2012 Offers New Opportunities
2011 was a challenging year for public education. From Madison to Columbus it seemed like almost every aspect of our work in schools came under attack. From our State Superintendent calling for new assessments and higher standards to daily articles in newspapers and websites, public education has never come under such scrutiny. 2011 was a year when schools, and educators, merely took the punches and fought to maintain ground. For many schools 2012 offers new opportunities – opportunities to stand-up in celebration of what we do well, openly discuss what we can do better, and work together for the best interest of students.
The Loveland City School District is blessed with dedicated, professional teachers, supportive parents, and great students with limitless potential. Loveland does a wonderful job preparing students for the current expectations and latest state requirements. Loveland students are successful when applying to the top colleges and universities while earning millions in scholarship dollars. Our graduates, as a whole, perform well at the next level, speaking highly of the preparation they received in our district. Loveland should celebrate all that is good in our community; our schools are a cornerstone of a great place to live and raise a family.
At the same time we recognize our strengths we must reflect on where we need to move to prepare our students better in an ever-changing global economy. We hear a great deal about preparing our students to use twenty-first century skills. We must recognize that many of our students innately use technology on a daily basis and are digital natives. In many cases, it is us, the adults that must learn to use and encourage the use of these skills. To do this we must devote time and resources to providing professional development for our staff. We must encourage a culture that allows for continuous innovation and creativity. We must provide flexibility for learning styles while demanding excellence in academic performance. We must ask the tough questions such as, “What do students really need to know to be prepared for what’s next?” We do what we do very well – we must look at what we should be doing.
One of the problems in 2011 was an “us versus them” mentality. This approach is prevalent in our culture – in order for me to win someone else needs to lose. This is a poor approach to working with children. Working with children requires a “we” approach; working with children requires all stakeholders to work together. Change is required – it is coming regardless if we want to change or not. Educators can stand on the sidelines, holding onto current practices and wait for things to change, or we can all work together to create solutions. 2012 offers us the opportunity – a once in a generation opportunity to build our own system. We must bring administrators, teachers, and parents together to create an even better Loveland.
The Loveland City School District has the ability to shape its own path; we have the opportunity in 2012 make the decisions that raise the bar for our students and us. We will be examining new evaluation and compensation systems for teachers and principals. We will be implementing the new common core standards. Loveland will be implementing a pilot project with one-to-one technology in our middle schools while working with our districts on a common learning management platform. I can effectively implement none of these changes as the superintendent. None of these changes will become part of our culture through a directive or policy. The only way these changes take root, the only way these changes become part of our culture, is if there is buy-in from teachers, students, and parents. We must work though the process of change and learn from our own work.
We must model the behavior we expect from our students. 2011 provided us many lessons – one of which is we can’t stand still as a form of defense. We must stand up, rise up, and move forward. Together we successfully prepare our students for the current challenges and together we will create the solutions for tomorrow’s students. 2012 will provide opportunity; we must seize the moment. It takes a community working with a shared vision – a vision to be the very best we can be each and every day.
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