COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

P.O. BOX 2120

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23218-2120

SUPTS. MEMO NO. 82

April 4, 2008

INFORMATIONAL

TO:	Division Superintendents
FROM:	Billy K. Cannaday, Jr. Superintendent of Public Instruction
SUBJECT:	Virginia Middle and High School Principals Conference and Exposition June 29-July 2, 2008, The Homestead

 

A cordial invitation is extended to principals, assistant principals, division superintendents, assistant superintendents, directors of instruction, supervisors, college personnel, and administrators of nonpublic middle and high schools to attend the 81^st Annual Virginia Middle and High School Principals Conference & Exposition to be held June 29-July 2, 2008, at The Homestead, Hot Springs, Virginia. This statewide event has been sponsored jointly for 27 years by the Virginia Association of Secondary School Principals (VASSP) and the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) to develop and enhance middle and high school administrators' leadership skills, increase their understanding of current educational issues, and expand their knowledge base for success.

 

The theme for this year's conference is Principle(al) Strategies for School Improvement Competence to Excellence. The conference will include five general keynote sessions featuring state and nationally acclaimed educators and motivational speakers, the VDOE Colloquium, Professional Practices Symposium, and School Law Clinic. Major concurrent sessions will include pertinent topics identified in the recent statewide 2008 Middle Level and High School Principals Needs Assessment that include nine strands: 1) School Leadership, Administration, and Management; 2) SOL/Curriculum and Instruction/Remediation; 3) SOA/Accountability; 4) NCLB/AYP/Teacher Quality/LEP/Special Education; 5) Assessment and Data Analysis; 6) Instructional Technology; 7) Student Services and Programs (e.g., school safety, discipline, dropout prevention); 8) Personal (e.g., stress management, time management, health and fitness awareness); and, 9) Educational Law and Policy. Presentations will be given by presenters from Virginia's best practicing high schools that were identified this past year by a comprehensive study of the International Center for Leadership in Education and the VDOE. Governor Kaine has been invited back to address school administrators. President Mark Emblidge, Virginia Board of Education, and Superintendent of Public Instruction Billy K. Cannaday, Jr., will be addressing the Commonwealth's new policy directives.

 

A pre-conference clinic on school law will be held on Sunday, June 29, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The clinic will address educational law issues over the past year as a result of recent state and federal legislation and case law. Additionally, legal topics pertinent to the day-to-day operation of the public school and encountered by principals will be reviewed.

 

The 2008 summer conference will officially begin at 10 a.m. on Monday, June 30, 2008. A preliminary conference program synopsis, Conference At-A-Glance, is provided in Attachment A. The detailed announcement about the general session speakers, workshop presenters, topics, etc., will be mailed to you in mid-May and will be posted on the VASSP Web site.

 

The Homestead will house all the conference programs. Hotel accommodations are available on a first-come-first-serve basis, and we encourage you to return the enclosed accommodations application form as soon as possible. All rooms not confirmed with a reservation by May 28, 2008, will be released.

A conference registration form (see Attachment B) and a hotel accommodations application (see Attachment C) are also provided with this memorandum. Please duplicate the forms as needed and share this information with persons who would be interested in attending the conference. To take advantage of EARLY REGISTRATION, the registration form must be completed and returned by May 23, 2008, to Summer Conference, VASSP, 4909 Cutshaw Avenue, Richmond, VA 23230.

 

The hotel accommodation forms are to be sent via U.S. Mail directly to The Homestead. Only the enclosed official accommodation application form will be accepted by the hotel. As in past years, the hotel will not accept telephone requests for room reservations (this includes facsimile), written letters, online, or in-person requests. This procedure helps to assure some degree of fairness so that everyone has an opportunity to receive the conference announcement and respond in a timely fashion.

 

We look forward to seeing you in June. If you have questions about the conference or desire additional information, please visit the VASSP website at www.vaprincipal.org or call the Association at (804) 355-2777.

 

BKCJr/PIW/RDB/eh

Attachments

 

a. Preliminary Daily Schedule and Major Conference Activities (PDF)

b. Conference Early Registration Form (Word)

c. Hotel Accommodations Application Form (Word)