New IAAE Board Members Elected at Conference

Joel Schutte, Central Region IAAE Representative

Joel Schutte, principal of Harbor Alternative in Altoona, was elected to serve the Central Region. He will serve on the IAAE Board of Directors for a term of two years.

Schutte is a graduate of Des Moines Lincoln High School. He is a 1992 graduate of Central College and received his Masters of. Education in Educational Counseling from the University of Phoenix (Main campus, Phoenix, Az). He earned his Endorsement in Administration from Viterbo University in 2004. Schutte spent three years working for Orchard Place/Des Moines Child Guidance/PACE in a couple of different capacities, with his last position there as Casework Therapist in the S.T.O.P. program. In 1998, he began working as a counselor in the Oasis Program at Southeast Polk High School. Schutte became Principal Joel Schutte, Central Region IAAE Representative of Harbor Alternative (SE Polk) in the fall of 2006. He lives in Pleasant Hill with his wife, Marna, and four children (Jorie 18, Cade 9, Quinn 8, and Beck 6).

According to Schutte‘s application to run for this office, "I have dedicated my career to alternative education. For the past five years I have been principal of Harbor Alternative in the Southeast Polk School District, and before that spent eight years as an at-risk counselor at Southeast Polk High School. Recently I joined Rich Blonigan from SCAVO and Kim Davis from Walnut Creek on the planning committee for the Risky Business conference in the fall."

Ken Burrington, Northeast Region IAAE Representative

Ken Burrington of Osage Alternative program was elected to serve a two-year term representing the
Northeast Region.

This excerpt was taken from Ken‘s application: "Alternative education‘s place in the overall scheme of education is here to stay and growing. I feel we need to continue to work on organizing and communicating. There are many very successful programs out there, so what are they doing and how did they get to be successful. How can we better help each other? I also feel we need to educate the public on what Alternative Education is and what it looks like. There are so many misconceptions out there about our programs and our students."

Brian Friesner, Northwest Region IAAE Representative

Brian Friesner from Sergent Bluff flexible Learning Center will be serving the Northwest Region for the next two years. Brian graduated from Morningside College in the Spring 2003. He was a 5th grade teacher and a substitute teacher before coming to the Flexible Learning Center in the Fall of 2005. Brian teaches high school math, science, social studies courses. He has been a athletic coach going for more than 15 years. He has coached high school vol- leyball and currently is a coach of high school cross coun- try, boys basketball, boys/girls track and field at Sergeant Bluff-Luton. Brian says, "I truly enjoying working with young people. My free time is spent with my lovely wife of ten years, Michealeen, my energetic son, Luke, and our two dogs. We enjoy spending time together outdoors and understanding why "why" is good question to everything
for my son!"

2011 IAAE Vincent C. Scavo Grant Winners

Every year the IAAE provides seed money to alternative schools and programs to jump start efforts
to improve. Through the Vincent C Scavo grant program last year, the IAAE  provided Northeast Alternative High School with $500 to purchase high interest books to add to their library.

We had many requests this year. The following five schools were awarded $300 each in grant money:

• Bernie Kraft, COMPASS Alternative Center: toward a perennial garden
•  Lisa Hackman, Missouri Valley Alternative Center for Education (ACE): towards a Wii for fitness
• Jayme Hurley, Buchanan County Success Center: toward community learning opportunities
• Tina Turner, Creative Learning Center, Fort Madison: toward fitness equipment
• Kristin Flynn, Kimberly Center, Davenport: toward Xbox for fitnes

2011 IAAE Award Winners Announced

The Newcomer of the Year Award was presented to Linda Litterer from Creative Learning Center in Fort Madison. In the two years that Linda has been in alternative education, significant changes have been made to strengthen the program.  Among other things, she has been instrumental in creating an attendance policy, goal setting with staff and students, increasing community involvement, and boosting participation in the credit recovery program.  She diagnoses students’ needs by reviewing the data, interviewing the students and families, and creates an individual education plan for students based on their specific needs. She models the expected behavior and makes the alternative classroom a welcoming and successful environment for her students. Congratulations Linda!!

The Educator of the Year Award and $50.00 "bagel bucks" for a celebration with the staff was presented to Tascha Brown of Ankeny High School.   She volunteers time to work with students after school and during the summer school program. She has branched out to other staff members and has assisted them in differentiating and understanding the variety of needs that students have and continues to advocate for school wide change to better meet the needs of all students.  Tascha is dedicated to at-risk students, working tirelessly to improve reading skills, has become a mentor to students and finds ways to reach the most unreachable.  Congratulations Tascha!!

Susan Holderness

The Jim Fenton Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Susan Holderness of Walnut Creek Campus.  She has provided exposure to a world that many students would never have the chance to experience, providing learning opportunities by taking them to performances, historical sites, large cities to experience art, food, architecture, and fashion, as well as bringing the world into the school through guest artists and speakers.  Her many years working in the area of family consumer science have focused students in finding their careers and better personal lives.  She continues to be an advocate for education in the arts, especially with alternative students. Thank you, Susan, for your  hard work and dedication!! Congratulations!

Pam Courtney and Lisa Demuth present the Hall of Fame Award

Dr. Charles Greenwood, a pioneer in alternative education in the state of Iowa, was inducted into the the Iowa Alternative Education Hall of Fame.  Dr. Greenwood was instrumental in creating the first alternative school in Iowa; the Des Moines Alternative School, now known as Scavo High School, and the Iowa Association for Alternative Education.  He has been an advocate for alternative education, often standing up to mainstream ideology that wanted all schools to be alike.  His early efforts to form a statewide association to continue to address and expand alternative school philosophies and educational strategies, to stand for student-centered education, and to find a pathway for all students to meet the education goals of their community are recognized in this award.  Thank you, Dr. Greenwood, and congratulations!

Dr. Charles Greenwood

New IAAE President Encourages Member Interaction on Website

New IAAE President, Brett Eubank, encourages IAAE members to visit his new blog on the IAAE Website http://www.iaae.net/site/. Brett will be posting his thoughts, as well as happenings from across the state. He encourages all members to sign up for a username to use this interactive feature on the IAAE website.

Here's how to sign up to use the blog feature for creating your own IAAE blog OR commenting on other's blogs:

1. Click this link to get to create a new account. http://iaae.net/site/?q=user/register  (Note: this registration is NOT the same as the registration needed to join the IAAE mail list)
2. Type in a unique username and your school email address (educational email addresses are the only ones automatically approved by the site administrator)
3. Click the "Create New Account" button and wait for an email that verifies your new account.

After receiving your verification email, visit the IAAE site's Member Blogs area to comment on Brett's blog or create your own!

Don't forget to join the IAAE MailList!
Members of the IAAE MailList can ask questions any time via email to all other members who have joined the list. This year MailList members have posted questions about billing and contracts for alternative programs, alternative school attendance requirements, and the IAAE State Conference. The MailList is an easy way to find out what other alternative schools and programs are doing and to share information about IAAE events. To join the MailList:

• Click this link for the maillist sign up page http://mail.iaae.net/mailman/listinfo/maillist_iaae.net
• Fill in the information (name, email address) and choose a password
• Click the "Subscribe" button

If you use an educational email address (like k12.ia.us or .schools) you should receive an instant email verification that you are now subscribed to the maillist. Non-educational email addresses will not be automatically accepted and you will have to wait for the site administrator to verify your identity.

Once you are subscribed, you can email the list members by sending a message to maillist@iaae.net
There is a size limit for messages, so please make sure your messages are smaller than 4MB. Be sure to add maillist@iaae.net to your address book so that emails from the list can make it through your spam filter. If you have problems accessing the MailList, please contact an IAAE Board Member or leave a comment on this blog. Your problems will be shared with the IAAE site administrator.

How do you feel about the IAAE MailList? What are your thoughts about the IAAE Member Blogs feature? Leave your comments below in the comment section by clicking the word "comments".

David Zollo Wows 2011 Conference Attendees at All in the Family

IAAE members attend the annual State Conference to share ideas about curriculum, teaching, learning and dropout prevention. But those aren't the only reasons we attend. We also value the opportunity to network, socialize and share stories with colleagues who understand us better than anyone else--other alternative educators!

This year IAAE members had two opportunities for networking: first, in the Hospitality Room, sponsored this year by IAAE Board Members who graciously contributed snacks and beverages for all; and second at the Conference Social held at the All in the Family Lounge. This year's entertainment was Iowa native, David Zollo.

 

David Zollo performs with drummer, Brian Cooper

David wowed the audience with his soulful, bluesy style and his barefoot dancing feet. His music drove alternative educators and other All in the Family patrons to the dance floor for a night of fun-filled, soul-boosting music. David asked IAAE audience members, "So are you alternative teachers? or teachers of alternative students?" He obviously knows us well!

Check out David's Facebook page, his website http://davezollo.com/ and his YouTube channel for more information about his music, albums, and upcoming performances.

Did you enjoy the entertainment at this year's conference? Share your memories and feedback below in the comment section.

New Department of Education Director, Jason Glass, Opens IAAE 2011 Conference

2011 IAAE State Conference Participants were honored to hear new Department of Education director, Jason Glass, speak about his vision for the future of our great state.

Jason Glass

Director Glass said that he's spent his first months in office visiting as many schools, programs, educators and administrators as possible to listen to what we feel is important for the future of Iowa's students. He says that he is impressed by the passion of Iowa Educators and appreciates the fact that all educators in Iowa seem to embrace the idea of continuous change to improve our schools. Many attendees were impressed by his statement that "We have to find ways to make schools fit kids, not make kids fit schools." This statement (and many others) fits well with alternative education's student-centered approach. 


Some key points to Director Glass' vision for the future of education in Iowa include: 

• Shifting away from the industrial model of education--having less reliance on seat time and Carnegie Units as the structural basis for our schools
• Making the "human capital system" in education more effective.  Director Glass would like to encourage districts to change the way they evaluate teachers. Evaluations should include a variety of data, including student growth, parent input, student input, observation. Standardized test scores should only be a small part of the data.
• Creating a coalition of "Radical Moderates" to walk the middle ground in educational reform. He feels strongly that we need to walk the path between those who fight to keep the status quo and those want to abolish public education in favor of charter schools.

For more information about Jason Glass' history, visit his Iowa Department of Education page.
To read or comment on his thoughts about education, visit his blog, Education Elements. Follow Jason Glass on Twitter @jasonglassIA


How did the director's opening remarks strike you? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Deadra Stanton Makes IAAE Members Laugh (and Cry)

In her April 8 IAAE State Conference closing keynote address, Deadra Stanton told stories that made us laugh so hard we cried. She shared stories about her "alternative" child Nathan, and the impact his teachers had on his life. Through a series of personal stories about her life, her teaching, and her family, she asked alternative educators to:

• Remember to take care of ourselves so that we have the strength to take care of others
• Remember to take care of our profession.  In this climate of teacher-bashing, especially, we must invite people to see what it is we really do. We make a difference.
• Don't shoot skinny rabbits! Pay attention to the meaty issues with our kids.  Let the small stuff--the skinny rabbits--go.

After sharing stories about her children, her students, and the impact teachers made on her life, all conference attendees felt recharged and rejuvenated. When Deadra closed with a heartfelt "thank you" for our work as educators, participants were extremely moved. We thank Deadra for making us feel valued and appreciated (like very fat rabbits, indeed!)

Share your thoughts about Deadra's presentation in the comment section below.

IAAE Board Member Lisa Hackman and Friday Keynoter Deadra Stanton

 

 

 

David Warlick Helps Move #IAAE into the Third Millennium

The IAAE 2011 Spring Conference (April 7-8) Thursday keynoter, David Warlick, challenged alternative educators' ideas about literacy, learning, and how we are preparing our students to thrive in the third millennium.

David introduced many attendees to the concept Twitter by using knitterchat.com,  "a backchanneling tool designed for engaged learning" that allowed conference participants to discuss his presentation, ask each other questions, and comment on each others' thoughts--all while he was presenting! A transcript of the knitterchat event can be found on David's IAAE website page for the Conference along with links to all of his presentation handouts, slides, wikis, bibliographies and visuals.

Attendees were encouraged to tweet about the conference using the #IAAE hashtag and can continue to interact with David Warlick on Twitter by following @dwarlick.


Some highlights of the keynote presentation:

• a visit to David's Second Life office
• a discussion about what literacy means in this age of technology
• a look at the multitudes of information our students receive each day
• and a discussion about what we can do to "Harness the Perfect Storm"

Visit David Warlick's blog "2¢ Worth Teaching & Learning in the new information landscape…" for a continuous stream of his thoughts and reflections, as well as links to what he's learning about. 


After the keynote, attendees had the opportunity to learn more in a series of three hour-long workshops. Did you attend one of the sessions? Do you have thoughts about what you learned from David Warlick at the conference? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below or email your thoughts, pictures, ideas to iaaenewsletter@gmail.com

2011 Spring Conference Keynoters

Thursday morning keynoter, David Warlick

Thursday morning keynoter, David Warlick is a 34 year educator.  He has been a classroom teacher, district administrator, and staff consultant with the North Carolina State Department of Public Instruction. For the past ten years, Mr. Warlick has operated The Landmark Project, a consulting, and innovations firm in Raleigh, North Carolina.

David’s attribution web site, Citation Machine, serves nearly a million page views a day and his classroom blogging tool, has served more than a quarter of a million teachers and students.

David Warlick is also the author of four books on instructional technology and 21st century literacy, and has spoken to audiences throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia, The Middle East, and South America.

What makes David Warlick a highly effective and sought-after speaker is that, at heart, he is a teacher with a contagious passion and enthusiasm for helping people discover a brand new world of teaching and learning. Visit his blog, "2¢ Worth"

Deadra Stanton

Deadra Stanton

Friday morning keynoter, Deadra Stanton, owner and presenter for her company Creative Communications, has been a teacher of English, Speech, and Theatre for over 31 years.  She is an honor graduate of Mankato State University in Mankato, Minnesota and recently earned her Masters in Education from St. Mary’s University.  With majors in Speech Communications, Theatre Arts, and Business Administration, she brings a diverse background to the podium.  

When not in the classroom, Deadra is a frequent presenter and motivational speaker for numerous audiences across the nation.  Her humorous style and up-beat presentations make her a versatile and sought after speaker.  Deadra’s husband Mark is a business owner and she has two children: Sarah is project Manger for Motorola and Nathan is a professional Hockey Official.