Hi folks,
I've heard a few concerns, so it's time to address them.
BEDS entry: It was mentioned to me that in the past, BEDS data was entered in a meeting where questions could be answered. Last year with the new TAA site, I did it differently and teachers came to me or another data person for help. I'd be happy to open up a few times in the next week where you could come in during a prep if you need help. We can discuss doing it differently next year if you wish.
Portal: I'm trying to let parents know that transitioning to a portal will be a process, and it won't be perfect overnight. Portals are very common in schools and help parents and students gauge progress. Implementation of a portal is part of my action plan for this year that was shared some time ago. When we transition to School Tool in the near future, a portal will be available, so it's good to get this process started. I will continue to strive to have people like Steve Andrews in for training.
I fully realize that teachers grade at various rates based on what they teach and how they grade. You don't need to be concerned that I'm trying to make a "cookie cutter" style system where everyone grades exactly the same way and with the same quantities of grades. That would be ridiculous. We can come up with a solution that's flexible enough for everyone.
I fully realize that teachers grade at various rates based on what they teach and how they grade. You don't need to be concerned that I'm trying to make a "cookie cutter" style system where everyone grades exactly the same way and with the same quantities of grades. That would be ridiculous. We can come up with a solution that's flexible enough for everyone.
January testing week (HS): I originally wrote that I'd like everyone to have some sort of midterm during Regents week. After speaking with Scott and some others, I realized that this would be tough for some people to do. Some people are having them and some are not, and that's fine. Melissa Butler and I are working on a schedule for that week, and we're making a lot of progress with it. Scott told me that we're doing very well with our planning, which was music to my ears. Please click here for the testing file. I plan for this to by my one stop shop for all things testing. This plan still needs to be cleared with our Board.
Web pages: One of my most recent weekly notes mentioned that I wish everyone to have a web presence of some sort. That is still a desire of mine. I fully realize that some web pages/sites will be more detailed than others, but I think it's good to have something out there. This won't happen overnight, but I'm asking people to think about sharing information through our school site. Even if it's a link to a state curriculum doc for your Regents class, that's a start. I'd be more than happy to help personally and ask others to help. I can also set up some PD about doing it. The possibilities are nearly endless, from a simple Google doc to a fancy series of pages. Is this the biggest need we have? Heck no, but we can definitely be looking to enhance our communication with some simple web pages.
Committee on building related discussions needed: I was told that some people feel blindsided by some changes I'm attempting to make. I want to apologize if you feel that way about any of the above or other things. Surprising you with all sorts of stuff is not my intention. I'm trying to make some changes that will make us more efficient and sane, but I probably have pushed the envelope a few times. I'd be happy to organize a committee that could meet once per month (or more if needed) to discuss topics of interest and/or possible change. Let's call it our building's Sounding Board. Please let me know if you're interested, and I'll work with Vince to set up a first meeting date. I know he is interested, and I hope a few others are.
Even if you're not on the new Sounding Board, feel free to talk with me directly at any time. If nothing else, I hope I've shown you that I'm always willing to listen to your concerns or ideas.
Thanks, and have a good day.
