About being a Key Leader
About POCs
District Involvement
About being a Key Leader
How can I coordinate my Key Leader activities with other KLs in my county?
You can create a Custom Group of your county's KLs on the NSTA/bap site. Use the database to send each other announcements of any activities you have going on, and exchange plans for impacting science education in your county.
As a Key Leader should we include Charter schools and Home School consortia?
CABAP is for ALL California schools. Libby has lists of the private schools by county; contact her if you need a list for your area.
Which schools do I become a Key Leader for?
Start with the schools in your District. Check with Libby to see if they are assigned to another KL. Also, all private schools are included in CABAP Libby has a list of private schools by county, if you need help identifying those near you.
If you have contacts in other districts, you can be a Key Leader for those schools as well.
What if there are multiple KLs in my district but fewer than 20 schools?
Some of you can work with private schools, or work with schools from a neighboring district. You could also decide to volunteer as POCs instead of KLs. Schools can only be assigned to one Key Leader, but the others could help support that Key Leader if there are not other nearby schools to work with.
Some schools are missing from the NSTA online site. Can schools be added?
Yes! Send the name and complete address of the schools to Libby Rognier at lrognier@wested.org. She will add them into the online database.
How can I separate the vast amounts of e-information I get so that I can target specific items to individuals that really want it
and what I send out doesn't seem like spam?
Messages sent through CABAP, either from NSTA or from state leaders will have "NSTA" in the "from" line. Art starts all of his messages with "To CABAP Key Leaders" or "To CABAP Key Leaders and Points of Contact" so you'll know who else has already received his emails.
So far, the amount of email going out from CABAP has been minimal. You are the only KL who can send messages to your POCs, so you don't have to worry about them being "spammed" from the NSTA database. (They can also send email to each other - they should keep each other in check on those.)
Do I need to read through and understand all of the information I pass on? Am I the one they will send questions to?
You will be the primary contact for your POCs, but you have resources to find the answers (EdThoughts, ENC, Making Connections.) In addition, you can use the CABAP network to start a discussion among your POCs, or to contact other Key Leaders who may have faced similar questions. You can also refer to Libby any questions you don't know the answer to, at lrognier@wested.org.
Are there term limits? What if I retire? When do I pass the torch?
We would welcome you to be a Key Leader for as long as you like. When you need to "pass the torch" to someone else, please let Libby know, and let her know if you have a recommended replacement KL.(If you know you will be retiring, you might want to prepare one of your POCs to take over as KL once you're gone.)
As a Key Leader, will I need release time from my class?
You should be able to complete your Key Leader duties outside of class time. You can recruit teachers and inform principals using your district mail or email. Your POC training can be an after-school meeting. Once you have your POCs, most information dissemination will be via email.
Do you need me to recruit other Key Leaders, or additional POCs (beyond my 30?)
If you have recommendations for Key Leaders, please forward their contact information to Libby, along with their district affiliation. Some areas of the state still need Key Leaders. Schools can have more than one POC, so we encourage you to recruit as many as you can, even if your schools are all covered.
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About POCs
What are strategies that have been used in other states to recruit Points of Contact?
Letters to Principals, follow-up letters, article in local newsletters, announcements at district and school site staff meetings. Take a look at the National message board on the nsta/bap site for more ideas. State Coordinators are making plans to post ideas and resources there.
Also, the Resources section of your KL Manual has some sample letters, newsreleases, and strategies to help you with recruiting.
How can I best attract the attention of the principals and science teachers I am responsible for?
Use the letter as a start, and follow up with a personal visit, if possible. Principals may want to assign a POC for their school, and should be aware of CABAP and what it can mean for their teachers.
How do we get POCs?
Look up who the Science Coordinator is for your county (or District, if you have one.) They can give you a list of schools in your area to contact.
At the Secondary level, work with department chairs. For elementary, talk to principal or district curriculum coordinator or school site council.
Send out a letter to principals explaining CABAP and your need for POCs.
Post information on local websites.
How do I recruit POCs outside of my district?
Ask the District Science leadership for names of key teachers / mentor teachers or teachers whom they see as important to be connected to the network.
Does a POC have to be a member of NSTA?
No, and neither does a Key Leader. You may occasionally receive an invitation from NSTA to join the organization, but membership is not required to participate in CABAP.
Can an administrator be a POC if the school site already has a teacher POC?
The preference is that POCs be classroom teachers. If a principal wants to be a POC, ask that they designate a teacher to be primary POC, and they can be a secondary POC for their school. Explain the intent of Building a Presence is to empower classroom teachers to play an active role in science education at their school, and to make them part of a network of peers to improve communication and information about science teaching and learning. Encourage all of your POCs to make sure their principals are in the information loop at their school.
What if my POC asks me a question I can't answer? Who is my contact?
Libby Rognier: lrognier@wested.org, phone: 415-615-3214
What strategies would you suggest to engage potential POCs with the attitude "been there done that" or "not another thing giving time I don't have!"
Explain the program vision and activities and, if they're too busy, ask if they can recommend another teacher from their school. Connecting teachers to CABAP is a good way to build new teacher leaders!
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District Involvement
What can I do to get my District on board?
Contact the District Curriculum person/people with information about CABAP. Invite them to your POC training to learn more.
First, get your principal onboard, then ask him/her to speak to other principals about CABAP. Set up an informative, one-hour workshop that introduces the idea. Invite principals, district personnel, Board members, parents.
Do District administrators and school principals know about CABAP, or am I the initial contact and person to explain the whole program to them?
Many administrators will have heard something about CABAP, but may not know any details. In KL Tools, as well as in the Resource section of your KL manual is a one-page description of the CABAP program to help you explain it to those who haven't heard about it yet. There's also a sample letter to principals which explains the program and asks for POC nominations. (You get a Key Leader Manual when you attend your full-day KL training.)
How do we gain the support / enthusiasm of Principals / Administrators at schools so they can support the POCs?
Call each individual school and speak with the principal to get a POC. Follow up with a Principal Letter (in KL Tools). Then create your own network.
Other questions?
Send them to Libby at lrognier@wested.org. They will be added to this list, along with the answers. If you are not yet involved with CABAP but want to be - contact Libby!
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