Morton Blog for January 4, 2010

Here we are at the end of the first decade of the 21st century! It seems like yesterday that we were all worrying that our systems would operate correctly as we moved from one century to another. It appears we have survived! We are facing an array of new challenges in this new year; some more daunting than others. However, one thing we can take pride in is our collective ability to rise to the occasion, no matter what the adversity.

There is no question that we will have difficult and challenging times during this year.

I am confident, however, that as a school district, we can meet them with steadfast determination as we continue to work tirelessly to provide the best education for all of our USD 373 students. The following are some of my resolutions for 2010:

1. Continue to advocate unceasingly for our students, our staff and our community at all levels, local, state and national..

2. More effectively balance listening and speaking in order to better understand others.

3. Maintain a sense of humor, which, I suspect, will be needed more than ever.

4. Continue to read and learn.

5. Be more tolerant of the mistakes and shortcomings of others, knowing that I exhibit them as well.

6. Create a budget scenario which ensures that staff employed by our districts maintain their positions.

Happy 2010 to all of you! I hope you have had an opportunity to rest, relax and reflect and that you are prepared for the new semester. Thanks for being a part of USD 373.

John Morton

Lessons from “A Christmas Carol”

I happened to watch part of the musical version of “A Christmas Carol” this week and was struck by its relevance to both contemporary life in 2009 and to the future of our students in USD 373, in Kansas and in the United States.

The timeless adage is that it is never too late to have one’s eyes opened to generosity and charity toward others; that we never know the whole story of others’ lives, or for that matter, what they may really think of us. To point: Actions really do speak louder than words!

We are in the midst of a bleak mid winter, to quote the seasonal song. We need to, first of all, care about and support one another as never before. Some of our students are dealing with situations we can only imagine. We are their “light” in otherwise dark times. Some of our staff are facing bleak times as well; we need to keep them constantly in our thoughts and again, support them in any way we can.

Finally, we need to continue to try to “open the eyes” of those who appear to think that additional reductions in our already precarious budgets are the only way to get Kansas to fiscal solvency again. The time for their rhetoric is past. We need bold, decisive action by our state leaders, our Governor, and our legislators when they return to Topeka on January 11. We need to turn out in mass next Monday at the school board meeting to hear what our senator and representatives have to say about the future of our state……………our greatest fear should be that, when we are transported by the Ghost of Christmas Future, we find our state in a grave in a cemetery with no one to mourn.

We will continue to provide you with periodic updates and plan to visit every building and department in the ensuing weeks to hear additional budget input and to answer additional questions. In the meantime, let’s open our eyes to the beauty and joy of this amazing season and to the opportunities it affords us to brighten the lives of others, which in turn, will brighten our own lives.

American Education Week

American Education Week will be celebrated from November 15 through November 21 this year. I’ve always thought the time of year significant as we are also pausing to give thanks for many things at this special time of year. However, this year finds me more concerned about the future of education in our district and in our state than ever before in my entire educational career.

Education has been the cornerstone of every community, every state, and our nation since our country’s inception. It has been the means for many of us to realize our dream; to become productive citizens and to contribute in meaningful ways to our society. Education has championed social advancement, has helped us reach new pinnacles of knowledge and innovation. These things have been accomplished through the efforts of educators and staff members to provide the best educational opportunities possible for our students, past, present and future. So, first of all, I pause to express my sincere thanks to the total staff of USD 373 for untiring efforts on behalf of our students.

However, my cautionary tale during this American Education Week focuses on the lack of vision, planning and foresight that has public schools in Kansas teetering on the abyss.
There is no question that we are in tough times. Tough times call for vision; for bold, decisive action. I keep waiting for such things to emerge from our elected leaders but no such vision or plan seems to be forthcoming. Continuing to cut budgets is not a plan; it is a reactionary measure that just may spell the end to progress in our state. Because, you see, education is a constitutional responsibility in Kansas. And, it is a responsibility which has been abdicated by many of our legislative leaders who think a combination of further educational budget cuts coupled with the now tired mantra of no additional revenue will somehow miraculously allow us to escape this dire situation.

But this story is about more than education. It is about the quality of life now and in the future for a myriad of Kansans who continue to want better circumstances for themselves, for their children and for their grandchildren. I wrote an op-ed piece earlier this school year asking what the 2020 Vision for Kansas is. Truth be told, there isn’t one. There is not the courageous leadership in place which needs to call the best minds in our state together to craft a new direction for our state and for all of its people. Although I seldom agree with Representative Watkins, he is right in asserting that Kansans don’t necessarily believe in continuing to do things one way, particularly if that one way has not yielded positive results. Yet, I am asserting that he and others are succumbing to the very tactic that they are criticizing…resorting to continuing to reduce state budgets while watching revenue continue to decline with no upswing on the horizon.

Maybe we need to examine our entire revenue structure in Kansas. Maybe there is another way to fund K-12 and higher education in a more progressive way that places less of a burden on the state. I don’t know the answer, but I am willing to explore the possibilities. Would that they were willing to do the same.

Those of you who know me know that I am usually the optimist about the future; it will get done, things will get better, we will be able to accomplish our goals, etc…But in this instance, I am feeling that, unless we do something dramatically different, things will continue in the same vein and will eventually be much worse than they are today.

Our USD 373 staff has done a wonderful job, especially in the face of significant budget reductions last year. But they can’t keep it up forever. We can’t keep taking up the slack so that parents and students see no appreciable differences when their children enter our schools. There will come a point of diminishing returns...it may be closer than we know.

I challenge you to do one thing during American Education Week this year. Contact our Governor, our legislators, any of our county or city elected officials, our board of education members, and offer to become part of the solution. Together, I am confident that we can craft a resolution to our current dilemma which can not only assist now, but in the future. Inaction should not be an option. The time is now. Will you join me?

An opportunity to reinvent ourselves

I’ve been thinking a lot about next year when all of our bond projects will be complete and we will have new grade configurations in nearly all of our buildings.  This fact, coupled with the economic concerns we continue to experience, may be just the impetus we need to think about moving further along the continuum to transform our schools into actual 21st century learning centers.  Let’s face it; we get comfortable with what we do when we have done it for a long period of time.  However, the conversation is already underway at the high school to see if there is a better schedule which can be designed to meet the learning needs of all of our students.  I would also suggest that we have those same opportunities at the middle level as we transition to the 5th/6th center and the 7th/8th middle school.  What a great opportunity, especially at Santa Fe, to create a unique educational structure which effectively meets the needs of all of our students and more fully engages them in the educational process.  In our newly configured K-4 buildings we will also have the capacity to transform, to create elementary schools designed around student learning needs and maximizing space and staff use.  We are fast approaching the end of the first decade of the 21st century; what better time to reinvent ourselves and our schools to better serve our students.  What do you think?

An Invitation to Discussion

I have been amazed at the number of conversations I have had with a variety of people where the topics of lack of civility and polarizing ideas came to the forefront.  It would appear that some have chosen to disregard the axiom that we need to work to “disagree agreeably.” 

Often, we see individuals discounted as well as their ideas.  What would appear to be obvious is that we may have a number of teachable moments as educators relative to both civility and disagreement.  We don’t always agree with each other in education, or even in our district.  However, for the most part, disagreements have been respectful and not demeaning to the person or persons we are disagreeing with.  The ability to express one’s opinion without fear of retribution or retaliation has been a cornerstone of our country for hundreds of years. 

Let’s consider ways we can provide our students with both appropriate teaching and modeling of civility and discourse so that we won’t have to worry about watching the latest debacle either on the internet or on the national news.  We also have to temper that educational opportunity with the fact that we shouldn’t always accept everything we hear, read, or are told; we need to critically evaluate ideas and determine what makes sense to most of us. 

We had this conversation last Saturday in a graduate class I teach at Friends University and we decided that today the missing commodity is often common sense.  What do you think?  What can we do in USD 373, in Kansas, and in schools and districts across the United States to counter the tidal wave of lack of civility, polarizing issues and opinions, and rude and disrespectful behavior which seems to be rampant.  I’d be interested to hear what you think.

John Morton

Is it Time for Tailored Learning?

The administrators and I just finished reading an article entitled “One Size Does Not Fit All,” centering on the idea that we need to do much more to structure individual student learning experiences at all levels. On the surface, that appears to be a daunting and difficult, if not impossible, task. However, I think we are missing a key element in this process – our students themselves. Having students work collaboratively with us to develop an electronic SILP (Student Individual Learning Plan) might lead to a number of fascinating by-products, including engaging students more fully as partners in the educational process. And, it might free us up as educators to design an infrastructure in which greater flexibility and response to student needs might be priorities.

Given that we are in tenuous financial times, this may provide the impetus for us to begin to explore how we might better create school experiences tailored to what each individual student needs. To me, it is an intriguing and thought-provoking idea. What do you think? As we contemplate a different high school schedule, might this be the cornerstone? I’ll be glad to share your thoughts with the district if you will share them with me. Until next time…..

Education Funding... It's the Law!

I attended a meeting yesterday with several small, rural district superintendents. I was struck by the conversation we had concerning how fearful many district are about additional funding losses during this school year. I, of course, share that concern. I believe it was a board member from Hutchinson who said last week that our Kansas constitution says that it is the state’s responsibility to adequately fund education all the time, not just when times are good. It would appear that a civics lesson is overdue for some of our legislatures. Education funding is not arbitrary – it is the law! And, our legislature is choosing to ignore state law. You might guess the consequences for our School district if I and the board chose to do the same. It is unfortunate that, once again, we see litigation as one of our major options in dealing with the adequate financing of educational opportunities for all of our students in Kansas. In the months ahead, we are going to have to be very vigilant if we are to support education which is a primary investment in the future of our community, our state, and our nation. I’d be interested to hear your thoughts, suggestions, relative to how we might proceed during this upcoming legislative session.

The opportunity to begin anew

We have had a whirlwind two weeks getting ready for today and tomorrow, our first days with our students. I am always buoyed by the attitude of our staff when we all get together at the district convocation. We have a great opportunity to convey that positive energy to all of our students this school year. And, as I’ve said before, we have the greatest opportunity of any profession – the opportunity to begin anew each school year.

“Challenging times make us bitter or better.” I shared that quote with you before the end of last year and it is, of course, still relevant as we begin this year as well. I believe that as a district we continue to choose better and not bitter. We are all better served because of that decision. – to be better for ourselves, our fellow staff members, and most important, our students. I really hope we can find additional ways to positively support each other, our community, and the students we serve during this school year. If you have thoughts about what we might be able to do, please let me know. Have a great school year, USD 373!

John Morton

The possibilities are endless....

Charles Dickens probably said it best: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times….. As we prepare to open the 2009-2010 school year, we are faced with a number of unprecedented issues which, I am guessing, will be with us for a longer period of time than we might wish. However, even with such concerns, we look forward to a year of great possibilities for the students of USD 373. This year, hopefully, will allow us to also look at how we might work “smarter and not just harder.” Are there ways we might share resources, organize our instruction in more efficient ways, and more directly engage our students in the learning process? We will most certainly be continuing the discussions we began last February at our all district collaboration. Some will be coming to fruition soon….we will be unveiling our district wide recycling program at the district convocation which will serve as a great model for our students and simultaneously as a way for us to save money as a district. Another area might involve ways to involve the greater Newton community in a more relevant way in the education of our students.

The possibilities are endless…..I look forward to hearing from and having conversations with you during this school year.

Teacher Appreciation Week

As we celebrate National Teacher Appreciation Week, it again seems appropriate to dedicate this column to the efforts of our teachers who continue to work so tirelessly to positively affect the lives of our students in the Newton community.

When I first entered my classroom as a novice high school English teacher, teaching did not appear to be nearly as complicated and complex as it is today. There were not the many federal and state mandates in place; the quest for school accountability embodied by the Quality Performance Accreditation process was not even looming on the horizon; No Child Left Behind referred to making sure all students were accounted for in the auditorium or on the field trip bus, not to raising the bar for many facets of the educational process. Technology consisted of constantly ruining ties and white shirts by running ditto and mimeograph machines. How things have changed!

And yet, in many other ways, things have not changed very much at all. Our teachers continue to do the most important work that takes place in our community on any given day – they impact the lives of our students, preparing them to become productive citizens in the 21st century world. Of greater significance is the fact that the world requires more of our students in many ways than did the world of past generations. And, students coming to us in 2009 are more dramatically impacted by that world than perhaps we were when we were in school.

In addition, educational institutions are faced with more complex challenges than ever before, not unlike those challenges facing our community, our state and our country. The current financial dilemma is just an example of the ambiguities and uncertainties which seem to permeate our profession and our lives.

The glory of it all is that we continue to rise to ever-increasing challenges. Because of our teachers, students are being exposed to greater learning opportunities than at any time in our history. Perhaps Albert Einstein said it best: “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” We could dwell on the present difficulties, but prefer instead to consider the possibilities and opportunities which we have in educating our students. Every day in our classrooms presents new opportunities for teaching, for learning, and for educational success.

Teachers have become true “miracle workers,” demonstrating that it is possible to perform daily education miracles with limited resources and significantly increased demands. A great testament to that statement is the fact that all of our schools have continued to make significant student achievement gains even with higher targets to reach.

I hope you will join me this week in saluting our teachers who continue to provide the educational expertise, dedication and perseverance that has served our students and community so well for the past 136 years! Remember in your own educational experiences a teacher who “made a difference” in your life, being thankful for that teacher’s involvement and personal interest in you. We have the greatest jobs in Newton – we create the future through the work we do with our students every day. Let’s pause to thank our teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week (and perhaps every day for that matter) for the fine work they perform in USD 373.

Fasten Your Seatbelts...

I guess I’m in a reflective mood this afternoon as I write this newest blog for our district web site. The legislature will adjourn this afternoon and will reconvene for the “veto” session (nice choice of words) at the end of April. We still have little understanding of the impact of the stimulus funding for education either on our state or on our school district. We are also facing an election of board members next Tuesday. Those board members (at least one new one) will continue to grapple with the financial decisions which have been made by those far removed from the education enterprise. As Bette Davis said in one of her great movies, “Fasten your seatbelts; it’s going to be a bumpy ride!” I think we have done as much preparation as we can, given the limited information we have at our disposal. With a transition in the Governor’s office also in the mix, it will be an interesting time for sure. If I could wish one thing, as I reflect today, it would be for an epiphany in leadership at all levels in our state. We need more leaders willing to be courageous, to do the right thing for the citizens of Kansas, and not indulge in the same type of rhetoric which has plagued real progress in our state in the past. Alas, the old adage remains true; “If you continue to do what you’ve always done, you’ll get the same results you have always gotten.” I believe we have to be the model of hope and optimism in this trying time; we have to continue to examine what we do, hone our practice, and make sure we use the needs of students as our litmus test for every decision we make. I remain optimistic about our profession; about other areas…..not so much.

Let me know what you are thinking as we move to the completion of this school year.

Opportunity for Self-reflection

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, -- in short, the period was --- like the present period .”

-- Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

I was struck by this quote as I watched the Ronald Colman version of “A Tale of Two Cities” the other night. In addition to being one of my favorite movies, it is also one of the best novels ever written in my opinion. It also reminds me of another quote that says,
“Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Dickens lays it all out for us in his brilliant novel; the lack of attention to the plight of the common people; the dangers of mob rule; the ultimate triumph of good over evil.

Well, I’m not sure I want to go that far, but it does remind me that people survive the most dire situations and ultimately life does get better. We appear to be in such a dilemma today. We are facing difficult times; but, I believe we will not only persevere, we will survive and thrive. It is going to take all of us working together to make good things continue to happen for the students in our district. However, with the all district collaboration, we saw the power of idea generation by over 600 employees for the betterment of our district. As I said at the general meeting, these times give us the opportunity for self-reflection and for putting forth ideas which, ultimately, will improve our district and when we improve our district, we improve the educational opportunities for our students.

Thanks to all of you for your willingness to work with us for the betterment of USD 373.

John Morton

Time to put on our thinking caps

I wanted to visit a bit about the all-district collaboration which I have called for the morning of Friday, February 27, 2009. It seemed important to me and to others on the administrative team to garner input from all of our staff about ways to economize, work “smarter and not just harder” and to be proactive in the fact of economic and fiscal uncertainty. To that end, we decided to pursue the collaboration as a means of getting all of our staff members involved in brainstorming ideas to further the cause of teaching and learning in our district in ways which might both assist us financially and afford our students greater opportunities than they now have.

We will be addressing the issues of time, staffing, resources and building on our successes on this day. Each of the thirty work groups will be asked to come up with their top suggestion in each of the four areas which will be submitted and summarized for the entire group. Summaries will be sent out to all staff on the Monday following our Friday meeting. I believe that there is some urgency here and I hope that we have clearer direction from the legislature than we now have. To that end, I am asking each of you to put on your thinking caps and come to our session prepared to offer your great ideas both for the short term and long term for USD 373.

If something prevents you from participating, feel free to send me an e-mail with your ideas. We need everyone as we work collaboratively to continue to move our district forward in an uncertain time. I look forward to February 27 and to some great ideas which, hopefully, we can implement both this year and next.

Working Smarter

I appreciated the hopeful, yet pragmatic tone of President Obama’s address yesterday.There is no doubt that things will probably get worse before they begin to get better.We will be watching the legislature with interest and anticipation as its members grapple with ways to assist our state out of its current financial morass. What does that mean for us in USD 373? It means that we need to think about our current and future expenditures and continue to think about ways to work smarter and more creatively as we face the prospect of reduced budgets. One thing I have been thinking about is an employee idea bank, where our staff can make suggestions for saving money for the district. It is going to take all of us thinking and working collaboratively to move past our current situation.

I’ll be putting something out to staff in the near future regarding this project. It is still my fervent hope that we will be able to achieve budgetary reductions without having to eliminate any staff. If you have additional ideas, I would be happy to hear them. Thanks for all you continue to do for our students in USD 373.

New Year, New Ideas

Here we are at the start of a new year which, hopefully, brings new promise and better times to our country. I have recently been in two retreats with our administrators to address issues that will be facing us both in the immediate and more distant future. I will send out that information to staff this week. I am hopeful that we can collectively think of ways to continue to expand learning options for our students and to provide the necessary resources to support our staff. It will, undoubtedly, be a challenging budget year for us. However, we need to examine things we can do which do not necessarily cost money, but which might improve the educational opportunities we provide. I will once again be visiting with staffs in each of our buildings and departments in an effort to hear what staff members have to say about our district and where we are headed. I hope you will choose to join in those discussions. We spent a lot of time yesterday discussing how we might identify and address root causes of issues facing our district and, we hope to use some of the techniques we discussed in conversations with staff. I am meeting with the Sunset staff today so those staff members will be my guinea pigs with this process. I hope all of you returned to the new semester rejuvenated after the long break and prepared with the planning day yesterday. Thanks to those teachers who shared their thoughts with me regarding the benefits of the planning day to begin second semester.

We are undoubtedly going to have to challenge some of our assumptions this semester, and we are going to have to find ways to work together in the best interests of our students. I am confident that we can do so in such a way that will continue to move our school district forward. Thanks for going on this exciting journey with USD 373 and I look forward to your comments.