The Perkins Platform

In March, our guest is the legendary child psychiatrist, Dr. James Comer.  Dr. Comer is the Maurice Falk Professor of Child Psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine's Child Study Center, and has been a Yale medical faculty member since 1968. During these years, he has concentrated his career on promoting a focus on child development as a way of improving schools. His efforts in support of healthy development of young people are known internationally.  We will speak to Dr. Comer along with Ms. Patricia Toney, a SDP school principal in South Carolina, about the fundamentals of SDP and the success to their school and community as a result.

Join us for another wonderful installment on March 12 at 2pm EST.

Our February show will feature Dr. Robert (Bob) Slavin, co-founder of Success For All.  Success for All grew out of a program of research and development that started with basic research on cooperative-learning strategies. By 1980, Bob's group at Johns Hopkins University had learned how to harness the power of kids working with kids by structuring methods in which groups could succeed only if all members had mastered the academic material they were studying.  In 1987, along with Nancy Madden, Bob founded SFA.  Bob is currently Director of the Center for Research and Reform in Education at Johns Hopkins University, part-time Professor at the Institute for Effective Education at the University of York (England), and Chairman of the Success for All Foundation.  Our 2nd guest will be Mrs. Linda Lorenzo, Principal for the Kane Area Elementary School  in Pennsylvania.  Kane Area has been recognized as one of SFA's exemplar schools.

Join us for this 2nd in our series of school improvement initiatives at 2pmEST on February 12!

Conceptualized in 1948, the International Baccalaureate Programme has become widely recognized for its rigorous curriculum and evaluation process for grades 3-12.  Schools all over the world have adopted the IB program with a recent surge in interest and participation among schools in urban communities throughout the United States.  Our guests in January will discuss IB and its benefit to schools going through the accrediation process.  We are delighted to have Drew Deutsch, Director-IB Americas.  Drew joined the International Baccalaureate in April 2008 as the Regional Director for IB North America. On 1 January 2009, Drew was appointed as Director of the IB Americas region. We will also have Monique Lewis, Principal -Fondren Middle School International Baccalaureate in Houston, Texas.  We will discuss the principles of IB and what it looks like on the ground to become an IB school.  Join us on January 15(2pm EST) for an enlightening discussion.

Mental health in public schools is a major concern.  According to HHS, the figures usually indicated for diagnosable mental disorders suggest that between 12% and 22% of all youngsters under age 18 are in need of services for mental, emotional, or behavioral problems. The Center for Mental Health in Schools reports that the reality for many large urban schools is that well over 50% of their students manifest significant learning, behavior, and emotional problems.  For a large proportion of these youngsters, the problems are rooted in the restricted opportunities and difficult living conditions associated with poverty.

We have two special guests in December:  Dr. Sally Baas, President - National Association of School Psychologists who will discuss these challenges nationally.  Our second guest is Irene Spence, the founding principal of Brooklyn Gardens Elementary School, a new school in East New York, Brooklyn. She has been working diligently to create partnerships with organizations to support children's social, emotional and academic needs. Join us at 2pm on December 18 for another amazing discussion!

A number of recent studies have showed a significant correlation between quality early childhood education programming and success in high school and college.    Our guests on November 13 (2pm) will talk about what children need to know and be able to do for school success.

Clarisse Mendoza is the Deputy Chief of Academic Affairs for the UNO Charter Network in Chicago, IL  Prior to her work at UNO, Clarisse was the founding Chief Operating Officer for Early Stages-the District of Columbia Public Schools early childhood diagnostic division which insured that all children ages 3-5 in the district received the services they needed for a strong school start.

Rose McKenzie is the Early Childhood Division Director at New Opportunities Inc in Waterbury, CT.  Her background includes over 24 years in the education and childcare field. She was a federal reviewer of HeadStart Programs for over 10 years conducting reviews in Region I & II.  She is also a member of the CT HeadStart Association.

Join us for an amazing discussion!

There is a national debate currently underway among k-12 policymakers, leaders, teachers regarding the usefulness of the common core standards initiative. The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort that established a single set of educational standards for kindergarten through 12th grade in English language arts and mathematics that states voluntarily adopt.

On October 16, we have two special guests who will discuss "Common Core" and provide some insight on the challenges and solutions to issues that have come up since states started adopting them.  We are pleased to have Mr. Kenneth Matthews, Supervisor of Mathematics for New Haven (CT) Public Schools.  In this position, he oversees mathematics curriculum and instruction in 50 schools for 21,000 students.  His principle charge is to raise achievement in mathematics, close the achievement gaps among impoverished and minority students, and prepare students for higher education and careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.)  He works closely with Math for America and Teach for America.  We also have Ms.Sandy Bartle, Senior Academic Officer with Carnegie Learning.  Sandy spent 14 years as a high school mathematics teacher, department chair, and coach  As Senior Academic Officer, she co-authors curricula and ensures that the best of academic research on teaching and learning theory is directly applied to the needs of teachers.

Join us on October 16 at 2pm EST for an informative discussion!

The September (9/18) broadcast features, Nancy Meador, President - National Association of Elementary School Principals. Nancy most recently served as principal for Madison Middle School in Nashville, Tennessee, has enjoyed a long career in education, serving in elementary and middle schools as a principal, assistant principal, classroom teacher, and as executive director for learning support services.  We will focus on the trends in education to meet the new needs of students who entering our public schools.  These students don't know a world without cell phones, FaceBook or Twitter.  Technology and findings from brain research have greatly influenced teaching and learning in today's elementary schools.

Nancy's role as the president of nation's largest professional organization of elementary and middle school principals is influential in shaping how leadership challenges are met.  

Join us at 2pm on September 18 to hear what we need to know about the new elementary school without chalkboards.

On our 1-year anniversary, we have a special guest on Perkins Platform:  Dr. Henry Levin - William Heard Kilpatick Professor of Economics and Education at Teachers College Columbia University. He is also the David Jacks Professor Emeritus of Higher Education and Economics at Stanford University where he served from 1968-99.  Professor Levin is the director of the Center for Benefit-Cost Studies in Education (www.cbcse.org) and the director of the National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education (www.ncspe.org). Professor Levin is a specialist in the economics of education and human resources and has published 16 books and almost 300 articles on these and related subjects.  He is the author of two textbooks on cost-effectiveness analysis in education: Cost-Effectiveness Analysis: Methods and Applications (with Patrick McEwan, Sage Publications, 2000); and Cost-Effectiveness and Educational Policy (co-edited with Patrick McEwan, Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education, 2002).

Join us for an enlightening discussion on August 21 - 2pm EST.

As the Perkins Platform wraps up its first year of programming, Dr. Perkins will spend the next installment reflecting on the year of events in education and its impact on leadership.  He will offer his critical perspective on policy and practice strategies for consideration by the education community.  Join us for a solutions-based expert opinion on improving education outcomes.

Dr. Perkins is the Director of the Urban Education Leadership Program at Columbia University Teachers College Department of Organization and Leadership.   In the past two years, Dr. Perkins has reorganized the UELP under a dynamic new conceptual framework.  He also directs the Superintendent’s Work Conference (started in 1941) at Teachers College. Dr. Perkins is a distinguished Yale alumnus and was named a Timothy Dwight Fellow in 2004. He was a member of the research faculty at the Yale University School of Medicine.  Dr. Perkins was an instructor in the Yale University Department of Chemistry and was awarded the distinguished teaching award for instruction in Inorganic Chemistry Problems. He has served as a consultant to school districts throughout the U.S., Brazil, Thailand, the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of South Africa. Dr. Perkins is a visiting professor at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. Dr. Perkins was the President of the New Haven (CT) Board of Education where he served for 11 years.  He also served for four years on the Board of Directors of the National School Boards Association.  Dr. Perkins served two terms as national chair for CUBE: Council of Urban Boards of Education and was the chair for the National Black Caucus of School Board Members.

Our June 19 (2pm EST) broadcast will feature a group of innovative leaders who have been at the forefront of designing and implementing new public and charter schools.  The leadership task for these new enterprises is an awesome responsibility.  Engaging communities and inspiring the instructional staff is only a small portion of what is necessary for success in these new schools.  Our panel have been in such a position and will share their challenges, failures and successes so that we can gain understanding and appreciation for what is required in the development of a new school design.

Our guests are: Ms. Sharon Stephens - principal of Madiba Prep in Brooklyn, NY and is finishing her first year as the leader of that school; Ms. Lagra Newman - founding principal of Purpose Academy in Nashville, TN and is preparing to launch her school in September;  and Mr. David Hardy - founding principal of Achievement First Brooklyn who is now working for the NJ Department of Education.

Join us for what will be a dynamic, informative conversation.