The bridge between district and university

School Administrator, Nov, 2002 by Eloiza Cisneros-Cashman

I dedicated 39 years to K-12 education in San Diego, and during that time I came to realize that our greatest and most important educational resource is our staff. The better trained and skilled they are, the greater the learning opportunities for the students.

Therefore I was excited as a school district leader to be involved in their formal education and development as an adjunct professor at three San Diego-area universities. During my last 20 years as an assistant superintendent and then as an area superintendent, I taught university-level classes for teachers of language-diverse, inner-city students and for teachers aspiring to be school administrators. Although I have retired from district leadership, I continue to teach in the graduate education department at Point Loma Nazarene University.

Because of our connections to the world outside the university, adjunct professors have great potential for improving teaching, learning and administration in our schools. We are the voice of experience and reality at university staff meetings and the bridge between the school districts and the university.

We review the course curriculum from a unique perspective. We can appreciate the demands on the student in relationship to the objectives of their work. For example, in the area of student fieldwork, another adjunct professor and I have been able to direct course work to address some of the practical assignments teachers and administrators do at schools, thereby making the assignments more meaningful to the students and fusing theory with practice.

I have combined developing school or district mission statements with developing a site budget to make both topics more meaningful. These types of lessons stay with the students; they regard them as useful, nor just busy work needed to be completed for a grade.

Modeling With Validity

Boards of education and superintendents expect school administrators to be strong managers and strong instructional leaders. Adjunct professors are in a good position to teach fledgling school leaders to be both. We have "been there, done that" and are well-informed about current trends, laws and resources at schools. We can model with validity and inform from experience.

Because of our direct ties to districts and schools, adjunct professors have access to a vast variety of resources, including other staff members, parents and community members. If graduate students have no idea how to work with unhappy parents, students with problems or difficult colleagues, we give them opportunities to learn new practices to do so.

In addition to drawing on our own experiences, we can offer guest presenters to provide a practical picture of how schools operate, along with the more successful strategies for improving student achievement.

I have brought in principals I have supervised to share their goals, budgets, daily routines, team-building strategies and methods for using data to inform curriculum and instructional decisions. Two of my best-received guest presenters were attorneys with whom I have worked.

One attorney, who had worked for local school districts, provided guidelines on student rights and free speech. The class found her knowledgeable and easy to understand. Another attorney spoke about "Progressive Discipline Guidelines" for classified and certificated employees. Her handouts--informative and current--were highly prized by the students.

Staying Abreast

As an adjunct professor, I take pride in my K-12 schoolwork. I model successful practices and provide practical information from a veteran's perspective to those who are just beginning to explore administration. I enjoy the classroom and personal contacts with my students and coach those who stay in touch. I also enjoy the close contact with those working in institutions of higher learning and benefit from their knowledge and counsel.

As a teacher, I must stay current in the field of K-12 education and new state and federal mandates. I do that by interacting with personnel in several local districts and by keeping up on current research and educational practices though literature and conferences.

Teaching at the university level can be stimulating and rewarding. It is an opportunity to equip our teachers and administrators to be effective educational leaders. Connecting the successful veteran with today's novice is a great way to use a rich resource to secure a better future.

Eloiza Cisneros-Cashman, formerly an area superintendent in the San Diego City School District, is an adjunct professor at Point Loma Nazarene University. She also has taught at the University of San Diego and San Diego State University and is a farmer chair of the AASA Minority Affairs Committee. She can be reached at 4744 Otomi Ave., San Diego, CA 92117, E-mail: ecis2mcash@aol.com