October meeting

Our October 20 regular meeting was not broadcast on Channel 19 as it usually is. Not sure why that is, but I'll hit some highlights here.

• After a year of hearing from different architects about the needed renovations at LHS and Central, we voted to contract with Schmidt Associates school architects to work on facility assessment and survey, conceptual project design, community input and communication, and the 1028 and referendum processes. The work is to be performed for a total fee of $42,000. I'll be writing more about these projects as we move ahead. This is LCSC's first building project since the new law requiring a ballot referendum for any projects over $20 million. There's plenty to do, and plenty to learn. The board is committed to getting community input and answering questions. In all likelihood there will be a referendum on the Nov 2010 ballot.
• The board presented Indiana's 2009 Teacher of the Year, Mr. Byron Ernest, a plaque in recognition of his award. He's working on his portfolio to submit for the national contest, and will travel to Washington, D.C. in the spring for that event.
• Mrs. Jackie McNutt, LHS medical technician, clinic staff, and all around great team player, was recognized as the corporation's classified Employee of the Month.
• 1.5 teaching positions were approved for Harney elementary. A full-time Title I English Impact Teacher, Bailey Collins will help at all grade levels with literacy, and a half-time teacher Kyle Endres will help the two large 4th-grade classes at Harney.
• Mr. Will Pullins presented LCSC's ISTEP+ results from the Spring 2009 testing. Because this was a new test results were a little different, but LCSC is ahead of state averages in every grade level and building.
• Mr. Bob Ross reported that absenteeism due to flu and other illnesses is running higher than usual, but not at alarming rates. Absenteeism varies widely from building to building and week to week, and was 7.5% last week for the corporation (it's usually around 3-4%). We're all hopeful that next week's break will allow for thorough cleaning, and a break in the cycle of contagion!
• The board approved the 2011-12 calendar, which has students starting school on Aug. 12, graduation is June 1, and the traditional breaks are preserved.

If you're an LCSC parent, I hope you got a chance to attend parent-teacher conferences this week! I hope students and families have a great fall break. (I love fall break!)

Twenty-first century challenges

Tom Friedman's column in today's New York Times argues that the indispensable workers of the near future will be those with the imagination and problem-solving skills to take on the structural changes in the economy.

This argument melds well with the presentation I discussed a couple posts ago, by Dr. Yong Zhao of Michigan State University. Friedman says "our schools have a doubly hard task now — not just improving reading, writing and arithmetic but entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity."

We're not going to get there by over-reliance on assessments and just going back to basics. Education has to be in front of this imagination and creativity curve--and that's no small task, particularly in an environment of shrinking school budgets.

Zero tolerance

In recent years schools have been more-or-less forced to adopt "zero tolerance" policies regarding students having anything in school that might be used as a weapon, or any type of medicine.

This can take ridiculous forms, as this article in today's NY Times illustrates. I know I can't send my children to school with an ibuprofen or a cough drop in their pockets, and last week I made sure to e-mail the high school principal to get permission to bring two craft knives to school (after hours) for Nina to complete a group project for her math class.

Do schools need more discretion in cases like these? Is there room for "common sense" to prevail, or is zero tolerance the only way to go in these times? Whom do we trust to make these "common sense" decisions?

Quality schools = higher property values

It's interesting to write a blog post while my kitten is roaming around the computer desk, walking on the keyboard and sitting in front of the monitor!

On to the topic. A column in today's Indianapolis Star reminds readers that quality schools are closely related to property value. In fact, the author asserts that, "Property values are driven primarily by the reputation of the local school corporation."

The Lebanon Schools are not asking voters to approve a tax increase to help the general fund, as several central Indiana districts are. But the board is looking closely at renovation plans for both Central Elementary and Lebanon High School. A referendum to approve these projects, and the tax adjustment to fund them, is likely sometime in 2010.

Both these buildings are likely to be serving students for many years to come, and both are more than 50 years old. The needs at LHS are more substantial than those at Central. You can only fix the HVAC (that's heating, ventilation and air-conditioning), plumbing, electrical, and technology systems so many times before it's time for a complete re-do. Parts become unavailable or very expensive, fixes become more frequent, and new systems will provide more efficiency and long-term savings.

Whatever the board puts before the community in a referendum will have one eye on what our students and staff need to optimize learning, and the other eye on careful stewardship of taxpayer dollars. Stay tuned!