Coming up like daffodils

It's 30 days until the May 6 election, and the first day yard signs are allowed in Lebanon. So my family and I drove around town today "planting" yellow and black yard signs. If you have one--thank you for your support! If you'd like one, e-mail me at the address to the right and I'll bring one over.

Remember, if you want to vote in the May 6 election, you must be registered by Monday, April 7. Call the Boone County Clerk's office at 482-3510 for more information. Absentee voting will be conducted April 7 - 28, and there is also voting at some satellite locations. Call the Clerk's office for details.

Enjoy the lovely spring days, when we're lucky enough to get one. Thank you for reading.

State of the schools

At last night's board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Bob Taylor gave his "State of the Corporation" talk, covering everything from enrollment numbers to programs under consideration. It's a good idea for any large organization to take stock once a year or so, and this kind of overview is probably helpful for Dr. Taylor himself, as well as the board and the larger community.

Dr. Taylor said they plan to make the Power Point presentation he used available on the corporation Web site, and I'll provide a link when they put it up there. But for now, here are a few highlights:

• No plans for a new high school. LHS is 50 years old this year, and there have been 4 renovations/additions during that time. Enrollment isn't growing fast enough to warrant plans for a new high school, but some crucial aging infrastructure at LHS will probably need to be addressed. Taylor mentioned plumbing, electrical, and technology needs. (I think I've heard discussion of the HVAC system as well.) There are studies underway to see what's needed and what it will cost.
• Two ISTEP tests next year. As the state moves to spring ISTEP testing, it will require two tests in the 2008-09 school year, one in fall and one in spring.
• Program audits. Taylor is having several components of the LCSC curriculum evaluated for their effectiveness. Last year the literacy program was audited, an audit of the programs for high ability students is underway right now, and next fall they will audit the math programs across the district. A tentative audit of special education programs is set for 2010.

There's plenty more, but it would make for a too-long post. Drop me an e-mail if you have questions or comments, and I'll post a link to the Power Point presentation once it's made available.

Addendum: Here's a link to the presentation Dr. Taylor gave at the school board meeting. Click on the hyperlink under "State of the Corporation: http://www.leb.k12.in.us/community.asp

Excellence ... Leadership ... Stewardship

Summing up a campaign in three words is difficult--especially for someone like me, who tends to use too many words rather than too few. But these are the three I have settled on, and here's why.

"Excellence" is about setting a high standard for everyone affiliated with the Lebanon schools. We need a school culture that encourages and rewards excellence from all students, all teachers, all administrators, all staff, in the classrooms, in athletics and in the arts. We can't measure every student using the same yardstick, but we can work toward having every student achieve to the very best of her or his ability. "Good enough" isn't the standard any of us wants to see in our workplaces, our government, or even our sports teams! Striving for excellence means refusing to settle for "good enough" schools. As a school board member, I'll do my best to fill that role with excellence as well.

"Leadership" means being part of a board that takes responsibility for the policy decisions of the LCSC. With an annual budget of $32 million and 450 employees, the school corporation has a huge impact on our community. As a school board member, being a leader means studying the impact of different forces on our schools (government initiatives, budget issues, educational programs, demographics) and carefully coming to decisions about how the school corporation can best respond. Leadership also means letting school personnel do their jobs. The board is a policy-making body, and board members must not micromanage the administrators and teachers in the district.

"Stewardship" may seem like an unlikely word to choose. I think of stewardship as our fundamental responsibility to leave the world a better place than we found it. As a board member, this means being a responsible, creative, prudent caretaker of our children, our personnel, our facilities and our budget. A good steward takes care of the present and plans for the future.

Thanks for reading. Please drop me an e-mail with any questions, comments, or suggestions. And don't forget to vote on May 6!

"Fair" Weather

Last night our family finished the round of February "fairs": science fairs at LMS and Central, and World's Fair at LMS. I also had the chance to judge the 6th-grade Science Fair at LMS on Monday. I know there are also science fairs this time of year at Harney, Perry-Worth and Hattie B. Stokes.

Here's Nina and her group with their excellent teacher, Eric Williams, at World's Fair, last week:

Like many parents, I often groan when "fair" time comes around. We're plenty busy with regular schoolwork, community and church activities, work, and swim practices, without adding in extra school projects.

But I'm usually happy to see the results of the extra effort, and this year was no exception. Students have to come up with an idea and really see it through, then they have to talk to adults about it. This is a unique learning opportunity, and takes them out of the round of reading, writing, and preparing for quizzes and tests. Some students really have a chance to shine, and show abilities that might otherwise never be recognized.

If you have helped with projects--buying supplies, checking over reports, finding resources for a student, judging or just coming to see the projects--thank you. And if you get a moment, you might thank the teachers who put these fairs together.

It's a Race

As of this afternoon, there are four candidates seeking election to the two city of Lebanon school board seats. (Remember, all voters in the LCSC boundaries vote for school board members from all districts.) The filing period is closed; the field is set.

I look forward to a good campaign! As the days get warmer and longer I'll be out and about, knocking on doors and listening to Lebanon families--with and without children in the Lebanon schools--about their concerns. Do you have a comment, suggestion, or question? Drop me an e-mail using the address on this page.

More Good News
Lebanon High School received recognition in the form of a Red Quill Award, for using student test data to improve its curriculum, and for improving test scores. LHS is the only school in Indiana to win this award this year, and one of only 17 schools in the Midwest. Congratulations to staff, faculty, and students at LHS and LMS (some of the testing is done in 8th grade) for this accomplishment!

Here's the link to coverage in The Lebanon Reporter: http://www.reporter.net/local/local_story_053002430.html

Thank you for reading, and for your interest in the Lebanon schools.

Good News

At the monthly school board meeting Tuesday the new corporation Web site was introduced. It looks like a much better, more effective and professional way to access lots of school information than the previous site. You can check it out here: http://www.leb.k12.in.us/

LCSC Superintendent Dr. Bob Taylor begins each meeting by giving the board and audience some "good news" about the Lebanon schools. Among his news this month was Central Elementary's designation as a Four Star school, LHS senior Valerie Coulter being named a National Merit Finalist, and LHS senior Scott Milam receiving a $1000 scholarship from the IHSAA, the first time a Lebanon student has been awarded this scholarship. LHS Principal Kevin O'Rourke mentioned in his presentation that LHS has achieved "AYP" (Adequate Yearly Progress) under No Child Left Behind regulations for the first time in several years. That's good news indeed.

If I'm elected to the school board, one of my high priorities will be to help get "good news" about the corporation out into the community. I know from experience that The Reporter doesn't have adequate staff to really cover education news in Lebanon, so the corporation has to get creative, and get the good word out!

Early days

I went to the Indiana School Board Association candidate forum in Lafayette last evening, with Michael Burtron, who is also running for a city seat in May. (Remember, there are two city seats, so you can support two candidates.) There was some great information presented about what school boards do, and what they don't do, and ethical guidelines for school board members.

They also gave us some reading material, so I have homework to do! The ISBA puts on educational programs for school board members several times a year, so in essence you go to "school board school" after you're elected, to help you up the learning curve. The Lebanon Community School Corporation has an annual budget around $32 million, and with 450 or so employees is, I believe, the largest employer in the city. Between setting educational policy, taking care of school facilities and negotiating contracts, the school board has a big job. Everything I'm learning makes me more excited to take on the challenge.

I'm planning to do more active campaigning a little later, once the evenings are a bit warmer and lighter. These winter days are a good time to get my homework done. Thank you for reading, and please let me know what your concerns are about the Lebanon Community School Corporation.