Great Things Going On
I want to thank Lori Cooper for arranging, and the many Center Schools teachers who attended, the district technology in education workshop that was offered to our staff members last Tuesday. Additionally, many teachers from all around the San Luis Valley attended this event as training toward the implementation of a Colorado Legacy Foundation Extended Learning Opportunities grant. The training was geared at using online resources and iPad applications in the process of regular classroom instruction. As many of you know Center Schools will be implementing a one to one iPad program in the coming year in grades K-6, and grade 9. Our 7th, 8th, 10th, 11th and 12th graders will continue to use laptop computers to support their instruction.
It was truly an honor to participate in the presentation of the Colorado Association of School Executives CASEY award to Taylor Lobato last Thursday in Breckenridge. The CASEY is the highest award given by CASE on an annual basis and in the past has gone to governors, state legislators, mayors of Denver, and significant state education policy leaders.
Below is the text of Taylor’s nomination for the award as was presented by the Colorado Association of Senior School Administrators, and the Colorado Association of Business Officials.
It was truly an honor to participate in the presentation of the Colorado Association of School Executives CASEY award to Taylor Lobato last Thursday in Breckenridge. The CASEY is the highest award given by CASE on an annual basis and in the past has gone to governors, state legislators, mayors of Denver, and significant state education policy leaders.
Below is the text of Taylor’s nomination for the award as was presented by the Colorado Association of Senior School Administrators, and the Colorado Association of Business Officials.
Taylor Lobato, oldest child of Anthony and Denise Lobato, is a member of a ranching family from the San Luis Valley of Colorado with roots that date back five generations. While growing up and attending the schools of the Center Consolidated School District, it quickly became evident that she had unique talents related to speech, math, reading, and writing. Though her family avidly supported public education, at every turn during her K-12 school career Taylor ran into resource barriers when it came to being offered opportunities to enrich her education to the level of her abilities. Sadly, Taylor was never afforded the chance to participate in a comprehensive talented and gifted education program. Though she performed at an advanced level in mathematics during middle school, the only solution her district had to meet her individual needs was to have her skip a grade level of instruction to take coursework aimed more at her ability level. While in high school, and though quite capable, Taylor was never offered the opportunity to take an advanced placement course because the district she attended simply could not attract the human resources necessary to offer one. In the end this led Taylor to be quite disadvantaged when it came to applying for college scholarships. It also set her back compared to the rest of her classmates as she began attending college at Denver University.
Because her parents were aware of the opportunities Taylor and her classmates were lacking and the many resource challenges her school district faced, they began attending local informational meetings surrounding the possibility of filing a lawsuit against the state of Colorado to compel the legislature to adequately and equitably fund a thorough and uniform system of education for all children. At the time Taylor was only in 7th grade the Lobato family carefully considered, and then agreed, to sign on to this landmark lawsuit as individual plaintiffs. Soon afterward Kathy Gebhardt and the team of attorneys working on the case approached the family to see if they would allow their names to be listed first on the complaint, ultimately giving the Lobato v Colorado lawsuit its well-known name.
What wasn’t realized at the time the Lobato lawsuit was originally filed was the fact that the case would wind through Colorado’s court system on an 8 year odyssey and that by the time concerned citizens of Colorado were able to plea their case in front of a judge, Taylor would grow into a beautiful and articulate young woman uniquely capable of describing the many challenges she, her classmates, and her school district faced because of inadequate financial resources. During the trial Taylor was a star witness, playing a wonderful game of “pitch and catch” with lead prosecuting attorney Kenzo Kawanabe and clearly describing the many challenges faced in Colorado’s schools due to a lack of resources. Upon completing her riveting testimony the state, in the end, chose not to cross-examine her. Then, quite unexpectedly, Taylor quickly evolved into the public face of the Lobato lawsuit staring down a sea of reporters and eloquently spreading the message that Colroado’s system of school finance is broken. During the trial, at the time of the successful decision, and once again when the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in an effort to make a final decision on the case, Taylor was there to explain what the lawsuit was about and to cheerfully represent the children of Colorado in this matter of great importance.
Over time the CASEY award has gone to a unique spectrum of deserving recipients. We believe honoring Taylor Lobato with this award this year would represent CASE’s belief in and focus on what public education is all about, the 800,000 students who attend our schools on a daily basis.
Because her parents were aware of the opportunities Taylor and her classmates were lacking and the many resource challenges her school district faced, they began attending local informational meetings surrounding the possibility of filing a lawsuit against the state of Colorado to compel the legislature to adequately and equitably fund a thorough and uniform system of education for all children. At the time Taylor was only in 7th grade the Lobato family carefully considered, and then agreed, to sign on to this landmark lawsuit as individual plaintiffs. Soon afterward Kathy Gebhardt and the team of attorneys working on the case approached the family to see if they would allow their names to be listed first on the complaint, ultimately giving the Lobato v Colorado lawsuit its well-known name.
What wasn’t realized at the time the Lobato lawsuit was originally filed was the fact that the case would wind through Colorado’s court system on an 8 year odyssey and that by the time concerned citizens of Colorado were able to plea their case in front of a judge, Taylor would grow into a beautiful and articulate young woman uniquely capable of describing the many challenges she, her classmates, and her school district faced because of inadequate financial resources. During the trial Taylor was a star witness, playing a wonderful game of “pitch and catch” with lead prosecuting attorney Kenzo Kawanabe and clearly describing the many challenges faced in Colorado’s schools due to a lack of resources. Upon completing her riveting testimony the state, in the end, chose not to cross-examine her. Then, quite unexpectedly, Taylor quickly evolved into the public face of the Lobato lawsuit staring down a sea of reporters and eloquently spreading the message that Colroado’s system of school finance is broken. During the trial, at the time of the successful decision, and once again when the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in an effort to make a final decision on the case, Taylor was there to explain what the lawsuit was about and to cheerfully represent the children of Colorado in this matter of great importance.
Over time the CASEY award has gone to a unique spectrum of deserving recipients. We believe honoring Taylor Lobato with this award this year would represent CASE’s belief in and focus on what public education is all about, the 800,000 students who attend our schools on a daily basis.
Upon receipt of the award Taylor was greeted with a minute long standing ovation!
The Past Week
Though I spent the better part of the past week in Breckenridge, I was as busy as I have ever been as a superintendent of schools. On Monday I attended the Colorado Department of Education Rural Education Council meeting. At the meeting we discusses issues such as revision to state policy surrounding graduation requirements, and the readiness of rural schools to administer new statewide assessments using technology.
On Tuesday I presented on the topic of School Finance in the CASE New Superintendent breakout session, then I transitions to the Rural Educators preconference session to share ideas on how to meet the challenges that are faced by many rural schools in implementing many of the latest reforms put in place by the legislature.
On Wednesday I had the pleasure of presenting information about Center School’s Jump Start program along with Skoglund Middle School principal Carrie Zimmerman and Center High School principal Kevin Jones, then we were joined by Haskin Elementary grade K-2 principal Kathy Kulp to present on our past two years experience implementing SB 191 style teacher and administrator evaluations.
The highlight of my day on Thursday was presenting the CASEY award to Taulor Lobato. On Friday I participated in a CASE key communicators session about the “Colorado Commits to Kids” effort to put a ballot question in front of voters this fall to increase public education funding.
On Tuesday I presented on the topic of School Finance in the CASE New Superintendent breakout session, then I transitions to the Rural Educators preconference session to share ideas on how to meet the challenges that are faced by many rural schools in implementing many of the latest reforms put in place by the legislature.
On Wednesday I had the pleasure of presenting information about Center School’s Jump Start program along with Skoglund Middle School principal Carrie Zimmerman and Center High School principal Kevin Jones, then we were joined by Haskin Elementary grade K-2 principal Kathy Kulp to present on our past two years experience implementing SB 191 style teacher and administrator evaluations.
The highlight of my day on Thursday was presenting the CASEY award to Taulor Lobato. On Friday I participated in a CASE key communicators session about the “Colorado Commits to Kids” effort to put a ballot question in front of voters this fall to increase public education funding.
Big Things We Are Working On
Center Schools is currently in the process of opening its doors for the 2013-14 school year. In doing so offices will open on Monday July 29th. We are also deep into the process of purchasing technology to put in place for the coming school year.
On Saturday I had the opportunity to take the Center High School Class of 1968 on a tour of our new facility. The group was great, and seemed to be quite amazed by the changes that have taken place in Center Schools over the past 45 years!
On Saturday I had the opportunity to take the Center High School Class of 1968 on a tour of our new facility. The group was great, and seemed to be quite amazed by the changes that have taken place in Center Schools over the past 45 years!
Videos of the Week
If you would like to see Taylor Lobato's CASEY award acceptance speech just click on this link.
If you care to see the speech I made introducing Taylor before receiving the award, click here.
If you care to see the speech I made introducing Taylor before receiving the award, click here.
The Coming Week
This week will offer me a last chance to take some time off to spend with my family before we hit our school year in full stride. However, I will be working on Wednesday, as I'll attend a BEST Facilities Work Group meeting at the Donnel Kay Foundation in Denver. This group is working on exploring ways to expand on the Building Excellent Schools Today program that has done so much to address rural school facilities needs. On Friday I will be attending an all Valley Administrator PLC a the BOCES in Alamosa.
Extra Points
The coming school year marks the end of the three most challenging years of my professional life here in Center. From 2009 through 2013 I have been deeply involved in the Lobato v Colorado lawsuit, planning for and building a new school facility, overseeing the process of the Haskin Elementary School turnaround project, and serving on the Colorado Association of School Executives executive committee. The building is done, our Haskin turnaround grant has been spent, the Lobato lawsuit has ended, and as of last Friday I have completed my leadership duties for CASE. Though these endeavors took a lot of time to attend to, I think the past several years have seen the Center School District become the best it has been in quite a long time. In the coming year I am hoping to have to travel a lot less, and I am hoping to spend a lot more time in classrooms supporting the best teaching staff in Colorado to become even better than it already is.
George
George