Tammy Fisher
Director of Public Relations
La Sierra University
Riverside, California
909-785-2016 voice
tfisher@lasierra.edu
August 5, 2003

Riverside, Ca. - The La Sierra University School of Education coordinated a week long Principals’ Workshop in July. About 74 school and conference administrators from across the United States attended this workshop that is conducted every other summer and sponsored by the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.

Attendees included Seventh-day Adventist educators; 46 elementary principals, 12 junior academy principals, nine K-12 principals, three senior academy principals and four superintendents. “Around 61 percent of the participants had three or less years of experience with 21 principals who teach from schools of 50 students or less,” said Ed Boyatt, Chair Department of Administration and Leadership, Associate Professor of Administration and Leadership, School of Education at La Sierra University.

The Principals Workshops included four presentations each day. Topics included school finance, private school law, stress management, teacher supervision, school climate, literacy and the power of the principal, marketing and recruitment, brain research, student discipline, working with School Boards, and models of Seventh-day Adventist education.

Dr. Elissa Kido, Dean of the School of Education at the University, was the keynote speaker at a welcome buffet Sunday evening. She challenged the principals to develop outstanding schools with the topic “From Good to Great.” Pastor Stuart Tyner of the La Sierra University Adventist Church also presented inspirational messages on what it means to lead grace-orientated schools.

“We got positive reviews and people showed appreciation for the practical yet challenging workshops,” said Boyatt. “This workshop wets the appetite for educators to obtain their administrative credentials or master’s degree and helps them see what classes would be like.”

La Sierra University professors and administrators led in many of the presentations. Speakers from La Sierra University included: Gene Edelbach, Vice President of Enrollment Services; Susan Gardner, Professor of English, College of Arts and Sciences; Linda Caviness, Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction, School of Education; Dean Hunt, Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction, School of Education; Norman Powell, Professor of Administration and Leadership, School of Education; WG Nelson, Professor of Administration and Leadership, School of Education and Ed Boyatt, Chair Department of Administration and Leadership, Associate Professor of Administration and Leadership, School of Education and Boyatt. Roger Handysides and Chuck McKinstry, both adjunct faculty from La Sierra, also were presenters.

Guest speakers include: Jim Roy from Pacific Union College, Dave Lawrence from La Sierra Academy, Wayne Longhofer from San Diego Adventist Academy.

Larry Blackmer, the new Associate Director in the Office of Education at the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists, gave an overview on the Journey to Excellence program that sets the guidelines for Adventist education and encourages school improvement.

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