Blog #15
July 2, 2019
Reflections and Progress
At the one-year mark of having the opportunity to lead
Sheridan School District 2, it’s worth noting a few key changes ahead to the
coming school year.
It’s also worth noting that our four core tenets remain
unchanged.
As a reminder, they are:
1. Strengthen Rigor and Provide Choice
2. Continue to Strengthen Safety and Security
3. Increase Cultural Competency in the District
4. Develop a Financial Plan to Contend with Potential Loss
of Revenue
All our decisions are based around those key ideas.
They organize our work and drive it, too.
The direction we are heading is unwavering.
However, we recently hired some key people who will support
this work with a renewed energy and effort (casting no aspersions whatsoever on
those who have left us!).
One quick note: all these positions were hard to fill. We
received many, many applications for every vacancy. We were very fortunate to
be able to select from a talented pool of qualified candidates.
I hope you had a chance to read the news release about the new team coming in to lead Fort Logan Northgate School. They are principal William (Bill) Blandón and assistant principals Margaret Stanley and Cori Canty Woessner.
I believe the school and the community will notice a very
family-oriented approach from the new staff at Fort Logan Northgate. I think
there will be considerable effort put into building relationships with parents
and the community at large, along with holding very high academic expectations
from classroom to classroom, too.
This team started meeting from practically the first minute
they were hired. They will bring terrific energy and they want to make the
school a more cohesive unit. The grade configuration at Fort Logan Northgate
isn’t common—grades three through eight—but the new leadership team understands
the importance of making sure it’s one school while also honoring the very
different age groups.
As I told the Sheridan Board of Education the night they were introduced, I’ve known Bill Blandón since we were young school principals in Denver. His experience and insights will be welcome.
I’ve also known Margaret Stanley for many years. She started
as a paraprofessional in Denver. She enrolled in a teacher education program,
earned her teacher’s license, and is now an experienced school administrator.
What a journey! She is truly homegrown talent and her story will likely inspire
others. We are lucky to have her.
And, finally, Cori Woessner lives nearby (in Englewood) and
has been eager to work in Sheridan for years. That really says something! So,
welcome all.
But, wait, there’s more.
This time, for the whole district.
Alicia Butcher (also highlighted in the same news release) will be working with teachers from kindergarten through high school on improving use of technology in our classrooms.
Folks, we need to keep up to speed with the benefits of
technology as an instructional tool. Technology is the underlying connection in
many colleges and universities and we need to make sure our students are
prepared as responsible digital citizens. Our teachers also need to build their
capacity in using technology—whether it’s sharing documents, getting feedback
from students, researching classroom assignments, creating presentations, or collaborating
on a project.
You’ll see this work on improving educational technology at
all grade levels. Developing these skills is no different than learning to read
or understanding numbers. It’s basic. It begins with the building blocks at the
early grades. Expect Alicia Butcher to spend the first semester of the new
school year understanding the needs and then beginning to bring those changes
to schools in the second semester.
So, watch for these changes. After one year at the helm, it
feels good to know that our direction is steadfast.
It also feels good to have people excited to work here and
to make a difference in the lives of Sheridan students.
So, get ready.
First day of classes (for everyone) is Tuesday, August 13.
Five weeks to go!