COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23218-2120
SUPTS. MEMO NO. 107
May 21, 2004
INFORMATIONAL
TO: |
Division
Superintendents |
FROM: |
Jo Lynne
DeMary Superintendent
of Public Instruction |
SUBJECT: |
Virginia School Turnaround Specialist Program |
The Virginia Department of Education is pleased to
announce the Virginia School Turnaround Specialist Program in response to
Governor Warners Education for a Lifetime initiative. This program is designed to support consistently
low-performing schools in improving student achievement by providing them with
a Turnaround Specialist.
The University of Virginia Partnership for Leaders
in Education will deliver an executive education program specially designed and
customized in collaboration with the Virginia Department of Education to train
a cadre of experts charged with turning around consistently low-performing
schools. The partnership, a joint
initiative of the Darden Graduate School of Business and the Curry School of
Education, will have overall responsibility for the Virginia School Turnaround
Specialist Program.
Ten specialists will be trained in education and
business practices during the summer of 2004, receive on-site coaching during
the 2004-2005 school year, and earn a performance-based school turnaround
credential upon successful completion of the full program. These individuals will begin their tenure as
a school turnaround specialist this fall, with a second cohort of ten
specialists entering schools in 2005-2006.
Selection of principals and schools to participate in the program will
begin immediately. Schools initially
eligible to participate in the program for 2004-2005 will be those that are
either (1) Title I schools likely to move to Year Three School Improvement
or (2) schools that are Accredited With
Warning for multiple years. However,
additional schools may be added as the program continues.
An outline of the Virginia School Turnaround Specialist Program
is available on the Internet at http://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Instruction/OCP/vstsp.html.
For additional information about the program, including inquiries related to
schools and principals interested in participating, please contact Dr. Tierney
Temple-Fairchild, executive director, University of Virginia Partnership for
Leaders in Education, at (434) 243-7686 or FairchildT@Darden.Virginia.edu
or Dr. Linda Wallinger, director, Office of Program Administration and
Accountability, Virginia Department of Education, at (804) 225-2869 or lwalling@mail.vak12ed.edu.
JLD/lmw