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Meriden Public Schools Adult and Continuing Education:
Reflections on Leadership
This reflection responds to the following questions:
James Ieronimo, Director, Meriden
Public Schools' Adult and Continuing Education
Differences between
Year 1 and Year 2:
If there is an administrative difference in the
leadership needed from Year One to Year Two, then it is in the
expanding numbers of teachers, hardware and software for which
one is responsible. This program has grown from a program with
access to about thirty computers and ownership of another ten to
a program that "owns" over seventy computers, five LCD projectors,
four electronic whiteboards and enough teachers to use them.
Without a doubt, professional development of a changing staff is
still the biggest challenge but observing the use of the technology
is the biggest reward. Adult Education has more technology and
related activities than the average school and we do not expect
the school principal to be doing "hands-on" work the was we do adult
education directors. Yet it is still a preferable role than having
no technology resources... a sort of "welcome" problem.
New Challenges
and Actions during Year 2:
An interesting example occurred when the e-mail
to all staff asked their help in completing this report. They were
asked to "e-mail as attachments" their observations, reports, lesson
plans and resource reviews. Virtually everyone replied in under
a week. This is remarkable since it was the first week of school
and a hectic time. What was discouraging is that only two-thirds
of the collateral came as e-mail attachments; some were hand written,
some typed, some lost in space. This means that we still have a
distance to go in staff comfort and use of technology at a very
basic level. We will review e-mail and attachments at our next staff
meetings and offer more opportunity for professional development.
For those who never checked their e-mail and, therefore, did not
reply there will be much stronger consequences. A program of this
size and capability cannot continue to employ staff who cannot or
will not keep up with the professional demands. In Year Three we
plan to do professional development on various levels to make sure
that the instruction fits the technology knowledge and comfort of
the teacher.
*from Technology
Implementation — End-of-Year Report as of June 30, 2003, compiled
by James Ieronimo, Director
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