BC Educational Leadership Research. Issue 1. September,
2005.
From the editor’s desk,
Why
BC Educational Leadership Research (BCELR)? Simply, we need
to understand ourselves. British Columbia continues to achieve
with the best in the world in literacy, numeracy and science
education. But why? What is it that we believe and that we
do, that makes our education system so successful? Not having
a robust sense of the extraordinary work that occurs here
makes us vulnerable to the latest aggressive educational policy
or seductive bandwagon. BCELR is about providing a platform
for BC educational theory and practice to be voiced, explored,
critiqued, and celebrated. Its also about provoking new thinking,
new ways of leading, and new ways of doing.
BCELR grows out of a commitment, made by the School Leadership
Centre at its inception, to foster and facilitate dialogue
among BC educational leaders. You will find in its editions,
the voices of teachers, principals, superintendents, parents,
students, and academics, expressing their discoveries about
what is important in, or could be important for, BC education
and why. This first edition is a good example.
Dr. Tarry Grieve, senior researcher with the Sullivan Commissioner
and former superintendent of the Kamloops School District,
takes us back to the work of the Sullivan commission. He reminds
us where we have come from in BC, what the issues have been
that brought us to our current situation, analyzes our present
based on this shared history, and suggests directions for
inquiry and action in the years ahead.
Dr. Carolyn Shields, in a power point presentation first
made at the 28th Annual UBC/BCPVPA Short Course this past
summer, succinctly states many of the critical ideas at the
heart of her internationally renowned work in educational
leadership developed during her years at UBC.
The Fine Arts focus of the other contributors has its roots
in a rumbling debate that voiced a challenging ethical dilemma
being experienced across the province: What are educational
leaders to do about other educational goals trampled in the
stampede to literacy and successful test preparation? The
answer: advocate! Remind communities and politicians of the
inherent value of other educational priorities.
Gary Rupert, former district Fine Arts coordinator, and now
with the Teacher Education Office at UBC, gives an executive
summary of the arguments for including Fine Arts education
and how an excellent Fine Arts program could be developed
in a school.
Ms. Laurie Kocher is a Kindergarten teacher from Abbotsford
seconded to UBC to teach and do research with the Institute
for Early Childhood Education and Research at the University
of British Columbia. She writes a compelling argument for
her own introduction of the Reggio Emilia Approach into her
Kindergarten classes, and its significance for early childhood
education in BC.
Dr. Graeme Chalmers, Professor in Curriculum Studies at UBC,
presented the included power point presentation at the Arts
Advocacy Initiative gathering hosted at UBC in the Spring.
He models the power of art education for pedagogy and curriculum
showing the work of several BC schools.
I look forward to your responses and your submissions!
Educational Leadership Development.
Submission deadline: March 3rd, 2006.
Submissions
Submissions are invited from all educational leaders across
BC: teachers, students, parents, district staff, researchers,
government officers, principals and vice principals, union
representatives, superintendents. Submissions will be reviewed
by the editorial staff of BCELR. Note that copyright of every
article published through BCELR remains with the author.
Submit your document as a word document, with contact
information (e-mail and phone number) and a short biography.
School Leadership Centre at UBC
Scarfe 308 B
2125 Main Mall
Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4
tel 604.827.5350 | fax 604-822-8234 | e-mail [slc.edu@ubc.ca]
Why
BC Educational Leadership Research (BCELR)? Simply, we need
to understand ourselves. British Columbia continues to achieve
with the best in the world in literacy, numeracy and science
education. But why? What is it that we believe and that we
do, that makes our education system so successful? Not having
a robust sense of the extraordinary work that occurs here
makes us vulnerable to the latest aggressive educational policy
or seductive bandwagon. BCELR is about providing a platform
for BC educational theory and practice to be voiced, explored,
critiqued, and celebrated. Its also about provoking new thinking,
new ways of leading, and new ways of doing.