One of the best parts of my job is the time I spend visiting classrooms and talking with students about their learning. Our teachers have worked hard over the last few years to articulate what it is they want all students to know and be able to do, and it is up to each teacher how they teach those understandings and skills. This is where the “art of teaching” comes in, and our teachers are truly masters of their craft as evidenced by one of my recent school visits.
 
I began in a 2nd grade classroom where students were learning how to write “opinion pieces” and were watching a short video on the critical elements of that type of writing. “An introduction has 3 parts – start with ‘a hook’, name your topic, and give your opinion”, the video directed students. In an aside to me the teacher said that hearing and seeing it on a video was reinforcing the lesson she had previously taught.  I noted that all of the students appeared to be intently watching and listening, despite the fact that there were visitors (me and the principal) wandering around the room.
 
The next class I visited was a kindergarten class that was engaged in “making books”. I know from my own teaching days that this is a case where language really matters. If we ask 5-year-olds to write a story they will often say they don’t know how to write, but most 5-year-olds know they can “make stuff”. I chatted with a student who told me the title of her book was “Everybody is Different”, and indeed I could make out those words in the letters she had added to the cover of her book. She shared with me the page she was working on which had a bunch of circles. She read that page to me, “Everybody has a different face.” The circles were going to be the faces, she was still working on those. I asked her where she got the idea for her book and she said a teacher had come in and done a lesson on “everybody is different”.
 
My next stop was the middle school where I talked with some students who were working to identify the theme of Refugee, a book they had recently finished reading. The students told me that they had brainstormed together some possible themes (hate, injustice, violence were a few ideas I heard), and were now narrowing it down to one choice and providing evidence from the text to support that choice. I was impressed with the depth of their thinking and with their engagement in the assignment. I wasn’t surprised as I follow this class on Twitter and read their regular blog posts and I know that they have really been digging into important topics. The class is co-taught by the language arts and social studies teacher and includes both 7th and 8th graders.
 
I moved down the hall to the middle school math class where students were engaged in “warm-up” activities. Each student was working in a math notebook to complete 4 review problems. One of the students told me they start each class session with this as a way to get their brains ready to learn. The teacher was circulating and providing feedback and support, and all the students were working hard.
 
Each of these classrooms was very different and yet all students were deeply engaged in their learning. In three of the classrooms flexible seating options were available while the other had the more traditional desks-in-rows design. In two of the classrooms students were working independently, one class was participating in a whole-class lesson, and in one class students were working in pairs/groups. All of the students were willing to chat with me about their learning and I was impressed with their level of engagement and excitement. I know that all of these lessons were crafted by teachers who had a clear understanding of what their students needed to know and be able to do, and who had considered how their students learn best when designing their lessons.
 
Did I mention that visiting classrooms is one of the best parts of my job?

​On October 18th-19th I had the pleasure of attending the Vermont Superintendent’s Association/Vermont School Boards’s Association joint fall conference. The theme this year was “All Our Kids: Designing for Equity and Opportunity”. The conference opened with an excellent keynote presentation by Caroline Hill who talked about how to create learning environments that provide equal opportunities for all students. Caroline believes that preparing all students for a life of infinite choice requires new and different solutions. I was struck by how this fits in with our OCSU vision: “All of our students will have choices for success throughout their lives”.
 
During her presentation, Caroline posed questions that she asked the group to reflect on. Many of these questions are similar to ones we in OCSU have been addressing, but her questions took things to a new level. For example, for the last few years we have been encouraging schools to “tell your story”. Essentially this means getting the word out about all the amazing things that are happening in our schools. Caroline asked, “What stories are we telling that make us more welcoming to some than others?” Perhaps we can all be a bit more intentional when telling our stories so that we are not inadvertently being more welcoming to some than others.
 
During the last couple of years, our boards have been doing a careful review of policies, and making revisions as needed. In her address Caroline asked, “If the experts are students, how do we build the bridges and relationships with policy-makers?” This made me wonder if we are reviewing policies with equity in mind. Are we keeping our focus on all students?
 
Caroline spoke a great deal about the difference between being independent and being interdependent. She suggested that when we become interdependent we become family, and as long as we continue to strive to be independent there are problems that we won’t be able to overcome. “What if our schools were designed to value getting together as much as they value getting ahead?”, she asked.
 
Fulfilling the OCSU vision, “All of our students will have choices for success throughout their lives”, depends on our willingness to become interdependent. It depends on our willingness to understand each other. It may mean redefining community and changing our mindset from “me” to “we”. As we watch events unfold in our state, in our country, and in our world this idea is more important than ever. I encourage all of you to reflect on the ideas posed by Caroline and where we stand as a community in regards to those ideas.

​On October 1st I had the pleasure of attending the UVM Outstanding Teacher award ceremony with our OCSU award recipients, April Lane and Sandra Young. Each year UVM recognizes educators who are nominated by their districts/supervisory unions for significant contributions to their field. Both April and Sandra are well-deserving of this award. 

​Sandra Young is an OCSU graduate who has been teaching for 5 years, 4 of those years at the Albany School. As a first and second grade teacher Sandra ran an organized classroom that was fun and full of learning. Her students showed remarkable results on early literacy assessments and were especially enthusisastic about writing. Sandra has a wonderful rapport with parents and brings a postive energy to the Albany School community. This year Sandra has transitioned to become a special educator in Albany.

​April Lane is another OCSU graduate; she taught middle school math at Irasburg School for 8 years. April demonstrated willingness, initiative, and skills to share her knowledge and expertise with colleagues. She helped plan professional development for staff, served as a leader on our Leadership Team, and has been a driving force on the Irasburg School Crisis Planning and Response Team, as well as continuing her own professional growth and development. April’s greatest strength has been developing relationships with students, especially the ones that have needed the support the most. This year April has transitioned to become the principal of the Brighton School. 

April and Sandra are two of a long list of distinguished OCSU educators, and that list does not tell the whole story. We are only allowed to nominate two candidates each year and it is always a very difficult choice. I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting on the fact that one of the things that makes OCSU such a strong system is the collaboration among our staff members. I am interested in finding ways to recognize more staff, including teams that are especially effective at working together. I would love to hear from board members and staff members who are interested in working with me to develop a recognition system that honors our staff. Leave me a comment below if you'd like to work with me on this project.

Below is the welcoming address that I delivered to teachers and administrators on Aug. 22nd. I presented this in the form of an “Ignite Talk”. Ignite talks are Powerpoint presentations that contain 20 slides that auto-advance every 15 seconds. The tag line of ignite talks is “Enlighten us but make it quick”. My slides had photos that matched the text. Those slides are linked here.
 
As we begin another school year I thought it would be important to share with you our OCSU vision, mission, and core values and beliefs.
I’m excited about the opportunity we have to work together to build a community where all of our students have choices for success throughout their lives.
 
A few years ago a group of OCSU students, teachers, administrators, board members, and community members worked together to articulate the characteristics of students who graduate from our system prepared for life after high school.
 
The OCSU vision, mission, and core values and beliefs were developed based on the ideas generated from that work. Every single day I see evidence of those ideas being carried out in classrooms across our SU.
 
We believe that high expectations, perseverance, and the pursuit of excellence, knowledge, and wisdom are the cornerstones to success in school and beyond.
As we shift to proficiency-based learning we are finding creative ways to engage students in core subjects.
 
High expectations and rigorous learning experiences are evident as our academic teams are busy winning championships across the state and across the country.
 
Students are working individually and in groups to strengthen their skills with our cross -curricular proficiencies, important life skills that will help them to be successful no matter what they choose to do.
 
We believe that every student can learn when the educational experience is engaging, diverse, integrated, collaborative, and personalized.
Flexible seating and student-centered learning are evident in our classrooms and schools.
 
Research projects where students choose their topic and how to show their learning is just one example of how we’re encouraging student voice and choice.
 
We celebrate creativity and we’re proud of the opportunities we offer to our students. From preschool to high school our arts programs are exemplary and allow for a variety of learning experiences.
 
Concerts, art shows, theatre productions, and talent shows are just some of the opportunities students have to showcase their talents. Engaging with authentic audiences allows students to have real-life experiences.
 
We believe respect, honesty, kindness, individual responsibility, and understanding towards others are crucial elements of the school environment.
Social justice activities are important to our OCSU community and we believe in the importance of teaching students to be kind and inclusive to all.
 
The Flannel Friday for Food challenge, speaking out against bullying, collecting food for the food shelf to celebrate Day 100, and learning about the addiction crisis are just some of the activities that help to build awareness of social justice issues.
 
We believe positive relationships and healthy and safe environments help students to reach their full potential, and that each member of the community has a role in our moving forward.
 
Welding, woodworking, gardening, and cooking are just a sample of the variety of experiences we offer to personalize learning based on student interests.
 
Sports – both individual and team – happen during all seasons and at all grade levels, and allow students to challenge themselves and to develop interests in lifelong physical activities.
 
It takes a village to raise a child and we value activities that allow us to partner with parents and community members. Our school gardens and partnership with Green Mountain Farm-to-School, family literacy and math nights, and even building new playgrounds are just some of the ways our schools partner with family and community.
 
As I reflect on all that we do to ensure that students have choices for success throughout their lives I want to acknowledge all of you for your commitment and dedication to our OCSU community.
 
It’s your energy and enthusiasm that is making a difference for our students every single day and I want you to know that your efforts are noticed and appreciated.
 
I’m looking forward to our year together and am anxious to visit your classrooms and share in all the wonderful experiences I know you’ll be offering students. Thank-you for all you do to make OCSU the special place that it is.
 
Have a wonderful year!!

As I near the end of my first year as OCSU superintendent, I took a few minutes to reflect on my career.
 
It was just over 38 years ago today that I made my first trip to the Northeast Kingdom. 

“What will you do if they offer you the job?”, my mom asked as we headed back to Springfield, MA after an interview with the Brownington School Board.  “I’ll take it of course!” was my reply.
 
I had dreamed of being a teacher since I was 5 years old, and I always knew that I didn’t want to live in the city forever. The chance to move to Vermont was just too good to pass up. I was fortunate to receive a job offer before I had even graduated from college and I was anxious to begin my career.
 
The people of Brownington welcomed me with open arms. They donated furniture for my first apartment, they invited me for meals, and to join their families on holidays when I was unable to travel home. I often walked to and from school in those early days, picking up students along the route to walk with me.
 
Teaching was challenging back then, challenging in different ways than it is now, but still challenging. There was no preschool and no kindergarten. Many of the students had never seen a book or held a pencil until they started school. They didn’t know their colors or their shapes, or their letters and numbers, and they had difficulty keeping their shoes on all day. I always had at least 25 students in my combined first and second grade classroom. I shared a room with the 3rd and 4th grade teacher; only a curtain divided our classrooms. The hot lunch window opened into my classroom so when the older students came to get their lunch they all traipsed through with strict orders to be quiet and try not to interrupt our lesson. You can just imagine how that worked!
 
I learned a lot from my students those first few years and came to appreciate teaching in rural schools even more than I could have imagined. I went on to teach in Glover and in Irasburg, to become the Director of Instruction, and finally the Superintendent. Although my entire career has been spent in OCSU I’ve had the opportunity to do lots of consulting on a national level, and those experiences have made me appreciate teaching in Vermont even more.
 
We are on the brink of significant changes in our state, and while I am concerned about what these changes will mean for our towns and our schools, I am hopeful that we will be able to retain our sense of community and continue to offer high-quality education to students.  I appreciate all of the people who work together to provide opportunities for students: community members, parents, educators, staff, school boards, and the students themselves. Together we can help make the OCSU vision and mission a reality.
 

Our Vision:
All of our students will have choices for success throughout their lives.

Our Mission:
It is the mission of the Orleans Central Supervisory Union to provide an environment that celebrates diversity and creativity, promotes inclusion and integrity, and partners with parents and community members to give students access to a 21st century education.

​As we transition into spring and experience all the changes that come with the changing of the season, I can’t help but reflect on both the positive and negative aspects that come with change. The snow is melting, but now we have mud. Soon I’ll be able to work in my garden, but I know that here in Brownington at least, I’ll be swarmed by black flies. I’ll soon be able to spend time in my kayak, but I’ll be sad to put away my snowshoes. 

​Here in OCSU we have experienced lots of changes this year.  In addition to myself, we have 3 new administrators (two new principals and a new Director of Instruction).  All of these people have brought their own ideas, energy, and new ways of doing things, and those ways are not always readily accepted. We have new systems in place for tracking staff attendance, for sharing documents, and for email; even though these changes are meant to simplify and make tasks more efficient, many people struggle to adapt. And across our system we are attempting to learn all we can about personalized learning and proficiency-based learning so that we can adapt our practice to better meet students’ needs. Many of these changes cause anxiety, even when they are ultimately positive.

​I recently read an article I saw on Twitter called, “The Grief of Accepting New Ideas”. This article written by Rick Wormelli compares change, and the tensions and frustrations surrounding it, to the process people go through when they are grieving.
 
Wormelli reminds us of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross' five stages of grief (On Death and Dying, 1969): Denial/Isolation, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. He goes on to say, “One or more of these stages is experienced by each of us when we are asked to discard something we hold dearly and accept something new in its place. Yes, we fake-rationalize ourselves into, “This will not actually happen,” and, "It'll just pass like another education fad, and I can wait until everyone comes to their senses.”
 
We are in the midst of significant changes in the education world and those changes are affecting everyone in OCSU. On a daily basis I see students, educators, and community members who are experiencing one or more of the different stages of grief. Whether it’s new ways of teaching and learning, changes to our health care system, consolidation, a new governance structure, or new ways of paying for education, all of these changes have the potential to be seen as threatening and to cause people to experience grief. It’s important to remember that we need to support each other as we all struggle to accept new ideas.
 
As Wormelli says, “Let's help each other: Let's interact in ways that invite thoughtfulness, not invocation of self-protecting egos. Let's extend the compassion to others we seek for ourselves, and honor the grief process that happens when asked to give up something we've held so tightly all these years—a truth, reality, perception, or practice—as they struggle to accept something new. Instead of leaving them to struggle alone, we can walk that path together.”
 
I’m glad to have all of you walking this path with me. 

​School safety concerns continue to be prominent in news’ headlines and have prompted all of us in OCSU to take a closer look at safety protocols and procedures.  We’ve reviewed crisis plans, strengthened relationships with law enforcement, and sought out resources from the Vermont School Safety Center and the Vermont School Boards Insurance Trust (VSBIT).
 
All OCSU schools have a crisis team that meets regularly to review the crisis plan for their building. Regularly scheduled drills allow staff and students to become familiar with procedures to follow in the case of an emergency. Teams attend events like the Governor’s School Safety Conference in order to gain additional knowledge and to network with experts.  Our message to students is, “If you see something, say something”.
 
One of the great strengths of OCSU is our staff’s awareness of the importance of building relationships with students. As more and more students and families in our system are experiencing trauma and crisis, we know the importance of providing tools for staff to support these families. You may have heard from your administrators and teachers that they are focusing on social-emotional learning in order to strengthen staff and student skills in this area. We continue to work with community partners to fill much-needed positions such as school-based clinicians and home-school coordinators so that students who need help are able to access it in a timely manner.
 
In February we received an email from Lieutenant Walter Smith from the Vermont State Police notifying us that he has assigned troopers to each of our schools for the purpose of building relationships with students and staff. Troopers will be doing periodic visits and may be available to attend special events. We greatly appreciate this partnership with law enforcement and feel fortunate to have the opportunity to build positive relationships.
 
Each year our schools are able to have a safety audit done by VSBIT, our insurance company. The audit provides recommendations to improve safety measures at the school. In addition, VSBIT offers safety grants so that schools have access to funds to implement the recommendations they receive. In the past that grant has been used to fund locks for classroom doors, cameras, radios, safety glass, main entrance security systems, etc.
 
Vermont schools are lucky to have access to many school safety resources from the Vermont School Safety Center (http://schoolsafety.vermont.gov/). These resources include trainings, both in-person and virtual, and support with developing and updating crisis plans. They recently did an after-action phone conference call to debrief the shooting that took place on the Montpelier High School campus in January. During the call the superintendent and the principal provided valuable information regarding the procedures they followed and the lessons they learned from the incident. They stressed the importance of strong relationships between schools and law enforcement officials and being intentional about clear, concise communications with students, families, and the community.
 
As school safety continues to be a very real concern we will continue to stay up-to-date on the latest information. In May we will be sending at least one person from each school to be trained in ALICE (alert, lockdown, inform, counter, and evacuate), and those people will work with their crisis team to plan for next steps in each of their schools. We will make sure that students and staff are as prepared as they can be, so that they can respond appropriately in an emergency situation. 

Some of the information in this post was provided by the Vermont Agency of Education.


​Last week, we witnessed the devastating effects of yet another school shooting, and an arrest in response to a school threat in Fair Haven, VT. These horrific events remind us that every student, teacher, parent, school administrator and community member plays a role in providing a safe and secure environment for all those who attend, visit and work at our schools.
 
The Vermont Agency of Education and the Department of Public Safety have worked with school systems, law enforcement, and first responders over the past few years to make sure our schools and first responders are well prepared in implementing school safety best practices. This was hard and careful work, and we are grateful to the many individuals who partner and prepare to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our children.
 
We take this emergency preparedness very seriously. We remain actively engaged with our local, regional and state partners to ensure they are keenly aware of the robust resources available through the Vermont School Safety Center. We will continue to engage in future school safety initiatives that will provide a safe and secure environment for our school community. The Northeast Kingdom Superintendents’ group has organized an ALICE training to be held in the NEK on May 1st and 2nd. We will be sending at least one person from each school to that training and those people will plan for next steps in implementing ALICE protocols.
 
As a reminder, if an emergency were to occur at any of our schools, we would use School Messenger to notify parents of the unfolding event. The school’s emergency response procedures would be executed quickly. 
 
In a school emergency, your first instinct may be to pick up the telephone and start calling the school or rush up to the school and get your child/children. This only complicates matters from a safety and security standpoint. Parents too close to an incident often hinder the rescue attempts of police and fire officials on the scene. The best action parents can take in an emergency is to stay close to their phone and email and to monitor local radio and TV reports for regular updates and instructions. 
 
I want to assure students, parents, faculty and staff that school safety is our top priority, and we will continue to collaborate with local emergency planners and our first response community to continue our school emergency preparedness efforts. Below are a couple of resources that may be helpful when considering how to talk with children about violence.

​The latest buzz word in education circles is “equity”. We see the word “equity” appearing in many different contexts, and I’m not sure that we all have the same definition in mind.
 
It appears as one of the goals in Act 46: “provide substantial equity in the quality and variety of educational opportunities statewide”. To me this does not mean that every student receives the exact same things, but rather that each student gets what they need to be successful.
 
The Vermont Superintendent’s Association (VSA) and the Vermont School Board’s Association (VSBA) recently held a 2-day workshop where participants discussed equity and its role in education. That group developed the following definition:
 
Educational equity means that each and every student receives the resources and educational opportunities they need to learn and thrive.

• Equity means that a student’s success is not predicated nor predetermined by characteristics such as race, ethnicity, religion, economics, class, geography, disability, language, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or initial preferences.

• Equity means that every school provides high quality curriculum, programs, teachers and administrators, extracurricular activities and support services.

 

• Equity goes beyond formal equality where all students are treated the same.  Achieving equity may require an unequal distribution of resources and services.

 

• Equity involves disrupting inequitable practices, acknowledging biases, employing practices that reflect the reality that all students will learn, and creating inclusive multicultural school environments for adults and children.

​The Lake Region Board held a Board retreat on January 29th during which they explored the Board’s role in assuring equity in education. Some points that were debated included:

• Do our ideas of what is equitable change depending on our point of view (parent, student, educator, Board member)?
• How do we balance providing equitable opportunities with being financially responsible?
• How do we ensure that our implicit biases don’t get in the way of equity?

 

S​ome people prefer to use images when they consider the meaning of equity. Here is an image that I like:

The reason I like this image so much is that it clearly illustrates the differences between equity and equality. I think that sometimes we use these terms interchangeably when they are clearly quite different. The image helps me to remember that fair is not always equal.
 
Equity is also embedded in our OCSU mission and vision:
 
Our Vision:
All of our students will have choices for success throughout their lives.

Our Mission:
It is the mission of the Orleans Central Supervisory Union to provide an environment that celebrates          diversity and creativity, promotes inclusion and integrity, and partners with parents and community members to give students access to a 21st century education.
 
If we focus decision-making on our mission and vision, and if we understand the differences between equity and equality, we can work towards providing equitable opportunities so that all students truly will have choices for success.
 

​During the month of December I had the privilege of enjoying the many activities/projects in OCSU centered on the arts. Here are just a few of them, I know there were many more that I haven’t mentioned.
 
Holiday Window Painting by LR students
The art students at LR once again went out into the community and did some marvelous seasonal window painting. As they demonstrated all the skills they’ve learned in art class, they showcased their considerable talent. This is surely an authentic performance assessment and definitely brightened up store windows in our community. A big shout-out to art teacher Stephanie Harper for providing this opportunity for our students!

OCSU Elementary/Middle School Band and Chorus Winter Concert
It is so much fun to attend this concert each December. Our elementary/middle school music teachers work wonders with our beginning musicians. Bringing together students from all of our district schools and leading them in putting on a concert that is enjoyable for the audience is no small feat. I look forward to watching as these musicians hone their talent and perform in future years. Thank-you to music teachers, Anna Kennedy, Amy Newton, and Chantilly Larose for all the time and effort you put into this!

​

Lake Region Winter Concert
This concert, featuring all the different music groups from Lake Region, has become a holiday favorite of mine. From familiar songs to ones that I haven’t heard before, each one is a joy to listen to. The performance showcases talented soloists and ensembles, and even student composers and conductors. Lake Region’s own “Dr. D” is a master of her craft and brings out the best in her students. What a wonderful way to spend a winter evening!

,Lake Region Cooking Club
While not really one of “the arts”, I just have to recognize the Lake Region cooking club, facilitated by teacher, Lee Penniman (thanks, Lee!). At one of the December Board meetings, we were treated to delicious appetizers and holiday goodies, all prepared and served by the students in the cooking club. There was even a birthday cake for Mr. Mess! The students were clearly enjoying themselves, and it was fun to listen to them describe the ingredients in each item and how they prepared it. What a wonderful learning opportunity, and again, having an authentic audience for their goodies really supports students in showcasing their best work.

​Carolers
During the last week before the holiday break, the staff at central office was treated to caroling by two different groups. One was a group of high school students from LR and the other was a group of PreK students from our very own “yellow room”. As we all stepped away from our desks for a few minutes to listen to the carolers, it was a great reminder of why we do what we do – it’s all about the students! Thanks to all who brightened our day with song – we really appreciated it!

​As I reflected on these activities, and as I worked with Boards on budgeting during the month of December, I’m proud to say that there wasn’t one budget discussion that focused on eliminating the arts from our schools. Watching the pride on students’ faces, the fun they were having, and the confidence they were building, reinforces the idea that the arts are a critical component of student learning. We are extremely fortunate to have Boards and communities that support that idea.