We are eighteen days away from the SPLOST vote. I dread the morning of September
16th and I anticipate the morning of September 16! On that day we will know if we can move forward with the selection of architects and plans for new schools or if we will have to renew our thoughts on how to take care of over 4000 new students without any additional brick and mortar buildings. Either way, there will be plenty of work to do! My hope and desire is that anyone who has not yet decided how they will vote will make their decision based on the facts.
I hope that this vote will be the line that separates the angst and distrust of the past and the sunrise of the future. I hope that we are truly entering an era when we earn more and more of the community's trust by the way we conduct our business in the school district.
It is amazing that every day we transport, feed, and teach over 32,000 students and many days without a single, frightening incident. Our bus drivers get their children to school safely day after day. Our teachers prepare and deliver their lessons consistently day after day. Our food service staff prepare and serve countless meals in a safe environment day after day. Yes, there are complaints that make their way to my office, but the percentage of complaints compared to the number of people we serve is minimal. Yes, we can improve on all of our processes and the way we deliver instruction. Continuous improvement must be our constant desire.
We have increased our sense of urgency in every building. The principals are focused on student achievement. As I have visited PTA Open Houses throughout the district, I have seen families coming into the schools by the hundreds eager to support our work and their children. We are moving in the right direction. I will be glad when September 16 gets here. The results of the vote on the 15th will define where we go from here. I can hardly wait!
Friday, August 28, 2009
Four-Day Week?
I have had many bloggers ask me if the school district has considered a four-day week. The answer is yes, some board members have expressed interest and some employees have expressed interest. We must think very carefully about the impact of this before we seriously consider it. The State Board of Education passed a rule last year stating that school systems had to have school the equivalent of 180 days. This means that you don't have to go 180 days but you must go the same number of hours. This frees local school districts to be more flexible with their calendars. Peach County and Murray County have lengthened their school day and trimmed some days off of their 180 day calendar. Yes, this saves a lot of money as far as transportation costs and operating costs in the district, but where does it create expenses?! It creates child-care expenses for the families. In the case of Muscogee County, there are 32,000 children and thousands of these are under the age of 12. Most of their mothers and daddys and guardians work. The burden of day-care expenses for these children would be difficult for many of these families. The other issue to think about is how productive would we be in that last hour of school if we extended the school day? Could five and six year olds continue to learn at high levels another hour a day? Would teachers have the energy to be creative and continue to engage students for one more hour? Many of the excellent teachers that I know are exhausted at the end of the current day.
A four-day week is certainly something to consider and if the current economic crisis continues to bring budget cuts, this solution may certainly be one that we study with interest. We need to think of all of the issues that surround it. It will be interesting to see how things work in Peach and Murray.
A four-day week is certainly something to consider and if the current economic crisis continues to bring budget cuts, this solution may certainly be one that we study with interest. We need to think of all of the issues that surround it. It will be interesting to see how things work in Peach and Murray.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
First Week of School
Tomorrow is the first official day back for teachers although many of them have been coming in for several weeks now to get their rooms ready for the students. Thursday is the big day! First day of school. Get to meet your new group of students. Students are nervous and are wondering how it will be. Guess what?! Teachers are a bit nervous, too! I have shared my story with many teachers through the years and most of them begin laughing and nodding their heads because they have done the same thing! Let me tell you about it!
When I taught first grade I would work all summer on lesson plans and units and think about how I would do things differently in the new school year. I would work hard during pre-planning to make my classroom as inviting as possible. The night before the first day of school, I could not sleep. I would stay awake and go through everything I was going to say the first morning back. I would rehearse how I would greet the children, how I would gently usher their mothers out the door so I could have them all by myself, and what I would say on the important first day of school. I would go over my plans in my head, rehearsing, retooling, and working on it. The morning of the first day I would be so excited, yet worn out from lack of sleep! I would get in the classroom and try to make that first day the day of all days - the tone-setter for the rest of the year!
Several years later as I reflected on my career, and by that time, had children of my own, it dawned on me one day! What was I thinking?! Those first graders were just six years old - I could have said anything! I could have made stuff up on the spot! Would they have known the difference?! It's funny now that I look back on it, but even though I laugh, I know how important planning for that first day is. Yes, they were only six, but it is so important for the teacher to be ready for them! I guarantee you they are ready for the teacher!!!!!
I hope all of the teachers who greet students this Thursday will be ready for their students! What a great opportunity to have a fresh start! I pray for safety and that we begin our school year with a sense of urgency that lasts 180 days!
When I taught first grade I would work all summer on lesson plans and units and think about how I would do things differently in the new school year. I would work hard during pre-planning to make my classroom as inviting as possible. The night before the first day of school, I could not sleep. I would stay awake and go through everything I was going to say the first morning back. I would rehearse how I would greet the children, how I would gently usher their mothers out the door so I could have them all by myself, and what I would say on the important first day of school. I would go over my plans in my head, rehearsing, retooling, and working on it. The morning of the first day I would be so excited, yet worn out from lack of sleep! I would get in the classroom and try to make that first day the day of all days - the tone-setter for the rest of the year!
Several years later as I reflected on my career, and by that time, had children of my own, it dawned on me one day! What was I thinking?! Those first graders were just six years old - I could have said anything! I could have made stuff up on the spot! Would they have known the difference?! It's funny now that I look back on it, but even though I laugh, I know how important planning for that first day is. Yes, they were only six, but it is so important for the teacher to be ready for them! I guarantee you they are ready for the teacher!!!!!
I hope all of the teachers who greet students this Thursday will be ready for their students! What a great opportunity to have a fresh start! I pray for safety and that we begin our school year with a sense of urgency that lasts 180 days!
Friday, July 24, 2009
To Furlough or Not to Furlough!
Well, so much for trying to have a quiet, smooth, unemotional, well-organized opening of the school year! This past Tuesday, superintendents received an email from the Governor's office that he would meet with us via conference call at 3:00 p.m. that afternoon. At that point, we knew it was bad news - he wasn't just calling to chat- but we didn't know how bad! The Governor began the conversation thanking superintendents for our work and led right into the purpose of the call. With continued decline in State revenues, it is necessary for school districts to be cut another 3% in state funding. For Muscogee County that is $5,321,769. That news was bad enough, but he wasn't finished with the conversation. He then began to talk about furloughs. The Governor doesn't have the authority to furlough teachers, but the legislative leadership has given him the authority to withhold funds; therefore, he will be withholding the funds for three days of salaries and requested that school districts furlough personnel for three days prior to December 31, 2009. The money will be withheld during the next five months. Three days of QBE salaries for our district is another $2,182,76l! The total to be withheld from us will be $7,504,530! Given this amount of budget reduction, we are really having to make some tough decisions.
A teacher posted this question? If we furlough, does that mean we work and don't get paid? No, if we furlough, we wouldn't work and we wouldn't get paid. We would not be asking employees to work without pay. We would shut all schools and all school offices down; no work, no pay for three days. We are still looking at all of our options. Stay tuned!
A teacher posted this question? If we furlough, does that mean we work and don't get paid? No, if we furlough, we wouldn't work and we wouldn't get paid. We would not be asking employees to work without pay. We would shut all schools and all school offices down; no work, no pay for three days. We are still looking at all of our options. Stay tuned!
Friday, July 10, 2009
School Transfers
There is alot of concern about school transfers right now - specifically the transfers to Northside and Hardaway. I understand that concern. The bottom line is that No Child Left Behind requires the district to allow parents the choice to transfer their child to a school within the district making Adequate Yearly Progress when the school in which their child is enrolled doesn't make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Lack of capacity at a school is not a reason for not allowing transfers. We are told the district "must create capacity;" therefore, modular units will be placed on those campuses.
What is the solution? The solution is for every high school to make AYP. Then the district doesn't have to offer choice under No Child Left Behind, but only under the new State law which requires us to offer choice. The difference between the Federal law and the State Law is that the State Law allows us to define capacity and we do not have to transfer students to schools which we have determined are full.
The guidance for NCLB states that districts can come up with creative and ingenious ways to create capacity. Believe me, I am searching for those creative ways, but I am not sure that parents will like the creative ways any better than they like the increased usage of portable classrooms! Time to brainstorm with some of my Superintendent buddies who are also dealing with this problem. I will keep you posted!
What is the solution? The solution is for every high school to make AYP. Then the district doesn't have to offer choice under No Child Left Behind, but only under the new State law which requires us to offer choice. The difference between the Federal law and the State Law is that the State Law allows us to define capacity and we do not have to transfer students to schools which we have determined are full.
The guidance for NCLB states that districts can come up with creative and ingenious ways to create capacity. Believe me, I am searching for those creative ways, but I am not sure that parents will like the creative ways any better than they like the increased usage of portable classrooms! Time to brainstorm with some of my Superintendent buddies who are also dealing with this problem. I will keep you posted!
Friday, July 3, 2009
Great Summer Reading
I am excited that I have discovered some great leadership books this summer. I am constantly on the lookout for books that will help the leadership team and me to reach the next level in leadership. It is necessary to be reminded how great leaders act, talk, react, and operate so that we don't get stale and that we remember it is not about the individual, but about taking the organization to higher levels!
John Kotter's book Sense of Urgency communicates so vividly what I have been discussing with Principals and with the Cabinet. We must do our work with a greater sense of urgency. Jim Collins in Good to Great reminds us that we are to lead with "rigor not ruthlessness" but there must be a sense of urgency promoted in the organization. I have been calling it intensity. I told principals, "We need to work with more intensity! Teach with more intensity! Lead with more intensity! Think with more intensity! Prepare with more intensity! We must understand how important our work is in the lives of our students!" I am now going to change my discourse on intensity to a discourse on urgency! Similar meaning, but I think urgency is really the term I need to use. We must truly develop a greater sense of urgency in all that we do. Our work is too important not to be "on the edge of our seats" as try to improve the lives of children.
Another great read is Real Leaders Don't Use PowerPoint! This book issues advice on when to use a powerpoint presentation and when not to! Great! I love it!
Why Some Things Stick and Others Don't is another book on how to make your message real to others and get the message out in a way that makes people remember it and buy into it. Teachers, principals, and, yes, superintendents must tell the great stories of public education! When someone asks how are things going we must be able to relate the successes and communicate the stories of the good work being done in today's public schools. Bus drivers, food service employees, custodians, clerical employees, and all support personnel must join the effort in communicating our good stories!
Leaders as Communicators and Diplomats is another good book on how important communication is and how to be an effective communicator.
All of these books have something in common. They remind us of the importance of communication, of how great leaders get out front and carry the message of the organization, and how to motivate others. It is so important to relate to people's heart, not just to their minds.
Our jobs in education must be linked to the brutal facts of accountability, but we must never forget the value of the public school experience. The joy of teaching and the difference that we can make in the future of our students must be communicated over and over again. When we look at individual children, we can't imagine how great their potential is, but we must treat them all as if they were going to grow up and have great value for society. We must do this, because, in reality, they all do have value and they all have the potential to contribute.
Well, I am ready to read some more! I have ordered Primal Leadership because Mr. Johnson, Principal at Richards Middle School recommended that. Can't wait to get it.
By the way, I am creating a Professional Library in the Superintendent's Office. It will be a library focused on leadership. The books I have mentioned in this blog will become a part of it and as it grows, the leadership team may borrow the books. If you don't return them, though, there will be a great penalty (to be discussed privately!). By the way, I know that the titles of books should be underlined but I haven't figured out how to underline in my posting. I am still learning!
Happy Fourth of July! Celebrate America!
John Kotter's book Sense of Urgency communicates so vividly what I have been discussing with Principals and with the Cabinet. We must do our work with a greater sense of urgency. Jim Collins in Good to Great reminds us that we are to lead with "rigor not ruthlessness" but there must be a sense of urgency promoted in the organization. I have been calling it intensity. I told principals, "We need to work with more intensity! Teach with more intensity! Lead with more intensity! Think with more intensity! Prepare with more intensity! We must understand how important our work is in the lives of our students!" I am now going to change my discourse on intensity to a discourse on urgency! Similar meaning, but I think urgency is really the term I need to use. We must truly develop a greater sense of urgency in all that we do. Our work is too important not to be "on the edge of our seats" as try to improve the lives of children.
Another great read is Real Leaders Don't Use PowerPoint! This book issues advice on when to use a powerpoint presentation and when not to! Great! I love it!
Why Some Things Stick and Others Don't is another book on how to make your message real to others and get the message out in a way that makes people remember it and buy into it. Teachers, principals, and, yes, superintendents must tell the great stories of public education! When someone asks how are things going we must be able to relate the successes and communicate the stories of the good work being done in today's public schools. Bus drivers, food service employees, custodians, clerical employees, and all support personnel must join the effort in communicating our good stories!
Leaders as Communicators and Diplomats is another good book on how important communication is and how to be an effective communicator.
All of these books have something in common. They remind us of the importance of communication, of how great leaders get out front and carry the message of the organization, and how to motivate others. It is so important to relate to people's heart, not just to their minds.
Our jobs in education must be linked to the brutal facts of accountability, but we must never forget the value of the public school experience. The joy of teaching and the difference that we can make in the future of our students must be communicated over and over again. When we look at individual children, we can't imagine how great their potential is, but we must treat them all as if they were going to grow up and have great value for society. We must do this, because, in reality, they all do have value and they all have the potential to contribute.
Well, I am ready to read some more! I have ordered Primal Leadership because Mr. Johnson, Principal at Richards Middle School recommended that. Can't wait to get it.
By the way, I am creating a Professional Library in the Superintendent's Office. It will be a library focused on leadership. The books I have mentioned in this blog will become a part of it and as it grows, the leadership team may borrow the books. If you don't return them, though, there will be a great penalty (to be discussed privately!). By the way, I know that the titles of books should be underlined but I haven't figured out how to underline in my posting. I am still learning!
Happy Fourth of July! Celebrate America!
Monday, June 29, 2009
What do you do in the summer?
This is a question that educators are asked all of the time. "What do you do in the summer?" Well, the truth is that summer is busy, busy, busy. Today I visited Brewer Elementary and Clubview Elementary. At both schools the custodians were busy stripping and waxing floors, cleaning baseboards, and shampooing carpets. Believe it or not, a few teachers were around working in their rooms. Some teachers will be changing grade levels and they wanted to get a head start on moving to a different classroom; some just have to get their rooms set up! They have already been working on bulletin boards and arranging their rooms. Knowing that there will be only three pre-planning days, teachers will begin getting just a little antsy from about now until the the middle of July and they will begin showing up at their buildings, ready to get started. The classroom begins calling their names . . . !
I visited Academic Success Center today. Summer school was in full swing and students were coming and going between the two sessions. It was great to tour that old building - if only the walls could talk! I would love for us to be able to restore it to its original glory! Dr. Webb and I had a great conversation about the value of alternative programs and how important it is to save young people one at a time if you have to. They are worth the hard work and the expense!
But, back to getting ready for school to start . . .
Plant services and principals know that I expect everything to be in great shape on the first day of school. We should welcome our students back with freshly cut lawns, shiny waxed floors, clean carpets, great bulletin boards, supplies in place, and spotless restrooms. Every year we have to spend time reviewing the handbooks and reviewing the rules, but we should also begin teaching school on Day One! Schedules should be ready for implementation and we should hit the ground running! There may be a few changes during the first few days, but we do not have any time to waste. Our sense of urgency about the work that we do must be evident from the moment students walk in the door.
I can't wait for the students to return. A new school year is a new opportunity to make a difference and to help students reach their goals. August 6 will be here before we know it!
I visited Academic Success Center today. Summer school was in full swing and students were coming and going between the two sessions. It was great to tour that old building - if only the walls could talk! I would love for us to be able to restore it to its original glory! Dr. Webb and I had a great conversation about the value of alternative programs and how important it is to save young people one at a time if you have to. They are worth the hard work and the expense!
But, back to getting ready for school to start . . .
Plant services and principals know that I expect everything to be in great shape on the first day of school. We should welcome our students back with freshly cut lawns, shiny waxed floors, clean carpets, great bulletin boards, supplies in place, and spotless restrooms. Every year we have to spend time reviewing the handbooks and reviewing the rules, but we should also begin teaching school on Day One! Schedules should be ready for implementation and we should hit the ground running! There may be a few changes during the first few days, but we do not have any time to waste. Our sense of urgency about the work that we do must be evident from the moment students walk in the door.
I can't wait for the students to return. A new school year is a new opportunity to make a difference and to help students reach their goals. August 6 will be here before we know it!
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