WSSDA-OSPI agreement moves ‘Lighthouse’ project forwardGrant will build WSSDA’s capacity to offer premier training program

The Washington State School Directors’ Association has completed an agreement with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction for a $92,000 grant to help school boards participate in an research-based training program for improving student learning. Under the agreement with OSPI, WSSDA will receive $92,266 from federal Title I and education stimulus funds to build association expertise in offering “Lighthouse” train-ing to Washington school boards. The name comes from the Iowa Lighthouse Project, a multi-state research study which resulted in proven best practices for training specifically targeted to strengthening the effectiveness of school boards in improving student learning. An essential component of the WSSDA/OSPI agree-ment will bring the designers of the Iowa Lighthouse Project to Washington to train select members of WSSDA’s cadre of consultants to be Lighthouse trainers in this state. The grant will also pay for Lighthouse training for five Washington school boards whose districts are in federal improvement status. “Lighthouse training helps school directors understand their crucial role in improving student learning, and how their roles differ from those of the administration and staff,” said Phil Gore, WSSDA Director of Leadership Develop-ment Services. “We are excited about the ways this funding enhances our capacity to serve our member boards and assist them in promoting student achievement.”

Lighthouse Project training emphasizes the importance of setting one clear and achievable initiative to improve student learning, and understanding data for thoughtful decision making, Gore said. The training facilitates board/superintendent collaboration for driving improvement in the focus area.

Participants will practice with guidance and coach-ing from facilitators as they build shared leadership and boardsmanship skills. Participating districts also receive an

(continued on following page)

InSIDe thIS ISSue

Plan ahead for flu readiness

SBE, ESD elections coming this fall

Conference focuses on ‘Fierce Conversations’

Washington State School Directors’ Association July/August 2009

WSSDA executive Director Martharose Laffey discusses the Lighthouse project with state Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn. (Photo courtesy Weldon Wilson, WSP.)

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extensive survey of school district climate and conditions for success in improving student learning. WSSDA is developing an assess-ment tool to help boards identify their readiness to participate in the Light-house Project and to help determine which districts will have their training costs covered by the grant. The assess-ment instrument is expected to be completed by August. “We encourage a thoughtful discus-sion among interested board members and superintendents about how the Lighthouse training best fits their unique situation,” said Gore. “Some boards may want to begin in Septem-ber, while others may prefer a different timeline that better fits their needs.” The Lighthouse Project, which may take up to two years to complete, con-sists of seven conditions and five roles that the board explores and incorporates into its work through eleven training modules. Districts will have the flexibil-ity to set their own work session dates and times and work at their own pace. For more information about the Washington Lighthouse Project, contact WSSDA’s Phil Gore at 800.562.8927 or P.Gore@wssda.org.

Last month, h1n1 (swine flu) was formally declared a pandemic by the

World health Organization, a designation that allows for increased govern-

ment spending on prevention, and a more speedy production of vaccines.

the pandemic designation does not denote a more lethal virus, but rather

the fact that worldwide spread is now inevitable.

education Secretary Arne Duncan and health & human Services Secre-

tary Kathleen Sebelius sent a joint letter to all schools regarding the current

status of the nation’s h1n1 planning. their letter states that the h1n1 virus

is expected to remain a problem into the fall and that a vaccine is unlikely to

be ready by the time school starts. they urge schools, during the summer

break, to revisit and update all emergency plans and policies. the secretar-

ies’ letter lists specific recommendations including:

• update emergency plans and contact lists.

• Collaborate with local and state health agencies.

• Develop response and communications plans addressing protocol for

sending home students or staff with flu-like symptoms.

• urge parents to develop contingency plans for when their child must

stay home or when schools

are closed.

• Plan for continuity of educa-

tion through other systems,

including use of community

resources if possible.

• Consider how school meals

might be delivered to

students in need.

• Contribute to managing the

pandemic by working with

health departments to coor-

dinate data on absences

and rates of illness.

“While all of us want to

do all we can to keep students

engaged in learning and main-

tain a sense of normalcy, we

need to be ready for whatever

the fall may bring,” stated the

secretaries.

the Duncan/Sebelius letter

may be downloaded in PDF

format from the nSBA Web site:

www.nsba.org/MainMenu/

SchoolHealth/Updates/Swine-

Flu.aspx

(continued from cover)

Lighthouse Project gets underway in WashingtonSummer prep for flu readiness

H1N1 resources:Emergency planning:

• ed.gov/emergencyplan

• rems.ed.gov

Local public health contacts:

• naccho.org

State public health contacts:

• astho.org

OSPI resources:

• k12.wa.us/healthServices/

Free online teaching resources for

alternative education providers:

• free.ed.gov

Information on hand hygiene,

cleaning and disinfecting, and

other infection control measures:

• cdc.gov/h1n1flu

Questions to the U.S. Department

of Education can be submitted to:

• flu@ed.gov

Questions and comments regard-

ing dealing with flu in your district

may be submitted to:

• Schoolhealth@nsba.org

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July features workshops for school board candidates

WASL results, future testing plans available online

Last month, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn released the latest statewide results on the Wash-ington Assessment of Student Learning, plus his plans for streamling the assess-ment system and and moving to online testing. The complete report and presenta-tion materials are available on the OSPI Web site at www.k12.wa.us under the “Newsroom” link.

ELECtIOnS

WSSDA’s popular manual Serving on Your Local School Board: A Guide to Effective Leadership has been revised, and will be launched at the upcoming series of candidate workshops. What does a school board do? What are the responsi-bilities of school board service, and what does it take to be effective? These questions, often asked by first-time school board candidates, are addressed in a series of workshops offered by the Washington State School Directors’ Association. Throughout July WSSDA will offer

eight free workshops for school board candidates around the state. These workshops will cover areas such as state and local education governance, current education issues, and the roles and responsibilities of school board service. (Note: These are not workshops on how to campaign.) Also available are online resources, including the manual which can be downloaded at wssda.org/serving.

All workshops take place from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Locations and driving directions available at wssda.org/serving.

WSSDA 2009 ScHOOL BOArD cANDIDAtE WOrkSHOPS

tUESDAY, JULY 7 Renton

Puget Sound educational Service District

WEDNESDAY, JULY 8 Vancouver

Clark College

tHUrSDAY, JULY 9 Olympia

John A. Cherberg Building, State Capitol Campus

tUESDAY, JULY 21 Wenatchee

north Central educational Service District

WEDNESDAY, JULY 22 Sunnyside

Sunnyside School District Board Room

tHUrSDAY, JULY 23 Spokane

Spokane Public Schools Board Room

tUESDAY, JULY 28 Mount Vernon

Skagit Valley College

WeDneSDAY, JuLY 29 Port Angeles

north Olympic Peninsula Skills Center

Brochures have been mailed. Online registration available atwssda.org/assembly

September 25 – 26Hilton Hotel, Vancouver, Washington 301 West 6th Street, Vancouver WA 98660

20092009

LegislativeAssemblywssdawssda

Register now!

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Question of the Month t+L announces keynoters

Creativity and Innovation are the focus of NSBA’s 2009 T+L (Technology and Learning) Conference keynote speakers:

• Frans Johansson will speak on The Medici Effect & Groundbreaking Innovation.

• Innovation, Technology and Going to Scale, a panel discussion, will be facilitated by Dennis Cheek.

• Marco Antonio Torres’ address Don’t Just Teach It — Inspire With It! will reveal his strategy for engaging stu-dents with creativity, innovation and cultural awareness.

T+L takes place at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver Oct. 28-30, 2009. For questions and online registration go to www.nsba.org/tl/ .

Where do school boards get their authority? can I be held personally liable for decisions I make on the school board?

School boards were created by the Legislature to formulate policies for the operation of school districts in accordance with the require-ments of the constitution and state laws. School boards are thus agents of the state charged with governance functions delegated

to them by the Legislature. In general, boards have three types of power: (1) that which is enumerated by the Legislature; (2) that which

necessarily is implied to carry out what the Legislature authorizes; and (3) that which improves public school programs or improves the administration of school districts. While it is not unusual for school directors to be named in lawsuits against their districts, in almost all cases the district can defend and indemnify the direc-tor (provide a legal defense and pay any judgment). In cases where the board has adopted a policy or taken an action clearly in violation of the civil rights of a person, board members can face personal liability, but this is an unlikely occur-rence. Many board members confer with their insurance agents about “umbrella” coverage for situations such as board service.

School board members around the state will have an opportunity to vote in two important elections this fall—one for State Board of Education positions and the other for board positions in the state’s nine educational service districts. SBE seats up for election this year are Western Region Position 5, currently held by Warren T. Smith, Sr., and East-ern Region Position 2, currently held by Phyllis Bunker Frank. Candidate filing for the SBE posi-tions will be open July 23–Aug. 30. Balloting will take place Oct. 30–Nov. 25. Those elected to the State Board may not concurrently serve as a member of the board of directors of either a public school district or a private school. In addition, elected SBE members cannot be employed by any public or private school, college, university or other educational institution, any educational service district, or OSPI. The election is administered by the Office of Superintendent of Pub-lic instruction, which will provide

for membership on an ESD board, a candidate must be a registered voter and live in the ESD for which the candidate files. The ESD elections, also admin-istered by OSPI, will be held Oct. 1-16. Declaration of candidacy forms, available from ESD offices or OSPI, are accepted Sept. 1-16. Additional infor-mation is available at www.k12.wa.us.

additional details on its Web site (www.k12.wa.us) in July. WSSDA will also provide information on its Web site (wssda.org) and through a voters’ guide published in the fall. Educational service district board members are elected by school direc-tors within each ESD. ESD boards have seven or nine members, depending on the district’s organization. To be eligible

State Board, ESD board elections coming this fall

Election timelines for State Board of Education, Educational Service District Boards

State Board of Education

July 23 – Aug. 30: Candidates File

Oct. 30: Ballots Mailed

nov. 25: Ballot Return Deadline

Dec. 7: Results Published

Dec. 14: election Certified

January 2010: terms begin

ESD Boards

Sept. 1– 16: Candidates File

Oct. 1: Ballots Mailed

Oct. 16: Ballot Return Deadline

Oct 26: Ballots Counted

nov 6: election Certified

January 2010: terms Begin

For more information regarding State Board and ESD elections, contact OSPI

at 360.725.6133 or opp@k12.wa.us

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New funding for Middle School career and technical Edu-cation. Enhanced funding is available for Career and Technical Education middle school programs approved by OSPI beginning with the 2009-10 school year. Eligible programs will provide a hands-on experience in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics with an integrated curriculum of academic content and a CTE exploratory component. Applications are due Aug. 3. For details, contact OSPI’s Betty Klattenhoff 360.725.6243 or betty.klattenhoff@k12.wa.us.

Becky Hanks, community connections Director for the kent School District, is this year’s recipient of the Learn-ing and Liberty Award from the Washington School Public relations Association. The award, the state’s highest honor for a school communications professional, recognizes outstanding service to Washington’s students and exceptional leadership in educational public relations activities.

tom kelly, former OSPI assistant superintendent, passed away in May following a battle with pancreatic cancer. Kelly is also remembered for his service as superintendent of the North Mason School District.

the center for the Improvement of Student Learning (cISL) Web site has added a number of resources for addressing the achievement gap. Visit www.k12.wa.us/CISL to view videos of recent panel presentations on various achievement gap studies. Also available are instructional vid-eos on culturally responsive instructional practices, and family and community partnerships across cultures.

Washington state’s plan to educate students in special education received a top rating from the U.S. Department of Education. Last month, the DOE released annual letters on how states and U.S. territories were implementing the Indi-viduals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for fiscal year 2007. Washington state, along with 27 other states and two ter-ritories, received the highest rating for Part B of IDEA, which serves students aged three through 21.

the U.S. census Bureau has released its “Back to School” statistics for 2009-2010. The report is packed with data on enrollment, demographics, languages, and even attitudes about school. Find the report online at www.census.gov in the “Newsroom” section.

nEWS BrIEFS

Plan ahead for WSSDA’s Fall regional Meetings WSSDA’s Regional Meetings provide an opportunity to dialogue, network and share a meal with fellow school board members. Small and economical in for-mat, they offer the flexibility to address the hot-button issues of the moment. Regional meetings help WSSDA mem-bers receive and discuss comprehensive, accurate and timely information on edu-cation issues. Twelve Regional Meetings are scheduled around the state this fall. Program details are being finalized, but will certainly include time for group discussions and networking. Details regarding agendas, loca-tions and driving directions will soon

be available online at wssda.org. In the meantime, check the schedule at right and mark your calendar now to connect with your colleagues this fall. Questions? Contact WSSDA’s Sue Kerber (S.Kerber@wssda.org or 360.252.3006).

A roundtable discussion at last spring’s WSSDA Regional Meeting in Marysville

WSSDA regional Meetings

Fall 2009

Bellingham ........... thurs., Oct. 1

tukwila ............... thurs., Oct. 15

Puyallup ...............tues., Oct. 20

Crescent ..................Sat., Oct. 3

Cosmopolis .......... Wed., Sept. 9

Mossyrock ...........Wed., Oct. 14

Ridgefield ............Wed., Oct. 28

Coulee City ............tues., Oct. 6

union Gap ......... tues., Sept. 29

Spokane .................Wed., Oct. 7

Ritzville ................ thurs., Oct. 8

Richland ............. Wed., Sept. 30

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With candidate filing week over, we know there are more than 100 incumbent school directors around the state who have chosen not to run again. While that’s too many to list in this publication, WSSDA would like to express its appreciation to all those retiring school board members for their service to Washington’ students, and a special thanks to those who con-tributed their time and talents to the association.

Garret Daggett (Spokane) was one of 14 Spokane basket-ball officials chosen to represent Spokane in the boys’ State B tournament in Yakima. The multi-talented Daggett was also the featured singer of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the dis-trict’s fifth- and sixth-grade band and strings concert.

ACrOSS tHE BOArD

WSSDA seeks Federal relations network members

WSSDA is seeking members for its Fed-eral Relations Network, a component of a nationwide network of school directors under the auspices of the National School Boards Association. Washington state currently has 53 FRN members, who maintain strong lines of communica-tion with their members of Congress on education issues. Mailings from NSBA and WSSDA help them stay current on federal education activities. Each year in late January or early February, most FRN members travel to Washington, D.C., where they receive a thorough briefing from NSBA experts and meet with their legislators to discuss K-12 issues. Costs for the trip are borne by each member’s local school district. The only other formal gathering for WSSDA’s FRN is a planning session at the November Annual Conference, to be held this year in Seattle. Members are appointed by WSSDA’s president-elect in the fall prior to the Annual Conference. If you are interested, an informational meeting will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, September 25, dur-ing the WSSDA Legislative Assembly in Vancouver, Washington. For more information, contact WSSDA’s Sheila Chard (S.Chard@wssda.org or 360.252.3011).

Gov. Chris Gregoire, Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn and Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark recently met with Tribal Leaders on the twentieth anniversary of the Centennial Accord. Participants discussed progress on the Accord in a number of areas, includ-ing education and early learning. Suquamish Tribal Chair Leonard Forsman, Department of Early Learning Director Bette Hyde, and Lummi Tribal Council-man and Ferndale School Director Bernie Thomas comprised the educa-tion and early learning panel. Forsman discussed the need to establish a government-to-government agreement between the Tribes and the Department of Early Learning. He also expressed the Tribes’ concerns about the cultural inappropriateness of the kindergarten assessments and early learning benchmarks and the need for Tribal involvement in early learning policy development. Forsman indicated disappointment that the Tribes were not consulted before state officials signed on to an effort among states to establish common core standards. He said the Tribes also were concerned that the emphasis on assess-ment and additional graduation requirements (CORE 24) would increase the achievement gap and dropout rate for Native American students. He urged the implementation of the recommendations of the Native American achievement gap study Thomas called for a study of the funding of Tribal schools, especially the administrative fees and compliance standards imposed by school districts. He also urged full funding of Local Effort Assistance, I-728 and full-day kindergar-ten. Hyde echoed the importance of establishing a government-to-government agreement between the Tribes and her department. She indicated her desire for Tribal involvement as she works with Dorn to develop a legislative proposal for an early learning program for Washington state.

Leaders meet on 20th anniversary of Centennial Accord

(L-to-R) State Rep. John McCoy, WSSDA Vice President Deborah heart (Goldendale) and Lummi tribal Councilman Bernie thomas (Ferndale) at the Accord meeting. (Photo courtesy Bernie thomas)

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Susan Scott’s national bestseller, Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work & in Life, One Conversation at a Time, and the teachings of Fierce, Inc. will be a major feature of the 2009 WSSDA Annual Conference. An Early Bird Workshop is offered on Wednes-day, Nov. 18, and Scott delivers the opening keynote address at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, Nov.19. Following the opening session, attendees will apply

newly learned skills while participating in conversations on pressing educational issues. The topics will be identified on the spot using an audience voting sys-tem sponsored by Qwizdom. So what is a fierce conversation? According to Scott, “when you think of Fierce, think passion, integrity, authen-ticity, collaboration. Think connecting with people. Think leadership.” Her book states that careers, companies, and relationships succeed or fail, gradually then suddenly, one conversation at a time. This concept, applicable directly to

the work of school boards, is revolution-izing how organizations get things done. Early Bird Fierce training will cover three transformational ideas that make the connection between conversations and personal and professional success. Attendees will explore seven principles designed to strengthen communica-tion skills and will practice the Fierce Conversation Team model, which turns teams into think tanks. The model con-cepts help teams effectively:

• Question the multiple, competing realities that exist within teams and organizations

• Create high levels of alignment, accountability and partnership within teams

• Make the best possible decisions Early Bird participants will learn and practice tools that can be used in any conversation or situation. Board-superintendent teams are encouraged to attend together. The workshop will be delivered by education liaison and certi-fied Fierce trainer, Deli Moussavi-Bock. Author Susan Scott’s opening keynote address will reveal the impor-tance of fierce conversations in the work of school boards and directors. Scott has been touted by authorities as a master teacher of positive change and her book received such comments as:

WSSDA Conference highlights ‘Fierce Conversations’

congratulations and welcome

to the following new school directors:

Jessica Hall, Eastontim Becker Jr., EvalineJohn Bridge, SequimDennis Keener, Paterson

thanks and best wishes to those who have

recently left school board service:

Patrick Jones, Bremerton

Michael Strite, DavenportSteve McCoon, DixieGary Greenlaw, EastonKathleen Braae, EvalineVicki Sellers, FreemanDonna DeWinkler, Grand Coulee DamDiane Dick, KelsoJodi Stanley, MossyrockChris Meirendorf, Paterson

Eric Harder, Board Chair of the Kahlotus

School District, was killed in a tragic farm

accident in June. WSSDA’s officers, Board of

Directors and staff wish to extend their deep

sympathies to Eric’s family and friends, to his

colleagues on the Kahlotus School Board,

and the staff and students of his district.

“When you think of ‘Fierce,’ think

passion, integrity, authenticity,

collaboration. think connecting

with people. think leadership.”

– Susan Scott

WELCOME, nEW SCHOOL DIrECtOrS! In MEMOrIAM

“When the authentic conversations so clearly described in the book catch on everywhere, it will be the end of gossip, corporate politics, bad marriages, and 360-degree feedback. (Lundin, Paul and Christensen, coauthors of Fish!); and “Susan Scott delivers a wealth of uncommon common sense …” (David Allen, author of Getting Things Done.) The book’s forward is written by well- known author Ken Blanchard, who states, “Who among us hasn’t spent time and energy cleaning up the aftermath of a significant but failed conversation?” The breakouts immediately fol-lowing the opening general session will provide scheduled networking time for attendees. Use this time to make new connections, meet old friends, reinforce communication skills learned during Susan Scott’s keynote, discuss pressing issues in your district and learn how others are addressing them. This year’s conference will show-case new and interesting approaches. In addition to the Fierce Conversations focus, technology will be emphasized. Watch for more details in the coming months and visit the conference Web site wssda.org/conference for more information and to register.

While no single conversation

is guaranteed to change

the trajectory of a career, a

company, a relationship or a life

— any single conversation can.

NSBA Pacific region Summer Meeting, Anchorage . . . . July 10-12

WSSDA Nominating committee, Olympia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 11

cLASS Summer conference, SouthCenter . . . . . . . . . . . . July 11-14

State Board of Education, Gig Harbor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 15-17

Professional Educators Standards Board, Lacey . . . . . . . July 22-23

WSSDA Legislative committee, Olympia . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 24-25

WSSDA Board of Directors, Olympia (tentative). . . . . . . . . . . July 25

WASA New Superintendent Workshop, Olympia . . . . . . July 27-28

WSSDA Nominating committee, Olympia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aug. 1

OSPI/WASA Special Education Workshop, Seatac . . . . . . .Aug. 3-4

State Board of Education, Ocean Shores . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aug.10-11

WSSDA Board of Directors retreat, Yakima. . . . . . . . . . .Aug. 28-30

For event details, visit wssda.org and click on “Calendar of events.”

WSSDA cANDIDAtE WOrkSHOPS

Eight locations in July. See Page 3 for details

WSSDA WOrkSHOP: tHE BOArD’S rOLE IN DIStrIct

IMPrOvEMENt

Seattle: Aug. 8, 2009, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm

Best Western Executive Inn, 200 taylor Avenue north

$59 per person | register at wssda.org/workshops

Yakima: Aug. 15, 2009, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm

Oxford Suites, 1701 E. Yakima Avenue

$59 per person | register at wssda.org/workshops

WSSDA LEGISLAtIvE ASSEMBLY

vancouver, Washington: Sept. 25-26, 2009

hilton Vancouver, 301 West 6th Street

Register at wssda.org/assembly

WSSDA 2009 ANNUAL cONFErENcE

Seattle: Nov. 18-21, 2009

Seattle Westin

1900 5th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101

Register at wssda.org/conference

non-Profit Organization u.S Postage

PAIDOlympia, WA

Permit no. 149

221 College Street n.e.Olympia, WA 98516-5313

RetuRn SeRVICe ReQueSteD

WSSDA Direct is published monthly by the Washington State School

Directors’ Association to provide information of interest to school di-

rectors and the education community. the views expressed in opinion

articles appearing in WSSDA Direct are those of the writers and do

not necessarily represent WSSDA policies or positions. If you have

a disability and need this publication in an alternate format, please

contact the WSSDA Communications Department.

Martha rice, President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 509.910.0708

Karen Madsen, President-elect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425.337.5552

Deborah Heart, Vice President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 509.773.6334

Martharose Laffey, Executive Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360.252.3001

David Brine, Communications Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360.252.3013

Kate Vikstrom, Communications Specialist . . . . . . . . . . . 360.252.3015

WSSDA DIrEctOrY

General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360.493.9231

Association Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360.252.3002

Leadership Development Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360.252.3009

Governmental Relations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360.252.3011

Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360.252.3011

Policy and Legal Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360.252.3019

toll Free (In-State) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800.562.8927

e-Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . mail@wssda.org

CALenDAR OF eVentS WORKShOPS & COnFeRenCeS