BSD "Measures Up" Breakfast

It was a very informative week tracking down information about BSD results.

For today’s posting, let’s talk about the BSD breakfast on Friday morning.  Next time you hear about one of these events MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO ATTEND.  It was an opportunity to hear from our district leaders and to hear their vision firsthand.  Superintendent Mark Holodick, Director of Elementary Schools Dorrell Green and Director of Secondary Schools Lincoln Hohler spoke about how BSD “Measures Up”.  Three polished and articulate speakers – they did better than some CEO’s I’ve heard in the area – plus you can hear that they are committed to their educational causes and approaching their efforts in a professional manner. 

So I didn’t “drink the kool aid” entirely.  I understand that this was a marketing campaign to entice community leaders and brag about everything that is happening in BSD.  But the fact that they have a VISION that speaks to the mission we all see posted on the stationary and in the offices of many of the schools – “EMBRACE, INSPIRE AND CHALLENGE EVERY STUDENT, EVERY DAY” – shows that there is a strategic level of commitment to BSD and ALL of our kids.  Moving any public education system into the top rankings of the 21^st century is going to take a considerable amount of effort.

Now as parents we need to match their efforts – by educating ourselves and staying involved in the process.  Here’s what stood out for me:

• Professionalism and customer service are keys to meeting the expectations of parents – they get that this is critical for any “business” in being successful and deemed competent to meet goals.
• That they have goals and a vision that the Executive Team can articulate that matches my hopes as a parent for my kids, gives me some comfort. 
• Some of the issues you hear about with other school districts and their implementation of RttT definitely concerned me as to the potential of BSD.  As a parent, I’m feeling a bit more reassured at the district level.  I now need to be able to measure that at my local school(s) and from all services providers in contact with my kids – from secretaries to bus aides to teachers to principals.  Some times I see it – but other times may be not….
• Great marketing effort.  Clear and consistent voice of the vision.  Hearing all the great things that are happening in various corners of the district makes me as a parent optimistic that my kid(s) have a chance at learning some great stuff. 
• Can the BSD deliver this level of service to ALL kids?!  If my kid(s) is not in one of these great programs, then what?  I need to be aware of the strengths and the weaknesses within any given school environment.  I need to hear about and see some of the “warts” in the system to know that it’s not all “fairy dust” and that the district can identify areas of weakness as well for continued growth.
• “The rubber still has to hit the road” – what’s really happening in the classroom and within the school environments?  Once I can measure that in action and know that it matches more of the vision, then I’ll be confident as a parent that we’re on the right track 
• See disappointments of DCAS to understand some of my skepticism – that political “boondoggle” is beginning to make my blood boil with the amount of money DDOE wasted and the opportunity lost.
• In order for BSD to be accurately measured as to their efforts, the comparison has to be on a national or international scale.  I don’t think their efforts are comparable to other neighboring DE districts. 
• So as a parent, I need to look outside the state and do my research there.  Maybe there are other competitive districts down state or in Dover, I’m not sure.  But I don’t think it’s Red Clay or Christina that I should be comparing BSD to.  May be Garnet Valley school district or up near Kennett Squareis a bit more realistic.  Either way, in order to keep BSD “honest” with the measure of success for its efforts, I’m looking beyond the boundaries of DE.

• Where are the parents?  That was one of the reasons I started this Blog as I couldn’t hear or see the parent efforts in these system-changing discussions. 
• I was disappointed at the turn out at PTA meetings as a new year started and even exasperated at the focus of the meetings knowing, just a bit, about all of the educational endeavors going on.  And PTAs/Parent Groups can’t be all about fundraising.  Where is the advocacy?  Identifying the challenges within school operations that need parent support?  Educate our groups about the issues – we tell our kids “knowledge is power”.  That doesn’t stop once you’re an adult.  Gaining knowledge and information about our educational services & systems is a life-long effort.  We as parents (and taxpayers) need to keep our school systems on the cutting edge in the 21^st century and it’s not easy. It’s complicated BUT oh so necessary.  We need to KEEP OUR LEADERS HONEST AND ACCOUNTABLE to these campaigns. 

It’s going to take us as parents to find each other and the issues/concerns that will energize us – because they impact the whole system, which in a trickle down effect – my school, my classroom and teacher and thus my kid(s).

So what is “energizing” you as a parent?  Let me hear from you!  Am I alone in my opinions? The only one who has these concerns? Let me know.

DCAS Note:  I am compiling a “fact sheet” on background info on DCAS.  But here is a little nugget – With ONLY 3 other states using the company that administers DCAS (Hawaii, Minnesota and Oregon), how much of a national comparison is that? I also find it a bit ironic that all the other states are far west of the Mississippi, yet our Supreme Court currently only has representation of East Coast educational institutions.  Mmmm.