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LISRD TALES - April-June 2008
It is said, that you can no longer consider yourself “new” after existing, or working in a position, for one year. As the (not new) Program Specialist for ISRD, I will say that it has been quite a year. I’ve enjoyed getting to know each of you a little better and learn/understand the varying needs of the small and rural districts.
As the 2007-08 school year is winding down, it is a time to reflect on the many activities of the year. DOE/BEESS introduced the Self-Assessment Manual in the early Fall. It allowed for the individual districts to monitor their procedures for ESE eligibility and services. ISRD provided assistance to several districts. Response to Intervention continues to be a topic of discussion. ISRD hosted several LRP audio conferences throughout the year on RTI—ranging from Tier III Interventions to Implementation of RTI in the Middle and High schools. The ISRD districts are implementing both RTI and Positive Behavior Support within their schools. The knowledge gained and shared from the RtI and PBS pilot districts has been appreciated by all members. Funding reductions caused ISRD to hold regional principal trainings instead of the ISRD Principal Summer Institute. Although we have received many concerns with the loss of this training opportunity, the combined attendance for the principal regionals with Julie Weatherly was greater than the previous Summer Institute.
For the 2008-09 school year, ISRD will continue to be innovative in the delivery of information. The ISRD Documents Bank, RTI Information Exchange, ISRD District Initiatives and ESE Specialist Book Club are all initiatives that were added to the ISRD website during the 2007-08 school year. Their value will be determined by your participation and contribution to each. Computer cameras and headsets were recently purchased and forwarded to each ISRD ESE Director. This will allow ISRD to use web-based conferencing for some of our activities. ISRD is collaborating with Kathy Burton, DOE/BEESS Program Specialist, in planning year-long activities for parent specialists/parent liaisons. At this time, Ms. Burton is planning to conduct these activities through web conferencing or phone conferences. Additional information will be forthcoming.
All ISRD activities planned for the upcoming year are the result of input from the ISRD member districts’ ESE administrators as well as input from the ISRD Advisory Committee and the ISRD Small District Coalition Work Group. ISRD will be collaborating with FDLRS and FIN projects, that serve the small and rural districts, to provide quarterly services.
Please consult the ISRD web site Calendar page to keep abreast of the latest upcoming events.
ISRD Lending Library - SPOTLIGHT
Response to Intervention: A Multimedia Kit for Professional Development (2008) by William N. Bender and Cara Shores. This comprehensive kit offers staff developers explicit tools to introduce the three-tiered RTI approach. Facilitators will be able to demonstrate how to implement research-based interventions to individualize instruction, monitor individual student progress, and collect data to make informed instructional decisions for all learners. Decision points include: documenting the existence or nonexistence of learning disabilities; using RTI to benefit students who are economically underprivileged and/or culturally and linguistically diverse; and assuring treatment fidelity using research-supported curriculum.
As with all publications available in the ISRD Lending Library, these books may be checked out by the ESE Administrators from the Lending Library link on the ISRD web site.
ISRD Summer Institute for ESE Administrators
The ISRD Summer Institute for ESE Administrators was held June 18-19, 2008 at the Sundial Beach Resort, Sanibel. This Institute immediately followed the CASE Institute that was held June 16-18, 2008 at the same location. The ISRD Summer Institute provided essential information to district ESE administrators regarding Florida’s IDEA Allocation, SPP indicators and the ISRD district performances compared to the SEA targets, and the results of the ISRD’s Needs Assessment/Surveys for ESE Administrators, Principals, ESE Specialists, and School Psychologists. Regina Jordan, Hamilton County, and Catherine Kanagy, Monroe County, briefed the audience on the information that they had gathered from the 2008 LRP Legal Issues in Special Education Conference. The meeting also provided an opportunity for administrators to share ideas, brainstorm solutions to current challenges, and plan strategies. There were 35 participants in this training from 23 ISRD member districts.
Getting to Know the ISRD ESE Directors …
We thought that we could take a moment to give you a little more insight into our members. The following questions were posed to these ISRD ESE Directors. We will continue to gather and share the information in each of this year’s ISRD Newsletters. You could be receiving the next call.
Questions/Responses:
1. What attracted you to your current position?
Baker- Debbie Melvin: I was groomed for it by Wanda Walker, the former ESE Director.
Calhoun– Staci Williams: Well, for a long time it has been a goal of mine to be an ESE Director. I worked under Virginia Bietenholz who mentored me for 5 years.
DeSoto- Roosevelt Johnson: I was asked to take the position of ESE Director because of my experience as a teacher and principal. When I was a principal I worked very closely with parents and students with disabilities.
Dixie- Jim Bray: I have been an ESE Director for the past 20 years. First I was a school principal, then I worked with support services, and finally I worked in instruction until I got to move to ESE. I care about kids and programs.
Flagler- Myra Middleton: (laughing) I was recruited and came and saw Flagler and I liked it right away-the size of the district and the excellent attitude of everyone I met.
Franklin- Brenda Wilson: I had just gotten my supervision degree and this position came open and since I had an ESE background, it was a good fit.
Gadsden- Wilma Jackson: I had been a program specialist and dealt with specific schools and saw being an ESE Director as a way to have greater impact in the district.
Gulf- Deborah Crosby: My love and compassion for people with special needs and the desire to help everyone have an equal opportunity and appropriate services to survive and enjoy life.
Hardee- Dot Bell: The Superintendent saying I want you to do the job. This is my 23 rd year.
2. What is the most enjoyable part of your job?
Baker- Debbie Melvin: Success stories with students. I have one student who has been working in a state hospital for 25 years and she is about ready for retirement-just like me.
Calhoun – Staci Williams: Going out to the schools and talking with students and teachers. I am meeting once a month with ESE staff at the schools and listen to what they need so that I can help them better.
DeSoto- Roosevelt Johnson: Actually working with staff members on instructional strategies for students and then seeing the students make progress.
Dixie- Jim Bray: Making a difference with kids. I enjoy working directly with parents and school personnel to plan for students.
Flagler- Myra Middleton: Seeing the difference I can make in the lives of kids that I serve. Providing programs that help them grow and develop. I look at my PreK kids from the beginning of the year to winter break. They make so much progress. I visit the classrooms and see how the teachers are working with students. We have awesome teachers.
Franklin- Brenda Wilson: Being able to help families and children with disabilities succeed in school.
Gadsden- Wilma Jackson: Getting out in the schools and seeing the progress students make, particularly PreK students from beginning of the year until the end of the year.
Gulf- Deborah Crosby: To see students acquire skills and knowledge helping them to be independent and function at their highest potential. To see students become productive citizens and be able to contribute and participate in our society.
Hardee- Dot Bell: The most enjoyable part is when I can get out and visit in the schools.
3. …And the least enjoyable?
Baker- Debbie Melvin: Too many emails.
Calhoun – Staci Williams: Being weighed down with paperwork. This doesn’t allow me to get out of the office as much as I want to.
DeSoto- Roosevelt Johnson: When you don’t see students making the achievement that they should be making.
Dixie- Jim Bray: The paperwork part of the job. I know it is necessary but it is the least enjoyable.
Flagler- Myra Middleton: Having to balance the budget to meet the needs of the kids. Budget constraints.
Franklin- Brenda Wilson: Paperwork, lots of paperwork.
Gadsden- Wilma Jackson: Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork! And the number of meetings~budget, PreK, etc. (but not the ISRD meetings, of course).
Gulf- Deborah Crosby: When all channels have been searched and every method and approach has been tried and nothing seems to be good enough or will work it sometimes becomes discouraging. There is not closure to many issues in this position.
Hardee- Dot Bell: Threat of lawsuits. The time it takes to prepare for challenges that don’t amount to anything. I haven’t had any lawsuits but it takes a lot of time.
4. Describe yourself in 3 words.
Baker- Debbie Melvin: Organized, hands-on, and task-oriented.
Calhoun – Staci Williams: Compassionate, dedicated, and supportive.
DeSoto- Roosevelt Johnson: Caring, devoted, determined.
Dixie- Jim Bray: Caring, concerned about details, experienced.
Flagler- Myra Middleton: Patient, organized, friendly, intelligent.
Franklin- Brenda Wilson: Dedicated, flexible, encouraging.
Gadsden- Wilma Jackson: Dedicated, caring, professional.
Gulf- Deborah Crosby: Caring, practical, reliable.
Hardee- Dot Bell: Motivated, care about people, fight for what I think is right, detail person – rules need to be followed. Certified in Music Education, Mathematics, School Psychology, Guidance, and Administration/Supervision.
5. If you weren’t doing this job, what would you be doing?
Baker- Debbie Melvin: Flipping houses or planning weddings.
Calhoun – Staci Williams: I would be an office manager for my husband’s optometry practice.
DeSoto- Roosevelt Johnson: Retired. Traveling.
Dixie- Jim Bray: I now have 18 months to go before I transition out to something else. I have 60 acres of land and a back hoe, so I can build a pond. Possibly doing aquaculture. Or running a saw mill with my grandchildren. I have 14 grandchildren. Also, church activities, especially involving school-related activities.
Flagler- Myra Middleton: Interior Decorator or Fashion Designer
Franklin- Brenda Wilson: Write a book of fiction, probably about families.
Gadsden- Wilma Jackson: Teaching emotionally handicapped children.
Gulf- Deborah Crosby: Teaching or working with special needs population.
Hardee- Dot Bell: Teaching piano. When I retire, I will be doing needle work (for pleasure), cooking (for friends and family), traveling, and just relaxing and enjoying life!
“Quotable Quotes”
“The best teacher is the one who NEVER forgets what it is like to be a student. The best administrator is the one who NEVER forgets what it is like to be a teacher.”
Neila A. Connors
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