COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
P.O. BOX 2120
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23218-2120
SUPTS. MEMO NO. 11
January 12, 2006
INFORMATIONAL
|
TO: |
Division
Superintendents |
|
FROM: |
Patricia
Wright Acting
Superintendent of Public Instruction |
|
SUBJECT: |
va-Lead: The School Leaders
Catalog: Resources for Leadership |
Beginning
January 12, Virginia school leaders will have online access to the School
Leaders Catalog: Resources for Leadership, or va-Lead. This online
catalog offers more than 130 professional development programs keyed to the
Virginia Uniform Performance Standards and Evaluation Criteria for Teachers,
Administrators, and Superintendents. Educators can find va-Lead at http://www.e-Lead.org/.
va-Lead is designed to assist
practicing school leaders to attain the Virginia performance standards. The
catalog lists a variety of Virginia programs which address individual needs,
school-site needs, and division-wide needs. Administrators will find programs
to recommend to their staffs and faculties, programs geared to specific topics,
local and state requirements, and varied groups. Programs range from those
suitable for faculty meeting presentations to ongoing mentoring and coaching
for individuals and groups. Contact information is presented in the catalog,
and financial arrangements are to be made between the school leaders and the
professional development providers.
The
catalog is located at e-Lead, a
project housed at the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) in Washington,
DC. e-Lead is a partnership of IEL
and the Laboratory for Student Success at Temple University. IEL is led by
president Elizabeth Hale; director Baylen Linnekin is responsible for the
development and maintenance of e-Lead.
Development
of the Virginia catalog is funded by The Wallace Foundation through the
Virginia State Action for Education Leadership Project (SAELP). Virginias
participation in SAELP originated with the leadership of Dr. Jo Lynne DeMary,
recently retired Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Dr. William C.
Bosher, Jr., executive director of the Commonwealth Educational Policy
Institute (CEPI) at Virginia Commonwealth University.
va-Lead is the first state
directory of leadership development programs to be featured on e-Lead, and IEL hopes to add catalogs
for the other 49 states. The partnership with IEL not only strengthens the
attainment of the Virginia performance standards, but also provides national
marketing for Virginia providers and a signal achievement for Virginia SAELP.
The
development of the catalog was guided by a committee including William C.
Bosher, Ken Magill, Sarah Hopkins Finley, Marcus Newsome, David Blackburn, Judy
Singleton, Olivia Dabney, Cheryl Lockwood, Diane Barker, Doug Fiore, John Hodge,
Thelma Spencer, David Blount, and Anne Meek with input from Delegate Phillip
Hamilton and Linda Wallinger of the Department of Education. Staff assistance
was provided by Dan Norman and Kathy Harris of CEPI. va-Lead will be field-tested for 12 months, with the report
scheduled for February 2007. Virginia SAELP, funded entirely by The Wallace
Foundation, is expected to be completed by July 1, 2007.