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
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