“The Role of School Wellness In Creating High-Performing Schools”
An Interactive Web Forum for School Administrators and School Policy-Makers
To View the Archived Web Forum and Supporting Materials Click Here
This Action for Healthy Kids Web Forum, which aired on April 27, 2006, examines the relationship between school leadership and school wellness – from the viewpoint of school leaders who are setting trends in school wellness and school reform.
During the 75-minute event, school leaders share their strategies for and key insights about promoting wellness as part of a continuous school improvement strategy. Speakers engaged in Q&A with the audience during and after the Forum. Featured speakers include:
Paul Vallas, CEO, School District of Philadelphia
“Having a comprehensive and aggressive wellness program is not cost-prohibitive.”
Thomas Payzant, Superintendent, Boston Public Schools
“It has to start with a clear policy direction from the district.”
Roel Gonzalez, Superintendent, Rio Grande City Consolidated Independent School District, Texas
“I’m so proud of our school board because they were behind me 100% to take a stand and say, we have kids who are overweight, we have kids who carry the genetic characteristics of diabetes type II, and we have to address it.”
Jill Wynns, School Board Commissioner, San Francisco Unified School District
“Policy-making is not an individual ‘I’m doing it’ activity. You have to make allies and use ones that are important to you.”
Mary Louise Cohen, School Board Member, Bay Shore Union Free School District, New York
“Community collaboration, we have found, is the key to being able to implement any kind of wellness policy.”
Robert Hagemann, Principal, McIntosh Middle School, Sarasota, Florida
“This can’t be delegated: the principal of the school has to lead the way…Without that, I have seen schools that start this and they are unable to sustain it.”
Gayden Carruth, Superintendent in Residence for Wellness, American Association of School Administrators
“The best advice I could give would be: Be an example, be an advocate, and be patient.”
Action for Healthy Kids former Executive Director, Alicia Moag-Stahlberg, also joined the panelists to share background information on Action for Healthy Kids and the “Campaign for School Wellness,” and to announce the launch of Action for Healthy Kids’ updated School Wellness Policy Tool.
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“A more valuable use of my time than the last few workshops I've attended on wellness issues. The speakers were FANTASTIC, and gave us concrete information on what their particular districts’ goals were and how they are achieving them.” – Web Forum Attendee “Inspiring to hear from others with such high commitment to school health.” – Web Forum Attendee |