This post was originally published as the "Superintendent's Corner" column in the Winter 2019 edition of the Shrewsbury School Journal.
At the
start of each calendar year, I provide my perspective regarding the strengths
our schools possess and the challenges that we face in my “State of the
District” report, from which this column is adapted. This year’s
overarching theme: While we have much to celebrate, we have work to do
to achieve our collective aspirations for our students.
The work
ahead will build on a sturdy foundation, as the current state of our schools is
very strong. Our students continue to demonstrate very high levels
of success in traditional measures of academics, including strong performance
on state and national assessments, including our district again being named to
the national AP Honor Roll for increasing access to rigorous coursework while
maintaining very strong outcomes. Student creations and performances in the
visual and performing arts continue to earn accolades, while academic
competition teams and athletic teams continue to achieve impressive results.
Further, we have educators, support staff, and administrators who continue to
do extraordinary work every day, and our School Committee provides leadership
that creates the conditions for students and educators to thrive. Our parent
community provides outstanding support, as does the entire community-at-large,
as evidenced by the overwhelmingly positive vote to build a new K-4 elementary
school (for which we are extremely grateful!)
We should
continue to celebrate the continued excellence of our schools, and utilize
these strengths as we take the necessary steps to provide an even better
education for our students, one that will adapt to the changing needs and
demands that today’s world places upon our students and us. As with any
successful organization, we have work to do in order to improve our ability to
achieve our mission, and so we must focus our time and resources on our
strategic priorities.
Under our
strategic priority of “Learning environments where everyone’s success matters,”
we have work to do if we are to become a district where we can truly say that
“all means all” when it comes to ensuring that all students are getting what
they need to succeed. This means being intentional about applying best
practices to educate diverse learners, and to ensure that our approach is
inclusive where it comes to our students’ and families’ cultural backgrounds,
so that all students and families feel welcome and unconditionally accepted as
members of our school communities.
To
achieve our strategic priority of “Enhanced well-being of all,” we have work to
do to address the social, emotional, and behavioral health issues that have
become more prevalent in recent times in our society – and in our community.
This is especially true where it comes to the specific topics of depression
and suicide, substance abuse and addiction (including new challenges related to
the legalization of marijuana and an epidemic of vaping, in addition to the
opioid crisis), and the societal phenomena of smartphones and screen time
changing the social dynamic. To address these issues, we will need to
focus time, attention, and resources on developing a comprehensive approach to
social and emotional learning for all, as well as expanded counseling and
clinical supports for students with significant needs.
To move
forward with our strategic priority of “Connected learning for a complex
world,” we have work to do if we are to become a district where we can truly
say that all of our students are learning the skills they will need to be
successful citizens. There are many innovative ways in which our students
are learning the 21st century skills of communication, collaboration,
creativity, and critical thinking, and it becomes more clear each year why
building these competencies is crucial for our students’ future success.
What we see in society and the media today also makes it apparent that
our students must become savvy consumers of news and information who can also
see the moral and ethical dimensions of issues, so that they become informed,
empathetic citizens who serve the community and seek the common good.
The
approval of building a new Beal School significantly advanced our strategic
priority of “Space and resources to support effective learning,” and we not
only have work to do to successfully complete this critical project, but as our
district continues to grow we also will need to address other physical space
needs, ensure adequate staffing, and provide appropriate learning materials and
technology, all in order to achieve what the community has made it clear that
it expects of us.
We are
fortunate in our district, as we have substantial resources, both capital and
human, to do the important work of educating our students. These
resources continue to be modest when viewed in the context of other school
districts across the state, and the value that our community receives regarding
the return on its investment is superb.
Our
students and educators have and will continue to learn much and learn well, but
we have work to do so that we may reach the ambitious goals that have been set
for improving the lives of the children in our care. I am confident that,
with the support of the community, we will continue to seek and find innovative
ways to teach our students both the academic and life skills they will need to
lead successful lives.
