Sunday 10/26

I enjoyed the presentation on the Balanced Calendar. For years I've said I would be a huge fan of that model. Don't get me wrong I enjoy the 80+ days I have off in the summer, but the thought of having 2 or 3 weeks off every 9 weeks, now that sounds terrific. I think kids and teachers would be more energized during those 9 weeks knowing they have 3 weeks off coming soon. Think of the planning you could get done during your 3 week intersession. Worthwhile professional development could actually take place and be implemented. I know the idea was mentioned in Galesburg, but until we have several million dollars for air conditioning, I'm left to dream of my fall vacation to Vermont.

Saturday 10/25

I thought the policy review exercise was a very worthwhile activity. I found that our policy manual needs updating as it was hard to find the answer to even 5 of the questions. Some of our policy dates dated back to 1985. Our assistant superintendent is well aware that the policy needs updating, but she says it just hasn't made it to the top of the priority pile. From the thickness of the manual I would say that it would be quite an undertaking to review and update. From reading our manual, to listening to others share from theirs, it is becoming more apparent that there are a lot of gray areas in School Policy.

PD

My district has been trying hard the last two years to move from having PD revolve around one-hit wonders to something more productive. They spent time sending out surveys (on-line even) to find which areas staff felt needed to be looked into, areas of concern, and even promoting mental health, instead of infusing what is the newest trend. They have also utilized their own teachers to go be trained and return to then train other teachers. I think our teachers were more receptive to having one of their own both train and respond to concerns about a particular new tool or practice to implement. I have also seen a move to have administrators actively present during these presentations/trainings. In the past, I remember administrators doing the introduction of the presenter and then disappearing into the hall to have coffee or chat with other administrators. Where was the buy in? And how did they expect to understand questions as they arose later during the implementation period in their buildings? I have also witnessed more attention being given to understanding and communicating, both horizontally and vertically, through articulation meetings. And these meetings are run by the teachers, not an outsider. I think it is a much more responsible approach and one that shows the importance of cohesiveness and creating an awareness of what happens outside of our own little world of our classroom, department, or building. It has been well received by the staff and been much more productive than the traditional view of PD.

Policy Review

I found the policy review discussion particularly interesting. The assignment itself made me delve into our district policies which is something I shamefully had never really done. I found it curious that our policies, for the most part, had not been changed or amended since their adoption. And the ones that had been amended were all done at the same time during a negotiations period. Our union consistently negotiates for a three-year period, sometimes more, so any amendments are very spaced apart. Another discovery for me was how vastly different other district's policies are from my own district. Having never taught for another district (26 years in Moline), my world and concern has been very narrow, resulting in my thinking that we did things as every one else did. Another aha arose with the discovery of Moline referring to the MEA or MESPA contracts for quite a lot of policies. I suppose this makes it easier for any revisions that might arise through negotiations. My ultimate take will be not to ignore what is so easily accessible through technogy (available on our district website) and be more aware.

Minority Recruitment

Attention Minority Recruitment Group*****
Can I get a copy of your powerpoint? I thought your group did a great job not only with general explanation, but also giving us some concrete examples of "how to achieve these goals." It was great to have some expertise in this area as all three gave ideas from their own perspective and experience. Thanks!

Balanced Calendar Riverton Schools

I have been thinking about the "balanced school calendar" I know in class I talked about how I was not impressed with the current calendar my own kids have at Riverton Schools. However, I wanted to explain a few things further. First of all, the superintendent of Riverton Schools, Tom Mulligan has worked so hard to put the district on the right track. (if you go to www.rivertonschools.org you can find more information) I really believe that the initiatives he has put into place have done nothing but help the district achieve their goals as indicated in their school improvement plan. This man has done a great job communicating school procedures, state initiatives, state standards, and curriculum to parents. He begins each quarterly newsletter with his own column explaining data, goals, and assessment. He also updates his website with the most current information about curriculum and district needs. He does such an outstanding job with public relations! I firmly believe that the community should be educated in school initiatives, and this guy does a great job.

Presentation

I really enjoyed the presentation on the balanced school calendar. I thought they provided a great deal of background information, and did a nice job of addressing both sides of the “issue.” The questions of how will this affect the local pools, amusement parks, etc. was a very important one to address –one that I didn’t think of right away. The discussions that we had about this topic were very insightful. I think that the sharing of “…in my school…” stories and scenarios have been some of the most beneficial parts of the whole WIU program.