CELEBRATE and PLAN with COLLEAGUES

By Stefanie Reda & Roser Salavert, Ed.D. Fordham PDRC

What Matters Most? Planning for the 2023-24 School Year
​​As the year draws to a close, we are filled with gratitude – we were able to teach in person and as a result, many students have made significant academic and emotional gains. Being back in the classroom, students were better able to focus and learn without distractions. We all know students who were able to follow and easily complete their lessons virtually, but we also know that many of them struggled to keep engaged and learn with understanding.

​​We are also committed to building upon this year’s gains towards an even better year, with high expectations for our students, staff, and ourselves. To attain the set goals, we must plan strategically and with purpose. Celebrating and planning with other education leaders is undoubtedly a unique opportunity to enhance your plans and feel optimistic about the next academic school year and its possibilities.

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Exchanging Ideas with your Religious and Independent Schools Professional Community 
The Fordham PDRC team has invited a representative group of colleagues to join a educators panel at the first Fordham PDRC Summer Institute that will take place on the morning of July 18, 2023. The purpose of this panel is to share their strategic priorities within a collaborative forum that will be facilitated by Barbara Johnson, an Education Consultant and renowned educator on early literacy and collaborator. The education panel includes the following leaders:

• ​Kevin Boyd, Principal of the Theresa Paplin School,
• Dr. Dan Brenner, Executive Director of the United Nations International School (UNIS),
• Rabbi Yosef Deustcher, Principal of Yeshiva Tiferes Moshe School,
• Dr. Richard Diaz, Principal of the Cathedral Prep. School and Seminary,
• William Lessa, Principal of Cardinal Hayes High School,
• Panagiota Lilikaki, Assistant Principal, A. Fantis School, and
• Dr. Khadijah Pryce, Principal, Principal Islamic Cultural Center School.

Dr. Sabrina Hope King, founder of the ATAPE Group and former Chief Academic Officer for the NYC Department of Education will kick off the conversation by addressing equity as a lens for strategic planning and how to affirm diversity practices in our school.

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Achieving organizational and instructional improvements
Planning for the 2023-24 school year requires a collaborative effort between the entire staff – veteran and new teachers and administrators, the students, and the broader school community. The input of all stakeholders is critical to assess the progress made since Covid19 and set priorities that the entire school community feels connected to and thus ready to contribute to achieving them. These are some of the strategic priorities:

• Building Capacity for Equity Progress so that the school fosters a learning community that is committed to continuous growth and a culture of trust and belonging that both cultivate and reflect student and staff voice and agency.
• Facilitating learning experiences that integrate the expectations of the NYS Next Generation Learning Standards into a curriculum for purposeful learning that makes sensible use of the advantages of digital resources, reflects student learning, and provides for meaningful collaboration between families and staff.
• Establishing a budget that enables the recruitment and retention of high-quality staff, and
• Supporting instructional initiatives, professional development and school-wide events that inspire a collective responsibility for continuous growth.

Why Celebrate at the McNally Amphitheater?
The McNally Amphitheater is located at the Fordham Lincoln Center campus. It is in the heart of Manhattan and is within walking distance to Columbus Circle, Lincoln Center, Fifth Avenue and so many other attractions that we encourage you all to enjoy continuing the networking and exchange of ideas following the morning Summer Institute. The McNally Amphitheater also has another, even more, important advantage: its semicircular shape helps create a collaborative atmosphere that results in richer and engaging audience participation. We look forward to seeing you on July 18th.

For additional information, please contact the Fordham PDRC team at
212-636-6385 or email us at [email protected].