Spring-Ford Administrators Go "Back to School" This Fall

The following press release was sent in by Jessica Lester, representing Spring-Ford Area School District.

ROYERSFORD - As the school year approaches, Spring-Ford Area School District students will not be the only ones preparing to go back into the classroom - this year, members of the district's administrative team will be heading back as well as part of a new initiative called "Administrators With Class."

The program, which is being spearheaded by Superintendent Dr. David Goodin, will send principals and district-level administrators, including Dr. Goodin himself, to substitute for absent teachers. The hope is to give administrators the opportunity to teach in a classroom at least once per marking period, with the primary objective being to help close the gap that sometimes exists between theory and practice and between those who are in the classroom regularly and building principals and district-level administrators who are not.

"The quality of instruction has a significant impact on overall student success, and for us to improve upon existing instruction, I believe our administrators need to be highly involved in the classroom so that they can provide guidance and input that is relevant to what teachers experience every day," said Dr. Goodin. "Being in the classroom once a marking period will allow us all to practice what we preach and give us the opportunity to implement the very strategies we are encouraging our professional staff to use."

The "Administrators with Class" program will kick off in September, and will continue throughout the school year, except for the busy months of December and May. Instead of hiring substitutes to replace teachers who may be attending professional development activities or taking personal days, Dr. Goodin will coordinate so that administrators will fill in on days teachers will be absent. He intends to match administrators to classrooms that are similar to what they may have taught when they first began as teachers.

"I believe 'Administrators with Class' represents an exciting opportunity to bridge the gap between the administration and the teaching staff, as we try to implement new practices that will help improve instruction and student learning," said Dr. Goodin.

The Spring-Ford administrative team is made up of principals from each of the district?s schools, as well as district-level administrators who oversee the district's curriculum, special education, and other areas. Approximately 25 administrators will be involved in this effort. Those administrators who do not have a teaching certificate will not participate.