Superintendent

Mr. John O'Brien, Superintendent of Schools

                                   

John O'Brien, Superintendent  

Contact Information:
Lisa Gabriel
Administrative Secretary
Superintendent/School Board
907-714-8836
lgabriel@kpbsd.k12.ak.us

Strategic Plan - District Goals
Superintendent Blog  

 

Superintendent's Message


Dear parents, students, staff, and Kenai Peninsula Borough communities: 

With the dawning of a new year, growing daylight, and a vaccine to help control the spread of the COVID-19 virus, we are planning for a return to more normalcy for our schools in 2021. We are excited for the return of our students to in person onsite learning no later than mid-January. 2020 has been an extremely difficult year for all of us but I am confident that 2021 will bring with it brighter days and more certainty in our everyday lives. Our dedicated building administrators and staff are busy planning all the details to safely welcome students back into schools. Schools have enhanced mitigation plans and safety measures to ensure that students, staff, and visitors are safe, and that learning for our students will be optimal. Thank you all for your steadfast resilience and dedication to the education, safety, and well-being of KPBSD students, educators, and support staff.

Superintendent John O’Brien   

Learn more about PL, or read on:   

Personalized Learning in KPBSD

Personalized learning shifts from a one-size-fits-all factory model of education to better prepare students for the jobs and needs of their future. The design of instruction and the classroom allow educators to respond to the individual needs of students instead of expecting students to fit the current mold or adapt to unsuccessful learning structures. PL does not replace teachers with computers. Many of our teachers implement elements of PL in their classrooms right now, and we will now build on this foundation to create an even better learning environment. Key elements your child will experience include:   

  • Teachers integrate digital content, which allows for a differentiated path and pace based on individual student needs
  • Teachers use targeted instruction based on specific student needs and learning goals
  • Teachers use current and relevant data to help inform instructional decisions and groupings
  • Students engage in ongoing self-reflection that promotes ownership of their learning 

When will PL formally start in KPBSD schools?  

Every KPBSD school is doing some degree of work with personalized learning. However, the formal work of individual schools and teachers working directly toward personalized learning will be rolled out in three "waves" over the next year.   

  • Wave 1 schools began their work in spring 2017, and will continue in the fall of 2017.
  • Wave 2 schools will begin their formal work with Education Elements in the fall of 2017.
  • Wave 3 schools will begin their formal work with Education Elements in the spring of 2018. 

Links

Personalized Learning webpage
KPBSD Personalized Learning Blog  

Personalized Learning FAQs