A chance to work together

July 1, 2009 marks the beginning of the Paris Cooperative High School. Two school districts, Paris Union School District No. 95 and Paris Community District No. 4 have approved a cooperative agreement to co-govern Paris High School, which is now legally known as Paris Cooperative High School. It will remain PHS for uniform sake. The colors of orange and black will remain the school colors and Paris Loyalty will still be our fight song. At first it may appear that little has changed, but over time, change will come from the joint governance of the school. Each board of education in the cooperative will have three board members on the new Paris High School Cooperative Board of Education. The building will be administrated by a director and an assistant principal. The joint governance of the school will start a new era in which the entire community can take ownership of the issues that shape the education for our students and truly collaborate to make PHS the best school we can for the young adults of our community. The joint venture gives us the opportunity to pioneer educational change in the State of Illinois because we are the first cooperative formed here. We have a unique opportunity to build something new, something worthwhile. Let's go to it! Let's work together!

Why do we end it this way?

Here in East Central Illinois many school districts are in the final days of the 2008-09 school year. Here at PHS we are actually making up for five weather related emergency days we had to take during the winter months. I would like to say that what we are doing these last days is educationally sound and we are making the best of the tax payers money being spent on salaries, supplies, and utilities. We hold finals during the last three days of the year so there are some high stakes evaluations for students, but I am sure that the anticipation of nearly 80 days off from school is negatively affecting attitudes and efforts! (I saw a letter come home announcing the countdown to the end of the year in LATE FEBRUARY! grrrrr!) Next year we will open the doors to a fresh new year and spend at least three or four weeks getting the school term up to speed. A lot of crucial review will be done, making up for lost ground over the summer. (or is it that school, the way it is done, slows down the learning processes that occur at work and at play in summer?) School does not have to end this way. A full year calendar that adds several weeks to the now outdated agrarian calendar should be considered. Let's spend some of this stimulus money (if we have to do it) on modern school buildings that are air conditioned and equipped for 21st Century learning. Let's revolutionize schools and make everyday meaningful and engaging for both teachers and students by integrating technology and modern skill sets into every corner of our curriculum.....well better get back to my stimulus shopping catalogue....only so many days to spend it, then I need a few months off!

Just Plain Wrong!

The other day I received a catalogue filled with the regular education fare. It was filled with supplies that were not essential, some of the items would be useful around PHS, but for the most part a typical catalogue that would find the circular file after a quick glance (poor environment!) What was just plain wrong about this catalogue was the subtitle, "Your Stimulus Spending Issue!" This blog is not about whether the American Recovery Act is right or wrong by the way (it is here whether we support it or not), it is about spending our children's and grandchildren's tax dollars wisely. Spending the "stimulus" money on what amounts to educational trinkets is JUST PLAIN WRONG! When the recovery act passed and I found out that a good sum of money would be spent on education, I started thinking that the money would and should be used to update the educational infrastructure across the nation. Building new schools, funding innovative programs, providing incentive for change.....using the stimulus money for making lasting change in education was how I envisioned the use of the funding, not just throwing the money into the revenue gaps in each state and spending it in such a way that it supports the status quo in education. As educational leaders we must endeavor to use this money in the most responsible ways. To make education better for our students and make lasting change in a system that begs for it.

What we need more of............

.........is to say thanks to those who do things that truly make an impact. People need feedback and so many times in education, the feedback we give or receive is usually corrective in nature. It is easy to fall into the trap of pointing out what is wrong and taking for granted those things that go according to plan and simply not take the time to recognize those individuals who made it happen. This past weekend I went to the Paris High School prom and the after prom activities. I must say that I was thoroughly impressed by both events. Our students were treated to a fantastic evening of events that included a dinner and dance at the Ohio Building in Terre Haute. Following the dance the students were treated with an all night party at Parisian Lanes (A huge thanks to Bud and Michelle Hissem!). The students were able to bowl, dance, eat, play pool, and socialize in a safe environment and best of all, they were eligible to win approximately $8,000 in prizes. There were many people who took time to make these events happen. To you folks who helped these young men and women have a safe night for their prom and after prom activities, THANK YOU! You helped create a memory that our students will carry all of their lives! For those of you who are still reading this post, yes that means you mom, I want you to take the time to thank someone who has made a difference in your life.

The following is a thank you to some of the many who have made a big difference for me:

My third grade teacher Mrs. Eicher and her game of scrabble, Mrs. Gardner and a great Spanish class, Mr. Pigg, my 7th grade math teacher and coach for many different sports and his cousins in a blanket, Mr. Tyndle, one of my high school science teachers and his undying love of science, and Dr. Bev Findley and her unequalled enthusiasm for teaching and challenging her students. Who should you thank today!

An American Elegy

From time to time in the work of education certain moments grab you and tell you that everything that we do in educating our youth is well worth it. Today I had one of those moments. I was asked to to attend our band's rehearsal class, that they had prepared a special piece for today and wanted me to hear them perform. I was honored that the band wanted me to listen. The piece they had prepared was An American Elegy, by Frank Ticheli. The music was written in tribute/memory of the victims of the Columbine School incident that happened ten years ago today. I can remember being moved to tears several times in adulthood for varied reasons. Today I was moved to tears by music that was composed in the memory of that horrible incident, the spirit of those students and teachers who survived it, and the triumph of the American Spirit that allows us to remember this incident and to find inspiration from it. Today's performance by the PHS band was an example of everything that is right in American education. We can take pride in the fact that we still emphasize the arts in most of our schools and that our students learn to express themselves and learn about their world through programs such as these. We teach our students to express all ranges of emotions and to do it in a constructive way! All parts of our curriculum are very important and they all play their part, much as the musicians in the band did today. You can talk all you want about the education systems of other countries, I myself will take ours over theirs (warts and all)! We do more to serve all the needs of all our students and it is a testimony to educators everywhere that we continue to do so in spite of incidents such as the one at Columbine ten years ago! We must continue to fight (like those courageous people directly affected at Columbine did to put their lives and school community back together) to keep our Fine Arts programs alive. Let us make that part of the legacy!