What Should Schools Be?

I am looking at a grant that could help totally restructure what we do here at my school going forward. It is a grant that is actually targeted to alternative programs which help students who are 1 1/2 years behind in their schooling. This grant helps grow successful programs and helps to create new ones which will actually help students develop real college and career skills. We would be doing this in conjunction with Mount Wachusett Community College and the United Way. Kind of exciting.

If you had a chance to remake what a secondary school does, what are some of the things you would do? 

After a Winter Break

So, I am back at school after a decent Winter Break. Aside from being difficult to get up this morning, I do have a sense of urgency about the rest of the school year. Like most schools, we are wrestling with the issue of student attendance. When did attendance start being so bad for 5-8% of student populations? It is so difficult to provide students with what they need if they are not here. This is especially true in a school where we do not give homework. Attendance is especially problematic for my students in the second trimester because they have to get here on their own, and the nearest MART bus stop is 1/2 mile away. Weather is bad. And, the holidays are really a mess for students who need structure. Wondering how to make attendance work better and open to ideas. We do have teachers call daily on students with 3 or more absences.

I am also concerned with the coming standardized testing season, Enough of our students have to do MCAS retakes or the ACCESS (ELL) tests for them to be a huge distraction for the teachers and those students. Any interrupted learning is hard.

Plus, we are looking at budget deficits that will impact both this year and next.

Crazy times.