A Strong Foundation

This past summer, Principal Julie McClintock and her staff at WD Hall invested additional time to map curriculum, create assessment road maps, and develop instructional materials.  At a recent site visit, I learned that there is an increased focus on Progress Monitoring based on assessment data, specifically the Orton Gillingham assessments given whole group every six weeks.  Principal McClintock stressed that the key to the site's literacy success is consistent instructional methods across all staff, especially in grades 3-5, where staff might not be historically accustomed to teaching decoding.  She went so far as to recommended this uniform approach District-wide.  When I asked about any staff reticence or push-back in favor of autonomy in the classroom, Principal McClintock said the opposite had actually occurred: Gallup ratings in the area of each individual knowing what is expected of him or her increased significantly.  As a literacy pilot site, these observations hold great weight as we move forward to target literacy growth district-wide.  

My personal observations of additional paid time requests for school sites (found in the Personnel Items at each board meeting) is that they often address refining or expanding the district-provided baseline offerings.  I frequently ask if these have been made available to staff district-wide, and the answer is usually something like, "Yes, but...the value is primarily in the process, not the product."  While it's true that there is immeasurable value in the process of evaluating the needs of our students and families as well as the methods by which we meet those in needs, making staff-created resources available offers inspiration and high-quality options that address local needs for teachers who are either new to a grade level, site, position, or even teaching itself.  Building capacity takes time, so let's strive to give our staff the best tools as they work through developing appropriate and effective modifications.  

I have to say here, it is the same with the Board.  I am the newest member, and there are so many components to master.  While the focus always defers to local approaches if they are effective and successful, having baseline resources and best practices from the California School Board Association and other sources is infinitely helpful.  Some examples include our policies drafts, our governance calendar, and from personal experience, the process for appointing a board member in light of a vacancy.  I even still refer to my Masters in Governance materials when reviewing any budget items.  Sometimes we have a myopic view of our roles and responsibilities due to a lack of genuine engagement of and by the Board, but we also have the benefit of our stable leadership in Dr. David Miyashiro and cabinet.  However, like staff and students, it's imperative we maintain a growth mindset to identify the gaps, discrepancies, and areas where there is a lack of knowledge.  It's important that we not only have access to baseline resources, but that we actually use them to provide a strong foundation as we glean from recommended practices while also striving to increase our capacity along the way.