Panther Corporation Newsletter
Beginning of School Year 2019 Edition
Welcome Back Panthers!
On behalf of the Board of Education, our staff, and myself, I want to welcome everyone to the Griffith Public Schools for the 2019-20 school year. I hope that all of you had a wonderful summer, and I look forward to an outstanding school year with your help! We have been hard at work over the summer preparing for a new school year.
As the school year starts, we continue to find ways to work around the issues regarding
Griffith Public Schools and ensure that we keep focused on continuously improving the academic performance of our students, as well as our never ending commitment to a safe learning environment.
Let me take a moment to provide all of you with some background and/or explanation into matters which have been sensationalized over social media.
1. I acknowledge the staff/teachers who left Griffith Public Schools and appreciate the years that they had dedicated to our corporation. Their wealth of experience will not go unnoticed or unappreciated. I wish them well in their new journeys and thank them for their service!
Please take a moment to welcome our new staff members as they are energetic and enthusiastic about being at Griffith Public Schools!
2. I am happy to report that we have every position filled at this time with the exception of French and two nursing positions.
In regards to French, the Instructional model for French is a true partnership and one that many schools around the nation are utilizing to bridge our students into 21st century learning. The teachers are proactive in reaching out to students to make sure that they are successful throughout the course. Additionally, the French teacher will grade and provide feedback, but most importantly, she/he will listen to recorded audio of each student speaking the language and provide recorded feedback. Once per week the teacher would work live with our students via video conferencing. We have hired a person responsible for overseeing this type of instructional model for us this year to ensure our students receive a great blended learning model.
In regards to the two nursing positions, we are actively seeking registered nurses who wish to work within a school setting. If you know anyone who would like to make a change and work with students, please direct him/her to apply to Griffith Public Schools ASAP.
3. Automated phone calls have also created a mass upheaval on social media due to the frequency and robotic voice. As we head into this new year, our administrators are making changes so that if a SwiftCall is needed the parent will hear the actual voice of the principal or school designee and the frequency is lessened. Please continue to listen to these messages as we want to make sure our parents receive the information firsthand and in a timely fashion.
4. At the start of the summer, we began a roofing project. As you can see, the roofing project is still a work in progress, and we hope that you remain patient as it may cause some parking and drop off/pick up issues despite our every attempt to not infringe and create havoc for our parents and community.
5. With the change of staff, our approved fees for textbook and consumables were not completed within the system in order to generate the fees for any Griffith student in grades K thru 12. We apologize for the delay; however, it was our intent to process correct billing statements so that parents were provided the bill one time only this school year. I know that this has been a continual issue for Griffith Public Schools since my arrival, but I am confident that this will no longer be an issue from this point on. If you should have any questions about payments or billing, please contact your building secretary.
6. The reduction in force is a difficult decision but a needed one for Griffith Public Schools. We are not operating in the red; however, with the spending habits that this corporation has been experiencing for some time and the upcoming circuit breaker loss, I attempted to make some cuts throughout the district prior to impacting our staffing. Some examples of the cost savings that were made are as follows:
Examples of Cost Savings for 2018-2019:
- Cancelled the publication from Idea Factory
- LED Lighting
- Custodial/Maintenance Staff outsourced to in-house
- Snow Removal Company change
- Central Office classified staff reduction
- Reduction of one Central Office Director due to retirement
- Safety Updates were provided through safety grant not Operation Fund
- Paper Reduction
- Reduction of Assistant Superintendent’s salary
- Cancellation of Edulog Agreement moving to transportation system that is cheaper
- In an effort to reduce classroom sizes, paras were hired and funded through Title 1
Examples of Cost Savings Options for 2019-2020:
- Director of Special Ed./Grants partial salary movement from the Education Fund to Grant Funding
- Construction Trades Offering provided through Hammond Career Center not at corporation
- Alternative Ed. provided through Special Education services
- Reduction of library personnel upon a retirement
- Reduction of secretarial staff
- Cafeteria monitors funded through Food Service
- Addition of Transportation fee to students who participate in athletics
- Software evaluation and reduction
- Addition of Medicaid billing for special education services
- Financial software movement
Nonetheless, the cuts did not produce the savings which was warranted to ensure we would remain in the black, and it prompted our board to make some hard decisions in the spring. At the end of the school year, a reduction in force invariably had to be made. I apologize for the timing and the manner in which it was handled. At the time, my only wish was for those who were being RIFed have the opportunity to apply and get hired within the NWIndiana region. It appeared to others that I was insensitive and unappreciative of that staff member. That was far from the truth. As IDOE has tweeted this fall, there are over 600 teaching positions opened in the state of Indiana. There will be a vast amount of students who will not be educated with the best of the teaching population that we have here at Griffith Public Schools, and I did not want that for our students. I only hope that as we move forward we will not have to make any more cuts as long as our enrollment remains the same.
7. In the community, we coordinated and participated in delivering free meals to kids and families from June-August. Thanks to our Food Service department for assisting with that this summer. We will continue to work on communication in all aspects of Griffith Public Schools and wish to continue this project in future years.
8. My family and I intend to be a part of the community from this point forward. With my last child going off to Purdue this fall, my husband and I are intending to move closer to Griffith as soon as our home sells. My husband currently teaches in another school district and is intending to take on the longer drive so that I can attend more community and school events/programs. I hope that this move into NWIndiana will assure the community and parents that my family and I are vested and want to be a part of not only this school community but the community as a whole. I hope that you welcome us all with open arms!
9. The air conditioning at Beiriger and MS/HS is and continues to be an issue since May. At one board meeting, I was asked about the air and at the time, I was informed the air was working which I shared with all who attended. Throughout the summer, these two buildings have been on and off in regards to the air conditioning. Our Director of Operations has been diligently working on the matter throughout the summer while roadblocks continue to have surfaced along the way.
With an end in sight, Beiriger will have air once the vents are replaced and additional parts are made and delivered. The schedule time for delivery and installation on both items are this week. We have made provisions in regards to supplying water and popsicles until the installation has been completed. Please make sure your child dresses appropriately for the upcoming weather until the air is fixed!
In regards to our MS/HS air conditioners, these units have been repaired so that we are able to have air while the air temperature does not creep past 80 degrees. Once the air temperature surpasses 80 degrees, the system is sometimes tripped off and air does not work. The engineers have been out to provide us with a quick fix; however, these systems are scheduled to be replaced as soon as we shut down for the change of season. Again, please be patient, as we, who work within the central office, understand what it is like to be without air conditioning.
10. Our enrollment has dropped this school year, and this is in line with the projections I have been given since my arrival to Griffith Public Schools. There are many reasons to why enrollment has dropped, but we have to remain fiscally responsible and ensure that our students continue to get the best education possible during this school year and in the future.
Thank you for letting me take the time to address these matters! My hope is that we can move forward and make 2019/20 school year the best one yet!
Opening Day Superintendent Remarks
I hope that today you all will leave this auditorium feeling valued. The purpose of having an opening day is to start a new year on a positive note. Having all of you present today, knowing that we all are fired up for that first student day, excited, encouraged and motivated and that is wonderful! This is the way I hope you all will remain throughout the year because that is my dream.
As I took many days to reflect on what I would like to say today, I was drawn to Martin Luther King Jrs speech “I Have a Dream” speech that was given during the March in Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963, in which he called for civil and economic rights and an end to racism in the United States.
Being an educator, we can change lives just as Martin Luther King Jr did.
Everything that you do, do it to the very best of your ability.
Sometimes teaching can seem very complex. But you can break it down to its simplest form. The way we have successful students is that we focus on them and we know them…better yet establish a relationship with the student.
I ask that each one of you to take advantage of the resources we have at Griffith Public Schools. Most teachers endeavor to make a difference in the life of at least one student. But none of you really know who your one student is, ever. You’ll never know. So that’s why you have to focus on every student. Let every student in your classroom be your one.
I urge each one of you to model good behavior for our students. The greatest character program in the Griffith Public Schools is you.
Each one of you has a role model to which you look up too. Mine is my mother. Despite raising nine children and fostering over 100 or more children over a 25 year time span, my mom continues to put others first before herself. She was determined to make the lives for each of her children better and offer each one of us opportunities which she could never dream of even if one of us were not hers by blood. I ask that each one of you determine who your role model was and what made him/her so special. Try to be that special person for those who enter your classroom doors each day.
Next, I ask that each one of you accept constructive criticism, learn from failure and mistakes. Realize, when confronted by a challenging student, that “Every student in your classroom is their parents’ best.” Just as my mom and dad did with all of my siblings and for those children who they fostered for those years.
From this point on, I am encouraging all of us to always be positive with students, other staff and colleagues, parents, and the community. I need all of you to show compassion and flexibility throughout the ups and downs we may face this year. Together, we can get through anything!
Just as Martin Luther King Jr did on August 28, 1963, I, too, am going to share my dreams for Griffith Public Schools.
Griffith Public Schools…I Have a Dream…
I have a dream that Griffith Public Schools will provide a world-class education where all students, regardless of their neighborhood, race, socio-economic status, or life experience achieve at high levels and grow academically every day.
I have a dream that our community will continue to advocate for and support our schools to ensure that every young person has the skills needed to contribute to our global society.
I have a dream that each of you will recall the sense of purpose that motivated you to get into education…knowing that we are imperfect as human beings but determined to do whatever it takes to help every child succeed.
I have a dream that all of our students be able to graduate from Griffith Public Schools ready for college and careers.
I have a dream that our students enter a safe learning environment each day where all support staff are caring and nurturing and genuinely want the BEST for our young people.
I have a dream that the Griffith Public Schools continue to maintain a professional and collaborative relationship with our teachers union while keeping the best interest of our young people at the forefront.
I have a dream that the Griffith Public Schools will be transparent, clear, and timely with the community to keep them informed of our efforts to become a 21st century school district that keeps students first.
I have a dream that we will embrace the Evaluation System in place as a means for growing professionally as educators rather than a burden or a “gotcha” technique to punish teachers.
I have a dream that we support teachers and provide them with professional learning opportunities to better serve our young people.
I have a dream that we will provide opportunities for Griffith staff to collaborate and communicate about student, school, and district data to provide a more robust educational experience for our young people.
I have a dream that our buildings and grounds will continue to look impeccable, making it clear to all visitors that our custodial and maintenance staff has put love, care, and pride into their work.
I have a dream that our businesses and community leaders will partner with the Griffith Public Schools to assist us with providing resources, services, and learning opportunities for our young people.
I have a dream that our students will be picked up on our buses each day by a driver who greets them with a smile and gets them to school safely and on time.
I have a dream that every student feels physically and emotionally safe at school, secure in the knowledge that every adult in this district is invested in their success and well-being.
I have a dream that each of you will leave here today knowing that we can rely on each other for support and advice, and that we must hold ourselves and each other accountable for making a difference in the lives of our students.
# Innovators Mindset shared the following tweet this past week that I feel is very pertinent as we embark on 2019/20: Start small and keep trying and learning new things. We need to remember that innovation is all about what is best for our students. How can we reach and teach them so they are excited and learning all the time? That is what I refer to as student surprise and delights!
Dr. Jennifer McCormick also shared the following tweet this last week: Great educators INTERACT with kids as they…
Stand in the cafeteria
Stand at school entrances
Stand at bus drop off and pick ups
Stand at ECA events
Stand by classroom doors greeting every student as he/she enters by name
Stand at recess
Stand to instruct
Because great educators….STAND FOR KIDS! Let it be known this year that Griffith Public Schools STANDS for KIDS!