SOUP TALK
#CSD_AllMeansAll
Greetings from Traverse City
However, the best inspiration I received happened on day 1 of the conference before the keynote speaker even was introduced. My colleague & friend, Dr. Steve Matthews, Superintendent of Novi Community Schools and now the current MASA president gave the welcome address. I listened carefully to his words and the emotion in his voice as he delivered the type of address I could see myself giving. What he told 600 superintendents was this...
He challenged all of us with these thoughts: "The superintendent's job is to create a vision for the staff and community. The vision that ALL students should have dreams. That our job is about ALL students," he said. "ALL students. The students who give us hell, the students we prefer be absent three out of five days each week. The students who don't do their homework but show up for class anyway. The students who wear their pants baggy and shirt untucked. Every single student has a dream. Our job is to tell them 'how can I help you achieve that dream?'"
Dr. Matthews with his words captured much of what I believe and was trying to say in my opening address to all of you at the Welcome Back day. Hearing him say these words, believing in what he was saying made me realize that I am on the right track with my mission and vision for our district.
It is not only the superintendent who needs to have this mission/vision but it is each of us who have the opportunity to impact students' lives by supporting them in their dreams instead of squashing them. I pledge to you that I will make every effort to support you as you support our students as they learn to dream and what it takes to make their dreams come true.
OUR DISTRICT STRATEGIC PLAN - OUR MOONSHOT!
5 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MOST RAPIDLY IMPROVING SCHOOLS
His work with schools across the country and world has lead him to create Model Schools of improvement based on these five characteristics:
- Being future-focused
- Being student-focused
- Being growth-focused
- Implementing rigorous and relevant instruction
- Providing effective coaching through professional learning
Our work on our new District Strategic Plan is the opportunity to create a roadmap that will allow us to build these five characteristics into our everyday teaching and learning, not as a one-off but rather our new norm.
We all know the world is changing; all industries in our world are changing. The question we must answer is "will we change our profession to meet the needs of our students or keep using 20th-century methods? Will we be future-focused?" This is our challenge. Together, we can and will become a future-focused district because our kids deserve it.