Chapter/Member Spotlight
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PDK Members Provide Strategies for Principals and Superintendents
Mary Lynn Derrington and Cathie West
When Cathie West and Mary Lynne Derrington met more than 20 years ago, they had no idea that their working relationship would blossom into a book.
These two PDK members have published Leadership Teaming: The Superintendent–Principal Relationship. When they met, Derrington was a deputy superintendent and West was a principal. Over the years they discovered that there were no books written to address the working relationship between the superintendent and principal. With more than 40 years of combined administrative leadership experience, they felt they had a unique offering for leaders in the education field.
Because the superintendent-principal relationship is one of the most critical aspects to having a successful school district, they hope their book will help others improve that relationship so that school districts can be more successful. While the book focuses on superintendent-principal relationship, the concepts are universal and can be applied to all areas of leadership. Collaboration and trust are essential for a successful team, according to the authors.
Derrington worked as a superintendent for more than 18 years and is currently an associate professor at Western Washington State University. A PDK member for more than 21 years, she has held many PDK chapter officer positions.
West, a principal in the Granite School District, joined PDK two years ago and has worked as a principal for more than 30 years. Derrington and West both serve on the editorial board for Washington State Kappan.
To discuss leadership teaming with Derrington and West, log on to PDKConnect and go to Conversations>>Leadership Teaming.
PDK Member Teaches Global Sustainability
Julia Morton-Marr is teaching global sustainability awareness to students from all over the world. Morton-Marr joined PDK International five years ago, and she has been teaching for more than 49 years. In 1993 she founded the International Holistic Tourism Education Centre (IHTEC) and its flagship program, International School Peace Gardens. IHTEC provides educational programs that educate young people about global sustainability.
Just last year Julia visited Hilo’s Connection New Century Charter School to educate students about the importance of peace gardens and their multidimensional aspects, such as biodiversity and societal integrity. She is an avid believer that one person can make a difference to change the world. Morton-Marr’s next step is bringing awareness of IHTEC‘s new project, Creature Corridors Millennium, which will link schools to recreational trail organizations with a focus on planting food sources that will support species.
Morton-Marr hopes other PDK members will become involved in global sustainability. To learn more about Julia’s work and IHTEC, visit www.ihtec.org.
PDK Las Vegas Chapter, Entravision Provide PSAs in Spanish
PDK members presented an award to Entravision to thank them for their help with the Spanish-language PSAs. Back row (left to right): Alana Rico, the PDK member who is featured in the PSAs; Adriana Arevalo, Entravision’s news director and anchor; Alejandra Sierra, who helped produce the PSAs for Entravision; and Entravision General Manager Chris Roman. Front row (left to right): Vicki Kilbury, a PDK Chapter/Member Liaison and researcher on this project; Regional Representative Kathy Andreson; and Barbara Johnson, past president of Las Vegas chapter and the member responsible for recruiting Alana into PDK.
The PDK Las Vegas chapter is reaching out to the Spanish-language community with the help of Entravision Communications Corporation, a Spanish-language media company that owns television and radio stations in cities with large Hispanic or Latino populations.
A growing number of Hispanic and Latino children in schools has created a growing need for more Spanish-speaking educators. Members of PDK’s Las Vegas chapter and PDK Regional Representative Kathleen Andreson had an opportunity to share research on this topic with Christopher Roman, vice president and general manager of Entravision. That led to a partnership between Entravision and the Las Vegas chapter, including members Vicki Kilbury and Alana Rico, to create PSAs in Spanish to reach out to the Spanish-speaking parents in the community. Rico, an English Language Learner specialist at Petersen Professional Development School in Las Vegas, delivers the message in the 30-second PSAs.
“It has benefited the Hispanic community by giving out important information that informs the parents on current educational issues, such as NCLB, Internet safety, registration, and immigration status,” she said.
The PSAs might also draw new members to the chapter, as other educators view them and learn about PDK.
“With continued exposure we hope to draw educators of diverse backgrounds, including Latinos, to the Las Vegas chapter,” Kilbury said.
The PSAs and connection with Entravision are only the beginning, according to Tritt.
“Now that Alana’s PSAs have seen the light of day, our new charge is to use this success nationwide to bring more Hispanic teacher talent on board,” Tritt said.
Andreson agrees.
“This is an important project that can be duplicated in other areas by other PDK chapters,” she said. “We really need to reach out to the Latino community and Hispanic educators in particular.”