Great Things Going On
On Tuesday December 3rd Center High School was once again awarded a Center of Educational Excellence award by the Colorado Department of Education. Center Schools Board of Education president Michael Lobato and I were on hand at the CDE building to accept the award on behalf of Center High School principal Kevin Jones and the entire CHS staff. Each year, the Colorado Department of Education recognizes the public schools in the state that enroll a student population of which at least 75 percent are at-risk pupils and that demonstrate the highest rates of student longitudinal growth as measured by the Colorado Growth Model on the school performance framework that is used by the state to evaluate schools. This award program was established by the Education Accountability Act of 2009, and Center High School is one of only two schools in the entire state that has received it all five times it has been awarded! Congratulations once again to the staff and students of Center High School.
Each of Center’s traditional schools (CHS, Skoglund Middle School, and Haskin Elementary School) have received CDE’s highest accreditation rating of performing partially because each staff conscientiously measures student progress at the beginning, middle and end of each school year. In support of this effort, Center High School students spent the better part of last week taking the Northwest Evaluation Assessment (NWEA) in reading, math, science, and language usage so CHS teachers can determine if each child is making proper learning progress for the current academic year. This coming week Skoglund Middle School students will be testing and Haskin Elementary students will take their assessments during the week before Winter Break. Center staff members will review these results and adjust their instruction as necessary.
Each of Center’s traditional schools (CHS, Skoglund Middle School, and Haskin Elementary School) have received CDE’s highest accreditation rating of performing partially because each staff conscientiously measures student progress at the beginning, middle and end of each school year. In support of this effort, Center High School students spent the better part of last week taking the Northwest Evaluation Assessment (NWEA) in reading, math, science, and language usage so CHS teachers can determine if each child is making proper learning progress for the current academic year. This coming week Skoglund Middle School students will be testing and Haskin Elementary students will take their assessments during the week before Winter Break. Center staff members will review these results and adjust their instruction as necessary.
This past Thursday through Saturday the Center Schools Board of Education and several members of Center’s District Leadership Team attended the Colorado Association of School Boards annual convention in Colorado Springs. While there board of education members had an opportunity to engage Center High School students who attended the student leadership strand of the convention, learning what they think is currently going well in the district and being offered information about how the board might help to improve learning opportunities for them. Center High School junior Jerry Gonzales was one of the stars of the event as he was invited to join a panel of students who were interviewed about how districts might more effectively prepare children for science, technology, engineering, and math related jobs of the future.
While at the convention our board of education took the stage to receive the Colorado Association of School Boards All State Board award. CASB cited the board for its understanding of the importance of team and trust building when it comes to governance, and for focusing on creating an effective 21st century student learning environment. They commended our board of education for realizing that as a small, high poverty, rural district, an infusion of additional monetary resources would be necessary to achieve this. Thus, the board worked diligently for the past 8 years in pursuit of greater educational resources through its active participation from the very beginning of the Lobato v Colorado educational adequacy lawsuit, through advocacy for Building Excellent Schools Today legislation, and by becoming actively involved in county, state and federal legislation efforts surrounding Secure Rural Schools funding.
The award presenter said, “if you follow the development of state education policy and rulemaking you can see the Center Board of Education’s fingerprints on everything from the recently passed Breakfast After the Bell law, to Building Excellent Schools Today funding, to policies surrounding the preservation of historic school buildings, to actual implementation of SB 191, to how counties distribute federal funding to school districts, and to how rural geographic regions can collaborate to better utilize precious resources to drive improved classroom instruction.” I would like to congratulate our board for receiving this outstanding honor and for the results their tremendous governance are bringing about for our students.
On a final note, five Center Schools students made the trek to Georgia this weekend to compete in the Junior Olympics National meet and I am pleased to report that Heriberto Gonzalez finished early enough to earn Junior All American honors. Congratulations to Heriberto, to our other competitors who qualified, and to club sponsor Dennis Schoenfelder for once again representing Center Schools so well.
On a final note, five Center Schools students made the trek to Georgia this weekend to compete in the Junior Olympics National meet and I am pleased to report that Heriberto Gonzalez finished early enough to earn Junior All American honors. Congratulations to Heriberto, to our other competitors who qualified, and to club sponsor Dennis Schoenfelder for once again representing Center Schools so well.
Big Things We Are Working On
This Tuesday the Center Schools Board of Education will review its annual financial audit and take under consideration the approval of an increase in compensation for Center Schools employees. Because of higher than anticipated end of year reserves due to the receipt of an unexpected amount of Secure Rural Schools funds, and because of additional state funding due to an increase in the district pupil count, Center Schools is working with $600,000 more in funding than it originally budgeted for the year. The proposed raise for teachers is an experience step worth $750, and an additional $125 per salary schedule cell. Proposed administrator and classified staff raises are similar to those that would be received by teachers.
One other big item the district is working on this week is playing host to the quarterly Colorado Department of Education Rural Education Council meeting on Friday. Folks from all over the state, including Robert Hammond, Colorado’s Commissioner of Education, and Keith Owen, Assistant Commissioner, will descend on Center on this day to focus on Colorado’s rural school issues. While here, the Commissioner will tour our new facility and classrooms and present the Center High School student body and staff with its fifth straight Center of Educational Excellence award.
One other big item the district is working on this week is playing host to the quarterly Colorado Department of Education Rural Education Council meeting on Friday. Folks from all over the state, including Robert Hammond, Colorado’s Commissioner of Education, and Keith Owen, Assistant Commissioner, will descend on Center on this day to focus on Colorado’s rural school issues. While here, the Commissioner will tour our new facility and classrooms and present the Center High School student body and staff with its fifth straight Center of Educational Excellence award.
The Past Week
Early this week I had meetings about the enrollment of students in our alternative school programs, as well as an administrative team meeting aimed at discussing various items, including how to wrap up mid-year evaluation processes. I was in Denver on Tuesday with board president Michael Lobato to attend the Colorado Department of Education state awards ceremony. I came back to Center for the school day on Wednesday, but then proceed through the snow to Colorado Springs to attend the annual CASB convention from Thursday through Sunday.
The Week Ahead
On Monday I will be at the University of Denver to attend a forum on teacher licensure. I am attending this forum because it appears legislation will likely be brought forth this year to change the way teachers are licensed in Colorado and we need to be sure the interests of rural school districts like Center are taken into account when changes are made. On Tuesday I have my monthly marathon of meetings including the San Luis Valley Superintendent Advisory Council meeting, our monthly District Accountability Committee meeting, and our December board of education meeting. On Wednesday evening Kathleen Newmyer will be conducting our annual middle-high winter music concert. On Thursday I will be participating in a superintendent walkthrough instruction session during the day in Moffat, and then attending the Haskin Elementary School winter concert conducted by Gabriel Swanson that evening. As stated above, we will be hosting the Colorado Department of Education Rural Education council meeting in Center on Friday.
Thanks for listening once again.
George
Thanks for listening once again.
George