I set a goal for myself this year to listen more before I act. I got this advice from a very special person that will go on to do great things for this school system. I have heard many times this year that we are asking a lot of you. The answer, yes, we are, I said yesterday at the faculty meeting my goal is the boyscout rule "leave it better than you found it." Don't get too excited, I'm not going anywhere.
How? Well, one thing is our focus on the arts with a fully integrated curriculum and opportunities for children to be engaged, excited and enriched in their learning. The other is of course having high expectations for students, challenging the stigmas that many of us and even more so, those outside our school hold for our population. However, I truly believe the most important factor is becoming better at what we do in the classroom. That has been our focus as you know with the development of our belief statements in literacy and mathematics (found on moodle). Our emphasis on professional development (weekly team meetings). Developing leaders in our school (grade level chairs, committee chairs,) And lastly, and probably with the most pain, is of course data collection.
I read a great quote the other day, "In God we trust, everyone else must show data" the author was not credited. This sets in a new sense of reality for me. I can't remember a time in my professional life that it has ever been more important to show evidence of the job we are doing. "Race to the Top", No Child Left Behind, New Teacher Evaluation Instrument, Response to Intervention, Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Highly Qualified Teachers etc. etc. All of these initiatives will require us to show a transparency unlike ever before. It's a difficult task, but one I'm sure you can all handle, that is why you work at the greatest school in UCPS. The job is unlike it ever has been, not just a deliverer of knowledge but write prescriptive lesson on who gets what knowledge and at what level.
This week all literacy and math meetings will be postponed, so that you can get your feet under you, and catch up a little bit. Thank you, for the time, but more importantly to your commitment to our success.
See Through,
Mike
