Author Archives: tommycoleman

As a part of the evaluation process, we took a close look at a reading program that was chosen to address a weakness in phonics instruction.  By working through the evaluation steps, it became obvious that the implementation was somewhat haphazard, leading to inconsistencies in fidelity.  It is very difficult to gage success if usage [...]
Read more »

Now that teachers in my division have had the opportunity to experiment with projects in their classrooms, it has become obvious that we need to know more.   Fortunately, the administrative team traveled to a neighboring county for regional training on Project Based Learning (PBL) conducted by teachers from High Tech High.  The ideas that they [...]
Read more »

I have to admit that I was very skeptical of the presentation class based on the “Zen” book.  Originally I wondered where I could use it.  When I am asked to present, usually it is in a formal setting, and this format did not seem to fit.  My opinion changed after watch several video clips [...]
Read more »

This semester in my school division, we began to rotate our principals meetings to different schools.  Each meeting begins with the opportunity to observe classes in a new setting.  I have found the change to be refreshing and informative.  Initially, the thought of seeing different strategies or materials that could be appropriate form my school [...]
Read more »

The new teacher evaluation developed by the state places more emphasis on student performance.  The tool had been piloted and refined by one of the divisions.  It was helpful to hear from administrators who had experienced using the new evaluation first hand.  From the training it was obvious that the evaluation was not complete in [...]
Read more »

I have always enjoyed working with a group to complete a project.  Although the process can be rewarding, it does offer challenges that must be considered.  The first consideration is the composition of the group.  I was happy with my teammates on the evaluation project because we all had similar work habits and complemented each [...]
Read more »

I recently was tasked with writing a response to how Virginia would be able to meet the needs of students without adopting the common core.  Most of the other states have adopted the new standards, and the students there theoretically should receive a similar education to students in other common core states.  Virginia had participated [...]
Read more »

I have not written very much related to the 2012 summer classes (709 in particular) until now.  I was excited about the topics for the summer.  As an administrator, I am always concerned about ethical issues as well as advocacy for under-represented groups.  Although I would not choose to repeat the pace and structure of the summer [...]
Read more »

The recent horrific events that occurred in a school in Connecticut have us all thinking about school safety.  I really glad that we take the time each year to conduct safety audits and think about ways to make the schools safer.  Although you cannot plan for every potential disaster, conducting drills and evaluating safety procedures [...]
Read more »

I began the school year with one term on my mind “focus school.”  We had missed the target score for reading under the flexibility waiver for “No Child Left Behind.”  Working to improve student performance is not a new concept for me, but doing so under the watchful eye of a Department of Education (DOE) [...]
Read more »