On September 16, 36 principals and aspiring principals began the first session of a 70-hour, seven-weekend Principals Academy in Bakersfield. The widely popular academy, which has not been previously offered in Bakersfield, filled so quickly it required a waiting list. The enthusiasm for the academy encouraged co-directors Dr. Kevin Silberberg and Dr. Blanca Cavazos to increase the class size to accommodate demand.
The Principals Academy focuses on the leadership and management skills needed by administrators in order to be successful principals. The list of academy presenters reads like a “Who’s Who” of notable educators and practitioners from Region 11 and ACSA.
Region 11 President David Bowling and West Kern Charter President Richard Morosa attended the first session to congratulation participants on their decision to continue honing their administrative skills and encourage their membership and active participation in ACSA.
Co-directors Silberberg and Cavazos emphasized that each of the presenters had “walked the walk” and could share from first-hand experience how he or she had successfully put their skills into practice. “That was easy to create a list of presenters who were highly regarded in the profession because of their proven success with all children” said Cavazos. “On the flip side, the depth and quality of experience we have in our Region made it a difficult task to narrow the list of presenters.”