American Association of School Administrators.

Congratulations Kenneth Dragsetb -- 2003 Superintendent of the Year

Edina, Minn., Public Schools Superintendent Kenneth Dragseth was honored as the 2003 National Superintendent of the Year at the 135th AASA National Conference on Education.

Dragseth has been the superintendent in Edina since 1992. He has been with the district since 1967 and has served in a variety of roles including assistant superintendent, curriculum and instruction coordinator, dean of students and classroom teacher.

Dragseth's special areas of interest include curriculum development aligned with appropriate assessment, gender bias issues in education, sleep deprivation in teens related to high school start times, quality schools efforts, data-based decision malting, district and school accountability, site-based decision making, desegregation/integration efforts between suburban and urban school districts, and establishment of an ethical values program for students and staff.

Dragseth has received numerous awards and recognition including Minnesota Superintendent of the Year for 2003, Exemplary Board/Superintendent Relationship Award, Executive Educator 100, Administrator of the Year, Bush Executive Fellow and several Who's Who lists.

The three other national finalists were: William Mathis, superintendent of the 2,100-student Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union in Brandon, Vt.; Michael Moses, superintendent of the 166,000-student Dallas Independent School District in Texas; and W. Randolph Nichols, superintendent of the 38,000-student Chesapeake Public Schools in Chesapeake, Va.

During a Washington. D.C., news conference in late January, Dragseth said he considered the job of superintendent to be "emotionally satisfying," adding, "We all signed up because we want to help kids. ... It's a great life!"

The National Superintendent of the Year program, now in its 16th year, is co-sponsored by ARAMALRK ServiceMaster Facility Services and AASA. For more information about the program and a list of 2003 state superintendents of the year, go to www.aasa.org.

AASA Honors NASA, Columbia Space Shuttle Crew with the Annual Galaxy Award

"AASA honors NASA, which has worked to solve the mysteries of the universe, and the individuals who gave their lives so that we might continue our explorations."

- AASA Executive Director Paul Houston

Praising NASA's half century of keeping the dream of space exploration alive, AASA honored the agency and crew of the Columbia space shuffle with its annual Galaxy Award at the 2003 Annual Conference in New Orleans. The Galaxy Award honors leaders whose vision, imagination, courage and leadership have pointed the way to the future. Veteran educator and NASA Associate Administrator for Education, Dr. Adena Williams Loston, accepted the award on behalf of NASA and the men and women of Columbia.

Since its inception, NASA has coupled its mission of exploration with a "profound dedication to educating children about science and space," AASA Executive Director Paul Houston said. "NASA has broadened and deepened its commitment to our youth through programs aimed at educating our children about the wonders of space and what its exploration offers all of us," he said. "In doing so, NASA has tied the theories of science to the wonder of the reality of space and provided motivation for learning more about both."

Houston said that while NASA has had a remarkable record of success, "we know that great achievement comes at a price and that innovation and success are founded upon the heartbreak of our failures. School leaders also know about the invisibility of unsung leadership. When things go well, no one notices. When disaster strikes, everyone pays attention.

"The loss of the Columbia brought the stark reality of the risks that have been taken on our behalf. So today, we also honor those seven individuals who, in carrying out their work, sacrificed for all of us.

Loston, in accepting the award, described NASA's new educational initiative that will provide customized professional development to educators and offer authentic mathematics and science experiences to students and their families.

The NASA Explorer Schools Program will "inspire the next generation of explorers," according to a Feb. 12 news release from NASA. The program encourages teams of four to five science, mathematics and technology educators from a school or district to apply for a three-year partnership with NASA. Fifty school teams will be selected to work with NASA specialists to integrate agency science content into their curriculum through problem-solving activities and to incorporate challenges into their mathematics and science curriculum. Students will have opportunities to apply science, mathematics and technology to real-world issues and problems.

During the 2003 pilot year, the program will be focusing on grades 5 to 8. All NASA Explorer School Teams will be eligible for a $10,000 grant, which is designed to assist with the purchase of science and technology tools to support the teams' implementation plan to bring cutting-edge technology applications to the classroom. For details, visit http://explorerschools.nasa.gov.

Since 1999, AASA's Galaxy Award has been presented annually at the National Conference on Education. Past recipients have included Bill Gates (1999), Steven Spielberg (2000), Sen. John Glenn (2001) and Dolly Parton (2002). For more information about the Galaxy Award and other AASA awards and scholarships, log on to www.aasa.olg.

AASA and Harvard University Co-Sponsor Summer Seminars

Once again this summer, AASA and the Harvard Graduate School of Education are co-sponsoring two professional development opportunities for school system leaders on the campus of Harvard University.

THE HARVARD SEMINAR FOR NEW SUPERINTENDENTS

June 22-28, 2003

The Harvard Seminar for New Superintendents, designed specifically for new superintendents or educators who anticipate an appointment within the next two years, helps participants deal more effectively with the unique challenges of beginning tenure in a new school or district. The seminar will take place from June 22-28, 2003, on the Harvard campus. This year's theme is Meeting the Leadership Challenges of the New Superintendent.

The seminar offers new and prospective superintendents the opportunity to explore pressing issues, including: managing power and relationships, negotiating conflict and collective bargaining, financial management, school governance, engaging the public and stakeholders and building a leadership team. For seven highly-engaging days on the Harvard campus, the program will focus on the leadership, relationship-building and priority-setting skills critical to early and ongoing success for the new superintendent.

Faculty from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and other highly-respected superintendents from around the country will lead the seminar m large-group presentations, case studies, small groups and panel discussions.

The seminar is co-chaired by two highly experienced and well-respected superintendents: E. Wayne Harris, superintendent of the Roanoke (VA) City Public Schools and Karla Baehr, superintendent of the Lowell (MA) Public Schools.

THE HARVARD SEMINAR FOR SUPERINTENDENTS

July 6-11, 2003

The Harvard Seminar for Superintendents, a weeklong program for experienced superintendents, brings together superintendents from around the country and some of Harvard's most insightful educators to discuss topics of national, world and intellectual significance. This summer's seminar will take place from July 6-11, 2003, at Harvard.

This annual seminar revolves around a week-long series of intellectually stimulating and thought-provoking presentations and conversations with distinguished Harvard faculty and other experienced superintendents.

The seminar is co-sponsored by AASA, and is co-chaired by Executive Director Paul Houston and Bobbi D'Alessandro, Superintendent of the Cambridge (MA) Public Schools.

For more detailed program, registration and accommodation information, log on to www.aasa.org or www.gse.harvard.edu/ppe, call 800-545-1849 or e-mail [e-mail].

AASA Asks Members to Ratify New Governance Structure

All eligible AASA voting members are being asked to vote for the proposed new association governance structure.

Ballots will be mailed by April 1. Please return your ballot to AASA in the enclosed envelope by April 25.

For complete details about the proposed governance structure, log on to www.aasa.org. If you have any questions or comments, please e-mail [e-mail].

AASA Delegate Assembly Acts on NCLB and More

AASA's Delegate Assembly, which President John Lawrence noted "may be the last as we know it," met during the 2003 AASA Annual Conference in New Orleans. With members slated to vote in April on a sweeping new governance structure, the 2003 meeting may be the last of its type. The proposed new governance structure, if ratified, will be in place for next year's conference. (Full details about the proposed governance structure are available online at www.aasa.org.)

Lawrence addressed assembly members about the financial status of AASA and general concerns about the industry, including the No Child Left Behind Act.

Delegates went on to approve the Executive Committee's recommendation of a $10-a-year dues increase, effective July 1, for the 2003-2004 school year. As a result, the annual dues for active members will increase from $309 to $319 a year; associate member dues will be $294.

The Delegate Assembly also approved AASA's 2003 Platform and a number of amendments to the 2003 proposed resolutions. The amended resolutions, voted on separately and collectively, were approved by overwhelming margins.

The assembly adopted the following resolution on NCLB: "AASA supports measures which increase local flexibility, improve quality, implement state and local assessment systems and develop a more comprehensive educational program." The resolution listed areas of concern, including: the definition of "adequate yearly progress"; mandated annual testing for states that already have comprehensive assessment programs; the requirement for two-year college experience for teaching assistants; federal determination of teacher qualifications; and the use of census data instead of locally collected school data.

Other approved resolutions dealt with pension portability, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, school safety, multiyear funding to deal with NCLB requirements through 2014, vouchers, tax credits, charter schools and teacher shortages.

Fuller coverage of the Delegate Assembly's actions can be found in the Feb. 21 issue of The Conference Daily online at www.aasa.org.

Stand Up at Next Year's Annual Conference-Become a Conference Presenter

May 15, 2003, is the deadline for submitting a proposal to speak at the 2004 Annual Conference & Exposition to be held Feb. 19-22, 2004, in San Francisco, Calif.

The conference theme is A Legacy of Pride- A Future of Responsibility. Sessions should focus on the following program areas:

* No Child Left Behind - What's Working?

* Education for Democracy

* The Structure of Schools

* Building Community

* Governance

* Closing the Gap

ALL PROPOSALS MUST BE SUBMITTED ONLINE AT WWW.AASA.ORG/CFP2004.