The keys remain for me:
- Focus. We need a laser like focus on student learning.
- Coordination of the focus. Individuals currently do a pretty good job at focus. The district does an OK job. This needs to change to the district doing an excellent job.
- The Extra Department. Currently we have Special Education for students with 504 plans or IEP. What about an Department of Extra Services. This would be a fully functioning and organized department just like Special Education but it would be for students that need extra help but are not in Special Education or English Language Learning.
- Eliminate the grades concept from our thinking at the high school. Make high school about completing the requirements not about progressing through grade 9, 10, 11, 12. Make being a 5th year OK--this will be right for some students.
- Hire "right match" people. Make sure new hires know what they are getting into. Lots of sharing, lots of collaboration, lots of openness. Very little of the closed classroom door environment.
- Leadership. Allow principals to spend some time each day focused on learning.
- More teacher leaders. In order for principals to spend more time on learning everyone will have to do a little bit more.
- Duties at HS--First and second year teachers do not have duties. Their duty is to visit other classrooms and watch what veteran teachers do.
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