I have repeated the phrase “everyone an ambassador” at school board meetings, in public, and this column on numerous occasions. These are not just words to us, we are on a quest to create ambassadors amongst our staff and our families, and have vowed to be ambassadors ourselves.
Next fall we will host a “Principal for a Day” event in which individuals will be invited to spend a full day getting an unvarnished look at what it takes to run a school district. We hope to invite key community members with a wide range of views. Space is limited and only a handful can be accommodated for the experience to be meaningful, but if you would like to be considered, please contact me.
Also next year, expect monthly “Patron Tours,” which will allow for larger groups to get a more general, half-day look at the day-to-day operations of a public school.
Do we want to create ambassadors with these events? You bet! We are confident when you see our hard-working staff, polite and dedicated students, and our successes despite great challenges, becoming an ambassador for the district will be an easy decision.
At the district level, many are participating in important discussions at the state and speaking to legislators, bringing our challenges to the forefront. In these efforts we are working hard to be ambassadors for the district and the community.
We are dedicated to doing a better job sharing the wonderful things happening here, the exciting innovation, and the daily success stories of students and staff.
It is common knowledge that a strong school system is important to a strong community. We intend to start showing off the wonderful experience we offer here, and we hope you will join us. Together we have much to accomplish and it is together that we will get there.
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Friday, May 13, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
The future of middle school sports
When the school board approved the 2011-12 budget recommendation it approved the elimination of some middle school sports, including boys and girls soccer, baseball, and softball.
Those sports were chosen for a number of reasons. They cannot easily be combined into a 7-12 sport like wrestling or tennis, both of which were combined between middle school and high school for next year. Also, the capacity existed for local sports associations to put in place opportunities for students to play their chosen sport at either the recreational or traveling level.
When the planning process for the budget got underway in earnest, the district reached out to the North Branch Area Athletic Association (NBAAA) and the response was very positive.
We have had several meetings with representatives of different sports and the cooperation between the district and those associations has been wonderful. Everyone involved in the process has been driven by a common goal; do the very best we can to continue to offer kids the opportunities they need to be successful in school and in life.
For those parents who will be making use of the association provided athletic opportunities in soccer, baseball, or softball, I encourage you to keep an eye on the NBAAA Web site (http://www.northbranchsports.org/).
One thing that could be a significant change from participating in these sports at the middle school level is the sign-up process. It is likely that sign-up for NBAAA opportunities will take place well in advance of traditional middle school sports, which occurs just prior to each season. At the association level, sign-ups can take place months before the start of a season to give clubs a chance to make sure coaches are in place, uniforms ordered, fields scheduled, and equipment provided.
The cooperation between the district and the NBAAA is an inspiration, and demonstrates what can be accomplished when interests come together to provide opportunities and save money.
(end)
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Those sports were chosen for a number of reasons. They cannot easily be combined into a 7-12 sport like wrestling or tennis, both of which were combined between middle school and high school for next year. Also, the capacity existed for local sports associations to put in place opportunities for students to play their chosen sport at either the recreational or traveling level.
When the planning process for the budget got underway in earnest, the district reached out to the North Branch Area Athletic Association (NBAAA) and the response was very positive.
We have had several meetings with representatives of different sports and the cooperation between the district and those associations has been wonderful. Everyone involved in the process has been driven by a common goal; do the very best we can to continue to offer kids the opportunities they need to be successful in school and in life.
For those parents who will be making use of the association provided athletic opportunities in soccer, baseball, or softball, I encourage you to keep an eye on the NBAAA Web site (http://www.northbranchsports.org/).
One thing that could be a significant change from participating in these sports at the middle school level is the sign-up process. It is likely that sign-up for NBAAA opportunities will take place well in advance of traditional middle school sports, which occurs just prior to each season. At the association level, sign-ups can take place months before the start of a season to give clubs a chance to make sure coaches are in place, uniforms ordered, fields scheduled, and equipment provided.
The cooperation between the district and the NBAAA is an inspiration, and demonstrates what can be accomplished when interests come together to provide opportunities and save money.
(end)
Read more!
Monday, April 18, 2011
District business is now easier to find
North Branch Area Public Schools is making a change regarding how it shares school board meeting agendas, packets, and podcasts this week and we believe this change represents an improvement to citizens’ ability to find the information they need.
The change is the result of Budget Boot Camp, and utilizes an online product called Boardbook to facilitate paperless meetings.
Overall, the switch to paperless meetings will save the district thousands of dollars a year in staff time and printing costs, a good thing in these current economic times. It also allows the district to more readily share information prior to meetings, as we can now very easily make the school board packets available to the general public online.
As well, it allows us the ability to keep all of our meeting information in one place, and documents, agendas, and podcasts from each meeting easy to access with fewer clicks! Going forward, all meeting information will be available in a single place.
Please stay tuned to the district home page (www.northbranch.k12.mn.us) for details regarding how to find and use Boardbook. Links will be placed under the “district office” drop-down menu and will also accompany meeting announcements placed on the main section of the page as those meetings approach.
We are very excited to be making use of yet another online tool to provide our families, public, and staff the information they need to be aware of what is happening with the district and make informed decisions regarding the future of education in North Branch.
As always, please feel free to call the district at (651) 674-1000 if you have any questions or require assistance using this innovative feature.
(end)
Read more!
The change is the result of Budget Boot Camp, and utilizes an online product called Boardbook to facilitate paperless meetings.
Overall, the switch to paperless meetings will save the district thousands of dollars a year in staff time and printing costs, a good thing in these current economic times. It also allows the district to more readily share information prior to meetings, as we can now very easily make the school board packets available to the general public online.
As well, it allows us the ability to keep all of our meeting information in one place, and documents, agendas, and podcasts from each meeting easy to access with fewer clicks! Going forward, all meeting information will be available in a single place.
Please stay tuned to the district home page (www.northbranch.k12.mn.us) for details regarding how to find and use Boardbook. Links will be placed under the “district office” drop-down menu and will also accompany meeting announcements placed on the main section of the page as those meetings approach.
We are very excited to be making use of yet another online tool to provide our families, public, and staff the information they need to be aware of what is happening with the district and make informed decisions regarding the future of education in North Branch.
As always, please feel free to call the district at (651) 674-1000 if you have any questions or require assistance using this innovative feature.
(end)
Read more!
Friday, April 8, 2011
Making our voice heard
As you may have seen in press releases this week, high school principal Coleman McDonough has been chosen to be a part of Commissioner of Education Brenda Cassellius’s Working Group on School Funding. There are a number of reasons why I can’t think of a better choice.
As an educational leader and former teacher, Coley is a passionate advocate for education with a laser-like focus on making sure education works as well as possible for families. Since arriving in North Branch last summer, he has demonstrated time and time again that his first priority is children.
As well, he is not afraid to speak his mind, and community members can be confident their interests will not be on the sidelines as the funding group works toward its goal of creating equity in education funding for all students.
Perhaps most importantly, Coley is a parent and has children in, this district. As a parent, he wants the what we all want for our kids; the same opportunities offered countless students statewide not living in regions that face the challenges we face here. Like other parents in our district, he is bound and determined to see that the students of North Branch Area Public Schools (NBAPS) have a brighter future as a result of this process.
Equity in school funding is the most major issue facing NBAPS and the families it serves, and we are approaching the issue from a variety of angles. As Coley is making his voice heard at MDE, I am heading a subcommittee of Schools for Equity in Education exploring the possibility of suing the state for its failure to uphold its constitutional duty to provide a uniform education for all students.
As well, school board members are making their presence felt even now at the Capitol on our behalf.
I mentioned some weeks ago that we all must be ambassadors of the district. These are just a few examples of how the district is taking that message to heart.
Read more!
As an educational leader and former teacher, Coley is a passionate advocate for education with a laser-like focus on making sure education works as well as possible for families. Since arriving in North Branch last summer, he has demonstrated time and time again that his first priority is children.
As well, he is not afraid to speak his mind, and community members can be confident their interests will not be on the sidelines as the funding group works toward its goal of creating equity in education funding for all students.
Perhaps most importantly, Coley is a parent and has children in, this district. As a parent, he wants the what we all want for our kids; the same opportunities offered countless students statewide not living in regions that face the challenges we face here. Like other parents in our district, he is bound and determined to see that the students of North Branch Area Public Schools (NBAPS) have a brighter future as a result of this process.
Equity in school funding is the most major issue facing NBAPS and the families it serves, and we are approaching the issue from a variety of angles. As Coley is making his voice heard at MDE, I am heading a subcommittee of Schools for Equity in Education exploring the possibility of suing the state for its failure to uphold its constitutional duty to provide a uniform education for all students.
As well, school board members are making their presence felt even now at the Capitol on our behalf.
I mentioned some weeks ago that we all must be ambassadors of the district. These are just a few examples of how the district is taking that message to heart.
Read more!
Everyone an ambassador
There’s no doubt circumstances beyond our control hurt the district and community. Problems with funding plague us, and the pursuit of operating levies frustrates district and community alike. Staff and program reductions trouble those with children in the district or who remember a different time, one of growth.
Between our efforts to collect local revenue and the need to cut, there is ample opportunity for stakeholders to feel frustrated. That frustration often manifests as anger at the district.
With the economic downturn - very much a local issue - circumstances are exacerbated.
Lost is a community focus on the quality education we offer at North Branch Area Public Schools (NBAPS); replaced by an almost constant aura of negativity. As a partner with the community we feel that negativity and how it affects the district, but we also know it affects the community and its future.
Most realtors will tell you strong schools are a must for families looking to move. That was important when gas was cheap and home values climbing; it is much more important in times of expensive gas and challenged housing markets. People won’t start coming until we give them ample reason. Recovering economically can start by ending the divide between district and community.
The district works hard to be transparent and forthcoming. We are starting to see community partnerships that ease the burden of cuts.
We all need more.
We must become ambassadors for the community; its beauty, people, opportunities, and yes, its schools.
Don’t trust us? Call me and let’s talk. Think we mismanage the district? Give us opportunities to demonstrate differently. Don’t think much of our schools? Come see our quality. There are many reasons to champion our schools. Tax hawks will be impressed with how efficient we’ve become. Those passionate about education will love our innovations to maintain quality and variety.
There is something for everyone to love at NBAPS. If that message were carried with the same enthusiasm as negativity, we may start to see a change in the economic landscape.
Read more!
Between our efforts to collect local revenue and the need to cut, there is ample opportunity for stakeholders to feel frustrated. That frustration often manifests as anger at the district.
With the economic downturn - very much a local issue - circumstances are exacerbated.
Lost is a community focus on the quality education we offer at North Branch Area Public Schools (NBAPS); replaced by an almost constant aura of negativity. As a partner with the community we feel that negativity and how it affects the district, but we also know it affects the community and its future.
Most realtors will tell you strong schools are a must for families looking to move. That was important when gas was cheap and home values climbing; it is much more important in times of expensive gas and challenged housing markets. People won’t start coming until we give them ample reason. Recovering economically can start by ending the divide between district and community.
The district works hard to be transparent and forthcoming. We are starting to see community partnerships that ease the burden of cuts.
We all need more.
We must become ambassadors for the community; its beauty, people, opportunities, and yes, its schools.
Don’t trust us? Call me and let’s talk. Think we mismanage the district? Give us opportunities to demonstrate differently. Don’t think much of our schools? Come see our quality. There are many reasons to champion our schools. Tax hawks will be impressed with how efficient we’ve become. Those passionate about education will love our innovations to maintain quality and variety.
There is something for everyone to love at NBAPS. If that message were carried with the same enthusiasm as negativity, we may start to see a change in the economic landscape.
Read more!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
The budget recommendation
Last Thursday (March 3) the district presented its 2011-12 budget recommendation to the school board. It includes $1.2 million in one-time resources used to mitigate the severity of cuts, and another $1.2 million in cuts to bring next year’s budget in line with expected resources.
As is always the case, the district used the Strategic Plan, written by staff and community members, as a guide. This year we also had direction from the school board in the form of the fall levy questions, which asked for funds to protect teachers, electives, athletics, and fine arts offerings.
There are significant changes to activities at both the middle and high school level, reductions in elective offerings, and, of course, cuts to teaching staff, unavoidable here after so many years of cuts. I am sure many of the details appear in this issue of the Post Review, and the public is welcome to visit our web site (www.northbranch.k12.mn.us) to learn more.
However, it has also become our custom to try and add enhancements to the educational experience at North Branch Area Public Schools. Budget cuts are a fact of life here and should not hinder us from providing as many opportunities as possible. This year we were able to add three new college credit courses, which will save families much in tuition costs following high school.
We have also expanded world language offerings K-12, improved gifted and talented programming, provided more support for students and teachers, and made transportation improvements we hope will attract new families to the district.
You can learn more at our web site and provide input as well. There will be a public hearing on the recommendation this Thursday, March 10, 6 -7 p.m., in room 126 of the North Branch Area Education Center.
Budget season is always a very difficult time for staff and the families we serve, and this year is no different. We appreciate the support of the community during these challenging times.
(end)
Read more!
As is always the case, the district used the Strategic Plan, written by staff and community members, as a guide. This year we also had direction from the school board in the form of the fall levy questions, which asked for funds to protect teachers, electives, athletics, and fine arts offerings.
There are significant changes to activities at both the middle and high school level, reductions in elective offerings, and, of course, cuts to teaching staff, unavoidable here after so many years of cuts. I am sure many of the details appear in this issue of the Post Review, and the public is welcome to visit our web site (www.northbranch.k12.mn.us) to learn more.
However, it has also become our custom to try and add enhancements to the educational experience at North Branch Area Public Schools. Budget cuts are a fact of life here and should not hinder us from providing as many opportunities as possible. This year we were able to add three new college credit courses, which will save families much in tuition costs following high school.
We have also expanded world language offerings K-12, improved gifted and talented programming, provided more support for students and teachers, and made transportation improvements we hope will attract new families to the district.
You can learn more at our web site and provide input as well. There will be a public hearing on the recommendation this Thursday, March 10, 6 -7 p.m., in room 126 of the North Branch Area Education Center.
Budget season is always a very difficult time for staff and the families we serve, and this year is no different. We appreciate the support of the community during these challenging times.
(end)
Read more!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
NBAEF comes full circle
Although it went largely unnoticed in the general scheme of things, this week was historic for the district and community. Years of effort culminated in what is sure to become a tradition; the awarding of grants by the North Branch Area Education Foundation (NBAEF).
The idea started as a district Strategic Plan goal and was embraced by many who worked tirelessly these last few years in pursuit of creating a foundation as a source for local financial support of new educational initiatives and scholarships.
Last fall, the foundation held its first major - and very successful - fundraiser and raised thousands of dollars. The foundation used a portion of those funds to create an endowment and cover operating costs, and was able to make $10,000 available to teachers in the form of local grants.
This week, the majority of those grant requests were acted upon, and most were approved.
Because of the foundation, and the generosity of the community, microscopes will have a sorely need cleaning, students will have the opportunity to use “smart response” systems in class, early childhood students will have the educational benefit of smartboard technology, and there may be more to come.
The foundation is a very worthy cause. The dollars raised don’t go far away where the benefit is never felt. It is local leaders, making local funds available to local students and a fine example of the support the district has in the community. I hope you consider this worthy cause as you look for opportunities for charitable giving. Go to: www.nbaef.org to learn more and see how you can be involved.
The district and community owe the foundation and its supporters a debt of gratitude that will only grow from year to year. On behalf of all those who have benefitted - and the many who will in the future - I extend my personal thanks to everyone who made this historic occasion possible.
(end)
Read more!
The idea started as a district Strategic Plan goal and was embraced by many who worked tirelessly these last few years in pursuit of creating a foundation as a source for local financial support of new educational initiatives and scholarships.
Last fall, the foundation held its first major - and very successful - fundraiser and raised thousands of dollars. The foundation used a portion of those funds to create an endowment and cover operating costs, and was able to make $10,000 available to teachers in the form of local grants.
This week, the majority of those grant requests were acted upon, and most were approved.
Because of the foundation, and the generosity of the community, microscopes will have a sorely need cleaning, students will have the opportunity to use “smart response” systems in class, early childhood students will have the educational benefit of smartboard technology, and there may be more to come.
The foundation is a very worthy cause. The dollars raised don’t go far away where the benefit is never felt. It is local leaders, making local funds available to local students and a fine example of the support the district has in the community. I hope you consider this worthy cause as you look for opportunities for charitable giving. Go to: www.nbaef.org to learn more and see how you can be involved.
The district and community owe the foundation and its supporters a debt of gratitude that will only grow from year to year. On behalf of all those who have benefitted - and the many who will in the future - I extend my personal thanks to everyone who made this historic occasion possible.
(end)
Read more!
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