Episode 055: Strategic Planning

For this episode of Passing Notes I interviewed Melonie Hau, the Superintendent of Newcastle Public Schools. Superintendent Hau has worked with multiple districts and the K20 Center on strategic planning. Through this she has learned and led districts in how to create a strategic plan that drives district decisions and student achievement. You can find Superintendent Hau on Twitter @melhau11 and the K20 Center on their website or on Twitter @k20center

Reflection Questions:

• Does your district currently have a strategic plan?
• How do you implement the strategic plan in your role within the district?
• To update or start strategic planning, who needs to be at the table to move the conversation forward?
• What are your district’s priorities that need to be considered in the strategic planning process?
• What steps does your district need to take to ensure that the current strategic plan is in motion and applicable to the work that the district is doing to improve student achievement?
• What does your leadership team need to be successful at strategic planning?

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Episode 054: The Power of PLC

For this episode of Passing Notes I interviewed Dr. Keely Frayser. Keely is the Executive Director of Curriculum in the Putnam City School District. Keely and I discussed in depth the power of a PLC community within a school and a district and how PLCs can help change the narrative and community of a school.

Reflection Questions:

• What does your curtain PLC practice looks like?
• What are the expectations for PLC and collaboration in your school?
• What drives your school’s PLC conversation?
• What data is important for your teachers to discuss during PLC meetings?
• How does PLC and regular collaboration impact your school environment?
• Who has ownership of PLCs?

Episode 053: Developing School Community

For this episode of Passing Notes I interviewed Greg Frederick. Greg is the principal of the U.S. Grant High School in Oklahoma City Public Schools. In this role he and his staff have worked hard to develop a place where students can come learn, grow, explore their passions, and make connections.

Reflection Questions:

• What programs/partnerships do you currently have in your school?
• What gaps do you see that need to be filled to support students in your school? How might partnerships help?
• How does your school build community for your students?
• What values/priorities does the staff at your school have that guide your decision making?
• What plans do you have to create a stronger school community for your students?

Episode 052: Building Relationships

For this episode of Passing Notes, in the Leadership Series, I visited with retired educator Pam Hibbs on building relationships. Pam Hibbs is the former Director of Early Childhood and my old boss in OKCPS. During her time with OKCPS she developed relationships with community partners, families, and students in order to build opportunities for families.

Reflection Questions:

• How do you build relationships with your students and parents?
• How do you build relationships with partners to provide opportunities for your students?
• How does your school engage the community/parents to participate in instruction?
• What strategies do you use to encourage family participation?
• What impact does engaging partners/families in the classroom have on instruction? Building community?

Episode 051: The Role of Superintendent

This is episode 1 of the Leadership Series. This series will focus on the multifaceted work of school leaders. To kick of this series, I interviewed Dr. April Grace, Superintendent of Shawnee Public Schools, on the role of the superintendency and the importance of civic engagement. You can contact Dr. Grace on Twitter @ShawneeSup.

Reflection Guide:

• What is your leadership philosophy?
• How has your views on leadership or your view of yourself as a leader changed during your years as an educator?
• How do you find balance between leadership and administrative duties?
• What guides you through the larger challenges of school/district leadership?
• How does leadership impact your engagement in advocacy?
• How does engaging in the community build your leadership capacity?
• What role does accountability play in your leadership position?

The Leadership Series

You know I love a good series! Last year, Passing Notes listeners got to hear from experts across the state on technology and innovation for the Tech Series and this year we are bringing you the Leadership Series. I sat down with excellent leaders across Oklahoma to talk through important education issues, from equity to community, there is a lot on the mind of today’s school and district leaders. In each blog post you will find reflection questions based off of the episode to guide you and your team in a discussion on practice.

Listen in, starting October 10, 2019, to conversations about best practices in our schools and districts.

Episode 049: Partners in Education

This episode of Passing Notes is focused on how partners support education and instructional practices in the classroom! I interviewed members of OKC Midtown Rotary Club Laura Nauman, Emily Duncan, and Matt Murphy about the projects they have completed in partnership with a variety of schools across the metro and how educators can engage with them in the process.

OKC Midtown Rotary Club was chartered in 2009 with the goal of involving young professionals in in the service and ideals of Rotary International with a focus on Arts and Education in Oklahoma City. You can find out more information about OKC Midtown Rotary Club by visiting their Facebook page, Twitter, or their website.

Reflection Questions:

• What is a need in your classroom or school that could be fulfilled by connecting with a partner?
• What is a major project that you would like to work on during this school year?
• What organizations could you partner with to see this project completed?
• What first steps do you need to take?
• In what ways can you engage partners throughout the coming school year in your classroom?

Episode 048: Education Foundations

Education Foundations, large and small, exist all over the nation to support schools and teachers with a focus on meeting school needs where gaps exist. OKCPS has an exceptional foundation that, like other foundations, is working to address many of the educational challenges that our district faces. I visited with Mary Mélon, who is the president of the OKCPS Foundation. You can find more information at their website www.okckids.com, on their Facebook page, or on Twitter.

Episode 047: OPSRC

This episode of Passing Notes is a cross over with the OPSRC podcast School ZonED. I sat down with Executive Director Brent Bushey and talked all things education and podcasting. You can find out more information about OPSRC -Oklahoma Public School Resource Center – on their website, Twitter, or Facebook.

Reflection Questions:

• Reflecting on the 2018-2019 school year, what areas of growth have you identified for the coming school year?
• What resources are you looking to for growing your practice in the 2019-2020 school year?
• What podcasts/books are you listening to and learning from this school year?
• How can you be a resource to other teachers and to parents in the coming school year?
• What do you need from your school leader or other teachers this school year? How are you advocating for those resources?

Episode 046: Coaching New Teachers

For this episode of Passing Notes, I visited with Dr. Joanna Lein. Joanna is the Executive Director of the Teaching and Leading Initiative of Oklahoma (TLI). TLI is a nonprofit organization based out of Tulsa, OK that works to develop the skills, knowledge, and mindsets of teachers and school leaders with a focus on novice teachers. You can find Joanna on Twitter @JoMabeeLein or follow TLI Oklahoma @OklahomaTli.

Reflection Questions:

• What spoke to you in this episode?
• Where is your struggle? Classroom management? Guided reading? Instructional practices? Differentiation?
• What micro skills do you need to grow during the 2019-2020 school year?
• What are your goals for the 2019-2020 school year? How do you plan on growing? What small steps can you take towards that goal?
• How are you sharing your knowledge with other teachers?
• How are you supporting novice teachers?
• In the coming year, have you considered time in your day to reflect on your teaching practice?