California State University, Fresno will celebrate the inauguration of the Central Valley Educational Leadership Institute (CVELI) at a reception tonight (June 14) at the home of university president John D. Welty.
The institute’s first offering is a summer leadership program that will be held for 100 of the region’s superintendents, school principals and aspiring administrators Tuesday and Wednesday at Fresno State.
The Central Valley Educational Leadership Institute is a university-led collaborative that is designed to have a sustained focus on two ultimate goals: literacy and narrowing the achievement gap within schools. One way of addressing these critical issues is by cultivating educational leaders and equipping them with the tools to make an impact.
“An educational leader provides the vision, direction and support necessary for staff to develop and agree upon a schoolwide or districtwide focus on equity and the improvement of student achievement,” said CVELI director Walt Buster, former superintendent of Clovis Unified School District. “The summer institute is one very important part of our effort,” he added.
The school leaders also will have the opportunity to connect with business and community leaders at the reception tonight.
The summer leadership training program will enable the region’s educational leaders to interact with nationally renowned authorities in culture and leadership change. It
also will allow for them to participate in an experience where districts will learn from one another to help transform our region and create a sustainable system for ongoing support.
The slate includes Carol Whiteside, executive director of the Great Valley Center; Dr. Terry Deal, an author, teacher and consultant who will talk about shaping school culture — the heart of leadership and the functions and impact of the values, belief-systems and norms within schools. Also, Dr. Doug Reeves will speak about school systems, improving standards, assessments and accountability systems. California State University Chancellor Charles Reed will join the group for a discussion on Tuesday.
The creation of the Central Valley Educational Leadership Institute is crucial to transforming the economy and improving the lives of residents in our region and beyond,” said Buster. “Under the umbrella of the CVELI, our efforts will focus on five target audiences through an integrated learning plan that understands the uniqueness of each school or group and builds on the strengths of a strong community education system. These target audiences are teachers, principals and administrators, superintendents, school board members and businesses / school partnerships.”
In addition to hosting a summer institute, the CVELI’s work includes addressing particular problems that are unique to the state of California and our Central Valley to improve the education of all our children.
“California’s educational leaders face a daunting task,” said Welty. “School leaders face impossible expectations and have less-than-desired control over many factors that impact learning. The university has a responsibility to partner with the community to address our Valley’s needs. We aim for this to become a model for others in the state and the nation,” he said.
