Great Things Going On
I want to thank Center High School/Skoglund Middle School music director Kate Newmyer for the great job she did preparing our students for the solo and ensemble music competition that was held last week. High School students Carmen Ruggles, Genesis Villa, and Louise Vazquez each achieved a rating of Excellent. Skoglund Middle School students Sharon Valadez, Sean Cook, Adrian Bahena, Juan Nungaray, Alex Maldonado, Andres Almeida, Cristian Guaderrama, Alexis Sanchez and Camille Ruggles garnered Excellent ratings as well.
I also want to thank Center Schools Counselor Katrina Ruggles for all the hard work she did that resulted in Center High School and Skoglund Middle School earning Colorado Legacy Foundation Healthy Schools Champions awards. While at the healthy schools summit I also got to observe Katrina presenting how to effectively use data to drive healthy schools program decisions, identify needs, and seek solutions through grants. Mrs. Ruggles presented Center Schools data that shows a significant decrease in illegal substance use by students, a decrease in teen pregnancies, an increase in pro social behavior by students, and better parent attitudes about education an how they support their kids.
I also want to thank Center Schools Counselor Katrina Ruggles for all the hard work she did that resulted in Center High School and Skoglund Middle School earning Colorado Legacy Foundation Healthy Schools Champions awards. While at the healthy schools summit I also got to observe Katrina presenting how to effectively use data to drive healthy schools program decisions, identify needs, and seek solutions through grants. Mrs. Ruggles presented Center Schools data that shows a significant decrease in illegal substance use by students, a decrease in teen pregnancies, an increase in pro social behavior by students, and better parent attitudes about education an how they support their kids.
I got to spend quite a bit of time with Julio Paez this week as we got stuck together in Denver following an early week snowstorm. We were both there to testify on HB 13-1303, but ended up finding plenty of time to discuss our vision for the future of instructional technology in Center Schools. The Center Schools District is known throughout the state for its implementation of educational technology in no small part because of how Julio is able to continually create ways to get new devices in students and teachers hands.
Finally, I know it takes a ton of planning and hard work to offer a whole grade level the opportunity to take an overnight trip to Denver. I want to thank our 5th grade teachers, Jeri Trujillo, Honey Stecken, and Sheryl Pearson for such an opportunity possible for their kids. Last Friday and Saturday Jeri, Honey and Sheryl teamed up with assistant teachers and parents to coordinate a great opportunity for our kids to experience the Denver Science and Nature Museum and the Denver Zoo.
Finally, I know it takes a ton of planning and hard work to offer a whole grade level the opportunity to take an overnight trip to Denver. I want to thank our 5th grade teachers, Jeri Trujillo, Honey Stecken, and Sheryl Pearson for such an opportunity possible for their kids. Last Friday and Saturday Jeri, Honey and Sheryl teamed up with assistant teachers and parents to coordinate a great opportunity for our kids to experience the Denver Science and Nature Museum and the Denver Zoo.
The Past Week
On Monday I had the opportunity to spend some time in the buildings, then proceded to Denver to testify about the mail ballot requirement being proposed in HB 13-1303. On Tuesday I stayed in Denver because of the snowstorm, getting the opportunity to attend a Healthy Schools Champion reception with Katrina Ruggles. I was still in Denver on Wednesday for the Colorado Legacy Foundation Healthy Schools Summit where Katrina and I accepted Healthy Schools Champions awards for CHS and Skiglund Miidle School. I remained in Denver through Thursday to attend the CASE, CEA, CASB Anchor Group meeting. On Saturday the board of education held a work session where they learned how to use technology to support their work as board members.
Big Things We Are Working On
At the Anchor Group meeting on Thursday we focused our attention on the Johnston School Finance, specifically the need for revisions concerning backpack funding, sharing mill levy increases with charter schools, and trigger language (meaning how much money will be needed to make the new law go into effect). We also learned about the possible ballot language that might ultimately go before voters to fund the new finance act. Currently there are more than a dozen options, but all revolve around a possible increase in state income tax, either instituting a graduated income tax formula or just raising the current flat tax rates.
The Coming Week
On Monday we will be hosting a Focal Point team that will be on campus to evaluate the progress of Haskin Elementary, Skoglund Middle School and Center High School. On Tuesday CHS Juniors will be taking the Colorado ACT test, while many other students will participate in a visit to Adams State University. On Wednesday Center High School Social Studies Teacher Scott Poole is hosting a presentation about eh Holocaust. In the evening we’ll be attending the All Valley Teacher of the Year banquet with Center Schools Teacher of the Year Daniel Newmyer. Thursday brings about the hosting of a middle school knowledge bowl competition at Skoglund Middle School, and on Friday I will be travelling to and from Parachute to attend the Colorado Department of Education rural Education Council meeting.
Extra Points
While attending the Colorado Legacy Foundation Healthy Schools Summit last week I had the opportunity to hear a presentation by Harvard Economist Dr. Roland Fryor. Fryor likes to look at educational reform from the standpoint of what can be gained by changing specific inputs in our public education systems. His research has found that purposefully increasing feedback to teachers about what good instruction is, thoughtfully using data to drive instructional decisions, providing more instructional time to students who are performing below grade level (through high quality interventions such as offered through Lindamood-Bell), and increasing the overall expectations of students are the things that have shown to have the greatest value for the education dollar spent. I was pleased to hear this presentation since we already greatly focus on doing each of these things he says we ought to work on from an economics standpoint.
If you are interested in seeing Dr. Fryer in action just click on this link to one of his presentations on youtube. You can access it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z70EZTJXCoA
Thanks for listening once again and have a great week!
George
If you are interested in seeing Dr. Fryer in action just click on this link to one of his presentations on youtube. You can access it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z70EZTJXCoA
Thanks for listening once again and have a great week!
George