Superintendent's Update
March 2016
Budget Update
On February 17th the Superintendent's Proposed Budget was presented to the Board of Education. The proposed budget represents a 1.49% decrease over the current year's operating budget. The proposed budget being lower than the current budget is due to a few factors. First of all the budget process that begins at the school and department level is a responsible one. The administrative team looks carefully at the current budget and projects forward those resources that are no longer needed and those that should be added in order continue to support and improve teaching and learning in our district. Second, there were three variables that had a significant impact on reducing the budget: closing Korn School at the end of this school year, reductions in insurance costs, and staffing.
Our school district is truly an amazing place where creativity and connections are seen everywhere. Our teachers and staff show genuine commitment to their work, each other, and our students. We have made great strides in supporting adult learning in our district, yet there is much for people to learn simply because of the pace of change. Our goal is to continue to provide high level learning and development for teachers and students alike.
Our focus is on student achievement, well-being and engagement. Teachers and staff are focused every day on enhancing student achievement through strong instructional practices at the Tier 1 level while addressing individual student needs through differentiated teaching practices and interventions. We are consistently attentive to students’ well-being and in particular have developed greater resources for those students who are dealing with anxiety in the school setting. Finally, our efforts to engage all students is an on-going goal which we address through enhanced and interesting student learning opportunities. This year our work towards increasing student engagement is being organized through the lens of the 4Cs of 21st Century Learning: Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking and Creativity. In the coming school year the existence of the 4Cs in our practice will be evident.
This year and next we will continue our work in developing teacher leaders by broadening both perspective and practice, including peer coaching. Next year the initiation of STEM programming through the Technology classes at Strong School will be a first step into the integration of science, technology, engineering and math. We confidentially anticipate a successful program and can't wait to share showcase our students engagement and enthusiasm. Our music program will continue as a strong and vibrant beacon of our district even as we change our staffing due to the retirement of two amazing educators: Dean Coutsouridis and Lisa Larsen. Tim Fisher will move from Memorial School to CRHS and assume the role of Chairman of the Department. Our 1:1 Chromebook initiative from two years ago now includes all students at the high school having their own device.
Some high level details of the proposed budget include:
- Class sizes remain within Board of Education target class size limits.
- The addition of 1.5 Math Specialists and .5 tutors is proposed to address teacher instructional needs and student learning needs in Mathematics.
- A restructuring of the Reading Department to provide on-going real time coaching for teachers and intervention for students does not involve a headcount increase, but will provide better support for teachers and students.
- A reorganization of the administrative team to respond to the changing needs in the District so that we are supporting the on-going professional growth and development of teachers and staff and the District as a vibrant learning organization.
- A total of $404,500 designated to capital reserve and capital projects. Capital reserve projects at $214,000 and $190, 000 for specific projects throughout the district including the Korn School closing costs, specific school-based projects, as well as necessary upgrades in the athletic department.
- An increase in pay to play from $40 to $75 for athletes at CRHS.
A complete copy of our budget book is available on-line for your review.
Mosaic work at Korn School
Squid dissection at Lyman School
Learning about Earth's rotation at Memorial School
Chromebook Progress Update...submitted by Mr. Kurtz
The district-issued Chromebooks are being used at Coginchaug to enable students to work collaboratively, creatively, and effectively. Students are using them to gather, record and process experimental data in Science, to write and peer-edit essays in English, to work with digital versions of primary sources in Social Studies, to write their own computer programs and create their own apps in Coginchaug’s new Introduction to Coding course in the math department. U.S. History students are preparing for a project in which they will be attending a virtual ‘Debate Party’ with their teacher through Google Classroom and responding to what they hear by composing ‘tweets’ to be published through a classroom account.
At Strong, students have used the Chromebooks to independently research modern slavery and contribute their voices to the global call to action to fight the use of forced labor, to create virtual ‘wax museums’ (in which they create audio or video presentations about the subjects of biographies they read and linked to them with QR codes so their classmates and teachers could view them). After learning Photoshop on the LMC lab desktop computers, art students continued their digital creations using free online alternatives such as Pixlr Editor.
In general, in all schools, Chromebooks have brought the computer lab into the classroom, instead of requiring the teacher to march the students down the hall. Ongoing projects and assignments that require digital resources can be conducted much more efficiently, in smaller chunks each day, since they do not require the investment in transition time to change venues.
Most Likely To Succeed: Film and Panel Discussion at Middlefield's Independent Day School
Most Likely To Succeed examines the history of education in the United States and explores the shortcomings of the current system, which was designed in 1893 for a very different world. The film explores new approaches that aim to revolutionize teaching and prepare students to thrive and be innovators in the 21st century. Since it debuted at the Sundance Film Festival last January, Most Likely to Succeed has been shown at venues across the country. In Connecticut, other schools hosting screenings have included Yale and Choate Rosemary Hall.
The film has received rave reviews from educators, film critics, and journalists. From Sal Khan of Khan Academy, “The 21st century is going to be all about building, creating, and innovating. This remarkable film shows a path of how we can empower all of our children to do that.” From the Huffington Post, "...offers a message Americans need to hear, and desperately test.” Learn more at www.mltsfilm.org