Getting together with the AUSSIE family!
“I had to work this weekend” is a comment that will usually instill feelings of compassion from others who understand that the weekend typically is allotted for time with friends and family. While I did spend my Saturday “at work” it was the farthest thing from a groan inducing experience; I was surrounded by almost 200 members of the AUSSIE family. Like my own family, we shared breakfast, pictures of significant events in our lives, advice, and of course general musings about the economy. No, I did not have all 200 of them at my house for a picnic, although it was a nice enough day for it…
AUSSIE held a quarterly Professional Development day for their consultants on Saturday; bringing the best minds in education together to share their ideas with one another and to grow their skills. Dr. Pedro Noguera, of NYU, presented a keynote on the ways in which schools are influenced by social and economic conditions in the urban environment. This presentation hit home for the consultants who shared their stories about supporting high-poverty urban students in their daily consultancy work. I promise more on the keynote in a later blog.
Sheena Hervey reminded the consultants that “You can’t do anything in a school without developing a relationship with your school principal that is based on trust and that is what we are good at.” This was evident by the two principals who took time out of their weekend to share their partnership experience with our team; one from a school at Rykers Island and the other from a school located in the Chinatown section of New York. The principals and their consultants, Kaye Lawson and Helen Murray, recounted their paths to success, the support AUSSIE provided and where they are aiming to go next. Consultant Kaye Lawson said that AUSSIE consultancy “…is not about short term change it is about long term sustainable and ongoing change.”
The AUSSIE family really came together and ended the day with an off-site fundraiser in support of the Australian Bushfire victims. Pictures and the inside scoop on this event will follow shortly in a blog by Tim Ryan!
We are all looking forward to another PD day in June where we will have the opportunity for more sharing and growing of knowledge.
- Category: Professional Development
- Tags: aussie, PD, professional, Development, pedro, noquera, NYU, Sheena, Hervey
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This was such a great event!
manningr on March 20, 2009 said:
This was such a great event! Between Dr. Noguera's eye opening keynote, to the tremendous support shown for the Australian bushfire victims - this quarterly PD day was defiantly not one to miss! It was an honor to be in the room with such a passionate group of educators who have dedicated their lives to helping those schools and children who need it most. I'm greatly looking forward to the next event in June when the AUSSIE family will be able to share experiences and knowledge again!