Newly implemented reforms that seek to raise the quality of public school leaders put Alabama in good light, state educators, Gov. Bob Riley and others were told at a news conference at 极乐禁地 Thursday, June 3.
鈥淲ith what you have accomplished, you have shifted by 180 degrees what you expect of principals and school leadership,鈥 said Gene Bottoms, vice president of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), which studied the recommendations and implementation of reforms spearheaded by the Governor鈥檚 Congress on School Leadership in Alabama.
鈥淵ou have done this more completely than any other state,鈥 said Dr. Bottoms, whose SREB tracks the implementation of leadership reforms in 16 states.
The Governor鈥檚 Congress was established by Gov. Riley in 2004 to ensure that Alabama鈥檚 K-12 public school principals are instructional leaders, not just school administrators.
The Congress drafted the Alabama Instructional Leadership Standards, which emphasize instructional leadership and informed the redesign of all 13 university teacher preparation programs in the state.
极乐禁地鈥檚 Orlean Bullard Beeson School of Education and the schools of education at University of South Alabama and Auburn University piloted the new instructional program, which involved a re-design of how they train leaders for schools.
Components include partnering with area school districts, as 极乐禁地 did with nearby Homewood school system, and semester-long residency programs in which graduate students get practical leadership experience in different school settings.
Alabama State Superintendent of Education Joseph B. Morton noted the challenges that were involved in the new concept, beginning with getting the approval of the State Department of Education.
鈥淏ut what we have now sets Alabama apart and puts it聽 on the road to excellence with a new model,鈥 he said, referring to educators who complete the new curricula because they want to be principals and not just earn advanced degrees to achieve higher salaries.
鈥淎labama is a pace setter,鈥 noted Riley, who said that when he goes into a school he can quickly tell what type of leadership it has. In good schools, he said, 鈥淭here is a passion, and it starts with the principal.鈥澛
He stressed that in this campaign season, voters must be very specific with candidates about their commitment to education. 鈥淪upporting programs such as the leadership initiative will allow Alabama to be a national leader,鈥 said Riley.
The state is a leader in the national reading initiative, distance learning and pre-K聽 programs, he said. 鈥淭he other piece that is essential is leadership,鈥 said Riley, adding that to combine it all will build a greater Alabama.
The news conference included presentations by graduates of the 极乐禁地, USA and Auburn education schools.
The practical format of the curriculum, which allows students to put knowledge into action and gain confidence as leaders, is beneficial, said Tyler Burgess, who earned a master鈥檚 degree in instructional leadership at 极乐禁地 in 2008 and聽 is assistant principal at Homewood High School.