From the Superintendent
December 19, 2011
As it always does, the end of the first semester seemed to arrive a week early-my internal clock makes me feel like there should still be two weeks until Christmas. Now that all of the holiday concerts and final exams are over, it is a good time to reflect back on the past semester and to look ahead to what is next.
In August our schools opened with a flurry of activity. A new reporting system, various state and federal requirements and the need, due to weather, to close school on a few occasions made the semester an arduous one; thanks to all of our staff for successfully navigating the less than calm waters of the past four months. While it is fair to say that we added a lot to the teachers’ plates, I am pleased that we can now look back at the first semester and know that most of this year’s heavy lifting is behind us.
Another note of good news is that the implementation of our new evaluation system is going well. Thanks to our principals for devoting the necessary amount of time to complete their evaluations in a thorough manner and to our teachers for their good engagement in the process. I know that our goal of increasing student engagement through effective instructional practices is being met .
Looking ahead, the district’s big event during the second semester will be to write a new five-year plan. At the end of January we will solicit input from all of our stakeholders and use that information to guide the district’s planning for the future. In March the school board and principals will synthesize this information and then revise, if necessary, our mission and vision statements. In April we will set the plan’s focus areas and goals. This five-year plan will be broad with the expectation that it is met, as appropriate, at the school level. Thus, there will be no requirement that all sites act in concert to meet the plan’s goals. I view this plan as a critical step in ensuring that we continue to take steps up the improvement ladder.
I know that our busy schedules make our lives a little frantic. I wish everyone a peaceful holiday where things will slow down a bit. Thanks to all of our employees for their dedication to our students. I wish you the best for a prosperous and healthy new year.
Sincerely,
Steve Atwater, Ph.D.
Superintendent of Schools
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