Superintendent’s Budget Message

I am excited about the future of Isle of Wight County Public Schools and the future of our children.  We have many dedicated individuals who are leading the way and setting the example as life-long learners.  Administrators, teachers, and staff are innovatively thinking, brainstorming, and researching to provide a 21^st century education to our children.  This is a tribute to the dedication and professionalism they demonstrate each day.

The budget presented this year will focus on providing the funds necessary in each category in order to accomplish the School Board’s Strategic Goals. We must solidify the operational budget on the instructional side as well as provide a strong operational budget for facilities and support services.  This will enable us to provide a positive learning environment for our students by proactively maintaining our buildings and support resources.

We are planning to conduct a compensation study during the 2016-2017 school year.  This aligns with the Governor’s 2016-2018 budget that initiates a raise in year two. Once the compensation study is complete, a strategic plan for employee compensation needs to be phased in over a period of time and on a rotational basis in cooperation with the Board of Supervisors.  This will best provide for employees and for school and county officials to plan together to keep our salaries competitive with other divisions.

As we continue to learn with our students, we will be focusing on several new areas this year. The focus will shift from a single score on an SOL test to the skills necessary to be successful lifelong learners.  These skills include collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking.  Performance based learning and STEM will be the vehicle in which these skills will be taught on a regular basis.

We are researching a more rigorous reading curriculum in our elementary schools to ensure all children are reading on grade level by third grade. We will be implementing coding as a resource class for all elementary students.  Coding is the second most used language in our country.  Elementary guidance counselors currently used as part of the resource class rotation will be utilized to mentor students and work with the reading initiative.

The secondary schools will focus on creating new learning environments in the media center and throughout the schools such as maker spaces, writing rooms, music studios, and areas to brainstorm and collaborate.  These environments will provide the tools and space for students and teachers to use their creativity in solving problems and providing a benefit to their school and community.

We will also focus on Career and Technical Education.  Conversations will continue with local businesses and industry to provide us the information as far as the technical and soft skills that students will need to be employable after high school. We will use this information to design CTE programs in which students will be ready for employment in local industry upon graduation. We are investigating design and manufacturing, HVAC, electrical, and welding opportunities.  In addition to this, a Career Pathway curriculum will be developed for middle school students to expose them early on to possible careers and college.

Teachers will be exposed to professional development focused on deeper learning in order to provide performance based learning opportunities for students.  Students in turn will be able to apply the knowledge that they have learned in the classroom and solve real world problems in addition to being prepared for the new performance based assessments developed both locally and at the state level.

 

We are requesting additional funding in this budget in the area of maintenance and transportation.

The funding will help us establish preventive maintenance schedules and a rotation for painting in all of our schools. A line item fund to implement a new rotational purchase of furniture that will keep the school division proactive in providing a positive learning environment for our students.

There is no better way to invest in your community’s future than to support the school budget and support giving students the opportunity to achieve their goals.

Dr. James Thornton

Division Superintendent

School Culture and Motivation

My last blog discussed the effects of environment and culture on student motivation for learning. I am sharing the results from my high school focus group meetings with students.  I asked them to share with me their insights into the climate at their school, as well as classroom instruction and the courses available to them.  I appreciated their candor and thoughtful responses. 

I asked them to share their thoughts on being a high school student.  Students mentioned a time in elementary school when they were excited about their learning and eager to share with their parents when asked “So how was your day?” Those same students now dreaded that question. What changed over just a few years for students to feel so negative? They mentioned they thought they would receive more responsibility in decision-making and student choice as they progressed from starting middle school and finishing high school.  The comments included “The restrictions that are put in place squash any creativity.” and “School spirit is dead.”  They stated that they believed high school should be a time to prepare them for life. They said that with the current restrictions that it is difficult to see the connection to life.  “We need more career counseling and information to make good choices about college, the military, and work.”

They were disappointed that too many of their teachers lectured or talked for the majority of the class period. They wanted time to work with each other and collaborate.  “Why put our desks together, if you are not going to let us talk?” Their questions on topics outside of the SOL curriculum were often unanswered or left for another time. The test-driven content tied to SOL tests was not a motivation to them. “We hear every day that this is going to be on your SOL test.”  What they really want to know is, “How does this prepare us for life?” The students realized that this is not the fault of the teachers, but a result of what has been prioritized over the past decade.  Teachers have been told that SOL scores are the most important measure of student success, so that is what they tend to focus on.  They are aware of the tremendous stress placed on their teachers when they feel that one test (SOL) is going to be used to measure their effectiveness. 

The students also commented on their own levels of stress which they attribute to learning in a restrictive environment.  They felt strongly that too much emphasis was placed on grades and they weren’t allowed to experience trial and error, or “failing forward”.  “It’s not about learning anymore, it’s about passing.” “We’re human, we are going to make mistakes and sometimes get a bad grade. That one bad grade can keep me from getting a B.”  “The stress from one bad grade takes the fun out of school.  What about the skills, effort, and time that we put in? Doesn’t that count?”

So how could their high school experience be better?  The students offered several suggestions, including training teachers and students in the uses of technology. General appearance of the school was also important to them and they said the learning environment could be improved by purchasing new furniture, frequently painting and keeping the school clean. They want to see student work on display throughout the school.  They see this in other schools and which only emphasizes the absence of it in their building.  They also wanted to know why school started so early and commented that a later start time like 9 am would work better for high school students.

While the students had significant concerns, they did share positives about their high school experience.  Their concerns and the changes they suggested were very insightful and align nicely with the direction the state and IWCS are headed with performance – based learning opportunities. After my experience with the student focus groups, I immediately saw the benefits of listening to what they had to say.  They students provided valuable suggestions and comments but I don’t think we’ve given them the avenue for communicating these ideas with school and division leaders.  As we move towards a culture with an emphasis on student’s producing beautiful work, with an emphasis on the 4 C’s, I am hopeful that many of the concerns I heard a few weeks ago will just be distant memories.

New Educational Outcomes

What are the skills that matter most in order for our students to be successful at learning, working, and being a good citizen in today’s world?  I have asked this question to many individuals, groups, businesses, and staff since July.  I also asked the School Board during our recent strategic planning session.  Most everyone agrees in the importance of the four C’s: critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication. 

Throughout my blogs, I have emphasized and described these skills as ones that matter most today. I want to be clear that I am not suggesting that we teach the four C’s instead of content knowledge. You cannot teach critical thinking without engaging students in challenging academic content.   In today’s world, students can learn facts about content from many sources other than the classroom teacher which is why it is more important to learn how to critically think and apply that knowledge. I believe we must integrate the 4 C’s every day in every classroom by teaching and assessing students on how to use these skills.

Can our students develop the skills needed to ask new questions, solve new problems, and create new knowledge? We can if we are able to create a new learning environment and culture within our schools in which students are motivated to learn. Motivation is a critical component of learning but it has been damaged by our emphasis on standardized multiple-choice assessments. Motivation is more than thrill factor.  I like to look at motivations at having several components, including grit, perseverance, and responsibility, all of which fall under the larger umbrella of “habits of heart and mind”.

So, is the current environment and culture of our schools diminishing student motivation for learning and how do we know? One way is to talk directly to our students.  With the assistance of Donaghvan Brown, student liaison to the School Board, I have conducted a focus group at Smithfield High School to better understand student motivation, student culture, and proposed new changes in education. I will be conducting a similar focus group at Windsor High School with Noah Smith.  In my next blog, I will share my findings and some of the insightful observations made by our students.

Our goal is to provide educational change that will inspire students to acquire new skills they can apply to any content knowledge throughout their lives, enabling them to be successful in this era of innovation. I hope to find out from the student focus groups just how we are doing with fulfilling that commitment to them.

Mrs. Scott, Huck Finn and the 4 C's

My blog last week highlighted an example of producing beautiful, quality work for a wider audience. I was recently invited to Mrs. Luann Scott’s AP Language class at Windsor High School to see a student debate.  Students presented pro and con arguments for keeping The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as part of our schools’ curriculum.  The students were required to frame their presentations as though they were making their arguments to the school board.  This could have been done as a position paper, with students proving the case for either side. Instead, Mrs. Scott chose to make the assignment more meaningful—a presentation to the class.  Motivation and interest in doing a quality job increases exponentially when students have a wider audience for their assignments.  The project is no longer just about getting a grade with feedback only coming from the teacher.   It now opens up their work for judgement and critique from others. It would have been a significant step to just have the students present to their classmates.  However, Mrs. Scott added another layer of authenticity by expanding the audience.  Not only was I invited to listen to the presentations but so was School Board chairman Mrs. Julia Perkins.  

Mrs. Scott’s quick overview of the assignment revealed students were not given the option to pick their side of the issue.  They were designated by Mrs. Scott as whether they would be on the pro or con side of the argument.  This really made some students uncomfortable!  Mrs. Scott shared with the students that being able to provide a good defense for their position had nothing to do with what they believed but rather the ability to use effective written and oral communication skills.  

Mrs. Perkins and I were extremely impressed by the students.  Every student in the class was part of a collaborative team and members had a role in the final product.  Each student shared their thoughts as it pertained to the argument for or against keeping Huck Finn in the curriculum.  The power point slides and written papers strongly supported their position. It was obvious the students had done extensive research by the details included in their beautiful work.  They were poised, confident and convincing as they shared their arguments with their audience.  

After the presentations, I had a chance to address the students.  I explained to them that learning opportunities such as the one provided by Mrs. Scott would benefit them greatly in their future careers.  They demonstrated the 4 C’s: collaboration, communication, critical thinking and creativity.  Skills they will use to be successful inside and outside of the classroom.  Future employers will not look to see how students scored on an SOL test in eleventh grade in the hiring process.  It will be the ability to work with others, coming up with creative solutions to problems, and being able to communicate effectively.  I hope you will watch the video below of the presentation so you can see for yourself the excellent work of the students.

I want to thank Mrs. Scott and her students for inviting me to their classroom to be part of another excellent example of authentic learning.

Video:
Mrs. Scott's AP Language Students:  Debating Huck Finn

Making Work Public: Follow up with Ms. Heide’s Government Class

In my December 17, 2015 blog, I highlighted Ms. Heide’s Government students who were writing children’s stories about Supreme Court cases.  This was an excellent example of a lesson implementing the four C’s:  collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and communication. Not content with stopping there, Ms. Heide arranged for her students to share their stories with a group of eighth grade civics students from Smithfield Middle School.   

Using a roundtable format in the middle school library, groups of 8^th graders rotated to tables with the high school students who shared their stories with them.  There was an exciting buzz throughout the room as seniors were running through their presentations, punctuated periodically by applause from the civics students.  There was also nervous energy from the seniors as they experienced a different sense of pressure and importance about the work they had created. It’s one thing to have created a story, but how would it be received by students not familiar with the case? As expected, the morning went great and both seniors and eighth graders enjoyed the experience. To see an updated video of the project, click on the link a the end of this blog.

Like many students, I had no audience while doing my work when I was a student, except for my teacher.  The routine was to turn in the work, get a grade, maybe a stray written comment or two from the teacher, and then start the process all over on the next assignment. The importance of the work to me was to please the teacher.  There was no relevance to my work and no connection that the work had a greater significance beyond a grade in the gradebook. 

Imagine a culture where every final draft a student completes is done for a wider audience. It may be for a group of twenty-five eighth graders, which was the case for Ms. Heide’s students, or for an even larger audience in the community. Technology allows the audience to even be on the global level now.  What if the role of the teacher was not to be sole judge of the work but to be more like a sports coach or a play director? Teachers guiding students and assisting them with the preparation necessary for displaying their work to the public.  The motivation for doing great work is that it will be judged by a wider audience, with authentic feedback, and no longer evaluated by just the teacher.

I’ve watched Mrs. Beatty-Riffle’s class at Windsor High School get ready for their production of Grease.  The students and teacher have put tremendous effort into producing an enjoyable, quality performance for their audience. This same effort can be put forth in all classes if we connect the work students do to a wider audience. Of course, not every assignment or project can have life importance. But when students know their creations will be displayed, presented, appreciated, or judged by the entire class, other classes, families, the community or even the world, then there is an entirely different purpose to the work.

As we look to build a culture of excellence around beautiful, quality products from our students, we must remember that punitive actions that impact a student’s grade will not produce change for students who are not doing quality work.  We need to give them a reason to care. The pressure of preparing for their work for display to a wider audience, and the daily focus on continuous review and modification until it is worthy of presentation to the community, will become the reason and the motivation for creating quality work.

Video: Government Students Create Children's Stories

"The Ultimate Gift"

Jane Lankford and Charlene Herrala‘s English 10 class sent me a wonderful gift just before the holidays.  I was observing classrooms at Windsor High School and their class was in the middle of a novel study on the book, The Ultimate Gift by Jim Stovall.  They asked me if I had read the book and I answered, “No; most of my reading lately has been about education.”  To my great surprise, right before the holiday I received a copy of the book from the class with comments and reflections written in the book from the teachers and students.  Mrs. Herrala wrote, “I hope you take a little time to read something for yourself, and enjoy and are touched by this book as much as I am.”  What a wonderful and caring thought to share.

I did take the opportunity to read the novel.  It was a brilliant story about a young man’s journey to discover the ultimate gift.  In particular, Chapter Six: The Gift of Learning, provided me the chance for much reflection on my own life, my children, and the opportunities we have to give as educators. Mrs. Lankford underlined, “Education is a lifelong journey,” and wrote, “Hopefully, our students will never stop learning!”

Learning is a process that does not end upon graduation.  The book discusses that commencement is when the process of learning begins and that all the years of schooling should have provided the tools and framework for the real lessons to come.  How true is this? As lifelong learners ourselves, what we need to remember is the tools and framework have changed over time.  Our students are using technology every day in so many different ways. The jobs that they will have are not even created. For example, jobs related to the Apple i-phone did not exist before 2007. The skills needed to succeed in this type of work environment are collaboration, communication (both oral and written), creativity, and critical thinking.

Unfortunately politicians, in an attempt to improve education, have imposed multiple choice SOL tests to hold students and schools accountable for learning.  The unintended consequence of these cookie-cutter tests has been the stifling of creativity of educators and children alike.   We must create an environment in which our students can learn the skills that will be utilized throughout their life and to allow our teachers to teach in such an environment.

I believe that together we can create a culture in which SOL tests are just something we do in June, and not something that consumes our thoughts and words every day in the classroom.  I believe that we can create an environment in which students collaborate together and discuss their thoughts on the topics being studied, communicate their ideas to others to demonstrate their learning, utilize their collective creativity to produce products or benefits for their community, and critically analyze information and make decisions for themselves.  These experiences and opportunities should be “The Ultimate Gift” we give to our students.