Paul Uranga from Culberson County-Allamoore ISD was among a group of school board members gathering in Corpus Christi Feb. 27-March 1 to learn the latest about 21st century challenges to leadership and the implications of those trends for educators. The theme for this Leadership TASB (LTASB)session was “Where Leadership Happens through Community Engagement.â€
Trustees began activities Thursday with keynote speaker Randolph Carter, director of the Eastern Educational Resource Collaborative in Washington, D.C. Carter’s remarks, “Raising Resilient Children in a Changing World,†challenged the trustees with national research and encouraged them to see today’s public school classroom as a kaleidoscope of differences. The LTASB class also toured the Craft Training Center of the Coastal Bend. The unique cooperative among local school districts offers a variety of on-campus and on-the- job training opportunities (apprenticeships) through which students can earn their National Center for Construction Education and Research certifications.
The LTASB class ended the first day of the session with remarks from internationally known scholar and author Yong Zhao. His work focuses on the implications of globalization and technology on education. From there he has helped in the development of schools that foster global competence and maximize innovation as models in K-12 education.
Friday’s LTASB session began with a tour of Branch Academy, Corpus Christi ISD’s newest high school. Branch Academy, in partnership with Del Mar College, is designed for students seeking career certification pathways. The high school design simulates a workplace setting where students are “hired†for each academic quarter.
Activities ended Saturday with a presentation by Joan Wodiska, vice-president and chief leadership officer of the American Council on Education. Wodiska, a former school board member from Falls Church, Virginia.
