I made the transition from teacher to administrator in July, 2011, and since then, I’ve been accumulating lots of lessons along the way. Here are my top three:
ASKING QUESTIONS, EXPLORING OPTIONS, CHANGING THE IMPACT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION.
Marina Sabatini is the Preschool Programs for Children with Disabilities and Related Services Coordinator for Spring I.S.D. She graduated from the Rice REEP Business Fellowship Program Class of 2011.
Filed Under: Best Practices From School Leaders, Management by Strengths Program, Marina Sabatini, MBS Program
Posted by: Marina Sabatini
I made the transition from teacher to administrator in July, 2011, and since then, I’ve been accumulating lots of lessons along the way. Here are my top three:
Filed Under: Marina Sabatini
Posted by: Marina Sabatini
As the first semester of another school year comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on an interview from The Colbert Report that I saw back in August. Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, was the special guest for the evening, and he was promoting his new book called Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose. At the time, I found the topic almost too blaise to be worthy of national attention.Â
He spoke about happiness. More specifically, he presented happiness as a viable business model, including a brief discussion on the ten core values of Zappos, focusing on the number one principle: “Deliver WOW through service.”
 I remember thinking, “Well, of course people perform better when they’re happy. Who wouldn’t?” But with the holiday season upon us, Hsieh’s words seem very poignant.Â
Filed Under: Marina Sabatini
Posted by: Marina Sabatini
One of the most challenging papers I ever had to write while in college for my bachelor’s was for my Philosophy of Aesthetics class, and it dealt with proving how Robert Mapplethorpe’s artistic work was indeed “beautiful”. Considering the amount of controversy tied to his pieces, I found myself relishing the opportunity to argue for him. I dived in and typed up a flurry of arguments, laced with tremendously long multisyllabic words, driven by the spirits of Immanuel Kant and Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. I was so enthusiastic that I scheduled a meeting with my advisor at the time, Dr. Begres, so I could share with her all of my hard work.
She listened intently, and after ten minutes, leaned forward across her desk and said, “Well, that’s all very nice, Marina, but if no one else can understand what the hell you’re talking about, then what good is it?”
Filed Under: Accountability, IEP, IEP Data, Marina Sabatini, Special Education, Special Needs, The Biggest Loser
Posted by: Marina Sabatini
Lately, I have received numerous questions on the subject of data collection. Does it have to be done every day? What kind of data needs to be collected? What do you do with a mountain of data? What does all of this data even mean?
The one question that continually surprises me, though, is, “Why do I even have to do this?”
So to all those in the world of special education who are asking themselves this question right now, let me tell you a story. (more…)
Filed Under: Admission Review and Dismissal, ARD/IEP Committiees, Special Education, Special Needs
Posted by: Marina Sabatini
In basketball, the full court press is a thing of beauty. The press is a defensive formation in which the team will apply man-to-man or zone coverage to either block the inbounds pass or to trap the offense in back or midcourt. It takes determination on the part of the pressing team to initiate this strategy. However, when it is done well, the press can lead to quick turnovers, putting the team far ahead of its opponent.Â
Similarly, many parents of children with disabilities experience the educational version of a full court press when they attend their children’s ARD/IEP meeting. (more…)
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Andrea Hodge is the Executive Director of the Rice Education Entrepreneurship Program (REEP) at Rice University.
