Newsletter of Phi Delta Kappa International, the Professional
Education Association
VOLUME 46, NUMBER 1, FALL 2001 (ISSN 0028-923X)
Teacher of the Year Finalist
From Your President
Showcase of innovative teaching
VP Candidates
Election totals
CEDR Search Service
Chapter trains new leaders
PDK wins Lilly grant
Kappan leads NAESP
Book Notes
Resource Connection
Chapters sponsor fastbacks
Membership Forum
Foundation News
Survey service
Sabbatical project
Camp for prospective educators
Legislative Council
Endowed scholarships
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YOUR PRESIDENT RICHARD L. KOLOWSKI |
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Traditions + Realities = New Directions I purposely delayed writing this message until I returned home after the summer meeting of the PDK Board of Directors. I did this because your board of directors completed some very important first steps toward a new direction for our organization. Your board spent the first two days of their five-day meeting completing a very comprehensive strategic plan. The rest of the summer meeting was spent dealing with the regular board agenda. However, each item in that agenda was examined in light of the mission, beliefs, goals, strategies, and guidelines that were fine-tuned during the planning session. Our plans will be shared with area coordinators, chapter officers, and other Kappans prior to the 3rd Legislative Council in the first weekend in November (see story on page 14). One important change is that we will be dealing with all legislation and other issues at the legislative council through the structure of the strategic planning process. Our plan is to incorporate the work of Action Teams, which will guide decision making and give direction to all of the official actions that must be taken at the council. Your board of directors has worked with a respect for the history and traditions of Phi Delta Kappa International and also to recognize the realities facing us today. With that combination, we will have "New Directions" to guide our association into the future. We look forward to your contribution to this mission. |
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Showcase Helps Educators Share Teaching and Research Ideas The Moorhead Minnesota-Fargo North Dakota Chapter sponsors a program that allows educators to "browse" for new ideas. The chapter's annual "Showcase of Innovative Teaching and Research" brings together area teachers, university faculty, and education students to share instructional programs and research. Presenters come from local schools and colleges, and their presentations cover education from kindergarten to adult. "There's a lot of good innovations and exciting activities going on in the schools," chapter president Mark Schmidt explained. "But people are taking much of it for granted. It should be shared." Last spring's program was the fifth year for this project. Schmidt reported that three area colleges take turns hosting the program. The colleges are North Dakota State University, Concordia College, and Minnesota State University-Moorhead. The showcase uses a "poster presentation" format, with individual presenters manning displays, in order to keep the showcase informal and to encourage the sharing of ideas, said Schmidt. "The presenters can answer questions as people walk around," he said. "It allows people to think about how to integrate portions of someone's ideas and to share ideas. People meet new people, and they come away with ideas they can adapt." The showcase also encourages educators to build networks. Schmidt explained that the chapter's service area includes several large public school districts, two large private schools, and portions of two states. The chapter's programs help to spread ideas among all of these schools, as well as building connections between the schools and colleges. "Even though we are not a large metropolitan area, everybody is usually very surprised with the sophistication of what is being tackled in our schools," Schmidt said. He reported that activities at the last showcase included everything from using learning themes with younger students to sophisticated computer programs to help teachers deal with increasing diversity. Schmidt added that each showcase also usually includes presentations on professional development and working with the community. One important aspect of the chapter's showcase is the emphasis on bringing back presenters from previous years to show how a school project has developed over time. In addition, chapter members who are school administrators are constantly on the lookout for interesting programs and encourage their faculty to share these. And professors at the colleges encourage their students to present interesting programs and research. One added benefit of the showcase is that it introduces other educators to what Phi Delta Kappa is doing. Schmidt reported that the chapter has recruited new members through the showcase. "The showcase benefits the schools, universities, and the chapter," Schmidt said. While faculty and students from the universities present their research at the showcase, most of the topics come from the local schools. That is a particular strength of the program, Schmidt explained. "Not all great ideas start in the ivory towers. Genius starts at the grassroots level." |
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Chapters Vote on International Officers, Finalist Election at Legislative Council Last spring the chapters voted on a field of nine candidates for international office. Three finalists were chosen and will now stand for election by the area coordinators at the 3rd Legislative Council in Louisville in November. (See related story on page 14.) One will become President-Elect; two will become Vice Presidents. The officers terms are for 2001-2003, with the President-Elect taking office as President for 2003-2005. The three finalists are John Amato, Jo Ann Fujioka, and Sherry Morgan. Their complete profiles and statements appeared in the Winter 2000-2001 issue of NN&Q, which can be read on the PDK website. John Amato is the District VI representative from Oakhurst, New Jersey. Jo Ann Fujioka, from Denver, Colorado, is the Area 4J Coordinator. And Sherry Morgan is the District VIII Representative from Knoxville, Tennessee.
Chapter Votes for Vice Presidents This spring the ballots for international president-elect and the two vice presidents were tallied by a committee of eight staff members. Four hundred fifty-seven chapters returned valid ballots (the ballots arrived on time, contained three votes, and were signed). These ballots include 1,371 votes (457 x 3). Listed below, in alphabetical order, are the candidate and the votes they received. Based on these totals, the three top candidates are John Amato, Jo Ann Fujioka, and Sherry Morgan.
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Chapter Helps Future Leaders Achieve Their Goals A number of recent reports have indicated that schools face a shortage of administrators. Kappans in the University of British Columbia Chapter decided to help area educators fill those positions. The chapter's "Leadership Training Program" is a specially designed series of "conversations" with current administrators from the area, explained chapter president Jane Hunter. Participants also learned about current research on school leadership, received practical information on writing résumés, and learned interviewing skills. "An important part of the sessions was meeting people from other districts and making connections," Hunter explained. "Our chapter has members from a half-dozen school districts. Sometimes there is an opening for an administrator in another district." Because participants met administrators from other districts, they were able to learn about those openings. The program also has strengthened the chapter, Hunter reported. "We did not ask for a registration fee, but we did ask for a commitment to becoming a member of our chapter. We now have some very committed new members. They were sold on PDK and what it represents because they had such a strong introduction to the chapter." "We had a bit of a celebration at our initiation," Hunter said. "Out of 40 people who had registered, six had become administrators. That was a very good number because of the lack of vacancies this year." The University of British Columbia Chapter planned its leadership program with the Fraser Valley British Columbia Chapter, Hunter said. The two programs were held simultaneously in different locations. "This is an easy project to do for most chapters," Hunter said. She explained that most chapters have the experts among their members. They only need to find a central location to hold the sessions and to arrange interesting sessions. The benefits for the chapter, the participants, and the schools are enormous. |
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Looking for Data? CEDR Can Help Can't remember where you read that one piece of information you now need? Working on a dissertation? PDK's Center for Evaluation, Development, and Research has developed a database listing all PDK publications, including Kappan articles since 1970, fastbacks, books and monographs, and other materials distributed by Phi Delta Kappa International. The CEDR staff will search this database for you. To request a search, contact Betty Bradbury at the PDK International Office. Searches usually are completed in a day or two, and the CEDR staff will send you the results, including a printout of full citations and abstracts for each item found. Email: cedr@pdkintl.org. |
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PDK to Administer $13 Million Grant to Indiana Communities
"This was truly a community process," Hutchinson explained. "The people in these counties worked very hard to make this proposal a success." The major problem the grant is intended to address results from the large number of families in these largely rural counties who have formed a permanent underclass, Hutchinson explained. "These are adults who had bad experiences with school. They repeat the cycle with their own children and fail to provide their children with the skills to succeed. This cycle has been repeating for generations. But these parents would help if they knew what to do." Some of the problems are particularly severe. For example, 22% of the children in these counties already are falling behind by the time they reach kindergarten. And 16% of the adults over age 25 cannot read. The grant will fund a variety of programs designed to combat these problems at all levels, Storm explained. There will be three initiatives aimed at helping preschoolers and families, K-12 school improvement, and adult learning. For example, early childhood specialists will develop a special curriculum and materials and provide training for daycare providers in the area. Because many of these daycare providers are unlicensed, they are not eligible for state-sponsored training. The grant will allow these daycare providers to improve their work with children, especially in providing basic literacy skills. "The real challenge is to get to the parents, because most of them do not trust the schools," Hutchinson said. "The communities will use referrals from doctors' offices, hospitals, and any other method they can to reach these parents." The four counties will establish adult learning centers that will offer job training, literacy and math classes, technology training, and preparation for the GED. "Many of these adults need training to qualify for a job," Hutchinson explained. "But perhaps more significant is that when parents and grandparents are studying and learning, they are modeling behaviors for the children." In addition to helping write the grant and to serving as fiscal agent and program administrator, Phi Delta Kappa International will provide professional development programs for much of the school improvement effort. "We have the experience and the research-based approach to education that will allow us to work with these schools," Storm explained. However, the schools will not be restricted to professional development offered by PDK. "We will help them find professional development programs from a variety of sources; and we will hold a vendor fair at the International Office and invite the leading school reformers. PDK's passion is solely for good education." PDK's Center for Evaluation, Development, and Research (CEDR) will be conducting the evaluation for this grant. CEDR staff already are collecting baseline data, and they will complete the evaluation shortly after the grant expires in 2004. PDK is proud to work with local schools and communities, Hutchinson said. He reported that Phi Delta Kappa currently is working with Dearborn County in Indiana to develop another proposal and that the association has worked with other counties to promote school improvement. |
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Kappan Elected Next President of NAESP
As a new principal, Young was encouraged by another member to join PDK. Being a member gives him opportunities to reach out to those entering the education community and to encourage them to be informed with PDK's wealth of resources. "It is helpful to reach aspiring principals with my old Kappans," he says. Young says principals often serve in tough situations and often shoulder heavy responsibility alone. "We need to ask principals to talk about it, write about it, share our problems," he said. Young feels this is one way PDK can be an integral part in helping the voices of those in leadership positions in schools be heard. "Phi Delta Kappa can encourage practicing principals to write about what they are doing." Young is well qualified for taking such a leadership position in the association that reaches more than 28,500 principals. For the past three years he has been a member of the NAESP's board of directors. Serving on the same board are fellow Kappans, Bruce A. Voelkel (Broward County Florida Chapter), Barry Band (Western Carolina University Chapter), and Richard F. Barbacane (Millersville Pennsylvania Chapter). |
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WISHNIETSKY LOOKS AT AMERICAN EDUCATION · Dan H. Wishnietsky's new book is American Education in the 21st Century, which examines key aspects of American education that will affect and be affected by the future. This book was commissioned as part of the Bessie F. Gabbard/PDK Initiative on Leadership in Education. This new trade paperback lists for $22; member discount price, $16.50. FALL FASTBACKS TO ADDRESS MANY TOPICS · The eight fall fastbacks include a variety of topics, such as storytelling, professional portfolios, English language learners, school-university collaborations, educating African-American children, learning through laughter, invitational education, and wellness. Responding to rising production costs, the new prices for the fastbacks are $4/copy; $3/copy for members. A discount schedule is available for volume purchases. Readers, please note: A standing order for fastbacks may be placed at any time during the year. The annual standing order includes the next 16 fastbacks to be published and costs $32 (Canadian $55). That's a savings of 50% off the single-copy list price for the same 16 titles. To place a standing order, simply call 1-800-766-1156 and ask to speak to Susan Wehrly. "CLASSICS" COMPENDIUM PUBLISHED · Students of higher education will welcome 100 Classic Books About Higher Education, compiled by Cameron Fincher, George Keller, E. Grady Bogue, and John R. Thelin. Each author also contributed an essay to this interesting and useful volume. The compendium lists for $29 as a trade paperback; the member discount price is $21.75. SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS "ADOPTS" TITLES · Newly available are two books published elsewhere by writers well-known to Kappans. The titles are included in the PDK catalog as a service to members. Gerald W. Bracey is the author of Bail Me Out! Handling Difficult Data and Tough Questions About Public Schools (Library binding, $65.95; PDK members, $59.35. Trade paperback, $29.95; PDK members, $26.95). Marvin Marshall is the author of Discipline Without Stress® Punishments or Rewards (Library binding, $39.95; PDK members, $35.95). These books may be ordered from the new PDK catalog or by calling 1-800-766-1156. CPD&S LOOKS AT STUDENT TEACHER EVALUATION · PDK's Center for Professional Development and Services has published an evaluation set developed at Ball State University that aims to bring consistency and standarized expectations to student teacher evaluation. The Evaluation of Student Teachers Guidebook is the centerpiece, but other components also are available. See the catalog for complete details. The Evaluation of Student Teachers Set is $37.50 and includes three guidebooks and a portfolio handbook. COLLEGIAL COACHING SEES SECOND EDITION · The Center for Evaluation, Development, and Research has published a second edition of Marylou Dantonio's popular book, Collegial Coaching: Inquiry into the Teaching Self. This trade paperback lists for $20; the member discount price is $15. Find books and other resources in PDK's online catalog. |
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PDK Resource Connection by Donovan R. Walling, Director of Publications and Research Starting the School Year on the Right Foot The start of a new school year is a good time to tap Phi Delta Kappa's trove of resources to get the new term off on the right foot. I'm thinking particularly about helping beginning teachers, student teachers, and substitute teachers -- all of whom are vital to successful schools. The fastbacks are always a good starting point when teachers, administrators, and teacher educators are looking for a "quick read" on a particular topic. Beginning teachers will find fastbacks on many aspects of classroom practice, from 384 Strategies for Educating Diverse Learners to 460 Helping the Grieving Child in School. Teachers and administrators -- beginners and veterans alike -- can benefit from perusing the in-print fastback list found in the PDK catalog or on the website in the Bookstore pages at www.pdkintl.org. Mentoring can play an important role in helping new teachers succeed. The Center for Professional Development and Services (CPD&S) has adopted several books from other publishers that offer useful perspectives, including Your Mentor: A Practical Guide for First-Year Teachers in Grades 1-3 and Mentoring Beginning Teachers: Guiding, Reflecting, Coaching. Don't miss Succeeding in the Secondary Classroom: Strategies for Middle and High School Teachers. Administrators will want to view Linda Darling-Hammond's video, The New Teacher: Meeting the Challenges. The Center for Evaluation, Development, and Research (CEDR) also has published a second edition of the popular book, Collegial Coaching. Fastback 371 Peer Coaching in Teacher Education makes a good counterpoint for those still working toward a teaching degree, along with 397 The Multiple Roles of Clinical Faculty. Student teachers can benefit from these same texts, of course. And CPD&S now offers a new student teacher resource package for teachers and administrators. Evaluation of Student Teachers Guidebook and Evaluation Set provides The Evaluation of Student Teachers Guidebook for the student teacher, the university supervisor, and the classroom teacher and offers a method to ensure consistency and standardized expectations for all student teachers. Included in the package is a Student Teacher's Portfolio Handbook. An implementation guide also is available for university supervisors. Sample pages may be downloaded from the PDK website at www.pdkintl.org. Substitute teachers are the subject of a fastback published in the spring 2001 series: 475 The Successful Substitute Teacher. But they also will find much of interest in the titles I've already mentioned. Classroom management is probably the key concern for all teachers and administrators, and PDK offers many resources. Several fastbacks come to mind: 378 Cooperation-Competition: An Instructional Strategy, 387 Controlling Aggressive Students, 396 Management Strategies for Culturally Diverse Classrooms, 414 Managing Diversity-Based Conflicts Among Children, 428 Fostering Social Responsibility, and 465 Managing Classroom Crises. Books include Discipline Without Stress® Punishments or Rewards, The ABC's of Behavior Change, and several titles that focus on conflict resolution. All can be found in the PDK catalog under the heading, Classroom Management. CPD&S offers a conflict prevention and resolution multimedia series that includes printed materials, a CD-ROM, and several videos. And Improving Classroom Behavior, produced by our colleagues in Canada, also is an excellent interactive CD-ROM program for individual or group professional development or teacher education. Whew! Once again I've run out of space before PDK has run out of resources. There are many, many more. Readers simply will have to check the catalog or hop online and visit the Bookstore and Gift Shop pages of PDK's website. It will pay to check the website often and look at the What's New? section for the latest additions to your PDK resource treasure chest. |
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Five Chapters Sponsor Fall Fastbacks Five chapters sponsored fastbacks in the fall 2001 series. Those chapters are: Ball State University, Broward County Florida, Montreal Quebec, Northern Illinois University, and Pennsylvania State University. Many chapters or groups of chapters sponsor fastbacks or books as a focal point for a chapter project, to commemorate an important milestone such as a chapter anniversary, or to honor an individual whose work has affected the chapter. Sponsoring chapters are acknowledged in the publication and may include a short, special statement if they so desire. Sponsoring chapters receive free copies of the sponsored publication: 150 copies of fastbacks, 40 copies of books. And, another benefit of sponsorship, the chapter may invite the publication's author to present a seminar-lecture at a future chapter meeting. The author's honorarium and travel expenses for the chapter visit will be paid by the PDK Educational Foundation. The Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation initiated the sponsorship program in 1978. Since then, many chapters have taken advantage of this opportunity. The benefits of fastback and book sponsorship far outweigh the minimal cost of the contribution, which is used to offset the honorarium paid to the author of the publication. Interested chapters may obtain a brochure about the sponsorship program by calling Terri Hampton at the PDK International Office. |
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Membership Forum by Billie Spellman, Director of Membership Q: Who qualifies for student membership? A: Chapters have the option to offer student membership. If a chapter does offer student membership, such membership is open to individuals enrolled in a program leading to teacher certification. Chapters also may extend student membership to students in a fifth-year certification program, or they may offer those students a regular membership. Student membership dues are one-half of the regular international and chapter dues. Individuals who are classified as student members are not initiated into PDK, although we hope they will become regular members in the future. Student memberships are not available to graduate students, who qualify for regular membership. Q: I joined PDK as a direct member and then affiliated with a local chapter. Will I get another membership certificate that includes the name of the chapter? A: Membership certificates are issued according to the membership option selected at the time one joins the association. Q: Can I transfer my membership from a chapter-affiliated membership to a direct membership? A: No. This option is not available under the Constitution and Bylaws. Q: I recently received my membership card. Does this mean I need to pay my dues, or that I have already paid? A: Your membership card signifies that your dues payment has been received and processed at the International Office. Q: The chapter forwarded my membership application to the International Office prior to my initiation so that I could start receiving services. I have not yet received anything. A: Membership applications in the case of chapter-affiliated members are held until the chapter notifies us of an initiation. You must be initiated into the local chapter before your can receive services. You might want to check with the chapter to see when this will occur. Q: I have been a member longer than my membership recognition certificate states. How can I get this changed? A: A break in service may account for the difference; however, mistakes sometimes occur. Call the Membership Department so that we can check the records and, if necessary, issue a corrected membership recognition certificate. Q: I paid my dues but received another invoice. What is going on? A: More than likely we received your dues payment about the same time that the second invoice was mailed. If you have a question about your payment, simply give us a call. We will be able to tell you when payment was received and how long your membership will be valid. Have a question about membership? Send it to Billie Spellman at the Phi Delta Kappa International Office. |
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Foundation News by Scott Hutchinson, Development Officer At your next chapter meeting, give your foundation representative and everyone who contributed to the Educational Foundation during the 2000-2001 Annual Fund a hearty congratulations. This year's total was an exceptional $389,238.11, which ranks as our third-best Annual Fund ever. Part of this success was built on special contributions for the Summer Camp/Institute for Prospective Teachers and the Frymier Student Institute for Ethical Leadership. Chapters and individual donors contributed $200 gifts for these two programs. To date, a total of $15,275 has been received for the benefit of future teachers and community leaders. The response to our request for $1.49 for each good-standing member was also part of this year's success. The request for that odd amount came from our realization, about halfway through the 2000-2001 Annual Fund, that we could have one of the top years ever. We calculated the amount we would need from each Kappan to achieve this goal, then let each chapter know how much money their chapter would need to contribute, based on the chapter's membership. Many foundation representatives found this information useful. We thank each of the chapters that made the additional contributions to lift this year's total. Because of our renewed efforts to build the Educational Foundation, we set an ambitious goal for the 2001-2002 Annual Fund. Our goal is $500,000, which translates to a contribution of $5.22 from every member. We will calculate the contribution needed from each chapter based on its total membership, and we will mail this information to every foundation representative in September. We also will include information about the "Gabbard Angels" in the September mailing. Many chapters, areas, and districts have proud traditions of achieving 20/20 status. We will continue to recognize these efforts. In order to continue our efforts to build the Educational Foundation, we also will recognize chapters achieving 40/40 status during the 2001-2002 Annual Fund. These chapters will be recognized as "Gabbard Angels" (Advancing New Goals in Education, Leadership, and Service) in memory of Bessie Gabbard. |
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Accurate survey data can serve as the basis for effective decision making. The Center for Evaluation, Development, and Research (CEDR) provides a customized opinion survey service to school districts and states. School administrators, teacher organizations, citizen groups, planning agencies, and service groups can use survey results as a guide for program development, as a tool for evaluation, or as a device for more effective leadership within a community. The CEDR staff works with decision makers to develop a set of questions. Questions can be selected from the pool of pretested questions used in the PDK/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools or new questions can be tailored to fit individual needs. Mail surveys are conducted entirely by the CEDR staff, and telephone surveys are conducted in cooperation with the Indiana University Center for Survey Research. The CEDR staff prepares the final report. For more information about this survey service, contact the Center for Evaluation, Development, and Research at the PDK International Office. |
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Sabbatical Project Focuses on Publications On June 1, Donovan R. Walling, director of publications and research, began a six-month sabbatical. His sabbatical project is to analyze the programs in the Service Area for Publications and Research. The service area includes Special Publications (the main book publishing division of PDK, under the auspices of the PDK Educational Foundation) and the Center for Evaluation, Development, and Research (CEDR). "Education publishing has changed dramatically in the last five years," said Walling. "Phi Delta Kappa needs to become more aware of these changes and to consider how we can best serve both Kappans and non-Kappan educators in this new climate." One of the key changes has been the development of new technology, both in traditional printing and in electronic publishing, such as on the Internet. Speaking last January to the Board of Directors and the Board of Governors, both of which approved the sabbatical proposal, Walling said, "We must accept the challenge of technological change in order to reap its benefits. But accepting this challenge poses another, which is the necessity to study our publications and research operations and then to adapt them as necessary to ensure cost-efficiency and solid, essential service to our members and other consumers -- at the same time generating income in order to support what we do." During the sabbatical period, Walling will participate in a professional publishing course at Stanford University, attend a professional-scholarly publishers' conference, and visit other association-based publishing and research units -- in addition to gathering and analyzing information about the PDK publications and research effort. His final report and recommendations will be presented at the board meetings during the summer of 2002. Although Walling has structured a "discontinuous" sabbatical period, during which he will be at the International Office from time to time, Kappans should feel free to contact David M. Ruetschlin, managing editor of Special Publications, or Carol Langdon, program director of CEDR, during Walling's absence. The sabbatical period ends on 1 March 2002. |
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Kappans Support Camp for Prospective Educators
PDK's Summer Camp for Prospective Educators began as a model that others could use to establish similar programs. Those exploring such camps can be observers at PDK's camp to see how a successful camp is organized. The model has been very successful, and prospective educator camps have since been held all over North America. One of the newest camps was held this summer at Aurora University in Illinois. Ellen Nupert, one of the founders at that camp, has been an observer at PDK's camp and has attended the Future Educator of America conferences sponsored by PDK. A special panel of Kappans reviewed applications to choose the 60 students who attended this year's camp. The members of the selection committee are: Cynthia Hagen, Douglas County Colorado Chapter; Jerry Holder, Mid Cities/UTA Chapter; and Nancy Lumbley, Indiana University Chapter. |
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Council Focuses on Strategic Planning The theme for the Phi Delta Kappa International 3rd Legislative Council is "Forging Our Future." The council will be held November 1-4 at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. The Legislative Council is PDK's biennial governance event. Many important activities are slated for the council. The area coordinators will vote for the next president-elect and two vice presidents (for more on this year's candidates see page 4). The council will pass the budget for the next two years, and there are also special presentations for members to attend. Lowell Rose, executive director emeritus, will give a presentation on updating PDK's Gallup Poll; and Phil Schlechty, author, lecturer, and founder of the Center for Leadership in School Reform, will give a presentation addressing school reform issues. At the end of the council, President Rick Kolowski will hand over the presidential gavel to President-Elect Eve Proffitt. One major function of governance, the consideration of legislation from the nine districts, will be addressed in a new way this year. In the past, all legislation went to committees of area coordinators and board members. These committees decided which legislation to bring to a vote with the full council. This year legislation is taking a new route. Action plan teams will replace the committees at this year's council. These teams will consider district legislation just as the committees have in the past. However, in contrast to the old committees, these new teams will include better representation of the membership as a whole. Where past committees included only council members, these teams will include representatives from local chapters and target populations of the association, as well as council members. PDK, as always, invites all members to attend the Legislative Council; and this year those Kappans who attend can be a major part of shaping PDK's future by participating on a team. The teams will allow for more input while discussing a plan
for implementing legislation. The legislation will be processed
into a report for the rest of the council. From there the board
will consider the recommendations and how to move forward. The goals are part of the emerging Phi Delta Kappa International strategic plan. The Board of Directors created this plan to address the needs of PDK's future. The strategic plan introduces the following five goals:
The 3rd Legislative Council will be the first step for Phi Delta Kappa International in meeting its new goals. Executive Director George Kersey says, "President Rick Kolowski and President-elect Eve Proffitt have selected wisely the theme, 'Forging Our Future,' for the 3rd Legislative Council. Both leaders understand the value of tradition. More important, both recognize the urgency of bringing a sharper focus to our legislative deliberations. Phi Delta Kappa must assess all activities in terms of our mission, strategically plan for implementation, and rethink our existing governance structure." |
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Chapters and Individuals Endow Scholarships The Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation is proud to help honor the memory of Dr. Joseph Blackstead and Ms. Ruey Witten through two new endowed scholarships. Blackstead was a member of PDK and director of the Department of Defense Dependent Schools of Europe. Ms. Barbara Dubnick, Dr. Blackstead's wife, endowed the scholarship in his name to honor his years of service to both PDK and DoDDS-Europe. This scholarship will be awarded to a high school senior attending a DoDDS high school in Germany. It will be awarded based on need to a student planning to major in education. This scholarship will be available in 2002. The foundation also is pleased to announce a fellowship honoring Ruey Witten. This award will go to a college student entering graduate studies in elementary music education following a successful student teaching experience. Claire Nisonger founded this fellowship to honor her mother, a lifelong piano and choral teacher who taught music in one-room, country schools and finally earned her college degree at the age of 87. This scholarship will be available in 2002. The Educational Foundation is home to 35 endowed scholarship and fellowship funds, several of which provide several scholarships each year. These scholarships are sponsored by individuals or chapters, often to honor the memory of educators. Those who endow a scholarship may name the scholarship and suggest criteria for awarding it. The scholarships are given to students either entering or currently part of a professional education program. The process for creating an endowed scholarship is quite simple. An individual or chapter wishing to endow a scholarship should contact the Education Foundation's development officer, Scott Hutchinson. PDK and the Huntington Bank then set up an account for the fund. Once this account is established, anyone can contribute to it, not just the originator. The account has up to five years to reach $10,000. One year after the fund reaches the $10,000 mark, a $1,000 scholarship is awarded on a yearly basis. Some individuals or chapters donate the full amount at once, and others use up to five years to raise the $10,000. If the fund continues to grow from additional contributions, larger or additional scholarships may be offered. Phi Delta Kappa International and the Educational Foundation gave out more than 40 scholarships in 2001 to prospective educators. To contribute to a scholarship fund or to create an endowed scholarship, contact Scott Hutchinson at the International Office.
News, Notes, and Quotes is published three times a year by Phi Delta Kappa International, P.O. Box 789, Bloomington, IN 47402-0789. NN&Q Staff David M. Ruetschlin, Editor |
