in a learning componentexamining distributed leadership.

Calendar of EventsCalendar of EventsFebruary

6 - Bullying Investigation Training10 - School Law Conference13 - Emotional Intelligence is the

Other Kind of Smart

March12 - SAI Legislative Breakfast24 - Leading the Change to Standards-

Based Education: EssentialUnderstandings and Strategiesfor School and District Leaders

Register online for events at www.sai-iowa.org/events.cfm

Iowa Dept. of Ed.Iowa Dept. of Ed.DeadlinesDeadlinesUse this link to access critical due dates:http://bit.ly/dedeadlines

LegislativeNotesfrom Government Relations Director,Tom Narak

The most important legislative issuethat we are facing this year is schoolfunding. I repeat, THE MOST IMPOR-TANT LEGISLATIVE ISSUE THATWE ARE FACING THIS YEAR ISSCHOOL FUNDING. I didn’t sharethat twice because I think you do notunderstand that fact. I mentioned ittwice for you to use when you talk toyour legislators, and when parentsand community members speak tolegislators. The start date is obviouslyimportant, but it does appear that it isalso being used as a diversion bysome to cloud the most importantissue. Legislators have been hearingfrom many people about the startdate. Our challenge is to overwhelmlegislators through advocacy effortsfor appropriate levels of educationalfunding.The Senate has not yet established

its percentage number for growth. Ibelieve that the majority membersare waiting to hear from the public onthe issue. This is the time to exerciseyour rights to speak up and be heardas educational experts. You can eachhave a strong influence on the out-come of this important issue. If youdo not, then we have all missed anopportunity to make a difference.

NASSP Reception in San DiegoSAI will host an Iowa reception for princi-pals attending the NASSP Ignite ‘15 con-ference in San Diego. The event will beheld Fri., Feb. 20 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. atthe Hilton San Diego Bayfront in theAqua E Room on the 3rd floor.

AASA Iowa-Nebraska Reception inSan DiegoThe Iowa-Nebraska Reception duringthe AASA Conference in San Diego willbe held Fri., Feb. 27 from 5 to 7 p.m. atthe Union Kitchen & Tap in the GaslampQuarter.

Meet with Your SAI Colleagues at National Conferences

Iowa’s 2014 Elementary Principal of the Year Kim Tierneyhelps Launch Principals at ED InitiativeKim Tierney, principal at Waukee’s Maple Grove Elementary, joined a group ofeducators and met with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and other seniorU.S. Department of Education officials January 20 for a full day of learning andnetworking as part of the new Principals at ED effort to build communication.She met with agency senior staff and spent time with leaders from the offices

of early learning, English language learners, special education and educationaltechnology. The day ended with a roundtable discussion with Secretary Duncanand Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education Deb Delisle.

4

Iwill at times mention that school administrators should trust their Spidey senses if something seems out of the ordinary

and encourage them to look into the matter. Over the last nine years (yes, I realize it may seem like I have been at SAI for

longer than that to some of you) I have developed a few Spidey senses of my own regarding the administration of schools.

After a certain number of phone calls, email messages, and blank stares during training, it becomes apparent when we may

have a blind spot in many of our schools regarding a legal regulation or statutory requirements. That was a subtle way of

saying that we may need to clean a few things up to ensure school administrators are following the law. So, where might

this spring (or winter) cleaning need to occur? 281 Iowa Administrative Code Chapters 102 and 103.

We will start with Chapter 103, which covers physical confinement and restraint of students, and move backward. For an

exhaustive (or perhaps nap-inducing) review of Chapter 103, please peruse my November 2008 article

(http://bit.ly/1vp558a) and the Confinement and Restraint items on the SAI website (http://bit.ly/legaltopics). By the way, I

know this is an important topic, but I would like to offer a sincere apology for the length of my 2008 article. Holy cow.

Brutal. For those empathetic members of the audience who became administrators after 2008, I encourage you to read the

entirety of the 2008 article in one sitting, so as to better appreciate the considerable pain I put more-seasoned administra-

tors through at that time.

Back to the Spidey senses. They are tingling because I have an unfortunate feeling that many schools are not maintaining

required documentation or providing the notices to parents/guardians, as outlined in Chapter 103. Please check to see if

your district is appropriately maintaining documentation and providing parents/guardians (and students in some cases)

with the following notices:

1) Pursuant to 281 IAC 103.7(3), schools are required to annually notify parents AND students of the provisions of

Chapter 103, as well as of any additional policies and procedures the school has regarding physical restraint and

physical confinement and detention. A sample annual notice may be found on SAI’s website, http://bit.ly/1zN9aER.

2) According to 281 IAC 103.7(5), schools SHALL maintain documentation that contains the following information (at a

minimum):

● The names of the student and the employees involved in the restraint, confinement, or detention, as well as the

administrator who authorizes any additional periods of confinement or detention pursuant to numbered paragraph

“5” of rule 103.6(256B, 280);

● The date, time, and duration of the occurrence;

● The actions of the student before, during, and after the occurrence; ● The actions of the employees involved in the occurrence before, during, and after the occurrence, including student

and staff debriefing;

● The alternatives to physical restraint or physical confinement and detention attempted before the occurrence;

● A description of any injuries (whether to the student or others) and any property damage;

● A description of future approaches to the student’s behavior Sample documentation may be found on SAI’s website, http://bit.ly/1HLZCxA.

3) Pursuant to 281 IAC 103.7(6), the school shall attempt to notify the student’s parent/guardian on the same day school

employees utilize physical confinement or restraint. If staff members are making notification telephonically, ensure

that they maintain a contact log if attempts are made and the parent does not answer the phone, the parent’s phone

number is no longer in operation, a voicemail was left on the parent’s phone, or the parent’s voicemail is full. Ensure

that parents were previously made aware of the primary (and perhaps secondary) means of communication the

school would use, so that parents may give the email account or phone number of their preference. For instance,

some parents may prefer emails to go to personal accounts, while others may desire for the school to utilize work

accounts or both.

4) As 281 IAC 103.7(7) states: “The student’s parent or guardian must be provided a written copy of the documentation

required by numbered paragraph “5” of this rule, which shall be postmarked within three school days of the occur-

rence. The student’s parent or guardian may elect, in writing, to receive the communication required by this num-

bered paragraph via electronic mail or facsimile transmission.”

Spidey Senses Tingling

l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l -l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l -l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l lLegal Vortex with Matt Carver, Legal Services director

5

The Importance of TrainingAs another reminder, ensure that staff members who are likely to face situations where de-escalation,

confinement, or restraint is required are provided training on “alternative approaches such as Positive

Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), crisis prevention, intervention, and de-escalation, as well

as safe and effective ways to employ seclusion and restraint.” Seclusion & Restraint Article for

Parents, Iowa Department of Education (http://bit.ly/1DxncYI). Please do not hesitate to contact your

AEA about training opportunities and to seek recommendations about which staff members should

participate in such training. Don’t forget to document completed training in the employee’s file and/or

an office file. While I would recommend the employee’s file, if a collective file is used, ensure that

multiple employees are aware of its existence. Redundancy is your friend.

What Not to DoBefore moving on to Chapter 102, let’s cover a few of the SHALL NOTS from Chapter 103:

1) No employee shall use any prone restraint (meaning a restraint where the student is held face

down on the floor). If such a restraint is used during a time of emergency, the employee must

take immediate steps to end the prone restraint.

2) No employee shall use any restraint that obstructs the airway of any student.

3) If an employee physically restrains a student who uses sign language or an augmentative mode

of communication as the student’s primary mode of communication, the student shall be per-

mitted to have the student’s hands free of restraint for brief periods, unless an employee deter-

mines that such freedom appears likely to result in harm to self or others.

Placing Employees on Leave OK, now on to a Chapter 102 technicality which some may be overlooking. Chapter 102 relates to alleged school employee

abuse of students.

281 IAC 102.5(5) requires school officials to: “Place on administrative leave a school employee who is the subject of an

investigation under this chapter of an alleged incident of physical or sexual abuse, once the Level One investigator has

determined that the written complaint is investigable under rule 281—102.3(280).”

What is investigable, you ask?281-102.3 states: “To constitute a violation of these rules, acts of the school employee must be alleged to have occurred on

school grounds, on school time, on a school-sponsored activity, or in a school-related context. To be investigable, the writ-

ten report must include basic information showing that the student allegedly abused is or was a student at the time of the

incident, that the alleged act of the school employee resulted in injury or otherwise meets the definition of abuse in these

rules, and that the person responsible for the act is currently a school employee.”

So, why did I put the Chapter 102 and 103 references in the same article?! Consider a scenario where a school employee

uses an approved method of restraint against a student at school, but the restraint leaves a scratch which is there for more

than 24 hours. For the sake of time, let's assume your staff properly performs all notifications as required and that the

employee was appropriately trained. Even though a scratch is present, school officials would not be required to file a stu-

dent abuse complaint against the employee. However, there is a possibility the family may file an abuse complaint against

the employee. If that occurs, then the Level 1 investigator would need to determine if the jurisdictional requirements stated

above were met. Again, we will assume that they were. In this case, school officials are required to place the employee on

administrative leave (likely paid – check with your school's attorney). For the example given this may not seem fair, but it

is the law. Hopefully school administrators will be able to place the Level 2 investigator on the matter quickly, as the Level

2 investigator is the individual who may apply the exceptions regarding approved uses of restraint (e.g., protection of the

student, self, others, or school property, etc.). If the exceptions apply, then the complaint will likely be unfounded, and the

employee may return to work.

Also, while this wouldn't come into play for the example I just used, remember that 281 IAC 102.5(6) requires school offi-

cials to: “Report to the board of educational examiners the results of an investigation that finds that the school employee’s

conduct constitutes a crime.”

If you have been performing the requirements set forth in this month's article, kudos to you. If you have not, remember

to blame the attorney (me) for not adequately keeping you informed. As a bit of a life lesson, remember that you are gener-

ally safe blaming things on attorneys.

Finally, I will be out of the office for a couple of weeks, starting February 27, due to military training. Dan, Dana and the

rest of the staff will be around to provide members with assistance. Until next month, GO CUBS!

This article isintended only as areference in regardto the subject mat-ter covered. It isfurnished with theunderstanding thatSAI is not engagedin rendering legaladvice. If a legalopinion is desired,private legal coun-sel should be con-sulted.

Ihave recently been reading Melinda Mangin’s book Examining Effective Teacher Leadership: A Case Study Approach.

Her explanation as to why some educators resist the implementation of teacher leadership brought to mind my childhood

memory of playing school. As the oldest of four girls, I grew up making my sisters play school so I could be the teacher, or

play library so I could be the librarian. For the longest time, they eagerly performed as my students and checked out books

as my patrons; but somewhere along the way, one of them was so bold as to say, “You’re not the boss of me.” I was

momentarily speechless. Of course I was the boss of her—I was the oldest! Imagine my shock when another one decided

she wanted to be the teacher. No way. But three against one did not bode well for me, and I was forced to share my role.

Melinda Mangin explains that traditions in our system of American education rest upon assumptions, similar to those I

held in my experience with my sisters, of egalitarianism, seniority, and autonomy. These “norms” of the profession create

difficulties for implementation of teacher leadership. We have equated experience

with expertise and seniority with quality. Consequently, when we hire a young

teacher leader for additional pay, we are violating generally unspoken rules.

Furthermore, by designating teachers as leaders, we are communicating that some

teachers are more skilled than others, that seniority does not necessarily equate to

expertise, and that individual teachers do not have the latitude to teach whatever and

however they want. Just like I was taken aback when my younger and, from my

view, seemingly less expert sisters wanted to teach, our teachers may also experi-

ence dissonance when their mental models of education and school improvement

are challenged by this new paradigm.

As leaders, we have an opportunity to reduce the resistance. By acknowledging these norms and traditions, if they exist in

our buildings and districts, we surface the conversations our staff need to have about the significance of this change to a

system of teacher leadership. Additionally, we need to continue to develop a culture that supports collaboration, vulnerabil-

ity, risk-taking, and mistake-making. We need to support our teacher leaders in developing reciprocal relationships with

their colleagues. Both parties learn from and with each other. We need to model and communicate a vision for school

improvement that details specifically the role of teacher leaders. Consider these questions as you reflect on your vision:

• What will be the focus for the work of your teacher leaders?

• Who will be expected to work with them? PLCs? Individual teachers?

• Will your teacher leaders lead the professional learning in your building? When?

• When will your teacher leaders learn? Plan?

• When will you meet with your teacher leader/s?

• Who will set the agenda?

By understanding the challenge teacher leadership represents to the traditions and norms of our system, you can better

prepare yourself for the “You’re not the boss of me!” type of resistance; and consequently, pave the way for a smoother

implementation.

6

l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l -l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l -l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l

You’re Not the Boss of Me

The Latest in Learningby Dana Schon, SAI professional learning director

“… we need to continue todevelop a culture thatsupports collaboration,vulnerability, risk-taking,and mistake-making.”

7

Last week I visited two innovative schools in the Los Angeles area with Jeff Herzberg, chief administrator of PrairieLakes AEA. Both were incredible and I have some pretty significant takeaways from our school visits. This month I’m

going to tell about my visit to MUSE.

The MUSE School (http://bit.ly/museschool) in Calabasas, Calif., is focused around the dual ideas of environmental steward-ship and deeper learning through project- and inquiry-based activities. MUSE’s elementary school (early childhoodthrough 4th grade) is set on the site of an old summer camp. What used to be bunks and cabins are now MUSE’s class-rooms and offices. The young students have over 100 garden beds and numerous window boxes and are quite fluent ingardening, composting, and seed-to-table concepts. Food for their meals is completely organic and locally-grown, oftenright on campus. They also have a few chickens and goats and a worm farm.

MUSE students learn through inquiry-based individual and small group projects, even in the lowest grades. Jeff and I sawexample after example of deep student learning, creativity, and critical thinking. It was wonderful to witness students’incredible levels of engagement and enthusiasm as they described their work for us. Another aspect of the school thatstruck me was its ‘maker space.’ Filled with huge piles of wood scraps, pieces ofmetal, plastic tubes, and other materials, the giant junkyard-like space is where stu-dents make things using real tools. My third grade tour guide confidently informedme that he could operate a band saw!

MUSE is expanding to the upper grades and now has students in grades 5 through12. They have a second building a few miles down the road that used to be a smallprivate school. They are rapidly converting it to fit MUSE’s guiding principles. Wesaw a couple dozen garden beds already in place as well as some student-createdfurniture and art work. We learned about students’ passion projects related to psy-chology, music, social justice, and sustainable fashion. We also witnessed a teacher who was using The Crucible and aTwilight Zone episode to frame discussions of personal and societal identity. Language instruction is in Spanish, French, orMandarin and runs from the earliest grades through high school.

Everything that MUSE does is focused around environmental sustainability and/or student empowerment. The students donearly everything and are incredibly confident learners and speakers. The leaders’ and teachers’ ability to integrate theschool’s eco-friendly ethos into all aspects of the learning is phenomenal, as is the designed flexibility to accommodatelearning of standards and curriculum through student-led projects. Although MUSE is a private school, most of what itdoes could occur in a public school that was brave and confident enough to rethink how it operates. Get in touch if you’dlike to hear more!

Upcoming eventsI hope your students can attend StuCamp (www.stucamp.org), a student-oriented unconference in 3 simultaneous loca-tions across Iowa on February 28. Registration and the call for proposals are now open for the always-popular Iowa 1:1Institute on April 8 (iowa1to1.com). Typically about 1,200 educators attend the Institute, which is always a powerful day oflearning because of its emphases on learning rather than tools and on hands-on (rather than sit-and-get) discussions andactivities.

As always, stay in touch at dr.scott.mcleod@gmail.com, 707-722-7853, or @mcleod!

Dr. Scott McLeod, Director of Innovation, Prairie Lakes AEA

Lessons from the MUSE School

l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l -l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l -l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l

Increasing Knowledge and Skills in this Digital, Global Erawith Scott McLeod

“ MUSE students learnthrough inquiry-basedindividual and smallgroup projects, even inthe lowest grades.”

8

NCLB Renewal- continued from page 2

their role as instructional leaders, particularly thoseserving in high-need schools so that they have theknowledge, skills, and resources necessary to improveschool and student performance, and support andimprove the instructional practice of educators in theclassroom. Furthermore, the law must afford princi-pals proper training on conducting meaningful teacherevaluation in order to differentiate teacher perform-ance accurately; provide useful feedback; and use eval-uation results to inform decision making in theirschools.

We respectfully encourage you to include robust provi-sions in a reauthorized ESEA that will support princi-pal professional development, including a requirementthat districts who receive Title II funding allocate noless than 10 percent of the funds available for profes-sional development for elementary, middle, and highschool principals to improve instructional leadership.This must be a separate section of the reauthorized lawto ensure that principals are afforded the recognitionand proper support in executing their leadership rolein schools successfully.

Unfortunately the reality of the ongoing political gridlockin Washington, D.C., probably precludes any seriousprogress on the renewal of NCLB. But it is gratifying thatour national organizations are highlighting the key roleprincipals play in the school improvement process.

Emotional Intelligence is the Other Kind of SmartFri., Feb. 13, 8 :30 a.m. - 3 p.m. n SAI Office

When emotional intelligence first appeared to the mass-es in 1995, it served as the missing link in a peculiar

finding: people with average IQs outperform those with thehighest IQs 70 percent of the time. This anomaly threw amassive wrench into what many people had alwaysassumed was the sole source of success—IQ. Decades ofresearch now point to emotional intelligence (EQ) as thecritical factor that sets star performers apart from the restof the pack.

Emotional intelligence is the “something” in each of usthat is a bit intangible. It affects how we manage behavior,navigate social complexities and make personal decisionsthat achieve positive results. Emotional intelligence is madeup of four core skills that pair up under two primary com-petencies: personal competence and social competence,both of which can be developed.

Learn how EQ can take your school or district to the nextlevel. Sign up at www.sai-iowa.org/events.cfm

SAI School Law ConferenceTues., Feb. 10 l 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sheraton West Des Moines

Don’t miss this annual event focusing solely onlegal issues as they relate to schools. Join your

colleagues as you learn from education attorneys onthe following topics:

First General Session Employee and Student Medical Issues - DrewBracken and a colleague from Ahlers & Cooney P.C.

Second General Session Evolving Technology Issues and School Authority -Brett Nitzschke and Holly Corkery, Lynch Dallas, P.C.

Breakout Sessions • Homeless Students, Residency and OpenEnrollment - Nicole Proesch, DE

• Open Meetings and Open Records Laws - BrettNitzschke and Emily Ellingson, Lynch Dallas, P.C.

• Student Accommodations (GLBT, religion, dietary) -Drew Bracken and a colleague from Ahlers &Cooney, P.C.

• Special Education and Disability Law - ThomasMayes, DE

Register using the School Law Conference link atwww.sai-iowa.org/events.cfm