3.6.5 In Search of an Inspirational School Principal: A Dabrowskian Perspective
This session describes the search for an inspirational principal for a high performing, publicly funded Canadian Charter School. This school strives first to know and honor who students are before helping them become the best they can be; achievement is the byproduct. A school culture that honors the integration of personal growth and talent development requires a complex, humanistic, child-centered approach to gifted education. Dabrowski’s Theory of Positive Disintegration informed the six steps of the search: consulting stakeholders; designing hiring processes; differentiating candidates; and selecting, integrating, and mentoring the new principal. This symposium may generate recommendations for district and state policy makers.
Author(s):
Joe Frank
joe.frank@westmountcharter.com
Westmount Charter School
Canada
Joe Frank has served as a teacher, school administrator and system administrator for the Calgary Board of Education for more than 33 years. Joe was the first superintendent of the Calgary Arts Academy (charter school) which opened in September 2003. With experience in a large urban, public school board and a public charter school, he was hired by Alberta Education in 2005 as an Education Manager. Joe served as the provincial lead for charter schools for four years. In 2010, he retired from government and was immediately hired as the superintendent of Westmount Charter School, his current position.
Janneke Frank
jannekefrank@shaw.ca
Gifted Endeavors
Canada
Janneke Frank holds a Ph.D. in Gifted Education from the University of Calgary. Her research centered on teacher effectiveness in gifted education, specifically exploring inspirational teachers of gifted students through the Dabrowskian lens. She has extensive experience as a teacher and administrator in schools that offer programming for the gifted. Janneke served as Director of the Centre for Gifted Education at the University of Calgary. She has presented at international conferences, and published articles in gifted education. Her passionate advocacy for gifted students inspired her work as principal, Westmount Charter School. Janneke is the principal consultant of Frank Gifted Endeavors.
Peter Khu
khu7@yahoo.com
Westmount Charter School Society
Canada
Peter Khu, a parent board member, values the goal of creating a collaborative environment where students at Westmount are supported to reach their highest personal potential. Peter has served as President of the University Heights Community Association, President of the Tritones Rhythm Society and as active supporter of the arts community in Calgary. Peter is the father of two spirited children who have thrived within Westmount’s giftedness from the inside out paradigm. Peter holds a B.A. Hons in English Literature, a B. Sc. in Engineering Chemistry and a M.Sc. in Process Engineering from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario.
David Holland
davidholland@shaw.ca
Westmount Charter School
Canada
David Holland holds 40 years of experience as an educator in a wide variety of settings and roles. His recent 20 years has involved working with students and staff in gifted education where he gained deep understanding of his pedagogy and educational philosophy. He has served as a teacher in a congregated gifted program, a learning coach, and specialist for gifted education. In his current school, he has served as classroom teacher, learning commons coordinator, and board member. David has a Masters in Education, most of a Masters in Sociology, and the coursework for a PhD focusing on gifted education.
Audrey Smith
audreysmi@gmail.com
Westmount Charter School
Canada
Audrey Smith is an external board member who was involved throughout the process of hiring a new principal. Audrey’s career as an educator spanned many settings, each of which included gifted students whose needs were complex and clearly different from other populations. Audrey's master's degree in assessment has been helpful in designing program responses to the needs of gifted students in several settings. The deeper experience in the application of the Dabrowski model as a lens for the hiring process, adds immeasurably to her understanding and passion for gifted education. Audrey is enthusiastic about supporting a high functioning school setting.