At the Lake Union Leadership Training, Stephen Bralley (above), along with Dr. Leisa Standish, secondary/elementary directors, from the North American Division presented on “Standards-based Education,” engaging attendees in a project-based learning activity. | Photos by Felicia Tonga Taimi
Debbie Michel
May 4, 2020Superintendents, full-time principals, Andrews University Education faculty and lead teachers from each conference gathered at the Lake Union Feb. 18-19 for professional development workshops.
On February 18, Stephen Bralley and Dr. Leisa Standish, secondary/elementary directors, from the North American Division presented on “Standards-based Education,” engaging attendees in a project-based learning activity. Dr. Robert Jackson presented via Zoom on “Becoming the Educator They Need: Strategies, Mindsets, and Beliefs for Supporting Male Black and Latino Students.”
On February 19, Nicole Mattson shared on “Celebrating, Encouraging, and Preparing All Learners for His Service.” Samples of the new elementary math curriculum, Big Ideas, along with a virtual presentation took place in the afternoon.
The leadership training initiative began five years ago when the Lake Union Education Department realized a need to avert a critical shortage of educational administrators.
Linda Fuchs, Lake Union Education director, says this need is playing out right now across our territory. For instance, Indiana has been searching for someone to fill the role of superintendent for almost a year.
“When I sit at the leadership table, I often see people in their 50s and 60s,” she said. “We need to prepare young people to step up to these roles. Lake Union Leadership Councils are geared toward strengthening our current leaders and preparing our future leaders.”
The Lake Union also is sponsoring teachers interested in being future administrators to get a master’s degree in Educational Leadership.
Teachers are responding positively to the training, Fuchs said, “After the speaker who shared about multicultural sensitively, a teacher told me, ‘I never thought my church would talk about this.’ She was so grateful we had a speaker on this topic.”
The leadership training takes place twice a year; the next one is slated for Sept. 21.
