[EVSD News] Superintendent's Newsletter 03.17.09

[Jodi Brown]

March 17, 2009
 
The purpose of this newsletter is to update you on events that are
happening in the district, provide information to address issues or
rumors and provide you a forum to communicate with me on items of
interest. If you are receiving this e-mail you are either an East Valley
Staff member, you have signed up for this service, you have sent me an
e-mail or have had some form of contact that we think would cause you to
want this information. If you do not want to continue to receive this
information you may unsubscribe by clicking the link below or contacting
the district office.  

It is hard to believe that spring break is only two weeks away. The
weather just does not seem to be cooperating and winter seems determined
to remain in full force.  While this is an inconvenience and a bit
depressing to those of us who want to be working on our outside projects
my heart really goes out to our spring athletes and coaches. I really
appreciate the work they are doing and their dedication. I know how
tough it is, physically and mentally, to train when the weather is so
limiting.   
 
I wanted to take this opportunity to update you on a couple of issues
and clarify some of the rumors that are going around.  As always, please
do not hesitate to contact me directly if you have a question.  Nothing
is off limits for discussion and I will take the time to respond.   
 
We are in the hunt for a principal at East Farms Elementary.  We have
had about a dozen inquires so far and look forward to several completed
applications.  We will conduct an interview process that allows for
public input.  We will keep you posted to these opportunities so please
keep your eyes open for upcoming announcements.  
 
We have begun to explore expanding our early childhood offerings.  We
have begun to establish partnerships with the Children’s Home Society
and to talk to other agencies about how we might better serve students. 
In spite of the tough economic times, opportunities to fund expanded
early learning experiences may become available.  
 
In line with these potential new opportunities we are also gathering
information to explore the possibility of offering all day kindergarten.
While the model we are exploring would require a tuition based system,
we believe, if all things work together, we could provide a very
affordable program that would actually result in a cost neutral
situation for the district. We will keep you posted as we know more
about the budget.
 
As we explore how to better serve students, stabilize our enrollment
and become the leader in educational innovation we must explore ways to
think differently about education.  One of the programs that thinks
differently about how we educate students is our Continuous Curriculum
School (CCS).   
 
I understand that there is a lot of history with this school.  There
are also several preconceptions, myths and misconceptions surrounding
the operation, future and purpose of this school.  It is probably time
for me to do some rumor control.
 
Let me start by saying that the ideas embodied—or the idealized version
of those ideas by CCSare fundamental to my beliefs about what school
should look like if we are going to really get serious about improving
student achievement.  CCSis not perfect and while I would like to offer
some tweaks to the current program, I believe the potential to address
many of our current problems with our educational system rests in a
model similar to CCS. 
 
I believe the research is clear; continuous curriculum, high levels of
adult involvement and a community centered approach improve student
achievement.  It is my belief that the barriers that keep us from moving
to a model that has as its core principles these elements, are more
often than not, directly related to the needs and fears of adults rather
than the needs of children.  
 
The Board also sees the potential for models such as CCS.  In fact, in
their evaluation of my performance, they have indicated that they want
me to explore ways to increase the opportunities for students to engage
in the learning opportunities that best suit their needs; specifically
they want me to see how we can offer programs such as CCSto all students
and families who desire to engage in the model.     
 
When you think about it, this is an act of deliberate leadership and
stewardship on the part of our Board. They recognize that all students
should have the same opportunities and options for education. They
further believe that those options must be of equitable quality and
rigor.  In the ideal world, no child or family should have to wait for
the educational program that best suits their needs.   
 
To this end we are exploring increasing, based on demand, the ability
of CCSto serve more students. There are a couple of ways to accomplish
this goal. We can expand at the current location or replicate it at
other locations.  At this point we are simply talking but one of the
things we are talking about is perhaps replicating at East Farms.  There
are some reasons this would make sense and there are some barriers to
doing this, but we owe it to our students to at least have the
conversation.    
 
I welcome your input on this or any other issue. As always, please do
not hesitate to call or contact me with ideas, suggestions or concerns.
I really mean it.  You can call me at the district office at 924-1830.
You may also contact me via e-mail GlenewinkelJ at evsd.org.  I still don’t
have my home phone in the house—I wish this weather would break.  
 
John
 
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