Tuesday, December 22, 2009

New focus for high schools: "grade 13"

I saw this article today, with information that new federal guidelines will require high schools to "show how they increase both college enrollment and the number of students who complete at least a year of college."

This will be very interesting data, and I'm looking forward to seeing it. But I hope the feds include some money to help schools collect the data, because there's plenty of work involved. The U.S. and state departments of education have a way of heaping requirements on the schools without giving them the funds to do the work they're asking for.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Advanced Placement issues

The board approved adding AP (Advanced Placement) English to the LHS curriculum starting next year. This year is the first year for AP European History. As Lebanon High School adds more AP courses, this is an interesting discussion about the merits of this program.

My hat is off to Kevin O'Rourke (LHS principal) and his staff for offering the most rigorous courses. I like the idea of offering these courses for students who are ready for them, and motivated to take them, but as these panelists make clear there are some complex questions that come up with these courses.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Superintendent pay

The Indianapolis Star is running an article on Sunday (print-only) about school superintendent pay packages. Their job is to sell papers, so they're teasing the story with lines about superintendents having "CEO-like perks."

On the web site today the Star has an interesting
chart showing base salaries of 44 metro-area superintendents (including Lebanon's), with links to benefits details and pdf files of the actual contracts. From time to time I hear people questioning how much our superintendent Dr. Robert Taylor is paid. This chart shows that his base salary is 24th on the list, and a look at benefits of a few other superintendents near his pay level shows that his benefits are in line with, or more modest than, those of his peers.

This week's headlines about K-12 funding in Indiana are grim, and the administration and board will be looking at some tough decisions in the next few months. The good news is that Lebanon has been very fiscally conservative, and is operating with a healthy cash balance and a decent Rainy Day fund. We're also fortunate to have pretty steady enrollment--corporations with strong growth or severe enrollment declines are hurting more than we are.

The administration and teachers union are currently negotiating a Master Contract for teachers in the district, and administrator contracts won't be signed until the Master Contract is settled. But earlier this year the board decided not to give any administrators raises for this year. Our administrators work so hard, and so well, and last year they led the district to Exemplary status. But this was the only sensible thing to do given the bleak economic situation. In absorbing the cuts that are coming, the board will work to spread the pain so that hopefully no one feels it too much.


Tuesday, December 8, 2009

There's nothing like spending time in the schools

Yesterday I spent a full day at Lebanon Middle School, and in the past couple weeks I've also spent a day (each) at Harney and Central elementaries. There is so much to learn from spending time in the schools. Observing classes, talking with staff and students, checking out the cafeteria, the library, and the art on the walls helps me understand what's happening in that school, every day.

Overall I'm so impressed with what I find. Caring, passionate teachers, well-behaved students focused on their work, buildings in good repair, and attentive administrators are the norm. One of my frustrations with working with and for the public schools is the widespread cultural perception that our schools are "failing." They most certainly are not!


It's not all sunshine and daisies, of course. There are a few students being disciplined or dozing off, a smattering of teachers who look like they'd rather be elsewhere, some rattling radiators and roof leaks. There's always room for improvement, and schools are focused on that as never before. They really have to be, since the law of the land requires constant improvement.


I met a special education teacher who is new to LMS. She has taught in the Carmel schools, at North Montgomery High School, and in a private school, but wanted to return to the public schools because she's passionate about the work that needs to be done. I asked her what she thinks of LMS so far, and she said she sees very hard-working teachers and students who want to learn. This is great to hear from someone who has worked in several other schools.


I had a long conversation with LMS principal Brad Allen, asking him where their successes and challenges are currently, how his staffing is meeting his needs, what the building needs, how they're adjusting to the new Acuity testing, whether teachers have and are using the technology that's available, what retirements he's anticipating ... and the list goes on. The work of schools is fascinating, and there are so many moving parts (new state standards, textbook adoptions, new testing models) to keep track of.

Here's one current challenge: the LCSC is in a "math adoption" year, in which a committee of teachers, administrators, and parents chooses math textbooks for students in K-12 which will be purchased and used for four years. This process starts with the Indiana Dept. of Education (IDOE) publishing a list of approved books from which to choose. Then the committee examines these books, discusses them, meets with publisher representatives, makes a selection and recommends textbooks to the board. But here we are in mid-December, the IDOE has recently published new math standards, but it hasn't published the "acceptable book" list yet. The committee needs to present its recommendation to the board by early spring in order to get books ordered so that they'll be here in early August. They will have very little time in which to examine and discuss their choices. Sigh.


Thursday, December 3, 2009

LHS graduation rate tops 90%

Dr. Taylor announced last week that the graduation rate at LHS for last year was 90.03%! This is a tremendous accomplishment, since only four years ago the LHS graduation rate was 80%.

Many congratulations to LHS principal Kevin O'Rourke, his capable, energetic staff, and the LHS students for this wonderful accomplishment.


(In case you're wondering where this figure comes from, the state calculates it in the same way for all schools in the state--it is not a self-reported number.)

Renovation plans start moving!

The board had a work session Tuesday with the team from Schmidt Associates architects, who we've hired to get us through this first planning phase and a probable referendum vote.

The short version is that Lebanon High School is 51 years old. While it's been maintained well, it needs renovation to insure we can get 20-30 more years of useful life from the building. That is the goal of this project! We're going to focus on functional, cost-effective design, energy efficiency that will help pay back the cost of the project, and the needs of staff and students who are in the building daily.

If you'd like more detail, read on!

The Schmidt team spent several days meeting with LHS staff to see what the needs are for those who work in the building every day. A few areas came up repeatedly:
  • Traffic circulation in the building is right and maze-like
  • Corridors are too tight ("I" hall is particularly notorious)
  • Entry and main office is not secure, and the location isn't clear enough
  • Building and site need better signage
  • The PA system should be "zoned" so the whole building isn't interrupted for every announcement
  • Handicapped access needs improvement
  • Many rooms are too small for the number of students in them
  • More storage is needed throughout the school
  • The Media Center location is awkward and should be more central
  • Space is tight in the cafeteria, band and choir rooms, and special needs classrooms
  • The Auditorium lacks space backstage, and the curtains, lights, sound, and pit need updating.
Perhaps the most critical issues are in the mechanical/electrical/plumbing/technology areas:
  • Temperature control is inconsistent or not available
  • Electrical system is unreliable and outdated (some outlets do not work at all)
  • Lighting in rooms is inadequate
  • Plumbing is actually failing in places, and more restrooms and drinking fountains are needed
  • Technology needs to be integrated through the whole school
The board and administrators at the meeting added the following:
  • The roof needs to be replaced
  • Exterior brick is in disrepair and needs extensive tuckpointing or replacement
  • Asphalt, sidewalks, and curbs are broken down
  • The courtyard is wasted space and should be reconfigured.
Assistant Superintendent and CFO Charles Tait pointed out that renovating in the next couple years has two large advantages: bids will be low because contractors need the work, and interest rates are very low.

What's next? Over the next 60-90 days the Schmidt team will focus in on these needs and design solutions for them. Meanwhile, Umbaugh and Associates is crunching numbers with help from administrators so that as soon as possible we can clearly explain the cost and tax impact of this project to LCSC constituents.

A 1028 hearing will likely be scheduled for Spring 2010, at which the maximum bond amount for the project will be set. There will be many public meetings and media coverage of this project over the next several months to listen to community priorities and concerns, and educate the public about the condition of their school buildings. It's likely that a referendum will be on the ballot in November 2010, in which the community will vote in favor of or against the renovation project. The referendum process is new to Lebanon, so we'll all be learning about it together.

A final note: I will post updates here regularly. But right now much of this information is preliminary. I will do my best to make clear what's "possible," "likely," "potential," and what's been firmly decided. Please feel free to comment, provide input, or ask for clarification--I hope this blog will be a valuable source of community feedback.