Dear Parents and Concerned
Citizens:
I hope that this letter finds you well and enjoying
your summer. I am again
honored and excited to welcome you back to another school year. As is always
the case, this one is filled with the great promise of assisting our children
realize their full potential while creating environments that are rich with caring,
compassion and multiple opportunities to experience success.
This is another pivotal year for our district given what we have achieved over
the past few years and the new realities associated with the ever-changing, accountability
standards being used to view public schools at the national, state and local
levels. Our district’s ability to meet the expectations associated
with teaching and learning is critical to our present and future success.
In an attempt to summarize the agenda for the 2009-2010 school year, I offer
that we will continue in our efforts to create and maintain a district culture
and climate that is conducive to teaching and learning, expand and enhance our
communication efforts both internally and externally, provide comprehensive and
multifaceted professional development opportunities for all staff, support teaching
and learning by examining instructional practices in meaningful ways, continue
to integrate technology to support high quality instruction and to become more
efficient in our use of time and resources. A complete listing of the priorities
for the coming year is summarized in the annual publication entitled School
Year Priorities. This, along with other important information about
the 2009-2010 school year, may be viewed at www.rsd17.org.
While these activities represent some of the most significant work that will
take place in the coming year, they pale in comparison to the two things that
I believe are the most critical to our continued success as a school district. One,
we must continue our commitment to maintain a district that is known for excellence
in teaching and learning for all students. This excellence is best reflected
in maintaining supportive learning environments for all students, delivering
high quality instruction, practicing continuous assessment of both teaching and
learning and engaging in open and honest communication with parents and others
who choose to associate with their schools. Second, we must continue to
provide opportunities to have meaningful conversations around teaching and learning. These
conversations will provide both the necessary creative tension and the information
sharing so critical to our continued growth as a learning organization. While
these two things may seem a bit obvious, I believe they are among the most important
ingredients necessary to ensure that all children learn.
As I am sure you will concur if you have been a part of this district for any
length of time, we have cultivated something very special. Together as
a community, we have emerged each year much stronger and more committed to our
children. We have experienced challenges that we have met and overcome. We
have learned much about each other, what we believe in for children and what
we can accomplish if we remain together as equal partners in the educational
process.
If you are new to the district, you are now associated with a school district
which has transformed itself into one that is recognized state-wide for excellence
in public education. We have defined who we are as people and professionals,
clearly articulated our vision, and have fostered relationships where they mean
the most.
Last year, we articulated that believing in something leads to achieving
it. The act of believing in our students and each other has resulted
in numerous successes and is sure to lead to many more as we continue
or work together this year. This year, our slogan will be “Transforming
Teaching and Learning.”
As I reflected
on what our district slogan would be for this year, I could not help but think
of the enormous changes that have taken place in public education. What
was dubbed the “back to basics” movement in the 1990’s has
now become the era of the “21st Century Skills” development model. What
we now know about the brain, how children learn, and what practices are the
most effective in schools have led to systematic changes in how we practice
our profession. In the schools of today, we have transformed from a “factory
model” to a new “Right Brained World” (Pink, 2005). Daniel
Pink summarizes our current need to transform when he wrote “Until
recently, the abilities that led to school success in school, work, and business
were characteristic of the left hemisphere. They were the sorts of linear,
logical, analytical talents measured by SATs and deployed by CPAs. Today,
those capabilities are still necessary; they’re no longer sufficient. In
a world upended by outsourcing, deluged with data, and chocked with choices,
the abilities that matter most are now closer in spirit to the specifics of
the right hemisphere – artistry, empathy, seeing the big picture, and
pursuing transcendent.”
Don’t misunderstand the point I am attempting to make as I introduce
the concept of transforming our classrooms. First, I believe that nothing
will ever replace high quality instruction using differentiated means.
This is necessary to ensure that the needs of all children are met.
My belief in our need to transform lies in an understanding of the
significant changes in our world that serve as our immediate challenge
as we work diligently to prepare our students for what they will navigate
as their world. We must continue to perfect our instructional practices
while introducing a shift to the traditional education framework we
all know and understand. Again, Daniel Pink writes “That
to flourish in this age, we’ll need to supplement our well-developed
high tech abilities with aptitudes that are high concept and high touch. High
concept involves the ability to create artistic and emotional beauty,
to detect patterns and opportunities, to craft a satisfying narrative,
and to come up with inventions the world didn’t know it was missing. High
touch involves the capacity to empathize, to understand the subtleties
of human interaction, to find joy in one’s self and to elicit
it in others, and to stretch beyond the quotidian in pursuit of purpose
and meaning.”
As I reflect on opening my sixth school year as your Superintendent,
I am humbled by the honor I have to lead this district. I am
motivated by its energy and commitment to excellence. I stand
in awe of the sense of wonder and excitement that comes with another
school year.
I am forever optimistic that we will achieve what we have set out to
achieve if we work together.
I wish you well as you enjoy the remainder of your summer and look
forward to our continued work together in the new school year.
Should you wish to speak to me directly at any time, please do not
hesitate to contact me or feel free to stop into my office at your
convenience.
I remain.
Very Truly Yours,
Gary S. Mala
Superintendent of Schools