Fairness

Recently I was interviewed by a top-notch reporting team (the HB Buzz news crew). The topic of the day was Fairness. Fairness is one of the Six Pillars of Character on which Harriet Bishop students and staff are focusing this year. The main point of distinction being asked of me was, "What's the difference between fairness and equality?"

Fairness, in my opinion, has everything to do with having equal opportunity to succeed. The example I used was this: If I gave 10 students each a pari of shoes, but only gave them each a size 12, I am treating them equally. However, the chances that each student will be successful in competing in their sport and in those shoes are slim. If I gave them shoes that were the right size and soles matched the playing surface (football, track and field, soccer, basketball, etc.), each student's chance of success go way up!

While the illustration is simplistic, it helps kids to understand that fair doesn't mean equal- fair does not mean we are all the same- fair does not mean we treat each person exactly the same. Rather, it's providing an environment that gives all stakeholders the best opportunities to succeed.

At Harriet Bishop, we feel all students should be treated FAIRLY and given and EQUAL opportunity to grow and to learn. We have worked hard to create a comprehensive and flexible learning environment that meets the needs of a variety of learners, helping them to flourish!

Thanks to All!

Last Wednesday was Grandparents' Day at Harriet Bishop! Hundreds of grandparents and special guests filled our gymnasium and classrooms throughout the day to participate in dancing and other activities. There was a sort of magical flow to the day from beginning to end.

Thank you to all of you who attended, all of our volunteers who helped make the day special, and to our staff, especially Mrs. Perry, for coordinating the activities of the day!

Grandparents' Day complements our approach at Harriet Bishop. We believe in helping kids to grow in all facets of their lives - honoring the past, making the most of of the present, and contributing toward a better future. What better way to do that than by bringing generations together in the school!

The Wealth Gap and How It Affects Children

I saw the following article and felt compelled to share it. It comes from InvestMN (Implementing a New Vision to Educate Students for Tomorrow in Minnesota).

International academic rankings of U.S. schools often disappoint us when we consider those rankings (test scores) in isolation. In truth, those rankings may not only give us a narrow profile about how our students do in school, but may more importantly be an indicator of how our students are supported (or are not supported) out of school.

A 2010 UNICEF report ranks 24 of the world’s wealthiest nations in three key areas that appear to be linked to the academic outcomes for kids.

Numbers to know and share:

• In the category of our children’s material well-being, the United States ranked 23rd of the 24 wealthy nations.

· 20% of American children live in poverty
· More than 40% of American children live in low-income housing.
· Over the past decade, the percent of impoverished children has grown by one third.

• On measures of health, U.S. children ranked 23rd of the 24 wealthy nations.
• On measures of education, the U. S. ranked 19th among the 24 wealthy nations.

Although there are other variables, such as which students are tested or language and cultural alignment, there appears to be a strong correlation between the support children experience and the academic accomplishments of those children. (The preceding data is taken from Ken Mitchell, The School Administrator, October, 2011.)

The changes in average household income for Americans over the past three decades have increased the wealth gap, and therefore, the childhood well-being gap.

Numbers to know and share:

• The bottom 80%t of average household incomes have remained relatively constant.
• The top 20% of household incomes have doubled.
• The top 1% of household incomes of have quadrupled.
• The top 20% of Americans own 80 percent of the wealth.
• The bottom 80% share the remaining 20 percent of the wealth.

A Pew Research Center study – based on U.S. Census data – revealed growing wealth inequity between races that has occurred during the current recession (Perspective: Tricia Rose on America’s growing inequality, July 29, 2011). Considering the correlation between socioeconomic status and school success, this is a clear and compelling threat to the future prosperity of our country and our state.

Numbers to know and share

• Median wealth in white households has dropped 16%.
• Median wealth has dropped 53% in African-American households.
• Median wealth has dropped 54% in Asian households.
• Median wealth has dropped 66% in Hispanic households.

Often our means as a state or nation is referred to as if it is a static number—never to change in response to the needs or dynamics of our evolving circumstances. We talk about means as a limitation – “we must learn to live within our means” – but rarely as an opportunity to invest in a more prosperous future. In reality, our means are defined by politicians, often to reflect a specific political platform including how much and who our lawmakers are willing to tax.

Research has shown, confirmed, affirmed and reaffirmed that the best possible investment of our tax dollars—with the greatest monetary return—is in early childhood education. Research also shows that high school and college graduates will earn more, contribute more and experience greater life-time success than non-graduates. We will all be richer if we take seriously our constitutional responsibility to provide a high-quality and equitable education to all of our children, and if we logically invest in the fundamental support systems necessary for those children’s success.

We will not have the means to sustain our quality of life as a state or a country if we do anything less.

Excitement Builds

I'm feeling that sort of nervous excitement an athlete feels before a game, a student feels before a big test for which they are prepared, or what some of you might feel at 11:59 p.m. on Thanksgiving - just before the Black Friday frenzy begins. No, it's not for any of these reasons, however. Instead, it's because so many people will be coming through the school in the next week.

On Wednesday we are hosting Grandparents' Day at Harriet Bishop. I'm excited for the activities our teachers and students have planned when our grandparents and special friends come to the building. Cross-generational celebrations and learning opportunities bring past, present, and future together. It is fun to hear conversations that start, "When I went to school..." or "Did you do something like this when you went to school?" The school will be buzzing with excitement as we expect well over 800 people to visit us on Wednesday!

Next Monday is the first of two parent informational nights for families looking to join our school community next year. Word has definitely spread about the terrific and innovative things we are doing with our students at Harriet Bishop. Each year parents attend these nights filled with questions. Connecting with each of you is a passion of mine, so please don't hesitate to ask questions that night or anytime (952-707-3900)!

The Ripple Effect: It’s Not Just About You

by Joe Cavanaugh, Founder & CEO of Youth Frontiers

October 2011

www.youthfrontiers.org

The scene: a local high school hockey game. A kid on the ice pulls a cheap shot on another player and gets a penalty. While on the way to the penalty box, the kid swears. The kid’s father is sitting behind me and I overhear someone say to the dad, “Don’t worry; it’s not a reflection on you.”

Pardon me, but it is a reflection on the dad. Often our parental peers dismiss the behavior of our kids in situations when said behavior is clearly not representing the community’s or the family’s values. The truth is, it is a reflection on you and your family because your child has your last name.

You may have heard me talk about the African idea “ubuntu,” which, translated from the Bantu languages in southern Africa, means “I am because we are.” For me, this concept highlights that although we are individuals, we are highly connected to those around us. It is easy to forget how dependent we are on others, especially those people close to us.

My wife and I tell our daughter, “Your name is Tess and you are the only Tess in the world.” At the same time, we tell Tess that her last name is Cavanaugh. Having this name means that you represent a set of values, and a family that lives out these values. Your behavior does not just impact you – it ripples out and affects your mom and I, and how people look at us and our family. Its ripple affects your grandparents, your cousins and many others. In other words, it is NOT all about you. You have a responsibility to live well not only for you, but for those you are in relationship with. Tess Cavanaugh, you are because we are.

The ripple effect of our behavior means that acting without character could have a tremendously negative impact on people we work with, people we love and people who depend on us. On the other hand, think about how our positive decisions could change lives. Our actions that strive to help, heal and love others create just as strong of a ripple as our negative actions. I tell this to Tess at home, and we here at YF tell this to kids every day on retreats. We all have the power and the responsibility to create a positive ripple effect… because it’s not just about you.

Exercise:

This month, talk to your kids about what your last name, or family name, represents. What values does your family use as a guide post and why?

© 2011 Youth Frontiers, Inc.

This article was reposted with permission from Youth Frontiers.

Great Experience

Yesterday I had a chance to read to several kiddos and their parents or caregivers at the Savage Library. What a terrific experience! It was the highlight of my day to say the least.

I am pleased to report good news on several fronts...

1. The kids and adults were incredibly supportive and respectful. They excitedly listened as I read aloud The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, The Frog Prince Continued, and If I Ran the Zoo. After I finished each book, kids and adults clapped, then quieted down and got ready for the next book.
2. Reading is alive and well in our youth today! I was told that over 1000 kids have signed up to the library's summer reading program! The first day alone drew over 400 registrants! I cannot tell you how critical it is for children to read and be read to prior to starting school. They develop a rich vocabulary and deep connections. They can think critically imaginatively. In short, they learn by doing. Also, it is incredibly important for our kids to read throughout the summer to sharpen and enhance the skills they have obtained throughout the school year. The "summer slide" is real, but it is totally avoidable!
3. Books in the hand still create magic. Believe me, I am as much of a technology advocate as you will find, but there is still something amazing about the feel of a book in the hand and the anticipation of what's to come when the page is turned. The library is filled with terrific books that will lead you on journeys and down pathways you least expect.
   

If you haven't had a chance to visit the library, I encourage you to do so very soon. It doesn't cost you a dime, but will pay dividends for years to come!

Keeping Our Children Safe

The fire alarm went off Monday, March 14, at 10:29 a.m. It has been an absolute whirlwind since then! Allow me to inform you of the events that took place.

• When the alarm went off, a thick black smoke was already visible outside the bathroom and in the main foyer of the building.
• 911 was called immediately and we verified the smoke was coming from the boys’ bathroom between the Linden and Maple Communities.
• All students and staff were out of the building in less than a minute. It was 10° outside and no one had their winter coats on.
• The fire chief and his crews verified the location of the fire.
• While this was happening, I was on the phone with the superintendent, arranging buses for evacuation.
• As the fire was contained and localized we identified the gymnasium as a safe indoor location and brought all of our students in through a side entry. It was confirmed that buses were on their way shortly.
• I addressed the students and the staff to let them know they were safe and that they would be transported to the fire station where they would be safe and warm.
• While this was happening, firefighters extinguished the fire, only 14 minutes after the alarm went off.
• Firefighters worked closely with our building custodian to begin ventilating the building. This process required dropping the temperature of the building to nearly outside temperatures, enabling air to flow out much more quickly.
• School Reach messages informed parents and emergency contacts of the situation and when and how they could pick up their children.
• Buses arrived. We transported students with respiratory concerns and from youngest to oldest.
• As parents arrived we created a slow and steady checkout process. This was done to streamline decision-making and ensure the safety of the students. The students were warm, safe, and supervised.
• As the line of parents and caregivers dropped, we tallied the number of remaining students.
• At the same time our terrific food service department was putting together bag lunches based on the number of students and staff remaining.
• When the line of parents and caregivers ended, the lunches arrived.
• While some staff ate lunch with students, others were granted access to the building to quickly gather personal belonging and valuables.
• Students and staff were moved into the fire station’s training room immediately following lunch.
• I met with the half of the staff at a time to debrief while the other half supervised the remaining students.
• As the end of the school day approached we arranged abbreviated bus routes for the remaining students, making sure adults escorted them home if needed.
• Parents were notified that they could enter the building between 8:00 and 9:00 p.m. to get their children’s belongings.
• We determined that smoke damage called for the removal of all items in the Linden and Maple Communities and that school would have to be canceled for students on Tuesday.
• That evening, parents and students streamed into the building to obtain jackets and backpacks.
  

Of course, this is a much abbreviated version of the amount of decisions and events that took place, but hopefully it gives you a glimpse into all that happened to keep your children safe. As I told them – books, backpacks, notebooks, crayons, and “stuff” do not make a school. They make the school. The magic that happens inside their heads as they learn each and every day is what makes a school.

A Vision of Excellence

“The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he's always doing both.” - James Michener

I came to the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage district as a new teacher in 1995, after earning my bachelors in elementary education and graduating summa cum laude. It was not an easy road. I had dropped out of a college I didn't want to attend after declaring a major that I didn't want to declare. I wanted to be a teacher, and frankly, that profession wasn't valued in my house - because teachers didn't make a lot of money. (Seriously, that was the reason I was given.) When I finally went back to earn my degree, I was scared to death to go to school again, but was determined to do the best I could. I graduated with high honors. I became a teacher and it became me. Nary was a dividing line. I dedicated myself to my kids and learned along with them. When I took my current job as gifted magnet coordinator three years ago, it was out of that dedication to all students and the firm commitment in two things: that gifted education benefited every single student, and that gifted children often times did not have an advocate for their unique needs and circumstances. It was more than work. It was just part of me. It always will be.

I find myself in the unique position of writing my last blog entry for the Bishop Blog, in large part because of what I have always said to my students: take chances. Take risks. Do what you believe, and never, ever, ever stop learning and growing. (Seriously, if you think this is just fluff, ask any student I ever had.) I leave the Burnsville School District a better person than when I came. And I leave Harriet Bishop Gifted and Talented Elementary School with a piece of my heart left behind. People, parents, tell me I have a passion for what we are doing here, and they are right. I do. There's a reason.

I chose a Michener quote for two reasons. First, it's a good quote that sums up what I am feeling right now. But secondly is because of eighth grade. I was chosen to be part of a class of students who would be accelerated in all content areas - math, social studies, language arts and science. I took ninth grade biology as an eighth grader. I took Algebra I as an eighth grader (funny how it wasn't developmentally inappropriate back then). Our language arts and social studies classes were, to use today's jargon, deeper and more complex (similar to today, both classes had more nebulous "standards", rather than following a grade-level track of curriculum such as math and science does). My teacher, Mrs. Silverman, was a former New York model and taught her classes sitting on a stool. She didn't give us the regular language arts textbook; instead she gave us Tolstoy and told us we were ready to read him. (I read Anna Karenina and LOVED it. It completely turned me on to Russian literature, a love affair that exists to this day.) She took us to the ballet to see "The Mikado" and to the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, where we listened to original compositions of the orchestra with the songs of whales incorporated into them. She had us write poetry about our lives and then got us published. And she made us read Asimov and Bradbury, Poe and Longfellow.... and she made us read Michener. I read The Source. If you've never read it, you must. However, when I first started the book as a thirteen year old girl, I was hardly as enthusiastic. I remember the first seventy pages or so, thinking to myself, I'm just going to die of boredom. But then the archeological team got to their first artifact and went back in time, and I was mesmerized. I distinctly remember reading the book on the bus to and from school, and sneaking it out every moment I could (sorry, Mr. Thomas in Algebra, but the book was WAAAAY better than variables). The book is over 1,000 pages and our teacher simply said, "you're ready."
She influenced me in ways she never even knew.
She taught me that eighth graders can read, comprehend, and discuss Michener.
She taught me that hard work pays off, even when it's frustrating.
She taught me that learning is way better than getting it right the first time.
She taught me to take chances.
She taught me to teach from a stool (which I did, for a long time - and Melissa, I still have the red one that you gave to me as a gift!)
She taught me that every student should have a chance to grow academically, every single day.
And she taught me that excellence is a lifelong journey. It's not a right; it's not easy; it's not automatic. It's a journey.

I hope that the journey Harriet Bishop has been on these last three years has been beneficial to all students attending, and will continue to be beneficial to all future students. The school has a phenomenal principal and wonderful staff. When I took the job as gifted magnet coordinator, it was with a vision to excellence for all, and an inward reflection on the daily experiences of each and every student. I love what we have done, and what this school will continue to do. I am eternally grateful for the dedication of the staff, and for every parent I've met along this journey. You have been great teachers for me, and I will take you with me in my heart as I continue on my journey in life - because I do have a blurred line. Education is not just my job. It is a piece of me. Thank you for the opportunity to serve.

The Life of a Family

The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. - Richard Bach

I am reminded every year during applications to Harriet Bishop of the dedication of all of our families. Now, that's not to say that I don't see that dedication all year long, because believe me, I do. I had a prospective parent the other day ask about the level of volunteerism in our school, and I was so proud to answer that question! But I am doubly reminded of the dedication of families to their children at this time of year, because parents, grandparents - even neighbors - go out of their way to see that their children try to get into our school. One parent had to travel some way to attend to a family member in the hospital, but needed to get her kindergartner in for testing and was going to possibly have a neighbor help. One grandparent actually filled out the application for her grandson. Countless teachers and caregivers took time out of their very busy day to write recommendations. Parents are collecting work and submitting entire portfolios.
None of this is easy work. Not for anyone. This is single-handedly the busiest time of my year as a coordinator. But golly, to watch these little ones and get to meet them - it's really wonderful. I have met great families, great kids, and I for one am just very thankful that our school exists.
The life of a family is not just one connected by blood. A family can exist anywhere - we are a family at Harriet Bishop, and we are excited to welcome new members to our family for next school year, all the while celebrating the family members who currently walk our halls everyday.

I'm Just Sayin...

To The American People (or anyone reading this blog entry), little is more important to me than proper use of the English language. As employers are finding out from our Text Generation (would that be "TXT GNR8RS"?), we American People are having a hard time with the English language these days. We can't interview well, it seems. A quick back story for you - as a former Language Arts teacher, I could have told anyone this years ago, because I could see it coming in the writing skills of many of my students. When I started getting answers to questions written in text speak, I knew we had a problem on our hands.
This may be a problem of epic proportion, and one that you may refudiate. (At least that one came up as wrong on the grammar checker...whew!) But Google it, if you will. Our young people - those who are graduating from high school and college - are vying for jobs in a shrinking world, and need to man up. So do we as adults, as their mentors, because it is up to us to show them the way. I may be a mama grizzlie (at least people have told me I look like a certain one), but I want to make sure that the generation in charge of taking care of me when I'm an old woman doesn't make a fail. It is up to us to provide for them the a-ha moment where they begin to understand and to believe that clear communication is vital to success (even in a STEM world). English Language Arts may not have the wow factor that other curricular areas, such as chemistry, have (seriously, how can words compete with cool chemical reactions?!), but now's the time when being an effective communicator could become viral. We could start the movement! Our young people, along with their thousands of BFFs, could begin to realize just how important communication among and between the generations really is (along with communication among and between different countries, cultures, etc. Think about it!).
Now, if you think this blog entry is replete with ridiculous information, you may just be right. However, if you see through the transparent layer to the real reason for writing, and find the entry pretty clever, well, thank you. I believe in living life to the fullest, and sometimes showing what a simple list can't: that the way we speak is indicative of the way we think...
... and I for one believe that we should be thinking deeply, figuring out solutions to problems that we haven't encountered yet by using the wisdom of those who have come before us, and communicating clearly our thoughts and opinions. I'm just sayin'...
(In this blog entry I have effectively weaved together all fourteen banished words from the 2011 Lake Superior State University Word List. It wasn't even hard to do, frankly, which makes the words on the list even more scary. I hope you received your mental stimulation for the day. I know I thoroughly enjoyed the process.)

The Peace Tree

"Let us embrace the beauty of every culture and faith to create peace in our world." - Mitra Sen
When I was little, (well, even when I grew up), my mother called me a gypsy because I wanted to travel the world and see as much as I could.  I haven't been to a lot of places physically, but I've visited a ton of places through books, and continue to travel in my mind.  
When I became a teacher, I taught quite a large unit on prejudice, which included several weeks learning about the Jewish Holocaust during WWII (notice I didn't say "THE Holocaust" - because there have been so many of them throughout time, how can a person decree one of them being THE one?).  My students always asked me during that unit, "Ms. Clasen, are you Jewish?"  To which I would say, "Does it matter?"
Why did I mention those two things?  Because the world is a small place and all of its inhabitants inexorably connected.
I woke up this morning, the last day of school in ISD 191 before winter break, and carefully picked my outfit to wear.  In my sixteen years as a teacher, I've grown as a person and also as an educator.  Today, I deliberately picked a shirt that was blue and white (Hanukkah), had red and green (Christmas), green, red and yellow (Kwaanza), and red/yellow, dark blue/white (Eid).  Why?  Because at this time of year, I am very aware of the over-abundance of Santa hats and candy canes to those who do not fit that profile of belief.  Or to those who do not fit that profile of abundance (we have homeless people in our district for whom Christmas is as tangible as air).  I can leave these halls of learning and celebrate any way I celebrate, but while I am in these halls, I need to be a person who leads by example.  I want my children to recognize, understand, learn about, and embrace the fact that there are many different cultures and religions in this world.  
Did you know that the Golden Rule exists in no less than 13 different world religions?  There's a poster you can buy.  It's cool.  This rule cannot be laid claim to by just one religion.  That tells me something - that maybe we're more fundamentally alike than different.  Mitra Sen, the author of the quote with which I started this blog entry, is a filmmaker from Canada.  Her first independent film was called "Just A Little Red Dot", and with it she empowered young people to challenge racism and embrace the messages of peace and understanding between people of all backgrounds.  In the movie, three little girls find a way to overcome their parents' resistance to observing each others' celebrations (Christian and Muslim).  The girls create a peace tree- a tree that highlights symbols from many cultures and faiths to reflect the beauty of unity in diversity.  (see www.religioustolerance.org/peacetree).  The girls are celebrating peace and hope for out planet.
Many cultures (not just religions) have very important celebrations in December.  I forgot to mention that my earrings today are decorated evergreen trees.  That was a pagan symbol of the winter solstice long before it became a symbol of Christmas.  The white pine tree was a symbol of unity for the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (5 Nations).  It's also known as the tree of peace.  All of the December celebrations, however, have foundations in acceptance, love for one another, and everlasting peace.  That is what I am celebrating today - and that is what I wish for every student here and for every person reading this blog.

A Sense of Accomplishment

I am a perpetual student.  I am one of those people who really, really like to learn new things.  But it's more than that - it's the feeling of urgency that I need to learn some things in order to be effective in different areas.  Saturday, I finished a certificate program at Hamline University.  I was very excited to do so - not just because it meant the end of homework (well hey, that's a nice thing...), but that I had that sense of accomplishment:  that I pursued an avenue of learning, built that avenue as an opportunity for others, and then saw it through from beginning to end.
As adults, I think we have sometimes forgotten what it's like to engage in school learning, from the very beginnings to the "graduation".  We will learn things that we want to learn (community education, etc.), but that's different than a school program of study.  In these economic times, I think that more adults are more apt to HAVE to remember what it is like to go back to school, to read textbooks, to engage in classwork, to study, take tests and do homework.  But this is the life of our children - and frankly, just because we did that as kids, doesn't mean we understand their lives now.  Schooling has changed dramatically since I was in elementary, middle, high school.  Hey - it's even changed since I got my bachelor's degree and my masters degree!  I actually had a conversation with my professor about Skyping a class if the weather was too bad on Saturday to hold the class!  And I'm still learning that aspect of 21st century learning that our children, our students take for granted in their personal lives- the life of continual connectivity, of instantaneous information, of technological engagement.
But that sense of accomplishment on a job well done hasn't changed one stitch from when I received my honors in high school and in college.  It was a great feeling to see it through, to connect the learning to my professional life, to really embed some of the concepts in my thinking as a person.  That's what our children should experience, every single year of their schooling... that "WOW - this school year is done and look what I accomplished!"  "WOW!  I graduated high school and now am off to my next set of learning experiences, because I'm not done learning yet!"  I'm not talking about a dog-and-pony show style of teaching.  I'm not talking about being "buddies" with my students so they're happy every day and learning next to nothing.  I'm talking about instilling the love of learning in a person, to create teaching experiences that are relevant to them so that we are teaching our students how to apply that learning to their lives.  It's this type of learning that will keep them in school - beyond any one school year.
I want them to feel the sense of accomplishment I felt this weekend.
Now.... off to the next set of learning experiences!!!!!  (Yes, another program is on the horizon...)

The Other Side of Fear

Everything we want is on the other side of fear. - Farrah Gray

Who is Farrah Gray, you ask?  Well, Farrah is an African-American male from the south side of Chicago.  (Ever been to the south side?  It houses some seriously dangerous neighborhoods juxtapositioned with the University of Chicago, from where more Nobel Laureates have graduated than any other institution of higher learning in the world.  Interesting place.  I lived there - even as a Cubs fan.  That's like being a Packers fan in the Vikings fan sea.)  When Farrah was six, he was selling body lotion door to door for $1.50.  At age 7, he was carrying around a business card that read, "21st Century CEO".  (I think that's awesome!)  Well, he wasn't a CEO by 2000, which was the beginning of the 21st century.
He was a millionaire at the age of 14, in 1998.
For the last 40 years, America has spent THREE TRILLION DOLLARS (yes, that's "trillion" with a "t") on remedial education and school improvement models.  And here we are, with the gifted education world BEGGING to have its SEVEN MILLION dollar Javits grant back.  That equates to .00175 of the money we have spent on "reform".  By the time students in India and China finish high school, they are four years ahead of American students in their education.  To translate that, American students would have to finish college just to be on equal pace with Indian and Chinese high school graduates.
Here's a thought (and one that I like very much, thank you):  let's balance the score card.  Let's put the same emphasis on rigor as we do on adequacy.  I doubt any Packer fan or any Viking fan would want the coach and the team to focus on "average".  Why is it that we have such high expectations for our athletes and not for our academics?  Every single child, no matter the gift or talent, deserves rigor.  What do I mean by "rigor"?
1.  A construction of knowledge.  These are very important words, carefully crafted.  It's the construction of knowledge, not a simple regurgitation of facts.
2.  Sustained inquiry into important concepts.  Again, carefully crafted words.  Sustained, so not a one-shot deal (for students or staff, frankly).  Inquiry - so we are focusing on essential learnings and higher-order thinking.  Concepts - those overarching themes that can transcend content, such as "change".
3.  Meaningful connections to students' lives outside of the classroom.  School should not be separate from life - especially since we are requiring our students to spend so much time there.  School, and the learning that takes place in school, should be relevant.  Students should understand the importance of education and its direct relationship to their everyday lives.  And frankly, if we made school a place where meaningful connections were made (yes, they can be made in American History, in World History, in Language Arts, in math, in science, in economics, music, art, pick it - I could go on and on.  And while I'm at it, economics could relate to American History, to World History, to language arts, to math, to science... see where I"m going here?), it would be more fun to teach and more fun to learn.  Students and teachers alike would share a reciprocity - each would in turn be a learner and a teacher.
So... we should focus on passion, and focus on the prize.  But it's scary to go out of our comfort zone.  And frankly, American education is sitting in the middle of an extended comfort zone.  We've been doing things largely the same since agrarian times (summers off), and then our current system (age level learning, i.e. grade levels) was borne out of the industrial age of assembly lines and sameness.  So it's scary to leave all of that which we know behind and embrace a new way of doing things.
I don't know of a parent who would say, "I just want a so-so education for my child."  Or "it doesn't matter if my child really learns much or not." 
Everything we want is on the other side of fear.  Homer Simpson once said, "Trying is the first step toward failure."  Thanks, Homer, for that inspirational quote.  We may fail.  I have failed many times as an educator.  (Boy, I remember some of my lessons that I thought were going to be just great and turned out to be, well, good learning experiences... for ME!)  What's wrong with failing sometimes?  We all can't be perfect out of the gate.  But by giving in to fear and NOT trying, we are sending a LOUD message to our children - that they should not try if they can't get it right the first time.
I for one won't give my students that message.  That's why I'm in the job I'm in right now, and trying to effect change.  Farrah Gray is right.  What I want is right on the other side.

Integration: A Multi-Faceted Word. A multi-facted Path. A multi-faceted Responsibility

I have always told my students that in order to define a word, they could not use a form of the word in the definition.  So, how would one go about defining "integration" without using "integral", "integrating", etc.?  One definition says that integration is behavior that is in harmony with the environment.  (hmmm.  Interesting [and cerebral] definition here.)  Another definition is the "act or instance of combining into an integral whole".  Substituting "co-existent" maybe, for "integral" would help that definition.  A couple of definitions define integration by using the verb "integrating".  Yeah, like that helps.
So I'm taking some words from an article I read in Educational Leadership (Integrated Schools:  Finding a New Path, Nov 2010), where it talks about schools remaining a powerful tool for shoring up individual opportunity and attaining a thriving, multiracial democratic society.  I would definitely say that is an overarching charge of public education today. 
But what do they mean by "integrated schools"?  When one uses that term, are they referring only to race and ethnicity?  Socio-economic status?  Are they referring to heterogeneous classrooms of mixed ability?  Are they referring to schools which not only embrace but seek out ways to connect curriculum - to each other and to make it relevant to the world around our students?  Of course, I think of the Supreme Court when I think of the  use for "integration"  - specifically Plessy v. Ferguson (integrated train cars), and 1954's  Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka Kansas (did you know it was Topeka?  Good Jeopardy question.), and those cases both  had everything to do with race and ethnicity.  Once Brown v. Board was decided, districts, states, the federal government began using "integration", "desegregation" and "segregation" much more frequently, and strongly.  And as well, people's viewpoints on "integration", "desegregation" and "segregation" were (and are) just as strong.
However, when I think of "integrated schools", my curriculum brain starts churning and I think of ways that the "meat of the school" - the "stuff" that students learn - could be integrated.  And by integrated, I mean to each other (math and social studies, Language Arts and science), and integrated into real life.  In that respect, I believe that is the truest, and most challenging, aspect of integration befalling public schools.  If we truly wish to integrate, we need to get to know our students.  Their learning modalities, their lives outside of school, what gets them excited and what they already know.  We search, and re-search (yes, re-search, as in "search again and again and again... don't be complacent here!) ways to make learning come alive to our students at every step of their developmental and academic journey.  Sometimes we are lucky.  I stumbled upon a website today that truly got me excited about teaching - it's called Let Freedom Swing, and it integrates the teaching of American Jazz and the concept of democracy.  Talk about tapping into different modalities!  And talk about integration!  Music and social studies.  Just AWESOME!  (check it out:  http://www.letfreedomswing.org  - it's a collaboration between Rockefeller Center and Teachers College at Columbia University!)  Take it one step further, and one could connect jazz to today's rap and hip hop.  And then we could connect music to poetry.  And poetry to the First Amendment.  And the First Amendment to new discoveries in science.  And so on and so on. 
And if we did this - if we (and I am using "we" collectively here, as in communities of which public schools are a cornerstone) took the time to integrate what students learn with how students live, we would "shore up individual opportunity and attain a thriving, multiracial democratic society", to use the words in the Ed Leadership article.  We would be nurturing a generation of critical thinkers and active citizens who proactively thought about their futures, their learning, their communities. 
Integration is not just color, although race and ethnicity do matter, greatly.  It's not just about equality (maybe there's a word for a future blog post - because can we truly be equal?  Or should we?).  It's about providing challenging coursework that is relevant to today and to the future.  In other words, integrating school with society.  Integrating a deeper understanding of ourselves and others in order to create and thrive in that challenging environment.  Integrating pedagogy with sociology and psychology to give students the opportunity to become active, critical thinkers.
It's taking that multi-faceted responsibility and running with it.

My Heart Starts Fluttering Like Butterflies...

...so describes a senior in Hartford Connecticut, one of the poorest cities in one of the richest states in the country.  This girl was failing.  Years of doing poorly all but extinguished hope for her.  She thought about quitting school.  But school restructure, providing choice for students, gave a glimmer of hope for her, and she sees the possibilities of a good future now.  She's taking PSEO classes at a community college, and states, "When I start seeing those As and Bs, my heart starts fluttering like butterflies."
Could there be any sweeter words spoken from a student in education?  I'll speak metaphorically here.  The butterfly has always been a symbol of rebirth and new life. The very hungry caterpillar turned into a beautiful butterfly, even after he ate tons of junk food and got a bellyache.  When I think of butterflies, I think of metamorphosis and transformation.  The insect is no longer anchored to a tree branch or a set of leaves; rather, it has the sky as the possibility.  (If you're an Eastern monarch [like from Minnesota], you get a cool winter home in Mexico!)
What better metaphor for what we're trying to do here at Harriet Bishop, or, for that matter, what better metaphor for education in general?  This girl nearly quit school.  Now she's getting As and Bs, and her heart flutters like butterflies. 
That's what I want for the students in this school and this district.  To savor the taste of success; to build on that success and know that the future is as wide as the sky.
I want their hearts to flutter like butterflies.

Continuing the Learning Curve

I wish there were 36 hours in a day.  Then maybe I could learn everything I needed to learn in a timely fashion.  I'm sure our students think that, too, or maybe they don't.  But I need to take a page from my students' playbooks when continuing my technological learning curve!
Today I joined Twitter, because...well, if I'm expecting my teachers and students to learn new things and keep up with the ever-changing world, I need to do the same.  I want to keep current and fresh on research and news, and use that information to help me better serve my students, teachers and district.  I'm not going to lie:  it's a learning curve.  In the matter of two weeks, I've jumped into the waters of a smart phone and the life of a Twitter account.  It's daunting!  But I think of my former students, and when they were asked to read the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut (yes, I asked them to read that paper), and I'm sure they felt the same way I am feeling now.  The language is different, the flow is different, navigating through that information is different - just like navigating through Twitter and learning the language of a touchpad (does a touchpad have a language?  I think so.).  And like my students, I will get better and better the more I am immersed in this. 
This is the future of education in this country, as it should be.  Education cannot continue to be the "sit and git" it was for the last...200+ years (it has changed VERY little since the 1960s - and think about what computers looked like then!).  Students need to connect all content areas to their very lives and the lives of those around them (and by that I mean the entire world, because the world is much smaller than it used to be).  I stated this morning in a meeting that if students had I-Pads and smart phones in their hands to use as tools for their schoolwork, they'd be more apt to come to school.  I mean it.  Relevance is critical to all our students; however, some students can seek that relevance and others need to have it placed in front of them.
Where better to continue the learning curve than with the innovative use of technology in schools?  With the adults for whom technology is not as second nature as it is to our children? 

Summer Fun (and learning...)

Watching my son sprint today to his classroom at The Works Museum in Edina reminded me that just because it's "summer vacation" doesn't mean learning can't occur.  So far this summer, Samuel has made himself into a warrior (complete with warrior paint on his forehead), researched dinosaurs on the internet, is learning to add and subtract, and is reading independently up a storm!  Pretty hard books for an incoming kindergartner, with words I never knew he could figure out!  Today at The Works, he made a battery-powered boat and a really cool and crazy car.  He is figuring out circuits and power sources, and is trying to understand weather patterns.  We went to Barnes and Noble, where he promptly told me he had to go straight to the science section, because "Mom, I love science!"
He is like the characters in his favorite show.  (Yes, his favorite show is "Phineas and Ferb", and yes, he tries to make every day a great day [he has even said that to me before].  Personally, I like Phineas and Ferb, too.  Any show that has a duck-billed platypus as a secret agent is okay in my book.)  Samuel and I read every single day - we take turns... I read, he reads.  He does some math every single day, and we catch ourselves doing math when not really doing math.  Learning is happening all around, and I truly believe that environment of continual learning, even "on vacation", will only help him as he begins his formal schooling.  School isn't just nine months a year, in a contained classroom in a certain building.  If we do it right, our children will find that the world is one big, exciting, challenging and rewarding school.

Harriet Bishop Scores Even Higher!

Harriet Bishop students, parents, and staff have a lot for which to be proud. Recent preliminary MCA-II scores released by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) indicate 87% of our students are proficient in math and 83% in reading, tops in the District 191, and higher than most other schools in the area. and But that’s not the whole story.

Math

Last year, Harriet Bishop switched our instructional model in mathematics. Students throughout the school were engaged in mathematics instruction at the same time. We pre-assessed our students before every math unit and flexibly grouped students based on their levels of readiness. This approach helped us to maximize our support staff and encouraged team teaching and collaboration amongst our staff. Harriet Bishop saw an overall proficiency increase of 4% in math. In addition, almost all of our measurable subgroups saw the same increase or better, with a whopping 27% increase in proficiency for our Free or Reduced Lunch Population (FRP) of students!

Reading

Harriet Bishop teachers have begun to implement the Schoolwide Enrichment Model in Reading framework (SEM-R). SEM-R teachers integrate strategies instruction with book hooks to create interest in books and boost motivation to read. They also use student independent reading time to meet individually with students to provide additional instruction in strategy use as well as higher-order questions to challenge and engage readers. This approach helped us encourage students to pursue challenging independent reading in texts they choose and improved reading fluency and comprehension. Harriet Bishop saw an overall proficiency increase of 1% in reading. In addition, almost all of our measurable subgroups saw the same increase or better, with an impressive 19% increase in proficiency for both our Hispanic and Black populations and an 18% increase in proficiency for our FRP students.

Instructional Changes, Research, and Becoming a Magnet School

To see an INCREASE in student achievement is remarkable in the first year of a major change. There is much research that suggests that when a major organization goes through a major change, as Harriet Bishop did in becoming a Gifted and Talented magnet school, a dip in productivity, such as student test scores, is likely. Changes disrupt equilibrium. People find themselves less confident in the new versus the established. New knowledge, skills, and instructional practices take time and often come with hiccups that need to be addressed and adjusted. It is for these reasons that we have always said it will take us three to five years to develop into a successful magnet and fully realize the educational effects of our changes. However, to see the effects of our instructional changes across all subgroups and disciplines after the first year is truly rewarding. Imagine the possibilities and the future!