Superintendent Update
March 7, 2003
We are currently in the process of preparing for the annual accreditation review. This process involves the Regional Director from the Colorado Department of Education and a team consisting of administrators meeting with the administration from our district and discussing our academic progress. It is a very intensive process in which the district will address how they have met the requirements of ten separate indicators that vary from student achievement to safety procedures. Kiowa County School District Re-1 is taking great strides in creating a process to track individual student and class progress based on CSAP and Terra Nova testing to meet these indicators. Recent legislation has placed much pressure on school districts to be accountable for their systems with financial penalties for non-compliance.
The staff is in the process of aligning grade level expectations to meet state standards. Each teacher has worked very diligently and we are currently in the process of publishing the end product. By the beginning of next school year, each parent and student will know what is expected at each grade level. This approach will allow teachers, students, and parents to know precisely how students are performing, as well as identifying strengths and weaknesses. Instruction can then be adjusted to meet the needs of every student.
We recently took delivery of our new Vocational Agriculture pickup. This vehicle was purchased for $29,074. The District will be reimbursed 40-50 percent by vocational monies, with the rest of the difference being offset by the sale of the old Vo-Ag pickup and blue 15-passenger van. It will be an asset in the area of transporting small numbers of students to events and activities and having the ability to pull trailers to the state fair and stock show.
The Eads Accountability Improvement Committee has been busy with reviewing policies and compiling recommendations. Sub-committees have met to discuss the current open-campus at lunchtime, attendance policy, and valedictorian and salutatorian criteria. After further meetings, a recommendation will be made to the superintendent for consideration and board action.
As I stated in my previous column, improving communication to the public is a goal and priority of mine. I would like to take this opportunity to discuss a process that the school board, staff, and myself have put a lot of effort and priority in developing. It is called the chain-of-command. This process is set up so that all conflicts are initially discussed at the level of concern. The system is set up in the following manner: staff member, principal, superintendent, and the final stage is the school board. If an individual has a question or concern they should address it at the most initial stage of the chain possible. By following this process, board members and the superintendent are not bombarded with questions or concerns that they may not directly be aware of. If there is a question or a concern with a staff member it should be addressed at that level before being pursued any further. If the concern is with the principal it should be addressed there, and so on. If you have addressed the concern or issue at the initial stage and feel there has been no decision or resolution, then you need to take it up with the next level on the chain-of-command.
It is my belief that if everyone will follow this chain, our communication will greatly improve as well as the effectiveness to resolve the issues and improve our system. I know personally I become frustrated with rumors and issues that people are upset with when in all reality they are fabricated or exaggerated. I have also found that when these issues build, emotions become involved and often complicate the resolution and communication. Please feel free to ask questions and address issues at the proper level of the chain-of-command. If everyone will work together and follow this system, true communication and improvements to our system will occur. It is worth noting that I will never base a decision or opinion on hearsay; just facts. It is also important to me that you know that I will not take action on an issue until the appropriate levels of the chain have been addressed and that no reasonable solution has been accomplished.
I will take the opportunity to dispel rumors in this column in hopes to squelch them before they become an issue. I was recently made aware that there were concerns by a number of parents in the community that the School District was in the process of eliminating pre-school and kindergarten. This was never an option or even discussed. The only thing that has been addressed is that next year’s kindergarten class will consist of 4 students, and that with continued falling enrollment, the district may need to look at multi-age classrooms in the future. One option discussed was combining kindergarten and first grade for part of a day. Each class would be separate for reading, writing, and math and would combine for learning centers. At this time we are brainstorming options, and no decisions have been made.
I feel very positive about our school system and the support we get from the community. Eads is very fortunate to have an excellent staff that works diligently to educate our students. The staff is dedicated in working with students after school and on Fridays if necessary. The school board should also be commended for their hard work, time, and grief in supporting getting the district back in sound financial standing and increasing the expectations for student achievement. The accountability committee has also spent much time and effort in representing the community’s ideas and suggestions in making recommendations for improvement. With everyone’s help and cooperation, the School District will continue to improve and advance.