Practical Lessons for Aspiring Leaders

This past weekend I had the opportunity to serve as a pre-conference presenter for the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development annual conference in Orlando, Florida (http://www.ascd.org/professional_development/Workshops/One-Day_Pre-Conf_Institutes.aspx#PD09PC034). My topic was “Practical Lessons for Aspiring Leaders and Superintendents.”

While I thoroughly enjoyed my time interacting with leaders from around the world, the highlight of the conference for me was a keynote speech by Greg Mortenson. Since a 1993 climb on Pakistan's K2, Greg Mortenson (http://www.gregmortenson.com/) has dedicated his life to promoting community-based education and literacy programs, especially for girls, in remote mountain regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Through his unique perspective on the region's culture, history, and geopolitics, Mortenson shared insightful commentary about his extraordinary journey and efforts to promote peace one school and one child at a time.

Mortenson is also founder of Pennies For Peace (www.penniesforpeace.org) and co-author of the #1 New York Times best-seller, Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School At A Time (Penguin 2007) (www.threecupsoftea.com). It was Mortenson’s work to promote peace that as earned him a Nobel Peace Prize nomination.

I was particularly moved by Mortenson’s efforts to raise money. After failing to attract business and corporate sponsors for his plans to build a school for poor children in Afghanistan, his daughter led a penny fundraising effort in her school. The students at her elementary school donated over 65,000 pennies for the first major donation. This may not seem like much to some, but for the boys and girls in an Afghan village with no school or books, and only sticks to write in the dirt to educate themselves, $652 was a blessing. The penny campaign is now worldwide and children who may have grown up to be enemies of our nation, are now being educated because of the generosity of American children.

The lesson learned here is that during tough times, pennies go a long way. They can even change the world if used creatively.

The GED can be FREE in March

In March, GED® tests are free. The usual cost is $45, but first-time test takers who register in March will pay nothing to take the test. Chesterfield County Public Schools is able to offer free tests for a limited time because the Adult Continuing Education Office received a grant from the Virginia Department of Education.

GED stands for General Educational Development, and a GED certificate is equivalent to a high school diploma. Last year, 560 adults earned a GED through the Adult Continuing Education Office of Chesterfield County Public Schools.

Why is earning a GED important? By 2012, according to the Virginia Department of Education, 70 percent of job opportunities will require a technical skills certificate. Entry into these programs requires a high school diploma or a GED.

For more information, call 768-6140 or go online to chesterfield.k12.va.us.