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Scattered thoughts during the Holiday Season
At a recent School Board meeting I was asked by a board member how close
SSMS was to an ideal school. My response was that we were almost there. He
followed up with about a question as to what “there” looked like. Since
this part of the meeting had already gone on too long for my taste, I told
him I would be happy to respond at a later time. At this point I would
rather respond to him via you.
Middle School Concept: When Tim Bishop and I began our tenure at SSMS,
members of our staff approached us about becoming a true middle school.
Although SSMS had incorporated elements of middle school ideology, we were
more middle school in name than we were in reality.
Almost immediately, the staff began formulating plans around what we
envisioned an “ideal” middle school might look like. It had to have “core”
teams that taught the basics with an “encore” that enabled students to
experience a wide assortment of classes. SSMS built a schedule to allow this
to happen. At that point I thought, “Hey, we are almost there. With this
flexible schedule we will finally become a middle school.” Through the past
few years we have consistently up-dated and changed things that would allow
us to become an even better middle school. We worked the schedule, changed
the core, and added new/different classes all in an effort to create the
ideal school.
SSSM became a Positive Behavior School so we could teach to the affective
needs of our students as well as the academic needs. When RtI became a state
mandate this year we added an “intervention period” that allows our teachers
to work with class sizes of 8-12 students for 45 minutes every day. Once
again, I thought (and so did other schools) that we were “almost there”.
I think you understand where this is going. I do not want to ever “get
there”; if it means we no longer try to improve the education of our
students.
So… what else might “there” look like:
Student Achievement. Every student would be proficient or better in Reading,
Writing and Mathematics. This is our non-stated goal every year.
Safety. School grounds would be free of all drugs, alcohol and weapons.
Every student feels confident that during the school day they would be free
from physical, emotional and social bullying. They would also feel
comfortable in confiding with any and all staff members where safety becomes
an issue.
Class Size. At the secondary level, class load is just as important as class
size. To help in that regard, it would be nice if we could fund eight encore
classes, without losing any additional staff or planning time. It would be
nice to have two full time counselors to help support students and staff.
Diversity. As Steamboat Springs continues to grow, we continue to acquire a
diverse population; where every student, regardless of background receives
the support they need to be successful.
Staff. SSRE-2 continues to attract the best teachers from around the state
and country, and the community continues to support education as it has in
the past.
Lake Woebegone. I know we do not live in Lake Woebegone. I do not think I
would care to live there. It is simply not enough to have everyone “above
average”.
It is about taking our students, parents, and staff and moving them further
ahead than they were the day before. It is waking up each morning, honestly
believing that following the philosophy of “every student, every day” is the
way to the ideal school.
I hope that help explains my answer.
On another note: thanks to all of you who shared some of their stories about
our favorite four-legged companions. I think we could all have written the
book, Marley and Me.
Have a terrific Holiday Season!
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