“Diversity: the art of thinking independently together.”
– Malcolm Forbes

It’s back to school time across the USA and Illinois! In the Deerfield Public Schools our teachers have been hard at work all summer and they are eager to return to their classrooms. The 25 new teachers have been engaged in New Teacher Orientation since August 11, and all staff return to the Welcome Back Kick Off Institute on August 18. Finally, our 3000 students will return starting on August 22. We in education get “do overs” every year! While we have but one opportunity to create the best and most impactful experience for each of our learners, we as educators get each year to refine our craft, hone our skills, and improve.

The Deerfield Public Schools are Future Ready! From innovative curriculum & instruction resources and practices to devices and engaging learning spaces, we are constantly improving and changing and learning how to get better at education. This year’s summer construction has been extensive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the major frameworks upon which my beliefs are based is the Education Reimagined framework (the five core components are listed above). We’re seeking educational offerings that enhance and support the 4C’s (communication, collaboration, creative thinking, creativity). We are reading and learning all that we can in an effort to improve and refine our craft.

Workers have been quite busy renovating the four elementary school libraries, installing four SMART labs for STEAM learning, renovating the middle school art and music spaces, and re-cabling the entire school district!

This year marks the current executive leadership team’s fourth year in the district. Our aim is to Engage, Inspire, Empower each and every member of our organization – students, staff, leadership team, parents, community, everyone! We’ll continue to measure success and input and feedback with surveys and outreach. This year we’ll also start the strategic planning process where we’ll seek the input in focus groups, surveys, and interviews to ensure we’re representing the community values, norms, and visions for education.

The key to our student success is and will continue to be creating learning environments that support learning, growth, success, the 4C’s, innovation, creativity, and JOY!! We want to bring back and sustain joy and happiness in our school system.

Thank you for reading, commenting, helping sustain our success as a premier public school district. We Engage, Inspire, Empower as a matter of practice, vision, and course. This year the district proudly offers Innovation Grant II where a number of the teachers will push the limits and explore additional ways to facilitate learning in new, creative, and innovative ways. Through the blog and other communication venues we’ll share our story. We’re on a journey.