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Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed individuals can change the world; indeed it's the only thing that ever has. – Margaret Meade

We are looking for parents, teachers, and students who support advanced and gifted education for Rochester Community Schools in Michigan. Please subscribe to Rochester SAGE to receive updates.

Also, please visit the "How to Help" link in the upper right.

Superintendent Search: Paul DeAngelis – Birmingham Deputy Superintendent

March 14, 2011

I have sent each Rochester Community Schools superintendent candidate questions about Advanced & Gifted Education. Here are the questions and Paul DeAngelis‘ responses. Other candidates’ responses will be added when they are received.

1) What advanced and gifted programs are currently offered in your school district?

2) What do you believe the ideal advanced and gifted program would be?

3) For Rochester Community Schools, what advanced and gifted program should be implemented based on your understanding of the surrounding community, the current finances, and the needs of RCS students?

4) What would your timeline be for implementing these programs?

5) Are you a supporter of the International Baccalaureate program and would you work to convert one or more elementary, middle, and high schools in RCS to the IB program?

Read more…

Superintendent Search: Thomas Harwood – Grosse Pointe Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and Labor Relations

March 14, 2011

I have sent each Rochester Community Schools superintendent candidate questions about Advanced & Gifted Education. Here are the questions and Thomas Harwood‘s responses. Other candidates’ responses will be added when they are received.

1) What advanced and gifted programs are currently offered in your school district?

2) What do you believe the ideal advanced and gifted program would be?

3) For Rochester Community Schools, what advanced and gifted program should be implemented based on your understanding of the surrounding community, the current finances, and the needs of RCS students?

4) What would your timeline be for implementing these programs?

5) Are you a supporter of the International Baccalaureate program and would you work to convert one or more elementary, middle, and high schools in RCS to the IB program?

Read more…

Superintendent Search: Gary Richards – Imlay City Superintendent

March 14, 2011

I have sent each Rochester Community Schools superintendent candidate questions about Advanced & Gifted Education. Here are the questions and Gary Richards‘ responses. Other candidates’ responses will be added when they are received.

1) What advanced and gifted programs are currently offered in your school district?

2) What do you believe the ideal advanced and gifted program would be?

3) For Rochester Community Schools, what advanced and gifted program should be implemented based on your understanding of the surrounding community, the current finances, and the needs of RCS students?

4) What would your timeline be for implementing these programs?

5) Are you a supporter of the International Baccalaureate program and would you work to convert one or more elementary, middle, and high schools in RCS to the IB program?

Read more…

Superintendent Search: Karl Paulson – Lakeview Superintendent

March 13, 2011

I have sent each Rochester Community Schools superintendent candidate questions about Advanced & Gifted Education.  Here are the questions and Karl Paulson‘s responses.  Other candidates’ responses will be added when they are received.

1) What advanced and gifted programs are currently offered in your school district?

2) What do you believe the ideal advanced and gifted program would be?

3) For Rochester Community Schools, what advanced and gifted program should be implemented based on your understanding of the surrounding community, the current finances, and the needs of RCS students?

4) What would your timeline be for implementing these programs?

5) Are you a supporter of the International Baccalaureate program and would you work to convert one or more elementary, middle, and high schools in RCS to the IB program?

Read more…

Superintendent Search: Cover Letters and First Round Schedule

March 13, 2011

The candidates for Superintendent included cover letters with their resumes.  The full cover letters can be found on the Rochester Community Schools website.  They often reveal more about the priorities and beliefs of a candidate than their resumes.  Resumes and job history can be found in my previous post Superintendent Search: Resumes.

As referenced in Patch, the schedule for the first round of interviews at the Rochester Community Schools Administration Building is:

Monday, March 14:
6 p.m.: Thomas Harwood, assistant superintendent for human resources and labor relations, Grosse Pointe Public Schools
7:30 p.m.: Karl Paulson, superintendent, Lakeview Public Schools (St. Clair Shores)

Wednesday, March 16
6 p.m.: Geraldine Moore, assistant superintendent for instruction, Rochester Community Schools
7:30 p.m.: Gary Richards, superintendent, Imlay City Schools

Thursday, March 17
6 p.m.: Frederick Clarke, superintendent Albion Public Schools
7:30 p.m.: Paul DeAngelis, deputy superintendent for educational services, Birmingham Public Schools

The interviews are open to the public and comment forms will be available after the interviews.  While the interviews will be broadcast on the district cable station beginning at 8 AM on March 20, I do not know if they will be available via webcast earlier.

Comment regarding the selection of the Superintendent can be emailed to the Board of Education at RCS-Boardofeducation@rochester.k12.mi.us (My email to this address did get kicked back, so you may want to use their website contact form.)

Thank you for reading Rochester SAGE!
Rochester Supports Advanced & Gifted Education!

Race to Nowhere: The Review

March 11, 2011

Last night the Oakland County Schools hosted another in their series of movies on education, Race to Nowhere.  There were a hundred or so people at the screening followed by a discussion time at the tables.  The film is about over-scheduled and over-stressed teens and it places a lot of the blame on our society that values achievement.

For my review, I’ll cover the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Read more…

Superintendent Search: Resumes

March 9, 2011

The resumes for the six candidates are available online at the Rochester Community Schools website.  I have also compiled their work and education history into tables below for easier comparison: Read more…

Superintendent Search: Reviewing the Districts

March 8, 2011

The Rochester Community Schools Board of Education has released the names of candidates selected for the superintendent position.  They are:

Geraldine Moore Rochester Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum
Frederick Clarke Albion Superintendent
Paul DeAngelis Birmingham Deputy Superintendent
Thomas Harwood Grosse Pointe Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources
Karl Paulson Lakeview / St. Clair Shores Superintendent
Gary Richards Imlay City Superintendent

Unfortunately, finding out a significant amount of information about a particular candidate and their views without an interview is difficult, so I have chosen to compare the school districts they come from.  Three of them are superintendents, so their views and success should be reflected in the views and success of their districts.  Three are assistant or deputy superintendents and while they hold significant importance for each district, they are not the primary decision maker.

Read more…

Before the Board: International Baccalaureate

March 7, 2011

On Monday, March 7, I spoke before the Rochester Community Schools Board of Education regarding implementing the International Baccalaureate program in the Rochester Community Schools.  While this is not a substitute for advanced and gifted education, the outstanding curriculum offered is a great start to making rigorous standards available to students who want strong, well-disciplined schools.   The text of my speech is below (click Read More):

Read more…

Exposing Gifted Myths: Abilities Even Out in Third Grade

March 7, 2011

I’ve heard teachers, school board members, and even some parents of advanced and gifted children state “Abilities even out in third grade”, often as an excuse for not having advanced and gifted education in the elementary grades.  After all, if early gifted education leads to no discernible results, why spend money on it?

But do abilities actually even out in third grade?  The answer to this question is not a simple yes or no.
Read more…