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From the Editor

Forward Moving Ever: Educators Embracing Change
Realizing that changes in the world around them require ongoing attention to,
analysis of, and evolution of theory and practice in education, Founder Annie Webb
Blanton urged members to be “forward moving ever.” This key idea is embodied in
this issue of the Bulletin: Journal—focused on the theme “Changing Perspectives
on Teaching and Learning”—as authors explore innovative processes and curricular
adaptations to meet the evolving needs of students and educators alike.
Opening the issue, Cieminski explores design thinking as a process to develop
innovative solutions in an ever-changing world. After describing the basic phases
of this process, she describes her own use of design thinking as a pedagogy in a
program that prepares educational leaders around the issue of developing ways to
realize more equitable outcomes in their schools. With a nod to increasing diversity in
classrooms, authors Godwin et al. extend this emphasis on equity in an increasingly
complex world by focusing on an all-too-often-overlooked population—students
of Indigenous identity. Specifically, they unpack and apply Sabzalian’s (2019) six
frameworks for instruction as guides to empowering Indigenous identities in the
classroom.
Szabo shifts the discussion to new perspectives on professional development as
she offers a checklist tool that helps administrators think about and plan for a teacher-
centered approach that replaces traditional one-size-fits-all models. The tool, called
SATED (Systematic Approach to Teacher Effective Development), encourages
collaboration and educational community problem solving and is intended not only
to improve teacher performance but also to help decrease teacher dropout rates.
Focusing on specific events influencing educators’ perspectives, Melloy and
Murry consider the impact of COVID-19 on those delivering special education
services, and Powell explores the impact of a substantial manufacturing development
project on schools in its area. Specifically, Melloy and Murry examine the challenges
and triumphs experienced by graduate students in a leadership preparation program
who worked to deliver services for students with disabilities during the pandemic.
Through personal communications and research of regional media sources, Powell
provides an comprehensive example of how educators are responding to major
changes in an area’s needs for training and workers.
The brilliance of Blanton’s vision for Delta Kappa Gamma lies in part in its
relevance to an ever-changing world. May the articles in this issue provide members
and educators throughout the world with inspiration and direction for their own
professional and personal growth and their efforts to promote excellence in education
as they understand and embrace changing perspectives on teaching and learning.

Judith R. Merz, EdD
Editor

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