NNER Executive Board Meeting
September 21, 2008 (12:30 PM-2:00 PM) -- Arlington, Texas

Present: Ann Foster, Greg Bernhardt, Nick Michelli, Leslie Wilson, Jean Eagle, Dennis Potthoff
Absent: Deb Shanley, Carol Wilson
Guest: Nadine Ball (Maryville, Missouri Partnership; Tom Bellamy , Goodlad Institute; Dick Clark; IEI))

Sequence #1: Planning for Next Executive Board Meeting

• Tentative Date is Thursday December 11-Sunday December 14, 2008
  • All day meetings on December 12-December 13 (Friday/Saturday) and travel days on Thursday and Sunday
  • Location will be Seattle
  • Possible additional Meeting Purposes/Agenda Items:
    • Inspect facilities for the 2009 Conference
    • Inspect future office space provided by UW (if available)

Sequence #2: 2009 Annual Conference

• Planning is well underway; site and dates have been determined
• The call for proposals has been disseminated; the deadline for submission is early (March) and the notification will be early (May).
• High profile keynote speakers have been confirmed
• The goal is to fully and enthusiastically publicize the 2009 Conference; it promises to be exceptionally memorable

Sequence #3: Visioning--Communication Within / outside the NNER

Strategy #1: Advantaging Technology opportunities within the NNER

• Guiding Premise: The next generation of the NNER, if it is to survive, must advantage technology more effectively
  • Nadine Ball presented ideas for using technology more effectively within the NNER
  • Categories of NNER needs were suggested; two broad categories are internal communication within the organization and external communication with constituents outside of the NNER organization
  • Specific technology possibilities need to brainstormed: wikis, gotomeeting.org,
  • One immediate possibility would be to begin blogging; it will be important to identify a chief worrier for each blog that might be created/maintained:
    • One blog might provide a place for individual and collective conversation regarding the challenge posed by Tony Smith; our nation has lost its educational focus on the “kids”
    • One blog might provide a place for individual and collective conversation regarding the four emerging initiatives within the Goodlad Institute

Strategy #2: Non-Linguistic Visual Representations

• Create/publicize visual images of the NNER organization/work; some of these images already exist

Sequence #4: Evaluation Issues

• 2008 Summer Symposium Feedback
  • Wright State will process and then report the evaluation feedback provided by participants in the 2008 Summer Symposium
• 2008 Annual Conference Feedback
  • Ann will work with UTA to determine how best to disseminate and collect an opportunity for feedback from participants in the 2008 Annual Conference

Sequence #5: Visioning--The Role / Goals of the NNER

• Premise: The NNER Organization should consider engaging in work that seeks to clarify and /or promote the goals and purposes for the NNER
  • How sure are we that the roles/goals of the NNER are clear and understood; with changes and attrition, some settings/individuals within settings have expressed some level of confusion.
  • Do we need an instrument that evaluates our progress toward goals for the NNER organization? How are we evaluating the quality of our work?
    • For example, to what degree has the emphasis on equity/social justice happened within the settings?
  • The Michelli and Clark awards have proven to be exemplary vehicles for promoting two key NNER purposes: fostering school/university partnerships and promoting social justice initiatives respectively.
  • Are there other areas of emphasis which are relatively developed/pronounced within the NNER that could be publicly recognized?
    • Outstanding examples of Access to Knowledge? Nurturing Pedagogy? Stewardship? Enculturation?
    • How about awarding a book award ?
    • How about recognizing / connecting those within the Network who write op/ed pieces each year?
• National Level / Setting Connections
  • What might be done to encourage/facilitate action on the Agenda within the local settings?
    • Could/should we consider ways to connect the international level with chair/executive directors/setting contacts?
    • Would there be ways to connect with Deans within the settings; the energy of deans is of critical importance within the settings.
      • Could we create a session/learning opportunity, perhaps at the annual conference, that would be of sufficient interest for deans to attend?
      • Could we invite others to the NNER Conference that Deans would be compelled to network with informally?

Sequence #6: Membership / Recruitment

• Director Bellamy (Goodlad Institute) posed the suggestion to develop an individual membership format for the Goodlad Institute to recruit/permit individuals to support and work with the Institute. He will continue to ask for feedback from the board on this option.
  • The general informal consensus of the Executive Board was that this strategy is acceptable to the NNER Executive Board; especially given that a suggested $25 individual membership fee is minimal
  • This issue will be raised in a future conference call to the NNER Governing Council
• NNER affiliated/membership for a school/school district or an individual without being affiliated with a NNER setting was also raised as a topic for future conversation.
• Strategies for increasing the number of settings within the NNER should be explored in all aspects including providing enough support for additional members and renewal for current members.

Sequence #7: Leadership Recruitment

• Guiding Premise: The NNER organization needs to explore possible leadership transition strategies. It is important to encourage, recruit, identify possible candidates for leadership positions throughout the NNER; several leadership positions will soon be open:
  • Chair of the NNER Governing Council/Executive Board will be up for election in the Fall 2009
  • Other seats on the NNER Executive Board will be opening up in the Fall 2009 including one at-large position and two tripartite council chairs.
  • Tripartite Leadership Roles to the Governing Council
  • Ongoing need for recruiting Arts and Sciences, Education, and P-12 representatives to the tripartite council

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