Saying Goodbye

Celebrating the End of an Incredible Year-Long Experience

May 9, 2015

On May 9^th, our LDI class gathered at Arlington Echo for our final meeting. Together, we had the opportunity to reflect on what we learned and to look forward towards the LDI projects that would help us serve as future leaders within AACPS.

We began the day looking back over the past eight months. As we self-selected around our favorite sessions, it was neat to see how evenly distributed the class was. While January’s Walk A Mile activity certainly stuck with me the most, others were equally passionate about the impact of visiting the facility at Jennifer Road (December) and others took away the most from Rob Levitt’s art’s integration professional development (November). Together, we were able to reflect on the major themes that came out of each month from our first meeting—where we learned that this was not going to be our average Professional Development—to our last—where we stepped back to see the school system not just as a piece of our county’s social structure, but as part of a living ecosystem.

In the end, I felt that what we learned could be summed up by what I have come to think of as LDI’s mantra: you don’t know what you don’t know. Each month we had a new opportunity to explore new ideas, meet with stakeholders, and consider the other perspectives that drive Anne Arundel County Public Schools forward. Sometimes we walked away on Saturday with answers, but more often we left with questions for ourselves about what we could do with our new found knowledge.

Presenting our LDI Class Projects

This application of our LDI knowledge was the theme for the afternoon when we were finally able to present our LDI class projects. We were joined by our friends and family as well as by Dr. Arlotto, Superintendent of Schools, Ms. Sally Pelham, Assistant Superintendent for Student Support Services and Committee Co-Chair for the 21^st CEF LDI Steering Committee, Ms. Deborah Ritchie, Vice President for the AACPS Board of Education and 21^st CEF Board Member, and other guests whose commitment to AACPS and the 21^st CEF made the Leadership Development Institute possible.

Before this audience, each group in the LDI class had the opportunity to walk us through their LDI project. Each project was inspired by personal interactions that one or more of the team members had with students, parents, or employees that brought to light a need within the school system. The energy behind many of the projects was obvious and there is no way for me to fully capture the scope and depth with which each group thought about their proposal. But what I can provide is a brief synopsis of our class ideas:

Teachers Supporting Teachers—Through networking events, New Teacher Orientation Q&A panel discussions, and shared spaces on Social Media, this project would develop a network of support for new teachers in Anne Arundel County to gain insight, resources, and support from other teachers across our schools.
Community Bike Walk—Recognizing the obstacles that often limit family engagement in the schools (lack of transportation, unable to take off during the school day, etc.), this team developed a plan to use a bike with attachable trailer to go into the community to bring snacks and information to families about what is going on in the schools. The trailer was designed and built by two South River High School students as part of their Community Challenge project.
Millennium Development Program—Mirroring our LDI program, this program would bring students together to develop leadership skills and gain a better understanding of the community in which they live. Eighth and Eleventh grade students participating in the Millennium Development Program will come together quarterly to discuss team building, the justice system, Anne Arundel County economics, and health & wellness.
They Choose Me—Hosted at Arlington Echo in November during National Adoption Month, They Chose Me will celebrate adoptive families within our schools. This event will bring families with adopted students and families interested in adopting together to find resources, meet mentors, and give students a chance to meet other adopted children within Anne Arundel County.
Engaging Unaccompanied Youth—Born out of a desire to help provide resources to the increasing number of unaccompanied youth in our county, this project will match students up to mentors in their school who are willing to provide support in and out of the school building.
Who’s Who & What’s What in AACPS—Designed to help both new and existing employees better understand the organization of departments within AACPS, this video project will include brief interviews with leaders within each division who will provide an overview of the division’s purpose, resources provided by the division, and when an employee should turn to the division for help.

In so many ways, these projects mirror our class—each driven by its own perspective, but also by the desire to do good in Anne Arundel County. While some of these projects are almost complete and others are just beginning, it will be exciting to follow these ideas as they mature into resources for our teachers, parents, and students.

Saying Goodbye

As we walked across the “stage” during our final graduation ceremony, I thought about the incredible group of people that I have met and worked with over the past eight months. While we came from different backgrounds (both personally and professionally), we were pulled together by our shared desire to learn more—more about this county’s administration and policies, more about the people whose work directly and indirectly impacts our schools, and more about the resources in place to help our students and families. Together, we formed a network of support that I hope will last well beyond the end of next month’s graduation.

When I interviewed for LDI, I was told that I would become a part of a network that I could call upon and that could call upon me. I hope that this proves to be true. I have truly enjoyed getting to work with and know this group; the experience, unique perspectives, and collective passion that they bring to AACPS exemplifies why I love working in this county and I hope that I can continue to depend on them just as I hope that they feel they can depend on me as we work towards the shared goal of making this county greater.

At the end of the graduation ceremony, Ms. Ritchie gave closing remarks that I felt completely summed up my own feelings about this year-long professional development experience. Here, at the end of this journey, I pass on her thoughts as a perfect echo of my own: “This is what we wanted LDI to be. Think of the people we’ve met and what we’ve learned and how that will influence [our students]…I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of this county.”