A Clear plan for Our District's Progress

Last year at this time, we were embarking on a new year and a transformative journey for Pittsgrove Township School District. As I reflect on the last year, and project the year ahead, I can't help but think of the progress we have made together in just a short time. Progress happened because we prioritized listening and better communication. What I heard as the newly appointed Superintendent of Schools was a resounding message of hope and desire for progress from our community. Our school community does not want complacency in our schools, nor does our community deserve the status quo.

Kirtman (2014) outlined seven competencies for school leaders. The seven competencies include, "Builds Trust Though Clear Communications and Expectation" and "Creates a Commonly owned Plan for Success." In this post, I am sharing a commonly owned plan for success by communicating clear expectations for our continued progress. The basics are listed here- the blueprint for progress.

Of course, I will be elaborating more on these areas in future posts. I am also sharing our vision and commitment to making a lasting impact on the educational landscape of Pittsgrove Township School District. To do this, we must build strong foundations, communicate consistently, empower our outstanding educators, comfortably face challenges together, keep students as our first priority, and take time to celebrate our accomplishments.

Building Strong Foundations

Our community experienced a few years of turnover in my role and in major district leadership roles. Everyone, including the Board of Education, is concerned about what that has meant for our students and our district as a whole, over time. Trying to remedy the concern is a challenge for me. After all, I am sure past administrators promised longevity and consistency, but circumstances changed and turnover happened. I believe a primary focus on working with the Board of Education and all our stakeholders on building strong, lasting, foundations for our district that transcend personnel changes can combat the fear of turnover. We can ensure our systems that are making progress, continue.

Figuring this out involved understanding the unique strengths, challenges, and aspirations of our students, teachers, and the broader Pittsgrove community. By engaging in open dialogue with stakeholders, I will continue to nurture a sense of unity and collaboration with all our stakeholders that will serve as the cornerstone for our progress and our consistency. I had the fantastic opportunity to begin to build those foundations when I attended township meetings, school events, and polling locations regularly. As we progress together, we can count on these foundations of open doors and repeatable processes that we know are sustainable over time and over turnover.

Communication

You've seen me on FaceBook- Pittsgrove Happenings- good or bad, truthful or hurtful, the posts created there reflect some perspectives from some community members. I believe ignoring those perspectives is irresponsible. Part of progress for us will be in communication practices-transparent and open lines- with parents, teachers, students, and community members.

I know... lots of leaders pledge transparency without actually delivering it. I am confident the communication cadence (patterns) we establish through weekly updates to the Board of Education, Community Forums, and through our digital platforms will build that trust in our transparency and distribution of accurate and timely info when it is needed. You should expect communication from me and count on remaining informed about district initiatives, challenges, and achievement. Progress won't happen if we do not communicate effectively. I am looking forward to starting the process of crafting a Profile of a Graduate with our community as a way to communicate a common goal for our future grads. The exchange of ideas will be so beneficial to our progress goals. Please take the time to come out to March's Community Forum.

Empowering Educators

A crucial aspect of progress lies in the empowerment of our educators at Pittsgrove.

Progress is not always easy for educators.

I speak to our teachers and our admin team daily about progress and plans to improve student achievement. Last year a teacher explained, "Sometimes change just makes us feel like everything we ever did before was wrong or bad." I get it.

Progress can be daunting when leaders tell rather than show. We have some pretty amazing instruction happening throughout our district and it has been happening for quite some time. Look, good teaching is good teaching- no matter what. Still, our students deserve educators that are well trained and can adapt to our changing world. 

We have them, but we need to help them. 

I am pushing the "how" of it all by working with the admin team to provide teachers with the tools and support they need to cultivate an environment where innovation and dedication can thrive.  A review of the BOE agenda items under professional development, adoption of high quality materials, and new learning opportunities for students, should give evidence of the commitment we have to empowering educators. Progress won't happen if we don't build on our current assets. The past practices were not "bad" or "wrong." We will embrace the positive as part of our story and utilize the good things to inform the next progressive steps.

Addressing Challenges

Every district faces unique challenges, and Pittsgrove is no exception. Last year, I committed to working with the Pittsgrove Education Association to conduct a comprehensive assessment of these challenges and develop strategic plans to address them. Whether it's infrastructure improvements and building improvements (referendum passed!), curriculum enhancements, or student support services such as Exceptional Education, we have to face our truths collaboratively. A great example of this is the growing number of classified students in our district and the concern about programming for our classified students.

Our truth, when laid on the table, tells us we need to make moves to improve our programs, boost support and interventions for our students, and truly teach our educators how to work with all students in creative ways to ensure our students are learning and growing. We have stakeholders who are experts in Exceptional Education and Students with Disabilities.  Addressing this challenge, without reservation, brings us all to that table to solve the problem.

Facing the challenges head-on also means giving our team the chance to address concerns or questions before seeking advice from digital platforms. Yes, I am setting the expectation and commitment for our work to eventually get finished without turning to others who are not involved, like on digital platforms. Instead, let us lean on each other, trust each other,  and take on our work together with the stakeholders and administrators who know and understand the situation. We should look to solve a concern, not to perpetuate or exacerbate- that's progress.

Student-Centric Approaches

At the heart of my promise of progress is a commitment to our students. I believe in creating an inclusive and nurturing environment where every child feels valued and supported. Initiatives promoting student engagement, mental health awareness, and extracurricular opportunities have been implemented to ensure a holistic and enriching educational experience. We still have more work to do in inclusivity and student choice.

This expectation seems easy. It is.

When all decisions are made with students' best interests in mind, it is truly phenomenal just how much progress we can make. I often share the story that the most important part of my job as Superintendent is to hire new staff. What do I look for in a new employee? They love and care about kids. Done.

Sometimes adults believe the student voice is overrated or immature. The reality is our students know what they need, how they need it, and who can give it them. Our students in Pittsgrove are intelligent and intuitive. Progress means we keep them in the center of hiring and renewing, starting initiatives, and teaching and learning.

Celebrating Achievements

I enjoy a good celebration when we make progress.

In the journey toward progress, it's essential to celebrate milestones, big and small. As we make strides in improving academic outcomes, enhancing the school environment, and fostering a sense of community, we have to take the time to acknowledge and appreciate the collective efforts that make these achievements possible. Celebrations help us realize the heavy lifts of our day-to-day- progress is worth our efforts. I expect that we celebrate our triumphs as a school community while we make progress.

Bottom Line

I am honored to lead Pittsgrove Township School District into a new era of excellence. Together, with the support of our Board of Education, dedicated educators, administrative team, engaged parents, and remarkable students, we will lay the groundwork for a brighter future- for progress. I am confident that by working collaboratively and staying true to our commitment to progress and speaking our truths, we will transform challenges into opportunities.

The Promise of Progress means we can do this and we will do this- together. The time is right and progress starts now.