SRN LEADS/Stanford University: School Redesign Network — Leadership, Equity & Accountability in Districts & Schools
November 2007
Portland, OR
SRN LEADS Peter Ross in collaboration with national school
redesign expert Steve Jubb and BayCES Executive Director
LaShawn Routé-
Chatmon facilitated an institute on central office
support for high school
redesign for 10 Oregon school districts. The institute
was hosted in
Portland by E3 and the Oregon Small Schools Initiative.
To frame the
conversation, the facilitators presented an update
on SRN LEADS' "District
Office Support of High School Redesign: 10 Challenges." Using
the 10
Challenges as a foundation, the facilitators shared
lessons learned in
Austin; Texas; and Oakland, California, on district
support for high school
redesign. The bulk of the two-day institute was
spent supporting the
work of teams of Oregon superintendents, school board
members, senior
district administrators, and principals who grappled
with the most pressing
challenges their district offices were facing as they
sought to implement
high school redesign.
Summer institutes at Stanford give participants precious time to learn, exchange ideas with colleagues and simply to think. As one previous event participant put it, "The issues and theories raised here were so right on to my roles as an educational leader. You all gave me a chance to slow down, research, reflect, and put names on things so I can re-organize. This made me accept ownership and reinforced my own personal commitment to doing whats best for children. After a very rugged year, this felt like being on a retreat. I know this will impact me professionally and personally for the remainder of my life and career. The experience was truly priceless for me."
© 2007 SRN LEADS