Introduction
Dan Hoesing: Good evening …
“525,600 minutes. How do you measure a year in the life?” (click the image below to download Dan's Powerpoint file)
It’s been a year since we did our first InnovationLab where we looked at developing programs to help our kids, and help our parents understand the directions we needed to go, and to get input from them.
Our boards’ goals are that we want quality schools. We want efficient schools. Innovative schools. Quality teachers. Teachers have put in the effort to make the schools better, to make a better settings for kids. It is the kids who are the focus.
We are 4 school systems trying to work together. A year ago we talked about the model for us to develop a sustainable administration and we talked about developing good communication systems and equal opportunities for all kids regardless of location.
We have adopted the complexity model. We can be more together than we can be apart. Today we are not as good as what we can be in the future.
Complex systems are unpredictable. Decision making becomes more decentralized, which is why you are here tonight.
If people see you as a leader then when things don’t go right, they’re there to help you.
We are here to reconnect and get your input as to where we’re going in our systems.
You should be proud of what you see in this room tonight.
We are creating a new system at the same time we are operating the old system. That is called paralleling. It’s more work to run two systems at the same time, but we have to do it.
People learn from trial and error, but we have systems that don’t encourage trial and error. Kids sometimes disengage because they feel it’s better not to try than to try and fail.
Learning is possibly best done on the edge between chaos and order. Sometimes we really reflect that! There may be chaos, but there are a lot of good things happening.
Here are some of the changes we have made this year:
We established a cooperative preschool between Laurel and Coleridge. Newcastle already has a preschool.
We combined kindergarten through 2nd grade. Busing always creates concerns. Our parents have stepped up to understand that that’s where their kids go for a better quality option. This wasn’t a school decision, it was a parent decision.
We combined Jr. High athletic programs. We had 7 kids out for football in Coleridge, and they wouldn’t have been able to play. The kids had the opportunity to play, and they loved it.
We started a program for children with autism. There are 2 kids in that system who have made unbelievable gains in the last 6 months. It is a joint venture program.
We are in the 4th year of the vocational program in Laurel. It is the only one in the state of its kind. It is a tremendous asset. The businesses where our kids work are great advocates for us. If you see a job coach with a student, those kids have an exposure to the real world of work.
In the credit recovery program, I was so impressed with the work that the kids did. They came into the program because they needed something different. These kids have flourished. Every senior in the program is on track for graduation.
We bought bus signs to cover up the name of the other school so each school could use the same buses. It’s all at cost. No district is supporting another one. It works great.
We have a bus route from Newcastle to Laurel, they drop off and pick up, and then go back home. We have been able to reduce the cost of transportation because we’re not duplicating services.
We now have 57 classes, and more than 890 students enrolled in distance education. Last semester we had 2 seniors who are full time college students. The cost of the 5th year of college is about $60,000, - that is $20,000 of school cost and $40,00 of lost income. We want to give our kids a chance to move through college at a reasonable cost and get into the work world in four years if they want to do that.
We reduced administration. I gained the weight that we lost. Last year $1 million in cost savings was our target, and we achieved that.
Elementary programs across the 4 districts have increased. We have expanded programs in art, guidance, health, and Spanish. Our focus is on expanding right-brain learning. We are looking for a balance between total analytics and having creative thinking.
We rescinded the overrides. We expanded the extra-curricular programs.
We redefined the 3 Rs. We believe in Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships. Our kids come to us smarter, and they need a more advanced system.
The 3 A’s are our curse. The first A is Abundance. When you have enough you tend not to want to change. In this country we have the highest standard of living, and our test scores a low. China and India want our education system because they want our creativity.
Asia. Jobs are moving to Asia, but these are mostly analytical jobs that don’t require creativity.
Automation. I can do a job of 4 superintendents because of automation. Our farms have gotten bigger and better because of automation. How do we get people to move here?
What should our education system be in K-12? We have to prepare our kids for the systems they’re going to go into.
The question is, "are we preparing the kids for the world they will live in?" Are we giving them the same chance for success that you have enjoyed in your life?
Our education system is necessary, but if we don’t create the new curve for our kids then we have limited the ability of our kids to be successful.
I believe that we have done a great job of taking brilliant kids and have done some great things.
[Click here to view the video about the Credit Recovery Program. This will play in a new window or download to your computer.]
We are not perfect. We believe in trial and error. We study hard and we work hard. We are passionate about what we do for our kids.
Are there any questions?
-- Is the Credit Recovery Program video going to be available to all students?
Dan: There is a misperception that Credit Recovery is a slack deal. The kids put about 70 hours of work into each class. They’re not getting by any easier than other kids. They’re doing it on their own. They are working just as many hours as our other kids. The classes are certified by the University of Nebraska. They can work on their own.
Rich: I have something I want to share with everyone. I am Rich Higgins, Principal of Wynot. A year ago we were in a situation with a lot of unanswered questions. We didn’t know where we were going, but there was a lot of concern.
I teach an exploratory class, and I had 5th graders the beginning of this year. One day the knotheads walked into class and handed me this box. “We want you to have it for the school.” They were raising money for the school. They raised $12.95. It’s worth a fortune to me. They said, “We earned about $13.00 for the school. We hope this will help. We want this school to be here until we graduate.” I think this is important for everyone to know about.
Dan: We have made mistakes, we have backed up, and tried again. We do not claim to be a perfect school.
13 years ago when I came here, I said, “Why should I come?” I asked the board to tell me why I should come here. They said, “We want to be the school of choice. The school that everyone wants to come to.” We all want to be the school of choice. Where parents feel good about sending their kids.
It costs $96,000 per kid to graduate in the state of Nebraska. But the value is not the same from school to school. The value here is high because you’re willing to come here and help us plan for the future. It’s what you are giving to your kids.
Thank you. I’ll let Michael take over from here.
Michael Kaufman:
How many of you were not in the workshop last year? How many of you were in that workshop?
I’m Michael Kaufman from InnovationLabs. I am here with a team of people to support you. We will work this evening, and then tomorrow we will take what you do and work on it some more.
Tonight we’re going to work on scenarios. We’re not out of the woods yet. There are some scenarios coming that we need to understand. We need to get better at what we started.
You will be working in a small group, and each group will be given a scenario. One scenario could be something like a group in China that has asked to send their students to go to your schools. Another scenario could be about combinging sports programs. Another scenario is decreasing budgets.
Each group will be asked to look at a scenario and think about several questions, so that we will get your input.
In Newcastle, for example, the enrollment will continue to decline.
All of you have a number on your name tag. Your number will tell you what team to go to. Then split your group in half, one on each side of the board. Your assignments are in the break out area.
It can get rather noisy. It might a little loud in here, but just move a bit closer together.
Your work will be brainstorming the answers on a white board. Then you will have an opportunity to see what the other groups have done.
Click here to move on to the documentation from the next round of work.
© 2008 InnovationLabs LLC and the Coleridge, Laurel, Newcastle and Wynot School Districts
This process facilitated by InnovationLabs LLC.
