Communication
Thoughts from the Vice-Chair of your School Board
As always- my mantra is necessary: These ideas/thoughts are mine and mine alone… I cannot and do not speak for the board. Now, let’s move on to my topic- your board.
The elections were held at the last board meeting, and I am pleased to say that I was chosen to be vice-chair. This, to me, is a great honor, and I am ready to work on the projects I had in mind earlier and those fermenting in my mind and others. For one thing- I want to reenergize the Key Communicator Network. This group of community members opens a two way street between you and the board and the board and you. A two-way street that hopefully will address questions you might have hopefully before they occur to you but certainly once they do. I have other things in mind as well but all of them have to do with a stronger, clear communication with the district parents, staff and children.
The next few columns are dedicated to those hard working co-board members – I begin today with Craig Soderberg. To me, Craig embodies the perfect board member. He is a bit of “no nonsense” person with a heart of gold who cares about his community and the children of that community. Craig was born in Texas spending only the first few months of his life there. He moved to Oregon in 1968 and has been an influential part of life here since then. He has opened his home for kids other than his own who need a home for various reasons. He recently married Sally of Illinois, and we all look forward to life with this powerful couple once she is able to relocate. Some, but not all, of his services to the community involve being a prime mover behind the MS-Cancer Funding for thirteen years, serving on the Business Development Committee for the Fern Ridge area, the Park Board [currently the chair], and of course, the School Board since 2007. His most recent term will expire in 2017. Here is a message from Mr. Soderberg.
Twinkle asked me to jot down a few thoughts, which I am glad to do. I have been on the School Board for nearly nine years and have had the privilege to serve this wonderful community alongside many amazing people. The current board has a fabulous passion that I frequently draw from. Our year old superintendent has many new skills that rarely find their way to a district our size. For instance, I got to golf with Eugene’s retired superintendent, George Russell, and he commented how fortunate we were to land Dr. Storm. I agree!! This is the fourth district leader I have served with, and she, I believe, is building on the foundations our last three superintendents erected.
Do we have a perfect district? Not at all. But we have leaders and administrators who want to continue to make this even better than I see that it already is. I am so glad that nobody is coasting! The new school improvements are very cool, but that too has to be attributed to the district leadership both past and present.
You truly can be proud of Fern Ridge School District, as we continue to aim for the “perfect” place, even as it is a fluid target. Thanks for letting me serve all these years.
Craig Soderberg exemplifies for me my quote for this column by Lao Tzu: “A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” Craig is a force to be admired and followed. I am honored to work beside him on the board. My video for this time is at https://youtu.be/C6xSyRJqIe8 – my advice this time is don’t skip the ad at the beginning… it is as potent as the actual video. As always, I look forward to your continued connection with me by writing to me at tmorton@fernridge.k12.or.us . Until next time.
To Resolve Problems and Repair Harm or Suspend and Alienate?
Although the question of whether responsible people should help solve the problem or throw the baby out with the bath water seems like a no-duh question, schools have only recently seen this as a possibility, and Restorative Justice is taking hold in schools across the nation- little by little. I am pleased to say that our district is working toward this end and the results are amazing. OH YES…. First of all… these are my thoughts and only my thoughts; I do NOT speak for the board-!!! Bet you have heard that before J
Now- let’s get down to the important stuff. In some schools in the Oakland Unified District in Oakland, California, “Restorative justice, …has cut suspensions by more than half….a seismic shift in the culture of discipline – from punitive to preventative, exclusion to inclusion.” [Khadaroo, http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Education/2013/0331/Restorative-justice-One-high-school-s-path-to-reducing-suspensions-by-half]
It always did seem counter intuitive to suspend the very people we are trying to serve rather than finding out what is going on for that person. The basic premise behind restorative justice is trying to resolve problems and repair harm- most often by open communication with those involved and then as a group to hear the other and adjust if possible. Sometimes these students have had “trouble at home, felt harassed by police, or witnessed traumatizing crimes” or events in their own homes. A death of a beloved pet is traumatizing as are more hurtful crimes such as domestic violence and verbal abuse. Families struggling to keep afloat financially try, sometime unsuccessfully, to keep the worries away from their children. Whatever reason causes a student to act out, an alternate solution to suspension is preferred. It often comes down to everyone learning and practicing self-discipline. Easier said than done!
This will require our community “to address the roots of student ‘misbehavior’ and a willingness to rethink and rework our classrooms, schools, and school districts.” We must work toward “collaborative and creative, empowering students, teachers and parents.”[http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/29_01/edit1291.shtml?gclid=CL2kh6LS8cUCFQSUfgodF6QAGA]
Yes, that means the entire community working together to accomplish great things for our students, our children, our future. Can we do it? I believe we can. The Fern Ridge Middle School is participating in this program and receiving training. They have attended trainings and some ideas have been foregrounded at the beginning of the training: Give all Students a voice; Promote their capacity to express their opinions and emotions in a safe environment; Provide a Safe Place; Encourage students to listen to learn from their peers; and Promote students’ abilities. All of this leads to inclusiveness and more relationships outside their own cliques. The results speak for themselves so far, and we have only just begun. The referrals from last year, compared to this year, are nearly twice as many… or better stated- We are having half the referrals that we had just last year, and the program is new and just beginning to firm up. In 2012-2013, out-of-school suspensions occurred for 74.5 days for 59 events with 36 students involved while this year they are only 31 days of suspension for 16 events and only 14 students involved. Now that is pretty overwhelming statistics. This too can be improved, but we seem to be on the right track. Sally Storm said “Restorative Justice highlights relationships between staff and students. It will give staff many opportunities to show how much they care, and hopefully make students want to be in school and successful. It “brings them back into the fold” after they have made a mistake, rather than pushing them out. What could be more important?”
My thanks to all at the Fern Ridge Middle School [students and staff], to Principal Barsotti and to Superintendent Storm for pursuing this new program. Our district and, more importantly, our children are already benefitting.
As always, I remain open to comments and questions. Please write to me at tmorton@fernridge.k12.or.us – I look forward to hearing from you again. I leave you with this thought and quote. “The discipline you learn and character you build from setting and achieving a goal can be more valuable than the achievement of the goal itself.” Bo Bennett Have a great week!
An Old Chair – sort of speaks!
Another New Program for our Young Students and their Families
These ideas/thoughts are mine and mine alone… I cannot and do not speak for the board. Now, let’s move on to my topic – What is happening in the District!! Topic today: More on YOUNG families and the district. By young – I am referring to having very young children by the way… so that would include grandma and/or grandpas raising their grandchildren as well as younger and older parents of little ones. I reached out to the principal of Veneta Elementary, Olivia Johnson, for information on the KITS program. She wrote such a fine commentary that I decided to share it as written. A little background first as I understand it. This is a program from the Lane Early Learning Alliance. Dr. Sally Storm brought this program idea with her as a possibility for helping our young children and their families prepare for their years at school, reached out to the correct people and secured it for our district. So without much more to say – Here is Olivia’s article:
Like any graduation ceremony there were proud parents and excited students, certificates and treats, speeches and proud walks to the podium…. only these graduates are a lot shorter than those at EHS. On June 2nd, the KITS program held a graduation ceremony to mark the end of the first KITS program in our school district and the 28 students who spent four hours a week for the last weeks learning, growing, and laughing together.
KITS (Kids In Transition to School) is a program through the Oregon Social Learning Center and the Early Learning Alliance. It is funded in part by the United Way of Lane County. Traditionally the KITS program provides a summer program for incoming kindergarten students who are about to enter school. It has been highly successful throughout Lane County in helping children start kindergarten with basic literacy skills and ready to learn.
The program at Veneta Elementary is different. For the first time ever, the KITS program at VES served students who were already in kindergarten to help them prepare for the transition into first grade. The goal of the program was to reinforce the academic and social skills that students were learning in school- to give them more practice to build mastery of the important skills they needed to learn in kindergarten so they would be ready for first grade. It was an ideal approach for Veneta because of our current half-day kindergarten program. KITS was used to supplement the three hours of instruction students received in school with two hours of additional tutoring.
KITS uses their own curriculum to provide students with opportunities that don’t just teach basic reading or basic math but integrate science, art, and social skills at the same time. During their eight week program, the students in our KITS program at Veneta had the opportunity to create art projects, tackle fun science experiments, learn through imaginative play, and design fun projects to take home. Social skills were an integral part of the KITS program but they weren’t taught separately, but integrated into everything they did. For example, students don’t just read a story about sharing they are asked to create an art project sharing one bottle of glue as a small group.
If you walked by the KITS program all you heard was students laughing and having fun. If you peeked in and watched, you could see the learning happening.
Students were selected for the KITS program for a variety of reasons. Some were chosen because they needed just a little extra practice in math or reading. Some were chosen because they have the potential to be strong leaders and good role models. Some because we knew they would enjoy the art projects or the hands on science activities. Some because they loved school so much we knew they would be excited to come back for more. It didn’t matter why they were in the program; every student benefited from the program and enjoyed it.
The KITS program also had a parent education component that Veneta was lucky enough to have as well. Parents met weekly to share parenting stories and ideas, because the best learning happens when we learn from each other. The KITS program provides childcare and food for these meetings as well as snacks for the children after school.
Unfortunately, at this point, we have been told that we will not be able to have a KITS program in the district for students starting school in the fall. However, there may be a chance to have another program for students during the school year. It was great to have the KITS program in our school, and it will be great to have it back again next time. KITS graduation ceremony was at 2:15 on June 2nd and was great fun.
My Thanks to Olivia – and as always, I remain open to comments and questions. Please write to me at tmorton@fernridge.k12.or.us – I look forward to hearing from you again. I leave you with this thought and quote from Paul Vallas – a superintendent / official in difficult areas such as Louisiana, Philadelphia, and Chicago. “If you’re going to equalize the academic playing field, you’ve got to get the kids in early childhood programs.” For a smile – watch this short video https://youtu.be/3bK5OiSMVAU on YouTube – proving ONCE AGAIN, you can teach an old critter [chair] new tricks!!! Have a great week!
addendum to published article: Principal Johnson has heard that this program will be renewed at VES- GREAT news for our district. More later.
More from an “Old” chair
These ideas/thoughts are mine and mine alone… I cannot and do not speak for the board. Now, let’s move on to my topic for the next few weeks- What is happening in the District!!
First of all my apologies for my extended absence… life happens whether you are ready for it or not. I was not ready for the accident that accelerated my mother’s removal from our home. She is safe and well taken care of in Eugene but left many things to take care of and much change in our lives. But I am back- like the dirty penny [a phrase from my childhood and my father’s mother’s little ditties].
I was watching how things are happening in our district and realized that too much is happening without the foundation of those things being put in front of our readers. That was/is my job. So as I said- I am back– trying to catch up.
I have always believed my most important job as a school board member, after doing due diligence on policy and district issues, is to connect with the community I serve. I understand the importance of ‘walking the walk’ so to speak, and I have done my best to provide service as well as an ear. I have taken a good look at what is right in front of me and tried to work directly with those needs. I know better now that there is a history that is not indicative of what we have now, but I also know that my space is not neutral. I have hopes and desires for the district that may be different than some in the community. I want to hear from you and come to you each column and every day by email hoping to hear your thoughts. To begin this portion, a little recent history.
When we were in the hiring process for a new superintendent, we knew we needed someone who would create chances for our strong and wonderful staff to become even better. This was actually a request from the staff as they sought more opportunities for learning and greater support from the administration. We also were very concerned about providing easy transitions for our children from preschool to elementary and middle school to high school. We wanted to get in line with state requirements for things such as Achievement Compacts and hiring and training opportunities. We needed to make better use of our data information and make sure that all of our students were able to achieve or have the chance to achieve whatever dream they have for their future. In addition, we wanted to continue to develop and expand our community communication process listening to concerns and answering questions that might come up regarding our various decisions.
At this point, we chose Dr. Sally Storm from a group of very qualified candidates. We shared in each interview our desires and concerns. Dr. Storm gave us the answers we were looking for, and we hired her. At that point, we all knew it might take someone months to settle in to a new position, so we were not expecting the things that transpired in the next few months. I am going to share a few of those things over the next few weeks in no particular order. I just want all of you to know that she has far exceeded our expectations for a timeline.
One of the great programs she has brought to our district is for the transition time for eighth graders. The Decision Education Foundation is affiliated with Stanford University. They have offered to pay for a program called Everybody Leads. It is a one week course for incoming freshman which guides them “through a series of activities and games that teach decision making and leadership skills. Both the academic learning and the engaging experience put students on a path for success in high school. In the process, students meet key school leaderships, build relationships and become oriented to their high school experience.” Students have fun, learn important things for their years in high school, make and solidify friendships. Parents can relax a bit with a greater confidence that their child will not suffer in this major transition.
So how did Fern Ridge School District even get in line for this great program? As a result of Dr. Storm’s statewide connections, Nancy Golden, Chief Executive Officer for the State of Oregon, gave the organization Sally’s name as she knew Sally was interested and wanted to work with them. Once Dr. Storm heard of the possibility, she jumped write on it and emailed him within seconds as she was worried it was a first come first serve condition. As a result, we have this program happening for this year’s Eighth graders who will be going into their first year of high school. So what does the district get financially? The Decision Education Foundation will cover the cost of instructor[s] and facilitators up to a certain amount as well as covering miscellaneous school costs for running the program; the total of which would run into the thousands of dollars. What does the district get educationally? The priceless knowledge that we are providing a service to our community and to our students that will make this transition easier for those involved.
As always, I remain open to comments and questions. Please write to me at tmorton@fernridge.k12.or.us – I look forward to hearing from you again. I leave you with this thought “A ship is always safe at the shore – but that is NOT what it is built for.” Albert Einstein
For my video today, I think I’d like to share a marvelous video- a bit long- but illustrates so many wonderful things about the possibilities of life, risk taking, and equity [my likely next topic]. Here it is and well worth the 15 minutes to watch. https://youtu.be/UDU2fA_LBKs
MUCH More from an OLD Chair
Please remember, these ideas/thoughts are mine and mine alone… I cannot and do not speak for the board. Now that’s behind us… let’s talk bond…school bond.
Now is the time where I know the importance of being as clear as possible about all things ‘bond’. I know there are reams of things to read and to keep track of – I know I try but have to have help sometimes remembering the exact source of what I ‘think’ I know. As the Bond moves into full swing and things are happening, I thought it might help to put some of the events into focus. One of the things, I hope to clarify is the land purchase between Elmira Elementary and Elmira High School and how and why it was done.
In the 2013 Proposed Capital Improvement Plan, done on October 21st of that year, a group of twenty-four, twelve community and twelve district people, finalized the Strategic Plan for the Bond monies. Phase I included ten items from replacing Elmira Elementary [#1] to acquiring strategic properties adjacent to Elmira ES and Veneta ES for future expansion and flexibility.[#10] At that time, the committee recommended “land banking” any properties [purchasing property anticipating possible expansion] that became available “within the constraints of the available budget.” [p. 6 of that report] The purchase was done with the understanding that the money taken from the Maintenance Reserve Fund would be replaced with bond money. In addition, monies from the sale of property could be used as they sold.
Another example of good fiscal management is the district being reimbursed for a small group who are intimately involved with monitoring while managing the bond. Five percent of their salaries [two hours divided by a forty hour work week] is only a small portion of the time spent on their duties such as bookkeeping, filling out legal forms required by the state, adjusting allocations and monitoring to name a few tasks. This group is making quality control decisions as well. NO NEW salaries are being paid.
Kudos to Elmira’s Oregon Battle of the Books. My thanks to everyone who has contacted me with comments and concerns. Please keep those comments coming to tmorton@fernridge.k12.or.us . I leave you with this thought “Great theatre is about challenging how we think and encouraging us to fantasize about a world we aspire to.” William Defoe