I know they don’t show it but our teachers have been working extra-hard this year. There’s a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes that have been uniquely stressful.
We created a time in each school where teams of teachers have almost 90 minutes each week to collaborate and plan together. It’s most noticeable at the high school where they do it every Wednesday, causing a 2 hour late start for high school kids. In the elementary and middle schools we’ve managed to create that time within the school day, so it’s not obvious to the general public when it happens.
During this time, which we refer to as PLC time (Professional Learning Communities), all the teachers for one grade level or all those who teach the same subject, plan and confer on the best strategies for teaching your children. Much of this time has been spent in the development of curriculum, or teaching units, that are aligned with the state and national standards. We also require these units be developed to represent the best teaching practices from Learning Focused Strategies. Some schools even pay teachers for extra time after school to do this.
We also use the PLC time to analyze student performance results on bench mark tests and on the new state test known as DCAS.
DCAS is the second contributor to stress on our teachers. It is all new. It is administered on-line. It still has some bugs and kinks to work out. The tests at each grade level have been assigned cut scores that are much higher than the old test, causing the experts to predict that more of the children in Delaware will fail to reach proficiency. It’s like changing the score needed to pass an exam from 70 to 85. Whoever normally scores between 70 and 85 will now fail.
The good thing is, because the test is administered on-line, we can do it a couple of times and get results immediately. So, our teachers have reviewed student performance on DCAS and made adjustments in their teaching. They will give the DCAS again in January and then again in May.
Finally, the state will be redesigning the teacher evaluation to include student performance measures in each teacher’s evaluation. Next year, if students don’t gain a year academically as measured by DCAS and other tests, the teacher cannot be rated exemplary.
So, is it any wonder that our teachers may be feeling a little stressed? The holiday break is welcome this year - perhaps more than usual.
On behalf of Lake Forest School District we wish all of our families, those of our children and those of our employees, a very restful, family-filled holiday season and a happy, successful New Year.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Principal - The hardest part of the job
Tuesday, December 14 is Principal Recognition Day. I’m not sure why this date was selected, but I understand there may be declarations signed by major government officials. WhooooHooooo!
It’s not likely something for which they make numerous greeting cards. There is no need to purchase a gift for your favorite school principal. It’s just a special day to remind you that good schools don’t become good schools without good principals leading them.
At times I have written about the principal’s job being the best job in any school district –especially the elementary principal. But there is one aspect of the principal’s job that is the most critical to student success. It is complicated, challenging and can be emotionally draining. That is teacher evaluation.
It is the job of the principal (and assistant principal, too) to evaluate the performance of each teacher. The evaluation should be viewed as a way to help teachers become better teachers, but the tool must also be used to remove teachers. Poor teachers do not stay in the classroom because of tenure laws as many people think. Poor teachers stay in the classroom when they are not being evaluated properly.
Years ago, teachers were evaluated (hopefully each year) by the principal, who would drop in on a class or two, make some notes and fill out a form or check list giving the teacher a score in each identified area. The principal would go over his/her observations with the teacher and that would be that.
Today it is a little more complicated. The teacher evaluation process in Delaware is called DPAS II. It has a number of required parts.
1. The teacher completes a goal form, establish targets for the year.
2. Teacher and principal meet to go over goals.
3. Before the teacher’s teaching can be formally observed the teacher must complete a pre-observation form.
4. Teacher and principal meet to discuss what the principal will be seeing.
5. Principal observes the lesson.
6. Teacher and principal meet to discuss the lesson.
7. Principal completes a formative evaluation.
8. Near the end of the year the principal and teacher review the goals and discuss whether or not they were reached and why.
9. Teachers in their first three years must then receive a final evaluation.
10. Teachers with continuing contracts may go through this cycle every two years.
This must be done for every teacher. It is very time consuming and seems to require more conferencing than observing.
Most teachers are good teachers who take their work seriously. They work hard and want to do better every year. But, we’ve all known a few stinkers. Maybe you had one in school or maybe your children have had one. They smell up the school until a principal has the courage to tell them they stink.
It’s hard telling someone who has invested a college education in this career that they maybe don’t belong in education. It’s even harder sometimes to convince them that it is true and to prove it with evidence collected from the process above.
That’s why the principal is so critical to school success. That’s why they deserve special recognition.
It’s not likely something for which they make numerous greeting cards. There is no need to purchase a gift for your favorite school principal. It’s just a special day to remind you that good schools don’t become good schools without good principals leading them.
At times I have written about the principal’s job being the best job in any school district –especially the elementary principal. But there is one aspect of the principal’s job that is the most critical to student success. It is complicated, challenging and can be emotionally draining. That is teacher evaluation.
It is the job of the principal (and assistant principal, too) to evaluate the performance of each teacher. The evaluation should be viewed as a way to help teachers become better teachers, but the tool must also be used to remove teachers. Poor teachers do not stay in the classroom because of tenure laws as many people think. Poor teachers stay in the classroom when they are not being evaluated properly.
Years ago, teachers were evaluated (hopefully each year) by the principal, who would drop in on a class or two, make some notes and fill out a form or check list giving the teacher a score in each identified area. The principal would go over his/her observations with the teacher and that would be that.
Today it is a little more complicated. The teacher evaluation process in Delaware is called DPAS II. It has a number of required parts.
1. The teacher completes a goal form, establish targets for the year.
2. Teacher and principal meet to go over goals.
3. Before the teacher’s teaching can be formally observed the teacher must complete a pre-observation form.
4. Teacher and principal meet to discuss what the principal will be seeing.
5. Principal observes the lesson.
6. Teacher and principal meet to discuss the lesson.
7. Principal completes a formative evaluation.
8. Near the end of the year the principal and teacher review the goals and discuss whether or not they were reached and why.
9. Teachers in their first three years must then receive a final evaluation.
10. Teachers with continuing contracts may go through this cycle every two years.
This must be done for every teacher. It is very time consuming and seems to require more conferencing than observing.
Most teachers are good teachers who take their work seriously. They work hard and want to do better every year. But, we’ve all known a few stinkers. Maybe you had one in school or maybe your children have had one. They smell up the school until a principal has the courage to tell them they stink.
It’s hard telling someone who has invested a college education in this career that they maybe don’t belong in education. It’s even harder sometimes to convince them that it is true and to prove it with evidence collected from the process above.
That’s why the principal is so critical to school success. That’s why they deserve special recognition.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Public Schools = Divided Nation
It’s 1950. The public schools imagined by Horace Mann have evolved. Now everyone can go to school and everyone can graduate from high school. But, everyone must go to school only with people of the same color.
That’s right, in 1950 it was not only standard practice, it was flat-out illegal in 17 states for children of color to go to school with white kids. The promise of an American public education was laid out on different paths. Parents had complained over the years. Some filed suit, but the U.S. Supreme Court determined it was OK to have separate schools as long as they were equal.
Of course, you didn’t have far to look to find evidence that in most every community, the standard was separate and unequal. Eventually, with a case known as Brown vs. Board of Education, the Supreme court was persuaded that children should no longer be separated by color in public school.
I was a child at the time with no idea what was going on. I grew up in the country attending the neighborhood elementary school. My first classmates of color appeared when we all rode the bus into town to the large junior high about 1964. Some of Lake Forest’s teachers still recall attending their segregated schools and the trauma of integration here in the late 60s. In Delaware, the Indian population had a separate school as well.
The battle to integrate the schools was not easy. Many would point out that their objective was not for their kids to go to school with white kids. They just wanted their kids to have the same opportunities. Some who fought the battle faced unimaginable violence. Students integrated schools in some towns only under the watchful protection of the police or the National Guard.
There were separations in gender in those days as well. There were no teams in athletics, nor were there athletic scholarships for college. Many prestigious universities were not open for women. Women were to stay home and care for the babies. Maybe they could be nurses, or secretaries or teachers.
It’s hard for our children today to imagine such a world. Thank goodness those days are in our past. Our constitution and our culture saw to the evolution of our public schools. Now our schools look nothing like the public schools of other nations.
Last week a gentleman told me this story. He has five adult children: #1 is a neurosurgeon, #2 a school teacher, #3 is looking for work after 6 colleges in 7 years, #4 was born with a number of physical disabilities, brain damage and severe seizures, and #5 was hit by a car at age 11. The accident left the youngest brain damaged, crippled and blind.
All five of his kids were educated in the public schools and even his youngest eventually completed college. He points out that the odds of getting 4 college grads out of his brood would be slim in most any other country but the good old U.S.A. He also says that #4, with the severe disabilities, would have had her medication withheld by law in some countries, sentencing her to a sure death at an early age. Instead, the public schools of his community gave her the best care and training available anywhere.
America’s schools have improved continuously over time. Yes, it’s true, while we were improving; other countries have been zooming ahead with their own version of public school. Many resemble the United States of the 1950s, supporting only the dominant culture, sorting and selecting and providing limited opportunities for immigrants.
We want to compete globally, but we don’t want to go back to the 1950s. Ever.
That’s right, in 1950 it was not only standard practice, it was flat-out illegal in 17 states for children of color to go to school with white kids. The promise of an American public education was laid out on different paths. Parents had complained over the years. Some filed suit, but the U.S. Supreme Court determined it was OK to have separate schools as long as they were equal.
Of course, you didn’t have far to look to find evidence that in most every community, the standard was separate and unequal. Eventually, with a case known as Brown vs. Board of Education, the Supreme court was persuaded that children should no longer be separated by color in public school.
I was a child at the time with no idea what was going on. I grew up in the country attending the neighborhood elementary school. My first classmates of color appeared when we all rode the bus into town to the large junior high about 1964. Some of Lake Forest’s teachers still recall attending their segregated schools and the trauma of integration here in the late 60s. In Delaware, the Indian population had a separate school as well.
The battle to integrate the schools was not easy. Many would point out that their objective was not for their kids to go to school with white kids. They just wanted their kids to have the same opportunities. Some who fought the battle faced unimaginable violence. Students integrated schools in some towns only under the watchful protection of the police or the National Guard.
There were separations in gender in those days as well. There were no teams in athletics, nor were there athletic scholarships for college. Many prestigious universities were not open for women. Women were to stay home and care for the babies. Maybe they could be nurses, or secretaries or teachers.
It’s hard for our children today to imagine such a world. Thank goodness those days are in our past. Our constitution and our culture saw to the evolution of our public schools. Now our schools look nothing like the public schools of other nations.
Last week a gentleman told me this story. He has five adult children: #1 is a neurosurgeon, #2 a school teacher, #3 is looking for work after 6 colleges in 7 years, #4 was born with a number of physical disabilities, brain damage and severe seizures, and #5 was hit by a car at age 11. The accident left the youngest brain damaged, crippled and blind.
All five of his kids were educated in the public schools and even his youngest eventually completed college. He points out that the odds of getting 4 college grads out of his brood would be slim in most any other country but the good old U.S.A. He also says that #4, with the severe disabilities, would have had her medication withheld by law in some countries, sentencing her to a sure death at an early age. Instead, the public schools of his community gave her the best care and training available anywhere.
America’s schools have improved continuously over time. Yes, it’s true, while we were improving; other countries have been zooming ahead with their own version of public school. Many resemble the United States of the 1950s, supporting only the dominant culture, sorting and selecting and providing limited opportunities for immigrants.
We want to compete globally, but we don’t want to go back to the 1950s. Ever.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Public Schools = Great Nation
I leave myself notes here and there about what the next blog might be about. There are too many now. I seem to have a mini-log jam.
Next week is National 4-H week. I could write about how 4-H is a great program for developing young leaders and how we are fortunate to have a strong 4-H network here. I could point out how I was involved in 4-H for 10 years or more and how I credit the public speaking experience in 4-H to first making me comfortable in front of a crowd.
Next week is National School Lunch week. I could write about how important the school lunch program is to so many of our children. Let’s not forget that is also breakfast. I could write about what great nutritional quality and variety is found in the school lunch program and what a great bargain it is, even for those who pay full price.
October is Parent Involvement Month. I could write about the importance of parent involvement to a child’s success in school. How parents are a child’s first teacher. I could write about the many ways parents can be involved that are helpful. I could also tell some crazy stories about parent involvement gone bad.
But, since NBC put up a tent last week and sponsored a whole series of programs on Education Nation and since all the other news networks seemed to focus on public education last week, it looks like I better stick to the bread and butter.
What launched all of the attention to public education was the release of a new documentary entitled “Waiting for Superman”. I haven’t seen the film but I understand it documents what is viewed as the decline in public schools in the United States and highlights some unique schools that are making a difference.
Horace Mann said, “The public school is the greatest discovery made by man.” Now old Horace grew up at a time when education was made available only to those with the means. Poor children weren’t given opportunities to learn to read and write and understand numbers. Many children wondered what it was that happened in that big building they passed as they walked to work.
The young United States uniquely developed the idea of the public school. It was always deemed the responsibility of the local community, town or borough to provide for their children’s education. There was a time where finishing the 8th grade was good enough to function well in society.
The reach of the public school evolved through the first half of the 1900s. Soon every child had the opportunity to go to high school. There they separated the wheat from the chaff. The really smart ones with resources prepared for college. Of the others, the girls were prepared for home arts – cooking and sewing. The boys were given a strong dose of industrial arts and shop classes.
The history of the public school is a history of America becoming a great nation and it’s too long of a story to finish in one sitting. I’ll write more. Maybe I’ll tell more of the integration of our schools, the impact of the space race and factors that led us to where we are today.
Next week is National 4-H week. I could write about how 4-H is a great program for developing young leaders and how we are fortunate to have a strong 4-H network here. I could point out how I was involved in 4-H for 10 years or more and how I credit the public speaking experience in 4-H to first making me comfortable in front of a crowd.
Next week is National School Lunch week. I could write about how important the school lunch program is to so many of our children. Let’s not forget that is also breakfast. I could write about what great nutritional quality and variety is found in the school lunch program and what a great bargain it is, even for those who pay full price.
October is Parent Involvement Month. I could write about the importance of parent involvement to a child’s success in school. How parents are a child’s first teacher. I could write about the many ways parents can be involved that are helpful. I could also tell some crazy stories about parent involvement gone bad.
But, since NBC put up a tent last week and sponsored a whole series of programs on Education Nation and since all the other news networks seemed to focus on public education last week, it looks like I better stick to the bread and butter.
What launched all of the attention to public education was the release of a new documentary entitled “Waiting for Superman”. I haven’t seen the film but I understand it documents what is viewed as the decline in public schools in the United States and highlights some unique schools that are making a difference.
Horace Mann said, “The public school is the greatest discovery made by man.” Now old Horace grew up at a time when education was made available only to those with the means. Poor children weren’t given opportunities to learn to read and write and understand numbers. Many children wondered what it was that happened in that big building they passed as they walked to work.
The young United States uniquely developed the idea of the public school. It was always deemed the responsibility of the local community, town or borough to provide for their children’s education. There was a time where finishing the 8th grade was good enough to function well in society.
The reach of the public school evolved through the first half of the 1900s. Soon every child had the opportunity to go to high school. There they separated the wheat from the chaff. The really smart ones with resources prepared for college. Of the others, the girls were prepared for home arts – cooking and sewing. The boys were given a strong dose of industrial arts and shop classes.
The history of the public school is a history of America becoming a great nation and it’s too long of a story to finish in one sitting. I’ll write more. Maybe I’ll tell more of the integration of our schools, the impact of the space race and factors that led us to where we are today.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Delaware Superintendent of the Year
In June, the Delaware Chief School Officers Association elected me Superintendent of the Year for 2011. It's a nice honor, but I'll be honest with you, the main reason I was selected was because I was the Past President of the group. It's sort of automatic.
There are no trophies, cash awards or new cars that go with this recognition. Still, it is an honor.
I didn't even mention it to the Lake Forest Board of Education at the time. No big deal I thought. But, recently they indicated they wanted to start working on my job performance evaluation so I decided it was time to tell them. If we don't toot our own horn once in awhile, who will?
Along with the appointment goes the expectation to complete an application to be considered for National Superintendent of the Year which is awarded by the American Association of School Administrators. Working on that application has caused me to reflect. This is my 37th year as an educator and my 23rd as a school superintendent, so there is a lot upon which to reflect.
I love my job. It's a job that seems uniquely designed for someone with my temperament and skills. I've tried to figure out just why that is. Here're some of the things I like about being a school superintendent:
• Variety – I lose interest in routine things. This job calls for knowledge and confidence in dealing with the weather, construction, teaching, testing, psychology, communications, leadership, motivation, sports, politics, law, finance, nutrition, safety, transportation – seemingly everything.
• Problem solving – Got a problem that needs resolved, bring it to this desk.
• Calm command – I’m naturally laid back and easy going, which comes in handy when I have staff members or parents who are about to explode.
• Humor – If the things kids say and do don’t make you laugh, then you’re in the wrong business. Humor can also be useful in relieving tension in a serious situation.
• Perspective – I find myself explaining things from the perspective of different players, depending on the situation. Can you understand the point of view of the parent? The teacher? The student? The neighbor?
• Diplomacy – Lots of times I don’t solve problems, I just get the right people to sit at the table together and they solve them for themselves.
Of course the best part about being a superintendent right now is that I get to be the Lake Forest Superintendent. There can only be one of those at any one time. The community is supportive. The Board of Education has the best interest of students in mind. And, all of the students are well behaved, good looking and above average. Wait a minute, is this Lake Wobegon?
There are no trophies, cash awards or new cars that go with this recognition. Still, it is an honor.
I didn't even mention it to the Lake Forest Board of Education at the time. No big deal I thought. But, recently they indicated they wanted to start working on my job performance evaluation so I decided it was time to tell them. If we don't toot our own horn once in awhile, who will?
Along with the appointment goes the expectation to complete an application to be considered for National Superintendent of the Year which is awarded by the American Association of School Administrators. Working on that application has caused me to reflect. This is my 37th year as an educator and my 23rd as a school superintendent, so there is a lot upon which to reflect.
I love my job. It's a job that seems uniquely designed for someone with my temperament and skills. I've tried to figure out just why that is. Here're some of the things I like about being a school superintendent:
• Variety – I lose interest in routine things. This job calls for knowledge and confidence in dealing with the weather, construction, teaching, testing, psychology, communications, leadership, motivation, sports, politics, law, finance, nutrition, safety, transportation – seemingly everything.
• Problem solving – Got a problem that needs resolved, bring it to this desk.
• Calm command – I’m naturally laid back and easy going, which comes in handy when I have staff members or parents who are about to explode.
• Humor – If the things kids say and do don’t make you laugh, then you’re in the wrong business. Humor can also be useful in relieving tension in a serious situation.
• Perspective – I find myself explaining things from the perspective of different players, depending on the situation. Can you understand the point of view of the parent? The teacher? The student? The neighbor?
• Diplomacy – Lots of times I don’t solve problems, I just get the right people to sit at the table together and they solve them for themselves.
Of course the best part about being a superintendent right now is that I get to be the Lake Forest Superintendent. There can only be one of those at any one time. The community is supportive. The Board of Education has the best interest of students in mind. And, all of the students are well behaved, good looking and above average. Wait a minute, is this Lake Wobegon?
Friday, September 10, 2010
Professional Learning Community
I’m going to assume that the average person doesn’t think too much about teachers and what they do when they’re not teaching. All of our teachers have a daily planning time. That is a requirement of the local contract. Teachers need time to plan for the lessons to come. They need time to meet with parents, meet with the principal, prepare materials, make phone calls or send e-mails to parents, grade papers – you get the picture.
You may have heard that Delaware was one of the first 2 states to be awarded funds from the federal government under the Race to the Top (RTTT). Delaware gets about $110 million. This money will be helpful over the next 4 years but it comes with strings attached.
One of the attached strings built into the Delaware RTTT plan is to provide 90 consecutive minutes of weekly collaborative time for teachers. The 90 minutes of time for collaboration with peers – like all Math teachers or all 4th grade teachers – must be in addition to the already scheduled planning . We call this 90 minute time PLC for Professional Learning Communities. PLC time must happen during the regular work day.
You might imagine the challenge this represents.
Don’t get me wrong, the 90 minutes of time to collaborate with peers is well supported by the research. Teaching has for too long been an isolated activity. Teachers have for years planned alone, created exams alone, graded papers alone, studied alone. The research suggests that teachers who plan together are able to develop higher quality lessons; provide greater consistency between teachers; study new teaching practices; and hold their students to higher standards.
Each of our schools has managed to make a schedule giving all core teachers 90 minutes of PLC time within the school day except the high school.
The seven period schedule at the high school makes it difficult to free up an entire department (like all of the math teachers) for 90 minutes at a time one day a week and still allow for an individual planning period. So here’s what we’ll be doing this school year to create weekly PLC time at Lake Forest High School.
Each week that has five school days will have a 2-hour delay on Wednesdays for high school students only. This will give the high school faculty time to meet and plan collaboratively first thing in the morning. We did this last year about a dozen times and felt it worked well. The RTTT requirement to have PLC time each week seems a bit much, but we will make good use of it.
We appreciate the community’s past cooperation with these scheduled delays at the high school and thank you in advance for your cooperation this year. Now we owe you some good results.
You may have heard that Delaware was one of the first 2 states to be awarded funds from the federal government under the Race to the Top (RTTT). Delaware gets about $110 million. This money will be helpful over the next 4 years but it comes with strings attached.
One of the attached strings built into the Delaware RTTT plan is to provide 90 consecutive minutes of weekly collaborative time for teachers. The 90 minutes of time for collaboration with peers – like all Math teachers or all 4th grade teachers – must be in addition to the already scheduled planning . We call this 90 minute time PLC for Professional Learning Communities. PLC time must happen during the regular work day.
You might imagine the challenge this represents.
Don’t get me wrong, the 90 minutes of time to collaborate with peers is well supported by the research. Teaching has for too long been an isolated activity. Teachers have for years planned alone, created exams alone, graded papers alone, studied alone. The research suggests that teachers who plan together are able to develop higher quality lessons; provide greater consistency between teachers; study new teaching practices; and hold their students to higher standards.
Each of our schools has managed to make a schedule giving all core teachers 90 minutes of PLC time within the school day except the high school.
The seven period schedule at the high school makes it difficult to free up an entire department (like all of the math teachers) for 90 minutes at a time one day a week and still allow for an individual planning period. So here’s what we’ll be doing this school year to create weekly PLC time at Lake Forest High School.
Each week that has five school days will have a 2-hour delay on Wednesdays for high school students only. This will give the high school faculty time to meet and plan collaboratively first thing in the morning. We did this last year about a dozen times and felt it worked well. The RTTT requirement to have PLC time each week seems a bit much, but we will make good use of it.
We appreciate the community’s past cooperation with these scheduled delays at the high school and thank you in advance for your cooperation this year. Now we owe you some good results.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Back to School
We’re back. Thanks for waiting patiently.
This is a much later start than usual for us. Many other districts started school a week or so ago. We delayed this year because of the major remodeling going on at the middle and high school. The work was all scheduled to be done by mid-August, but as they say, “This isn’t our first rodeo.” We know lots of things get in the way of construction staying on schedule.
So, when creating our school calendar the Lake Forest Board of Education agreed to wait until after Labor Day. All in all, I have to say it was a very wise decision.
The teachers have been in this week. We always spend a few days learning how to be a good Spartan teacher. They’ve studied the latest teaching strategies that we’ll use in Lake Forest. They’ve met and heard from all the school leadership. They’ve learned how their work will be evaluated and what they need to do to be successful. They’ve spent time on plans for next week and getting their rooms ready.
There has been little turn over at our elementary schools this year. There will be just a few new teachers and all the buildings are the same as we left them. There is one new principal at East Elementary. Mrs. Piavis comes to us from Maryland with a world of great experience.
W.T.Chipman Middle school has had little change as well, but the school has received a major interior facelift that the kids are going to love - new lockers, new paint, newly remodeled library and a beautiful new mural in the entry way.
Lake Forest High School has just too many changes to mention. The new additions for fine arts and physical fitness are open and beautifully equipped. Ten classrooms have been totally rebuilt. Technology, Consumer Science and Art rooms are getting total make-overs and won’t be ready for the first day. There’s a new assistant principal, Theodora Morris; a new dean of students, D.J. Lopez; and a bunch of new teachers in the Math and Science Departments.
We look forward to the new year in the Lake Forest School District where we have just one focus – student success. See you soon.
This is a much later start than usual for us. Many other districts started school a week or so ago. We delayed this year because of the major remodeling going on at the middle and high school. The work was all scheduled to be done by mid-August, but as they say, “This isn’t our first rodeo.” We know lots of things get in the way of construction staying on schedule.
So, when creating our school calendar the Lake Forest Board of Education agreed to wait until after Labor Day. All in all, I have to say it was a very wise decision.
The teachers have been in this week. We always spend a few days learning how to be a good Spartan teacher. They’ve studied the latest teaching strategies that we’ll use in Lake Forest. They’ve met and heard from all the school leadership. They’ve learned how their work will be evaluated and what they need to do to be successful. They’ve spent time on plans for next week and getting their rooms ready.
There has been little turn over at our elementary schools this year. There will be just a few new teachers and all the buildings are the same as we left them. There is one new principal at East Elementary. Mrs. Piavis comes to us from Maryland with a world of great experience.
W.T.Chipman Middle school has had little change as well, but the school has received a major interior facelift that the kids are going to love - new lockers, new paint, newly remodeled library and a beautiful new mural in the entry way.
Lake Forest High School has just too many changes to mention. The new additions for fine arts and physical fitness are open and beautifully equipped. Ten classrooms have been totally rebuilt. Technology, Consumer Science and Art rooms are getting total make-overs and won’t be ready for the first day. There’s a new assistant principal, Theodora Morris; a new dean of students, D.J. Lopez; and a bunch of new teachers in the Math and Science Departments.
We look forward to the new year in the Lake Forest School District where we have just one focus – student success. See you soon.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
High School Building Transformation
Ready for use in this new school year are new additions for chorus and band, weight room, auxiliary gym, two classrooms, athletic trainer area and remodeled locker rooms. The fitness equipment for the weight room and cardio equipment will be arriving this week and it is our hope, in a month or so, to announce a plan for the public to pay a fee to have access to that equipment.
This spring, a new contract was let for renovations at the high school. That work began soon after the faculty was out of the building in June. These renovations will extend into the school year and won’t be completely done until next summer. They represent a significant change in the look of Lake Forest High.
Forty years ago, school designers built in flexible grouping options. We have ten classroms that were separated from each other by accordion-style partitions. The idea was the walls could be opened, joining 2 or 4 rooms for large group instruction. Teachers rarely, if ever, opened them and these partitions allowed a lot of sound to transfer between classrooms. So, all of the old folding partitions have been removed and replaced with conventional stud and drywall separations.
The art room, technology education rooms and family/consumer science rooms have all been gutted and are being remodeled. It is very likely that all of those spaces will not be finished when school starts, but our teachers are ready to make adjustments to hold class in alternative locations.
That ugly grey/white stucco and gravel combination that has been the exterior of the school all these years is being torn away as I write this. It will be replaced with brick. Yes, brick to match the newer sections of the school. All the windows will be replaced as well. The old ones were single pane and inefficient.
Finally, the interior courtyard will be roofed over with a blue, barrel roof to match our new additions. When that is complete, the interior walls that formed the hallways around the courtyard will be removed and a wonderful, naturally lighted atrium will appear. There will be a new entrance into the library from the atrium.
There are a few other small items in the works, but those are the biggies. We’ll be holding school around some construction crews for one more year, but when it’s done, it will be beautiful.
This spring, a new contract was let for renovations at the high school. That work began soon after the faculty was out of the building in June. These renovations will extend into the school year and won’t be completely done until next summer. They represent a significant change in the look of Lake Forest High.
Forty years ago, school designers built in flexible grouping options. We have ten classroms that were separated from each other by accordion-style partitions. The idea was the walls could be opened, joining 2 or 4 rooms for large group instruction. Teachers rarely, if ever, opened them and these partitions allowed a lot of sound to transfer between classrooms. So, all of the old folding partitions have been removed and replaced with conventional stud and drywall separations.
The art room, technology education rooms and family/consumer science rooms have all been gutted and are being remodeled. It is very likely that all of those spaces will not be finished when school starts, but our teachers are ready to make adjustments to hold class in alternative locations.
That ugly grey/white stucco and gravel combination that has been the exterior of the school all these years is being torn away as I write this. It will be replaced with brick. Yes, brick to match the newer sections of the school. All the windows will be replaced as well. The old ones were single pane and inefficient.
Finally, the interior courtyard will be roofed over with a blue, barrel roof to match our new additions. When that is complete, the interior walls that formed the hallways around the courtyard will be removed and a wonderful, naturally lighted atrium will appear. There will be a new entrance into the library from the atrium.
There are a few other small items in the works, but those are the biggies. We’ll be holding school around some construction crews for one more year, but when it’s done, it will be beautiful.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
A New Look for W.T.Chipman
One of our readers asked for a little more information on remodeling taking place in the schools this summer. I promised to provide that information in this space. Here’s what’s happening at W.T.Chipman Middle School.
As soon as the children and teachers were out of the building in June, a specially trained crew moved in to remove asbestos tiles in selected areas of the school. Many of our old buildings have asbestos floor tiles. They present no danger to staff or students as they are, but we’ve made it a policy to systematically remove those old tiles when we are remodeling sections of the building. These spaces, which include the cafeteria, are getting new floor tiles in a bright, clean blue and white pattern.
Old cabinets and storage units have been removed from the consumer science room, art room and band room. Those rooms will get new cabinets and countertops and in most cases new tile and paint. The consumer science room will get new appliances.
The library will get a face lift with new paint, carpet and furniture.
All hallway walls will have a new, textured, damage-resistant panel installed in two-lovely shades of blue along the lower half of the wall. The rest of the wall gets fresh paint and a contrasting blue stripe.
Old lockers have been torn out and are being replaced with new lockers – also in two shades of blue. They will have built-in locks and there will be more than enough lockers for each student to have his or her own private storage. The lockers should be big enough to hold a student backpack and winter coat.
The cafeteria will get a new exterior finish to match much of the metal siding that has been used in other remodeling of late. The parking lots have had a few inches of ancient black-top milled off. They will be paved and painted. The old tennis courts by the gym, that have been used for parking over the years, have been torn out and that area will be repaved as well.
A canopy will be installed at the main entrance to provide shelter for students who may arrive before the building is open or who may need to wait for a ride after a school activity.
We still await bids on a green house – with planned use by students from both Chipman at South; as well as an outdoor seating area next to the cafeteria.
All of this work, which was funded by a voter supported referendum in 2006, is expected to be complete within the next few weeks - just in time for the teachers to arrive. These are going to be some beautiful improvements on an old school that has always looked a little thread-bare. We think when you see it you’ll agree.
As soon as the children and teachers were out of the building in June, a specially trained crew moved in to remove asbestos tiles in selected areas of the school. Many of our old buildings have asbestos floor tiles. They present no danger to staff or students as they are, but we’ve made it a policy to systematically remove those old tiles when we are remodeling sections of the building. These spaces, which include the cafeteria, are getting new floor tiles in a bright, clean blue and white pattern.
Old cabinets and storage units have been removed from the consumer science room, art room and band room. Those rooms will get new cabinets and countertops and in most cases new tile and paint. The consumer science room will get new appliances.
The library will get a face lift with new paint, carpet and furniture.
All hallway walls will have a new, textured, damage-resistant panel installed in two-lovely shades of blue along the lower half of the wall. The rest of the wall gets fresh paint and a contrasting blue stripe.
Old lockers have been torn out and are being replaced with new lockers – also in two shades of blue. They will have built-in locks and there will be more than enough lockers for each student to have his or her own private storage. The lockers should be big enough to hold a student backpack and winter coat.
The cafeteria will get a new exterior finish to match much of the metal siding that has been used in other remodeling of late. The parking lots have had a few inches of ancient black-top milled off. They will be paved and painted. The old tennis courts by the gym, that have been used for parking over the years, have been torn out and that area will be repaved as well.
A canopy will be installed at the main entrance to provide shelter for students who may arrive before the building is open or who may need to wait for a ride after a school activity.
We still await bids on a green house – with planned use by students from both Chipman at South; as well as an outdoor seating area next to the cafeteria.
All of this work, which was funded by a voter supported referendum in 2006, is expected to be complete within the next few weeks - just in time for the teachers to arrive. These are going to be some beautiful improvements on an old school that has always looked a little thread-bare. We think when you see it you’ll agree.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Summer Work
The other day, while getting a haircut, I was asked if I worked in the summer. I used to get a little annoyed when people would ask me that.
Eventually I came to understand that although everyone has gone to school, their experiences generally have been limited to those that fall roughly between Labor Day and Memorial Day. Seems like they all assume that we all go home for the summer like the students and the teachers.
Not so. There is much to be done in the summer that compels school offices and district offices to remain open year round.
At the school level there is summer school; registering new students; organizing special summer learning experiences; interviewing new teachers; ordering supplies; breaking down end of year test results for planning purposes; scheduling; training and all sorts of planning for the coming year.
At the district level there is summer school; busing for some summer students; construction to manage; summer maintenance; vacancies to be posted and applications collected; closing out last year’s budget; opening this year’s budget; training programs; textbooks to order; vendors to be selected; and planning of all kinds for the coming year.
This summer in particular, we have some major remodeling going on at Lake Forest High School and W.T.Chipman Middle. Those places are torn up and the contractors are committed to a deadline to get out of the buildings before Labor Day.
This summer in particular, we have had some major administrator positions to fill. We’ve hired a new Supervisor for Child Nutrition who will manage the breakfast and lunch program. We’ve hired a new assistant principal for Lake Forest High School. We’re in the process of interviewing for a new Principal for East Elementary and a new Supervisor of Transportation.
This summer we had the additional burden of preparing a district plan for Race to the Top a multi-million dollar federal grant won by Delaware that will bring another $1.6 million into Lake Forest over the next four years. As you might imagine, we don’t get that money without a lot of planning, budgeting and paperwork.
So, there is much to do in any school district during the summer. We don’t all go home as soon as the last bus pulls out of the lot. Sure, it is the better time for year round employees to take some vacation. But we are spending each day getting ready for the first full day of school, which this year will be September 7. We are always open for business
Eventually I came to understand that although everyone has gone to school, their experiences generally have been limited to those that fall roughly between Labor Day and Memorial Day. Seems like they all assume that we all go home for the summer like the students and the teachers.
Not so. There is much to be done in the summer that compels school offices and district offices to remain open year round.
At the school level there is summer school; registering new students; organizing special summer learning experiences; interviewing new teachers; ordering supplies; breaking down end of year test results for planning purposes; scheduling; training and all sorts of planning for the coming year.
At the district level there is summer school; busing for some summer students; construction to manage; summer maintenance; vacancies to be posted and applications collected; closing out last year’s budget; opening this year’s budget; training programs; textbooks to order; vendors to be selected; and planning of all kinds for the coming year.
This summer in particular, we have some major remodeling going on at Lake Forest High School and W.T.Chipman Middle. Those places are torn up and the contractors are committed to a deadline to get out of the buildings before Labor Day.
This summer in particular, we have had some major administrator positions to fill. We’ve hired a new Supervisor for Child Nutrition who will manage the breakfast and lunch program. We’ve hired a new assistant principal for Lake Forest High School. We’re in the process of interviewing for a new Principal for East Elementary and a new Supervisor of Transportation.
This summer we had the additional burden of preparing a district plan for Race to the Top a multi-million dollar federal grant won by Delaware that will bring another $1.6 million into Lake Forest over the next four years. As you might imagine, we don’t get that money without a lot of planning, budgeting and paperwork.
So, there is much to do in any school district during the summer. We don’t all go home as soon as the last bus pulls out of the lot. Sure, it is the better time for year round employees to take some vacation. But we are spending each day getting ready for the first full day of school, which this year will be September 7. We are always open for business
Friday, June 18, 2010
Race to the Top - R2T
You may have heard something about Delaware’s Race to the Top which is sometimes coded as R2T. Delaware was one of only 2 states to be funded under this new competitive federal grant. Delaware has won more than $100 million to make some radical changes in public education.
There are 12 separate initiatives in the state’s plan and each district and charter school has agreed to participate. The Delaware State Education Association – the teachers union – is on board as well, which is one of the critical pieces that led to our funding.
Lake Forest is in line to get more than $1.5 million out of this grant over the next 4 years. But there are strings attached – there always are strings.
I won’t go into detail about the multi-page plan we’ve just submitted. (Working on this plan at the same time that we’re closing out school may be the reason I haven’t posted on this blog for awhile.) I would like to tell you about a couple of things.
First is this new idea that the state expects all districts to do. We must find a time for all teachers to have 90 minutes each week to collaborate with each other. The research is clear – student achievement goes up when teachers are given time to write curriculum together, develop lesson plans together, write tests together and confer on what to do to help struggling students. We must devise a way for High School English teachers to meet with High School English teachers; for 1st grade teachers to meet with other 1st grade teachers; for math teachers at Chipman to meet, etc. Of course we can’t ask folks to do this on their own time and expect them to participate. It will have to be during the work day, which is a major scheduling challenge.
We’ll get it done, but the high school schedule will be a problem. So, here’s how we’ll do it at the high school next year. One day each week, students will come to school late. We did this about 13 times last year and it worked out OK, but R2T expects it weekly. We’ll pick a day, maybe Wednesday, and throughout the school year, as long as it is a five day week, students will come to school late on Wednesday. All other schools will be able to get it done without affecting the student schedule.
Here’re a couple of other plans that may be unique to Lake Forest. We hope they’ll truly make a difference in student success:
• Summer home visits for many 6th and 9th grade students and their families to go over what is expected and to talk about college and career planning.
• Home visits with families of new borns in the district to share information about how children develop, the importance of reading to children, language development and creative play. This is expected to help children be better ready for kindergarten.
• Training teachers on the new national curriculum.
• Writing lesson plans for first year teachers to use. The good lesson plan can make a difference in both teacher and student success. Why not give new teachers some proven plans?
It’s going to be an interesting experience. Stay tuned for more on R2T.
There are 12 separate initiatives in the state’s plan and each district and charter school has agreed to participate. The Delaware State Education Association – the teachers union – is on board as well, which is one of the critical pieces that led to our funding.
Lake Forest is in line to get more than $1.5 million out of this grant over the next 4 years. But there are strings attached – there always are strings.
I won’t go into detail about the multi-page plan we’ve just submitted. (Working on this plan at the same time that we’re closing out school may be the reason I haven’t posted on this blog for awhile.) I would like to tell you about a couple of things.
First is this new idea that the state expects all districts to do. We must find a time for all teachers to have 90 minutes each week to collaborate with each other. The research is clear – student achievement goes up when teachers are given time to write curriculum together, develop lesson plans together, write tests together and confer on what to do to help struggling students. We must devise a way for High School English teachers to meet with High School English teachers; for 1st grade teachers to meet with other 1st grade teachers; for math teachers at Chipman to meet, etc. Of course we can’t ask folks to do this on their own time and expect them to participate. It will have to be during the work day, which is a major scheduling challenge.
We’ll get it done, but the high school schedule will be a problem. So, here’s how we’ll do it at the high school next year. One day each week, students will come to school late. We did this about 13 times last year and it worked out OK, but R2T expects it weekly. We’ll pick a day, maybe Wednesday, and throughout the school year, as long as it is a five day week, students will come to school late on Wednesday. All other schools will be able to get it done without affecting the student schedule.
Here’re a couple of other plans that may be unique to Lake Forest. We hope they’ll truly make a difference in student success:
• Summer home visits for many 6th and 9th grade students and their families to go over what is expected and to talk about college and career planning.
• Home visits with families of new borns in the district to share information about how children develop, the importance of reading to children, language development and creative play. This is expected to help children be better ready for kindergarten.
• Training teachers on the new national curriculum.
• Writing lesson plans for first year teachers to use. The good lesson plan can make a difference in both teacher and student success. Why not give new teachers some proven plans?
It’s going to be an interesting experience. Stay tuned for more on R2T.
Friday, May 14, 2010
A Diverse Community
Limo and lunch with the superintendent – that’s the latest little prize we’ve been offering to the schools for students who have been doing well.
With the generous donation of a limo driven by Danny Aguilar of Racing Limos of Dover, each school this year was given the opportunity to identify nine students and one teacher to go to lunch with the superintendent. It’s been a real treat for me, I assure you, and the kids seem to enjoy it, too.
Recently it was the high school’s turn. Karen Williams, Lake Forest Teacher of the Year joined us. The students were randomly selected from hundreds who had earned various recognitions throughout the year. There were only eight - someone was absent. They were quiet when I first met them in the lobby. Since they were randomly chosen, they weren’t all friends.
But, during the ride to Frederica Pizza, with a little help from Mrs. Williams, we were able to get them talking. Some just about talked my head off.
To me, the most interesting part of the day, was the diversity of the group. From those eight randomly selected students there were at least 4 languages spoken at home. Three of the students were not born in the U.S.
I think many people see Lake Forest as a mostly white community, made up of students with family roots in agriculture. We are 25% African American. But, the growth of the last few years has brought a greater variety of folks from around the country and around the world.
There was Teresa, born in Italy of African parents. She recently won an award for her writing and she organized the talent show held this week at Lake Forest High School.
There was Melvin, son of a minister, who moved here two years ago from Guatemala with little or no English. Now he helps teachers translate for our newest Spanish-speaking students.
There was Ashwini, born in India, who educated me on Indian culture and the variety of languages spoken there. This girl can talk!
The others were Earl, Antwone, Nate, Amanda and Kristina. Each of them special in his or her own way. Each named student of the month or otherwise recognized for his or her good works at school. Each, like most every other high school kid, simultaneously sure of what he wants to do in the short term and equally unsure of what she wants to do in the long term.
This community is changing. We celebrate the diverse community that is Lake Forest. It is what makes us special.
With the generous donation of a limo driven by Danny Aguilar of Racing Limos of Dover, each school this year was given the opportunity to identify nine students and one teacher to go to lunch with the superintendent. It’s been a real treat for me, I assure you, and the kids seem to enjoy it, too.
Recently it was the high school’s turn. Karen Williams, Lake Forest Teacher of the Year joined us. The students were randomly selected from hundreds who had earned various recognitions throughout the year. There were only eight - someone was absent. They were quiet when I first met them in the lobby. Since they were randomly chosen, they weren’t all friends.
But, during the ride to Frederica Pizza, with a little help from Mrs. Williams, we were able to get them talking. Some just about talked my head off.
To me, the most interesting part of the day, was the diversity of the group. From those eight randomly selected students there were at least 4 languages spoken at home. Three of the students were not born in the U.S.
I think many people see Lake Forest as a mostly white community, made up of students with family roots in agriculture. We are 25% African American. But, the growth of the last few years has brought a greater variety of folks from around the country and around the world.
There was Teresa, born in Italy of African parents. She recently won an award for her writing and she organized the talent show held this week at Lake Forest High School.
There was Melvin, son of a minister, who moved here two years ago from Guatemala with little or no English. Now he helps teachers translate for our newest Spanish-speaking students.
There was Ashwini, born in India, who educated me on Indian culture and the variety of languages spoken there. This girl can talk!
The others were Earl, Antwone, Nate, Amanda and Kristina. Each of them special in his or her own way. Each named student of the month or otherwise recognized for his or her good works at school. Each, like most every other high school kid, simultaneously sure of what he wants to do in the short term and equally unsure of what she wants to do in the long term.
This community is changing. We celebrate the diverse community that is Lake Forest. It is what makes us special.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Music in our Schools
In high school and college I sang in the choir. It was one of my favorite extra-curricular activities. As I told my football playing buddies, “There are no girls at football practice.”
That’s why I was really disappointed to learn, when I came to Lake Forest in 2003, that after 6th grade our children had no opportunity to sing. Band was the only musical offering through middle and high school. Singing in the choir brings in a whole bunch more kids with music in their heart, without the expense of the instrument. I can confirm that most singers continue to enjoy singing long into adulthood.
We’ve only had one faculty music position at LFHS and that person has always been expected to be a band person. Only in recent years have we pushed for the band teacher to also teach choir. The music program at the high school level has struggled to maintain good numbers, perhaps because we’ve been through 4 band teachers in the last seven years. We’ve had some great students and active band boosters who have hung in there and done their best because of their love of music, but I know the frequent changes have sometimes left them frustrated.
So, it’s time for some changes. Here’s the plan for next school year. We’ll have two part-time music people at LFHS. One will teach chorus the other will teach band. The good thing about it is, the teachers will be well known to the students and parents.
The chorus teacher will be Mark Teesdale, former Delaware Teacher of the Year, who has been teaching choir to students at Central Elementary for years. He’ll start each day with a couple of periods at LFHS. Then he’ll go across the street to finish his day at Central.
The band teacher will be Joe Baione, who has been teaching beginning band for many years at Central. He will continue to teach the beginners at Central and two periods a day will teach jazz band and concert band at LFHS. Note I say concert band, not marching band.
Marching band will be offered as an after school extra-curricular activity and it will be taught by someone other than Mr. Baione. This will be a little controversial I know. Some students who play sports will not be able to be in the marching band. Then again, there may be students who don’t want to take the class who will love band as an after school activity.
That’s why I was really disappointed to learn, when I came to Lake Forest in 2003, that after 6th grade our children had no opportunity to sing. Band was the only musical offering through middle and high school. Singing in the choir brings in a whole bunch more kids with music in their heart, without the expense of the instrument. I can confirm that most singers continue to enjoy singing long into adulthood.
We’ve only had one faculty music position at LFHS and that person has always been expected to be a band person. Only in recent years have we pushed for the band teacher to also teach choir. The music program at the high school level has struggled to maintain good numbers, perhaps because we’ve been through 4 band teachers in the last seven years. We’ve had some great students and active band boosters who have hung in there and done their best because of their love of music, but I know the frequent changes have sometimes left them frustrated.
So, it’s time for some changes. Here’s the plan for next school year. We’ll have two part-time music people at LFHS. One will teach chorus the other will teach band. The good thing about it is, the teachers will be well known to the students and parents.
The chorus teacher will be Mark Teesdale, former Delaware Teacher of the Year, who has been teaching choir to students at Central Elementary for years. He’ll start each day with a couple of periods at LFHS. Then he’ll go across the street to finish his day at Central.
The band teacher will be Joe Baione, who has been teaching beginning band for many years at Central. He will continue to teach the beginners at Central and two periods a day will teach jazz band and concert band at LFHS. Note I say concert band, not marching band.
Marching band will be offered as an after school extra-curricular activity and it will be taught by someone other than Mr. Baione. This will be a little controversial I know. Some students who play sports will not be able to be in the marching band. Then again, there may be students who don’t want to take the class who will love band as an after school activity.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Wild Winter Causes Calendar Changes
That was some winter, huh? Gosh it’s good to see the sun shine and the flowers blooming and the grass turning green. We missed about 9 days of school altogether, plus we had 3 delays and one early dismissal. Since 4 of the days were under a “state of emergency” we will not be required to make them up. We also bank a little extra time each day, so we don’t need to make up every lost day.
So, we’re going to make up two snow days. Students will now go to school all day on June 10, 11 and 14. Monday the 14th will be the last day for kids. Tuesday June 15th will be the last day for teachers. Report cards will be mailed.
Summer school will be scaled back again. All summer school classes – elementary, middle and high school - will be held at Central Elementary. High school summer school will be drastically scaled back. Only seniors will get a chance to recover failed core classes.
Many call and ask when school will start next year. The answer is very late. We have some major remodeling projects planned for Lake Forest High School and W.T.Chipman. To maximize the summer construction period, we will not begin school for students until Tuesday, September 7 – following Labor Day.
So, we’re going to make up two snow days. Students will now go to school all day on June 10, 11 and 14. Monday the 14th will be the last day for kids. Tuesday June 15th will be the last day for teachers. Report cards will be mailed.
Summer school will be scaled back again. All summer school classes – elementary, middle and high school - will be held at Central Elementary. High school summer school will be drastically scaled back. Only seniors will get a chance to recover failed core classes.
Many call and ask when school will start next year. The answer is very late. We have some major remodeling projects planned for Lake Forest High School and W.T.Chipman. To maximize the summer construction period, we will not begin school for students until Tuesday, September 7 – following Labor Day.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Heard it Through the Grapevine
We’re going to try a new angle on this social media idea by offering up a place where you can find out everything you ever wanted to know about Lake Forest Schools but were afraid to ask.
I heard recently that among the parents of a certain school district somewhere in the USA, rumors started going around that the school was going to offer coffee for sale to students. That story spread like wildfire through the bleachers, the grocery lines, the churches and anywhere else folks gathered. An angry mob showed up at the next meeting of the local board of education armed with all sorts of research to prove it was a bad idea. Of course they were chagrinned to learn that there was no plan and no discussion of serving coffee to students.
Of course if any one of them had just called a principal or the superintendent’s office they might have found out sooner that there was no truth to the story. But they didn’t.
We know that no matter how well we communicate, rumors still persist. And sometimes, those sharing the rumors may themselves think, “Oh, that’s ridiculous. There’s probably nothing to it. But what if….?” It might sound so silly that they are embarrassed to ask.
So, the new Spartan Grapevine blog is a place to ask any question. Ask it anonymously if you like. The question will be sent to the appropriate Lake Forest staff person to answer it. Then both the question and the answer will be posted for all to see.
So, if you have a question that you’d like to post on the Spartan Grapevine just go to www.spartangrapevine.blogspot.com and enter your question in the comment section. We promise that within a few days you’ll see your question and the answer.
I heard recently that among the parents of a certain school district somewhere in the USA, rumors started going around that the school was going to offer coffee for sale to students. That story spread like wildfire through the bleachers, the grocery lines, the churches and anywhere else folks gathered. An angry mob showed up at the next meeting of the local board of education armed with all sorts of research to prove it was a bad idea. Of course they were chagrinned to learn that there was no plan and no discussion of serving coffee to students.
Of course if any one of them had just called a principal or the superintendent’s office they might have found out sooner that there was no truth to the story. But they didn’t.
We know that no matter how well we communicate, rumors still persist. And sometimes, those sharing the rumors may themselves think, “Oh, that’s ridiculous. There’s probably nothing to it. But what if….?” It might sound so silly that they are embarrassed to ask.
So, the new Spartan Grapevine blog is a place to ask any question. Ask it anonymously if you like. The question will be sent to the appropriate Lake Forest staff person to answer it. Then both the question and the answer will be posted for all to see.
So, if you have a question that you’d like to post on the Spartan Grapevine just go to www.spartangrapevine.blogspot.com and enter your question in the comment section. We promise that within a few days you’ll see your question and the answer.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Testifying in Washington, D.C.
I recently had the honor of being asked by the American Association of School Administrators to testify before the Congressional Sub-Committee on reauthorization of what is known as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Congressman Castle is senior minority member of that committee and he and his staff helped me out a lot with understanding the process – kept me from getting too scared. I was asked to speak on the important issues for rural school districts in ESEA. If you go to the committee site at http://edlabor.house.gov/hearings/ecese/ and click on the archives button for March 18 you’ll be able to see the web cast and a full copy of my written testimony. What follows is a summary of that testimony.
Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education
Committee on Education and Labor
March 18, 2010
SUMMARY
Testimony of Dr. Daniel Curry, Superintendent
Lake Forest School District, Kent County Delaware
I come today to speak on behalf or rural school districts. I have been a superintendent for 22 years in West Virginia and Delaware. In my testimony I will make the following key points about the nature of rural districts:
• Rural school districts are by definition poor with little in the way of property value that adds to the tax base.
• Rural districts, due to geographic isolation, often find it difficult to attract new professionals.
• Rural districts, with necessarily small schools, must give teacher multiple assignments which leads challenges when it comes to federally required Highly Qualified teachers.
• Qualified teachers in Math, Science and Special Education are hard to find.
• Rural districts generally have small, often shared central office staff members who wear multiple hats.
• Rural districts don’t often have individuals dedicated to grant writing.
• Tech support is often home-grown.
Reauthorization of ESEA and rural school districts:
• ESEA funding is and always has been crucial to student success in rural areas.
• Formula funding, based upon poverty rates is the fairest means of distribution of ESEA funds.
• Making ESEA funding competitive would only broaden the gap between the haves and the have-nots.
• Gauge student progress through measuring growth.
• Gauge special education student progress on growth as measured through their I.E.P..
• There is nothing special about special education if they are held to the same achievement standard as all other students, when by definition they are struggling learners.
• Small schools can easily have student performance measures skewed by the performance of just a couple of students.
• Graduation rates should be calculated on the number of students who successfully complete the high school program no matter how many years it takes.
Finally, on behalf of the 6000 school districts which depend upon the funds provided by the Rural Education Achievement Program, I urge your support of HR 2446 and reauthorize REAP.
Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education
Committee on Education and Labor
March 18, 2010
SUMMARY
Testimony of Dr. Daniel Curry, Superintendent
Lake Forest School District, Kent County Delaware
I come today to speak on behalf or rural school districts. I have been a superintendent for 22 years in West Virginia and Delaware. In my testimony I will make the following key points about the nature of rural districts:
• Rural school districts are by definition poor with little in the way of property value that adds to the tax base.
• Rural districts, due to geographic isolation, often find it difficult to attract new professionals.
• Rural districts, with necessarily small schools, must give teacher multiple assignments which leads challenges when it comes to federally required Highly Qualified teachers.
• Qualified teachers in Math, Science and Special Education are hard to find.
• Rural districts generally have small, often shared central office staff members who wear multiple hats.
• Rural districts don’t often have individuals dedicated to grant writing.
• Tech support is often home-grown.
Reauthorization of ESEA and rural school districts:
• ESEA funding is and always has been crucial to student success in rural areas.
• Formula funding, based upon poverty rates is the fairest means of distribution of ESEA funds.
• Making ESEA funding competitive would only broaden the gap between the haves and the have-nots.
• Gauge student progress through measuring growth.
• Gauge special education student progress on growth as measured through their I.E.P..
• There is nothing special about special education if they are held to the same achievement standard as all other students, when by definition they are struggling learners.
• Small schools can easily have student performance measures skewed by the performance of just a couple of students.
• Graduation rates should be calculated on the number of students who successfully complete the high school program no matter how many years it takes.
Finally, on behalf of the 6000 school districts which depend upon the funds provided by the Rural Education Achievement Program, I urge your support of HR 2446 and reauthorize REAP.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
A Country School in Paraguay
Last week I posted a story about my adventures in rural Paraguay. Although we gather numerous stories from once-in-a-lifetime adventures, I’ll not attempt to put them all in writing for this spot. I must share with you, though, what I was able to see of a rural Paraguayan school.
One of the Peace Corps volunteers in my daughter’s rural community is named Greg. Greg lives in a school in the campo. He has a small two room apartment, a kitchen the size of a closet and a bathroom with no toilet. His cook stove works on bottle gas and when we visited, he had been out of gas for a week. He was cooking on a brick oven in an attached shed.
One of the basic rules of Peace Corps assignment is that the volunteers are provided with a sufficient living allowance to live at the same standard as their community. They are provided health care support at the American standard but they cannot afford to live at an “American standard” when it comes to housing, food and transportation.
So, Greg lives in his little place and one of his assignments is to help the school in any way he can. He found their meager supplies were in disarray and stored in broken, unsecured cabinets, so he built storage cabinets for the school.
He found there were limited ancient texts and virtually no library books, so he started a campaign to raise money and seek donations of books. I delivered to him 55children’s books in Spanish that my wife and I bought from one of the companies that does book fairs in the schools.
It was summer in Paraguay, but school was scheduled to start this week. Cow’s grazed through the yard. A little boy and an old man, came to get them around noon to take them to shade and water. Greg told me that by tradition, during the first week of school, the students and the teachers clean and paint.
Greg took me into the director’s office (principal’s office) to show me the cabinets he built and the beginnings of the library he was putting together. I noticed a hand made poster on the wall. The poster was labeled “Caracteristicas del Director”. Listed on this colorful poster, which was obviously the product of a group activity at some workshop, I read that the director is: Lider, Profesional, Responsable, Orientador, Democratico, Conciliador, Respetuoso and Cortes.
It was clear that, although this school is located far down a red dirt road in poverty filled rural Paraguay, that someone had invested in staff development for the director to make him a better director. It just goes to show you, no matter where you go, people do want to get better. No matter how poor, they don’t want to be poor for ever. No matter how limited the resources of the school, the director had a vision to become a better director. And even if it means, we all help to clean the school, the beginning of school is an exciting time no matter where you live.
In fact, as a special event prior to the opening of school, the director invited Greg to his house to eat pigs head. Gee, I’m sorry I missed that.
One of the Peace Corps volunteers in my daughter’s rural community is named Greg. Greg lives in a school in the campo. He has a small two room apartment, a kitchen the size of a closet and a bathroom with no toilet. His cook stove works on bottle gas and when we visited, he had been out of gas for a week. He was cooking on a brick oven in an attached shed.
One of the basic rules of Peace Corps assignment is that the volunteers are provided with a sufficient living allowance to live at the same standard as their community. They are provided health care support at the American standard but they cannot afford to live at an “American standard” when it comes to housing, food and transportation.
So, Greg lives in his little place and one of his assignments is to help the school in any way he can. He found their meager supplies were in disarray and stored in broken, unsecured cabinets, so he built storage cabinets for the school.
He found there were limited ancient texts and virtually no library books, so he started a campaign to raise money and seek donations of books. I delivered to him 55children’s books in Spanish that my wife and I bought from one of the companies that does book fairs in the schools.
It was summer in Paraguay, but school was scheduled to start this week. Cow’s grazed through the yard. A little boy and an old man, came to get them around noon to take them to shade and water. Greg told me that by tradition, during the first week of school, the students and the teachers clean and paint.
Greg took me into the director’s office (principal’s office) to show me the cabinets he built and the beginnings of the library he was putting together. I noticed a hand made poster on the wall. The poster was labeled “Caracteristicas del Director”. Listed on this colorful poster, which was obviously the product of a group activity at some workshop, I read that the director is: Lider, Profesional, Responsable, Orientador, Democratico, Conciliador, Respetuoso and Cortes.
It was clear that, although this school is located far down a red dirt road in poverty filled rural Paraguay, that someone had invested in staff development for the director to make him a better director. It just goes to show you, no matter where you go, people do want to get better. No matter how poor, they don’t want to be poor for ever. No matter how limited the resources of the school, the director had a vision to become a better director. And even if it means, we all help to clean the school, the beginning of school is an exciting time no matter where you live.
In fact, as a special event prior to the opening of school, the director invited Greg to his house to eat pigs head. Gee, I’m sorry I missed that.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Another World
Last week I played hooky from school. As it turned out, I didn’t miss much – more snow days and two 2 hour delays.
I took a long overdue vacation trip to see my little girl Betsy. She graduated from college in May of 2007 and that June headed to Paraguay to honor her plan to serve in the Peace Corps. She signed on for an extra year as a coordinator and presently lives in the capital city of Asuncion. Her first two years were spent on assignment in the “campo” which translates to “out in the sticks”, where she was to assist the farm co-op and others with economic development.
She has been home once in 2 ½ years and will finish her obligation in September. I thought I owed it to her, before she leaves South America, to see first hand the life she has been living and the community she served. I wanted to personally thank the man and woman who served as her surrogate parents in the campo, Pablino and Racquel, for looking after my little girl.
After 3 planes and 29 hours of travel time I finally arrived in Asuncion.
I rented a car at the airport and after a good nights sleep, we headed to the campo. Betsy had organized a cookout to be held at her host parent’s home and we were in charge of picking up other Peace Corps volunteers who would be attending. We drove around 200 kilometers on a good highway to get from the city to the San Pedro district that was home to these folks.
Then it was time to round up the kids (as I call the volunteers – all in their 20s). Now I have fished some of the most remote trout streams of West Virginia. For 13 years I lived and worked in the most sparsely populated school district east of the Mississippi where the student population averaged 1.5 kids per square mile. I have never traveled dirt roads like this.
There were no rocks to speak of, just dusty red dirt. The base seemed solid enough and although there were ruts and washouts, there was plenty of traffic. There were lots of motorbikes, a few cars and trucks, and plenty of horse and ox carts. In what seemed like a 15 mile loop I picked up 3 kids, each at their little two room shacks, delivered them to the host family’s house and repeated the process once again on another network of dusty red roads to collect 4 more.
While we enjoyed a nice barbecue of tough Brahman beef it started to rain. It rained all afternoon. Eventually Betsy suggested we start taking the kids home, because it was well known that the public buses these folks depended on to get out to more populated areas, never run when it rains. Maybe that’s because driving on these red dirt roads gets treacherous when wet. I learned that was true.
My rental car was a well used Ford Explorer and it was questionable if the 4 wheel drive was functional. After 2 nail biting hours of slipping and slopping through the soup, I managed to get all the kids delivered back to their little cabins safely. We were just a mile from the hard road when a truck with a top heavy load of pineapples stopped in front of me. I eased around it, found myself on a severely sloped shoulder and in seconds we were hung up - immobile in the side ditch with only one wheel actually touching the road.
The rain had finally stopped and as we stepped out of the car and into the road we learned just how greasy slick that red dirt had become.
This whole experience will lead to a couple of stories worth sharing in the weeks to come, but let me close this one out by saying the Paraguan people are kind and generous. Many offered shelter while we awaited rescue. One truck tried to pull us free using an ancient rope offered by one of the neighbors. The rope broke twice. We offered to pay for the rope, but they laughed and said it was a grandfather rope with no strength left in it.
I would still be standing in that ditch with a forlorn look on my face if not for ol’ John Deere. That’s right. The local farm co-op owns a big green John Deere tractor and eventually Pablino came along and snatched us out of that hole. While watching that big green machine come over the hill, I couldn’t have felt any more rescued than if I were watching the arrival of the U. S. Marines. Memories of Paraguay will stay with me for a long, long time.
I took a long overdue vacation trip to see my little girl Betsy. She graduated from college in May of 2007 and that June headed to Paraguay to honor her plan to serve in the Peace Corps. She signed on for an extra year as a coordinator and presently lives in the capital city of Asuncion. Her first two years were spent on assignment in the “campo” which translates to “out in the sticks”, where she was to assist the farm co-op and others with economic development.
She has been home once in 2 ½ years and will finish her obligation in September. I thought I owed it to her, before she leaves South America, to see first hand the life she has been living and the community she served. I wanted to personally thank the man and woman who served as her surrogate parents in the campo, Pablino and Racquel, for looking after my little girl.
After 3 planes and 29 hours of travel time I finally arrived in Asuncion.
I rented a car at the airport and after a good nights sleep, we headed to the campo. Betsy had organized a cookout to be held at her host parent’s home and we were in charge of picking up other Peace Corps volunteers who would be attending. We drove around 200 kilometers on a good highway to get from the city to the San Pedro district that was home to these folks.
Then it was time to round up the kids (as I call the volunteers – all in their 20s). Now I have fished some of the most remote trout streams of West Virginia. For 13 years I lived and worked in the most sparsely populated school district east of the Mississippi where the student population averaged 1.5 kids per square mile. I have never traveled dirt roads like this.
There were no rocks to speak of, just dusty red dirt. The base seemed solid enough and although there were ruts and washouts, there was plenty of traffic. There were lots of motorbikes, a few cars and trucks, and plenty of horse and ox carts. In what seemed like a 15 mile loop I picked up 3 kids, each at their little two room shacks, delivered them to the host family’s house and repeated the process once again on another network of dusty red roads to collect 4 more.
While we enjoyed a nice barbecue of tough Brahman beef it started to rain. It rained all afternoon. Eventually Betsy suggested we start taking the kids home, because it was well known that the public buses these folks depended on to get out to more populated areas, never run when it rains. Maybe that’s because driving on these red dirt roads gets treacherous when wet. I learned that was true.
My rental car was a well used Ford Explorer and it was questionable if the 4 wheel drive was functional. After 2 nail biting hours of slipping and slopping through the soup, I managed to get all the kids delivered back to their little cabins safely. We were just a mile from the hard road when a truck with a top heavy load of pineapples stopped in front of me. I eased around it, found myself on a severely sloped shoulder and in seconds we were hung up - immobile in the side ditch with only one wheel actually touching the road.
The rain had finally stopped and as we stepped out of the car and into the road we learned just how greasy slick that red dirt had become.
This whole experience will lead to a couple of stories worth sharing in the weeks to come, but let me close this one out by saying the Paraguan people are kind and generous. Many offered shelter while we awaited rescue. One truck tried to pull us free using an ancient rope offered by one of the neighbors. The rope broke twice. We offered to pay for the rope, but they laughed and said it was a grandfather rope with no strength left in it.
I would still be standing in that ditch with a forlorn look on my face if not for ol’ John Deere. That’s right. The local farm co-op owns a big green John Deere tractor and eventually Pablino came along and snatched us out of that hole. While watching that big green machine come over the hill, I couldn’t have felt any more rescued than if I were watching the arrival of the U. S. Marines. Memories of Paraguay will stay with me for a long, long time.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Bullying and other issues
The other day I asked Doug Brown, Principal at W. T. Chipman, to identify for me the areas in which middle school children have the hardest time doing the right thing. He didn’t hesitate. He described two issues:
1. Bullying and
2. Speaking appropriately to the opposite sex
Bullying has been around for a long time, but only in the past few decades have we begun to understand the potential damage. School shooters and other criminals who have acted in revenge have claimed to be victims of bullying.
Middle school kids are the worst for being mean to each other. What might begin as light hearted teasing can turn into mean spirited bashing. Children are very sensitive at this age. Big boys physically, might still be little boys emotionally. If they cry when they get upset, their peers can be merciless. Any child who is a little different can become a target to everyone.
A bully is not necessarily big and strong. A bully is simply someone who makes fun or picks on those who are not like him or her. If they’re not in your group, you might make fun of them. As Mr. Brown says, “They believe they’re not hurting someone because they’re not hitting.” But they do hurt each. The hurt goes deep and can leave scars.
The inappropriate relating to the opposite sex is closely related to the bullying.
Remember when you were that age? It is awkward.
Girls start to mature physically before the boys and things start to blossom. Boys notice and before you know it, they’re making some sort of observation out loud. They may make fun of what their seeing. They may try to touch. This is demeaning and hurtful to the girls. Of course, all such behavior is inappropriate and school officials do apply consequences.
Today’s media exposes children to a lot of interplay and social intercourse that most adults would not engage in. Songs refer to women in derogatory terms, music videos are full of sexy scenes and dances appear to be similar to the act of procreation except the clothes are left on. Clothing styles are often skin tight with lots of cleavage. In spite of the fact that most children do not live in homes where that behavior is celebrated, they often attempt to act that way when they are with each other.
As parents, it is important to be cognizant of the fact that children learn how men and women should relate to each other from the role models around them. Please keep that in mind next time you disagree or the next time one of you messes up. The children are always watching and they learn how to handle life from your example.
1. Bullying and
2. Speaking appropriately to the opposite sex
Bullying has been around for a long time, but only in the past few decades have we begun to understand the potential damage. School shooters and other criminals who have acted in revenge have claimed to be victims of bullying.
Middle school kids are the worst for being mean to each other. What might begin as light hearted teasing can turn into mean spirited bashing. Children are very sensitive at this age. Big boys physically, might still be little boys emotionally. If they cry when they get upset, their peers can be merciless. Any child who is a little different can become a target to everyone.
A bully is not necessarily big and strong. A bully is simply someone who makes fun or picks on those who are not like him or her. If they’re not in your group, you might make fun of them. As Mr. Brown says, “They believe they’re not hurting someone because they’re not hitting.” But they do hurt each. The hurt goes deep and can leave scars.
The inappropriate relating to the opposite sex is closely related to the bullying.
Remember when you were that age? It is awkward.
Girls start to mature physically before the boys and things start to blossom. Boys notice and before you know it, they’re making some sort of observation out loud. They may make fun of what their seeing. They may try to touch. This is demeaning and hurtful to the girls. Of course, all such behavior is inappropriate and school officials do apply consequences.
Today’s media exposes children to a lot of interplay and social intercourse that most adults would not engage in. Songs refer to women in derogatory terms, music videos are full of sexy scenes and dances appear to be similar to the act of procreation except the clothes are left on. Clothing styles are often skin tight with lots of cleavage. In spite of the fact that most children do not live in homes where that behavior is celebrated, they often attempt to act that way when they are with each other.
As parents, it is important to be cognizant of the fact that children learn how men and women should relate to each other from the role models around them. Please keep that in mind next time you disagree or the next time one of you messes up. The children are always watching and they learn how to handle life from your example.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Why Alternative Schools?
Every year, as part of our United Way promotion, we put the names of all of our United Way donors into a hat and draw out a name. The winner gets a free day off with me as the substitute. This year’s winner is John Crockett who teaches the Twilight Program at Lake Forest High School. I’ll be filling that order soon.
Twilight is what we call an “alternative” to regular school. When Twilight was first created under the guidance of retired Principal, Dr. Betty Wyatt-Dix, it ran from 2:30 to 6pm each day. The room is set up like a computer lab. Students assigned to that program have available to them the entire high school curriculum on the computers in that classroom. That program has received several awards.
Over the years students have been assigned to that program during the regular school day as well. Some are there to retake a class they failed. Others are there for remediation. I am sure that Twilight has saved many a student from dropping out.
PEAK is another alternative for our high school kids. PEAK is operated for all Kent County and serves many of our discipline problems. Unfortunately they won’t take a student who has brought a weapon or drugs to school. There is limited capacity there and when we send them to PEAK, we lose contact with them. Unfortunately, I wish we had more. Not more Twilight and PEAK programs, more alternative programs.
High school today looks a lot like it did 50-70 years ago. Bells ring and students take classes that the community feels are important to future careers. Kids play sports, sing in the choir or build things in the shop. Sure there’s more technology and more choices, but it’s still much the same as most of us remember it.
Thing is, there are children who don’t do well in that environment. For some it is too crowded. For others, demands at home prevent them from having any interest in the social aspects of school. Some have got in trouble and PEAK won’t take them. Some just can’t seem to get out of bed. Others might need to work for self support or to support a family that has begun way to soon. Yes, some have babies.
That’s why I’d like to see the state someday invest in more alternatives. Some need a boot camp environment. Some need a small, sensitive environment. Some need a part time schedule and some need a full time schedule that starts at noon. The one thing they all have in common – they want to know that there is someone who cares about them. Some find that out easily enough.
But for others, we have to hope that we find them and let them know we care for them, long before they drop out. Because if we don’t. We’ll be caring for them the rest of their lives.
Twilight is what we call an “alternative” to regular school. When Twilight was first created under the guidance of retired Principal, Dr. Betty Wyatt-Dix, it ran from 2:30 to 6pm each day. The room is set up like a computer lab. Students assigned to that program have available to them the entire high school curriculum on the computers in that classroom. That program has received several awards.
Over the years students have been assigned to that program during the regular school day as well. Some are there to retake a class they failed. Others are there for remediation. I am sure that Twilight has saved many a student from dropping out.
PEAK is another alternative for our high school kids. PEAK is operated for all Kent County and serves many of our discipline problems. Unfortunately they won’t take a student who has brought a weapon or drugs to school. There is limited capacity there and when we send them to PEAK, we lose contact with them. Unfortunately, I wish we had more. Not more Twilight and PEAK programs, more alternative programs.
High school today looks a lot like it did 50-70 years ago. Bells ring and students take classes that the community feels are important to future careers. Kids play sports, sing in the choir or build things in the shop. Sure there’s more technology and more choices, but it’s still much the same as most of us remember it.
Thing is, there are children who don’t do well in that environment. For some it is too crowded. For others, demands at home prevent them from having any interest in the social aspects of school. Some have got in trouble and PEAK won’t take them. Some just can’t seem to get out of bed. Others might need to work for self support or to support a family that has begun way to soon. Yes, some have babies.
That’s why I’d like to see the state someday invest in more alternatives. Some need a boot camp environment. Some need a small, sensitive environment. Some need a part time schedule and some need a full time schedule that starts at noon. The one thing they all have in common – they want to know that there is someone who cares about them. Some find that out easily enough.
But for others, we have to hope that we find them and let them know we care for them, long before they drop out. Because if we don’t. We’ll be caring for them the rest of their lives.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
What the heck is social media?
I just completed a survey on behalf of the American Association of School Administrators that was all about how we use social media at school. Social media, as this survey was designed, appears to be such things as Facebook, Twitter and blogs. Newspapers, local TV news and local radio are considered traditional media.
Recently I started writing again, primarily to try my hand at blogging. So every time I make a blog entry I send it on to The Journal and it gets used in both “traditional media” and “social media”. I’ve been a superintendent since 1987 and I’ve frequently written regular columns for local papers wherever I lived.
I like to write and try to both inform and entertain in my stories, but I’ll be honest, I’m not sure who reads papers anymore. I’m equally not sure who reads blogs, especially my blog.
I’ve been a newspaper reader since way back when I had a rural paper route after school that consisted of 18 papers on a 3 mile route. I made 2 ½ cents per paper and on Sundays I had maybe 25 papers over a five mile route. This generated around $12 a month that kept me in pop and peanuts. I also sold the Grit. Anyone out there remember the Grit?
I read both of the Delaware dailies each morning by 6:30a.m. and The Journal each week. That’s where I get most of my Delaware news. I can unscientifically confirm that I don’t think more than 20% of the people in my neighborhood get a newspaper subscription at home.
So, where do they get local news? Local TV? You won’t see any news of Felton, Harrington or Frederica on local TV unless there is a major crime involved. I do not regularly watch local news on TV.
Apparently, in some communities, bloggers are beginning to have a significant impact on community attitudes toward schools. In those communities, people fire up their computers and go to certain blogs to find out the latest, bypassing the traditional media. So, apparently I'm supposed to be kissing up to bloggers and providing them with information so they can be accurate in what they say.
I know there are some community forums available on websites, especially those affiliated with newspapers. If something scandalous happens I’m sure it might be commented on in the public forum, but I am unaware of anyone else blogging on local education issues on a regular basis.
I guess it’s just a matter of time. We're on the cutting edge with blog but as for this other stuff... As a district I’m not sure how we might benefit from having a Facebook or My Space page, but apparently it’s the thing to do. I know some colleges are starting to do that sort of thing.
Twitter? I don’t think so.
Recently I started writing again, primarily to try my hand at blogging. So every time I make a blog entry I send it on to The Journal and it gets used in both “traditional media” and “social media”. I’ve been a superintendent since 1987 and I’ve frequently written regular columns for local papers wherever I lived.
I like to write and try to both inform and entertain in my stories, but I’ll be honest, I’m not sure who reads papers anymore. I’m equally not sure who reads blogs, especially my blog.
I’ve been a newspaper reader since way back when I had a rural paper route after school that consisted of 18 papers on a 3 mile route. I made 2 ½ cents per paper and on Sundays I had maybe 25 papers over a five mile route. This generated around $12 a month that kept me in pop and peanuts. I also sold the Grit. Anyone out there remember the Grit?
I read both of the Delaware dailies each morning by 6:30a.m. and The Journal each week. That’s where I get most of my Delaware news. I can unscientifically confirm that I don’t think more than 20% of the people in my neighborhood get a newspaper subscription at home.
So, where do they get local news? Local TV? You won’t see any news of Felton, Harrington or Frederica on local TV unless there is a major crime involved. I do not regularly watch local news on TV.
Apparently, in some communities, bloggers are beginning to have a significant impact on community attitudes toward schools. In those communities, people fire up their computers and go to certain blogs to find out the latest, bypassing the traditional media. So, apparently I'm supposed to be kissing up to bloggers and providing them with information so they can be accurate in what they say.
I know there are some community forums available on websites, especially those affiliated with newspapers. If something scandalous happens I’m sure it might be commented on in the public forum, but I am unaware of anyone else blogging on local education issues on a regular basis.
I guess it’s just a matter of time. We're on the cutting edge with blog but as for this other stuff... As a district I’m not sure how we might benefit from having a Facebook or My Space page, but apparently it’s the thing to do. I know some colleges are starting to do that sort of thing.
Twitter? I don’t think so.
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