Right now we are hard at work on our fall lineup, which will include discussion and debate on some truly exciting and truly relevant topics.  On September 18th, for example, New Mexico in Focus will look at the role principals play in helping their schools to succeed.  That episode actually ties into an upcoming P.O.V. episode called THE PRINCIPAL STORY. Here’s a preview of the film, to give you a better idea of the topic:

THE PRINCIPAL STORY portrays the challenges principals face in turning around low-performing public schools and raising student achievement. This intimate, one-year journey is seen through the eyes of two dynamic principals: one in only her second year in the Chicago Public School System; and the other, a seven-year veteran in Springfield, IL. The film shows how these leaders keep their focus on improving teaching and learning amid the competing demands of managing their staffs, as well as the social and emotional issues surrounding their students and communities. The film’s principals motivate teachers and students by using data to make better decisions, by offering professional development and training for struggling teachers, and by allocating resources to build a learning community within and beyond the school. THE PRINCIPAL STORY reveals the complex social and political connections among children, parents, teachers, principals and superintendents. Poignantly, it shows the heart, commitment and skill that are required for successfully leading and improving public schools in which more than 85 percent of students come from families living below the poverty-line. THE PRINCIPAL STORY is a Nomadic Pictures’ film, produced and directed by Oscar nominated filmmaker Tod Lending and award-winning filmmaker David Mrazek.

THE PRINCIPAL STORY is a national broadcast film and media outreach project, commissioned by The Wallace Foundation. Its purpose is to raise the visibility of leadership as a lever for school improvement, especially in our most challenging schools.

For our part, New Mexico in Focus plans to bring together administrators and education leaders to talk about the film, and flesh out some of the issues and questions that it brings to light.  We’ll have the cameras rolling for that conversation, and bring the highlights of that poignant discussion to you, the audience.

We’ll have much more on this topic in the coming weeks, but for now, here’s some more food for thought… a video vignette called “Leadership Matters”, followed by a discussion guide to help you and your family/friends/colleagues talking about the issue!

More to come,

Kevin McDonald

The Public Affairs Team

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 1st, 2009 at 4:56 pm and is filed under nmif. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.