I Love Thursday Walks!

The favorite part of my day is when I get to spend time in buildings, interacting with students and staff, and SEEING the impact of the implementation of professional learning and continuous school improvement actions!

So far, Dr. Grover and the Cabinet have had the pleasure of visiting 12 of our buildings so far during Thursday walks!  What a great opportunity for us to learn more about the schoolwide intentional goals, strategies, and actions that directly align with the district priorities as well as hear from principals about the celebrations and challenges occurring this year.

Just in case you are wondering, I'm going to share a summary of some common themes and unique happenings that we are "SEEING" on our visits.

In many of the buildings, we are "Seeing" schoolwide expectations visible in the halls, classrooms, and common areas and hearing staff refer to them as they interact with students.  Common and clearly defined expectations provide a predictable and consistent environment for students. When the conditions for learning are strong, the opportunities to focus on core instruction increase. 

In addition to strong conditions for learning, there has also been an evident focus on professional growth.  Standards-based targets, success criteria, and students working in groups have been observed in the majority of classrooms so far.  Transforming instruction from teacher-centered to student-centered instruction is how we will achieve the GIPS vision and ensure our students meet our graduate profile.  Thank you to our teachers and instructional coaches for everyday efforts to deepen understanding and improve effectiveness with these instructional strategies!
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A focus on growth and improvement!  PLC's are the conduit to ensuring this happens for all students!  As a Cabinet, we have not participated in PLC's yet, however, principals have described how the intentional focus on standards-based planning, goal setting, and developing common assessments to align with what students need to know and be able to do is improving guaranteed and viable curriculum.    Here is a link to our PLC progression as a reference for your teams as you engage in this important work!

Relationships and solution-focused approach!  Staff is visible and intentional in developing relationships with students and parents and it's paying off!  When issues arise, the focus is on finding solutions. Our support staff and special programs are making a difference, ensuring all students have the opportunity and access to high-quality education.
Students are being celebrated with "Cougar Paws", "Bulldog Paws", "Wildcat Way recognition" among so many other examples.  Celebrations of success can occur in many different ways-be sure celebrations of both staff and students is part of your day!

Every Student, Every Day, A Success!  We are "SEEING" first hand how our teachers are teaching hearts as well as minds!

Keep the momentum going and know that we will be back to see and celebrate continued progress!  Thank you for your commitment and dedication to our students!