Great Things Going On
This week I would like to commend everyone who has been involved in creating the new Center Schools Health and Wellness Toolkit website. This resource has been developed for the benefit of Center Schools teachers, parents and students for the purpose of increasing student movement in the classroom, promoting healthier eating habits, offering students brain breaks in order for more knowledge to be absorbed during the learning process, and to include Comprehensive Health Standards at each of our grade levels. Our Americorps-Vista team has done most of the web page development, but they were greatly assisted by contract counselor Katrina Ruggles, health grant assistant Marsha Felmlee, and PE-Health teachers Andy Hawkins, Annie Rice, Joe Martinez, and Lee Flood. The website offers a plethora of information surrounding healthy student concepts and can be accessed at this web address: http://centerschoolshealthandwellness.weebly.com
I also want to thank Haskin Elementary 2nd-3rd grade math teacher Jessica Stevens for the wonderful iPad document camera training she provided for many of our staff members last week. Additionally, I can’t thank some of our more seasoned teachers enough for working so hard to apply such instructional technology. I hear after the training 4th grade teacher Colleen Hurst made use of her iPad as a document camera, much to the pleasure of her students, and I also hear high school language arts teacher Diane Parker has gained such confidence in the use of her iPad that she has now even graduated to her very first smart phone. Next thing you know she’ll be texting everyone and sending pictures!
Last week Center High School math teacher Diego Martinez reported that the district has secured a $3,000 computer needed for the flight simulator we have been building for students. Diego, Center Schools instrumental music teacher Kate Newmyer, and science teacher Daniel Newmyer have made effective use of the Donor’s Choose website for the past several years, securing science equipment and musical instruments for our students at no cost to the district.
Speaking of science, more than 50 Center students will be in Alamosa this coming Thursday and Friday to compete in the San Luis Valley Regional Science Fair competition, and as always I can’t thank Diego and Daniel enough for the work they do to prepare our students. This year 5th grade teacher Honey Stecken and middle school science teacher Mimi Dolan are bringing a contingent of students as well. Best of luck Viking scientists.
Finally, our Center High School boys basketball team has qualified to play in regionals this year. They travel to Colorado Springs on Friday to take on Denver Christian in the first round of regionals. If they win they play again on Saturday.
Speaking of science, more than 50 Center students will be in Alamosa this coming Thursday and Friday to compete in the San Luis Valley Regional Science Fair competition, and as always I can’t thank Diego and Daniel enough for the work they do to prepare our students. This year 5th grade teacher Honey Stecken and middle school science teacher Mimi Dolan are bringing a contingent of students as well. Best of luck Viking scientists.
Finally, our Center High School boys basketball team has qualified to play in regionals this year. They travel to Colorado Springs on Friday to take on Denver Christian in the first round of regionals. If they win they play again on Saturday.
Big Things We Are Working On
Though the traditional school finance act will likely contain an increase in funding equal to the inflation rate and growth of student population in Colorado, additional legislation called the Student Success Act is currently being considered that would add another 250 million dollars to Colorado education funding. The proposal is sponsored by Representatives Millie Hamner (D-Dillon) and Carole Murray (R-Castle Rock) and was formally introduced in the House last week. In its current form it commits up to $40 million dollars to help districts cover the costs of implementing new standards, assessments, and teacher evaluation, and
$100 million to go directly to districts to reduce recession-era budget cuts, which districts can use to eliminate late-start days, professional development reductions and other cutbacks. $35 million has been set aside for English-language learners, one of the most underfunded and fastest-growing groups in the state education system. In the bill $20 million has been set aside for programs to address the growing number of struggling readers and meet Colorado’s new literacy standard. It also includes $53 million for school construction through the BEST program, though many of these dollars are earmarked for particular needs. $100 million has been set aside in one-time support to assist schools with teacher evaluations, reading proficiency programs, improved achievement assessments, and school safety. Finally, $15 million is earmarked to move away from our current single day count system toward an average daily membership formula, and to promote greater financial transparency in large districts with multiple schools at various levels. As tends to be the case with such legislation, this proposal has a long way to before it becomes final. However, at this point we at Center Schools are quite grateful that the legislature is considering adding such additional funding beyond Governor Hickenlooper’s original proposal.
Center Schools has also begun its traditional spring work on the coming school year’s academic improvement plan. Last week I met with principals and director of instruction Lori Cooper to outline the process that will be followed to do this work. Our plan is to have each building leadership team look over student achievement data, identify areas we need to focus on, and identify the things we need to stop doing, by Spring Break. Our district leadership team will then take these suggestions and build action plans related to them. By the first of May this work will be presented to the district accountability committee, and they will make a final recommendation regarding this plan for the board of education to consider. Once the plan is finalized, I will work with the board to budget the dollars needed to execute it during the coming school year.
$100 million to go directly to districts to reduce recession-era budget cuts, which districts can use to eliminate late-start days, professional development reductions and other cutbacks. $35 million has been set aside for English-language learners, one of the most underfunded and fastest-growing groups in the state education system. In the bill $20 million has been set aside for programs to address the growing number of struggling readers and meet Colorado’s new literacy standard. It also includes $53 million for school construction through the BEST program, though many of these dollars are earmarked for particular needs. $100 million has been set aside in one-time support to assist schools with teacher evaluations, reading proficiency programs, improved achievement assessments, and school safety. Finally, $15 million is earmarked to move away from our current single day count system toward an average daily membership formula, and to promote greater financial transparency in large districts with multiple schools at various levels. As tends to be the case with such legislation, this proposal has a long way to before it becomes final. However, at this point we at Center Schools are quite grateful that the legislature is considering adding such additional funding beyond Governor Hickenlooper’s original proposal.
Center Schools has also begun its traditional spring work on the coming school year’s academic improvement plan. Last week I met with principals and director of instruction Lori Cooper to outline the process that will be followed to do this work. Our plan is to have each building leadership team look over student achievement data, identify areas we need to focus on, and identify the things we need to stop doing, by Spring Break. Our district leadership team will then take these suggestions and build action plans related to them. By the first of May this work will be presented to the district accountability committee, and they will make a final recommendation regarding this plan for the board of education to consider. Once the plan is finalized, I will work with the board to budget the dollars needed to execute it during the coming school year.
The Past Week
On Monday I met with Alice Burch about a new statewide school nurse evaluation process. On Tuesday I was in Denver attending an event sponsored by Education Trust and Equal Opportunity Schools to learn about opportunities to increase low income and minority student participation in Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate coursework. Wednesday was an early release PLC day during which students in grades 6-12 conducted work on their Individual Career and Academic Plans. On Wednesday morning I attended a meeting in Alamosa related to the renewal of the district health insurance plan. I was then back in Alamosa on Wednesday evening to attend a BOCES cost sharing meeting during which I presented general information about Colorado school finance to board members from around the Valley. On Thursday I had a 2014-15 improvement-planning meeting with building administrators, and I attended the district basketball tournament in Alamosa. I then travelled to and from Ridgway for Friday’s CDE Rural Education Council meeting that was be held there, and ended my week on Saturday once again at the district basketball tournament.
The Week Ahead
On Monday I will travel to and from Denver as most of Colorado’s superintendents will be present as the House Education Committee considers the newly proposed Student Success Act I explained above. On Tuesday I will be meeting with each of the principals to conduct their mid-year evaluation. Wednesday and Thursday will allow me time catch up on a bit of office paperwork. On Thursday and Friday many of our students will be at Adams State University competing in the San Luis Valley Regional Science Fair, while on Friday our boys basketball team will travel to Colorado Springs to play Denver Christian in a first round regional basketball tournament game.
Thanks for listening once again.
George
Thanks for listening once again.
George