The Boston Pilot/Horace Mann Schools Network envisions education as a way to achieve a more just, democratic, and equitable society.  Pilot Schools engage their students in rigorous and meaningful learning experiences.  We aim to prepare students to become thoughtful and reflective individuals who construct and apply knowledge.  The Network believes that a primary purpose of education is to empower all students to succeed in higher education and to contribute to their communities. 

• Leadership development for governing boards, directors, staff, students, and families with a focus on creating democratic and shared decision-making governance models;
• Shared accountability to assist schools in assessing their progress and in developing models
  of authentic assessment for both students and staff;
• Advocacy that includes work with the district and public to ensure support and resources for Pilot Schools;
• Community organizing to broaden the constituency of the Pilot Schools and strengthen our collective voice and support.
  

Purpose:
    To discuss and record who should have decision making responsibility in different areas of school operation.
Directions:
    Use this chart to record who should have decision-making authority and who should have input and/or recommendations. Each school may adapt the categories to fit its particular context. The goal of this chart is to create a democratic governance structure of shared decision making.

Key: D = Decision-making authority: makes the final decision
I = Gives input: has a formal opportunity to give input and/or recommendations into a pending decision.

The following agenda outlines the annual Pilot Schools Network Leadership Retreat on April 7
and 8, 2006. 

BOSTON PUBLIC PILOT & HORACE MANN SCHOOLS NETWORK

“Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable…every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.”    Martin Luther King, Jr.

Retreat Goals:

1. To connect sustained reflection to the process of assessing SY 06 network accomplishments, goals, and challenges;
   
2. To develop SY 07 Network goals and work plan;
   
3. To share and build a common understanding and knowledge about school practice
   and progress across the network;
   
4. To continue professional development and dialogue around special education,
   inclusion and differentiation;
   
5. To come together as a professional community of educational leaders to affirm, acknowledge and support the work of each individual and our collaborative and
   collective work.

AGENDA
Friday, April 7, 2006

8:00         Arrival & Breakfast

9:00        Introductions, Review Agenda & Norms
               Morning Energizer - Shifting into the Retreat Mode

9:30     Network Vision & Principles – Turn & Talk
             How do our Network Vision & Principles address progress and promise?

10:15     SY 06 Network Goals, Work Plan & Network Events
            Groups of 5-6 (facilitator, timekeeper, recorder)

1. What have we accomplished?
2. Where do we go from here?  (emerging goals, events, tasks, activities)
3. Sharing in whole group

11:15     BREAK

11:30    Network Wide Initiatives - In Groups of  5-6  (facilitator, timekeeper, recorder)
             What is the progress and the promise? (15 minutes for each discussion topic)

1. BTU/BPS
2. Seven New Pilots
3. The Boston Foundation Work
4. Group can choose an additional topic and reduce the amount of time for discussion to about 10 minutes
5. Sharing in whole group

12:30       LUNCH

1:30        Achievement – Access, Opportunity or Gap?
              Fishbowl Activity

2:45      Special Education – Dr. Van Stefanakis

1. Practice, Progress & Promise
2. Whole group discussion

4:20        Free Write: As a leader in a pilot or Horace Mann School, what is something that you
               want to Stop, something you want to Start and something that you want to Continue?     

4:30       Walkabout – Find a partner, take a walk and share your responses and thoughts to
              this question.    

5:00      Reconvene – Written reflections of the day and Closing Reading

6:30       Dinner & Community Building – also known as laughing, talking, relaxing and playing together!

AGENDA
Saturday, April 8, 2006

“Every individual becomes educated only as he/she has the opportunity to contribute something from his/her own experience, no matter how meager or slender… and finally that enlightenment comes from the give and take, from the exchange of experience and ideas.” John Dewey

8:00       Breakfast

8:30       Introductions, Morning Energizer, Review agenda and Norms, Sharing reflections
              from Friday

9:00      SY 07 Goals & Network Events – First Draft

10:00     Sharing Our Practice & Roundtables

1. Achievement – Access, Opportunity or Gap? (follow-up discussion)
2. Special Education – Inclusion, Differentiation, & Practice (follow-up discussion)
3. Lab Classes/Peer Observation
4. Pilot Web Guides
5. Harbor/O’Hearn – Creating a K-8 Inclusion Pathway Model
6. The Assistive Technology Classroom – Practice, Promise, Progress and Possibilities

11:15 BREAK

11:30       Consultancies

1. Discipline Dilemmas
2. Special Education
3. Achievement of African American and Latino Students
4. Family Engagement (middle & high school)
5. Looking at Student and Teacher Work

12:45       Debrief, Written reflections, closing reading

1:15 LUNCH

2:15      Have a safe journey home!