I ask because I was recently pondering the amount of information our students are responsible for understanding in a given school year. Our students take a myriad of tests and assessments to gauge their success on a multitude of subjects, topics and skills. The state tests, national assessments, unit tests and chapter quizzes all have one thing in common – in reality they are all reading tests. So, without the ability to decode, comprehend, and apply the question itself the student is paralyzed when attempting to provide an answer.

Helping your child achieve success can be as simple as opening a book (or turning on a tablet, smart phone or e-reader).

In our fast paced, limitless information society of today, the ability to read remains the key to unlocking information. We must create an environment that fosters reading among our young people, because the more one reads the better the reading skills. It may sound simple, but it takes practice and desire.

As adults we must model good reading practices for our children (and I’m not talking about sitting down by yourself and reading The Great Gatsby for pleasure). It needs to be interactive – reading and discussing the latest headlines on an iPad with your child, or reading Newsweek together instead of watching a television show. It means providing our young people with opportunities to read items of interest – maybe the latest book from an author they enjoy, or taking a look at an article with a topic that sparks the imagination. (Teachers and librarians are wonderful resources for appropriate, interesting reading materials.) We need to be role models for our young people. By promoting reading you are a partner in preparing your child to be more successful tomorrow.

By definition in Ohio, blended learning is:

A formal education program in which a student learns at least in part through online delivery of content and instruction with some element of student control over time, place, path, and/or pace and at least in part at a supervised brick-and-mortar location away from home.

As we discuss blended learning in Loveland it is important to look at the big picture.  As educators we know that students learn differently and that teachers teach differently. It is our responsibility to bring a full menu of instructional options to our students – providing the best learning opportunities to prepare our students for tomorrow, and that is what blended learning will be in Loveland – an option, an opportunity – not a requirement.

Loveland will continue to provide the best possible educational opportunities in the traditional classroom setting for students who need traditional instructional methods. We have exceptional educators who excel in a traditional classroom.  Loveland will continue to provide entirely digital options to our students who excel in a completely digital environment.  Loveland will continue to provide a complete menu of digital classes to meet the needs of those students. Finally, Loveland is developing and planning for blended learning, a mixture of face-to-face instruction and digital content.  We will train and support our teachers and staff who will excel in a blended environment.

We no longer live in a culture where conformity and singular learning environments prepare students for a complex, instant-information, rapidly changing world.  We must meet students where they are, provide instruction in the most personalized and efficient manner, and put teachers in assignments where they can most effectively utilize their talents. In Loveland, we are well on our way.  We do, what we do, very well and we will only continue to get better.

This is a unique time of year for me as the superintendent. This week, I will deliver the State of the Schools Address – an annual speech I prepare to share our past success, our current challenges and our vision for the future as a district.  It is a time of personal reflection that makes me both realize and remember the things I love about my job. I can honestly say that I get out of bed each morning optimistic and encouraged – blessed to work with dedicated, talented education professionals in a community that supports and values education. We enjoy a true partnership in Loveland.

That partnership creates a wonderful environment for children to learn. Loveland provides exceptional opportunities for students to grow and create both in and outside the classroom; it is important that we share our programs with our community at large. But we also have the chance to reach even higher levels of preparation for our young people and that is what is so exciting to me – our tremendous opportunity for growth. We are far from reaching our potential. To me, the fact that we provide exceptional opportunities now, but have the opportunity to get even better is a great source of optimism.

The State of the Schools provides me a voice – a voice to celebrate, a voice to share, and a voice to challenge status quo.  We are all part of a Tiger Family; we will continue our dedication to the next generation of American leaders, scientists, heroes, workers, teachers, and innovators.  There are many things I love about my job, but most of all I love the opportunity to live, work and raise my family in Loveland.

Persistence at LHS

I had the pleasure to speak to our Loveland High School Senior Class just this past week.  My message to our soon-to-be-gradates had a strong theme of persistence.  For the past several years, we have been discussing a Senior Service Day.  In most circles the conversations were focused on the roadblocks to the event taking place.  We focused on how to take attendance, adult supervision, potential allergy and medical problems, and we felt the resistance of a few.  On Wednesday, Oct. 17, after persistence and strong building-level leadership, the first annual Loveland Senior Service Day successfully took place.  The day was a tremendous success – because of a persistent effort.

On Sunday, Oct. 21, Loveland High School hosted the first annual LHS Showcase – an open house event for our community and prospective students to experience all of the amazing opportunities for students at Loveland High School.  Again, there have always been challenges, roadblocks and naysayers. Yes, it took strong leadership and commitment, shared sacrifice on a Sunday afternoon, and dedication from a few, but again the event was a great success.  We modeled persistence and displayed commitment to an idea.

 

Student Persistence Improves School Culture

There are great examples of our students proposing ideas, persistently fighting for what they desire, and achieving great results as the fruits of their dedication.  Last year’s senior parade, the return of the bonfire, and the painting of the senior section of the cafeteria were all ideas that were originally denied, but through persistence provided great results.

For anyone who follows my blog you know that I am a supporter of technology as a tool to enhance instruction.  Technology allows teachers to focus more on instruction, and provides tremendous efficiency that will promote more individual, student-centered decisions.  After all, we are about providing each student the best learning opportunities for him or her as an individual.  Nevertheless, technology can never replace strong role models, technology can’t recreate true interpersonal learning experiences, and technology can’t replicate the feeling of working together as a team to accomplish something others said was impossible.

Responsibility, Compassion, and Persistence

We live in a rapidly changing, fast-paced society.  Our world is evolving and the skills we must provide our children to be successful are different today.  While the skills and knowledge may have changed, many of the soft traits that are required for success remain constant. We need to produce strong citizens, with a dedication to what is right, and a solid moral compass to navigate potentially stormy times.  Our students must be proficient with technology, adaptable to what’s next, and grounded on a solid foundation of responsibility, compassion for others, and persistence to never, ever give up.

Preparing Students for Tomorrow . . . Today

We did well by the state standards. (Heck, we did “Excellent.”) So, why am I not jumping up and down with excitement, spreading the good news of our recent state success? Because there is a different headline I want to promote: The Loveland School District plans to create a new way of reporting.

Confused?

Let me ask you a question: How can you grade the total quality of education a school provides based on a one-day test given once a year?

The answer is – you really can’t.

Our community values a complete educational experience that includes the arts, health and wellness education, athletic opportunities, and a true partnership between parents and educators. Loveland doesn’t shy away from accountability –we hold ourselves to a significantly greater standard.

So, as a district – along with several other districts in our area – we are working to create a more complete report card.  We want a report card that accurately reports our performance to our taxpayers, identifies areas for improvement so we can better serve students, and celebrates successes in order to build on our strengths.

We know that students that are active in extracurricular activities perform better in academics – we want to quantify our students’ diverse experiences and develop means to expand opportunities for students to experience learning opportunities outside the traditional classroom.

We know that colleges and university use nationally scored, proven valid assessments as predictors of college readiness – this year Loveland will be administering the Explore, Plan, and PSAT assessments to students in eighth, tenth, and eleventh grades.  These scores will be reported annually on our own report card.

Furthermore, our elementary and intermediate students also use professionally developed, scored, and reliable assessments – we will report these scores too.

Finally, we will continue to survey our students and parents.  In fact, we will be expanding opportunities for both qualitative and quantitative data.  Technology provides us new, efficient, and effective means to gather information from our constituents.  Our community has traditionally provided strong support for our schools – we will never take that for granted.  I firmly believe any school success is rooted in a strong partnership between parents and schools.  We have amazing teachers and staff member who are supported by dedicated, loving parents.  We want to know your perspectives, thoughts, and suggestions.  Our surveys will provide you the opportunity to provide statistical data that will drive our decisions and improvement, but we also want to hear your stories.  After all, education isn’t just about the numbers.  Education is about changing and shaping lives.  Education is about preparing the next generation of leaders for this great country.

The Loveland City School District is proud of our accomplishments – the myriad of accolades we received due to the performance of our students.  We are proud Loveland High School is ranked among the best high schools in America by U.S. News and World Report.  We are proud to be among the first Green Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education.  We are blessed to have students learning about our ecosystem through hands-on experiences at Granny’s Garden School.  We celebrate the Loveland Show Choir earning a silver medal at the World Choir Games and share in the joy of winning our first Eastern Cincinnati Conference championships this fall.  We are excited every year we send our graduates off to college, the military, and the workforce.  We are eager to hear of their success as leaders and proud as our Tiger Family continues to contribute to our world.

The bottom line: A school district can’t be ranked and judged by a series of single day state assessments – a school district has the immense responsibility to prepare our student for tomorrow . . . today.

One of the wonderful attributes of our Loveland Community is the true sense of ownership everyone takes in our district.  From parents to teachers, community members to business leaders, Loveland is a special place where our school district is a cornerstone of community life.  As a mostly bedroom community there is a great investment in the schools, youth programs, arts programs, parks, and aesthetic appeal in the Loveland Area.  Loveland has a fantastic quality that far exceeds political subdivisions – making it much more than a city.

Education today is rapidly changing; education is working to meet the needs of a quickly evolving world.  The skills we provide students today must prepare them for the world of tomorrow.  Schools are building foundations, providing essential critical thinking and problem solving skills, and developing confident young people for jobs that as of today don’t even exist.  Our dedicated teachers, administrators, and support staff are also adapting and implementing innovative and progressive instructional methods to meet the evolving needs of students.  All of these changes require openness, communication, and yes, transparency.

I firmly believe we have a tremendous opportunity each and every day; we have the prospect to make a daily difference as each student enters our buildings.  With this opportunity comes great responsibility – a responsibility to inform and communicate with each child’s team.  That team is comprised of teachers, staff members, parents, grandparents, and the community as a whole.  Each day has the occasion to be groundbreaking – each day has the potential to be that “light bulb moment.”  Some days may provide breakthroughs – we must share successes.  Other days may include hurdles, roadblocks, and failures – those must be shared too.  Life isn’t easy – life is hard.   Life isn’t always fair – we must overcome adversity.  We must share our roadblocks and reflect on our failures.  We must learn from each experience.  A huge part of a progressive district is modeling life-long learning.

No one is perfect and we all make mistakes – our children need to understand we don’t expect perfection.  We are not always going to agree – our children must be witness to agreeable disagreements.  Yes, as your superintendent my goal is for 100% of the community to support our district and agree with every decision.  I know that isn’t practical, but that is the target.  In reality, I want our community to know each decision is made with great thought, discussion, and reflection.  I welcome discussion and new ideas; I thoroughly enjoy almost any discussion about education.  Transparency can’t mean everyone agrees, but it does promote the sharing of ideas, rationale, and outcomes.  Our district has implemented several new electronic processes this fall – some have worked well and others have not met our expectations.  As a learning organization, we have shared our problems, openly discussed the issues, and sought solutions to make each process better in the future.  We have been transparent and our community – your community – has been supportive of our efforts.

During the next several months I will be holding the State of the Schools address and series of “School House Meetings.”  In addition, I will continue to provide information on our website and my blog.  Our buildings are providing email and website updates on a weekly basis to parents.  We will be rolling-out our new notification system early this winter to share information about school closures due to winter weather.  Ultimately, our goal is for you to select your method of notification – phone call to landline or cell phone, text message, push notification to a mobile device, or email.

If you ever have questions or concerns please feel free to contact me, a member of our administrative team, or your child’s teacher.  Please attend an upcoming School House Meeting – much of the time will be devoted to question and answer.  I know we won’t always agree, but you will get an open, honest, and transparent discussion about the topics and issues that are important to you.

Preparing Students for Tomorrow . . . Today

As we monitor our current network usage, we have nearly 1,000 devices connected to our middle school public network each day.  This number represents 200 more devices than students in the building.  We have a growing number of LMS students utilizing multiple devices.  This is a great issue to face as a district.  The world in which we operate is now wireless.  As adults we have laptops, tablets, and smart phones – so do many of our children.  The job market of the future isn’t becoming less connected; it is becoming more dependent on rapidly evolving technology.   As we continue to prepare students to be college and career ready, we must instruct, guide, and teach students to use multiple devices and function efficiently with any tools at their disposal.  We know each student has a tablet or a laptop.  We are finding that more students also have the exciting resource of an Apple or Android device as well.  We should never limit access to resources – we must capitalize on available resources.  That is what employers will expect in the future.

Our 2005 network is at its limit.  The demand for access is reducing the speed and quality of our service.  This situation was inevitable and predictable.  It was a question of “when”, not a question of “if”. We are currently working with our network engineers and providers to upgrade the access at Loveland Middle School.  Our goal is for this upgrade to take place in the next four to six weeks.  We are also planning for future upgrades to our other buildings.  During the interim, our middle school staff will be asking students to limit WiFi access to one device at a time.  Students may be asked to switch iPhones and/or Android phones to cellular only during the school day.  We may ask students to power-off their Nooks when they are using their iPod or iPad.  As we make this network improvement, there are some small adjustments we can do to make our current system function more efficiently.

We appreciate everyone’s cooperation and understanding during this transition period.

Preparing Students for Tomorrow  . . .  Today

Keep a list of your child’s passwords and logins

As parents it is essential that you have access to the information your child is sharing with others.  It is not a violation of a child’s privacy for Mom and/or Dad to review messages, periodically read emails, or access social media accounts.  In a best-case scenario, parents can check accounts as support.  In a worst case scenario, parents need access to accounts in a problematic situation.  In either event, parents need to have this information at hand.  This can be as simple as an index card kept in a secure location or a digital tool to securely store passwords and account information.  I recommend this for emails, social networks, iTunes, and all school accounts.  As a district, we encourage parents to access and review information provided electronically to students.

Follow Your Children on Social Media

Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest are wonderful communications tools.  Personally, I believe Twitter is the easiest, and safest, tool for students to use.  It is also the easiest for parents to follow, monitor, and adjust the security preferences.  Regardless of the platform, parents should actively monitor activity on social media.  Yes, “friend” and “follow” your children – stay in contact with both outbound and inbound messages.  Sit down with your children and review settings; chances are they know more than you do.  Talk with your children about settings, expectations, and digital footprints.  Colleges and employers often search and review social media platforms for applicants seeking admissions or employment.  Posting ill-advised postings and pictures – at any age – could have future implications.  It is important that parents are actively engaged in a child’s digital development.  We can’t shelter and hide our children from the digital world – that is an irresponsible approach.  We can teach, model, and direct our young people to make good choices.  Just like parents for centuries have advised children, “think before you speak.”  We must advise and teach young people to “think before you post, text, or tweet.”  We are teaching the same lesson in a different medium.  As adults we must model tolerance, respect, and good citizenship in our own posts.  Let your children friend and follow you as well – you are a role model for your children.

Set Reasonable Parameters – Create “off” time

Just as we don’t place a bag of candy in a child’s reach and expect him or her to have a developed sense of self control at a young age, we can’t expect young people to know when they need to unplug, disconnect, and log-off.  As adults we must create “down time” for our children to read, relax, and spend time away from the constant connection to the outside social life.  This may include time for family dinner, homework, and certainly rest/sleep.  I often suggest that parents create a “charging station” in the kitchen or family space for all digital devices.  The bedroom isn’t a great place for children to charge phones, iPads, and computers – parents are unable to monitor use.  Set ground rules for family expectations regarding online use, texting, and social media.  Talk with your children about your expectations and engage in the conversation.  It is easy to monitor usage. Are their posts, texts, or search outside the agreed upon limits?  Students need time to be kids – this includes some time away from the social drama and stress created by peers.  Talk with your children, engage them in face-to-face conversations, and promote all types of communications.

Know the Settings on your Family’s Devices

Today’s technology offers a plethora of “parent controls”.  These controls allow you, as the parent, to turn certain features on or off, control access to specific content, and lock the “user” out of making changes in the settings.  If you don’t want your child to access adult content, vulgar music, or purchasing of apps, it is easy to block these on most devices.  If you provide an iPad to your child, but don’t want them downloading the latest movies or adding an app to the iPad, that is an easy setting to change for most parents.  Are you interested in checking on the websites your child has been visiting?  If so, learn where to find the browser history.  Parenting takes active participation; it is hard work to keep up with the latest trends and devices.  As a parent, if you are in doubt, simply Google Search the information you’d like to discover.  You can find directions, even videos on YouTube in many cases, to manipulate the settings to meet your parental goals.

Don’t Shy Away from the Difficult Conversations

Parenting is a tough job.  While all of us would like to say our children always make reasonable decisions, it is unwise to ever say, “my child will never . . .”  Parents need to stick together.  If you see something on a social site, read something in a text message, or hear something that makes you uneasy, please take the time to contact other parents.  As a parent, I’d much rather have unpleasant conversations with another parent than wait for something worse to happen.  Wouldn’t you appreciate a phone call that could spark a conversation with your own child?  We all have the opportunity to serve as role models, provide guidance, and create a safer environment.  We must be willing to make tough decisions – with our children and with other children.  Please don’t assume it is someone else’s problem – you wouldn’t want someone to assume that with your child.  Yes, parents are often sleep deprived, stressed with crazy schedules, and trying their best to get through the workweek.  Nonetheless, our children deserve attention, support, and guidance.  It truly takes all of us working together and watching out for our community to keep our children safe and prepare them for an ever-changing world.

Preparing Students for Tomorrow . . . Today

While a new year brings new optimism, communication is often the key to a smooth start transitioning into a productive school year.  Now is the occasion to make sure parents, teachers, and students are all on the same page.  A small issue in week one can turn into a larger issue in the future.  Our district is committed to working as a team – a partnership with parents, teachers, administrators, and students.

The most convenient method to communicate with teachers is often through email.  Each staff member has an email address, available on the district website under Resources in the staff directory.  If you feel that a conversation is more appropriate, feel free to contact the appropriate building office.  Our office staff is eager to deliver messages to staff members and arrange for either returned phone calls or scheduled meetings.

Education is rapidly changing  – and with change comes the promise of increased learning.  The partnership between teachers and parents remains essential.  We communicate differently and more efficiently – we should share more and seek greater understanding of individual student needs.  If you, as a parent, can assist us in creating a better educational environment for your child, please do so.  Please don’t wait to see if things improve without intervention – it isn’t worth the risk.  Take the time now to communicate your concerns, suggestions, and solutions.  An email now may avoid a conference later.  A phone call today may translate into greater learning for the entire year.

Preparing Students for Tomorrow . . . Today

For decades districts communicated with their constituents through newsletters, editorials in the local paper, and printed calendars.  These communications methods were limited to mailing lists, subscriptions, and student backpacks.  Today, while we will always maintain some printed distribution of information, we also have blogs, eNewsletters, social media, and email.  Sharing has never been easier – it has also never been so important.  Not only are we communicating with our local constituents, we are communicating with the professional community as a whole.

Public education is evolving at a breakneck pace. Funding challenges, choice issues, and digital opportunities all require individual districts to be nimble and adaptable.  Schools must be learning organizations willing to utilize research and development to improve.  There has never been a more important time for districts to share information – not just neighboring districts, but similar districts across the country.  We are now connected.  We follow innovative leaders on Twitter, like them on Facebook, and subscribe to their blogs.  Our flat world encourages sharing; we must be willing to share, trade, collaborate and copy each other.  A solution to a local problem may be available through a district thousands of miles away.

Education should be focused on a single purpose – educating children to provide for a better tomorrow.  We must be concerned with more than the children in our district; as educators we should have a stake in education as whole.  Public education needs to evolve and improve as an institution.  While there is no “one size fits all” fix for all schools, sharing solutions, ideas, and programs is in the collective interest for public education.  The traditional way of doing business is passing us by – we must prepare students for tomorrow, not for yesterday.  We must create a collective synergy to move education forward.  Progressive districts and leaders are sharing ideas, successes, and failures – we must learn from those out on the cutting edge.

What we do in Loveland can be useful to other districts.  As an educational leader, it is imperative that I remain connected and utilize the resources available to make decisions and plan for the future.  There is an entire education community eager to share and collaborate.  We just need to be ready to listen and learn.  If our goal is to prepare students for tomorrow we must take action today.