Newsletter of Phi Delta Kappa International, the Professional
Education Association
VOLUME 46, NUMBER 2, WINTER 2001 (ISSN 0028-923X)
Students handle conflict
From Your Executive Director
Chapter in literacy bowl
3rd Legislative Council
Membership awards
Book Notes
New chapter installed
Newsletter and website awards
Membership Forum
Foundation News
CAPE Director appointed
PDK Resource Connection
Institutional Memory
Travel Seminars
Gabbard awards
NN&Q online
| Eve Proffitt Assumes Presidency at 3rd Legislative Council |
|
About 200 educators attended Phi Delta Kappa International's 3rd Legislative Council. The council met in Louisville, Kentucky, November 1-4. PDK President Richard Kolowski presided over the council. During the final session, he passed the gavel to Eve Proffitt, who works with the Kentucky School Boards Association, providing consultation, training, and lobbying. In his final address to the council, Kolowski discussed the challenges facing PDK and how the organization is meeting them. Kolowski also reported how Kappans have successfully met the challenge he posed two years ago. In her first presidential address, Eve Proffit presented her theme for the biennium, "Reflect, Focus, Guide." She reminded those at the council of the history of the organization's leadership and how we are building on what has gone before. |
 Richard Kolowski hands the presidential gavel to Eve Proffitt at the final session of PDK's 3rd Legislative Council in Louisville, Kentucky. |
|
|
One important task of the Legislative Council is to vote for president-elect. The three candidates for that position were elected by the chapters last spring. The Legislative Council chooses one candidate as president-elect, and the other two candidates serve as vice presidents on the PDK Board of Directors. Sherry Morgan was chosen as president-elect of Phi Delta Kappa International. Morgan is a principal in Knoxville, Tennessee, and is a former District VIII Representative. PDK's two new vice presidents are John Amato, former District VI Representative, and Jo Ann Fujioka, former Area 4J Coordinator. The Legislative Council passed a budget authorization of $8,367,165 for the 2002-04 biennium. The council also determined that the dues for the 2002-04 biennium will remain at $45 and that the fee for reinstatement of a withdrawn member will remain at $10. The Legislative Council also passed a number of amendments to PDK's Constitution and Bylaws. Among these are:
The constitutional amendments have been forwarded to the chapters for ratification. Constitutional amendments require a two-thirds vote by the chapters to be ratified. Amendments to the Bylaws are adopted when approved by the legislative council. |
|
A new aspect of this year's council was the focus on strategic planning. Special action teams considered the legislation from the district conferences to align proposals with Phi Delta Kappa's goals and to set priorities for action. In addition to the council members, these teams included representatives from local chapters and target populations of the association, thus providing better representation of the membership as a whole. The teams focused on seven areas: finance, marketing, governance, programs and services, technology, membership, and advocacy. Other highlights of the 3rd Legislative Council include the Paul M. Cook Lecture and the PDK Educational Foundation Banquet. The Paul M. Cook lecturer was Phillip C. Schlechty, head of the Center for Leadership in School Reform. Schlechty reminded the participants that we need to change systems when we change schools and that trying to make schools more like they were in the past will not make them better. |
 Phillip C. Schlechty discusses the problems of school reform in his Paul M. Cook address. |
 New members of the Reavis Associates are honored for their contributions to the foundation. |
The Educational Foundation Banquet featured awards to chapters and individuals for their contributions to the foundation. Among the awards presentations was the new Bessie Gabbard Award Celebrating the Leadership of Women (see story on page 15). Another highlight was the Ronald Joekel Leadership Lecture, named in honor of the former PDK International president and executive director. This year's lecture was given by former PDK Executive Director Lowell Rose. Rose discussed the history of the Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools, describing its importance for PDK's advocacy efforts. |
|
Thanks to a research project conducted by the Millersville Pennsylvania Chapter, the local school district is implementing a new practice that will reduce violence in area elementary schools. Chapter members Patricia Latshaw and Mike Lehmier wanted to take a closer look at the class meeting concept, a program where students are trained to resolve a conflict without relying solely on adults. Class meetings are a way to work through conflict without resorting to traditional but ineffective approaches to discipline, such as detention, suspension, or expulsion. Students must work out their problems together by discussing the problems and finding solutions. Lehmier, a teacher at Landsville Intermediate Center and chapter president, has been using the class meeting concept in his own classes for years. Latshaw, his principal and fellow Kappan, noticed a difference in the way Lehmier's students behaved. Latshaw explained that when Lehmier's students came to her with conflict, they were better equipped to handle their problems. Latshaw wanted to learn more about the class meeting concept, and a research grant from PDK was the means to do it. In summer 2000, 30 area educators from six area elementary schools were trained in the class meeting concept. Nineteen of those teachers then trained their classes. The teachers agreed to keep a log of conflicts that occurred in their classrooms and how the conflicts were handled. As a control group, 11 teachers who did not use the class meeting concept in their classes were asked to keep similar logs. The classes were trained in the fall of 2000, and data was collected from October through January. The logs tracked three types of classroom problems: possession, personal space, and put-downs. The logs also kept track of how the problems were handled: by adults (teacher, principal, or parent called) or by student interaction (peer mediation or class meetings). There were 485 students in the experimental group and 222 students in the control group. Latshaw collected and analyzed the data in spring 2001. "Their statistics were so different," Latshaw explained. While the percentage difference between the trained group and control group did not vary widely in each category of conflict (9% compared to 12% in possession, 44% compared to 47% in personal space, and 42% compared to 46% in put downs), these problems were handled in very different ways. In the trained group, problems were resolved by student interaction 70% of the time (58% through class meetings, 12% through peer mediation) and by adults 30% of the time (25% by teachers, 1% by parents, 4% by principals). In contrast, in more than 95% of the cases in the control groups, problems were solved by an adult (89% by teachers). Latshaw believes these findings suggest that class meetings were effective in helping students solve their own problems. She describes it as a process to "find solutions and not place blame." Anecdotal evidence affirmed Latshaw's belief that teachers could benefit from not being the only problem solver. Latshaw quotes Nancy Witmer, a participating teacher, who said, "The pressure was off me as the teacher to hear problems and solve them right now." The same teacher noticed repeat offenders realized being the source of problems was not desirable and thus monitored themselves. Latshaw first sent her findings to all the teachers that participated in the research. "I then made a presentation to the administrative staff of the district," Latshaw reported. "From there, it was decided that the entire district would participate." The district made training available this fall. "Since it worked so well, we decided to inservice the entire elementary staff," Latshaw said. Now all buildings have class meetings represented. "I know it's in each of our seven elementary schools. Some have embraced it schoolwide, as we have, others less so," she said. Latshaw wants to encourage other school districts to try class meetings. She feels that the class meeting concept is "a wonderful, wonderful process" that can be beneficial to any classroom. The Millersville Pennsylvania research project on class meetings has made a lasting impression on Hempfield elementary schools. |
| FROM
YOUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR GEORGE KERSEY, JR. |
 |
|
|
A Particular Emphasis "The purpose of Phi Delta Kappa shall be to promote quality education, with particular emphasis on publicly supported education, as essential to the development and maintainance of a democratic way of life." Those words are from Article 1, Section 3 of the PDK Constitution. Our emphasis on quality public education is a sustaining value of this organization. Among the issues facing delegates at the 3rd Legislative Council was a proposal to strike the word, particular, from our constitution. The proposed amendment met with little support. Delegates affirmed a long-held belief among Kappans, a belief that was understood by Thomas Jefferson more than 200 years ago: A democratic way of life requires a solid system of public education. Later, in the solitude of my hotel room, I reflected on the significance of that vote. A system of universal education diminishes the chances for unbridled hatred to triumph. A system of universally available education increases the opportunity for democratic institutions to grow. People's minds and spirits are liberated through education. As our global community gains education, it becomes more liberated; and the control of authoritarian institutions and totalitarian regimes gives way to democracy and the collective will of the human spirit. PDK's particular emphasis on publicly supported education should never be misinterpreted as a lack of regard for nonpublic education. Our association's emphasis simply acknowledges reality. The overwhelming majority of citizens is educated in public schools. Those schools serve the common good. It is not as easy today to be an advocate for public education as it once was. But there are signs of an increasing public confidence in the schools. Bolstered by this confidence, Kappans can approach public education with a renewed commitment. Our public schools not only deserve our defense, they deserve our affirming advocacy. |
||
|
Phi Delta Kappa's newest chapter, the Molloy College Chapter, was installed in Rockville Centre, New York, on October 18 in Area 6L. This brings to 650 the number of active chapters in PDK. The formation of a new chapter is a cooperative venture involving local Kappans and the area coordinator. The area coordinator identifies a site that can support a new chapter and works with Kappans to organize a club and help it grow. The Area 6L Coordinator is Frank Nappi. |
|
NEW DIGEST FEATURES CD · The fourth edition of A Digest of Supreme Court Decisions Affecting Higher Education, released in November, features a CD-ROM version that is fully searchable. Compact disk technology will help users of the digest find the information they need more quickly and easily. The new fourth edition trade paperback lists for $32.95; the member discount price is $24.95. The CD-ROM lists for $69.95; the member discount price is $52.95. Users may purchase both as a package, which includes a print copy of the book, the CD, and instructions for using the CD. The package lists for $87.95; the member discount price for the package is $69.95. "CLASSICS" COMPENDIUM VIEWS HIGHER ED · Students of higher education will welcome 100 Classic Books About Higher Education, a compendium 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. FALL FASTBACKS: WELLNESS, LAUGHTER, AND MORE · The eight fall fastbacks, published in October, include such topics as storytelling, professional portfolios, English language learners, school-university collaborations, educating African-American children, learning through laughter, invitational education, and wellness. The fastbacks are priced at $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. BRIDGING THE GAP · This videotape series is designed to teach middle and junior high school students the cognitive and social skills needed to avoid violent behavior. Students learn to analyze conflict situations and develop and practice skills to make constructive choices when faced with violence. The series includes twelve 15-minute tapes and a teacher's guide. The price for the series is $1,200. Find books and other resources in PDK's online catalog. |
|
Chapters Win Newsletter and Website Awards Twenty chapters received Awards of Excellence in PDK's 2000-2001 Chapter Newsletter and Website Contest. The awards were presented at the 3rd Legislative Council in Louisville. The 20 award-winning newsletters and websites were selected on the basis of their appearance, readability, layout, and design. Seventeen chapters received the award for excellence in newsletters, and three chapters received the award for excellence in websites. The chapters receiving awards of excellence for newsletters are: Buffalo South Chapter, Fort Hays State University Chapter, George Washington University Chapter, Golden Crescent Ohio Chapter, Guam Chapter, London Ontario Canada Chapter, Meridian Area Mississippi Chapter, North Arkansas Twin Lakes Chapter, Northern Illinois University Chapter, Northern Virginia Chapter, San Diego California Chapter, San German Puerto Rico Chapter, San Juan Puerto Rico Chapter, St. Johns University Chapter, St. Leo Florida Chapter, Toledo Ohio Chapter, and Trabuco California Chapter. Three chapters received awards of excellence for their chapter websites. They are: High Plains Kansas Chapter, Oakland County Michigan Chapter, and Walden University Cyberspace Chapter. In addition to the above awards, 10 chapters received awards of merit. These awards are given to recognize special features in a website or a series of newsletters, such as layout and design, research features, editorial content, photography, special content features, and thematic development. Six chapters received these awards for newsletters and four for websites. Another 16 chapters received special citations for single
features in their newsletters or websites. The members of the newsletter award committee and their chapters are Julia Hartzog (University of Pittsburgh-Three Rivers), Hartha Jackson (San Diego California), and Helena Kies (Northern Illinois University). The members of the website contest committee are John Murphy (State University College/Buffalo), Susan Peterson (Fraser Valley British Columbia), and Mark Strauss (Broward County Florida). For information about the 2001-2002 newsletter or website contest, contact Billie Spellman at the International Office. To see a full list of all award recipients and samples of newsletters and websites, visit the PDK website. |
|
Membership Forum by Billie Spellman, Director of Membership Q: I have been a member for a number of years and would like to receive a membership longevity tab. What do I need to do? A: Longevity tabs are available for members with at least 10 years of goodstanding membership. The tabs are available for five-year increments. The tab is designed to attach to the membership pin and costs $5. To order a tab, contact our shipping department. Your eligibility for the longevity tab will be verified at the time the order is placed. Q: I recently moved and would like to become an active member of a chapter located near my new residence. What do you suggest? A: The first step is to contact the local chapter. If you have trouble contacting the appropriate person, contact the membership department at the PDK International Office. We can help you to contact the chapter and other area leaders. Q: I am a chapter president who continues to receive mail for other officer positions. Why? A: When an officer position is vacant in a local chapter, all mailings pertaining to that position are sent to the chapter president. Contact the International Office to verify or update the officer's list that is currently on file for your chapter. Q: I have a question about being on the PDK mailing list. Should I talk to my local chapter or PDK International? A: All of the membership lists are maintained at the International Office. Any questions about being on a mailing list should be directed to the International Office; your local chapter cannot act on your behalf. Q: Why must I pay chapter and International dues? A: Phi Delta Kappa is a membership-driven organization. Dues help support the many programs and services provided to members and to the education community by chapters and PDK International. All chapter-affiliated members pay chapter and International dues. Direct members, who do not belong to a chapter, pay a comparable amount in dues. Q: As a life member, what is my obligation for paying dues? A: If you became a life member after 1 July 1990, you must pay local chapter dues minus $3.00. You no longer have to pay International dues. To verify the date you became a life member, simply contact our membership records department. Q: I would like to remain a member but am unable to meet the dues at the present time. What can I do? A: You may file a written request to be demitted from the association. This provision allows you to become "inactive" without loss of continuity in good standing. The maximum time limit for demitted status is three years, unless an appropriate reason is given for an extension. You may reinstate your membership at any time by paying dues for the ensuing membership year. Have a question about membership? Send it to Billie Spellman at the Phi Delta Kappa International Office. |
|
These communities are putting in a great deal of effort to combat these problems," Sluys explained. "The initiatives have a broad scope, addressing preschoolers and families, K-12 school improvement, and adult learning. But they also have specific, measurable goals." Sluys has experience both in community development work and in working with the counties involved in the grant. Previously she served with the Governor's Commission for a Drug-Free Indiana. Most recently she was the assistant director for the Advanced College Project at Indiana University. Sluys will have two offices for this program. She will be dividing her time between the International Office and an office in Lawrence County. |
|
PDK Resource Connection by Donovan R. Walling, Director of Publications and Research Publications Help Educators Avoid Legal Pitfalls Schools and colleges are bound by a myriad of laws and policies that are designed to ensure access, equity, and excellence in the education enterprise. Today, more than ever before, it behooves educators to understand the legal and policy issues that affect them, their colleagues, and their students. This resource column is devoted to pinpointing a few of the many excellent print resources available from Phi Delta Kappa International. These publications address education law in general and specifically focus on legal and policy issues related to censorship and special education. An excellent fundamental treatment of education law is Evelyn B. Kelly's Legal Basics: A Handbook for Educators (1998). Kelly's book is oriented to the practitioner and written specifically to help educators steer clear of litigation. For those educators who need to do legal research, PDK publishes an excellent guide, titled Legal Research: Traditional Sources, New Technologies (1999), which will help readers navigate library and online research efforts. This book was written by Colleen Pauwels, Linda Fariss, and Keith Buckley, all of whom are associated with the law library at Indiana University. Writer and legal scholar Perry Zirkel merits special mention in the area of education law. His "Courtside" column on current legal issues in education is a regular feature in the Phi Delta Kappan. And he is the lead author of the new volume, A Digest of Supreme Court Decisions Affecting Education, fourth edition, which was published in November. The latest edition of the popular Digest also is available as a searchable CD-ROM. Zirkel also is the author of a handy guide titled The Law of Teacher Evaluation: A Self-Assessment Handbook (1996). PDK's Center for Evaluation, Development, and Research (CEDR) recently launched a new series of papers called From Inquiry to Practice. One of the papers in the series is Martha McCarthy's Evolving Legal Standards Pertaining to Sexual Harassment: Administrator's Guide (1999). Readers can look to this series for future research summaries that address legal and policy matters. Two specific areas that often raise concerns are censorship
and special education. An excellent study of how one school district
dealt with a book challenge is Wayne Homstad's Anatomy of
a Book Controversy (1995). Educators who read this book can
learn about some of the problems inherent in book controversies
and how to address them. Finally, Fred H. Cate's award-winning
The Internet and the First Amendment (1998) bears mention.
Subtitled "Schools and Sexually Explicit Expression,"
Cate's treatment of this sensitive subject clarifies important
issues. The book was named an Outstanding Academic Book by Choice
magazine. Kappans can find the PDK resources mentioned in this column by visiting the online catalog at www.pdkintl.org. Many titles in the fastback series also address legal and policy issues. |
|
Board member George Kyte then explained that Pan American's new propeller-driven airliner could make the trip in only 12 hours. With that information, the board decided to grant the request for a chapter. In December 1949 I flew from San Francisco to Hawaii with PDK Executive Secretary Paul Cook and President Earle Liggitt. The airliner was Pan Am's most modern. It even had sleeping berths. The next morning, at a breakfast meeting, Tau Chapter, University of Hawaii, was installed. It was the first chapter not located on the mainland of North America. Even more important, it pointed the way toward the fraternity expanding even further, becoming a truly international association. Editors note: Emery Stoops was the president of Phi Delta Kappa from 1954 to 1956. At age 99, Stoops is one of PDK's oldest active members. A prolific author, his latest book will be published by the Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation later this year. This article is the first in his series on the history of PDK. |
| Why Should You Travel on PDK Seminars? |
 Kappans Sandra Blondino and Ken Bumgartner wait for their chance to kiss the Blarney Stone on a PDK travel seminar to Ireland. |
With all the bargain fares around and all the cheap tickets, why would you want to travel on a PDK travel seminar? The answer is that it is the best deal in town. If you are a world traveler and generally set up your own trips, this may not be for you. But if you want to travel with highly educated people whose main focus has been education, then we are the one. Several other reasons why you should travel with PDK are:
|
|
Last summer, one of the travel seminars went to Ireland and the United Kingdom. Several travelers wrote us to tell how great the educational seminar was in Scotland and how great it was meeting Kappans from all over the world. Clearly, traveling on a PDK seminar is like traveling with your family. If your are interested in information about seminars planned for the summer of 2002 see page 11 or contact Connie McCoy at the International Office. You will be glad you did. |
| Gabbard Award Honors Kappan Women Leaders |
|
Fourteen Kappans were honored with the Bessie Gabbard Award
Celebrating the Leadership of Women in PDK at the Each candidate for this award was nominated by her chapter. The nominees had to be good-standing members in PDK, practicing educators who make a significant difference in the lives of their students, and women who demonstrate leadership in their chapters, their schools, and their communities. |
 Winners of the Bessie Gabbard Award Celebrating the Leadership of Women in PDK show off their awards at the 3rd Legislative Council in Louisville, Kentucky. |
|
These award-winning women demonstrate many of those qualities that made Bessie Gabbard stand out among her peers. The winners and their chapters are: Roberta Abaday, Guam Chapter; Rose Acker, George Washington University Chapter; Sharon Andelora, Montclair State University Chapter; Penny Todd Claudis, Shreveport-Bossier City Louisiana Chapter; Linda Cornelious, Mississippi State University Chapter; Eddie Ellington, Jefferson County Colorado Chapter; Jane Hogan, Genesee Valley/SUNY-Geneseo Chapter; Christine Katayama, Rainier Area Washington Chapter; Judy Neal, North Coast Ohio Chapter; Lois Neuman, New Jersey City University Chapter; Eve Proffitt, University of Kentucky Chapter; Beverly School, University of Pittsburgh-Three Rivers Chapter; Diane Weiland, Sheboygan Wisconsin Chapter; and Deanna Winn, Utah State University Chapter. Each winner received a certificate and a folding mahogany desk clock. The clock included a personalized plaque that featured a likeness of Bessie Gabbard above the winner's name and opposite the clock face. |
|
NN&Q to Go Electronic Next Fall Beginning with the fall 2002 issue, News, Notes, and Quotes will be published only on the PDK website: www.pdkintl.org. The 3rd Legislative Council took action in November to eliminate funding for the printed newsletter as a cost-saving measure. The council action will save about $65,000 annually. NN&Q will be reformatted to capitalize on the electronic form. Familiar features still will be included. But other elements that already are on the website, such as the CEDR Research Bulletin, will not be repeated as part of NN&Q. Readers will be able to download NN&Q as a PDF file and can print and distribute copies without further permission. Access to the PDK website is readily available through any computer connected to the Internet. Chapters also may want to assist their "non-computerized" members by downloading and printing copies locally for members who do not have easy access to the website.
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 |
