Guest Blogger: Bob Rossi, Ed.D, Principal, Desert Edge High School

Four years ago, I attended a full day Breaking Ranks pre-conference with Joe DiMartino (formerly with Brown University and now president of The Center for Secondary School Redesign).  The work conducted that day, and the relationships formed, have completely transformed Desert Edge High School in Phoenix, Arizona.  We have initiated Block Scheduling, Advisory Programs, Open Access to AP classes just to mention a few of the 31 components of Breaking Ranks.  My relationship with Joe and his staff have grown to a personal level.  They are genuinely interested in the work we are doing in Phoenix.  If you are a school in reform or just wanting information on tweaking some things that you are presently doing, this one-day School Showcase is for you!  I am completely confident you and your school team members will come home with something practical you can put into place immediately.

Posted by Kristine Rzewnicki at 11:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Guest Blogger:  Jay Midwood 

Ok, so you think of “professional development” and what is the first thought that comes to your mind?  Come on, be honest!  As much as we all appreciate effective and purposeful professional development that is designed to make us all better educators, it is not always the most exciting thing to be a part of.

The Breaking Ranks 2009 Secondary School Showcase is just the opposite!  Where else are going to find REAL LIFE stories of success, and told not only by teachers and administrators, but STUDENTS as well.  The Showcase brings together 17 of the nations top secondary schools, all from different demographics, to tell their own personal stories of program implementation and student success.  It could be how to start an Advisory Program, how to incorporate literacy across the entire curriculum, or even the elements of a successful Transition Program.  Either way, this professional development is interactive, real, and highly effective.

So what are you waiting for?  Join NASSP and CSSR out in San Diego to learn more about how these schools were able to work around the typical roadblocks of limited budgets, teacher buy-in, and student/staff engagement.  After hearing these stories you and your colleagues will never again say, “we can’t do that at our school” but instead say, “when can we start!”

Register you and your team for the Showcase today, and get ready to be motivated to personalize education for ALL students!

Posted by Kristine Rzewnicki at 08:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)