Creating Aligned Systems of Leader Development

Fred Brown, Wallace Program Officer from New York, met with the Eugene 4J LEAD Team on February 27, 2007. He toured several of the schools to see the project in action, and met the LEAD members over lunch to discuss the Wallace request for proposals for future work in creating aligned systems of leader development. They are looking for alignment from pre-service preparation, through induction programs including mentoring, and sustained through professional development for experienced education leaders which is integrated into and supportive of a larger shard vision of educational improvement. In addition, there will be rigourous recruitment and selection processes, aligned at the state and district levels, rooted in state and/or district standards, and reinforced by specified key conditions.

Phil McCullum from the UO College of Education, Ron Slater from Oregon Department of Education, Tom Henry and George Russell converse prior to lunch.	Kay Mehas and Principal Pam Irvine (Adams-Hillside Elementary) greet visitor Fred Brown from the New York Wallace Foundation office.	Each participant had an opportunity to express what the Wallace LEAD grant has meant to them, and to describe what changes it has fostered.
Principals Karen Hardin, Morely Hegstrom, and Kevin Boling listen as one of the small schools principals at North Eugene High School, Laurie Henry, explains the impact of the grant as she has experienced it.	Kay Mehas, Wallace Director in 4J, reviews the past goals and progress of the grant, listing areas for possible extention of work in leadership development.	Then Fred Brown reviewed the new Wallace Request for Proposals for a 3-year grant that would be managed at the state level and include specific districts. Some of the proposal requirements* are listed below.

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* Proposal requirements include how the plans will accomplish the following:

• Strengthen the overall quality and alignment of the various components of a system of leader development
• Accelerate education reform initiatives in the state or districts
• Leverage non-Wallace support
• Plan realistically for scale
• Plan realistically for sustainability
• Build upon and contribute to Wallace's ongoing knowledge development efforts so that many other states and districts can benefit from the lessons learned.