Do I have time?

Is it time to put my thoughts out there again. Do I have time? Does anyone want to hear them?

Capture my thoughts

Over a year ago I shared our story. My intentions were to chronicle our journey but last year got away from me. I do know, however, that my thoughts are worth capturing. I could not be more proud of where we are as a school. Andrew Jackson High School, under our leadership has made history. Our school's F-grade made us a household name in the state. Questions about student performance, teacher quality and my competence riddled throughout our state. Yet, our teachers never gave up and our students worked harder. When school grades posted January 2013 we had moved from the lowest F in the STATE to a grade of "B"...29 points from an A!!! As I talk to my staff, colleagues, mentees, I often end up in a conversation about "how"..."how did you guys really do it?"...."how did you really turn Andrew Jackson around?" The truth is there is not just one answer. Reform literature talks about changing culture, focusing on teacher quality and "getting the right people on the bus." While we did all of those things we have also built quality relationships with students, focused on their data and helped them realize they are not "F" students even though their school's grade posed a challenge. So where do we go next? I am so energized our school's progress. At the beginning of this school year our community partners have invested in our school in a grand way.... The University of Florida, The Jacksonville Jaguars, The Bridge of Northeast Florida, just to name a few. National organizations such as City Year have entered our school ny way of support of our community and school district and are making a difference daily with our students. So where do we go next...only up!! I'm baaaaacccckkkk!!! This time...for good. Stay tuned.

My time is now

From googledocs, to Twitter to Facebook to regular emails...I have found it hard to keep up. However, I feel this is a year that will be history in the making...it's important enough to capture.

Just to catch you up, our school system has opted to transfer academic control our school to an educational management company, Educational Directions. While the transition has been a quick one, it has been rather smooth. With only 2 weeks in we still have a few wrinkles to press out but all in all we are ready to roll.

With yet another year at Andrew Jackson High School it is obvious to see the foundation has been laid and is rather securely set. With this being year four, I have suceesfully ushered a group of ninth graders through to their senior year. I know them all and they know me...they are my children. With year four families are connecting me to Andrew Jackson and feel comfortable with our process and plan......this will be a great year.

BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY....but today I wept

It's the end of the 2nd week of school. While our enrollment is slightly down, like most high schools across the nation, it has been a fabulous opening. The students have been amazing, teachers have been inspiring and there has been an overall sense of calm at the school. My school has experienced such growth over the last 2 years and while I am beginning my third year, I am excited about the possibilities.

During week one, I met with all underclassmen, as most school leaders do...welcomed them back, introduced myself to the new ones and shared with all our expectations. I let them know about our culture...you know, the way we do things here. I love providing incentives for the students but was not completely thrilled to announce our first school wide "pep rally." After all, as I told the students, they had done everything I asked them to do over the past 2 years and it was time for me to recignize that and give htem something they really wanted. This group of seniors had only been at the school a year when I got there and quickly comformed to my expectations. But....it still did not stop me from being nervous.

We spent 2 weeks ordering t-shirts, as I wanted all the students to be in the same shirt, graduating classes only seperated by colors. The students were not excited about the shirts initally but were thrilled about the pep rally and wanted to make certain everything went well so I would not have a reason to "exercise my right to change my mind," which I always reserve.

It's 1:15p.m. our radio personality T-roy and our DJ are in place. The activities director has made a list and checked it three times.....we are ready to go. The students enter in their flow of black (c/0 2011), grey (c/o 2012), beige (c/o 2013), white (c/o 2014)and the games began. The AFROTC, our flying TIGERS did presentation of colors and then the music started pumping. The seniors started to scream as T-Roy recognized the Class of 2011!!!

During the course of the rally I could not help but stand back and smile. My teachers were having a blast...the kids were having a blast and things were great. When it comes to school, it really doesn't take much to make me happy...quality teaching, kids enjoying school, adults building relationships....it all makes me happy. As I stood back and looked at the students I thought about how far we had come. I thought about the many successes we had witnessed over the last 2 years. I thought so many thoughts and with misty eyes...I smiled.

The big game night. Five hundred tickets sold in the first hour. Two thousand people later I was still waiting for the other shoe to fall. I look out over the crowd and hear my name being called repeatedly. I get hugs around my neck from behind, only to turn and see 2010 graduates showing me love. Telling me all about college as many were thanking me for caring enough to make certain they did what was necessary to graduate.

At the end of the night I was overwhelmed. It wasn't as if this was our first game ever or as if we had walked away with the victory as we had so many times in the past...but as I thought about the whirlwind week, the excitement from the students the connection of the teachers, a moment stood still. Our theme for the year is "It's Our Time...Dream, Dare, Do!" Earlier that day a student asked me as I was standing in the hall, Ms. Wright, why dream, dare, do...another student promptly chimed in..."at first our success was a dream...we dared to be successful but still came a little short...this time around with our hard work we will be successful...we are the group to do it." I stood in awe and with a mild nod, I said, "Exactly."

The night is over, the game is over, but the work is just beginning. As the tears began to stream down my face I heard the words we say every day...Tigers exhibit...Togetherness, Integrity, Greatness, Enthusiasm, Respect and Success. I thought about where we've been, envisioned where we are going and like a baby, eyes no longer misty, I cried.

It truly is OUR TIME!!

10 year old intellect, Dalton Sherman's keynote speech

It' OUR TIME

The new school year is upon us and I have really set my sights on figuring out this secondary reading thing. I mean..let's face it...high school teachers never expected to have deal with whether or not students know the short and long "o" vowel sound or whether or not they were caught on the second syllable of a multisyllabic word...but...it is, what it is. Many of our students cannot pass the high stakes tests and I am convinced...based on our data...it's because they are stuck in the weeds with the actual skill of reading. While I do not propose that we "send them back to elementary until they get it right:" I have elementary aged daughters. I propose we bring elementary to them. That we meet them where they are and get them to reading before time for FCAT.

The million dollar question is how. Well, I must proclaim...I am not the expert, but I am an extreme researcher and all over the research about reading. What I gather is this...get ready because this is huge...they will not get better until we address their deficits. WOW...rocket science, right? NOT!!! Just time consuming. I feel a bit in awe that I, of all people, did not know the resources available on the state's reading site. I mean, I've been to training, but what they show the administrators has to be different because I swear I did not know this stuff existed. I don't think my former reading coach did either, otherwise she would have saved herself a lot of time pulling random passages (mental note...send her an email.) Nonetheless, it has a wealth of information. THEN I found this AWESOME resource at our county. While her job is RtI, she has a background in reading...GO FIGURE. Well, just by asking questions she led me to really cool stuff and we now have a "program" that will not cost thousands of dollars. OUR PLAN..pretty simple, Use a simple screening assessment......instruct using age appropriate materials(we selcted some resources from ABE)....and use the scaffolded materials from the state's site for progress monitoring...that's it. Now, you may be thinking...are you crazy..that's way to simple but who has time to do it in high school. by the way...did I mention...monitoring the data using google docs....now, that's it.

Bottom line...we have to meet them where they are and teach them to where we need them to be...can we do it? YES WE CAN!!! Stay tuned!

Phase 2

While reviewing our preliminary scores has been a celebration, the reality is before me. I believe we have shown significant progress but just don't see the necessary 65 points to get us off "THE LIST." This is one time that I hope I am wrong, but I don't think I am.

However, I really don't have time for a pity party. We have done great work, yes the numbers are telling, yet there is still much left to do. Our lens have a way of helping us to shift focus. I am convinced that we can effect "massive" change with our children...and they are exhibiting a willingness to let us to do so. While we talk much about the strategy of reading, it may be time to focus on the skill of reading. Nuts and bolts, nitty gritty.

In reviewing Locating and Correcting Reading Difficulties, I am inspired by what I read. I am ordering one for every reading teacher and informing them that they are to become READING SPECIALISTS. I mean, let's face it...that's what it's going to take if we are going to remove the bites from the elephants. While we are investing in a new reading program, that really excites me, I cannot move away from the need to focus on the fundamentals.

For all those who say it won't work..watch our smoke.