Professional Development
New Fellowship Aims To Help Superintendents Implement Personalized Learning
Ten
public school superintendents have been selected for an
inaugural fellowship program designed to introduce them to the concept
of personalized
learning and help them implement programs in their own districts.
The Lexington Education Leadership Award (LELA)
Fellowship is
being sponsored by the Arlington, VA-based Lexington
Institute, a public policy
think tank that focuses on issues dealing with the intersection of
technology
and education, national security and energy.
The superintendents, selected from a group of 50
applicants
and representing districts of every size, will, during the six-month
program:
- Participate in a specialized conference track at the
Education
Elements' National PL (Personalized Learning) Summit May 7-8 in San
Jose, CA,
that will include school visits, access to district leaders already
implementing personalized learning programs and discussions with
current
thought leaders;
- Receive technical assistance, resources and support
to develop
their own customized PL programs;
- Have access to an online LELA Community of Practice
forum; and
- Attend a conference and awards dinner in Washington,
DC, for
LELA Fellows that will include nationally recognized speakers on the
topic.
The Fellows will also be mentored by educators who
already
have experience with personalized learning, including:
"This will enable me to learn, develop and grow my
leadership
skills," said Theron J. Schutte, superintendent of the Bettendorf
Community
School District in Iowa. "At the end of the day, it's about finding new
and
innovative ways for teachers to facilitate learning opportunities in
which all
students are engaged, enriched and achieving at high levels."
Applications for the second
class of LELA Fellows will open in
September for a November launch.
About the Author
Michael Hart is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and the former executive editor of THE Journal.