My Top ten reasons for serving on the board of education.
All school board members have an obligation to comply with state and federal laws, with board policy, to be concerned with fiscal policy, work as a board team, maintain communication with legislative and community members, and act in the best interests of the students. As I thought about running for re-election for a four-year term, I decided to write about the part of the job that means the most to me.
Personal: I enjoy it.
1. I like keeping up with what is happening in our schools, with former colleagues, and with students.
2. Because of years of working for school improvement, I have a good understanding of how the system works and how to get things done.
Student Achievement: Shrinking enrollment should not mean shrinking achievement.
3. Make sure student achievement goals are set, action plans developed, implemented and evaluated to increase student achievement.
4. Accountability counts. Making sure educational decisions are based on data analysis.
5. Use technology to increase student achievement.
Financial responsibility: Shrinking funding does not mean bankruptcy.
6. Ensure funding is prioritized around student learning. That means student safety, student learning, and the student support system.
7. Operate as efficiently as possible while making sure students’ educational needs are met.
Communication: Let's talk.
8. Make school non-confidential data easily assessable to the public so everyone knows what it taught and how our students are doing,
9. Oversight of the school communication structure so decisions are made with insight from all, especially those who are delivering direct services to students.
10. Listen to the community.
There are many specific topics that come up during the years, i.e., Harlan, RAMS, Early Childhood, swimming pool, extra-curricular activities, etc. No one knows for sure what happen over the next four years or what will need to be discussed and decided upon. Service on the school board means service by listening and learning and making the decisions that are, hopefully, the best we can make for our youngsters.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Celebrating 85
Last fall, the Oelwein Community School Board set a measurable reading goal: At least 85% of our students (not including those with special academic needs) would read at the proficient level. (Proficient generally means reading at grade level. It does not mean non-readers.) The results are in and the goal met and surpassed. In 2009, 87% of our students are reading at grade level. Go Oelwein!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
The ICC and Thee
The Iowa Core Curriculum* will be the hot topic for next year's early dismissals. This curriculum review will not be "the next big thing" for Oelwein; it will be an update. The most important part of the curriculum review will be time spent looking at new strategies for teaching. Another part of the review will include a look at staffing and scheduling, those organizational things that can make a difference in how much time and personnel will be allocated for various subjects. This is the kind of behind the scenes planning that makes our school district one of the best! Our teachers are competent and experienced in conducting this type of analysis so what is taught, how it is taught, and what students will know and be able to do will most certainly be improved as a result of this work. We're moving forward!
*The ICC is an effort by the state of Iowa to ensure that all students have access to the same basic curriculum no matter which school they attend. It grew out of the standards and benchmarks movement of the early 90's. Oelwein teachers reviewed their curriculum at that time and set benchmarks for all classes. A few years later, Oelwein teachers switched from our locally developed benchmarks to those developed by the Mid Continent Regional Education Lab (McREL - a US Dept. of Ed. facility). Next year, we will use the Iowa Core Curriculum benchmarks (also based on McREL). None of these changes were sudden or new, but have been logical progressions toward more clarity and a state-wide basic curriculum for all Iowa students. Click on the link on the right side of his page for the complete description of the ICC.
*The ICC is an effort by the state of Iowa to ensure that all students have access to the same basic curriculum no matter which school they attend. It grew out of the standards and benchmarks movement of the early 90's. Oelwein teachers reviewed their curriculum at that time and set benchmarks for all classes. A few years later, Oelwein teachers switched from our locally developed benchmarks to those developed by the Mid Continent Regional Education Lab (McREL - a US Dept. of Ed. facility). Next year, we will use the Iowa Core Curriculum benchmarks (also based on McREL). None of these changes were sudden or new, but have been logical progressions toward more clarity and a state-wide basic curriculum for all Iowa students. Click on the link on the right side of his page for the complete description of the ICC.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Positively Proud
Want to help sell the Oelwein Schools to people who are moving here? Try these four selling points on for size.
1. Early Childhood. How great is this? Parents can begin child care at the Little Husky Learning Center when their children are infants and can count on using the same facility until their children are ready for 1st grade. The children see the familiar faces of adults and other children during the first six years of their life. What a comfortable introduction to school life.
2. Jolly Phonics. Using music and movement to help children unravel the mysteries of the written word isn’t new, but making music and movement a regular part of the reading program is. The way the Jolly Phonics program organizes learning helps children read much earlier. Watch out mom and dad. Your days of spelling words when you don’t want Johnny and Susie to know what you are talking about are drawing to a close!
3. Math Problem Solving. 2nd grade teachers started a new math program called CGI (Cognitively Guided Instruction – OK…translated that means thinking first, memorizing later). Students learn math concepts by solving problems. The test data are in and the achievement results are impressive.
4. Technology. Wowza. There are some classrooms where teachers are pushing the technology bar forward. Wouldn’t it be fun to go to an interactive white board and use your finger to drag words around so they make sense or fit a definition? Beats filling out pages in a workbook. Or how about picking up a remote control to send your answers to test questions to a TV screen where you and you alone (well, except for your teacher) can tell if you have selected the correct answer. Instant feedback. We all like that. This is a far cry from 1950! Actually, it’s a far cry from 2000.
How about you? What would you like to add to our Positively Proud list?
1. Early Childhood. How great is this? Parents can begin child care at the Little Husky Learning Center when their children are infants and can count on using the same facility until their children are ready for 1st grade. The children see the familiar faces of adults and other children during the first six years of their life. What a comfortable introduction to school life.
2. Jolly Phonics. Using music and movement to help children unravel the mysteries of the written word isn’t new, but making music and movement a regular part of the reading program is. The way the Jolly Phonics program organizes learning helps children read much earlier. Watch out mom and dad. Your days of spelling words when you don’t want Johnny and Susie to know what you are talking about are drawing to a close!
3. Math Problem Solving. 2nd grade teachers started a new math program called CGI (Cognitively Guided Instruction – OK…translated that means thinking first, memorizing later). Students learn math concepts by solving problems. The test data are in and the achievement results are impressive.
4. Technology. Wowza. There are some classrooms where teachers are pushing the technology bar forward. Wouldn’t it be fun to go to an interactive white board and use your finger to drag words around so they make sense or fit a definition? Beats filling out pages in a workbook. Or how about picking up a remote control to send your answers to test questions to a TV screen where you and you alone (well, except for your teacher) can tell if you have selected the correct answer. Instant feedback. We all like that. This is a far cry from 1950! Actually, it’s a far cry from 2000.
How about you? What would you like to add to our Positively Proud list?
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
News from the Middle School
Middle School faculty, Ruth Lau, Lori Leo, Kathy Lenth, Karla Duff, Karen Farmer, Twyla Scherbring and Principal John Amick spent two hours with the Board of Education discussing a host of topics including reading, math, faculty time for collaboration, early dismissal planning, the Success Center, the after school program, bus supervision, and more!
The efforts made to increase student achievement in reading are substantial.
1) Every teacher is a reading teacher.
The staff has and is using strategies from the research-based Sue Beers publication, Reading in the Conent Area. The program provides ALL teachers with practical "how to" information for teaching reading skills while they are teaching the content of their specific classes.
2) Regular reading classes for all students.
3) Give me another chance!
Students in 7th and 8th grade who need extra reading instruction receive it through another research-based program, Second Chance Reading.
4) SSR
Students begin every day reading from a book of their choice as part of the Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) program.
5) Reading Journals
At the conclusion of the SSR reading time, students write a sentence or two summarizing what was read. Teachers began asking for that summary as a way of checking the reading comprehension skills of students.
6) STARS
A STARS program began this year for all students needing extra reading help and as a means of preparation for the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills.
7) PassKey
The computer program, Pass Key was also mentioned as an effective program for increasing reading skills.
In order to monitor progress in reading, various assessments are used, grades, data from the PassKey program, data from Second Chance Reading, ITBS scores, and assessment of the reading journals from SSR.
Many thanks to the Middle School faculty for keeping the board informed about the work that is going on every day with students.
The efforts made to increase student achievement in reading are substantial.
1) Every teacher is a reading teacher.
The staff has and is using strategies from the research-based Sue Beers publication, Reading in the Conent Area. The program provides ALL teachers with practical "how to" information for teaching reading skills while they are teaching the content of their specific classes.
2) Regular reading classes for all students.
3) Give me another chance!
Students in 7th and 8th grade who need extra reading instruction receive it through another research-based program, Second Chance Reading.
4) SSR
Students begin every day reading from a book of their choice as part of the Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) program.
5) Reading Journals
At the conclusion of the SSR reading time, students write a sentence or two summarizing what was read. Teachers began asking for that summary as a way of checking the reading comprehension skills of students.
6) STARS
A STARS program began this year for all students needing extra reading help and as a means of preparation for the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills.
7) PassKey
The computer program, Pass Key was also mentioned as an effective program for increasing reading skills.
In order to monitor progress in reading, various assessments are used, grades, data from the PassKey program, data from Second Chance Reading, ITBS scores, and assessment of the reading journals from SSR.
Many thanks to the Middle School faculty for keeping the board informed about the work that is going on every day with students.
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