Last week I was privileged to attend the Association for the Advancement of International Education (AAIE) conference in San Francisco. This is an annual gathering of Heads of School from around the world and it was a wonderful opportunity to connect with colleagues and hear from key speakers and leaders sharing insights into the challenges we all face around the world. Many of my dearest friends took to the stage to share successes in their leadership journey including Charles (Chip) Barder, past head of school here at ASW from 2002 to 2008. The leadership conversations were rich and inspiring as we all continue to refresh our approaches and improve our skills to match the growing challenges of education in an ever-evolving global dynamic. We connected with key supporters and researchers. I particularly enjoyed the current work of Will Richardson, who was a key mentor when he joined a conference I organized in Shanghai back in 2007. His work with key principles for schools in the current age helped me assess our work in Core Values and confirmed that we have captured the right framework for our strategic work going forward. He inspired us to consider the key drivers of education in the information age and challenged us to focus on self-determination and engagement as key factors in meaningful education that is enduring. To quote him from his website:
It’s an absolutely amazing time to be a learner.
But what we know about how kids learn most powerfully and deeply isn’t what we practice in our schools. Today, more than ever, that has to change.
Reminder
Remember to always be wearing your parent badge at school at all times.I reminded everyone back in November and need to remind you again. Thanks for the fun interactions in the cafeteria when I remind you. Appreciation to all our parents who are remembering to wear their badges at all times. Don’t leave them in your cars. Please make sure they are visible. Always good to refresh our practice occasionally!!