Elementary September 1, 2006

Ball State University Professional Development Schools Network
Elementary Liaisons' Meeting
Friday, September 1, 2006
TC 217
1:00 p.m.

Attendance: Diane Bottomley, Sharon Fisher, Nancy Melser, Lynn Staley, Bonnie Turner, Lynette Varner, Donna Williams, Ruth Swetnam

• Lists of the 2006-07 professional development schools and partnership schools were given to the liaisons. Towne Meadow does not have a liaison assigned to the school because there is no transition to teaching program this year and there are new administrators and many new teachers. Jill and Ruth will work with the school this year to develop a plan.
• Liaisons were asked for any changes to the 2006-07 PDS Directory, new adjunct faculty information, and new business card forms. They were also encouraged to check the information about their schools on the PDS Web site (www.bsu.edu/pds) for changes.
• Ruth is scheduling fall visits to each PDS at which time she will deliver the checks. She collected the liaisons' PDS schedules and will communicate possible dates for these visits.
• Children's Museum, Mitchell, and Wes Del will have site visits this year. Forest Dale will probably elect to wait until fall 2007.
• The group discussed the need for a list of PDS administrators and faculty who are willing to make presentations to other schools. Ruth will request this information from each PDS and will include names, topics, and how a stipend would be handled.
• Discussion about the fall Institute meeting began with the suggestion that each PDS bring two student teachers to participate in discussions about our teacher education experiences. Other topics of interest are single-gender classrooms, discipline, changes in school cultures, and diversity. The group would like to hear from schools that are succeeding. Diane Bottomley recommended Katherine Rowe, principal of Daniel Webster School. Diane and Ruth will talk with her on September 20th about how she could help. Bonnie Turner suggested that PDSs follow up the Institute meeting by reading recommended books that could be discussed at the spring meeting. Liaisons were asked to discuss ideas for the Institute meeting with their site councils. Ruth will make appropriate contacts and will work with a group of representatives from PDSs to develop an agenda for the meeting. Diane Bottomley, Bonnie Turner, and Lynn Staley volunteered to help.
• A possible date for the fall meeting is Wednesday, November 29. Ruth will be checking the date with PDSs.
• Lynn Staley distributed information about the Early Childhood Conference scheduled for Saturday, October 7. She also asked liaisons to help identify local PDS kindergartens that might welcome partnering to provide experiences for EDEL 351 students.
  The meeting was adjourned at 2:05 p.m.