FROM THE DESK OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. . . 

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?

        In 1898, Charles H. Duell, Commissioner of the U.S. Patent Office, said, “Everything that can be invented, has been invented.”  In 1943, Thomas Watson, Chairman of IBM, predicted that there was a world market for “about five computers.”  And, in 1977, Ken Olsen, President of Digital Equipment Corp., stated that “there is no reason for any individual to have a computer in their home.”  These men, all experts in their respective fields, based their statements on their past experiences and the realities of the time.  Had they stopped to consider the myriad of factors that could be expected to impact the pace and scope of change in the future, they would likely have made very different predictions.

        But what are the global, demographic, economic, technological, political, and generational trends that will shape the world in which we will live and work a decade from now?  What are the chances that all or some combination of these trends will converge in ways that create a future fundamentally different from our past experiences and current realities?  What might be the effect of these trends on our public school system?  And how should we, as educators, prepare to respond to likely future scenarios?

        Besides looking at what we do well as a school district (with the improvement of learning for all students) and areas that we need to improve upon, schools must examine the following factors to help determine the future:

1.  Role of Government -  In the future, will government play a big role in determining what, where, when, and how students learn, or not?  Will there be more regulation of education by government authorities, or will the free market prevail?  Clearly, the way in which government controls, supports, or ignores education will make a difference in the way the educational system functions. 

2. Technology Development -  Will technology advance exponentially, offering a wide array of learning options for students and teachers, or will developments in technology slow down?

3. Social Values – In another decade, what will the public value the most?  Will public education still be valued or will they be more community or individually focused?

4. Choice of Schools – To what extend will parents and/or students have to choose how, where, and when to receive education as well as the amount and variety of choices available?  While there is already significant controversy about this topic, what will the next decade bring with it?

5. Control of Learning – Who decides the curriculum, the instructional delivery method, the time and place of learning?  Today, in general, we have an institutionally-controlled system in which states and local districts determine standards and the structures for ensuring that children have an opportunity to gain proficiency on them.  But, in an era of mass customization provided by technological advances, along with increasing diversity in the student population, will such a uniform system continue to prevail or will there be more pressure to individualize and customize learning to meet the unique needs and talents of students?

        As public educators, these are issues and questions we need to begin to address if our schools are going to be prepared for educating our students in the future.  Adapting and changing in a systematic fashion will be critical to the continued success of our public schools.

McRel, October 2005

Safe and Supportive Schools 

                September 11, 2001 changed all our lives, but the impression on our nation's children may be greater.  Much like the events of September 11, school site catastrophes generate trepidation and apprehension in administrators, faculty, and students alike in schools across the nation.  Academic learning and development is interrupted.  These categories of events capture top billing nationally, all the while prompting us to question not only the state of our nation's youth, but also the safety of our schools.  To be sure, the overwhelming majority of schools are safe and the school building is actually the safest place for students.  School-based homicides account for an extremely small fraction of child fatalities, and the federal government has noted that school violence has declined steadily since the 1990s.  But any threat to school safety has detrimental consequences.
                The Learning First Alliance's recent report, Every Child Learning: Safe and Supportive Schools, features many of the obstacles facing our society and in particular our school communities.  At a time when we are raising academic standards and holding students and schools to an elevated level of responsibility, we must guarantee that our children's focus is on achieving rather than worrying as to whether or not they will be safe from bullying, fighting, or worse.  Before a student can even think about working out a difficult math equation, they must feel protected in their own classroom.  Before reading becomes fundamental, a student must feel safe and supported by those around them.  It is the responsibility of principals, faculty, parents, community leaders, and policymakers to make it so.
                The Learning First Alliance (LFA), an organization of 12 leading national education associations, believes that every school must make the creation of a safe and supportive learning community one of its highest priorities if they are to succeed in meeting high academic expectations and raising achievement for all students.
                Safe schools are more than schools that are free from violent incidents.  Principals and faculty, as school leaders, should ensure a positive school climate, in which each student is engaged and inspired to achieve to the highest academic levels. Schools must personalize the school experience for each student.  While schools must fittingly focus their attention on standards and high achievement, they will not be able to meet those goals without providing a school climate, which is encouraging to student learning.

Four Core Elements
                The LFA recommends four core elements necessary to creating and maintaining safe and supportive places of learning.  Research suggests that these four core elements are relevant to all schools in all communities. These four core elements are:

1. A Supportive Learning Community
When a school community is supportive, everyone involved-principals, staff, parents, and especially students-feels a strong sense of belonging, of caring about each other, of sharing goals and values, of making significant contributions to the school, and of growing.

2. Systematic Approaches to Supporting Positive Behavior
Safe and supportive schools develop comprehensive plans for reinforcing positive behavior as well as addressing the needs of individuals and small groups of students who have trouble functioning within the rules. 

3. Involve Families, Students, School Staff, and the Community
Students are more likely to feel safe and supported and are more likely to achieve academically when they see a positive, respectful relationship between their families and the school.  By actively involving staff members, students, parents, and the community in determining the school's basic values, goals, rules, and safety measures, schools afford them the opportunity to play a meaningful role in their children's education. 

4. Standards and Measures Based on Data
The same approach that has been taken in improving student achievement should be taken to foster safe and supportive learning communities: setting standards, measuring progress, and providing resources to make attainment possible.  Maintaining a safe and supportive learning community requires a solid sense of the current school climate, the development of standards, a continuous improvement process for measuring progress, and strategies for making appropriate changes.

                Not long ago, to think of having to ensure a safe and secure school building was foreign to the minds of many.  Today, safety is paramount in the minds of principals, teachers, parents, and students. Because of this unwavering and dedicated commitment, schools are safer today than they were even ten years ago.  By focusing on the four core elements recommended by the LFA and infusing them into daily school life, we will create supportive learning communities that allow students to fully develop academically and socially while meeting high expectations for student achievement.

Submitted by:  Tim L. Kwapnioski, Principal

                             Bel Air Elementary School