Many of you know that I have spoken about “change” many times from the moment I expressed my desire to serve as Superintendent of Peoria Public Schools. I vividly recall asking our board members and other individuals more than once, “Are you sure you are ready for change?” I do not profess to have a one-size-fits-all solution for change. What I do promise is that we will work together through changes and challenges in the best interest of the students of our district. Also, this promise of change is based—in part—on maintaining the right team to provide the best leadership to promote unparalleled achievement for all students.
Student achievement is our priority and it will be part of every discussion held within our district. I promise to keep student achievement as the driving force behind every decision we make as we work for the students of Peoria. My expectation is that we will establish and maintain a culture of no-excuses, high expectations,and student-achievement-focused decisions. I am confident that I will see this same driving force behind conversations when I visit schools, classrooms, and programs within our district, whether such conversations are among teachers, clerical staff, cafeteria workers, or volunteers.
As your superintendent, I commit to leading efforts to provide exceptional service to our students and their families with an unprecedented focus on student achievement. Our students are counting on us to provide them with opportunities to receive a great education and skills to succeed once they are graduates of our district. This is our clarion call and our sacred covenant.
In closing, it is amazing how fast our year has unfolded. Just a few weeks of school remain, and we have many challenges ahead throughout the summer and the upcoming academic year. Together we will make a difference. I look forward to meeting and working with each of you as we take student achievement in Peoria to new heights!
-Dr. Grenita Lathan, Superintendent
Student achievement is our priority and it will be part of every discussion held within our district. I promise to keep student achievement as the driving force behind every decision we make as we work for the students of Peoria. My expectation is that we will establish and maintain a culture of no-excuses, high expectations,and student-achievement-focused decisions. I am confident that I will see this same driving force behind conversations when I visit schools, classrooms, and programs within our district, whether such conversations are among teachers, clerical staff, cafeteria workers, or volunteers.
As your superintendent, I commit to leading efforts to provide exceptional service to our students and their families with an unprecedented focus on student achievement. Our students are counting on us to provide them with opportunities to receive a great education and skills to succeed once they are graduates of our district. This is our clarion call and our sacred covenant.
In closing, it is amazing how fast our year has unfolded. Just a few weeks of school remain, and we have many challenges ahead throughout the summer and the upcoming academic year. Together we will make a difference. I look forward to meeting and working with each of you as we take student achievement in Peoria to new heights!
-Dr. Grenita Lathan, Superintendent
PPS Staff News Weekly
May 5, 2010
6 comments:
Emerge, I know that I am being a bit negative, but I react when I hear the word "change." Not because "change" isn't needed but because change for change sake doesn't accomplish anything. I, too, await change that will improve student achievement. I know that closing Woodruff won't improve student achievement; I know that Johns Hopkins and the changes at Manual haven't improved student achievement. I know that not offering high school summer school this year won't improve student achievement. I know that the charter school won't improve student achievement in the rest of 150 schools. What I'm saying is that we've had plenty of change but no improvement yet. So I'm waiting for specifics--maybe Lathan will offer change that will improve student achievement--but I'm not ready to count the chickens before they hatch. I know that I should have left all that negativism unsaid. On a brighter note, when I visited with Whittier teachers yesterday I did see a glimmer of home. They were discussion the program (95 something) that does assess a student's reading and math problems--to pinpoint where they most need help. They said that until NCLB they had not had these tools and that they do believe that--in time--the use of the tool could help students who are behind to catch up. I thought that was change to applaud. They said what I suspected that even at the primary school age (kindergarten and 1st grade) some kids start out behind--and it's difficult to catch up. Maybe the new diagnostic tools will help close the gap.
I love the stream of words Lathan puts together "student-achievement-focused decisions." Sounds vey cool!
Sharon, Sharon, Sharon - please give this woman a chance. What would you have her say? You cannot look at this mess of a school system, and I am not referring to student acheivement, but rather all the rest of the personnel muck and not scream CHANGE!!!!
Dr. Lathan cannot begin to address "student-achievement-focused decisions" until she gets her house in order and I am betting you are going to see some CHANGES throughout the entire organization.
Frustrated, how does my expressing my opinions keep Lathan from getting a chance? You give me way too much power--how I feel one way or the other will make little difference. I am hearing about the chaos that is occurring right now in trying to place all the displaced Woodruff teachers, Adult Ed teachers, etc. There is so much turmoil (change) in the district right now. A little calm is needed before any kind of change can be effective. Of course, my main concern is at the high school level. I don't know yet which level (primary, middler, high school) will get Dr. Lathan's attention first. She has given us little hint as to what kind of change to expect. I don't see the point of telling everyone to be ready for change when we don't know what is going to be changed. Of course, none of the change will affect me directly, at all.
Workforce Education... that is what she is about... that is not what education is about.
W.E.B. DuBois wrote: The purpose Education is not to make carpenters out of men, but to make men out of carpenters.
We need men and women, adults with critical thinking skills, living skills and community awareness, NOT employees for Caterpillar, Walmart, or St Francis.
kcdad, I do agree and I wish everyone could see that. This whole NCLB emphasis on only math and reading skills (the whole premise of Ravitch's book) is taking away any emphasis on teaching students both to think and to have something to think about. These advocates of NCLB have given up on public education (whether they know it or not--some are being used as unknowing tools) and are relegating the graduates of public schools to work at WalMart, etc. The private schools (where the "thinkers" are educated) do not have to adhere to NCLB guidelines--they do not get government funds, so they aren't beholden to these forces.
Tell her to re-instate televised public comments and maybe we'll take her seriously. Otherwise, we will expect business as usual. Gotta give respect to get respect.
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