Curriculum Directors & Textbook Coordinators:
Good afternoon! We are a week out from the State Board vote on the committee's recommendations for Social Studies & Arts Ed textbooks. Lisa & I will be at the board meeting, & I will email y'all just as soon as Dr. Jones gives us notification of the results.
The textbook caravan season begins right after that, with our first caravans in Montgomery & Tuscaloosa the very next week - & then we have 4 in the month of December - Huntsville, Athens, Mobile, & Auburn. The remaining caravans - Birmingham, Florence, Dothan, & Anniston - will be after the first of the year.
Brief Reminders (Because You Do a Zillion Things):
- Your district registered for caravan with me back in September when you sent me your numbers (there are only 4 districts who are not participating - & 2 that I have not yet heard back from). With those numbers, I have planned drafts of schedules at each location & begun to order lunches.
- Your Regional Inservice Center - or the one in which you are attending - will reach out to you - if they have not already - with information about gathering names for PowerSchool PL. Again - your district is registered - this is just about ensuring that your teachers earn credit for participating.
- Your team should plan to arrive at the caravan between 7:30 & 7:45. You will sign-in & receive your schedule then. The first session will begin at 8:00. Your district will travel together on the same schedule as a team.
- Lunch is provided, & there is no cost for caravan. The last session of the day is collaborative time, so that you can debrief with your team after hearing all the presentations. This is valuable time to use well while details are fresh on your team's minds. It could potentially save you a meeting! Be sure someone on your team is prepared to facilitate that discussion.
- If you do not remember how many slots you have reserved, please reach out to me. I hope you're planning to use all the slots you asked for - but it's like The Price Is Right; all is well, as long as you don't go over.
- For other questions about the logistics of the day, please reach out to your inservice director. I know that they will email you prior to your event with any last-minute pieces of information, such as parking, etc.
Have a great rest of your week,
Patrick