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2010 Convention News Online Articles

 
Mortenson Address Illustrates the Impact of One Person
 
Can one person make a difference? The Third General Session speaker, Greg Mortenson, shared his stories of initial failure and then the success that followed. To say that Mortenson has had an impactful life would be a huge understatement.
 
In his presentation to convention attendees, he chronicled the steps that led up to the writing of his best-selling book, Three Cups of Tea, and the wonderful results that have since taken place through the increased opportunities for girls to be educated. Mortenson has dedicated his life to building schools in the remote mountain regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan, and his community-based education and literacy programs are geared especially toward girls.
 
Children in Need
During his address, Mortenson shared that 118 million children in the world are not in school today. Of that number, 78 million are females. One of the leading reasons for this shocking number is slavery, Mortenson explained.
 
In his travels, Mortenson has met countless children who are not allowed to go to school because they have to work. Many are orphans who have been sold into slavery. They don’t make any money and receive only food and shelter. In many places, the boys are trained to be soldiers by the time they are 6 years old.
 
Mortenson said one of his favorite African proverbs states: “If you educate a boy, you educate an individual. If you educate a girl, you educate a community.” An example of the dramatic change that educating girls can create comes from Bangladesh. In 1970, the literacy rate for girls was at 20 percent, according to UNICEF statistics. The average rate of birth for each female at the time was about eight births. In 2010, the literacy rate has risen to 65 percent and the birth rate has dropped to 2.8 births.
 
Surpassing Setbacks
Mortenson’s initial fundraising efforts to help build his first school did not come easy. He said he sent out many letters to several wealthy people with little response. However, one day he shared his story with students from an elementary school in Wisconsin; the result of this visit became the Pennies for Peace program.
 
Today, there are more than 6,200 schools participating in the program, which educates students about the world beyond their experience and shows them that they can make a positive impact on a global scale, one penny at a time. Students learn the rewards of sharing and working together to bring hope and education opportunities to the children in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
 
During Mortenson’s address, the audience was given a glimpse into the life of a man who has given himself completely to the efforts of global literacy. His efforts will inspire me as I go back to my school to do my best to have an impact on those kids who I have the privilege to serve. That is the cause and passion called the elementary principalship!
 
—David Hanson
 
Success Equals Courage Plus Dreams, Matlin Tells Attendees
 
Marlee Matlin, an Academy Award-winning actress and advocate for the hearing-impaired, spoke to a captive audience during the Second General Session at NAESP’s 2010 convention. A thunderous applause greeted Matlin as she walked across the stage. The first words that she spoke through her sign language interpreter were, “Am I in trouble?” Laughter filled the room.
 
Matlin explained to the audience that her family didn’t know she was deaf until she was 15 months old. It was then that the doctors found out she had a degenerative inner-ear defect. Her parents didn’t know what to do and the future was unknown.
 
The doctors told her parents to seek the help of specialists and special schooling. Ultimately though, Matlin explained, her family decided to send her to public school because they didn’t want Matlin to see deafness as an obstacle.
 
In the Matlin household, there was no room for “I can’t” when she was growing up, Matlin said. Those words didn’t exist. Because of her family’s encouragement, Matlin said she honestly thought she could do anything.
 
It wasn’t always good times, however. Matlin revealed that her confidence was shaken after winning an Academy Award for her performance in Children of a Lesser God. Journalist Rex Reed made a comment that her win was based on a pity vote for her disability. Other critics made similar comments and said she would never work in Hollywood again, Matlin explained. This was the first time that Matlin truly felt handicapped, she shared.
 
In spite of this, Matlin said things turned around with the help of family and friends, and she has had a great career. One of her latest roles was as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars. She also recently created an eight-minute YoutTube video called “My Deaf Family.” It follows a 15-year-old boy who can hear and his deaf family. The video has already been viewed more than 80,000 times!
 
Regarding children with disabilities, Matlin stressed that there is still a lot of work to do. There are reports that disabled children are not attending school and are being excluded from their communities. These people need hope, Matlin said. Anything is possible; all they need is a chance.
 
Matlin said children need to be encouraged to dream and reach for success. Nothing should stand in their way despite how society might try to stop them. This all turns into a magical equation Matlin presented to the audience: Courage + Dreams = Success!
 
—Chris Bastian
 
Gardner Shares Message of Persistence and Hope
 
The anticipation began when young Alexandria Lozanno from Gardens Elementary School in Pasadena, Texas, gave the introductory remarks about keynote speaker Christopher Gardner and then directed the audience’s attention to the big screens where the movie trailer from the film The Pursuit of Happyness, starring Will Smith, played. As Gardner entered the stage, the crowd of elementary principals at the Opening General Session stood with a thunderous, standing ovation and welcome.
 
Gardner stopped the applause and stated: “Whenever I am greeted in this way I have to be honest with you: Will Smith is not coming. I am all you get!” The audience joined in his laughter. He also joked about the $70 million that the movie industry had spent to make a film recreating his life about having nothing. The audience was immediately engaged.
 
Gardner went on to explain how his life changed with a few events. He had been working with a successful heart surgeon in California. He met a young woman, fell in love, and got married. Soon, a son was born and Gardner now had a family to support.
 
Growing up without a father himself, Gardner had vowed that when he had children they would know their father. His mother had raised him to believe he could be anything he wanted to be and Gardner decided he was going to be world class at something.
 
But Gardner’s life took some bad bounces. He lost his job, he lost his wife, and he even lost his son for a short time. When his son was 14 months old, he was returned to him and they were forced to live on the streets for more than a year. Gardner remembered his hopes and dreams and continued to do whatever he needed to do to take care of his son. And his persistence paid off. He became a successful businessman and wrote a book about his life, The Pursuit of Happyness, which inspired the movie.
 
The message Gardner left for elementary principals was that “The cycle CAN be broken.” It just takes persistence and hope. Gardner felt that he has now changed the cycle for generations of children. Elementary principals agree and continue to work each day to do just that!
 
—Beth Welke
K-8 Principals Take on New Role at Schools: Volunteer
 
A work force of nearly 100 elementary principals came to Houston a day ahead of NAESP’s convention to participate in the second annual NAESP Community Service Day. I was fortunate enough to have taken part in the service project last year and could not wait to do so again this year.
 
So what can a volunteer group of elementary principals with a heart to serve accomplish in one day?
 
Volunteers were divided into three groups to more efficiently use the manpower, make that people power as there were easily as many women as men in this group. We were sent off to three different locations with one common goal in mind: to beautify the schools selected for the project.
 
Landscaping projects took place at Wharton Elementary School and Dodson Elementary and Montessori School, and I was a part of the group that went to MacGregor Music and Science Academy, where our task was to put together new playground equipment. Landscape Structures served as the corporate sponsor for NAESP’s Community Service Day and donated $20,000 worth of playground materials for the project.
 
I can’t begin to tell you how good it feels to accomplish something for students who would not have otherwise had the opportunity to receive a playground or, in the other locations, landscaping to beautify their school grounds. At MacGregor, several of the students thanked us for our efforts, and the excitement in their eyes was priceless.
 
“The students of MacGregor Elementary are very grateful for the hard work done by the principals of the National Association of Elementary School Principals,” said MacGregor principal Patricia Allen. “They can hardly wait until the cement settles so they can enjoy the equipment furnished by Landscape Structures. We are overwhelmed by the generosity of both groups. The children will enjoy this gift for many years to come. Thank you from the bottom of our playful hearts.”
 
There was also a great sense of camaraderie among the volunteers. Working side by side with other elementary principals from across the United States for the benefit of students is one of the best feelings. I worked with some folks who were in my group last year and others who were first-year volunteers. The general consensus is that we would all love to do this again next year in Tampa, Florida, the site of NAESP’s 2011 conference.
 
—David Hanson
NAESP Partners With Crayola to Offer Mini-Grants
 
NAESP recently signed an agreement with Crayola to initiate a mini-grant program titled “Champion Creatively-Alive Children,” which will provide funding to schools to implement an innovative program that will increase arts integration across multiple subjects and foster children’s communication, collaboration, creativity, and engagement as self-motivated learners.
 
A project of NAESP’s National Principals Resource Center, the mini-grant program will reward up to 20 schools with a $2,500 monetary grant and $500 worth of Crayola products. Application materials will be available in May.
 
Panel to Spotlight Seven Transformational Principals
 
On Saturday, April 10, seven principals who have distinguished themselves in shaping long-term school improvement will participate in the Transformational Leaders Across America panel at NAESP’s Annual Convention and Exposition. The panel will take place at 3 p.m. in General Assembly Theater A at the George R. Brown Convention Center and will feature discussion about the ways principals and other school leaders can catalyze school improvement.

“My advice to leaders who truly desire to create a positive change in their school culture is to create a common vision and mission among their school staff and to put into practice the strategies and activities required to fulfill your collective agreements,” said panelist Kevin Connelly. Connelly is principal of Colgate Elementary School, a Title I school in Baltimore, where he has increased student scoring in reading and math.

While they preside over learning communities with vastly different circumstances, each of the seven panelists has facilitated long-term school improvement in often challenging conditions. For example, when panelist Theresa Mattison became the principal of Carstens Elementary School in Detroit, student test scores remained in the 10th percentile. To combat this lack of achievement, Mattison focused on creating a positive school environment. She improved community agency coordination and student management, and under her leadership, Carstens has been recognized as one of the top five schools in Michigan.

Improving student academic achievement, especially at low-performing schools, has become a hot-button issue during the past year. President Barack Obama’s recently released recommendations for reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act set aside billions of dollars to improve chronically low-performing schools, but in order to access these funds, schools must adhere to one of four predetermined reform models, all of which result in the principal being replaced.

“At a time when educators are under immense pressure to increase student achievement, we’re pleased to shine a spotlight on principals who have demonstrated the vision, courage, and professional knowledge necessary to cultivate high achieving schools,” said NAESP Executive Director Gail Connelly. “NAESP’s Transformational Leaders Across America initiative validates the vital role principals fulfill in school reform and provides an opportunity for transformational school leaders to share their strategies for success.”

Following the panel, each panelist will also lead an individual session on Sunday, April 11. These sessions will examine specific aspects of the school improvement process. A list of these sessions, and more information about the transformational principal can be found at the NAESP convention Web site.

—Kevin Craft

NAESP Foundation Initiatives Bloom
 
The NAESP Foundation will host its First Annual Silent Auction at this year’s Annual Convention and Exposition. All proceeds from the auction will bolster the foundation’s endowment.
 
Items open to bidding include a hot air balloon ride for two, classroom resources from Lakeshore Learning, and NFL memorabilia. Bidding opens at 9 a.m. on Friday, April 9 in room 310D of the George R. Brown Convention Center and closes at noon on Sunday, April 11. Winners will be contacted by representatives of the foundation after bidding closes.
 
In addition to the silent auction, the NAESP Foundation plans to announce a new a partnership with ING dedicated to early childhood development programs within schools and communities. “The purpose of this partnership is to explore how early childhood providers, families, community partners, and schools can work together to build an aligned system of early learning that provides seamless transitions for children as they progress from pre-school through grade 3,” said Ernest Mannino, chief executive officer of the NAESP Foundation. “We want to ensure that all principals have a voice in the discussion surrounding the future of early childhood education in this country.”
 
The partnership includes the establishment of a task force of education experts that will provide principals with the latest research on early childhood development and models of successful early childhood development programs. The foundation will also work in conjunction with NAESP’s advocacy team to develop policy proposals for the establishment of professional development programs for principals.
 
As it embarks on this new partnership and continues other initiatives aimed at ensuring that principals have the knowledge and training they need to lead dynamic learning communities, the NAESP Foundation hopes that the silent auction will give convention attendees a fun and interactive way to offer their support. “We hope that this will be the first of many silent auctions, and we look forward to meeting principals at convention and discussing our work,” said Mannino.
 
More information about the silent auction, including a schedule of bidding times, can be found at the convention’s Web site. More information about the NAESP Foundation and its initiatives can be found at the foundation’s Web site.
 
—Kevin Craft

Take a Break, Explore the City
 
A century ago, few could have predicted that the humid flatlands around Houston would one day house one of the most advanced metropolises in the world. Today, Houston is the fourth largest city in America and the home of a high-tech, entrepreneurial-driven economy and a multicultural population that speaks more than 90 languages. From historic landmarks from the battlefield where Texans won their independence to the center where NASA conducted much of its early research, attendees of NAESP’s Annual Convention and Exposition should make time to explore some of the attractions this modern American city has to offer.

Houston was the first word spoken when astronauts landed on the moon, and the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center is the location of NASA’s center for human spaceflight activities. Its Living in Space exhibit features computer simulation that allows guests to try their hand at landing the space shuttle or receiving a satellite.

Visitors can also tour the historic Mission Control Center and get updates on current space flights and astronaut training activities. Houston’s Museum District gives visitors access to 18 museums all located within a 1.5-mile radius of Herman Park and the gorgeous Mecom Fountain. The Buffalo Soldiers National Museum is the only museum in the United States primarily dedicated to honoring the legacy of black soldiers; the Museum of Fine Arts houses a collection of more than 56,000 pieces, including Rembrandt’s Portrait of a Young Woman; and the John P. McGovern Health Museum contains Houston’s only four-dimensional theater.

According to The New York Times, Houstonians spend more per capita at restaurants than residents of any other city. Their predilection for dining out may stem from the fact that Houston has 8,000-plus restaurants that serve a range of cuisines from traditional Texas barbecue to various ethnic fare that has been brought to the city by its robust immigrant population.

The neighborhood of Montrose, one of the city’s most demographically diverse regions, provides visitors with locations to sample this diverse cuisine and also features an antique mall that offers excellent vintage shopping. Downtown Houston has been revitalized in recent years with clubs, sports facilities, and other entertainment venues such as the 130,000-square-foot Bayou Place. At the downtown Historic District, visitors can peruse streets lined with cafes and listen to live music.

Sources:
www.visithoustontexas.com
www.away.com
www.houston.com
www.about.com
www.houston.world-guides.com