Although each participant at the conference would remember different aspects of the day long discussions, the conference organizers were most interested in the three panels and views of chief school officers who attended each. Superintendents Maureen Flaherty, Jim Butterworth and Geoff Davis had taken responsibility for framing initial discussion questions to guide their discussion groups' consideration of negotiating and promoting, implementing and restructuring, and sharing and collaborating as topics. While each panel had a lively discussion and the audience in each group participated there remains a question of what would be remembered after time had passed.

Dr. John Stoothoff, Superintendent of Morrisville-Eaton Central Schools, and Dr. Frank Greenhall, Superintendent of Mechanicville City School District, were two of the thirty five chief school officers attending the meeting. Dr. Stoothoof received his doctorate through the Department while Dr. Greenhall took some classes in administration at Albany but received his doctorate at the University of Delaware. They represent two views of superintendents of k-12 districts in the capital region. They were asked to remember the high points of the conference nearly a year after the event occurred.

My impression of the conference should lead the Department to continue the efforts to reach out to the environment. I, for one, was heartened by the invite and impressed with the turnout and quality of the presentations by my colleagues. I sat in on the sharing and collaborating group. Much of the discussion centered upon empowering groups and the applications of TQM strategies to a shared decision making process. The need for new belief structures to accompany shared decision making efforts was acknowledged. Specific discussion covered parents, the religious right, school board, Committee on Special Education and interagency or school linking efforts.

The afternoon program as slow to get underway as the District Superintendents seems somewhat guarded in their summing up remarks. Superintendent Ruth Kellogg did gen up a nugget with " Are we truly changing or are we just changing when someone is looking?"

If you plan to do this again , I would welcome playing a role. Feting Joe Testo and Ted Huntington ( at lunch) was greatly enjoyed. I would recommend the following for topic in a future Superintendent's conference: Motivating good teachers to join us in administration; superintendents tackling the public relations task ( especially with the School Report Card) ; The Superintendent Snapshot, revisited and extended.

Thank you for allowing me to jot down my impressions of the conference. I appreciate not only being invited (as a non EAPS graduate) but asked my feelings and memories about the event. The high point of the conference were the small group discussions and the quality of the information exchanged. If possible I would break the small groups even further to allow for even more audience participation. While the use of student recorders to summarize and report back the group discussion was useful it would be great if the larger audience could have been directly involved.

Honoring individuals who have demonstrated substantial contribution to field and university relationships is a great concept as is having two district Superintendents to give their summarizing perspectives.

For future conference meetings you might consider having a Regent or the Commissioner attend and give their perspective about New York public education.