COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

P.O. BOX 2120

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23218-2120

PRINS. MEMO NO. 5

February 14, 2006

ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE/SECONDARY

TO:	Principals
FROM:	Linda M. Wallinger Assistant Superintendent for Instruction
SUBJECT:	Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals Annual Assistant Principal/Lead Teacher Professional Development Conference March 23-24, 2006, The Homestead

The Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals (VAESP), the Virginia Department of Education (DOE), and the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) extend an invitation to all principals, assistant principals, and other professional educators within your school or school district to participate in the 2006 Annual Assistant Principals/Lead Teachers Professional Development Conference. The conference theme for this year is Lighting the Way for Leaders and is scheduled for March 23-24, 2006, at The Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia.

This conference will be highlighted by presentations by Dr. Todd C. Whitaker, Earnest Byner, and Quality Quinn. Dr. Whitaker will provide the opening workshop on Thursday, March 23^rd, What Great Leaders Do Differently, focusing on leading vs. managing, dealing with difficult people in difficult circumstances, and creating a culture of respect for the school community. Motivational speaker and two-time National Football League Pro-Bowl running back and current backfield coach for the NFL Washington Redskins, Earnest Byner is scheduled to be the guest at a reception on the evening of Thursday, March 23, 2006, and will be available for autographs during the reception. He will provide the morning keynote speech on Friday, March 24^th. Quality Quinn, an author and international literacy consultant, has received numerous awards as an outstanding educator from various districts throughout the United States for her work with beginning reading and assessment systems. She will provide the closing keynote on Friday, March 24^th.

A variety of concurrent sessions will be offered to participants encompassing many issues educators face as they meet the demands of Title I Provisions, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), and Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Concurrent sessions will focus on the continued impact of NCLB, the incorporation of technology into the school, the need for differentiated instruction for special needs students, the legal issues impacting school leaders as well as legal updates on IDEA, highly qualified teachers, and the regulations of principal licensure. Practitioners from across the commonwealth and members of the Department of Education will conduct these sessions.

If you have questions about the conference or need additional information, please call VAESP at (804) 355-6791, fax (804) 355-1196 or by e-mail at info@vaesp.org.

LMW/saj