http://modshare.local/middlestart/index.php/site/index/ en info@mod-lab.com Copyright 2012 2012-05-15T14:13:56+00:00 http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/middle_schools_assistant_principals_are_invited_to_apply_to_the_fhi_360_lea/ http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/middle_schools_assistant_principals_are_invited_to_apply_to_the_fhi_360_lea/#When:14:13:56Z Hello all, I think this could be an excellent professional development opportunity of APs in our middle schools. I would encourage you to review and to pass along to select APs that you think it would be a good fit for. Space is VERY limited. Please follow up with me or Laura Dukess if you have any questions. FHI 360 is pleased to be able to offer a fourth and final cohort in the Leadership Fellows Program — a year-long, rigorous program to help prepare experienced New York City middle grades assistant principals for the principalship. The Fellows Program, which is fully funded by a US DOE School Leadership Grant, supports assistant principals to prepare for the principalship in a cohort-based program of professional learning with a dual focus on leadership and the specific knowledge and skills required to successfully lead a middle grades school. The curriculum is aligned with both the NYC School Leader Competencies and with MSQI. Therefore, we are eager for you to share the invitation to learn about and apply to the program with school leaders in the MSQI Networks. I am attaching a flyer that provides some basic information about the program, as well as a copy of the program application for an aspiring principals that may be interested. You will note on the flyer that we are also holding two informational sessions next week — Monday, in the Bronx, and Wednesday, in Manhattan. MSQI assistant principals are most welcome to attend either session. In addition, anyone who is interested in learning more about the Fellows Program should feel free to contact either of the program facilitators as indicated on the flyer. If you have any questions, or desire any additional information, please don’t hesitate to contact me. We look forward to welcoming assistant principals from the MSQI networks to the Leadership Fellows program. Best regards, Laura Dukess FHI 360 Middle School Leadership Project (917) 951-1500 Michael Selkis FHI 360 Middle School Leadership Project (212) 367-4575 (518) 879-1112 Middle Start News, AED PSO, Middle School Leadership Project (MSLP) 2012-05-15T14:13:56+00:00 http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/fhi_360_pso_bulletin_-_may_3_2012/ http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/fhi_360_pso_bulletin_-_may_3_2012/#When:12:15:15Z Hello all, As I continue to reflect on all your work this year, I have been impressed with and have learned a lot by experiencing your creativity and your collective ability to think differently about stagnant problems. As we know the educational landscape continually shifts forcing school leaders to be agile and fluid. I believe what makes our network special is that we are connected by a core vision centered around helping children yet you all bring unique and innovative thinking to our community. As a recognition and validation of your power of thought and action you bring to our network and the children of our community, I saw this the other day at a school and wanted to share it. It is a testament to you. I hope it inspires you and provokes more thinking that challenges the myopic and stagnant army of the perpetuators of the same that we face every day. Please disregard the title if you don’t think it applies: Here’s to the Crazy Ones Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them, disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward. Maybe they have to be crazy. How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art? Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written? Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels? While some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do. Best, Michael Selkis Bulletin, Middle Start News, AED PSO 2012-05-03T12:15:15+00:00 http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/fhi_360_new_york_office_has_a_new_address/ http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/fhi_360_new_york_office_has_a_new_address/#When:15:20:56Z Our new location is in the same neighborhood near Union Square: 71 Fifth Avenue, 6th Floor New York, NY 10003 Tel: 212-243-1110 Fax: 212-627-0407 Middle Start News, AED PSO, Middle School Leadership Project (MSLP) 2012-01-01T15:20:56+00:00 http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/fhi_360_pso_bulletin_-_march_20121/ http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/fhi_360_pso_bulletin_-_march_20121/#When:21:13:49Z Hello and Happy Spring, As you approach your well-deserved break, I just wanted to share with you a quote that to me sums up the collective work that you all undertake every day. You are builders and architects of not just schools, but of children. There is nothing more important than the work you do. I could attempt to capture just how important your work is, but I know my words would fall short of the eloquence and profundity that Emmett Till’s mom, Mamie Till-Bradley had memorialized in her book (yes, this is the quote I heard the students reading during one of my school visits): We cannot afford the luxury of self-pity. Our top priority now is to get on with the building process. My personal peace has come through helping boys and girls reach beyond the ordinary and strive for the extraordinary. We must teach our children to weather the hurricanes of life, pick up the pieces, and rebuild. We must impress upon our children that even when troubles rise to 7.1 on life’s Richter scale, they must be anchored so deeply that, though they sway. THEY WILL NOT TOPPLE. Mamie Till-Bradley As you approach testing season and prepare for the end of the year, I think that it is important to remind us that our work is far more than 3’s and 4’s. It is about preparing the whole child for the world that awaits them by building a foundation within each child that will bend but not break under the pressures of our ever-changing world. Your work is creating children that will not TOPPLE. No report, no data and no criticism can change the fact that you are all architects of hope… one child at a time. Enjoy your break and thank you for being amazing. Best, Michael Selkis and the FHI 360 PSO Team Bulletin, Middle Start News, AED PSO 2012-04-01T21:13:49+00:00 http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/fhi_360_pso_bulletin_-_march_2012/ http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/fhi_360_pso_bulletin_-_march_2012/#When:19:43:42Z Dear Colleagues, We look forward to seeing you on March 13th at our Principals’ Meeting where before lunch we will host presentations from the Office of Special Investigations, the Office of Equal Opportunity, the Administrative Trials Unit and the Teacher Performance Unit. After lunch we will engage in a group conversation about Special Ed reform. As we round the corner into Spring, we hope that the meeting provides another opportunity to strengthen relationships and build support within the network. As we come into testing season, we are looking forward to supporting you in your continued development of the ISIS framework, the Common Core standards, and quality instruction, among other initiatives. We look forward to seeing you all, hearing about your breaks, and your plans for the month of March. In Partnership, Michael Selkis and the FHI 360 PSO Team Bulletin, Middle Start News, AED PSO 2012-03-07T19:43:42+00:00 http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/fhi360_pso_bulletin_-_february_2012/ http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/fhi360_pso_bulletin_-_february_2012/#When:15:57:34Z I would first like to say thank you and to acknowledge you all for your hard work. Never was your collective commitment more evident that at our recent retreat. You and your teams were profoundly engaged in a multitude of various educational projects that will all improve student outcomes. And although there were many nuances among the individual school’s work, it felt connected in that you were all working towards the same goal: To find and develop new pathways to reaching all of our children. The term “Network” as defined by Webster’s has many meanings. Some may argue that it is merely a collection of entities (related or unrelated), but I would argue that our network is a system of interrelated schools having a common interest that is formed to provide mutual assistance and to cultivate people and ideas. Individually, you and your schools are inspiring a new generation of teachers, communities and students to think beyond what they ever thought possible. As a network, we are establishing a shared repository of ideas and innovation as well as a culture of excellence. As we approach our winter break, I do hope you all have the opportunity to rest your mind and body as well as to reflect on all that you have achieved. As schools, we are more often than not reminded of what we are not or what we still need to do. But I think that you all deserve a moment to reflect on and to revel in all that you have achieved for your students. Enjoy your break. Warm regards, Michael Selkis and the FHI360 PSO Team Bulletin, Middle Start News, AED PSO 2012-02-10T15:57:34+00:00 http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/fhi360_pso_bulletin_-_january_9_2012/ http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/fhi360_pso_bulletin_-_january_9_2012/#When:15:13:42Z Hello Principals, I hope that you had a restful break. I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself and set up times that I could come and visit your schools within the next week or so. I am very excited to be your network leader and look forward to getting to know each of you and your schools. Establishing our working relationship is my first priority coming into this position. Having been a principal for over 12 years, I realize just how difficult your job can be. To that end, it is my hope to support your work with the common goals of bettering instructional practice, increasing student outcomes and building upon our current network/school support system to further develop human and organizational capacity. For the time being, I can be reached at either mselkis@fhi360.org or 1-518-879-1112. Please do not hesitate to call or email me anytime with questions, concerns and/or ideas that I can assist you with. If you have time this week and would like to meet, please let me know and I will make it to your school. I am hoping to make it to all of our network schools this week. Later this week, I will be sending you preliminary agendas for the January principal meeting and for the February retreat in order to get your feedback prior to finalizing it. We want this time to not only be a constructive medium with which we delve into various educational strands that impact your work, but also a celebration of your accomplishments as well as an opportunity for us to increase our cohesion through open dialogue in a somewhat social and open context . Again, I hope you had a great break and I look forward to hearing from you and to visiting your schools. Happy New Year and be well. Best, Michael Selkis Bulletin, Middle Start News, AED PSO 2012-01-09T15:13:42+00:00 http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/introducing_our_new_fhi360_pso_leader/ http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/introducing_our_new_fhi360_pso_leader/#When:19:56:02Z Dear FHI 360 PSO Principals and CFN Colleagues: I’m pleased to report that Michael Selkis will assume the role of director of the FHI 360 school support network this week. In this position, his primary responsibility will be to support you and your schools in your efforts to improve teaching, learning and students’ healthy development. As senior director of FHI 360’s school development and support team, he’ll also have the opportunity to apply the learning of other FHI 360 programs to the PSO. Michael brings strong experience to our network. He worked in urban schools in the San Francisco and Albany areas, where he was a middle school teacher, founded an alternative middle-high school for disengaged students, and was an elementary and middle school principal. Most recently he has been lead talent coach with the NYC DOE, overseeing a team of coaches and leading the implementation of the Department’s pilot teacher evaluation and teacher development program in 75 schools. He’s also taught in Mexico and served in the Peace Corps in Poland. He has a masters degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and is completing a doctorate in urban education at Teachers College, where the focus of his study is implementation of Common Core standards. I want to thank all of you for assisting us in this transition—for recommending candidates and participating in review and interviewing. Special thanks to Robert Mercedes, Dolores Peterson, Linda Rosenbury, Brian Kaplan, the FHI 360 Middle Start team, and to others who offered help. Kudos and thanks to Judi Aronson who assumed the role of interim network leader for these past two months, and who ensured that support for your schools would remain constant. We’re also grateful to Gail Gaines, Risa Sackman, Sara Panag, Oni Hutchinson, Viviene Verstandig, Christine Newkirk, Aurelia Enache, Maud Abeel, and the CFN team, who helped us all stay on course. In the next two weeks, Michael will be reaching out to all of you and will be visiting with you soon. Please welcome him to your schools, our network and the CFN. Best wishes to your and your colleagues and students for a peaceful holiday and a cheerful start to the new year. Patrick Patrick Montesano Vice President and Director, Center for School and Community Services FHI 360 | 71 Fifth Ave., 6th Floor, New York, NY 10003 Main: 212.243.1110 | Direct: 212.367.4573 | F: 212.627.0407 | pmontesano@fhi360.org Please note the new address of our New York office, effective December 10. We’re in the same neighborhood near Union Square, on the corner opposite our previous location. Our phone and fax numbers remain the same. Middle Start News, AED PSO, Middle School Leadership Project (MSLP) 2011-12-22T19:56:02+00:00 http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/fhi360_pso_bulletin_-_december_2011/ http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/fhi360_pso_bulletin_-_december_2011/#When:19:32:27Z It has been a pleasure to serve as interim network leader during these past 5 weeks. I look forward to continuing the work I have begun with some of the schools in my continuing role as Senior Consultant for fhi360. I have visited schools in our network and have been thoroughly impressed with the hard work and dedication that I have encountered. At our retreat, I got to spend some time with some of you, and your teachers. Your feedback and input will be used to plan the next retreat (February 3-4, 2012) at the principals’ meeting on December 14th at our new location on 71 Fifth Avenue. Sincerely, Judi Aronson, Interim Network Leader judivarnai@aol.com; 917-834-7938 Bulletin, Middle Start News, AED PSO 2011-12-09T19:32:27+00:00 http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/fhi360_pso_bulleting_-_november_20111/ http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/fhi360_pso_bulleting_-_november_20111/#When:18:45:18Z Dear Colleagues, Many thanks to all the principals who met with the FHI360 PSO Team recently to discuss next steps in our plans for network leadership. We appreciate the partnership we have with you and your schools and want to assure you of our continued support. • Judi Aronson, a long-time member of our PSO team and a former Empowerment Network Leader, principal, and superintendent, began serving as our Interim Network Leader on November 8. She can be reached by email at judivarnai@aol.com or 917-834-7938 (cell). Many thanks to Judi for stepping into this role again while we search for a permanent new network leader. • Gail Gaines-Savage and Risa Sackman, Senior Coaches on our PSO Team who are known to most, if not all, of you, will back up Judi and help us make sure that our PSO support remains highly responsive and focused on the goals of both the whole network and each of your schools. • Sara Panag, Onifa Hutchinson, and Viviane Verstandig will continue as Special Education Achievement Coach, Math Instructional Leader, and Literacy Coach, respectively. Christine Newkirk will continue to shepherd the Indicators for Success (ISIS) work. They, along with our office-based administrative/associate team, including Aurelia Enache, will work closely with Judi, Gail and Risa to ensure continuity of support to your schools. • Brian Kaplan remains the Deputy Director of the network and Senior Director of Operations Support of our CFN (511) Team, and can be reached at bkaplan@schools.nyc.gov or 917-543-2055 (BB). Brian’s entire CFN Team remains in place and ready to serve you. He and Judi are meeting regularly to review any urgent matters that need attention. • FHI 360 has posted a job description for the Network Leader on its employment website, and we have already begun to get inquiries and a few applications. We are also circulating the job description to various networks. • Our objective is to have a permanent new Network Leader in place before the end of December. Please let Judi, Brian, me or any member of our team know if you have any questions or concerns. Thanks very much for your continued partnership and hard work. Patrick Montesano and the FHI360 PSO Team * * * * * * * Dear Colleagues, I am eager to work with the FHi360 team to offer you continued support as Interim Network Leader. I plan to visit your schools during my tenure to get to know you and your school communities’ needs and how our team can work best to meet them. If you have any questions, concerns please do not hesitate to reach out to me, or to anyone on the FHI360 team. Judi Aronson, Interim Network Leader judivarnai@aol.com; 917-834-7938 Bulletin, Middle Start News, AED PSO 2011-11-14T18:45:18+00:00 http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/fhi360_pso_bulletin_-_october_20111/ http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/fhi360_pso_bulletin_-_october_20111/#When:21:10:21Z Dear Colleagues, I look forward to seeing you on the 19th of October at our Principal’s Meeting where we will engage in a working session related to our use of the Teachscape Data Collection Tool. We will also fine tune the plans for the upcoming FHi360 PSO Retreat. I look forward to seeing you all soon. In Partnership, Calvin Hastings and the FHI360 PSO Team Bulletin, Middle Start News, AED PSO 2011-10-12T21:10:21+00:00 http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/fhi360_pso_bulletin_september_2011/ http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/fhi360_pso_bulletin_september_2011/#When:20:55:38Z Dear Colleagues, My colleagues and I in the Center for School and Community Services at FHI 360 welcome you and your entire school communities back to another school year – those of you who have been working with us for several years, and those new to our network. We’ve all been grateful for the productive partnership we’ve had, and for the opportunity to work closely with you on behalf of the students for whom we’re collectively responsible. As most of you know, we and our former AED colleagues have moved to a new home in FHI 360, another non-profit organization committed to the development of under-served communities in the U.S. and abroad – through education, health, economic development and environmental programs. Calvin Hastings and the entire PSO team remain your primary contacts, of course; they and the network continue to be backed up by the same CFN team and the other central service supports we depend on. FHI 360 is a good home for us and has expressed its unequivocal commitment to the work of the PSO, your network, and your school communities. We are the same team, in the same location, with a renewed partnership with the network and your schools. Calvin Hastings and I continue to welcome your feedback about ways to strengthen our work and support for your schools. Please let us know your observations and suggestions. In Partnership, Patrick Montesano and the FHI360 PSO Team Bulletin, Middle Start News, AED PSO 2011-09-22T20:55:38+00:00 http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/fhi_360_has_acquired_the_programs_expertise_and_assets_of_aed/ http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/fhi_360_has_acquired_the_programs_expertise_and_assets_of_aed/#When:18:58:17Z FHI 360 has acquired the programs, expertise, and assets of AED. Visit us at http://www.fhi360.org. Middle Start News, AED in Newark Public Schools, AED PSO, AED New School Development, Middle School Leadership Project (MSLP) 2011-07-01T18:58:17+00:00 http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/aed_pso_bulletin_june_3_2011/ http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/aed_pso_bulletin_june_3_2011/#When:21:21:51Z Dear Colleagues, On May 23rd I had the great pleasure of watching teams from six of our schools participate in the first annual AED Gamestar Mechanic Game Jam. Using game design skills that they had acquired during the semester, teams were given ninety minutes to create and publish a two dimensional online game based on a design challenge. A team of gaming experts provided feedback on the finished products. What I observed was a strong example of what relevant and engaging, performance-based learning and assessment looks like. As AED expands our work with Gamestar for the coming year, I would encourage all schools to participate. I admire the work that everyone is undertaking to maximize student engagement and learning during the final weeks of the school year. I look forward to convening on the 22nd at the Riverdale Diner to begin to map out our plans for next year’s work. In Partnership, Calvin and the AED PSO Team Bulletin, Middle Start News, AED PSO 2011-06-03T21:21:51+00:00 http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/aed_pso_bulletin_may_7_2011/ http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/aed_pso_bulletin_may_7_2011/#When:18:54:38Z Dear Colleagues, I am looking forward to our Principals’ Meeting next Wednesday at Science and Medicine Middle School. We will have the opportunity to meet with Doug Knecht from Tweed to discuss instructional expectations for next year as well as work through a dilemma of practice that Ingrid will be presenting. Finally, we will be discussing upcoming summer professional development opportunities including a two day literacy common core planning institute for teachers on June 29th and 30th. We recognize that Canarsie is a distance, but hope that all of you will be able to make this important meeting. In Partnership, Calvin and the AED PSO Team Bulletin, Middle Start News, AED PSO 2011-05-07T18:54:38+00:00 http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/aed_pso_bulletin_april_7_2011/ http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/aed_pso_bulletin_april_7_2011/#When:21:54:54Z It was a wonderful affirmation of all of our collective hard work to see the AED Network ranked 21 out of 69 networks for last year in terms of performance. As we gear up for this year’s round of state tests, I am more confident than ever that our students are better prepared to succeed than they have ever been. You and your team’s tireless attention to teacher development, use of evidence to drive improved teaching and learning and commitment to support the success of every child is evident when I and other members of the network team visit your schools. I had the good fortune to attend the Amercia’s Promise Grad Nation Summit several weeks back in Washington D.C. and left proud to know that our network is working successfully every day to build the pathway to high school graduation and post secondary success for our over 3,300 students. Please consider the PD offerings this spring. AED would like to add a few more workshops, but would like your input on what would be most useful at this time. Please send me your suggestions or tell me when I visit your school. In Partnership, Calvin and the AED PSO Team Bulletin, Middle Start News, AED PSO 2011-04-07T21:54:54+00:00 http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/aed_pso_bulletin_march_11_2011/ http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/aed_pso_bulletin_march_11_2011/#When:14:02:41Z Dear Colleagues, Today I had the opportunity to attend a presentation on the Common Core Standards where I learned more details about the assessments being developed by the Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC). The presentation reinforced the tremendous importance of the focus that we all a placing on the development of nonfiction reading skills. I know many of you are deeply engaged in the work of Stephanie Harvey and will be sending staff to tomorrow’s session. I look forward to sharing more of what I learned when I see many of you at Wednesday’s Principal’s network meeting at Cypress Hills Community School from 9:00 -12:30. In Partnership, Calvin and the AED PSO Team Bulletin, Middle Start News, AED PSO 2011-03-11T14:02:41+00:00 http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/aed_pso_bulletin_february_7_2011/ http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/aed_pso_bulletin_february_7_2011/#When:18:55:52Z Dear Colleagues, It was wonderful to spend Friday evening and Saturday with those of you who were able to attend the AED PSO Winter Retreat. Across the AED Network, there continues to be powerful work underway to support the academic, social and emotional development of our children. I am particularly impressed with the progress schools are making in systematically improving reading levels and the plans that are being developed, refined and implemented to assess year long growth in student writing skills. One of the most significant characteristics of our collective work is that it is being undertaken with a direct concern for supporting the success of ALL our children. Although the challenges are significant, I am more confident than ever, that with your continued strong leadership we can successfully address the very urgent need to raise the level of literacy across our network. In Partnership, Calvin and the AED PSO Team Bulletin, Middle Start News, AED PSO 2011-02-07T18:55:52+00:00 http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/aed_pso_bulletin_january_11_2011/ http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/aed_pso_bulletin_january_11_2011/#When:20:22:19Z Dear Colleagues, I am looking forward to the year ahead as we work together to continue to improve the social, emotional and academic outcomes for the students in our network. I hope that you have put January 24th and 25th in your calendars for the continuation of our work with the New Teacher Center and January 19th for our Principals’ meeting at 381m. I look forward to meeting with many of you and your teams over the next few weeks to explore evidence of student learning to date as we approach the mid-year point. In Partnership, Calvin and the AED PSO Team Bulletin, Middle Start News, AED PSO 2011-01-11T20:22:19+00:00 http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/aed_pso_bulletin_december_3_2010/ http://middlestart.org/network/news-detail/aed_pso/aed_pso_bulletin_december_3_2010/#When:15:10:48Z A recent New York Times article by Peg Tyre, entitled A’s for Good Behavior, explores the contentious debate occurring in many schools across the country over what classroom grades should and should not reflect. See entire bulletin and article below. Bulletin, AED PSO 2010-12-03T15:10:48+00:00