October 8, 2015
Winter Meeting Learning Experiences
Registration for Winter Meeting is open! We can hardly wait for everyone to join us in Miami in January. One important element of Winter Meeting is the Learning Experiences offered Friday morning. These extended opportunities allow participants to learn new skills and deepen their practice.
We are inviting SRI affiliates to submit proposals for Winter Meeting Learning Experiences. Learning experiences are 3 hours in length, and should connect with the SRI Mission and Guiding Principles. Do you have an idea for a Learning Experience? Would you like to share new learning with your colleagues? The deadline for submitting a Winter Meeting Learning Experience proposal is October 30th, 2015 by midnight EDT. Click here to download the learning experience proposal form.
We will work to select a variety of sessions that meet the diverse needs of our attendees. Everyone submitting a Learning Experience proposal will be notified by November 5th. Please support Winter Meeting and share your expertise with your colleagues.
Interacting with Protocols Webinar
School Reform Initiative is excited to announce the first in a series of on-line learning events for facilitators. Designed in response to numerous requests for opportunities to learn from and with one another, these experiences are open to SRI facilitators at all levels of expertise and experience.
Join colleagues as we dig into some of the most frequently used protocols. Each of this series of 60-minute virtual discussions will focus on a specific protocol. We hope to
- Explore a specific protocol’s purposes and uses
- Share our wonderings, practices, and insights
- Look into the various ways the specific protocol might be used to support a group’s learning.
The Descriptive Consultancy will be the focus on the first interactive discussion that will take place on October 22, 2015 at 7:00 PM EDT. We will use a modified version of the “What Comes Up” protocol from “Going Online with Protocols” to guide our exploration of the Descriptive Consultancy. The discussion protocol will be emailed to participants prior to the event.
There is no charge for the session but pre-registration is required. We will use WebEx technology for the meeting, which requires participants to download an application. After registration, we will send you additional information about using the WebEx technology.
For technology assistance, contact Chris Jones (chris@schoolreforminitiative.org) For questions about session, contact Kari Their (kthierer@schoolreforminitiative.org).
We look forward to learning with you. Space is limited to 10 participants– so register today!
Nominations for SRI Board of Directors Elections Now Open
This year the SRI Board is seeking 3 members who have (1) considerable experience with, (2) a strong commitment to, and (3) a positive record of working with schools and students around educational excellence and equity. The Board seeks candidates who have worked in transformative ways particularly with students of color as well as students with language diversity. We particularly encourage minority candidates to apply. SRI hopes to increasingly focus on issues of school transformation especially around issues of educational equity, and, ideally, our new members will be able to help advance this important effort.
Board members serve a three-year a term that will begin at our Miami Winter Meeting, in January, 2016. SRI board members meet monthly via WebEx, along with two in-person meetings, including our annual Winter Meeting and at a Fall retreat.
If you have the passion, time, and desire to work with us, we want you!
What can you do?
1) Think about colleagues whom you believe would be outstanding board members, and talk to them about standing for election. Perhaps that someone is you! See below for the SRI Board Member job description.
2) Email the names of those you would like to nominate (could be yourself!) to Mark Otto (marktotto@gmail.com) and Jeffrey Galaise (j.galaise@gmail.com) co-chairs of the Nominating Committee, anytime, but no later than 8pm EST on October 16th.
The Nominating Committee will contact nominees to explain the process and to answer questions, and to help them prepare their materials. All candidate materials are due to the Nominating Committee by Midnight, EST on October 22nd so that a final slate of candidates can be presented to the SRI Board by October 23rd. The Board will open and run a national election (electronically) from October 27th – November 30th.
To stand for election or to be eligible to vote in the upcoming election, you need to be an Affiliate of SRI.
Do you have news to share? Interesting things happening in your area? Please let us know so we can share with our community! Email Chris, chris@schoolreforminitiative.org.
Thank you,
Kari Thierer, Heidi Vosekas, and Chris Jones
on behalf of School Reform Initiative
