EdCal EdCalv47.26 | Page 6

6 EDCAL April 24, 2017 National principal honor nominations due ASAP The National Association of Elementary School Principals, in partnership with ACSA’s Elementary Education Council, is seeking the best and brightest school leaders. The deadline is May 10 to submit nominations for California 2017 National Distinguished Principal. The NDP program was established in 1984 to recognize Pre-K-8 level principals who set high standards for instruction, student achievement, character and climate for the students, families and staffs in their learning communities. The program was based on three fundamental ideas: • Children’s attitudes toward learning and their perceptions of themselves as life- long learners are established in the begin- ning school years. •  The scope and quality of children’s edu- cational experiences are determined primar- ily by the school principal, who establishes, through the important work of teachers and the support of caring parents, the character of a particular school’s program. • The dedication and enthusiasm of the outstanding principals who guide chil- dren’s early education experiences should be acknowledged to both show appreciation for their work and allow them to serve as models for others in the field. Nominees must be active principals, have served in the principalship for at least five years, and remain active in the role through the 2016-17 school year. Nominees must display a strong commitment to the prin- cipalship through active participation in professional associations and must assume an active role in the community. NDPs are leaders who truly make a difference. The application is quite comprehensive, must be completed by the nominee, and must include letters of reference and sup- port from the nominee’s superintendent, a fellow principal, a teacher on the nominee’s staff and a parent/community member. Nomination packets have already begun to be reviewed this month by California’s past NDPs, with a selection announced in May. The 2017 National Distinguished Principal will be invited to attend honor ceremonies in Washington, D.C. in the fall. For an application packet, contact ACSA’s Christina Cruz at [email protected] or call (916) 329-7045 or (800) 608-ACSA. Each year, NDPs represent Pre- K to eighth grade public schools from all across the country, as well as prin- cipals in U.S. private schools and those from the U.S. Departments of Defense Office of Educational Activity and the U.S. Department of State Office of Overseas Schools. Public school elementary and middle-level principals are nominated by peers in their state, and final selections are made by committees appointed by each of NAESP’s state affiliate offices. Honorees from private schools and overseas schools are selected by special committees. Deadlines approaching to present at Women’s Leadership Forum The presentation deadline is coming up for ACSA, NASS and AASA members looking to hold workshops at the 2017 Women in School Leadership Forum, to be held Sept. 27-29 at the Island Hotel, Newport Beach. ACSA invites all eligible leaders to submit a proposal to present at this prestigious event. ACSA, in partnership with AASA, works jointly to create this annual women’s leadership event to support the advance- ment of female education leaders. The forum focuses on professional growth and development. This year’s focus areas for workshops include Leading Equity and Excellence, Balancing Work and a Healthy Lifestyle, Personalized Learning in 21st Century, Coaching/Mentoring, Instructional Leadership, Connecting with the Community and Professional Learning. Workshops should be targeted towards Aspiring Leaders, New Leaders, Experienced Leaders, Site-level Leaders, Central Office Leaders or Classified Leaders. Sept. 27 includes a welcome reception with presentations scheduled for the follow- ing two days on September 28-29. Please remember that sales presentations will not be accepted under any circumstances, as this is an event focused solely on personal and professional growth. Registration is required for presenters and co-presenters and a reduced rate will be offered those selected to present. This year’s event features keynote speak- er Monique W. Morris, president, CEO and co-founder of the National Black Women’s Justice Institute. The NBWJI is an organi- zation focused on the reduction of racial and gender disparities affecting Black women, girls and their families. The organization works with a number of universities and organizations, including the White House Council on Women and Girls, Alameda COE and the Georgetown Law Center on Poverty and Inequality, working on behalf of Black women and girls who are impacted by the criminal justice system both directly and indirectly because of their race and gender. The Women in School Leadership Forum is designed to empower and enlight- en and is sure to be a powerful experience for all participants. All proposals are due no later than May 16. The review period for proposals extends through May with acceptance notifications sent the week of May 30. Go to https://goo. gl/l5c2dO for more. Smarter Balanced digital playlists from CDE The California Department of Education has announced the availability of a Digital Library Playlist. These playlists, a recent resource addition to the Smarter Balanced Digital Library, provide users a streamlined process for identifying Digital Library for- mative assessment resources and instruc- tional supports that are connected by topic and are organized to develop a progression Paid Advertisement of learning. Playlists are created collab- oratively by educators for educators to help target a range of needs. Three types of play- lists are currently available: Instructional playlists; Digital Library Connections; and Professional Learning playlists. More than 25 playlists are now available at https://goo.gl/GDUphg, and more are coming soon.