Remarkable Principals

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Jim McNeice

Mr. Jim Mc Niece was elected to serve on the Kansas State Board of Education in November of 2012. He represents District 10 which includes parts of South Central Kansas, as well as a portion of the City of Wichita. Mr. Mc Niece has served for over 30 years as a teacher, coach and principal in the State of Kansas in both public and catholic schools ranging in size from class 2A to 6A . In 2009 he retired from the Wichita School District following service at both Northwest and Northeast Magnet High Schools. Mr. Mc Niece also served as principal at Bishop Carroll and Udall High Schools.

During his career Mr. Mc Niece served on numerous state committees along with professional and community boards. He has presented at national and regional conferences on a variety of educational issues and topics and served on state, regional and national school evaluation teams.

His schools have been recognized for outstanding academic achievement at the national level (New American High School, US Department of Education), state level (Challenge Award, State of Kansas) and local level (Good Apple Award, Wichita). Mr. Mc Niece was recognized as the Kansas High School Principal of the Year and was also awarded the “Excellence in Public Service” for his community involvement and service.

Mr. McNiece has a Bachelor of Science in History from St. Mary of the Plains College in Dodge City, Kansas and a Masters of Science in Secondary School Administration as well as a Education Specialists Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Ft. Hays State University in Hays, Kansas. He and his wife Christina have been married for 35 years and have two children. Christina is a high school Assessment Coordinator, Josh works with developmentally disabled adults and Jamie is a Family and Consumer Science middle school teacher.

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Mrs. Julie Wilson

Mrs. Wilson is the Ark Valley Uniserv Director for the Kansas National Education Association. She has been a classroom teacher and a Middle School Principal.  She has served on numerous curricular and policy committees and has worked with many principals, teachers and boards of educations.

 

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Dr. Diane DeBacker, Kansas Commissioner of Education

Dr. DeBacker was appointed to the post of Commissioner of Education in September of 2010.  She had served as interim commissioner for a year previous to her appointment.  Prior to that she was Deputy Commissioner of the Division of Learning and Innovative Services for two years.

Dr. DeBacker has served as an associate superintendent, a principal, an assistant principal, testing coordinator, and teacher is various school districts in the Topeka area.  She also has taught at the college level at Washburn University.  She has served the students of Kansas for over 30 years.

She earned a Doctorate of Educational Administration and Leadership from Kansas State University, a Master of Education, Curriculum and Instruction from Washburn University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Education from Emporia State University.

Dr. DeBacker and Jim Menze will discuss several issues confronting the State Board of Education and education in general.  She will give insight to some programs which are coming the schools in Kansas and the new accreditation system for Kansas schools.

 

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Ron Castagna

The Colorado Association of School Executives (CASE) has named Ron Castagna as the 2012 Colorado High School Principal of the Year. Castagna has been principal of Lakewood High School in the Jefferson County Colorado School District since 1996.

Lakewood High School has been recognized by 5280, U.S. News and World Report, and Newsweek for its excellence. Consistent with his style of servant leadership, Castagna is as quick to share credit with his faculty and students as they are to praise him for his tireless work to create a learning environment that fosters a student-centered focus on education and achievement. Teachers cite his commitment to ensuring they have the support and tools they need to instruct students and the high degree of respect and professionalism with which he treats each of them. As a result, faculty is unified in their efforts to serve every kind of learner and continually raises the bar for their own performance expectations for the benefit of students.

Last Week’s What would you do?

Situation:

A high school English and journalism teacher failed to censor her students’ creative writing

assignments even though some of her students used profanity in their work. After several complaints and three conferences with the teacher about not enforcing the district’s “no profanity” rule and the right of teachers and students to express themselves in classroom exercises, the school principal recommended termination of the teacher for violating the school’s “no-profanity” rule, which had, until this principal was hired, traditionally not been applied to classroom exercises. The teacher sued, alleging a violation of her First Amendment rights. What would you do?

Comment:

First, the principal should not discuss the issue with the teacher any longer and should refer all communication regarding the matter to the principal’s and/or the school board’s attorney.  Once a law suit is mentioned, communication on the issue with the principal parties should not continue.  All legal matters then move to counsels of record.

Second, the principal and the district have grounds for termination based on recurring insubordination.  The school has every right to enforce its policies.  This must be done, following board policy and the negotiated agreement, through warning, reprimand and recommendation for termination.  The teacher must enforce the district’s and school’s policies regarding student behavior.

Third, the courts have held that school districts have the right and responsibility to regulate and proscribe appropriate curriculum and instruction for its students.  Furthermore, freedom of speech and expression only goes so far when it enters the arena of the classroom.  Such freedom of speech and expression may not cause a disruption the the school, violate reasonable school policy, or impinge upon others rights.

Next Week’s What would you do?

Situation:

Two students come to your office with a request to start a “GLBT” (gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, trans-sexual) club in your school.  As you visit with them, they tell you they have done research and have contacted members of a similar club at the one of the local colleges.  What would you do?

 

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Chad Denker

Chad Denker is the Principal at Seward Senior High School in Seward, Nebraska.  Mr. Denker has been chosen Nebraska High School Principal of the Year by the Nebraska Association of Secondary School Principals.  Mr. Denker has been principal at Seward High School for six years and was principal at Kimball High School in Nebraska.

Last Week’s What would you do?

Situation:

A California teacher has been fired for posting topless photos and other sexually suggestive pictures of herself on Facebook.  Although the pictures were not posted during contract time, she did use the school owned computer to post them.  The pictures have been accessed by students in school during school time.  The pictures have since been removed.  What would you have done?

Comment:

Several issues to consider.  School district policy is always important and probably never more evident than in this case.  If it is as stated a school issued computer and is school property, there should be a policy in place that states something about appropriate use of school equipment and the right of the school to view/monitor the use of that computer.  Usually just having such material stored on a computer will violate school policy.  Every school should have such a policy and it should be communicated to all employees.  At the very least it is inappropriate use of the computer.  Using a school computer for illegal or immoral purposes could be grounds for immediate dismissal.

The likely bigger issue is how the computer was used.  The article indicates that topless pictures were shared via that computer and that certainly should violate school rules/district policies.  In Kansas it would quite likely be interpreted as promoting obscenity and that is against the law.  KSDE can deny a license or deny renewal of a license for any person who is convicted of promoting obscenity based on Kansas Statute Annotated 21-4301.  Defining obscenity is a little difficult for a district and they would certainly want to make sure they were on solid ground before using this approach.   Putting nude pictures on the internet can violate Federal statues and that would further strengthen the district case for dismissal.  While the National Geographic example may work in California, the values and standards of most Kansas communities would cause a topless picture to be considered pornographic.

Next Week’s What would you do?

Situation:

A high school English and journalism teacher failed to censor her students’ creative writing

assignments even though some of her students used profanity in their work. After several complaints and three conferences with the teacher about not enforcing the district’s “no profanity” rule and the right of teachers and students to express themselves in classroom exercises, the school principal recommended termination of the teacher for violating the school’s “no-profanity” rule, which had, until this principal was hired, traditionally not been applied to classroom exercises. The teacher sued, alleging a violation of her First Amendment rights. What would you do?

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Dr. John Heim

Dr. Heim is executive director of the Kansas Association of School Boards.  Dr. Heim came to KASB after serving as the superintendent for the Emporia Public Schools for 13 years.  Prior to that he was the executive director of the Educational Services and Staff Development Association of Central Kansas (ESSDACK) in Hutchinson. He also has been a superintendent in El Dorado and the Wichita County Schools at Leoti.  He was a building administrator in the Lawrence and El-Saline school districts.  He began his education career as a history and government teacher in 1981.

KASB, headquartered in Topeka, is the state organization that provides services, training and resources for local boards of education.  KASB members are governing boards for unified school districts, community colleges, area vocational-technical schools, special education cooperatives and interlocals, and regional service centers. KASB assists local board of education with professional development and goal setting, policy development, research, legislative advocacy, superintendent searches, insurance services and legal issues.

Dr. Heim has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas, a master’s degree in educational administration from Fort Hays State University, and a doctorate in educational administration from Kansas State University. He currently is an adjunct faculty member in The Teachers College at Emporia State University. He also has been a guest lecturer at Wichita State University and the University of Kansas.

Dr. Heim was selected as the 2008 Kansas Superintendent of the Year by the Kansas Association of School Administrators. He received the Outstanding Service Award from the United School Administrators of Kansas in 2006 and the Communicator of the Year Award from the Kansas School Public Relations Association in 2001.

Dr. Doug Moeckel is the Deputy Director at KASB. His primary duties include board of education training, superintendent searches and strategic planning. Dr. Moeckel’s experiences include 36 years in education including administration, teaching and coaching. His administrative experience includes time as superintendent of schools in Ellsworth as well as building level leadership at the secondary and elementary level.

Dr. Moeckel received his Bachelor’s Degree from Kansas State University, Master’s from Fort Hays State University and Doctorate from Kansas State University

This Week’s What would you do?

Situation:

An 18 year old male student comes to your office and says he needs help because he is about to be charged with statutory rape.  Upon further discussion, you find out that he has had sex with his 15 year old girlfriend and her father has found out.  Her father intends to contact law enforcement this morning and the student expects to be arrested later in the day.  You find out that the male has not informed his parents, with whom he lives, and doesn’t want you to do so either.  What would you do?

Comments:

I’ve had several comments and responses to this situation.  Most said to give the 18 year old the opportunity to tell his parents and inform the student of your obligations.  In such cases, if the student refuses and lives with this parents, I call the parent and tell them that we have a problem at school but the student refuses to let me tell you of the situation.  You, as a certified school employee, have a statutory obligation to inform law enforcement that a student, the 15 year old, has been sexually assaulted, or abused, even though the sex may have been consensual because she hasn’t achieved the age of consent.  Encourage the 18 year old to tell the truth to the authorities and answer only the questions asked.

Mrs. Pam Tate was selected as the 2012 Kansas Distinguished Principal by the National Distinguished Principal program offered by the Kansas Association of Elementary School Principals (KAESP).

Mrs. Tate is in her seventh year as Principal of Gardner Elementary, having previously served four years as the Assistant Principal at Wheatridge Middle School. Prior to serving as an administrator, Mrs. Tate spent seventeen years teaching 2nd, 5th and 6th grade levels in the Salina, Auburn-Washburn and Shawnee Mission school districts. During her tenure as a classroom teacher, Mrs. Tate was selected as the Master Teacher of the Year. In 2005, she was selected as the Kansas District I Assistant Principal of the Year by the Kansas Association of Secondary School Principals.

To be considered for this honor, principals must exemplify a commitment to excellence by improving student achievement, demonstrate strong leadership, and serve as a champion for children.

“Mrs. Tate’s leadership skills have been instrumental in providing the framework and direction that has allowed Gardner Elementary School to flourish academically,” said Dr. Bill Gilhaus, Superintendent of Schools. “Mrs. Tate is truly an extraordinary principal whose influence, effort and passion are reflected in both student achievement and staff cohesiveness.” Tate holds a Master’s in Education from Baker University and a Bachelor of Science from Kansas State University, respectively.

Last Week’s What would you do?

Situation:

A ninth grade boy, who is identified as ADHD, ADD and BD along with being a general pain in the rear, has trouble with the truth, and an only child of older parents, has constantly harassed a ninth grade girl for the past 4 years.   The girl is of mixed race, twice as big as the boy, and lives with her mother and grandmother next door to the boy.  Over the weekend the girl’s dog has been shot repeatedly by a bb gun and was reported to law enforcement.  On the way to lunch Monday, the boy says to the girl,”How did your like your dog being shot?  You shouldn’t have an ugly dog like that in our neighborhood!”  At which point the girls goes into a tirade and begins beating the boy unmercifully, drawing blood and a crown.  The girl is pulled off repeatedly but breaks free each time to continue to beat the boy.  Finally, the the girls is forcefully removed to the principals office and the boy is taken to the nurse.  What would you do?

Comments:

There are times when a student gets what they deserve but you still have to handle the situation because school rules and the law have been broken.  In this situation you must first make sure the boy receives the proper medical care, the parents of both students are informed and law enforcement contacted and a report made.  In addition, you have a serious situation with a student being beaten at school and it must be handled appropriately and with care.  In this instance the girl was suspended for the remainder of the semester and allowed back second semester under probation.  She also was allowed to attend the Learning Center to finish her required classes for the semester.  She is receiving counseling for anger management.  The boy received a short-term suspension and had to report to the counselor every week to receive sensitivity counseling.

There are many times, in a building administrator’s duties, that you have to take the stance that you must uphold the school rules even though you know where the violating student is coming from and empathize with her.  That’s when I say to the student and the parents “I may have made the same choice myself, but I also am prepared to pay the consequences.  The price of free choice is what happens in the ou...

Mr. Dale Brungardt is in his eleventh year as principal of EJSHS. As a graduate of Victoria High School, he attended FHSU for a couple of years before enlisting in the United States Air Force, as a Nuclear Lab Technician. Upon completing of the enlistment, he returned to finish his school at FHSU. Dale graduated in 1994 from FHSU wit a B.S. in Mathematics and a minor in Physics. In 2001, Mr. Brungardt completed his M.S. in Educational Administration; a year later he signed on with Ellsworth.

EXPERIENCE:

Dale was in the classroom for 8 years, a majority of that time was spent in Phillipsburg High School. He has also taught at Hays High School.  At Phillipsburg he taught Geometry, Applied Math, Physics and Calculus. Mr. Brungardt coached Middle School Football and High School Boys Basketball. He was a junior class sponsor and a member of the instructional cabinet.

FAMILY:

Dale has been married to Beth for 22 years and has 4 children: Ryan, a freshman at FHSU, Kaley, a junior at EJSHS, Janae who is a 6th grader at KMS, and Jaret, a 3rd grader at EES. Mr. Brungardt likes to spend time woodworking, spend time with the family and looking up at airplanes and stars.

Last week’s What would you do?

Situation:

A student comes to you and tells you that one of the older students (18 years old) in the Special Education Resource Room became angry with a paraprofessional when another older student was harassing the angry student and the para did very little to stop it.  The informant stated that the angry student threatened to get a firearm and return to the school and shoot whomever he didn’t like.  You know the angry student is identified as emotionally unstable, intellectually limited, and obsessive and compulsive.  You know the angry student’s home life is extremely unstable, the mother and child moved to your community after an extremely contentious divorce two years ago.  You know there are firearms for hunting in the home.  What would you do?

Comment:

We have several things that need to be addressed.  First, the student and witnesses need to be questioned to find out what exactly happened and the student who made the threat needs to be isolated under supervision.  Once you determine the threat was serious and severe in nature, you must contact the parents of the students involved and law enforcement.  Even though the student is 18, I have always notified the parent if the student lives with the parent.  If he does not, the I ask if I can notify the parent.  Once the fact have been obtained, short and extended term suspension proceedings should be initiated along with notification of the special education professional who will be needed to hold a manifestation hearing to determine if this type of behavior is related to the student’s disability.  If the behavior is related, the student may not be suspended for an extended term but a change of placement would be in order.  Along with the change of placement I have always asked for a statement from a mental health professional the student no longer poses a threat to himself or others before I agree to a future placement back in my school.

Now you must deal with the student who was harassing or maybe bullying the student.

Once you have dealt with the students and witnesses you must deal with the problem of the paraprofessional not reporting the incident, either to her supervisor or you.  If this is the first occasion of the employee not following proper procedure, a verbal warning and follow-up memo for the records are in order.  You must also address what the supervisor of the para (the resource room teacher) had expected and told the para to do prior to the incident.

Next week’s What Would You Do?

Situation:

Today’s interview is with Kansas Association of Secondary School Principals (KASSP) Assistant Principal of the year Tom Albers …

Tom Albers named Assistant Principal of the Year

Each year, the Kansas Association of Secondary School Principals (KASSP) and VIRCO recognize middle school and secondary school principals for outstanding and exemplary leadership – in the organization and to the profession. This year, Tom Albers, Hays High School, has been named Assistant Principal of the Year.Albers has served in his current position for 11 years. Previously, Albers served as assistant principal at Pittsburg High School for a year. His career in education began in 1988, when he accepted a position teaching 8th grade mathematics and Algebra I at Liberty Middle School in Pratt and then at Pratt High School. During Albers tenure in Pratt, he also coached football, and basketball.In 1988, Albers earned his B.S. in Mathematics from Fort Hays State University. He went on to graduate with a M.S. in Education Administration from Fort Hays State University in 1998.

Albers’ wife, Tina, is a a pre-school teacher in the Hays district. He is the proud father of 5 children – MacKenzie (a freshman at Fort Hays State University), Kord (a junior at Hays High School), Adyson (a 6th grader at Hays Middle School), Brenlynn (a 1st grader at

O’loughlin grade school), and Brogan (attending 4 year old pre-school in his mom’s pre-school class.)

 

Jim Menze’s book, New Principal’s Playbook

Principals see it all…..

It’s just a question of when and where. In the New Principal’s Playbook you’ll find a collection of real challenges — events and problems faced by real principals in the field.

Each of the issues in the Playbook has been adapted from real life incidents, and as a collection represent a cross section of the things you will probably face as a principal.

With solutions in topic areas that include Student, Staff, Professional and Special Events, Even experienced Principals will find something they haven’t faced yet. But with the playbook, you’ll be that much better prepared for the next surprise to come around the corner.

What would you do? Responses 9/28

_____

 I feel that NCLB was the shot in the arm that the Nation’s Education System needed. As a whole, the system had become complacent in certain areas. The added accountability and rigorous testing NCLB brought created the necessity from which great invention/reform is built. The current Common Core construct on the horizon, built on a foundation of rigorous and relevant course material and instruction, will catapult the US Education System well beyond our current expectations of what public education can be.

_____

Assessments need to mean something to students and parents. That will make it more important for kids to do well.

_____

Jim Menze’s Response: I believe we all recognize it is time for some changes in our way of educating and measuring achievement of our students. Those changes come at the expense of abandoning some of our most cherished methods and ways of delivering and measuring learning. Principals, at times, feel like they are betraying their profession by being critical of what we do. We must be careful to understand their will be a grieving process when certain practices and ways are changed or abandoned. The changing and abandoning must take place in a carefully thought through and positive process...

Last weeks What Would You DO?

Loveland school seizes rosary beads from student, says they’re ‘gang symbol’

 

We had a great group of comments, all centering around the issue of making sure the parents were informed when the initial discussion with the student about the beads occurred.  Had that happened, there probably would not be a problem at this point.  Legally, this incident goes back to the landmark Tinker case about freedom of speech and expression in public schools.  The Tinker cases ruling was that a school has a right and responsibility to control speech and expression when that speech and expression would cause a disruption in the safe and orderly operation of the school.  Gang activity can certainly be expected to cause disruption in school and safety for kids in that school and community.  In my opinion, it is the correct course of  action for the school to pursue disciplinary action for the student, but make sure the parents are notified of every discussion and action with the student.

Gang signs and symbols change almost daily and we need to keep in contact with law enforcement and other agencies that deal with this problem so we may be informed.  Then we can correctly inform our parents and students.  Every law enforcement or local agency that I have had an opportunity to work with was glad to have the partnership and help from the school community.

Next Weeks What Would You Do?

NBC television network is having what they call “Education Nation” this week.  The Today Show, Morning Joe, and others are interviewing politicians, personalities, journalists, education ‘experts’ and whomever else wishes to put in their two cents worth about how to fix the education system in the United States.  If you were given the opportunity, what would you say in a minute or two that would speak to the issue of; the education system is “fine”, it just needs tweaking; the education system is “broken” and needs fixing; or the education system is “obsolete” and needs to be replaced.  Please respond by this Friday I will send you the responses, verbatim, without using names.

This week’s Remarkable Principal conversation will be with Tom Albers, Assistant Principal at Hays High School and KASSPs Assistant Principal of the Year.  I will get that out to you later this week.

This episode’s interview is with Mike Berblinger, Principal at Buhler (KS) High School and Kansas Association of Secondary School Principals (KASSP) Principal Of The Year

Mike Berblinger named Principal of the Year

Each year, the Kansas Association of Secondary School Principals recognizes middle school and secondary school principals for outstanding and exemplary leadership – in the organization and to the profession. This year, Mike Berblinger, Buhler High School, has been named Principal of the Year by KASSP and MetLife.Berblinger grew up in Sterling, Kansas. He received his undergraduate degree from Fort Hays State University in 1982, began his teaching and coaching career in Dighton, Kansas where he taught for 3 years.In 1985 Mike moved back to his hometown and taught and coached in Sterling for seven years. He earned his masters in educational leadership from the University of Kansas in 1994 and served as a principal in Sterling at the elementary, middle and high school levels for a combined nine years.In 2001 Mike and his family moved to the Buhler School system where he has served a...