A Committed School Board

From Left: Laura Seys, Kendra Hoehn, Shannon Asselin

The Minnesota School Board's Association (MSBA) conducts trainings for school board members throughout the state of Minnesota. MSBA breaks these trainings in to four different phases.

Phase I - This is an introduction to board member roles and responsibilities, the board/superintendent relationship, types of meetings and common scenarios.

Phase II - This training is required by state statute that includes finance, policies, personnel and significant laws.

Phase III - Explores building a high-performing school board with a focus on leadership styles, consensus building and policy development.

Phase IV - Focuses on community engagement, including a walk-through table-top exercise of how to set up a community engagement session in your community. The session also includes ideas and tools for communication with staff, students and constituents.

At the JWP School Board meeting on Monday, September 19, 2016 three of our board members were awarded Leadership Development Certificates from MSBA. Laura Seys, the late Dan Hoehn, and Shannon Asselin were provided these awards for their attendance at Phase I, II, and III trainings. Their commitment and dedication to the work of the school board is respected and appreciated.

School boards throughout the United States are charged with making important local decisions that will have a lasting impact on our youth. Being an educated board member is a key ingredient for district success. You can be assured that the JWP School Board is filled with educated and well informed members. Kudos to our board members!

Days to Cherish!

Yep, that is me in the photo above. This picture was taken on September 7, 1982 on my first day of kindergarten. By the crossed arms one might assume that I didn't want to go to school, didn't want my photo taken, didn't want to carry that goofy looking bag or was upset that my mom made me wear that awful shirt. However, if my memory serves me right, I didn't want to start "growing up" and wanted to stay home to play in the yard. Thankfully, I went to a school that embraced childhood, cherished me deeply, and fostered my growth academically, socially and emotionally. Those caring adults made the start to my new adventure memorable.

In about two weeks we'll welcome several students back to school. Each of these students bring a unique background and story through the schoolhouse gate. Parents, we want you to know that we strive each and every day to provide your students with an experience of a lifetime. Students, we want you to know that we cherish every moment with you and work hard to ensure you receive a "top notch" education. Community members, we want you to know that we appreciate your support and trust in doing the work we love to do. We are committed to all students regardless of background or story.

Having children in this district provides another vantage point to the beginning of the school year. This year I will have a senior, 7th grader, 2nd grader and 1st grader attending school. I can remember my mom telling me that the older you get the faster time goes by. Obviously, growing up, I didn't believe her. I just wanted to be 16, 18, 21, etc... and it seemed like forever to reach each milestone. Throughout time, mom was proven right again. Time does go by faster and faster as I age. Quite frankly, I don't like it!

So, why the title Days to Cherish? Here is why...

1. We get one opportunity to educate each child in each stage of their educational journey.
2. We get one opportunity to raise our children.
3. We get one opportunity to see our children off to their very first day of school.
4. We get one opportunity to see our children participate in athletics, fine arts and other ventures.
5. We get one opportunity to help our children on their educational journey.
6. We get one opportunity to guide our children throughout their junior high and senior high years.
7. We get one opportunity to help our children through childhood conflicts.
8. We get one opportunity to steer our children through the complexities of adolescence.
9. We get one opportunity to see our children through high school graduation.
10. We get one opportunity to live this life.

(you can insert your own)

Days to Cherish...you betcha!

Disrupting Learning at #ISD2835

For years people have been talking about reforming education and changing the way we do business. There have been legislative talks at both the federal and state levels, however, there is typically little reform supported. Instead, those legislative conversations turn to accountability and sanctions. This year, instead of waiting for legislative reform, the Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton School District will embark on local conversations of disrupting learning to positively impact our students for a lifetime.

Over the past school year the Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton School District engaged in several discussions around personalized learning. Questions posed were:

What does this look like for our school district?
Who will be involved in this work?
How will it impact our students?
What financial resources may be needed for such an endeavor?
What action steps are needed?

Truth be told, we did not have the answers to any of those questions. In a personalized learning environment those questions are answered in development. This can be scary for many. I, like many others, prefer to see what is ahead and have a clear understanding of what is needed to be done. Personalized learning is developed with each individual student in mind in the development of learning plans.

This is in stark contrast to traditional methods that include teaching to the middle. In that setting, students that struggle with content can be left behind. In a similar vein, those that are accelerated learners are not often challenged enough. I am happy to state that our staff have worked relentlessly to ensure those things did not happen. However, "the system" did not provide our staff with a solid foundation in which to work from.

The conversations over the next year in our school district will develop a framework in which all students are provided with what they need and when they need it along their learning journey. This is sure to be a challenging process, yet, excellence is not something that happens over night or attained easily. We have to make this happen. We will make this happen. For our kids!

The Faults of a Headline

On Tuesday, August 9, 2016 the Waseca County News released the article, JWP Handbook changes involve less emphasis on winning. Unfortunately, many individuals admittedly did not read the article but developed their own insinuations about the content. I felt it was the right time and opportunity to write a blog about the real intent of the change.

Let's make it very clear now, the Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton School District does value winning and believes it is important. However, we also understand that there is much more to winning than the final outcome. Let's explore one example...

A wrestler starts out their career in junior high with no prior experience. This individual begins the sport with the intent to build friendships and become an improved wrestler. At this point, there is no long term goal of winning a state championship or making the varsity. However, like all other young competitors, this individual latched on to an upperclassman that was having success. This junior high wrestler decides that he too wants to be successful. He begins watching the upperclassman and talking to his coaches. The wrestler is shown what it takes to become the upperclassman and is coached the fundamentals and practices of becoming a successful wrestler. In this wrestler's freshman year, he wins a spot on the varsity and finishes the season 8-14. There are two ways to look at this.

1. This wrestler lost and did not win which defines the year as unsuccessful.
2. This wrestler made some gains from his 6th grade year of wrestling and secured a spot on the varsity in three short years. In addition, he had earned eight more wins than anticipated. This wrestler is developing and with continued work, will experience future success.

The coaches work with the wrestler asking these questions. What did you do that helped you progress to where you are at today? What may you need to do to continue your growth and development? Ultimately, the coaches help the wrestler understand what it takes to get better and to clearly understand that, "champions are made when no one is watching." We continue to follow this wrestler and after each loss, this same conversation takes place. In addition to each loss, comes a learning experience. In the sophomore campaign the wrestler ends up with a 23-9 record and third place in the section tournament just missing qualifying for the state tournament. The two wrestlers that placed ahead of him in the section tournament go on to place 2nd and 4th in the state tournament. Again, we can look at this in one of two ways.

1. This wrestler lost and did not win which defines the year as unsuccessful.
2. This wrestler made some great gains from last season and nearly made the state tournament. This wrestler is making progress and understands what it takes to win. The year was a success.

In an effort to save time, this wrestler continues his work and does more when no one else is watching. His junior year ends at 32-6 with a 4th place finish in the state tournament. Again, not a state champion, but continued growth and progress occurs. This wrestler's senior year campaign ended at 38-1 with the only loss coming in the state championship match. Again, one could look at this as a failed season. Because I did, I was devastated. That is right, this is my story. However, I had a great coach that approached me in my state of misery and said, "Bill there are things in life that will happen to you that you will not like, but you need to find a positive way to deal with them. How are you going to choose to respond to this?" Those words were powerful and were the key to my development as a human being.

Although I did not win the state championship, I clearly understood what it took to be successful in the sport of wrestling and in life. As a district, we want to place an emphasis on the value of competition and the process to be successful.  This will instill lifelong skills in our students to use for the rest of their lives. If we focus only on winning, we are missing the point and failing our students. I hope this clears things up a bit. Reading beyond the headline is important!

It is a Journey, Not a Destination - A Leaders Work

Let's be honest. We've all heard the phrases, "This too shall pass" or "We just need to get this implemented." Although the individuals that have used these phrases had good intentions, it isn't what we should be saying in education. We need to think with development in mind so that we promote and engage continuous improvement.

The picture above is of my oldest daughter and three of her friends on the Donner Trail during the 2015 Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton History Trip. These four young ladies were about to set out on a journey of a lifetime. They were prepared to climb obstacles, enjoy the descents, maneuver rough terrain and overcome fears. It is the learning from this journey that has formed future responses to life's challenges. After all, life is a journey.

When school districts implement the following initiatives:

• Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)
• Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) 
• Daily 5
• Response to Intervention
• Insert your initiatives...

They often get lost in the premise of the programs, systems, ideas, etc... Instead of focusing on the implementation process, steps, and "the end", districts need to focus on refinement and improvement. Learning organizations emphasize the need to improve current best practices and programming to improve student learning. These same organizations also understand the importance of eliminating ineffective programs as new ones enter.

Our hopes and dreams of our students is that they look at the journey, like the Donner Trail, as a life changing experience in the building of knowledge. This knowledge will provide them with appropriate future responses for each new situation they encounter. Ideally, in the end they will be, well equipped to handle life's obstacles, better decision makers, and contributing citizens.

This is where leadership is so important. As leaders we need to assist in the shift from, "This too shall pass" to "How can we improve this for kids?" I would like to propose the following process of the educational journey.

• Evaluate current practice. 
• What are you currently doing? 
• How is it being done? 
• What data do you have to support your argument? 
• What is current affective data of the practice?
• Make information rich decisions.
• What does the information say about student effectiveness? 
• If results are positive, what can you do to strengthen the offering? 
• If not, can the process be eliminated or improved?
• Implementation of the identified systems Kotter & Rathgeber, 200%).
• Create Urgency - What information do you have that supports change?
• Create a Guiding Team - Pull together those that will develop a process for change.
• Create a Vision - What is the new culture being developed?
• Communicate the Vision - Inform all stakeholders.
• Empower Action - All others to do work. Provide strengths based objectives.
• Create Quick Wins - Celebrate short and long term successes.
• Build on the Change - Continue the process of change.
• Embrace the New Culture - Continuously evaluate the process and improve.

Following this process will provide favorable conditions on the learning journey! Teaching and learning is a journey, not a destination!

Kotter, J. & Rathgeber, H. (2005). Our iceberg is melting: Changing and succeeding under any conditions. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press.

AASA PD Impacts #ISD2835

From July 18, 2016 through July 21, 2016 I was humbled, challenged, inspired and energized to improve my own professional practice in an effort to move the Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton learning organization forward. The American Association of School Administrators (AASA) supports a certification program for superintendents looking to improve their skill set while attaining national certification as a school superintendent. This program attracts educational leaders throughout the United States. The diversity of the participants presents an optimal learning opportunity. I am fortunate to call the members of this group my colleagues and friends.

This week our learning was facilitated by Dr. Vince Matthews, California State Administrator for the Inglewood Unified School District. Our learning this week encapsulated the following topics:

1. Transforming Learning Organizations
2. Personalized Learning
3. Creating Partnerships (Political, Community, Business, and Others)
4. Technology Leadership
5. Leading Equity and Equality

Each of these areas of leadership are essential tools in leading organizations for change. On Wednesday, July 20th, 2016 Dr. Devin Vodicka, Superintendent of the Vista Unified School District lead conversations focused on 21st Century Leadership. One of the pieces he shared with us was the following video clip.

In this video it becomes clear that the 4Cs are at work with the Panyee Football Club. The 4Cs include: collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking. Take some time to view the video and answer the following questions.

1. How are these children using creativity to achieve their goals?
2. In what ways are these children using collaboration to achieve a common goal?
3. Critical thinking is an important skill. How are these children displaying critical thinking skills?
4. What communication skills are at play throughout this video clip?

At Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton we strive to encourage and engage the 4Cs of 21st Learning. We hope to develop creative students who possess effective communication, collaboration and critical thinking skills so that they may thrive in the 21st century!

Facilities Improvement

Proposed Layout & Improvements

The Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton School District has been in consistent discussions regarding the improvements of our athletic complex.  The existing complex was constructed in the early 1970's and has more than served its purpose.  It is time to provide the necessary improvements so that the students and communities can continue to enjoy the facilities for an additional 50 years.

With this decision there are many factors to consider, such as the following:

• Funding of the Project
• Field Surface
• Track Size (Eight Lane vs Nine Lane)
• Available Space
• Parking Surface
• Timeline

This list is not all-inclusive as there are several other items to consider.  With that said, important decisions are to be made.  The Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton School Board is carefully considering all options and will be looking to put together an advisory committee to provide feedback and insight.  If you are interested in being on this committee, please feel free to contact the District Office at 507.234.5181, extension 5.