STUDENTS, ASPIRING PRINCIPALS
AND OTHER EDUCATORS BECOME CRITICAL FRIENDS
58 Individuals Complete Week-long Training to Become Campus-Based Coaches

Twelve high school students, 21 aspiring principals, 23 Houston-area educators and two Houston A+ Challenge staff members completed Critical Friends Group New Coach Training on June 16-20, 2008.

The newly trained adult coaches will use their new skills to form Critical Friends Groups on their campuses -- groups of peers that meet regularly to look at student work, reflect on teaching practices and plan for whole-school change.

Linda Trendell, School Improvement Facilitator at Lee High School in Houston ISD, said that on her campus, teachers involved in each of the school's small learning communities meet for three hours each week for common planning time.

"That's a lot of time that we've invested to teacher meetings -- so it's really important that we use that time efficiently and effectively," said Trendell. "(This training) will help me better facilitate those groups. I'm already thinking about what I'm going to do differently this year."

The students trained said they plan to use the CFG protocols in their leadership groups on campus at Eisenhower High School (Aldine ISD) and Challenge Early College High School (Houston ISD).

"I'm learning how to be a good team person, leaning techniques on how to warm people up," said Jasmine Powell, a senior at Eisenhower High School in Aldine ISD. "Now I'm more comfortable. I used to be more shy -- I didn't think that I could be a leader. But now I realize that leaders are regular people, too; they just know how to use what they have."

Juan De La Cruz, an aspiring principal in Houston A+ Challenge's Regional Principal Leadership Academy, said that CFG training will help him address the challenges that all urban educators face to meet rising standards of accountability.

"In order for us to be successful and to meet those standards, we have to continue to learn -- not only as teachers and educators, but we also have to ... transfer that knowledge to the students," De La Cruz said. "The only way that we can do it is if we're learners."

STUDENT GROUP
Trainers: Michaelann Kelley and Mary Matthews
Ariana Gutierrez Eisenhower HS Aldine ISD
Pablo Victor Challenge Early College HS Houston ISD
Stephanie Smith Challenge Early College HS Houston ISD
Brooke Nuber Challenge Early College HS Houston ISD
Denise Flores Challenge Early College HS Houston ISD
Janie Stephens Challenge Early College HS Houston ISD
Alejandro Reyes Eisenhower HS Aldine ISD
Yexinia Bonilla Eisenhower HS Aldine ISD
Zulayna Escober Eisenhower HS Aldine ISD
DeVonta Lee Eisenhower HS Aldine ISD
Julie Samreth Eisenhower HS Aldine ISD
Jasmine Powell Eisenhower HS Aldine ISD


REGIONAL PRINCPAL LEADERSHIP ACADEMY GROUP
Trainers: Tim Martindell and Angela Prince

Alecia Bell RPLA Intern Houston ISD
Michon Benson RPLA Intern YES College Preparatory
Juan De La Cruz RPLA Intern Houston ISD
Waymond Ervin RPLA Intern Houston ISD
Reginald Fisher RPLA Intern Houston ISD
Wendy Hampton RPLA Intern Houston ISD
Dawn Hobbs RPLA Intern Houston ISD
Walter Hunt RPLA Intern Humble ISD
Alfred James RPLA Intern Aldine ISD
Jhacole LeGrand RPLA Intern Houston ISD
Ann Mayfield RPLA Intern Houston ISD
Sheri Miller-Williams Director of Leadership Houston A+ Challenge
Deborah Mitchell RPLA Intern Aldine ISD
Susan Perry RPLA Intern Aldine ISD
Lindsey Pollock RPLA Intern Houston ISD
Tracey Reap RPLA Intern Spring Branch ISD
Myra Richardson RPLA Intern  
Andrea Rivers RPLA Intern  
Cathy Rushing RPLA Intern Houston ISD
Nachelle Scott RPLA Intern Humble ISD
Dedri Taylor RPLA Intern Humble ISD
Ellen Winstead RPLA Intern YES College Preparatory


EDUCATOR GROUP
Trainers: Donna Reid and Mike Pérez

Carolyn Brinson Houston Academy Aldine ISD
Dana Carpenter-Baker Eisenhower HS Aldine ISD
Kim Corrick Kujawa ES Aldine ISD
Terri Currie C.A.T.E. Center Humble ISD
Melissa Milios Davis Director of Public Affairs Houston A+ Challenge
Kim Harris Kujawa ES Aldine ISD
Felicia Hayes Eisenhower HS Aldine ISD
Rosa Henao Spring Branch ES Spring Branch ISD
Gwen Henderson Stovall Academy Aldine ISD
Frank Kelley Stovall Academy Aldine ISD
Acquenette Le Blanc Stovall Academy Aldine ISD
Samyka Leaston-Pinkney Alief MS Alief ISD
Sharon Longton Stovall Academy Aldine ISD
Donald McGowan De Zavala ES Houston ISD
Sally Paz Lee HS Houston ISD
Robin Petersen Stovall Academy Aldine ISD
Yvonne Phillips-Dupree Sterling HS Houston ISD
Paula Pierce Hartman MS Houston ISD
Kathy Ralph C.A.T.E. Center Humble ISD
Tarrynce Robinson Pleasantville ES Houston ISD
Chris Scharle Stovall Academy Aldine ISD
Judy Thomas Spring Branch ES Spring Branch ISD
Linda Trendell Lee HS Houston ISD
Dana Washington Stovall Academy Aldine ISD

 

 


 

 

     

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