It’s the day during the summer that every school teacher, principal, district administrator, superintendent, parents and kids all wait for with bated breath. That’s right kiddies…it’s school grade time based on FCAT scores. I’ve gone back and forth since I got home from my day trip to my school to try and hammer out a payroll issue. I even took a nap this afternoon to prolong me typing this post up. I’ve done a pretty good job at not associating myself with my school district or school. I don’t think I’m going to start. I will share with everyone though that my school did not meet AYP nor did it score well as a school grade, a “D”. I’m happy to report that the school I left mid -year (the week before the FCAT) scored a “B”, so I’m extremely happy that my former students did well!

Back to my current school’s plight though. A “D”. I should be upset. The principal and AP’s should be out and out disgusted. Right? Having come in just past the midpoint of the school year I’ve already taken ownership as being a part of the school. It’s a direct reflection. After speaking to the principal today, and sharing my many great ideas brought back from NECC, we have a vision of success. This much I know. I just wish the higher ups would take a look at what exactly we accomplished this past year and see that a “D” is not so bad. So here are some lowlights:

• After being targeted for about 700 students for the first day, well over 900 showed up for the first day of classes.
• 4 classrooms shared the cafeteria for a full month until enough portable classrooms could be installed to house them all.
• Some students during the year were moved around to at least 3 different teachers to ease class sizes.
• District personnell (non teachers) taught class for a month to help ease class sizes (Again, non teachers)
• Adequate numbers of books and support material were not delivered until at least the end of October.
• Principal and other office staff spent a full month straight staying at the school till 11pm to arrange new classrooms, unpack books and resources for new classrooms.
• End of year student population: approximately 1370
• Many out of field, non education based teachers brought in. Many were great teachers, some not.

And the big Highlight:

• We survived a tough situation with some areas of scoring higher than other schools that have been around for a while.

To me that is a success. It might not look like it on paper. The one commonality that each and every teacher after leaving at the end of the year stated was, “They were mentally and emotionally exhausted.” This is a normal teacher statement at the end of a year, but it was pasted to their faces.

I’ve no doubt that next year will be much better. We move into our new campus in mid-July. I received the first inventory of the hardware that’s been delivered to the warehouse. Some things that are on that list includes: 6 qwizdom response systems, 6 SMART boards, 1 SMART board for trainings, and a Macbook for the ITV lab (drools!). I’ve already in the works a couple of Free Dress days that will help pad the Tech Fund to purchase a couple of iPods for a podcast lab along with other equipment for digital storytelling.

I have no doubt that in a month’s time, things will be just a’ok on my campus.

Seeking the Wisdom of the Ages…

Tom.

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