“It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed.”
– Napoleon Hill

As we prepare to reflect on the State of the District, our annual progress, our triennial success report, and all that is good about the Deerfield Public Schools District 109, I reflect and I am taking some time to share my reflections in this post. What is my vision of teaching and learning? What is our vision of teaching and learning? What is the district’s vision of teaching and learning? As I’ve stated and written before:

In District 109, the 2015-2016 school year has been an exciting one of change and great growth for students, teachers and staff. With our focus on the Big 5, together we continued to reach our mission to engage, inspire and empower our students — our entire community — to excel and contribute in a changing world.

The Big 5 are:

The Illinois New Learning Standards (also called Common Core State Standards)
Technology
Support for teachers
Organizational climate and culture
Superintendent’s Task Force on Middle Level Education

All that we do is for student learning and engagement and for teacher/staff learning and engagement. Vision: Engage, Inspire, Empower – all students, each other, and our community. Simple yet powerful words.

Talk about Committee of Ten 1892… Back in 1893 when our school system was formed this was the vision … well, a lot has changed since folks attend school in the little red school house!

Or has it??? These past three years in DPS109 have been transformative – we have moved the “needle” from 1893 to 2016.

We have started to transform learning spaces designed for student learning and innovative teaching.

We have started to redefine what teaching and learning is.

We have started to redefine what standards aligned instruction and reporting is.

We have started to collect, share, and use data – survey data, achievement data, engagement data, culture data, climate data, energy use data … to improve student and staff performance.

We have started to live Engage, Inspire, Empower.

We have started to tell our stories around the village, county, state, region, nation, and world.

We have started to prepare our students for the 22nd Century!

We have started to measure success with evidence, impact, and pride.

We have increased the rigor in our classrooms.

AND MORE …

I’m so proud of “Team DPS109” and #Engage109 – because of these talented people with whom I work the future is looking bright!

It is not 1893 … it is not meaningful to teach everyone the same way – it is not impactful teaching and learning in 40 minute chunks – or is it? Why do we ring bells and move children like factory workers? Are the structures we have in place (and don’t know any different) maximizing the impact of our talented teachers and our talented students?

I have a vision that learning will be personalized and learning spaces will be designed to accommodate all learners every day – 10 days out of 10 (to cite a Todd Whitaker message). I have a vision that all teachers will have the support and training they need to learn, grow and improve. I have a vision that all of our DPS109 teachers will experiment with the vast library of digital resources we have put at their fingertips so see what digital tools can do for all students. I have a vision where we maximize learning opportunities concomitantly for ourselves and for our students!

What’s my vision? Excellence in education