NELA Fellows at Rural Education Convention
Several NELA Fellows presented at the Rural Education National Forum and 108th NREA Convention and Research Symposium.
On Thursday, October 13th, Cohort V Fellows Robin Griffin and Andrea Dagnalan presented “Can You Hear Me Now? Effective Communication to Engage Community”.
Effective communication drives stakeholder engagement and support for your school. Explore the four A’s of communication (Approach, Attitudes, Atmosphere, and Actions) to support intentional and effective interactions with community partners. Discuss creative ways to effectively communicate with parents and community to promote a culture of engagement.
Robin and Andrea’s presentation can be viewed at this link.
Fellows Dakisha Perry and Magnus Hemans presented “Community Schooling: Paving the Way Forward” on the 13th.
Family and community engagement is an essential component of a successful school. Developing strong community partnerships can help strengthen the community while increasing student academic success. Gain an understanding of community schooling. Participants will explore how to form and enhance meaningful collaborative relationships among schools and business partners to positively impact student academic achievement.
NELA Director Dr. Bonnie Fusarelli along with Lisa Swinson, NCSU Ed.D. Student, presented “Developing Rural Principals through 
Collaborative District/University Partnerships” on Friday, October 14th.
Effective schools require a high level of engagement from all constituents–the employees, students, and parents. Gallup defines engagement by using the terms “involvement” and “enthusiasm.” Extensive research shows that engagement can be effectively measured and intentionally managed. This session will share highlights from the national research and provide strategies rural school leaders can implement to ensure school engagement.
On Friday, October 14th NELA Fellows Sandra Byrd and Lemondre’ Watson presented “The Irreplaceables: Building Tomorrow’s Irreplaceable Today”.
Ignite the fire in educators to become irreplaceables. Leave with strategies to support and retain highly effective teachers, and explore how to motivate teachers in your building to become irreplaceable life changers who are committed to impact, support, and moving education forward by being irreplaceable.
