Change takes ‘can do’ attitude
As we wind down another school year, and my first year as superintendent of Dayton Public Schools, it provides us with time to reflect upon the successes we have encountered and the challenges we still must overcome. We can all agree that change is hard. It commences with leadership and a solid plan to improve the culture of the district and ultimately improve student learning and outcomes.
Next year, for the first time in Dayton Public Schools’ history, our students will find many additional high-quality seats. Each high school student will have the opportunity to enroll in Career Technology Education programs as an alternative to typical high school offerings. We surveyed students to see what programs they would find most interesting and beneficial to them upon graduation, then made significant improvements in the courses of study to offer.
As we partner with local colleges and universities, students can earn college credits and either graduate with an opportunity to embark on a career or continue their studies in college. We also implemented Dayton Public Schools’ first virtual online academy for students who need an alternative pathway to graduation. Our focus will turn to high-quality core instruction instead of the past focus on intervention. Improved and expanded professional development opportunities for teachers, principals and staff will be paramount to the district’s success.
Another area of improvement will be in the area of music. Research clearly shows music education is beneficial to students. Upon my arrival to Dayton, I was both stunned and saddened to learn most of our high schools did not have bands. Students must have access to both high-quality curricular and extracurricular activities. We have been planning all year with area partners to begin drum lines in our high schools as well as high quality general music at elementary schools and instrumental and chorale in grades seven-12.
Transportation has been a challenge in Dayton for decades. With the acquisition of more than 100 brand new buses and a change in student routes and start times, we can better serve our children. Students will see shiny and reliable yellow buses pulling up to their bus stops and we hope this instills a sense of pride among our students, parents and the entire community and provides additional flexibility for principals and teachers who want to extend student learning opportunities outside of the classroom.
We are all accountable for improving social-emotional, academic and extracurricular engagement for our students. In changing the culture, we must move away from the “we’ve always done it this way” style of thinking to a “can do” attitude and approach. The work is challenging, but as a committed staff and community of supporters, we can make significant improvements. I welcome feedback from our constituents and the community and look forward to strengthening our partnerships.
Sherry Kim, an English language arts teacher at Tower Heights Middle School, was named the Centerville City Schools 2017 teacher of the year. According to Director of Human Resources Dan Tarpey, Kim is a high-quality teacher who is dedicated to her students and an advocate for other teachers. She will represent Centerville as the district’s finalist for the Ohio teacher of the year competition, where her credentials will be reviewed by a state selection panel this spring that will choose one individual to be honored.
Also recognized this year were Julie Howard, a French teacher at Magsig Middle School, and Gretchen Jansen, a math teacher at Watts Middle School.
Centerville High School students Parker Huntington and Anirudh Rangaswamy were selected as two of approximately 400 semifinalists for the U.S. Physics Team, a program to promote and demonstrate academic excellence through preparation for and participation in the International Physics Olympiad.
Each year, the American Association of Physics Teachers and the American Institute of Physics sponsor a competition for high school students to represent the United States at the International Physics Olympiad Competition. Huntington and Rangaswamy will go on to the final round of tryouts this spring. If they place in the top 25, they will have the opportunity to attend the U.S. Physics Team training camp in Maryland and possibly represent the United States in international competition.
Students in the Studio Art class at Centerville High School recently unveiled their client projects. During these projects, students learn how to work with a client by creating artwork based off what the client requests, so they must figure out what the client wants and what they are capable of accomplishing as artists. Art teacher Sarah Puckett started the client projects seven years ago and over the years has had students create drawings, paintings, sculptures and other artwork that were given to clients.
The Tower Heights Middle School Science Olympiad team finished first out of 40 school teams at the State of Ohio Science Olympiad tournament held at Ohio State University in early April. With this victory, the team earned the honor of representing Ohio at the national tournament in May, marking the first time a team from Tower Heights will compete in the national tournament. Centerville Schools took three of the top four places, with Magsig Middle School’s team placing third and Watts Middle School placing fourth. Fifth graders at Driscoll Elementary participated in the Woodmen Speech Contest this spring. Students wrote their own speeches on the topic “What does it mean to be a hero?” and delivered the speeches in their classrooms with the Centerville High School Speech and Debate Team acting as judges. Nine finalists were selected to participate in the final competition, which was judged by community leaders and members of Toastmasters.
The three winners were Hannah Ligon, first place; Molly Flemming, second place; and Paige Myers, third place.
Normandy Elementary students raised $1,475 for Centerville Schools’ Food2Go Program during their “Souper Bowl” dinner to raise awareness about hunger. Art teacher Alice Tavani received a McDonald’s Making Activities Count grant to purchase clay and glazes, and fifth-graders made 200 clay bowls in art class for the event. Student Council members created placemats, served drinks and cleaned tables during the dinner.