As demonstrated by the tragic events of not only the last few months in Connecticut, Georgia, and California, but also the last 10 years across the nation, school safety is a complicated issue with no single or simple solution. We have read, listened to, and participated in discussions on how to keep our schools safe and secure. From our homes, faculty rooms, school board meetings, and the halls of Congress, we are all moving from shock to recovery, fear to resiliency.
As educators, we put our students first every day. We know that fostering trusting relationships between adults and students is the most effective way to improve school safety. We work together to build positive
The Third Annual ASCD Whole Child Virtual Conference Launches May 6, 2013
ASCD's third annual Whole Child Virtual Conference, entitled "Moving from Implementation to Sustainability to Culture," will run May 6–10, 2013. The free and exclusively online event—which attracted more than 900 participants last year—offers educators around the globe 24 sessions to support their work to implement and sustain a whole child approach to education.
From Monday, May 6, through Friday, May 10, daily general sessions will be presented live between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. eastern time. The full agenda and registration information is available at www.ascd.org/wcvirtualconference.
Scheduled speakers include
- Pasi Sahlberg, director general of the Centre for International Mobility and Cooperation in Helsinki, Finland, and an internationally renowned education speaker and writer;
- Michael Fullan, professor emeritus of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto and a worldwide authority on educational reform;
- Andy Hargreaves, the Thomas More Brennan chair in the Lynch School of Education at Boston College and an internationally recognized researcher, writer, consultant, and adviser; and
- Educators from Milwaukie High School in Milwaukie, Ore., the 2013 Vision in Action: The ASCD Whole Child Award-winning school.
There will also be two international pre-conference sessions held on Friday, May 3, 2013. The Australasian section will be held 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. (Sydney, Australia time) with special presentations for audiences in the Australasian region. The European section will be held 2:00–4:00 p.m. (London, England time) with input from key European education experts.
"ASCD is pleased to once again offer the Whole Child Virtual Conference to educators worldwide," said ASCD Executive Director and CEO Dr. Gene R. Carter. "Attendees from schools and districts around the world will learn how to create sustainable school cultures that serve the whole child. I encourage educators around the globe to attend this powerful virtual conference."
Visit www.ascd.org/wcvirtualconference to register and learn more.
Meet ASCD President Becky J. Berg
Becky J. Berg is from a family of educators. "My dad was a school board president; my mom was a career educator; and my sister, my grandmother, and my great-grandfather were educators," she says. Despite the genetic pull, Berg wasn't completely convinced she would follow in the family's footsteps until her experience as a summer camp counselor while she was in college. It was then that she realized how much she loved working with kids.
Today, Berg is the superintendent of the Deer Park School District in Deer Park, Wash. During her career, she has served at the middle and elementary levels as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal, as well as an adjunct instructor at Eastern Washington University and Washington State University. Berg earned a bachelor's degree at Eastern Washington University, a master's degree in education from Western Washington University, and a doctorate from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Whole Child, Whole Families
Berg, who feels a strong commitment to social justice issues, says it is her mission to help every student to reach his or her potential. Sometimes kids face incredible obstacles. "I think one of the biggest obstacles I have seen kids face is poverty. And exclusion," says Berg.
Deer Park School District consists of four traditional schools, and 60 percent of the families qualify for free or reduced lunch. Berg feels very proud of the district's commitment to providing comprehensive supports for a whole child education. One way they have succeeded in doing so is through the district's vibrant parent partnership program. In addition, Berg organized a first-ever communitywide, whole child–whole family back-to-school event that drew nearly 1,000 participants and included faith-based, district, and social service agencies, as well as additional community-based organizations.
In addition, Berg has organized district efforts around major priority areas, with a driving focus on improving student learning. She is leading implementation of professional learning communities and working with educators across the district to prepare for the implementation of the Common Core State Standards, as well as a new evaluation system and instructional model.
Commitment to ASCD
Berg has been an ASCD member for more than 20 years, where she has served in a variety of roles: Washington State ASCD board member and president, Leadership Council member-at-large, Worldwide Influence Study Group member, Legislative Committee member, and ASCD Board member from 2007–10.
During her tenure as ASCD President, Berg plans to build on the association's rich traditions while also helping the organization to stretch the definition of what an association is and can be. We are looking forward to a busy and exciting year!
Congratulations to ASCD's new president, Becky J. Berg.