UpDate - Vol. 15, No. 1, Page 10
August 31, 1995
Delaware principals attend summer school on campus

     Delaware principals attended summer school on the campus during
the first week of August at the Delaware Principals' Leadership
Academy for New Directions.
     The New Directions program in Delaware is based on nationally
established standards in different academic disciplines and involves
innovative methods of teaching to help students think critically,
according to academy coordinator Sue Fuhrmann. Implementing New
Directions in the classroom is a challenge for principals. The goal of
the academy is to enhance their leadership skills in working with
their faculties and school communities, she said.
     Modeled after the University's National Principals' Leadership
Academy, which attracts principals from across the nation, the
Delaware academy is specifically tailored to meet the needs of state
principals in understanding and implementing the standards of the New
Directions program.
     Among the speakers were Frank Murray, dean of the College of
Education and H. Rodney Sharp Professor in the departments of
Educational Studies and Psychology, and Audrey Noble, educational
researcher in the Delaware Education Research Development Center in
the College of Education.
     Directed by consultant Clark Olsen and funded by the Department
of Public Instruction, the academy is in its second year.
     The feedback from the participants was positive, Fuhrmann said.
     One principal wrote, "This was truly a great growth experience
that certainly will enhance my leadership role as an administrator..."
     Another wrote, "The program strengthened my confidence in myself
to actually effect change and provided the vehicle for establishing a
strong support system among the participants. The activities were
wonderful and practical-easily taken back to my staff (and hopefully
parents as well)."
     Another commented that "the academy surpassed my expectations.
The time and dollars were well worth the investment."
     This is the first year the Delaware academy has been a
residential program. Living on campus and interacting informally
outside of workshops and other programs were important factors in the
program's success, Fuhrmann said.
     As one participant wrote, "We were able to meet and get to know
each other on a level that is normally not possible."
     Another wrote, "A principal's job is a very lonely one and most
interactions with others in the field are brief... Here I was able to
have a great deal of meaningful interactions in a most relaxed and
supportive environment. Thanks for the opportunity."
     In all, 27 principals and administrators from across the state
participated in the program, and the group will reconvene in March for
another session.
                                                   -Sue Swyers Moncure