Jan. 4, 2008 — After a successful run last year, the St. Croix Foundation is once again bringing Willard Daggett, founder of the International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE), to the territory — this time for an educational symposium to be held in both districts.
Representatives from the territory's schools, Education officials and local policymakers are urged to attend, according to a foundation press release. The symposium is scheduled to run from 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Jan. 14 at St. Croix's Educational Complex, and from 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Jan. 15 at the Bertha C. Boschulte Middle School on St. Thomas.
Through his work at the center, Daggett has spoken to hundreds of thousands of educators, advocating the need for the national public-education system to keep pace with its global competitors. During his presentation at the Divi Carina Bay Resort on St. Croix last March, Daggett offered solutions to various problems faced by local schools, saying the public-education "system in the Virgin Islands is in crisis."
In addition to stressing the need for eliminating some of the levels of "bureaucracy" within the Education Department, Daggett also suggested the adoption of new methods to help assess students' abilities and target materials — such as new educational software and other applications — specifically designed to help individual students. (See "Education Expert Challenges V.I. School Officials to Change.")
After the March event, school administrators asked the St. Croix Foundation to bring Daggett back to the territory, and requested that the organization help send a local delegation to the International Center for Leadership in Education's 2007 Model Schools Conference.
"In response, the foundation, with the help of generous donors, pulled together an impressive team of approximately 45 local V.I. Department of Education personnel for attendance at ICLE's annual conference in Washington, D.C. — the largest delegation ever to represent the Virgin Islands at the event," according to the foundation news release. "With the strategic goal of arming educators with firsthand exposure to national (and international) best practices, the conference showcased inspirational success stories from public schools in communities just like ours. And the St. Croix Foundation is committed to doing more."
During the upcoming symposium, Daggett is expected to speak on three topics: developing 21st century literacy in students, rigor and relevance for all students, and preparing students for the changing world. The event — a major part of the foundation's Comprehensive Educational Initiative — is also sponsored in conjunction with the local Education Department.
For more information on the symposium, call the St. Croix Foundation at 773-9898 or visit stxfoundation.org. For more information on Daggett or the International Center for Leadership in Education, visit leadered.com.
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