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25th Annual
NAEA National Conference
October 28-30, 2019
Registration is OPEN!!!
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2019 TAEA Summer Conference
All educational staff are invited to attend the Tennessee Alternative Education Association’s annual summer conference held July 8-10, in Murfreesboro, TN. Our theme this year is “Limited Time, Unlimited Possibilities.” We all play a special role in the lives of every student we serve, our time--their time, may be limited, but how we use the time, can lead to unlimited possibilities; possibilities that have the potential to reach well beyond the school walls. 2019 TAEA presenters and keynotes will share expertise in a variety of topics that will assist all educators in breaking educational barriers to increasing student engagement. Dr. Ron Woodard, Maury County’s Director of Pupil Services, will present his ideas on how to be a “Champion for Children”, and Lawyer Chuck Cagle will share current educational law. Also worth noting, is our scheduling of some wonderful presenters to reaffirm or reconnect the educational dots on creating a trauma informed school, building positive school culture, assembling community resources to meet the needs of our students, and educating our members on different technology resources that will aid in better time management and student engagement. On behalf of the TAEA board members, we appreciate all that you do for the students of Tennessee and we look forward to seeing you at our “Limited Time, Unlimited Possibilities “ 2019 TAEA Conference.
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Board Member Spotlight
Pat Conner is the Executive Director for the Office of Safe, Healthy, & Supportive Schools for the Tennessee Department of Education. She has been in education for 30 years. She believes that children and youth need safe and supportive learning environments to succeed in school. When children feel physically and emotionally safe their grades, attendance, behavior, and attitudes towards school improve. Pat began her career as a classroom prevention educator for Sumner County, TN schools and from there she created the school system’s department for Safe Schools, Healthy Students totally funded by federal, state, and local grants to meet the needs of at-risk youth. She also established the first zero tolerance alternative program in Sumner County. Specializing in grant writing, over the past 20 years Pat has received over $35 million in grant funds to meet the needs of students and their families. In 2013 she left Sumner County Schools and accepted the position of Executive Director for Safe, Healthy, & Supportive Schools for the Tennessee Department of Education. In her role at the department she provides leadership to 143 school districts on School Safety, Extended Learning, School Climate, Coordinated School Health, Alternative Education, and Project AWARE.
Believing that it is important to give back to her community, she has been recognized for her involvement over the years and is the recipient of the Women Impacting the Community in Education Award, the Tennessean People Making a Difference Award, and the Sertoma Service to Mankind Award. Pat holds degrees from Jacksonville State University, Alabama and is a long-time fan of the Alabama Crimson Tide.
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IAAE State Conference 2019 – “Ignite the Fire”
Iowa held their annual Alternative Education Conference in the Des Moines area this month at the Prairie Meadows Convention Center in Altoona, IA. It was hosted by Metro West Academy located in Urbandale, IA. The conference featured keynote speakers and session presenters from several different states presenting on a wide range of innovative topics in alternative education. There were sessions ranging from “Equal Access and Student Rights” to “Mentoring and Internships” to the “PLC Process in Alternative Schools”.
Keynotes were delivered by Dr. Buddy Berry of Eminence, KY speaking on “School on Fire” how to transform your school to engage students and Frank Meeink a reformed neo-nazi skinhead speaking on his life story and how to fight racism and how to save marginalized students from following the wrong path. Both were very powerful and delivered high impact messages to the conference attendees.
Conference host and co-organizer Mike Moran of Metro West Academy stated, “We were honored to host this year’s conference for the IAAE and it was very rewarding experience for our student leaders at Metro West and Urbandale High School who helped coordinate the event with my administrative assistant Jamie Evans. We had great speakers and presenters and we are so proud to be a part of the alternative education family. I was blown away by the passion and innovation of our presenters and attendees, it was a great experience for all of us!
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We Want YOU!
NAEA Board Members are volunteers & dedicate a substantial amount of time & energy into supporting NAEA's growth.
Applicants must reside in the regions they represent.
NAEA is seeking new NAEA Board Members from Regions 2, 4, & 8.
Check the NAEA Website for an Election Packet and application details or click below. Qualified applicants will be placed on the 2019 NAEA Election Ballot.
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News Items Needed!
We want to feature your school next month!!!
Tell us about some of the great things your school is doing or a specific best practice that works very well. Send pictures or video links.
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SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT
Dr. Deb! Dr. Deb! Are the dogs coming today? I really want to see Gryphon, he’s the only reason I came to school…” said a 9
th
grade student who is dealing with a drug addicted parent, homelessness, and severe anxiety. Gryphon is a 120 pound Leonberger mountain dog who is a favorite at
The Gateway School
, an alternative education school in Westminster, MD. The Therapy Dogs are certified through the Keystone Pet Enhanced Therapy Services
(KPETS)
and visit the school during non-instructional times (e.g., seminar class, lunch).
The Gateway Therapy Dog Pilot Program was created by School Psychologist, Dr. Deb Kachik in order to provide social-emotional support to at-risk students. The program has been overwhelmingly successful with teacher survey data indicating the dogs help increase morale among staff, improve student behavior, help facilitate a positive relationships with students, and improve the overall school climate. Student survey results were similar; students reported increased attendance, increased morale and positive school environment, and better behavior as a result of interacting with therapy dogs. Indeed,
the research on the benefits of therapy dogs is bountiful and irrefutable. When humans interact with therapy dogs, stress and anxiety levels reduce, blood pressure and heart rate lowers, and positive moods increase.
The long-term goal of the program is for several staff members to receive specific training in order to bring their own certified therapy dog to school. The program is free to the school system as the teacher-owner covers all the related costs. School counselors and Dr. Deb plan to implement a social-emotional curriculum designed by
Yale University, called “Mutt-i-Grees”
to further enhance student development. The program will also include education on the needs of shelter pets in the community along with an opportunity to volunteer at the local shelter.
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Graduate Courses Available in Alternative Education at
New England College
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Florida Professional Learning Day took place in Tampa, FL on
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Connect with Alternative Educators around the Globe!
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If you are interested in submitting an article for the NAEA newsletter please
reach out to Justin DeMartin, Region 1 Director for more information. justin_demartin@yahoo.com
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