The 360 Blog

In this episode, we talk with Park Tudor’s Director of Equity and Inclusion Camille Wiggins. We discuss her experience at the recent People of Color Conference from NAIS, and how it will help inform the conversation at Park Tudor in the coming weeks and months.

About Camille from Parktudor.org

Camille joined Park Tudor from IUPUI, where she was Senior Admissions Counselor. In her role, she was responsible for the execution of recruitment and outreach objectives for first-year and transfer student populations; evaluation of student mindsets; and collaboration with academic units and campus partners on degree programs, campus community, and culture. Prior to joining IUPUI, Camille served as Director of Legal Personnel and Diversity for Ice Miller LLP; her responsibilities included administering and facilitating diversity, inclusion, and customer service education throughout the law firm. She has also been a Diversity Consultant and Facilitator to a broad range of organizations including for-profit companies and non-profits, state and local governments, and community groups. Her expertise includes presentations and facilitating discussions on a variety of topics covering inclusion, micro-aggressions, unconscious bias, workplace behaviors, cultural competency, and community building. Camille holds a B.A. in English from Earlham College, and a J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law.

In this episode, as Park Tudor enters its new season of Professional Learning Communities, Laura Gellin and I talk with three of our new PLC leaders: Jamie Salatich, Carrie Payline, and Liz Odmark. We discuss what success in PLC groups looks like, as well as the main hopes and goals for the coming weeks and months.

About our Guests from Parktudor.org

Jamie Salatich - Mrs. Salatich came to Park Tudor in 2013 from St. Richard's, where she taught first grade and helped implement a variety of programs, including project-based learning and various STEM initiatives. She has received multiple teaching awards, including MSD Perry Township Teacher of the Year 2006, Indiana PTA State Life Award 2007, and the Indiana Ice/Sharp Business Systems Educator of the Year Award 2011. Prior to St. Richard's, Jamie taught at the Paramount School of Excellence, where she chaired the School Improvement Committee, which focused on creating a culturally responsive environment. She currently coaches Lower School robotics.

Liz Odmark - Mrs. Odmark has taught English at Springfield North High School in Ohio, and at North Central High School and the Hasten Hebrew Academy in Indianapolis. She started the Upper School Speech and Debate Team in 1992, serving as coach for five years, and has served as advisor of The Artisan, Park Tudor’s Upper School art and literary magazine. She also served as English Department Chair from 2002-2007 and served on an ISACS school evaluation committee in 2014. She started a Middle School Speech and Debate Team in 2015.

Carrie Poehlein - Prior to joining Park Tudor, Carrie was College and Career Counselor at Roncalli High School and College Advisor at Cathedral High School. She also has experience on the other side of the college admissions process, having been an Admissions Counselor/Senior Admissions Counselor at Butler University for three years. Carrie is a leader in the field; in addition to her work at Park Tudor, she is a Course Instructor for the University of California, Berkeley Extension, teaching two foundational courses within their Certificate in College Admissions Advising program. In this graduate certificate program for school counselors and independent educational consultants, Carrie teaches both new and seasoned professionals from across the world regarding college application procedures, standardized testing requirements, and admissions requirements for public and private universities. In addition, Carrie also works as an Advanced Placement (AP) Coordinator Workshop Consultant for the College Board - one of only 25 training consultants nationwide. In this role, Carrie conducts training programs for AP Coordinators during interactive, virtual workshops. Carrie is very active in the Indiana Association of College Admissions Counselors, frequently presenting at their conferences and serving on a variety of committees. She is a 2020 recipient of the Outstanding Educator Award from the University of Chicago. Carrie earned a B.A. degree in French and Business Studies, as well as a Master of Science in Effective Teaching and Learning, both from Butler University.

In this episode, we discuss what is unique about independent school parents, and how we can best partner with parents to help students succeed in every way.

Hopes and Fears: Working with Today's Independent Schooll Parents' Description from NAIS.org:
Too often, the standard ways of building parent cooperation no longer work well, and schools may inadvertently foster parent expectations that undermine an effective home-school partnership. Hopes and Fears offers a new approach.

Based on their decades of work with schools, psychologists Rob Evans and Michael Thompson bring insight and empathy to advice for teachers and administrators about strengthening parent relations. The book is divided into three sections:

Part 1: The Rising Tide of Anxiety examines factors that intensify the dilemmas families and schools face, from normal tensions to accelerating social, economic, and technological changes.

Part 2: Challenges illuminates why some parents act the way they do—and why the ways in which schools have traditionally dealt with them can be ineffective.

Part 3: Coping includes three nuts-and-bolts chapters for restructuring the partnership:
·      The Basic Toolkit offers advice on adopting the right mindset and skills to work constructively with the vast majority of parents.
·      The Advanced Toolkit provides tips for managing the small number of parents who are more challenging.
·      A guide for administrators covers practical ways to train and support teachers.

From Robertevans.org:
Robert Evans is a psychologist and school consultant. A former high school and pre-school teacher, and for many years a child and family therapist, he has consulted to more than 1,700 schools, public and private, throughout the U.S. and internationally, working with teachers, leaders, and boards.

Rob received his undergraduate degree from Princeton and his doctorate from Harvard. His particular interests are in leadership, in helping schools cope with change, in crisis intervention, and in improving collegiality and candor among educators.

He is the author of many articles and books. His newest, co-written with Michael Thompson, is Hopes and Fears: Working with Today's Independent School Parents. His others are: Seven Secrets of The Savvy School Leader, The Human Side of School Change, and Family Matters: How Schools Can Cope with The Crisis in Childrearing.

From michaelthompson-phd.com:
For nearly thirty-five years, I have worked as a clinical psychologist, school consultant and international speaker on the subjects of children, schools and parenting. I’ve authored nine books focusing on the emotional lives of boys, friendships and social cruelty in childhood, the impact of summer camp experiences on child development, the tensions that arise in the parent-teacher relationships, and psychological aspects of school leadership. My work with independent schools and public school districts throughout the United States, and with international schools in Europe, Asia and South America takes me to about fifty schools a year to lead workshops for teachers, administrators, parents and students.