Ryan Bolland

5/2/09

EDSE 610: Mullins

Designer District

              The general philosophy exhibited in this district plan is that teachers with a decreased workload and fewer students will be more effective because they are able to spend more time instructing each individual student.  Also, resources are allotted to attract high quality teaching candidates and leadership at the school and district level.

              My most controversial initiative would be to impose to benchmarks at the 3^rd and 8^th grade, where students would be required to pass reading and math tests on grade level before being allowed to advance to the next grade.  The alternative school should help those who fall behind, hopefully so much so that they can return to the regular school, even if a grade behind.

              Also, money has been allotted to support HeadStart programs for all pre-K children in the district, not just those from low income families, at a level about 25% higher than the national average, hopefully helping those programs bolster their resources, increase the quality of their instructors, and increase their effectiveness, thus preventing many children from entering the district in Kindergarten at a disadvantage.

              The finer details of the district are below.  Attached is a document that outlines the budget for this district, including payroll.

Governance and Organization

• School Board
• 7 members
• 2 current teachers
• minimum of 3 years of teaching experience
• elected by peers
• 1 current administrator
• minimum 3 years of experience in administration
• elected by administrators
• 2 community members
• must NOT have any experience in education professionally
• elected by the community
• 1 retired educator
• must have served at least 5 years in education as either a teacher, administrator, or specialist
• elected by the community
• 1 current member of district or school support staff
• custodian, bus driver, food service, clerk, etc
• must have worked in district for at least 3 years
• elected by peers
• Superintendant
• hired by the school board for three year contract
• may be from out of the district
• charged with overseeing the district in all functions
• the school board may terminate the contract with a majority vote if brought to review by a 60% vote of district personnel
• Assistant Superintendants (2)
• hired by the school board and superintendant for concurrent three year contracts
• may be from out of the district
• assists superintendant in all duties, as needed
• each assistant superintendant has specific duties as follows:
• one oversees elementary and alternative schools
• one oversees middle and high schools
• observe teachers and administrators as much as possible at subordinate schools
• District Level Support Staff (approximately 10)
• includes Human Resources staff, secretaries, Community Involvement Team, etc.
• Community Involvement Team
• Community Involvement Director
• oversees and coordinates all community interactions for the district, including community concerns, outreach, public relations, etc.
• Public Relations Specialist
• works under the direction of Community Involvement Director
• designs and implements public relations campaigns (bond issues), marketing, and events
• Community Concerns Liaison
• fields and catalogues concerns from parents and other community members about the district
• reports to Community Involvement Director and Superintendants

Schools

• Elementary Schools (2)
• Faculty and Staff
• Principal
• oversees all facets of school operation
• hires all staff members
• sets school policies for teachers and staff
• reports to assistant superintendant
• Assistant Principals (2)
• One in charge of curriculum and instruction, specifically observing teachers, coordinating curriculum with department heads, etc.
• One in charge of discipline for the school, specifically designing and implementing disciplinary policies, conferencing with students, parents, and teachers regarding disciplinary issues, giving suspensions/expulsions, etc.
• Disciplinary Assistant
• works under the assistant principal in charge of discipline
• has same responsibilities as the assistant principal, but decisions must be reviewed by supervisor
• handles mainly minor disciplinary offenses
• Attendance Officer
• handles all attendance related issues, including truancy, tracking, tardies, etc.
• Counselor
• sets student schedules
• advises/counsels students and parents about academic and psychological concerns
• Records Clerk
• tracks and maintains all student info, including enrollment, academic history, behavioral history, etc.
• Office Manager
• reports to principal
• in charge of support staff
• Secretary/Receptionist
• answers phones, greets visitors, and miscellaneous duties
• Custodians (3)
• day to day maintenance and upkeep of buildings and grounds
• District Security Officer
• basic security and supervisory duties
• keep halls clear
• protect the safety of students and district personnel
• School Resource Officer
• member of local Police Department
• sworn police officer
• protect the safety of students and district personnel
• design and implement special procedures for various safety hazards, especially active shooter scenarios, intruders on campus, etc.
• contracted with local PD—district pays a portion of salary
• Teachers (45)
• daily instruction of students
• general supervision
• teach 6 classes (may include supervision at lunch or detention) and have 2 periods off
• Subject Area Specialists (6)
• 2 reading, 1 each in Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies
• oversee curriculum and testing in each subject area
• observe teachers in subject area
• Daily Schedule
• school day is from 7:45am-2:10pm
• Students stay with same teacher throughout the day, with the exception of assorted “specials” classes (i.e. art, music, foreign language) that are taught on a regular, somewhat infrequent schedule
• Building Information
• each classroom equipped with a SMARTBoard, with a clicker system for interactive quizzes, presentations, and real-time assessment
• school building and each classroom equipped with index finger scanners that link to school level and district level attendance records and meal data
• building is has three wings for K-1^st grade, 2^nd and 3^rd grade, and 4^th and 5^th Grade, and 1 wing for “specials” classrooms
• Middle School (1)
• Faculty and Staff (all duties the same as for Elementary, unless specified)
• Principal
• Assistant Principals (2)
• Disciplinary Assistant
• Attendance Officer
• Counselors (2)
• Records Clerk
• Office Manager
• Secretary/Receptionist
• Custodians (3)
• District Security Officers (2)
• School Resource Officer
• Teachers (40)
• Subject Area Specialists (5)
• 1 each: Reading, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Math
• Daily Schedule
• school day is from 8:30am-3:45pm
• students change classes each period on the following schedule:
• 1^st Period: 8:30-9:20am
• 2^nd Period: 9:25-10:15am
• 3^rd Period: 10:20-11:10am
• 4^th Period: 11:15-12:05pm
• 5^th Period: 12:10-1:00pm
• 6^th Period: 1:05pm-1:55pm
• 7^th Period: 2:00-2:50pm
• 8^th Period: 2:55-3:45pm
• lunch served during 5^th and 6^th period
• students take 7 classes (LA, math, SS, Science, and 3 electives or remedial/tutorial classes)
• Building Information
• equipped similarly to Elementary school
• building has 3 wings, 1 for each grade level, bounded on either side by connecting halls for elective classes
• High School (1)
• Faculty and Staff (all duties the same as for Elementary and Middle Schools, unless specified)
• Principal
• Assistant Principals (2)
• Disciplinary Assistant
• Attendance Officer
• Counselors (3)
• 1 counselor specializes in coordinating work-study programs, vocational training opportunities, internships, job placement, etc.
• Records Clerk
• Office Manager
• Secretary/Receptionist
• Custodians (3)
• District Security Officers (2)
• School Resource Officer
• Teachers (35)
• Subject Area Specialists (4)
• 1 each: Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Math
• Daily Schedule
• school day is from 8:30am-3:45pm
• students change classes each period on the following schedule:
• 1^st Period: 8:30-9:20am
• 2^nd Period: 9:25-10:15am
• 3^rd Period: 10:20-11:10am
• 4^th Period: 11:15-12:05pm
• 5^th Period: 12:10-1:00pm
• 6^th Period: 1:05pm-1:55pm
• 7^th Period: 2:00-2:50pm
• 8^th Period: 2:55-3:45pm
• lunch served during 5^th and 6^th period
• students take 7 classes (LA, math, SS, Science, and 3 electives or remedial/tutorial classes)
• Building Information
• equipped similarly to Elementary and Middle Schools
• building shaped like a 6-speed transmission pattern, with the long hall as the 9^th grade wing (classes organized by subject) and each other wing for each subject level for grades 10-12 (LA wing, math wing, Science wing, SS wing, electives wing)
• Alternative School (designed specifically for remediation/catch-up with the hope that students will return to regular school after concentrated and differentiated instruction)
• Faculty and Staff (all duties the same as for Elementary, Middle, and High Schools, unless specified)
• Principal
• Assistant Principal
• Disciplinary Assistant
• Attendance Officer
• Counselor
• Records Clerk/Office Manager
• Secretary/Receptionist
• Custodians (2)
• District Security Officers (2)
• School Resource Officer
• Teachers (40)
• Subject Area Specialists (6)
• 2 Reading,1 each: Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Math
• Daily Schedule
• school day is both elementary and MS/HS schedule, depending on the building.
• students attend classes similar to elementary, middle, or high school, depending on building attended
• students take classes in areas of greatest need academically, with some electives to encourage creativity and other skills
• Building Information
• 3 separate buildings (3-5^th grade, 6-8^th grade, 9-12^th grade)
• within each building, classrooms arranged by grade in 3-5^th, and subject in other buildings
• District Calendar
• 180 day school year
• four 9 week terms
• three breaks
• one week between terms 1 and 2 (Thanksgiving)
• two weeks between terms 2 and 3 (Christmas)
• one week between terms 3 and 4 (Spring)

Community Involvement

• District Community Involvement Team
• Staff
• Community Involvement Director
• Community Concerns Liaison
• Public Relations Specialist
• Duties (as described above, plus:)
• support school PTSAs
• assist students new to the district
• organize back to school night/open houses
• gather information about community concerns
• serve as liaisons between school board and community (PR)
• spearhead bond issue campaigns that would be in response to community concerns with facilities, buildings, etc.

Teachers

• Total: 160
• average pupil:teacher ratio = 12.5:1
• K-5: 45 teachers, 10:1 ratio
• 6-8: 40 teachers, 11:1 ratio
• 9-12: 35 teachers, 14:1 ratio
• Alternative School: 40 teachers, 5:1 ratio
• Salary Schedule:

• reflects the idea that teachers become more effective faster at the beginning of their career, then the benefits of experience slow down, level off, and then actually decrease
• also built to increase new teacher retention by rapidly increasing yearly salary
• Contracts
• hiring done by building administration in each school
• contracts are one year in length through the first three years, then two years for the remainder of one’s career
• renewals based on AP/Principal/subject specialist observations, as well as video observations reviewed by administrators
• contracts may not be renewed at discretion of the administration
• a vote by 2 of 3 building administrators can bring a teacher under review by the school board, which would require a vote of 4 out of 7 to terminate mid contract
• Evaluation
• building curriculum and instruction Assistant Principal (in addition to duties overseeing educational materials) will observe teachers on a regular, rotating schedule and provide teachers with feedback
• evaluations used for contract renewals and school board reviews
• Teachers and other school personnel may call for a school board review of Assistant Principals or Principals with a 60% vote, needing 4 of 7 school board members to terminate an administrator mid contract
• Staff Development
• professional development will be done on a request basis
• teachers/staff surveyed as to what seminars they’d like to participate in
• emphasis on interactivity and role playing
• emphasis on out of district speakers
• data/research driven, when applicable

Curriculum

• traditional curricula aligned to national and state standards in each subject
• exception: study skills and citizenship class required for 6^th and 9^th graders, in which students learn of increased expectations, practice good study skills and behaviors
• curriculum developed and evaluated constantly by Subject Area Specialists and Assistant Principal in charge of curriculum and instruction
• standardized test scores and other data will be utilized to evaluate the curricula and teaching methods
• Strategies to Improve Reading
• high school students will be issued Kindles instead of books for reading of all text-intensive books (i.e. novels, LA texts); textbooks will remain for graphic texts (science, SS, math)
• elementary students are 10:1 with a teacher for more intense instruction
• 2 reading specialists at each elementary school
• alternative school designed for those who’ve fallen behind, especially those who fail 3^rd and 8^th grade benchmarks (alternative school focused on personalized educational plans and differentiated instruction)

Technology

• SMARTBoards in all classrooms
• “clicker” system for interactive questioning/real-time data on understanding
• IT personnel at every building to ensure reliable and effective use of all technology
• finger scanners at school entrances and in classrooms to quickly and accurately track attendance and tardies, without interrupting instruction
• Kindles for text intensive books and increased variety of reading material

Students

• Graduation requirements
• Elementary:
• must pass all classes (pass/fail grading system) to move on to the next grade level
• 3^rd grade reading level test and mathematics test must be passed at grade level to move on to fourth grade
• Middle School:
• must pass all core classes, can’t fail more than 2 classes total
• 10 point grading scale, 60+ is passing
• 8^th grade reading level test and mathematics test must be passed at grade level to move on the high school
• High School (students must pass the following courses:)
• 4 years of English
• Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II
• Biology, Chemistry, Physics (physical science)
• US History, World History, American Government, and Economics
• 1 year of a foreign language
• 1 semester each of: fine art (music, art, drama, etc.) and practical art (wood/metal/auto shop, home economics, etc.)
• Discipline
• Teacher assigned detentions
• school-wide lunchtime detention, supervised as a class for some teachers
• school-wide after school detention, supervised on a rotational schedule by teachers
• suspensions assigned by Assistant Principal in charge of discipline

Imminent Teacher Shortage Plan

• district plan set up for decreased teacher workload while still allowing for increased effectiveness of instruction, which should help to retain teachers
• pay scale designed to retain teachers in first few (and most difficult) years
• funding earmarked for aggressive hiring policies (namely signing bonuses) if teacher shortages occur
• funding earmarked for aggressive teacher recruitment practices
• there is “wiggle” room built into the district that would allow for an increase in class sizes if teacher positions remained unfilled; pupil:teacher ratio would still be well below average, even with vacancies

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