"A ferocious unwillingness to allow students to flounder or fail"
Beyond Accountability Measures
National and international
researchers have recently focused their efforts at the district or system level as it is the
district’s responsibility to lead instructional improvement and to create the systems
needed to support that improvement while eliminating barriers and obstacles to that
improvement (Lane, 2013).
Our next step in Blueprint installation will be focused on meeting the non-instructional needs of our students. The installation of the intense student support network (ISSN) is a crucial component of the Blueprint because it focuses on all of those "other things" that are often at the heart of why students struggle in school. At the center of the ISSN Vision document that has been adopted by TCAPS is the statement: "a ferocious unwillingness to allow a student to flounder or fail". This attitude must permeate all that we do if we are to help all learners connect with school and be successful as they grow and develop in TCAPS. The district vision also contains the following core beliefs:
We believe . . .
- every student should feel welcomed into our school community
- every student has the right to feel safe physically, socially, emotionally, and academically;
- it is the district’s responsibility to provide a system of delivery through which each student has the potential for high levels of success;
- all adults in our district can work collaboratively to establish a blanket of safety comprehensive enough to cover every space and every person in every school;
- each student reaches his/her potential as result of an equitable but not equal system of delivery, i.e., a system that responds to the unique and individual academic and non-academic needs of each student within its charge;
- each student must receive social, emotional, health, and nutritional support on a continuum of intensity that is matched to individual student need;
- each student’s values, beliefs, individual backgrounds, and identity must be embraced and celebrated; and, finally,
- although “Technical improvements in teaching and curriculum are necessary, they are unlikely to be put to work for the benefit of students unless they are supported by a positive organizational climate, culture, or ethos” (Newmann et al., 1989).
Ensuring that these beliefs are evident throughout the organization will require us to work as a team to build and implement district, building, classroom, and individual systems of support that help students realize their potential. While not all students will need the most intense levels of support, all students can benefit from each of us being ferocious in our unwillingness to allow students to flounder or fail. Focusing on these beliefs, bringing them to life in our classrooms, buildings, and across the district will help us to ensure that all students feel connected and cared about at school and that they get what they need from us to grow, develop, and learn to their potential.
You will continue to hear more about the intense student support network (ISSN) in the coming weeks and months. I encourage you to watch the video in today's blog about the ISSN and to check out the resources available on the "For Staff" section on the TCAPS website. Most of all, I encourage you to be ferocious in your unwillingness to allow students to flounder or fail. The work that you do matters, but you don't always see the results right away. By doing this work, you will be part of a significant movement in a school district that recognizes the importance of these supports and helps utilize them to change the trajectory of kids' lives. For many of us, there are few things more rewarding than that.
is the
district’s responsibility to lead instructional improvement and to create the systems
needed to support that improvement while eliminating barriers and obstacles to that
improvement (Lane, 2013).
is the
district’s responsibility to lead instructional improvement and to create the systems
needed to support that improvement while eliminating barriers and obstacles to that
improvement (Lane, 2013).
is the
district’s responsibility to lead instructional improvement and to create the systems
needed to support that improvement while eliminating barriers and obstacles to that
improvement (Lane, 2013).
DYK: Just like fingerprints, every tiger in the world has markings different from all the rest.
Deep Thoughts: "If kids come to us from strong, healthy functioning families, it makes our jobs easier. If they do not come from strong, healthy functioning families, it makes our job more important." - Barbara Colorose
Articles of the Week:
Five years of high school can net East Kentwood students a college degree
Michigan student performance lagging, but public unaware of trend
Thanks & Appreciation:
- Whoever sent me the sweet Tiger & Big Cat book this week, thank you!
- Thank you Kathleen Schneider for your work supporting ELLs in our school district!
- Thank you Rod Lowes and Mark Bak for your work with our lockdown drills and ongoing relationships with first responders to help keep our schools safe!
- Thank you to RaeAnn Fiebing and John Ratcliffe for endless hours toiling in the warehouse to ship materials out to buildings!
Announcements & Reminders:
- This week, East Middle School dealt with a social media post that included some disturbing and inappropriate material. We were notified by police early Tuesday morning and they were able to contact the students before they even left their homes. They also sent patrol cars and personnel to the school to help with any further investigation, to provide a presence, and to aid in building safety in case others were discovered to be involved. The police determined there was no credible threat, school was able to start safely and according to the regular schedule, and the investigation results will be turned over to the prosecutors office. While we would all prefer to never have to deal with any of this, the reality is that it does happen, and we will always take these things seriously. We were able to act quickly because the parent of another student found out and contacted law enforcement. This seemingly small act is huge for us; it gave us time to cooperate with law enforcement prior to the start of school and, had there been a specific plan, to put appropriate safety measures in place. Please encourage your students and parents to speak up when they see or hear of something that is inappropriate online or otherwise. Encourage them to make contact with law enforcement or school officials and praise students who come forward with information that allows you to take appropriate action to keep students and our schools safe. Your continued persistence in sending the message to students and parents that if they see something they need to say something, is critical for the safety of our schools going forward.
- Resource: OK 2 Say
In this episode of the Free Parking Podcast, Lisa VanLoo and Toby Tisdale talk about the Intense Student Support Network and why this system is a crucial part of our students' success.
Parker's Calendar
This Week:
Monday
- Huddle
- STEM Meeting
- EMS Interviews
Tuesday
- ET
- Soma/Parker Bi-Weekly
Wednesday
- Huddle
Thursday
- Parker/Chandler
Friday
- Lawn darts
- Matlock
Next Week:
Monday
- Huddle
- MI-Excel Leadership Meeting/Wacker
Tuesday
- ET
Wednesday
- Partnership CK/EA/CO at CO
- Huddle
Thursday
- Board Curriculum Committee Meeting
- Huddle
- Parker/Chandler
- Curriculum Technology
- Secondary Principals Meeting @Sabin Cafe
- Elementary Concerns
Friday
- DAN
- Elementary Principals Meeting
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