East Allegheny Design Team
Wins 2005 Carmen Sarnicola Award
East Allegheny School District’s Leadership Design Team is the first-ever repeat winner of the Consortium’s annual $10,000 Carmen A. Sarnicola Creative and Collaborative Leadership Award, presented to the team that’s shown significant, sustained progress in addressing issues facing its schools.
The award is made in memory of the late Dr. Sarnicola, who was co-executive director of the organization at the time of his death in February of 1999. It was announced Saturday (March 19) by Dr. Linda L. Croushore, Consortium executive director, at the closing session of the Consortium’s 12th annual Leadership Retreat, a two-day mini-conference for school district decision-makers held this year at the Holiday Inn Meadow Lands.
The first award, given at the 1999 retreat shortly after Dr. Sarnicola’s death, went to the East Allegheny team. Subsequent winners were South Allegheny in 200, Yough in 2001; Clairton City in 2002; McKeesport Area in 2003, and Bentworth in 2004.
The Sarnicola award recognizes “outstanding progress” made by Leadership Design Team members in engaging school district leaders drawn from all role groups — from school boards to central administration to teachers to clerical and maintenance departments — to address programmatic issues in thoughtful, productive ways.
“East Allegheny has truly worked on interventions that will result in improved student performance, welcomed the thoughtfulness of all team members, and remained focused on the improvement journe,” Dr. Croushore said, adding, “Their camaraderie, their decision-making, and their outcomes reflect the spirit of this award.“
The Design Team is about broadening the decision-making base in schools and school districts. It is a forum for conversation about issues brought to the table by its membership. The process requires a serious commitment of time and a willingness to tackle difficult issues,” Dr. Croushore said.
Design Teams have district-wide representation. Another integral component of the process – Building Leadership Teams – have peer-selected members and operate within the individual buildings. Both groups report to each other; they meet on a regular basis. “Open communication lines are key to the success of the work,” Dr. Croushore said, adding:
“The team gives school board members the best thinking from those on the front lines. It lets the superintendent know what’s going on in the buildings. It encourages the support staff to think about how its work relates to the learning environment....It is an inclusive group, not an exclusive one.”
