December 16, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Mahar Athletes Recognized
As Printed in The Athol Daily News
December 16, 2010
Recently, the Mahar Student Council organized the Annual Thanksgiving Pep Rally. This year, in addition to the school and student council recognizing the football players, cheerleaders and all fall athletes, they also recognized Mahar's Special Olympians. The football team and student council presented these Olympians with Super Fan sweatshirts. Posing with the Olympians are senior football players for the Senators. Rear, left to right - Gisele Gagne, Tracy Ferrazza, Eddie, Liz Porter, Melitza Meldonado (squatting down). Middle row - Emily, Michelle Paine, Olivia, Mitch, Alicia, Nate, DJ, Sue Ayotte, Brendon. Front row - Evan Paradise, Andrew Chandler, Adam Bergantino, Parker Russell, Isaiah Jones, David Burnham, Andy O'Loughlin, Zach Kohlstrom, Dylan Barnes, Peter Mulder, Richard Anderson. Photo by Rhonda Whitney
December 16, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
Strategic Planning Efforts Tied to Mahar's Successes
As Printed in The Gardner News
December 17, 2010
When asked the question, what do children do in school? Most people would simply answer, “They learn.”
Okay...
Learn what? Learn to read? Learn to add? Learn to think? Learn to reason?
Truth be told, the list of what students actually learn in school has been placed into books – so many that you could fill rooms with them from the floors to the ceilings. Some books are about what students learn in classes, while others focus on what they learn in the hallways, in the cafeteria, or on the sports fields.
Here is a more difficult question: What do schools learn? Quite often when leaders wish to improve schools they explore the practices of the most successful businesses in America. They try to uncover philosophies, paradigms, and practices that have helped their upward movement.
There are five characteristics that tend to present themselves in these companies:
1. They have strong organizational cultures (people believe in one another);
2. They have huge ambitions (far-reaching goals);
3. They try and try (experiment to find what works best);
4. They grow their own leaders (management development);
5. They never stop trying to top prior achievements (never good enough).
In order for these five characteristics to work, organizations (like people) need to continuously adapt, grow, and change with their surroundings. In successful organizations, change is not viewed as a hazard. Rather, change is an opportunity to become better.
In 1995, two authors by the names of Leithwood and Aitken defined “Learning Organizations” as those with groups of people pursing common purposes who are willing to constantly change – in hopes of becoming better.
One would expect that since schools in general are viewed as the center of learning that they would be the organizations most likely to adapt to changes in student populations and new ideas in teaching and learning, but this is often not the case.
For starters, the organizational structure of schools has been the same for many years and those who have worked in these structures often resist change. Even worse, there are often leaders who haven’t the slightest clue about the power of a shared vision and the impact that it can have on teaching, learning, and adapting the educational organization to best fit the needs of learners.
Undoubtedly the Ralph C. Mahar Regional School District has made remarkable progress in improving educational opportunities for the students in Orange, Wendell, Petersham, New Salem, and for those who choose to come from other communities via school choice policies.
You may have read about our partnerships with Mount Wachusett Community College (The Gateway to College and Pathways Early College Innovation School), our three in-house alternative programs, the partnership with the CAPS Educational Collaborative, our relationship with the Illinois Institute of Technology, or perhaps our recent improvements in student test scores on the MCAS.
The reason that there are so many successes found in our district is rooted in our strategic planning efforts, which were recently renewed.
In April 2010, the Ralph C. Mahar Regional School initiated the process of updating and revising the district’s Strategic Plan under the guidance of hired consultant and Boston College Professor Emeritus, Dr. George Ladd. To accomplish this task, a steering committee comprised of members from within the school, the school community, and the communities-at-large was selected from a pool of applicants.
The committee was charged with reviewing a number of key areas including: student achievement, personal growth, school climate, collaborations and partnerships, and resources.
Over several months, the eleven-member Strategic Plan Steering Committee met numerous times to update and revise the Strategic Plan.
As part of this course of action, the committee surveyed nearly 800 members of identified stakeholder groups, their constituents, and the community as a whole, to ascertain a much broader perspective. The information collected in this survey guided the committee in updating the school’s core values and the school’s vision and mission statements.
The ultimate purpose of this five-year Strategic Plan is to ensure that the R.C. Mahar Regional School continues to move in a direction congruent with the school’s vision and mission and that the school’s efforts and actions are reflective of the plan’s core values.
Our district is guided by a carefully crafted Mission and Vision. From this mission and vision a set of Core Values was also renewed. While you review these core values think about the fact that any and every decision that is made in our district educationally and fiscally is rooted in these values.
You will then understand why our school has progressed so rapidly, and how our partnerships have developed. It is my pleasure to share our core values with you!
Student Achievement
December 17, 2010
When asked the question, what do children do in school? Most people would simply answer, “They learn.”
Okay...
Learn what? Learn to read? Learn to add? Learn to think? Learn to reason?
Truth be told, the list of what students actually learn in school has been placed into books – so many that you could fill rooms with them from the floors to the ceilings. Some books are about what students learn in classes, while others focus on what they learn in the hallways, in the cafeteria, or on the sports fields.
Here is a more difficult question: What do schools learn? Quite often when leaders wish to improve schools they explore the practices of the most successful businesses in America. They try to uncover philosophies, paradigms, and practices that have helped their upward movement.
There are five characteristics that tend to present themselves in these companies:
1. They have strong organizational cultures (people believe in one another);
2. They have huge ambitions (far-reaching goals);
3. They try and try (experiment to find what works best);
4. They grow their own leaders (management development);
5. They never stop trying to top prior achievements (never good enough).
In order for these five characteristics to work, organizations (like people) need to continuously adapt, grow, and change with their surroundings. In successful organizations, change is not viewed as a hazard. Rather, change is an opportunity to become better.
In 1995, two authors by the names of Leithwood and Aitken defined “Learning Organizations” as those with groups of people pursing common purposes who are willing to constantly change – in hopes of becoming better.
One would expect that since schools in general are viewed as the center of learning that they would be the organizations most likely to adapt to changes in student populations and new ideas in teaching and learning, but this is often not the case.
For starters, the organizational structure of schools has been the same for many years and those who have worked in these structures often resist change. Even worse, there are often leaders who haven’t the slightest clue about the power of a shared vision and the impact that it can have on teaching, learning, and adapting the educational organization to best fit the needs of learners.
Undoubtedly the Ralph C. Mahar Regional School District has made remarkable progress in improving educational opportunities for the students in Orange, Wendell, Petersham, New Salem, and for those who choose to come from other communities via school choice policies.
You may have read about our partnerships with Mount Wachusett Community College (The Gateway to College and Pathways Early College Innovation School), our three in-house alternative programs, the partnership with the CAPS Educational Collaborative, our relationship with the Illinois Institute of Technology, or perhaps our recent improvements in student test scores on the MCAS.
The reason that there are so many successes found in our district is rooted in our strategic planning efforts, which were recently renewed.
In April 2010, the Ralph C. Mahar Regional School initiated the process of updating and revising the district’s Strategic Plan under the guidance of hired consultant and Boston College Professor Emeritus, Dr. George Ladd. To accomplish this task, a steering committee comprised of members from within the school, the school community, and the communities-at-large was selected from a pool of applicants.
The committee was charged with reviewing a number of key areas including: student achievement, personal growth, school climate, collaborations and partnerships, and resources.
Over several months, the eleven-member Strategic Plan Steering Committee met numerous times to update and revise the Strategic Plan.
As part of this course of action, the committee surveyed nearly 800 members of identified stakeholder groups, their constituents, and the community as a whole, to ascertain a much broader perspective. The information collected in this survey guided the committee in updating the school’s core values and the school’s vision and mission statements.
The ultimate purpose of this five-year Strategic Plan is to ensure that the R.C. Mahar Regional School continues to move in a direction congruent with the school’s vision and mission and that the school’s efforts and actions are reflective of the plan’s core values.
Our district is guided by a carefully crafted Mission and Vision. From this mission and vision a set of Core Values was also renewed. While you review these core values think about the fact that any and every decision that is made in our district educationally and fiscally is rooted in these values.
You will then understand why our school has progressed so rapidly, and how our partnerships have developed. It is my pleasure to share our core values with you!
Student Achievement
- We believe all students learn best when actively engaged in the learning process.
- We believe education is about student growth that includes core academics, the arts, cultural awareness, and physical, social and emotional well-being.
- We believe the purpose of education is to enable students to become self-reliant learners and productive, responsible citizens.
- We believe in promoting personal responsibility in students so they may reach their full potential.
- We believe all decisions should be made in the best interest of students while recognizing and welcoming their individual differences.
- We believe in a safe environment built on communication and a shared decision making process that supports curiosity, creativity, respect, and positive attitudes.
- We believe in identifying and developing diverse opportunities for students to engage in active learning within their communities.
- We believe the education of a child is the shared responsibility of town, educational, family, and student communities.
- We believe in school personnel working with family and town communities to provide ongoing information regarding student achievement, school-related activities, and annual budget and expenditures.
- We believe in utilizing fiscally responsible strategies which support teaching and learning to meet the unique needs of students.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
The Literacy Project - Orange, MA
Last week I was invited to visit the Orange, MA Literacy Project by one of the members of their Board of Directors, Amy McMahan. The Literacy Project offers free classes to adults in the Massachusetts Towns of Orange, Ware, Northampton, Greenfield, and Amherst in beginning literacy as well as GED preparation. Today, I spent two hours at the Orange, MA location visiting with Director, Cathy King. I also had the pleasure of meeting Haley, Kim, Dan, Alyssa, Jessica, Yaras, Jackie, and Cristal. These students were kind enough to sit and talk with me for about an hour about their experiences and opinions in and about high school.
When I first walked in I was curious about what a GED program looked like. Aside from those offered in the schools in which I have worked, this is the first one that I have seen. I wanted to know what their per pupil expenditure was, where funding came from, how much space they used, what their enrollment was, and how much they paid for the use of the space that they were in. I call these “administrative vitals.” I was curious to know how these figures differed from those that we work with in the day to day operation of the public school. I was provided nearly all of the information that I requested, and then so much more.
I learned that more than half of the 70 young adults enrolled in the Literacy Project (all five towns) are between the ages of 16 and 25. This percentage was more than reflected in the classroom that I visited, and I was a little surprised to learn that four students are over the age of 60. Most of the members of the Literacy Project found their way to the program by word of mouth and others were referred by schools or other state agencies. Administrators often refer to statistics such as these to bring attention to a subject – which is exactly what I am trying to do.
I am almost ashamed to say that in all of the time that I have been working at Mahar, that I never knew that there was a GED program on the same street as our school – just a mile away. After my visitation today, I could not help but think that I should have visited a long time ago. First of all, seven of the eight students who were taking class there today were high school aged. Second, no matter where these young adults went to school or what they were doing before they joined the Literacy Project they are people who are striving to better themselves through education and they are right here with us in the Town of Orange!
When I sat down I explained to the GED candidates that I had a hard time understanding what happens in between the time that first graders are literally climbing on their desks to get their teacher to call on them to answer a question and the time when teenagers that walk away from school entirely. What are schools doing wrong? What can we do different? How can we be better?
Some of the responses were easy. For instance one young lady felt that teachers could be a little bit more flexible, especially in understanding that students have challenges outside of school. “Things go on in life” she said. Using this as a basis for further discussion, I went around the room trying to get just a snapshot of their individual stories. For every issue that was presented around schooling, there was an issue that presented about the times when school is not in session.
For instance, I learned that one of the students changed schools eleven times in less than five years. Then another student told me that one of her administrators told her mother that she would never get a high school diploma. One of the students moved out of her home at the age of 16 prior to losing focus on school. And another told me that her teachers were judgmental of her and her life outside of school. When asked about playing sports, she said that she enjoyed one of them. Then after being kicked off of a team, she never went back. “Teachers should let us learn at our own pace, like we do here” one student remarked. Then another said, “School should be fun. I mean it doesn’t have to be like a dance and everything in lights. Just make it a cool place, you know?”
To answer your question Jessica, yes. I do know. What I hope that you know is that education is not only about how you say hello at the age of five or six (kindergarten), or how you say bye-bye at the age of 17 (graduation). It is a life-long process that you are in. Where you are today is only a Polaroid snapshot - and down the road you, your friends, me and everyone we know will have grown by what we learned along the way. Today, I was fortunate to have learned from you.
When I first walked in I was curious about what a GED program looked like. Aside from those offered in the schools in which I have worked, this is the first one that I have seen. I wanted to know what their per pupil expenditure was, where funding came from, how much space they used, what their enrollment was, and how much they paid for the use of the space that they were in. I call these “administrative vitals.” I was curious to know how these figures differed from those that we work with in the day to day operation of the public school. I was provided nearly all of the information that I requested, and then so much more.
I learned that more than half of the 70 young adults enrolled in the Literacy Project (all five towns) are between the ages of 16 and 25. This percentage was more than reflected in the classroom that I visited, and I was a little surprised to learn that four students are over the age of 60. Most of the members of the Literacy Project found their way to the program by word of mouth and others were referred by schools or other state agencies. Administrators often refer to statistics such as these to bring attention to a subject – which is exactly what I am trying to do.
I am almost ashamed to say that in all of the time that I have been working at Mahar, that I never knew that there was a GED program on the same street as our school – just a mile away. After my visitation today, I could not help but think that I should have visited a long time ago. First of all, seven of the eight students who were taking class there today were high school aged. Second, no matter where these young adults went to school or what they were doing before they joined the Literacy Project they are people who are striving to better themselves through education and they are right here with us in the Town of Orange!
When I sat down I explained to the GED candidates that I had a hard time understanding what happens in between the time that first graders are literally climbing on their desks to get their teacher to call on them to answer a question and the time when teenagers that walk away from school entirely. What are schools doing wrong? What can we do different? How can we be better?
Some of the responses were easy. For instance one young lady felt that teachers could be a little bit more flexible, especially in understanding that students have challenges outside of school. “Things go on in life” she said. Using this as a basis for further discussion, I went around the room trying to get just a snapshot of their individual stories. For every issue that was presented around schooling, there was an issue that presented about the times when school is not in session.
For instance, I learned that one of the students changed schools eleven times in less than five years. Then another student told me that one of her administrators told her mother that she would never get a high school diploma. One of the students moved out of her home at the age of 16 prior to losing focus on school. And another told me that her teachers were judgmental of her and her life outside of school. When asked about playing sports, she said that she enjoyed one of them. Then after being kicked off of a team, she never went back. “Teachers should let us learn at our own pace, like we do here” one student remarked. Then another said, “School should be fun. I mean it doesn’t have to be like a dance and everything in lights. Just make it a cool place, you know?”
To answer your question Jessica, yes. I do know. What I hope that you know is that education is not only about how you say hello at the age of five or six (kindergarten), or how you say bye-bye at the age of 17 (graduation). It is a life-long process that you are in. Where you are today is only a Polaroid snapshot - and down the road you, your friends, me and everyone we know will have grown by what we learned along the way. Today, I was fortunate to have learned from you.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Excess & Deficiency Account Request Highlights Democracy in Action
Since I began in my role as superintendent in July 2009, I have met with the Ralph C. Mahar Regional School Committee in the Eileen Perkins Media Center at least once each month. In my time with the Mahar School Committee much has been discussed, deliberated, and voted upon in our monthly meetings. In every case the decisions that have been made impacted our school community in positive and uplifting ways. Up until last night, I have been able to make clear recommendations rooted in school improvement, student wellness, and organizational stability.
On the heels of the certification of the Ralph C. Mahar Regional School District Excess and Deficiency Account a request came in early November. The Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee of the Town of Orange requested that we lower our assessments to the towns to the tune of $100,000.00 to assist with some unforeseen deficits that presented at the end of the last fiscal year. This would mean that the assessment to the Town of Orange would be lessened by $75,000.00 prior to June 30, 2011 and that the Towns of Petersham, Wendell, and New Salem’s assessments would be lowered by a collective $25,000.00.
Regional school regulations dictate that setting or lowering assessments to towns is strictly a school committee decision. With this in mind, I prepared a short report on what the Excess and Deficiency account is, how funds find their way there, and what they are used for. I also provided information on potential problems with lowering the amount that the district holds in its Excess and Deficiency account. Ultimately, I did all that I could to ensure that the committee had all of the information necessary to make a well informed decision on the use of the funds.
As of this moment there is approximately $590,000.00 in the Excess and Deficiency Account. By law the district can hold up to 5% of its budget in this account. These funds are set aside to pay for any unforeseen expenditure that can range from a roof that has fallen into unforeseen disrepair, emergency litigation, or any other unexpected and necessary expenditure. If the funds are not used in the current fiscal year then they are used to lower the assessments to the towns in the next fiscal year. For instance, $460,397.00 was used from last year’s Excess and Deficiency Account to reduce assessments to the towns in this, our current fiscal year.
At last night’s meeting our school committee deliberated about lowering the assessments to the towns for quite some time. As a matter of fact, this was the second consecutive month in which the request was being considered by the school committee. Unfortunately, just prior to their discussion and deliberation I had to present a $333,000.00 projection for the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s order to repair the Mahar Dam as it was presented in the recently conducted Feasibility Study. As one would expect, after all of the discussion and deliberation the school committee voted not to lower the assessment to the towns in a 6 - 4 vote to deny the motion. Had the motion to lower assessments even made it to a vote, regional school law requires a 2/3 majority to change the budget. That would equate to a 7 – 3 vote, that was just not there.
After the vote was taken I witnessed what I believe to be the classiest statement ever made at a Mahar School Committee meeting. Orange Selectmen, Robert Andrews introduced himself to the committee and thanked them for taking their vote. He told us that he was there in support of the Orange Town Administrator who spoke on behalf of the Selectmen. He mentioned that the vote did not go as he had hoped it would and then he said, “What just happened here is Democracy, and I thank you for it.” There was a moment of silence as what Mr. Andrews said soaked in. You see, when a statement of scorn or disdain was expected by most in the room, the thoughts of a highly actualized leader, citizen, and public servant were heard.
Will Rogers was one of the best known celebrities of the 1920’s. One of his many famous quotes was, “A man only learns in two ways, one by reading, and the other by association with smarter people.” With this quote in mind I would like to thank you Mr. Andrews. Last night you gave us all an opportunity to be associated with and learn from you.
On the heels of the certification of the Ralph C. Mahar Regional School District Excess and Deficiency Account a request came in early November. The Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee of the Town of Orange requested that we lower our assessments to the towns to the tune of $100,000.00 to assist with some unforeseen deficits that presented at the end of the last fiscal year. This would mean that the assessment to the Town of Orange would be lessened by $75,000.00 prior to June 30, 2011 and that the Towns of Petersham, Wendell, and New Salem’s assessments would be lowered by a collective $25,000.00.
Regional school regulations dictate that setting or lowering assessments to towns is strictly a school committee decision. With this in mind, I prepared a short report on what the Excess and Deficiency account is, how funds find their way there, and what they are used for. I also provided information on potential problems with lowering the amount that the district holds in its Excess and Deficiency account. Ultimately, I did all that I could to ensure that the committee had all of the information necessary to make a well informed decision on the use of the funds.
As of this moment there is approximately $590,000.00 in the Excess and Deficiency Account. By law the district can hold up to 5% of its budget in this account. These funds are set aside to pay for any unforeseen expenditure that can range from a roof that has fallen into unforeseen disrepair, emergency litigation, or any other unexpected and necessary expenditure. If the funds are not used in the current fiscal year then they are used to lower the assessments to the towns in the next fiscal year. For instance, $460,397.00 was used from last year’s Excess and Deficiency Account to reduce assessments to the towns in this, our current fiscal year.
At last night’s meeting our school committee deliberated about lowering the assessments to the towns for quite some time. As a matter of fact, this was the second consecutive month in which the request was being considered by the school committee. Unfortunately, just prior to their discussion and deliberation I had to present a $333,000.00 projection for the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s order to repair the Mahar Dam as it was presented in the recently conducted Feasibility Study. As one would expect, after all of the discussion and deliberation the school committee voted not to lower the assessment to the towns in a 6 - 4 vote to deny the motion. Had the motion to lower assessments even made it to a vote, regional school law requires a 2/3 majority to change the budget. That would equate to a 7 – 3 vote, that was just not there.
After the vote was taken I witnessed what I believe to be the classiest statement ever made at a Mahar School Committee meeting. Orange Selectmen, Robert Andrews introduced himself to the committee and thanked them for taking their vote. He told us that he was there in support of the Orange Town Administrator who spoke on behalf of the Selectmen. He mentioned that the vote did not go as he had hoped it would and then he said, “What just happened here is Democracy, and I thank you for it.” There was a moment of silence as what Mr. Andrews said soaked in. You see, when a statement of scorn or disdain was expected by most in the room, the thoughts of a highly actualized leader, citizen, and public servant were heard.
Will Rogers was one of the best known celebrities of the 1920’s. One of his many famous quotes was, “A man only learns in two ways, one by reading, and the other by association with smarter people.” With this quote in mind I would like to thank you Mr. Andrews. Last night you gave us all an opportunity to be associated with and learn from you.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Organizing the Disorganized Student
When I was in Junior High School my principal, Mr. LaDuca provided me and my fellow students with time to focus solely on organization. I can still vividly recall "Backpack Resets" and "Locker Clean Out." In most schools locker clean out takes place on the day before the last day of school as a time for each student to assist the maintenance crew in preparing the lockers for the next school year. Mr. LaDuca on the other hand, allowed his students fifteen minutes during the school day every ten weeks to straighten out our individual storage nightmares.
Prior to drafting this blog post, I asked Middle School Dean, Mr. Dion to open some sample lockers so that I could see if my recollection of a messy eigth grade locker has endured the test of time. As you can see from the picture at the top of this post, it has. This picture is exactly what I saw in the second locker that Mr. Dion opened. I do not know who it belongs to, but I know that it is indicative of a topic that needs to be addressed.
The truth of the matter is the biggest challenge many students face is not learning to read or mastering matematical computation but rather getting organized. Many students have good reasoning ability and well-developed academic skills, but they get failing grades when it comes to the nuts and bolts of learning tp bring the proper materials to class, keep track of papers, use time wisely, write down assignments correctly, and turn them in on time.
With this in mind the Ralph C. Mahar, Orange Elementary, and Petersham Elementary Parent Advisory Council will sponsor an event directed at helping parents help their students get and stay organized. The Workshop entitled: “Organizing the Disorganized Student” will be offered in the Eileen Perkins Media Center on December 7, 2010 from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. Participants in the workshop will learn the organizational styles of their children; learn how to choose school supplies most compatible with your children's organizational styles; learn how to effectively organize a school locker; and learn how to get homework home, back to school and into the teacher’s hands.
Workshop presenter, Victoria Elliot, is a licensed School Adjustment Counselor who has worked at Mahar Regional School since the fall of 2006. Mrs. Elliott has worked extensively with a number of students who have struggled or are currently struggling with organizational issues. Since students' grades are often negatively impacted by disorganization, the Mahar Counseling Team decided it would be beneficial to the community for Mrs. Elliott to share her organizational strategies for students in this parent workshop. Mrs. Elliott received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Mount Holyoke College and her Master’s Degree in clinical social work from Smith College.
For those unable to attend a daytime program, the workshop will be repeated in the evening January 24, 2011 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. For further information contact: Mrs. Page or Mrs. Elliott at 978-544-2535.
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