How do we provide leadership in establishing communication among education, business, government and community leaders?

Peter Senge headlines a conference that provides a venue for initiating collaboration between local Arizona businesses interested in serving education and representatives from all of the major school districts in Arizona. Educational speakers include leading experts Peter Senge, Willard Daggett, Douglas Reeves, Larry Lezotte and Michael Fullan who will impart their knowledge and research on leadership, organizational learning and systems thinking. Local representation will occur in panel discussions and presentations by educators and private sector members already involved in initiating the collaborative process between business and education.

Scottsdale, Arizona, December 13, 2002 - Labeling of schools, rising failure and dropout rates and a lack of resources -- all of these newsworthy items portray a challenging view of the future of education in the state of Arizona. However, our schools will not improve independently; school reform is a shared responsibility. The question remains: How do we provide leadership in establishing communication among education, business, government and community leaders?"    

Renowned business management expert Peter Senge, whose research-based theories on initiating change in learning organizations have been utilized extensively by both business and education sectors, is presenting a session in Scottsdale this February that will help to answer this question. Senge illustrates the dynamics of leadership both within and outside of an organization viewed as a living system in which change is a process of growth occurring at all levels.

Senge reveals a core concept of learning in organizations in his seminal book, Schools That Learn: The difficulties faced by schools (as in all organizations) are always deeply influenced by the kinds of mental models and relationships at large in the system -- at every level, from the teacher and students in a classroom to the national political governing bodies that oversee all schools. If you want to improve a school system, before you change the rules, look first to the ways that people think and interact together. Otherwise the new policies and organizational structures will simply fade away, and the organization will revert, over time, to the way it was before."

Senges February 7th presentation Organizations that Learn: A Fifth Discipline Approach is part of a three-day conference coming to the greater Phoenix area entitled Leadership: The Bridge to Change," hosted by a diverse committee of local education and business sector members. The conference aims to build a common understanding of the issues and challenges facing our communities as we attempt to create optimum learning environments for all children.

The committee includes prominent members of the Arizona Business and Education Coalition (ABEC), Arizona State University West, the Center for Leadership, Ethics and Public Service, East Valley Think Tank, Educational Capstones Consulting, Glendale Elementary School District, Litchfield Elementary School District, Mesa Public Schools, Peoria Unified School District, Tempe Union High School District, and WESTMARC. The conference is organized by TW Branun & Associates in collaboration with Teachers Pal Inc. Teachers Pal Inc. (TPI) is a young Arizona corporation specializing in instructional management systems and customized consulting to school districts in learning and management systems.

In addition to Senge, a series of sought after educational theorists who focus on change and organizational learning will also be presenting including: Willard Daggett, Larry Lezotte, Michael Fullan, Douglas Reeves, and Senges co-author Tim Lucas.

Community interest will be piqued by a lively panel discussion taking place with honored guests Jeanette Harrison (Director of Technology Manufacturing Group Training, Intel), Dr. Elaine Maimon (Provost, ASU West), Dr. Debra Duvall (Superintendent, Mesa Public Schools), and Marty Shultz (Vice President of Government Affairs, Pinnacle West Capital Corporation). Also included is a special Thursday presentation by community leader Tim Delaney, former Chief Deputy Attorney General of Arizona, and founder of the Center for Leadership, Ethics and Public Service. At a previous forum on leadership, Delaney presented this call to action: Its time for us to stand up, get off the sidelines and make a difference."

Registration for Peter Senges session, and for the full three-day event taking place February 6-8, 2003, is available through TW Branun & Associates. Call toll-free 1-800-531-0082 or visit www.twblearn.com.

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Tim Delaney, Founder of the Center for Leadership, Ethics and Public Service is available for interview. Phone (602) 870-9061 or email C4leaps@aol.com.

Dave Pearce of TW Branun & Associates is the main contact at (604) 465-8499.

The Teachers Pal (TPI) main contact is Dr. Monte Littell, Senior Vice President for Educational Services, at (602) 861-3440.

TW Branun & Associates is an educational consulting company that organizes national conferences in partnership with educational organizations, school districts and others across North America.