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 |
