Interview with Long Island’s Connetquot School District Superintendent
Dr. Alan Groveman
Urban Education and Difficult Decisions

Key Topics include: High Stakes Testing · School Board Member · School Safety · Leadership · Improving Student Performance · Professional Development

Dr. Alan Groveman, Superintendent of Schools for Long Island’s Connetquot School District, is interviewed about critical school topics by host Edward Milliken for District Leader’s Podcast Episode 13. Dr. Alan Groveman discusses vital issues that are effecting the superintendents and our schools ranging from school violence and security, to parental involvement, professional development and strategies for improving student learning. A striking characteristic of this episode is how superintendents and school leaders need to effectively balance and meet the demands for all children to achieve learning standards (No Child Left Behind) and the demand that communities have for their schools to be safe havens for their children to attend.

Don’t miss this episode of The District Leader’s Podcast. A prime chance to join your colleagues as they consider these discuss a vital dimensions of the impact of state testing on teaching and learning.

“Leading today for success tomorrow”

Biographical Background
Dr. Alan Groveman, the Superintendent of Schools for Long Island’s Connetquot School District serving as the School Superintendent in this large suburban school district. He has placed an academic emphasis on all student programs so that pupils master the standards that are required for graduation in New York State. As a result, Connetquot pupils consistently meet and exceed learning benchmarks for academic performance.

In addition, Dr. Groveman, through extensive volunteer work, has developed an unparalleled expertise in designing and implementing organizational health and safety measures. For example, in the local fire department Dr. Groveman has been both a Captain and a Rescue Safety Officer. In addition, he has been a member of an EMT Team as well as a confined space and tactical rescue leader. With such a background, Dr. Groveman was appointed as a school district crisis management director. This experience has already proven to be invaluable in Dr. Groveman’s role as Superintendent of Schools.

As an educational leader and a health and safety expert, Dr. Groveman thoughts on student learning and pupil protection are regularly sought out by colleagues and the media.

Related Web Links:

• Connetquot Central School District http://www.connetquot.k12.ny.us/

District Leader’s Podcast is produced and copyrighted by The McGraw-Hill Companies, 2007-2008. All rights reserved.

For more information email us at podcast@districtleaderspodcast.org or phone us at 1-866-435-5337 (toll free) and leave a voice message for our co-hosts.

Interview with Superintendent of Enlarged City School District of Troy New York, Fadhilika Atiba-Weza
Urban Education: Challenges and Success Strategies

Key Topics include: High Stakes Testing · Career and Technical Education · Leadership · Improving Student Performance · Making the Tough Decisions · Urban Education

This exciting episode of the District Leader’s Podcast features an interview with Superintendent Fadhilika Atiba-Weza and podcast host Ed Milliken. They discuss the great challenges facing superintendents and real strategies for success in serving populations of students with performance disparities. Listen in as this school leader shares insight on balancing the needs for assessment, accountability and evaluation. This exciting discussion also delves into the role of the superintendent in reaching out to the community and parents.

Don’t miss Episode 10 of The District Leader’s Podcast and the chance to join your colleagues as they consider these examples of managing, leading and coping with some of the most critical topics of school leadership.

Biographical Background
Fadhilika Atiba-Weza is the Superintendent of Schools of the Enlarged City School District of Troy, New York. The City of Troy is on New York’s Hudson River, across from Albany, the Capital of the Empire State. Prior to his appointment as superintendent of the Troy schools, Atiba-Weza was the superintendent of Long Island’s Central Islip School District. Like the Troy School District, the Central Islip School District enrolls a diverse population of students.

Atiba-Weza began his educational career as a New York City school teacher. Over his eleven year tenure, he taught social studies, mathematics, and technology courses. Subsequent to his teaching experience, he was appointed as Principal of Western Suffolk County’s (NY) vocational high school.

Related Web Links:

• The Enlarged School District of Troy, New York

TROY CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
A small urban school district with approximately 4,300 students, we have programs housed in nine buildings. Troy has achieved remarkable progress in recent years. Our school improvement efforts have not only raised expectations, but also resulted in measurable changes across the district. The district’s public schools continue to serve as a vital part of the city of Troy’s revitalization. Troy is one of the largest school districts in the Capital Region. The personalized nature of being a small city school district empowers students to excel in an environment that encourages and supports lifelong learning.
(From the School District web site 3/08)

District Leader’s Podcast is produced and copyrighted by The McGraw-Hill Companies, 2007. All rights reserved.

For more information email us at podcast@districtleaderspodcast.org or phone us at 1-866-435-5337 (toll free) and leave a voice message for our co-hosts.

Interview with Jericho School District Long Island, NY Superintendent
Henry Grishman
Leadership- Innovative Approaches to Curriculum – The Role of the Superintendent

Key Topics include: Vocational Education · Career and Technical Education · Teacher Training · High Stakes Testing · Leadership ·

Henry (Hank) Grishman, Jericho School District (Long Island, New York) Superintendent of Schools, is interviewed by our podcast co-host Ed Milliken on the subjects of leadership and how to improve student performance. This vital interview emphasizes the achievement focus driving today’s schools, while Hank Grishman recognizes the learning disparities and raises concerns about the performance gap. School leaders around the country are not alone in coping with the variety of issues that arise from the situation. Listen in to this episode of the District Leader’s Podcast to gain support and additional strategies in leading your district and schools. What are the stress on schools and teachers? How can testing, school calendars, teacher professional development, curricula and programs be changed to bear results in this volatile matter?

With the many demands on schools, educational leadership positions are not particularly attractive. These conditions result in fewer career educators aspiring to the position of superintendent. Interesting information revealed in this interview shows that when asked, some of the elementary pupils in the Jericho School District offer their perception on the role of the School Superintendent.

Join us for another episode filled with insights for leadership success!

Biographical Background

Hank Grishman has been a superintendent of schools for 29 years. In 2008, he will celebrate a 30 year longevity anniversary as a New York State school superintendent. For the last 12 years, Hank has been Superintendent of the Jericho School District which has been recognized for its students’ high academic performance.

With his extensive background in educational leadership, Hank serves as the current President of the New York State Council of School Superintendents. Also, he is Vice President of the Nassau County (NY) Council of School Superintendents. An advocate of extra curricular and support programs for students, Hank is a member of the Executive Board of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association and Chairman of the Nassau County Superintendent’s Board for Athletics.

He began his education career as an elementary and middle school mathematics teacher. His first administrative assignment was as an Elementary School Principal in the Yonkers City, NY, School District, where he grew up. In 1978, he received his first appointment as a Superintendent of Schools in the Sharon Springs School District.

His collegiate experience includes an undergraduate degree from Penn State, a master’s degree from William Patterson University, and an educational leadership program at NYU.

Related Web Links:

• Jericho School District Long Island, NY

District Leader’s Podcast is produced and copyrighted by The McGraw-Hill Companies, 2007-2008. All rights reserved.

For more information email us at podcast@districtleaderspodcast.org or phone us at 1-866-435-5337 (toll free) and leave a voice message for our co-hosts.

Interview with Superintendent of the Sayville School District
Dr. Rosemary Jones
Alternate Paths to Academic Success

Key Topics include: Teacher Training · High Stakes Testing · Leadership · Improving Student Performance · Professional Development

Dr. Rosemary Jones, Superintendent of Sayville, New York joins District Leaders Podcast co-host, Ed Milliken for an interview focusing on student achievement. Dr. Jones shares her recommendations and experiences that teachers and district leaders need to fully understand learning, how the role of classroom teachers have changed and the continuing learning gap among populations of students. This interview shares insights that current accountability programs may increase learning. Examples of programs and success cited in this discussion include the impact of preschool on early grade school adjustment and success and high school pre-engineering experiences.

Biographical Background
Dr. Rosemary F. Jones has been Sayville Superintendent in Eastern Suffolk County for several years. Prior to this position she was a principal and classroom instructor. Recognition of her achievements includes an appointment by New York State Commissioner of Education Dr. Richard P. Mills to fill an unexpired term on the 10-member board of the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System (NYSTRS) in 2006. Dr. Jones participated in overseeing operations and policy for the approximately 400,000-member System which manages $89 billion holdings. (Such board members serve without compensation and represent the varied membership of the NYSTRS.) In addition to that appointment and her duties as superintendent, during the 2006-2007 school year, Dr. Jones also served as President-elect of the Suffolk County School Superintendents Association (SCSSA).

A graduate of Nova Southeastern University, Superintendent Jones is often conducts inspiring and informative professional workshops for her colleagues as she did for an Aspiring Administrators workshop, sponsored by the SCSSA.

Related Web Links:

• Sayville Public Schools

District Leader’s Podcast is produced and copyrighted by The McGraw-Hill Companies, 2007-2008. All rights reserved.

For more information email us at podcast@districtleaderspodcast.org or phone us at 1-866-435-5337 (toll free) and leave a voice message for our co-hosts.