Arizona
NSRF Arizona

Contact

Eve Rifkin, eve@cityhighschool.org

NSRF Arizona Summer Training
Critical Friends Group Facilitator Training
Dates: June 22-26, 2009
Location: Tucson, AZ
Cost: $450
Credit: 35 Hours of Professional Development Credit
Contact: Eve Rifkin, eve@cityhighschool.org
Phone: (520) 745-4588
www.pimaregionalsupport.org
Flyer

Description and Services
The NSRF Center of Activity in Arizona is a collaboration of partner organizations and individuals based in Tucson, Arizona and serving educators from throughout the state and region. Our primary focus as a Center is on coordinating two annual events. Each March we host the Spring Symposium on School Improvement, a one-day conference that brings together K-12 educators and students to share ideas and strategies on transforming our schools into more inspired and high-achieving learning communities for all students. Every summer we offer a five-day Critical Friends Group new coaches' institute. The institute is held in Tucson in the summer and is open to all educators. Most participants are from Arizona; a few each year come from other areas of the West, including California, Texas, and Washington.

In addition to the two annual events, we provide training tailored to the needs of the requesting school or district, including workshops on collaborative professional development, looking at student work, and the creation of small learning communities. The NSRF National Facilitators in Arizona are experienced teachers and administrators deeply committed to this work. In the past five years they have been hired by districts around the country (Albuquerque, New Mexico; Beaverton, Oregon; Helena, Montana; Denver, Colorado; Chinlee, Arizona; Cleveland, Ohio; Las Vegas, Nevada and Chattanooga, Tennessee, to name a few) to work with teachers and schools on Critical Friends Group practices. Please contact us to discuss any needs or ideas you have.

History of Coaches Trainings
We have been organizing Critical Friends Group Trainings in Tucson since 2000. In additional to our annual summer training, we have worked with the school district with whom we were employed and provided several shorter CFG-orientation experiences. To date we have trained over 200 educators.

Mission Statement and Future Plans
As our work is not done under one tent, but instead represents the cooperative effort of several people and organizations, we have no official mission statement. An unofficial goal is to promote collaborative, reflective learning communities through the training and promotion of Critical Friends Groups and their coaches. We plan to continue to provide at least one training per year.

Support for Trained Coaches
For eight years we have run a one-day conference, the Spring Symposium for School Improvement. Originally the conference was loosely designed after CES's Fall Forum and NSRF's Winter Meeting and provided opportunities for CFG Coaches to get continued support for their work as coaches. More recently it has evolved to be a gathering promoting small schools and school reform efforts.

Internship Opportunities
We have worked with interns (apprentices) in the past during our summer CFG trainings. We intend to continue to offer this opportunity in order to increase local capacity. Please contact us if you are interested in more information about internship opportunities

Collaborative Partners
We have established a very successful partnership with the Southern Arizona Writing Project (SAWP), which is run by the English Department of the University of Arizona. We find the work of the National School Reform Faculty and the National Writing Project to be philosophically aligned and mutually beneficial. The NSRF Arizona Center of Activity program helps SAWP to build capacity as it strengthens the facilitative leadership skills of its members. The SAWP participants bring their close connection to classroom practice and skilled insight into literacy and writing to our work. Since this partnership was established, a new program, the Teacher Research and Inquiry Institute has been formed and continues to build on the partnership's shared expertise and goals.

Partner Organizations
El Pueblo Integral - Teaching and Learning Collaborative/Paulo Freire Freedom School
Southern Arizona Writing Project at the University of Arizona
Tucson Small School Project/City High School

Connections Articles from This Center
NSRF’s Living History: An Interview with Carrie Brennan - by Peggy Silva, New Hampshire
Sharing Our Stories: Tales From The First Ten Years - by JoAnn Groh, Arizona
NSRF Research Project - by Carrie Brennan, Arizona
Students at the Center- Creating Community: The Spring Symposium on School Improvement - by Carrie Brennan, Arizona
Centers of Activity Report - by Katy Kelly, Indiana; Nancy Mohr, New York; Carrie Brennan & JoAnn Groh, Arizona; Gavin Wallace, Vermont
NSRF & First Amendment Schools - by JoAnn Groh, Arizona

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harmony Education Center
PO Box 1787 Bloomington Indiana 47402 • 812.330.2702
nsrf@harmonyschool.org • fax 812.333.3435
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