- Thank you again to Jon Nelson, Dawn Salbrieter, Eric Sulik, Scott Staude, Barb Berezowitz, and Joe VanDommelen for assisting with coverage for Dina Weis. And... welcome back Dina! Dina was able to live stream from home for the past two weeks while her daughter had to quarantine. Also, thank you to Sue Bekken for covering Katie Newholm for the same reason here and there throughout the past two weeks!
- Thank you to Kim Moss for coming over to the high school to fill in for Lois Cramer when needed. Just so you all know, Kim will be at BHS on both Tuesday and Wednesday this week for Lois. If you have budget questions, etc this could be a good opportunity to talk to Kim :)
- Thank you to Scott Staude, Donna Sturdevant, Jon Nelson, Hans Block, and Patti Tenhagen who all were observed or who met with me for a mini follow up and the principal of the alternative high school, Sue Poppe, was with me! If you ever see a shadow with me it probably is Sue! She has been working on her administrative license and asked if she can gain her hours with me - so - you will see her here and there with me!
- Kudos to Jenny Geyso for all of her behind the scenes work with JEDI. The world of JEDI is new to us (in terms of needing to use our own staff) and Jenny has been killing it! Molly Ebbers has been hired for 20 hours per week to assist Jenny - and she thought she was just going to retire :)
Myth 1: “Educational Resources Are Equally Distributed Across Schools”
Educational resources include the allocation of school funding, teachers, supplies, facilities, and more. They also include less quantifiable but equally important resources, including exposure to a rigorous curriculum that tests grade-level mastery, culturally relevant pedagogy, college-access resources, opportunity for family engagement, and teachers and school leaders who hold high expectations and learning standards for all of their students.
However, in our current education system, resources are not equitably distributed among students, schools, and communities, with schools in low-income communities receiving far less.
These resources are more than just items on a school budget—they are necessary for ensuring that all children are able to achieve strong academic outcomes, regardless of race or income. Resource allocation determines the level of supports students are able to access during their education. Without these supports, students may not be given what they need to thrive in schools, whether it’s accommodations for learning disabilities, counseling for trauma, or a balanced breakfast for those without access to healthy, fresh foods at home.
They begin to fall behind. And as the academic disparities between them and their more affluent peers grow, it becomes increasingly difficult for these students reach the height of their potential. Our 100-year-old school system was not designed to anticipate these 21st-century obstacles to an excellent education, nor is it structured to ensure all students are able to overcome them.
Myth 2: “Low-Income Children and Children of Color Are Receiving Enough Educational Resources to Succeed Academically”
On average, U.S. school districts serving the largest populations of Black, Latinx, or Native students receive roughly $1,800 less per student in state and local funding than those serving the fewest students of color. And these funding disparities have a direct impact on what’s taught at schools in these districts. Schools that primarily serve students of color, for example, are able to offer far fewer advanced courses than schools that primarily serve white students.
The consequences of this inequity are clear: Every year, 1.3 million students drop out of high school in the United States. More than half of those students are students of color, and most are low-income. And although these students are born with just as much potential as their more affluent peers, students growing up in low-income communities are 2.5 times less likely to be college ready.
This unequal distribution of academic funding and resources along the lines of race and income, along with the added burden of low expectations, institutional racism, and other systemic injustices, takes its greatest toll on students of color and students from low-income backgrounds and their potential to succeed academically. This is known as the opportunity gap, because we know that when given the resources and opportunities they deserve, all students have the potential to achieve.
Myth 3: “Educational Inequity Is an Issue That Doesn’t Have Widespread Impact”
When millions of children aren’t given what they need to learn, our whole society misses out on the potential of entire generations whose minds, unique talents, and visions for a better future are never realized. As the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. so famously said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Educational inequity also weakens our economy. The costs of failing to close educational opportunity gaps are enormous and will only continue to grow with time if left unaddressed, according to a report by the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, “The Economic and Fiscal Consequences of Improving U.S. Educational Outcomes.” Our country’s ability to compete in the global economy suffers when low-income students and students of color are not being given the opportunities they need to thrive and lead in our workforce.
- National Equity Project
- As a school district we have committed to the work of equity, one of our "Big Three" - Universal Access - by working with the National Equity Project. We have a committee working to learn and grow as a district to ensure we do everything we can to close the opportunity gaps and see our blindspots. One staff member from the Karcher that is on the committee is Kurt Rummler, thank you Kurt for your willingness to serve on such an important committee!!! There will be more to come in the weeks, months, and years ahead!
- Absent Students:
- If you happen to be contacted by a parents/guardian that their students will be absent please forward the email to Jessica Bailey so that we can take care of needs behind the scenes with attendance. This also helps us not double up on communication with families!
- Student Masks
- As we move forward, please remind families in your communication that students should be coming with clean masks. Some like to wear the same ones over and over again, which we all understand. Just some friendly reminders to run them through the wash when washing other items at home would be great!
- Socially Distance
- As staff it is vital that we all continue to be mindful of remaining more than 6 feet from each other throughout the school day.
- When planning, plan together but be on opposite sides of a classroom.
- During lunch time make sure you too are socially distancing yourselves as well.
- To do our part at working to keep our students in-person as much as we can we have to be mindful of our distancing from each other - as Steve Plank shared in his email to the district.
- District Information Literacy Committee
- This is a new committee that will be replacing the technology committee, if you are interested in serving as a committee member please reach out to Sally Nie!
- Classlink
- This is just a reminder that the district purchased the platform "Classlink" so that students would have a "one stop shop" for all the applications and websites they utilize for the school district. If you need help understanding class link or have questions about it please contact the technology department as they would be happy to assist!
- 2021-2022 Elementary Attendance Boundaries
- The Elementary Attendance Boundary Committee brought their recommendations to the board this past Monday night for the redrawing of the attendance boundaries due o the addition of Dyer becoming a 5th 4K-5 elementary building. Information was also shared out from the district to families this past week!
- Staffing for 2021-2022 will be starting in October.
- Due to the addition of Dyer as a 5K-5 grade building and adjustment to our grade configuration for the new 6-8 middle school we will be working to determine staffing for each of our buildings within the school district with the intent of all staff knowing where they will be teaching by Christmas time. Support staff it may take a bit longer as it will be a bit more student dependent (especially for our special education aides).
- 6-8 information with Dyer staff
- On October 6th I will be meeting with the Dyer staff regarding 6-8 new Karcher information via a Zoom from 7:20-7:45.
- Two topics for the Zoom will be:
- A furniture update as we will be working through furniture purchasing between now and Christmas break.
- Essential Skills as we will be going to a standards-based gradebook 5K-8 for the 2021-2022 school year.
- This is simply one way to bridge the gap between 7-8 and 6th grade when it comes to information for 6-8.
- October 8th - Inservice
- Teachers time will be from 8:00-4:00 district wide.
- 8:00 - 10:00 (Teacher work time)
- 10:00 - 12:00 (Sessions relating to technology)
- 1:00 - 2:00 (Equity Time)
- 2:00 - 4:00 (Teacher work time)
- More to come relating to the 10-12 and the 1-2 time frames.
- Support Staff an adjustment to the time frame we would like you all to be participate will now be from 10:00-4:00!
- Our why is to include you in the technology sessions, equity time, and to have time at the end of the day to work with your teacher you are supporting in the second classroom.
- District Essential Skills Committee
- The first committee meeting for this year will be on October 12th. Those serving on the committee have been communicated with but I wanted to share that the focus this year for Essential Skills will be on our K-12 grading practices! If you have any questions please let me know!
- Flu Shots are coming up for staff!
- An email will come out soon relating to flu shot sign up for the below to dates/times. For this year you have to select a specific time frame for your shot. There will not be walk-ins due to COVID protocols.
- There will be two different dates/locations all staff can select for your flu shot if you would like one. Both locations the time frame will be from 2:00 - 5:00pm.
- October 7th at Dyer
- October 14th at BHS
- Lucky Star Fundraiser Days will be back this year!
- Karcher will be on October 12th and 13th. We have the coupons all cut up and will get them in your mailboxes to distribute to your 1st hour (7th grade) and 4th hour (8th grade).
- 7-12 Special Education Teacher Training with CESA 2.
- Our special education teachers have begun the journey of understanding how minutes should look on an IEP relating to Specially Designed Instruction (SDI).
- They will continue this work on October 14th!
- 9:00-11:00 will be working through accommodations.
- 1:20-2:20 will be middle school sp ed staff only walking through one of our IEPs and what adjustments does CESA 2 recommend.
- 2:20-3:20 will be the high school team working through a high school IEP (same concept).
- Sp Ed staff - please get these times on your calendar so that you don't gook an IEP during either of the MS times!
- Monday, September 28 - Picture make ups for students who missed picture day or who need retakes for the "A" Group students.
- The photographers will be here from 7:00 - 11:00.
- If you too missed picture day please make sure you get your picture taken!!! We need your picture for the yearbook :)
- JEDI students are also able to come in for pictures during this time (Just FYI).
- Monday, September 28 - BLT Meeting from 2:40-3:30
- We will meet in the library as we do have the ability to really spread out to socially distance as a group!
- We will focus on:
- Any tweaks we need to be thinking about when it comes to how things are going so far for term 1.
- Furniture for 6-8 update
- 6-8 schedule information
- Wednesday, September 30
- EL Aides training
- From 9:00 - 3:00 in room 245 at BHS.
- Building Level Time starting at 10:30 in the auditorium to socially distance with a minimum of 3 open seats between each staff member. We will briefly meet to discuss iTime plans starting on October 5th. Please start thinking about what iTime needs are after working through this two week rotation teams came up with.
- Special Education Department Meeting at 2:00 in the library (to socially distance).
