Az Alternative Education Consortium
Lisa Wasko-Cothrun. Jessica Melrose. John Sills.
At its 2011 state conference in November the Arizona Charter Schools Association (ACSA) recognized these three alternative school educators for the quality education they provide to students and their families.
School Leader of the Year
Lisa Wasko-Cothrun is Assistant Superintendent at the Rose Academies. She was one of three finalists in the state for School Leader of the Year. Lisa is an exceptional school leader with a purpose, who works relentlessly for students and staff. As Michael Baun, a principal at Canyon Rose Academy says, “She is one of the most passionate, energetic people I’ve ever met and has this amazing capacity to connect to people. She just brings out the best.” Lisa is a coach who promotes teamwork. Rose Management’s Student Services director Kara Hoppe says, “You really just want to be on board with her. You want to be better for yourself, to be better for her.”
Another criterion for the award was recognizing a leader who implements a process for solving problems. Lisa applies the Rose systems approach to educational problem solving when using data to improve student achievement. In her own words, “I’m like addicted to data. You get spreadsheets and think, how do I get it from this sheet over to the teacher, who then transfers it to the student to be successful? In our teacher Professional Learning Community (PLC) meetings, we really sit down and understand the context for data so we can implement. …”
You can learn more about this inspiring educator by viewing the video (Bradford Jones Studio, 2011) about Lisa shown at the ACSA’s 2011 conference awards ceremony (http://go2rose.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=161&Itemid=284).
Top Ten Teachers
Jessica Melrose has been teaching Art, Digital Photography, and Video Production at Skyview High School for the past seven years. “I teach grades 9-12, and the thing I love most about teaching is the excitement students exhibit when they realize their talents. Teaching creative subjects and skills is incredibly rewarding. I’ve found that self-confidence, pride, and a sense of respect for peers is highlighted in arts classes. Students gain respect for one another on professional levels through their art, rather than social, and that, to me, is the most important thing about teaching.”
John Sills teaches high school-level English with the Rose Academies. One of the greatest sources of satisfaction for John is to see his students make connections from content they have learned and apply it to their own lives. When an opportunity may be gained for a student in the world outside from an interest sparked from the classroom, there is no greater reward. For John, this is the essence of being a teacher. John completed his BFA through the Museum of Fine Arts School/Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts. He began his career in Kobe, Japan, teaching English as a second language. One of his students, a graduate from Mountain Rose Academy, went to Japan as part of an exchange program.
Congratulations!
These three awardees exemplify the quality education available at Arizona’s alternative schools. It is very encouraging to see alternative schools, alongside any school, recognized for the contribution they make to excellence in public education.
Amy Schlessman, Ph.D., is the president of the Arizona Alternative Education Consortium (AZ AEC). She leads research, innovation and outreach for the Rose Management Group; contact her at drschlessman@rosemanagment.com. Jim Taylor, Ph.D., is the vice president of the Arizona Alternative Education Consortium. He is Director of Instructional Services, Yavapai Accommodation School District; contact him at jtaylor@yavapaicountyhs.org.
