Program puts top educators on fast track

At least 11 area educators are participating in a program that helps pave the way for them to become administrators or pursue even higher levels of administration.

The Georgia School Leadership for School Improvement enables aspiring administrators to climb the ladder through its "Rising Stars Initiative," particularly providing teachers with the leadership certification needed to make the higher move.

The state agency teams up with North Georgia College & State University in Dahlonega and Pioneer Regional Educational Service Agency in Cleveland to make the yearlong program possible for area teachers.

The 2007-08 edition of Rising Stars features training sessions, with the first one set to begin Tuesday and the last one scheduled to end June 5.

Participants, who must hold at least a master's degree, "follow a leadership development plan as part of their current job," said Eloise Barron, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning for Hall County schools.

"These individuals work as apprentices under the coaching of their sponsor, usually their principal, and their coach, usually a central office person or another principal who has (received training)."

The Georgia Institute of School Improvement trains current administrators in Leadership Preparation for Performance Coaching.

Eleven Hall administrators will receive the coaching certification July 18, Barron said.

Ultimately, Rising Stars graduates "will be eligible to apply for, interview for and be considered for leadership or administrator positions," she said.

Hall County participants are teachers Beatriz Barraza of Lyman Hall Elementary School, Brittney Bennett of Lanier Elementary School, Jana Brown of Friendship Elementary School, Christy Cantrell of Chestatee High School, Karol Scarborough of Flowery Branch High School and Rodney Stephens of West Hall Middle School.

Shirley Whitaker, assistant superintendent for special activities in the Gainesville system, said that, as far as she knew, the district's participants are Adrian Cromwell, Tom Macloskie, Audrey Simmons, Lisa Smith and Chris Wood of Gainesville Middle School.

Simmons heads up the school's Humanities Academy; Smith, Classical Studies Academy; and Wood, Earth Quest Academy.

All the Hall County participants, except for Barraza, were part of a group of 60 educators who attended the district's first-ever Hall County Leadership Academy this past year.

Barraza "was highly recommended by her principal as having great leadership potential," Barron said.

Stephens, who has taught for 13 years, including 10 in Hall, said that in the program, "more than anything, I really hope to learn about myself as a potential leader."

"I want to take successes from my own classroom and effectively expand those to the educational community."

Scarborough, who has taught for 27 years, including seven in Hall, said she is "looking forward to gaining some very valuable practical leadership experience at the local school level."

"This program is not based on book work and hoop-jumping that tends to be the mainstay of most teacher/leader training programs of higher education. It has been designed to be more than a certification program; its designed to qualify leaders for the high-pressure, decision-making roles they will play as administrators."

And Bennett, who has taught for five years, all in second grade at Lanier, said she hopes to "gain necessary leadership skills to not only to be a successful leader in my classroom, but also in my grade level and in my school."