Monday, August 29, 2011
Happy New (School) Year!
The start of a new school year is an exciting time, especially for Springfield Public Schools where we are always focused on improvement. Our school year may get off to a delayed start this year because of Hurricane Irene, but it is brimming with promise and exciting developments. This year, we open a new middle school, reducing the student enrollment at three other schools; renovations to the Forest Park Middle School are underway; our magnet school offerings have expanded; and we move into the second year of our Springfield Improvement Framework. As Springfield Public Schools continues in our aggressive pursuit for a culture of educational excellence, I wish everyone a successful 2011-2012 school year and thank you in advance for your commitment and dedication to our students. Let’s work together to make it a great year!
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Changes Forthcoming in Educator Evaluations
Recent changes in the State’s framework for educator evaluations will have a profound impact in helping to improve the capacity of our classroom teachers, principals and other administrators across our system.
The impetus for Massachusetts’ new Educator Evaluation System was the award of the U.S. Department of Education’s Race to the Top (RTTT) Grant which has resulted in enhanced labor-management collaborations at the state and local level, changes in State education legislation and regulations to support aligning educator evaluations with accountability.
As part of an overarching performance management system, educator evaluations serve to provide quality assurance, continuous improvement and professional learning that impacts student achievement.
It is important to note that the evidence for evaluating educators in the new framework involves multiple measures to include student outcomes on MCAS achievement and growth, observations and products of practice, and other evidence like feedback from students, parents and staff to provide a more holistic assessment of one’s performance.
The statewide standards for teachers include curriculum planning and assessment, teaching all students, family and community engagement and professional culture; for principals (and other administrators) the standards include instructional leadership, management and operations, family and community partnerships and professional culture.
Other key design features include expectations for creating aligned professional goals between individual -> teams -> school/dept -> district. The evaluation cycle in Springfield will also change from a two-step cycle to a five-step cycle that involves: self-reflection and self-assessment, initial goal setting and plan development (4 types for all educators that is differentiated), plan implementation, formative and summative evaluations.
While there is still much more work to be done, the educator evaluation changes in Massachusetts will be rolled out in a phased approach starting with the 2011-12 school year at all Level 4 schools, statewide for RTTT districts in 2012-13 and remaining districts in 2013-14.
For more information on the regulations, please see the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s website: http://www.doe.mass.edu/lawsregs/603cmr35.html.
The impetus for Massachusetts’ new Educator Evaluation System was the award of the U.S. Department of Education’s Race to the Top (RTTT) Grant which has resulted in enhanced labor-management collaborations at the state and local level, changes in State education legislation and regulations to support aligning educator evaluations with accountability.
As part of an overarching performance management system, educator evaluations serve to provide quality assurance, continuous improvement and professional learning that impacts student achievement.
It is important to note that the evidence for evaluating educators in the new framework involves multiple measures to include student outcomes on MCAS achievement and growth, observations and products of practice, and other evidence like feedback from students, parents and staff to provide a more holistic assessment of one’s performance.
The statewide standards for teachers include curriculum planning and assessment, teaching all students, family and community engagement and professional culture; for principals (and other administrators) the standards include instructional leadership, management and operations, family and community partnerships and professional culture.
Other key design features include expectations for creating aligned professional goals between individual -> teams -> school/dept -> district. The evaluation cycle in Springfield will also change from a two-step cycle to a five-step cycle that involves: self-reflection and self-assessment, initial goal setting and plan development (4 types for all educators that is differentiated), plan implementation, formative and summative evaluations.
While there is still much more work to be done, the educator evaluation changes in Massachusetts will be rolled out in a phased approach starting with the 2011-12 school year at all Level 4 schools, statewide for RTTT districts in 2012-13 and remaining districts in 2013-14.
For more information on the regulations, please see the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s website: http://www.doe.mass.edu/lawsregs/603cmr35.html.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Week provides invaluable lessons for senior team
This past week members of my senior team and I participated in the Harvard Institute for School Leadership and Large-Scale Improvement. It was an intense week of study and a great investment of time to strengthen our capacity for the work here in Springfield to transform our schools. Other participants in the institute included educators from South Africa, Australia, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware and Kentucky.
The week was filled with learning experiences to help improve instructional practice, our understanding of the instructional core (i.e., teachers, students and content) through alignment and implementation efforts for maximum impact, and ensuring equity for “All” students through an emphasis on better student outcomes. There was also dedicated time for us to work as a team on a problem of practice specific to our work in Springfield.
In addition to the readings, case studies and rich discussions with some of Harvard’s outstanding faculty, we also had the opportunity to learn new insights from high performing school districts like Baltimore, Montgomery County, MD and Bellevue, WA. The week was also affirming with respect to our plans for system-wide improvement across the district. We recognize we have a long way to go but it is reassuring to know we are on the right track.
My hope was that we would come away from this experience with a greater understanding of the right work to transform our schools and be stronger as a team. We certainly got that and so much more!
The week was filled with learning experiences to help improve instructional practice, our understanding of the instructional core (i.e., teachers, students and content) through alignment and implementation efforts for maximum impact, and ensuring equity for “All” students through an emphasis on better student outcomes. There was also dedicated time for us to work as a team on a problem of practice specific to our work in Springfield.
In addition to the readings, case studies and rich discussions with some of Harvard’s outstanding faculty, we also had the opportunity to learn new insights from high performing school districts like Baltimore, Montgomery County, MD and Bellevue, WA. The week was also affirming with respect to our plans for system-wide improvement across the district. We recognize we have a long way to go but it is reassuring to know we are on the right track.
My hope was that we would come away from this experience with a greater understanding of the right work to transform our schools and be stronger as a team. We certainly got that and so much more!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Schools supported...
None other than Bill Cosby himself showed up recently at Harris School to help spread laughter and gain some insight as to how the tornadoes on June 1st impacted our school district, school leaders and children. The visit was a whirlwind with Dr. Cosby starting off in the principal’s office and finishing with a quick stop in a kindergarten room. Dr. Cosby preferred his visit to be low key, choosing to spend his time talking with teachers and students as opposed to filling media requests for interviews. His visit typifies the kind of quiet and unsolicited support our school district has received over the past three weeks – from celebrities like Bill Cosby and businesses to caring adults taking up collections and students helping other students. Schools closed this week and despite the challenges of the year (we lost seven instructional days due to snow, ice and tornadoes) we end the year filled with optimism, a hopeful spirit and a clear sense of direction. I wish everyone a joy-filled summer and look forward to opening the school year in August.
And again, thanks to everyone for your support!
And again, thanks to everyone for your support!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Springfield’s spirit triumphs adversity
It was one week ago today that the tornado devastated our city, leaving in its path massive damage and destruction. The repair of Springfield Public Schools has remained a priority for state officials. Governor Deval Patrick, State Treasurer Steve Grossman and the Massachusetts School Building Authority have all made meaningful visits to our most damaged schools. The continued commitment of these offices will be instrumental in the revitalization of our schools.
There is no escaping the devastation, but what stands out to me is the sense of community and spirit of helpfulness that has become commonplace throughout our school district and our City.
Like rays of sunlight poking through the clouds, the community’s resolve shines bright.
It was pure teamwork, for example, that allowed for the smooth absorption of two schools into three this week after the storm left Dryden and Brookings schools uninhabitable. The School District was pleased to partner with Sodexo Food Services in the hours and days following the storm to help feed displaced families. There are hundreds of stories of Springfield neighbor helping Springfield neighbor over the past week that will never be told yet they say so much about our community. As Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., wrote, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
There is no escaping the devastation, but what stands out to me is the sense of community and spirit of helpfulness that has become commonplace throughout our school district and our City.
Like rays of sunlight poking through the clouds, the community’s resolve shines bright.
It was pure teamwork, for example, that allowed for the smooth absorption of two schools into three this week after the storm left Dryden and Brookings schools uninhabitable. The School District was pleased to partner with Sodexo Food Services in the hours and days following the storm to help feed displaced families. There are hundreds of stories of Springfield neighbor helping Springfield neighbor over the past week that will never be told yet they say so much about our community. As Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., wrote, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
