Our Newest Generation: Different Learners, Smarter, but May Not Be Happy

Today's generation recognizes that learning is enhanced when collaboration is a strategy. They are not interested in any lecture beyond 10 minutes; lectures beyond 10 minutes result in a negative effect on achievement.

We know that this generation has high expectations of the school they attend, and they learn different from generations before them. Today's learner is more globally educated, driven by technology and they will be the highest educated population ever to come out of school.

They might be highly educated, but they are not happy with the generation that is now their grandparents who have left them an incredible debt. This new generation experiences the highest poverty rate and is inheriting $30K of debt per person (every man, woman and child) in U.S. This is the first generation that will not live as long as their parents, they are fed up with partisan politics, and they will be vocal.

My prediction: if we give this generation our very best, this will be the next "Greatest Generation."

Observing the Classroom: What Produces Results

Learning walks are non-evaluative observations to collect evidence of practices and classroom environments that produce maximum student achievement outcomes. The observations are not done to observe the teacher; they are done to observe the classroom. These produce the data that will give teachers job-embedded staff development through cognitive coaching with each other and with the building principal (the instructional leader). Formal teacher observations will always be done for evaluation, but they don't lead to open discussions with colleagues to inform discussion. Feedback MUST be apart of an environment that sees maximum student learning and development.

"According to the research done by R. Marzano, feedback can be given formally or informally in group or one-on-one settings. It can take a variety of forms. Its most important and dominant characteristic is that it informs the student, the teacher, and all other interested parties about how to best enhance student learning."

Marzano, R. (in press). Formative assessment & standards-based grading. Bloomington, IN: Marzano Research Laboratory.

His studies also show that negative feedback produces a decrease in student achievement. We have to ask ourselves what are the characteristics of feedback that produce negative effects?

Learning Walks: Collecting Evidence of Effective Teaching Strategies

Learning Walks are a best practice that is supported by current research. It has been proven to be very effective in teacher development as well as student learning results. Teachers collaborating with teachers is "job embedded professional development," and without that, we cannot meet our mission, vision, and strategic directions.

Principals will conduct these learning walks so that they maximize their impact as instructional leaders. The principal to the building is second only to the classroom teacher with impacting student achievement. One of my goals is for all principals to collect evidence of instructional strategies that have the greatest effect size by doing a minimum of 7 learning walks per licensed staff member. This will create the needed coaching sessions that focus on improved instructional strategies. All total, we will conduct over 5000 documented learning walks this year.

Work to Succeed: Be Motivated to do so

Motivation is the fire within. If someone else tries to light that fire under you, chances are it will burn briefly. -Stephen Covey.

There's no sense to living and working with a lack of passion and heart. In fact, when done, it's more exhausting than if he/she had done it right the first time. Think about it...how often has anyone ever gotten in trouble by working hard with integrity? Even when mistakes are made and failures are experienced, we reach deep down in our inner being and find a way to be successful. Success most often comes from failure, but it never comes if we give up after failing. Therefore, let your mistakes and failures build a better "you;" a person with character and integrity. It is especially gratifying when we "just do it" ourselves.

HIGH EXPECTATIONS

We, at every level, are continually working to meet the needs of all of our students and that includes setting high expectations for everyone. Over the last few years, steps have taken at the District level down to the individual teacher level to improve instruction and learning for all of our students-Birth through 21. Some of these actions include:

• Site Improvement Plans
• Measurable goals and outcomes
• District Score Card
• Integrated Service Model
• Co-teaching
• Increasing the rigor in reading, writing, and math using Reading, Writing, and Math
• Workshop Model and Guided Reading
• 120 minutes for literacy instructional and learning block
• 60-90 minutes instructional and learning block for numeracy
• Data Retreats
• AYP/RTI Coaches
• MAPs and GOM assessments to measure student growth and inform instruction
• Vertical Team
• Algebra, pre-algebra taught in younger grades
• RTI
• PBIS
• EIT
• Responsive Classroom
• Learning Cohorts

As you can see, the way we approach instruction and learning has changed drastically from past practices, and we will continue to move forward to set the bar high and meet the needs of all students.

LEARNING WALKS: A GOAL OF 5000

Administrators of District 742 have reviewed three different formats for conducting learning walks this year. The groups discussed pros and cons of each of the formats and made recommendations for a format, as well as how many learning walks should take place. Within a week, we should have a format that has been discussed and processed. We will concentrate on three power strategies as researched by Marzano: content area vocabulary strategies, comparing and contrasting; and summarizing.

The evidence collected will shape the role of our District Staff Development Committee. Each of the members will sign up for one of the three power strategies, do research, and then present to building staff for a more common understanding of best practices.

Learning walks allow our principals (the instructional leaders of the district) to capture evidence of these strategies along with others that engage students in learning. This non-evaluative method of observation will be used for follow-up coaching sessions to discuss ways to improve and reach all learners.

I have a goal for this district's 800+ teachers this year; done effectively, we will work to log over 5000 documented learning walks into classrooms to create powerful discussions in a coaching atmospher.

Negotiation Process and Updates

In the spirit of transparency and effective communication, the District 742 Board of Education will publish informational updates of the 2009-2011 Negotiations Meetings for all employee groups following each negotiation session. Click here for the latest information.

Information for Parents of Children Preschool through Kindergarten

Novel H1N1 influenza appears to be similar to seasonal influenza in severity of illness and transmission. Most people who have had Novel H1N1 influenza have recovered without complications. However, like any flu virus, Novel H1N1 can be a serious disease. Some people have been hospitalized with Novel H1N1 and several deaths have occurred in Minnesota.

People at high risk for complications from influenza (seasonal and novel H1N1 influenza) are those with: underlying medical conditions (such as heart or kidney disease, asthma or other chronic lung disease, diabetes, neuromuscular or neurological disorders, or a suppressed immune system), pregnant women, children under 5 years (especially those under age 2), and people 65 years and older.

Hand washing, covering your cough, and staying home when ill are the primary methods to decrease the spread of influenza. However, many young children are not able to control their coughs and sneezes. Therefore, these strategies may be less effective in childcare and early childhood programs than in K-12 schools. Also, children can shed (are infectious) influenza virus for longer periods of time than adults.
Minnesota Department of Health Recommendations:

Strongly encourage parents with children 6 months and older to get their children vaccinated with Seasonal Influenza vaccine and Novel H1N1 Influenza vaccine when it becomes available. These are two different vaccines.

Parents and guardians should develop a plan with their child’s health care provider to determine what steps should be taken if their child is either exposed to influenza or develops symptoms of influenza.

Keep your ill children home who have the symptoms of influenza-like illness for seven (7) days after symptoms begin or 24 hours after resolution of acute symptoms which ever is longer. Children generally shed the influenza virus (although at lower levels compared to when they had a fever) for 7 to 10 days after their symptoms begin and can spread influenza. This longer exclusion period is intended to help prevent the spread of influenza within a program with groupings of high-risk individuals. Parents should keep children home for the exclusion period even if they are on antiviral drugs or have had a flu test that is negative. Flu tests are not always accurate. During the exclusion period, children should stay at home except to get medical care.

Ensure regular cleaning of all areas with particular focus on items that are more likely to have frequent contact with hands, mouths, and bodily fluids of young children. Sanitize mouthed toys according to routine recommendations.

F.U.T.U.R.E

F.U.T.U.R.E. Conference

FAMILIES UNDERSTANDING THEIR ULTIMATE ROLE IN EDUCATION

FREE Conference for Parents Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009 8:30 - 1 p.m.
St. Cloud area school parents are invited to a FREE conference to learn new ways to support their children’s education. Bring a friend! Lunch will be provided!

THE CONFERENCE WILL INCLUDE:

Keynote Speaker
Mary Dank, educator, St. Cloud Area Schools

Four breakout sessions
"Parents Can Make a Difference: Family + School = Success"
"Deal Me In: Math Games Families Can Play Together"
"Building Strong Readers: Strategies for Success"
"Learning at Home for Success in School"

Learn new ways to support your child’s education, support learning at home, and build relationships with school staff and teachers!

TO REGISTER: Call (320) 202-6897 or visit http://www.isd742.organd/ and follow the registration link.

Registration closes Monday, Sept. 21. Childcare will not be provided.

First Budget Input Meeting was Tonight

The District 742 Board of Education will host three public sessions to review budget adjustment options for the 2010-2011 School Year. View the Guiding Change Document to understand (1) the context and realities within which the board will make budget adjustment decisions; (2) unacceptable means or considerations; and (3) the results expected when the adjustment process is complete. The Board will determine the final $700,000 in budget adjustments at their Nov. 19 meeting. View a list of potential budget reductions and/or revenues, developed by district administrators. Community members may submit budget ideas to budget@isd742.org. View a list of suggestions submitted by the community. View a Budget Adjustment PowerPoint Presentation to learn more. The first session is tonight at Apollo High School in the north end of the Resource Center from 5 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Since each session will build on the previous session, participants are encouraged to attend all three sessions on:

• Tuesday, Sept. 15
• Thursday, Oct. 1
• Monday, Oct. 12

PUBLIC SESSIONS: REVIEW BUDGET ADJUSTMENS FOR NEXT YEAR

The District 742 Board of Education will host three public sessions to review budget adjustment options for the 2010-2011 School Year. The Board will determine the final $700,000 in budget adjustments at their November 19th meeting. The public is invited to attend the three sessions at Apollo High School in the north end of the Resource Center from 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Since each session will build on the previous session, participants are encouraged to attend all three sessions at 5:00 p.m. on:

Tuesday, September 15th
Thursday, October 1st
Monday, October 12th

Apollo High School is located at 1000 North 44th Avenue, St. Cloud.

The Link Crew

I want to "tip my hat" to the Tech High School and Apollo High School Link crews. Last year I attended the opening of the school year at Apollo and then Tech this year. The Link Crew makes this event very special and so much fun; they welcome the 9th graders. They are a program that helps 9th grade students transition smoothly into the high school setting. It consists of 90 juniors and seniors who serve as leaders to the freshmen. Each leader is assigned to 8-12 freshmen that they will continue to monitor and interact with throughout the year. The day was filled with fun activities.

Value Everyone's Contributions

I value excellence by everyone. I want us to pursue the highest standards while being accountable to each other in all we do. We need to be student-centered in our planning while looking for opportunities to maximize success. To do so, we are going to have to act courageously, fulfilling our responsibilities to engage in the decision-making process. We can be successful when we partner, but not without the trust we need to have in each other as (we all want to be successful, and success is measured by the success of all students we impact). I'm honest when I say, "I recognize and value the contributions of our entire staff." I must believe, as each of us must, that we can accomplish our vision if we live out our mission and allow our core values and strategic directions to drive our words and actions.

I've been working on a new agenda format for meetings. This agenda will post the mission and core values, and the agenda items will always fall within one or more of the strategic directions. Doing this will align our actions so that we stay focused on the Road Map and Scorecards. I'm hoping that each building will use this format or something like it. I BELIEVE we can make a difference, but we can't unless we work together as partners to carry/support one another. We have an opportunity to make this year a great adventure...together!

So, let's work together, pay attention to each other and contribute to the success of the team. When we work together we can lean on each other, be pulled up when we need help, and pick each other up when we may be struggling.

Notice that the first paragraph above is simply our own core values. Let's model them for everyone in the system.

WE MUST!

We must be successful in schools to educate all children so that they are prepared to be actively engaged citizens who are productive members of society. We must do this by setting high expectations for everyone and then helping students recognize how this will impact their future. We must embrace and use all the data we can to focus on individual students, and then continuously examine how we can be more successful; we must embrace accountability. We must focus our decisions on what is best for children. We must guide them to the realization that getting a great education is the greatest resource they have for a successful future. We must partner with as many people in our communities as possible. We must provide optimal learning time for struggling students. We must create an atmosphere where everyone treats everyone with respect. We must have the leadership that can make courageous decisions because doing what is right isn't always easy. We must create time for teachers to meet and discuss better ways to meet the needs of their diverse learners. We must value professional growth and realize that most of the needed resources to improve can be done in the system that we are in. We must have adults that believe that all students can perform at a rigorous level. We must believe.

Early Childhood Education

Don't ever underestimate the value of an education from birth. So much of who we are and what we become happens before the age of three and certainly before a child starts Kindergarten. If you have children who don't engage in a preschool program or an educational childcare environment, then you need to do what you can to make this investment in your child. If you know of someone else who doesn't have their child engaged in a solid program, get them to contact the school district for support. We know that investing in the preschooler for future success in the smartest investment our society can make. Please take a few minutes to watch the video below, and then pass this on to your friends.

Uplifting Speech

President Obama's speech was very appropriate, uplifting and timely. Many were able to listen to the speech live, but if you want to see it, you can go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/. You will see that the message is directed to motivate all student to do well so that they impact our future in positive ways. The video can be seen below.

Some Parents Oppose Obama Speech to Students
The New York Times, Sept. 3
HOUSTON, Texas -- President Obama’s plan to deliver a speech to public school students on Tuesday has set off a revolt among conservative parents, who have accused the president of trying to indoctrinate their children with socialist ideas and are asking school officials to excuse the children from listening. The uproar over the speech, in which Mr. Obama intends to urge students to work hard and stay in school, has been particularly acute in Texas, where several major school districts, under pressure from parents, have laid plans to let children opt out of lending the president an ear. Read more .

I still stand by what I've been saying. District 742 students will have an opportunity to view this at age-appropriate levels and if it fits into already-existing schedules.

CLEAR & CONCISE: The President's Speech

My message is clear and concise. I want all to see the President's message, but because this falls on the first day of school, and that we don't have staff in attendance today, I can't expect it to be shown with consistency across the district.

So, this message has gone out to all staff members:

The President is expected to deliver a national message directly to students on the importance of education via the White House website (http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/). The President will challenge students to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning. President Obama's actions are not without precedent. President George H.W. Bush, did this in 1991 in a live telecast/radio broadcast to the nation's students; President Eisenhower and President Kennedy also addressed us. We have had presidents of both parties addressing us since the beginning of this great nation.

As with any other curriculum, topic or activity, if parents do not want their children to view this, we must pull them from this.

I'm sticking to this message:

1. the speech can be shown
2. no one school, class, or teacher should have to alter schedules to do so
3. parents have the right to demand that their child not participate in this
4. (option) the replayed version from the website can be shown at another time

I'm encouraging all to tune in if they have the chance...it's a good message. I will be reviewing the transcripts of the speech on Monday.

President Obama: A Message for Students

School Board, District Staff Members, Community Members, Parents and Media,

On Tuesday, September 8th, President Obama will be speaking to the nation's students; this will be the first day of school for Minnesota K-12 students. Many schools across the nation have been in session for one or more weeks. This is the first time an American president has spoken directly to the nation's school children about persisting and succeeding in school. The President will challenge students to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning. He will also call for a shared responsibility and commitment on the part of students, parents and educators to ensure that every child in every school receives the best education possible so they can compete in the global economy for good jobs and live rewarding and productive lives as American citizens. The President believes that education is a critical part of a democracy. Educated people are more active civically and better informed on issues affecting their lives, their families and their futures.

The talk will be available live on the White House website at http://www.whitehouse.gov/ and is expected to last about 15 minutes. It will come out at 11:00 central time. It will be directed to the level of MS and HS students, but should also be appropriate viewing for younger students. The talk is not intended to have any policy implications.

The first day of school is challenging for teachers, students and administrators. To interrupt the 1st day of school for this web talk will be difficult. In fact, 11:00 is the beginning of most lunch cycles, but the broadcast can always be replayed. Therefore, some classes will be able to successfully watch this live.

There is some push back by some that this speech will be an indoctrination speech on liberal values. Parents may be contacting our local schools and demanding that the web broadcast not be seen by their children or they will keep their children out of school. Expect the hype on this to build over the long weekend.

It's too late to change 1st day schedules to accommodate this broadcast for all classes. After all, schedules have been set and secondary students will not be engaged in a regular schedule until Wednesday. We recognize that this is recorded and available (it will probably remain on the white house website). Concerned parents should know that they can have their children opt out of hearing the broadcast and there will be no negative consequences for them.

District 742: Making a Difference

The beginning of a new school year always starts with a celebration, and the greatest part of the celebration is the renewing of friendships that somehow get ignored over the summer. I'm excited this year because I really feel the commitment by District 742 staff members to make a difference in student learning and development. I sense a passion to soar to new heights. Even so, be reminded that in order to soar, there are times we need to cheer for each other like geese, push each other like eagles, and most importantly, partner with each other like teammates.

Hats off to all school district employees! Every one has an opportunity to leave their fingerprints on the success of District 742.

Globally Proficient Students: The New GPS

District 742 is going to create a new kind of GPS this year. We know that it's the globally proficient student (GPS) that can navigate the way in this world and make it a better place. To do so, we are going to commit to making a difference with every child; we are committed to partnerships that will help us succeed. We must step it up this year and every year knowing that it's continuous improvement that will drive excellence. So, watch us move forward as we produce an excellent product - The "new" GPS!