Abstract
Leilani Bell was elected the first student president of the Future Educators Association® (FEA) at its annual conference in February. FEA is a federally recognized student organization that supports individuals interested in education careers.
Bell is a senior at Science Park High School in Newark, N.J. Other elected FEA officers were Chloe Johnson, a junior at Red Bank Regional High School in Little Silver, N.J., and Spencer Williams, a senior at Ohio Hi-Point Career Center in Bellefontaine, Ohio. They will serve as regional student vice presidents. The officers will serve one-year terms, until the next FEA conference in Baltimore, Md., in February 2012.
The national student officers will add the student perspective to education conversations at the national level; serve as FEA representatives at local, state, and national functions; and collaborate with FEA constituents to ensure that FEA students have a voice in program and event development.
In addition to serving as FEA student officers, these three future educators hold other positions in their schools and communities. Bell is a strong advocate for teaching in an urban school district, and she believes that being an FEA officer will allow her to express the need for caring and dedicated urban teachers. She is president of the FEA chapter at Science Park High School, where she is also involved in other activities, including a peer leaders program, the swim team, and various community service projects. She plans to become a high school history teacher.
Johnson is vice president of the FEA chapter at Red Bank Regional High School. She is also president of her school's humanities council and volunteers with 1st-, 4th-, and 5th-grade children at her church. She plans to be an elementary school teacher.
Williams has been class president and has participated in his local FEA chapter, FEA, honor society, and student council. He mentors for Big Brothers Big Sisters, volunteers at the local hospital and the food pantry, and helps organize the local Relay for Life. He also reports for the local newspaper and manages Spencer's Custom Movies and his own cleaning business. Williams plans to become an instructor of agriculture education and then to go on to educational leadership.
Maximize Your PDK Chapter Treasury Investment
The Penn State and the State of Michigan PDK chapters both wanted to get more for their money as they invested their chapter treasuries. The chapters have found that their funds will generate more income as part of the larger investment portfolio of the PDK Educational Foundation than they can if the funds are invested locally.
In Penn State's case, the chapter still determines the criteria for the award, and the chapter scholarship committee generates the applications and selects the recipient. The interest from the PDK Educational Foundation covers the scholarship, and there will always be an Andrew V. Kozak Penn State University Scholarship. The State of Michigan Chapter will rely on the PDK International scholarship committee to make the award to a student from Michigan and, again, The State of Michigan PDK Scholarship will always exist. The Towson University Chapter, the Johns Hopkins University Chapter, and a group of Connecticut chapters are also working to create funds within the PDK Educational Foundation.
Is this a good idea for your chapter? Contact PDK Director of Development Lynn Lewis at
Travel to Central Europe with PDK
Don't miss a valuable opportunity to connect and converse with your European education colleagues. Join other PDK members Nov. 4–13, 2011, on a 10-day study tour to schools in Berlin and Munich, and experience the sites and culture of central Europe while earning professional development credit.
Details and an itinerary are online at
Register now by calling EF Tours at 877–253–5360. The PDK tour number is 1045620; the registration deadline is June 15.
Create Your Own Kappan iPad Winner Named
Members of Phi Delta Kappa contributed several hundred ideas during our Create Your Own Kappan process last fall. But only one member — Frederick Buskey, an assistant professor of educational leadership at Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, N.C. — was the winner of our random drawing for an iPad. Congratulations to Fred and thanks to everyone who participated!
July PDK Book Club: Aligning School Districts as PLCs
Join the PDK Book Club today to receive the first selection for 2011–12, Aligning School Districts as PLCs by Mark Van Clay, Perry Soldwedel, and Thomas W. Many. Professional learning communities have proven to be successful in many schools. In order for a learning community to achieve its full potential, all levels districtwide need to align around the three big ideas of a PLC: ensuring a focus on learning, building a collaborative culture, and establishing a results orientation. This book breaks down the complex process of creating alignment across districts into a highly systematic and detailed method.
PDK Book Club members receive a selection of the most prominent, education-related books — without the hassle of scouring book reviews and making a trip to the bookstore. Add this option to your PDK membership for only $39, and three times a year you'll receive a book selected specifically for PDK members. Sign up today by calling 800-766-1156 or add the book club to your membership when you renew.
PDK International is now accepting applications for the 2011–12 Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award. This well-respected award highlights exceptional education research. The winner receives a cash award of $5,000 and the opportunity to publish a summary of the dissertation research in Kappan magazine.
Applicants must be PDK members who completed their dissertation between Sept. 1, 2010, and Aug. 31, 2011. The deadline to apply is Sept. 1, 2011.
An application and details are at
