Bambino   Lee   Pedigo   Stack

Deborah Bambino (technology integration teacher)
Philadelphia Public Schools, Philadelphia, PA

Background - Deborah Bambino

01 - Deb Bambino -- Learning names and faces, and something about hearts and minds.
02 - Deb Bambino -- "It's the system that sets us up to fly by the seat of our pants."
03 - Deb Bambino -- Can teachers collaborate by memo and e-mail?
04 - Deb Bambino -- Old issues of motivation and discipline rear up anew. Yuck.
05 - Deb Bambino -- Helping kids rekindle the natural curiosity that still lurks in them.
06 - Deb Bambino -- "I've never had kids so determined to rebel . . . ."
07 - Deb Bambino -- "The support of other teachers was just what I needed."
08 - Deb Bambino -- "I had left out the most important people, my kids."
09 - Deb Bambino -- Do we know what we expect from parents?
10 - Deb Bambino -- "Service learning" begins to pay off.
11 - Deb Bambino -- Peer and self-assessment is a real stretch for some kids.
12 - Deb Bambino -- Teachers can be merchants of hope -- or destroyers of dignity.
13 - Deb Bambino -- Can pre-teens use scientific research methods successfully?
14 - Deb Bambino -- "...The tide of public opinion is pushing for standardization...."
15 - Deb Bambino -- Teacher-parent conferences: time for revenge?
16 - Deb Bambino -- Staff discussions ease concerns about 8th graders' exit projects.
17 - Deb Bambino -- Helping kids search for heroes in a cynical world.
18 - Deb Bambino -- "These small victories mean the world to me...and give me hope."
19 - Deb Bambino -- Reflecting on the future of teacher development and collaboration.
20 - Deb Bambino -- "We need to open our practice..."
21 - Deb Bambino -- "If the work's worth doing, it's worth sharing" with colleagues.
22 - Deb Bambino -- "This reflection business really works!"
23 - Deb Bambino -- A fun week filled with collaboration and Cinderella tales.
24 - Deb Bambino -- We need to recruit teachers from inside.
25 - Deb Bambino -- Tired of a system that quits on kids every day.
26 - Deb Bambino -- Grappling with inclusion and the urge to stay safe "in the box."
27 - Deb Bambino -- Searching for a successful special education inclusion plan.
28 - Deb Bambino -- A rich conference about teaching, learning and leading.
29 - Deb Bambino -- Our most important task is helping kids understand their worth.
30 - Deb Bambino -- New position will require more listening, reflection, and trust.
31 - Deb Bambino -- How do we become passive victims in the educational process?
32 - Deb Bambino -- Why aren't more teachers eager to improve through networking?
33 - Deb Bambino -- It's time for science fair and some reflections on science teaching.
34 - Deb Bambino -- "I have been told point blank that my class doesn't count."
35 - Deb Bambino -- What is it that distinguishes teacher voice from teacher talk?
36 - Deb Bambino -- Factories don't produce masterpieces, artisans do.
37 - Deb Bambino -- Teachers must address their own diversity issues.
38 - Deb Bambino -- A new job, a new office, and a new definition of "public"!
39 - Deb Bambino -- FINAL: "The bitter outweighed the sweet this term."

Deb's Summer Diaries
40 - Deb Bambino -- How do we build a community of learners?
41 - Deb Bambino -- Infusing summer's spirit throughout the school year
42 - Deb Bambino -- Is real teacher collaboration just a "luxury item"?
43 - Deb Bambino -- In praise of project-based learning.
44 - Deb Bambino -- A New Position: A New Chance to Stir the Pot.
45 - Deb Bambino -- A quick lesson in building a learning community.
46 - Deb Bambino -- The Zen of facilitation -- and beyond.

Darrell Lee (traveling guidance counselor)
Canyon Park Junior High, Bothell WA

Background - Darrell Lee & Family - (The Lee family spent the 1999-00 school year traveling around the USA searching for ideas about successful middle school/community partnerships.)

01 -- Madison, WI -- First stop in the search for positive middle-school communities.
02 -- Madison, WI -- Turning obstacles into advantages for a city's young people.
03 -- Okabena, MN -- Small town finds its own way to meet the needs of kids."
04 -- Okabena, MN -- Blurring the line dividing school and community.
05 -- Okabena, MN -- A need to expand Southwest Star's experiential curriculum.
06 -- Taunton, MA -- "The public can no longer just leave the driving to us."
07 -- Taunton, MA -- Even in achieving schools, parent involvement can be frustrating.
08 -- Taunton, MA -- Business partnerships: the personal touch makes the difference.
09 -- Louisville, KY -- "Welcome to Kentucky, where education pays!"
10 - Glasgow, KY -- Successful middle schools only come with community support.
11 - Louisville, KY -- Middle school has 90% participation in student-led conferences.
12 - Glasgow, KY -- More to growing up than passing state standards.
13 - Columbus, GA -- "Children grow best in a matrix of connected relationships."
14 - Columbus, GA -- Schools that lack adult resources have to think outside the box.
15 - Columbus, GA -- Community support is easy to talk about, and tough to do.
16 - Orlando, FL -- How can students feel valued in Orlando's immense sprawl?
17 - Orlando, FL -- Darrell finds some good ideas in Orlando's overcrowded schools.
18 - Orlando, FL -- Even at Disney, middle school involvement is lacking.
19 - St. Bernard Parish, LA -- Politics & tradition create obstacles in the bayou.
20 - St. Bernard Parish, LA -- Don't let security needs discourage partnerships.
21 - St. Bernard Parish, LA -- "Will parents always rank sports & music (first)?"
22 - St. Bernard Parish, LA -- "Volunteers flock to schools to tutor students."
23 - Corpus Christi, TX -- Driscoll Middle School: Trying to provide a better way.
24 - Corpus Christi, TX -- Can there be too many programs for available support?
25 - Corpus Christi, TX -- Driscoll Middle creates a safe, supportive environment.
26 - Corpus Christi, TX -- Community service links academics, career counseling.
27 - Baltimore, MD -- Johns Hopkins' national network helps solve partnership puzzle.
28 - Pine Bluff, AR -- Promising community practices in "a railroad town."
29 - Pine Bluff, AR -- I hope we can get enough workers before all the 'harvest' spoils."
30 - New Mexico-- On the high plateau, Navajo people are creating exemplary schools.
31 - New Mexico -- Middle school parent involvement really begins in the early years.
32 - New Mexico -- Parent involvement needs to be its own reward.
33 - San Diego, CA -- Addressing parent language barriers with technology.
34 - San Diego, CA -- Getting to kids in middle school, before it's too late.
35 - San Diego, CA -- San Diego groups are pooling their strengths and capabilities.
36 - Colorado Springs, CO -- Bringing together the old and the young.
37 - Colorado Springs, CO -- Helping families find worthwhile summer activities.
38 - On the Way Back Home-- The greatest obstacle to kids'success is isolation.

A 2000-2001 Update!
#39 - "Talk about Two Different Worlds!" -- Darrell brings us up to date

Michelle Pedigo (principal)
Barren County Middle School, Glasgow KY

Background - Michelle Pedigo

01 - Michelle Pedigo -- "Summer is the time when I most feel like I am in a business."
02 - Michelle Pedigo -- Pinkeye
03 - Michelle Pedigo -- Barren County MS upbeat after a strong showing on state tests.
04 - Michelle Pedigo -- 'Sharpening the saw' at Destin beach has its price.
05 - Michelle Pedigo -- "LJ" finds his way, thanks to a support system that works
06 - Michelle Pedigo -- The realities of Ramsey's life
07 - Michelle Pedigo -- "Situations demand I be the manager, not leader. I don't like that."
08 - Michelle Pedigo -- "We are knee-deep in all this assessment."
09 - Michelle Pedigo -- Proactive, visionary supt. made principal's risk-taking possible.
10 - Michelle Pedigo -- Nothing is more rewarding than teachers expanding horizons.
11 - Michelle Pedigo -- Teachers are like students. They all learn in different ways.
12 - Michelle Pedigo -- "You made wrong choices."
13 - Michelle Pedigo -- Talk of 'looping' temporarily divides the BCMS faculty.
14 - Michelle Pedigo -- "Changing the culture of rural Kentucky."
15 - Michelle Pedigo -- Proposed cuts reflect educators' low status & shaky credibility.
16 - Michelle Pedigo -- A little girl's life and death puts everything into perspective.
17 - Michelle Pedigo -- The "keeper of dreams" must also be the "keeper of morale."
18 - Michelle Pedigo -- Youth Service Center "breaks down barriers to learning."
19 - Michelle Pedigo -- The merry-go-round goes faster and faster as school ends.
20 - Michelle Pedigo -- "The principal is the most instrumental person in education."

Carol Stack (principal)
Jefferson Middle School, Champaign, IL

Background - Carol Stack

01 - Carol Stack -- There's always the unexpected.
02 - Carol Stack -- Tyriece's leap keeps the week's "downside" in perspective.
03 - Carol Stack -- It's not always rosy in 'Oz.'
04 - Carol Stack -- It's easy for the "woodwork children" to get lost in the shuffle.
05 - Carol Stack -- "Just when you think you see the light at the end of the tunnel..."
06 - Carol Stack -- Finding more staff development time.
07 - Carol Stack -- Student projects build confidence and bring the curriculum to life!
08 - Carol Stack -- December is a good time to "get a grip" on how things are going.
09 - Carol Stack -- There's no such thing as 'easing back into a routine.'
10 - Carol Stack -- "Right off the bat, I scratched our faculty meetings."
11 - Carol Stack -- Resilient, committed urban schools offer a 21st century education.
12 - Carol Stack -- It's always painful when good teachers decide to leave. . .
13 - Carol Stack -- It was one of those weeks when being a good listener comes first.
14 - Carol Stack -- Which part of "what's good for kids" do I want to compromise?
15 - Carol Stack -- A "roll up your sleeves, take a deep breath, and 'go for it' feeling."
16 - Carol Stack -- Retain or promote? One of a principal's most difficult tasks.
17 - Carol Stack -- Professional development -- when is it too much of a good thing?
18 - Carol Stack -- No "winding down" as the end of the school year approaches!
19 - Carol Stack -- A mixed bag of highs and disappointments.
20 - Carol Stack -- FINAL: "Oh, how sweet it is to rise above it all!"

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