Norm's Notes

Thanks to all of our volunteers

2010-04-23T10:09:00.000-05:00

National Volunteer Week comes to a close today. I’m fortunate enough to spend plenty of time in our schools every week where I get to see the positive difference volunteers make for students.

I wanted to share two more notes of thanks from staff at our schools.

From Nicole Kimbrough, Holland Elementary principal:

Margaret Lockmiller, “Miss Margaret,” is here almost every day, serving students and helping in first grade. She is a like a stand-in grandmother to the students and supports the teacher in any way that she can. Mrs. Carol Lohmeyer is here on a weekly basis to support the work in our other first grade classroom. She does a variety of activities, including a weekly Book Bag program which helps students become more fluent readers.

From Barbie Lyons, Pershing Elementary/Middle School volunteer coordinator:

Shannon Nagy is a parent of a Pershing seventh grader. She volunteers her time not only with multiple PTSA responsibilities and goes beyond that as well. Shannon is in charge of our watchdog program and works several times a month in our school office answering phones and assisting the secretaries.

Renee Gammon and Ann Neu are two very special volunteers that Pershing is lucky to have. Both ladies had students here years ago, students who are now college-aged. Because of their fond memories at Pershing and their desire to volunteer, they have been faithfully spending many hours in the Pershing school office helping wherever needed.

I want to thank everyone who gives their time on behalf of Springfield’s children. Your selfless dedication builds strong school communities which foster student success.

If you haven’t yet volunteered to help out your neighborhood school, I strongly encourage you to do so. I promise that you’ll find it to be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. So will the kids you meet.

Contact our Partners In Education office at 523-0021 to get started.

Meet the new Parkview principal

2010-04-21T13:00:00.000-05:00

I'm pleased to announce that Springfield Public Schools has selected Eric Ramsey as the new principal for Parkview High School. He is a veteran educator with eight years’ experience as a high school assistant principal. He comes to SPS from Willard High School where he currently serves as assistant principal.

Mr. Ramsey will be a great addition to our staff. He brings with him extensive leadership experience and a reputation for developing relationships with students, staff and patrons.

Ramsey has 14 years of experience in teaching and/or coaching which spans education levels K-16. He has earned his Masters of Science in Educational Administration and Specialist in Education Administration degrees and will begin working toward an Educational Doctoral Degree this summer.

Earlier in his career, Ramsey coached multiple varsity sports including three years as head football coach at Willard High School. Previously, he taught health and physical education at Winnetonka High School, 7th and 8th grade science at Stockton Middle School, elementary physical education at Campbell and York elementary schools, and served as an adjunct professor for Missouri State University.

I also want to thank Chance Wistrom for his excellent work as principal at Parkview over these last few years. Chance is leaving SPS to become the superintendent in Miller, MO. They're getting a great leader for their district, and I wish Chance all the best.

We've also named four new assistant principals for 2010-2011.

Kelly Jacobs will be the new assistant principal at Pleasant View Elementary and Middle School. She comes to Pleasant View after serving as an instructional specialist for the district since 2007. From 1999-2007, Jacobs was a teacher at McBride Elementary School.

Robert Kroll will be the new assistant principal at Pershing Elementary and Middle School. He has taught science since 2003 at Reed Middle School.

Stacye Manlove will be the new assistant principal at Hickory Hills Elementary and Middle School. She is currently assistant to the principal at Disney and Wanda Gray elementary schools. Manlove has been employed by SPS since 1998 at Sherwood, Doling, Twain, Rountree, Jeffries, and McBride elementary schools, serving as classroom teacher and librarian.

Tammy Quinn is a 20-year veteran educator with 14 years experience with SPS. She will be the new assistant principal at Glendale High School. She currently serves as coordinator of site interventions at Kickapoo High School where she has managed those responsibilities for the past three years. Prior to her current responsibilities, Quinn taught communication arts, speech, and drama, along with spending four years as a STARR teacher with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Dads volunteering in our schools and a special recognition for one long-time volunteer

2010-04-21T11:00:00.001-05:00

As you know, I’ve been sharing some stories about the impact volunteers have at our schools on my blog this week in celebration of National Volunteer Week. Today, I want to tell you about a really interesting program at several district schools called Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students).

The National Center for Fathering has an initiative promoting the involvement of dads at school, helping foster positive male role models for students within the school setting. Watch D.O.G.S. dads spend time in their children’s schools performing a variety of roles, including welcoming kids to school in the morning to mentoring students. Gerry Lee, our board president, has been a Watch D.O.G.S. dad at Wilder Elementary.

Also, congratulations to Edna Arbeitman, a volunteer at Field Elementary for receiving the Silent Hero award. For 14 years, Edna has been a volunteer at the school, working full-time in the office. The Silent Hero award was developed by Ralph Slavens, a former legislator, and was designed to recognize individuals who are involved in the community, give of their time and contribute in numerous ways without public recognition of their efforts. Field held a ceremony in Edna’s honor last Friday.

Recognizing Springfield's faith-based community for their volunteer efforts in our schools

2010-04-20T11:45:00.002-05:00

This week is National Volunteer Week. To celebrate and say thanks to all of our volunteers I’m sharing some stories about the impact volunteers have in our schools.

Springfield has a supportive faith-based community, and local churches have taken a leading role in partnering with schools.

Here’s Danielle Carson, the volunteer coordinator at York Elementary, discussing one of the partnerships their school has with a Springfield church.

We have volunteers from Wesley United Methodist that come on Wednesdays to greet the students in the morning. I believe it makes a difference to these kids to see someone other than staff that are smiling and welcoming them to school. All of our volunteers are amazing, and I am excited to show then how much all appreciate them.

A dozen or more volunteers from Christ Episcopal Church descend on Bissett Elementary each week to read to children and work with classroom teachers. Volunteers from the church help with the events that promote parent participation in the school community. That includes Fall Festival Day, an event created and hosted by Christ Episcopal Church for families to enjoy a day of fun together.

Bissett first graders got the opportunity in the fall to see Springfield Little Theatre’s performance of Alice in Wonderland, thanks to the generosity of church members. Partner efforts such as this enhance the educational experience for children, getting them further engaged in the learning process.

Our schools are truly blessed to have such strong links with Springfield’s faith community.

If you or your church would like to get involved at a neighborhood school, just give us a call at 523-0021.

National Volunteer Week

2010-04-19T14:55:00.000-05:00

Every day parents, grandparents, co-workers, church members and neighbors give their time on behalf of Springfield’s school children. They open doors and greet kids on their way into the building. They chaperone field trips, help out with Algebra, mentor students, make props for the school play and all kinds of other things that give our buildings their spirit of community.

This week is Volunteer Appreciation Week. Please join me in thanking the hundreds of people who take time out of their own schedules to make our schools a better place.

This week, I’ll be sharing some stories about volunteers and their impact from principals and other staff members at our schools. I would also invite you to contribute stories about the difference volunteers make at your school or tell us about your experience as a volunteer.

To start, here’s Janet Austin, volunteer coordinator at Sunshine Elementary, saying thanks to a very special volunteer at their school.

Sunshine has an OUTSTANDING volunteer named Dixie Sleight! Dixie has been a volunteer at our school for several years and goes above and beyond every time she walks through the door. She is a retired professional with extensive experience working with children in various settings, including hospitals. She has regularly scheduled days that she comes to Sunshine and last month Dixie logged 17 hours with us. She is also a volunteer at the Dickerson Park Zoo, conducting presentations, programs and tours. Ms. Sleight is such a valuable asset to our school in many different ways. She read with individual students and small groups. She provides help to students needing special assistance. She is always willing to assist teachers in any way possible by making copies or performing whatever tasks are needed. She has done so many special things for our school; they are too numerous to include in a short paragraph! We are very fortunate to have Dixie Sleight as a volunteer at our school!

If you or your organization would like to get involved at a neighborhood school, just give us a call at 523-0021.

2010-2011 Teacher of the Year finalist: Linda McFarland

2010-04-19T10:57:00.001-05:00

Here's the fifth 2010-2011 Teacher of the Year finalist, Linda McFarland. Linda is a communication arts teacher at Carver Middle School.

All five finalists will be honored at the Teacher Appreciation Banquet on Monday, April 19. The winner will be announced that night as well.

2010-2011 Teacher of the Year finalist: Abby Lowe

2010-04-16T10:50:00.000-05:00

The next 2010-2011 Teacher of the Year finalist I want to introduce you to is Abby Lowe, a kindergarten teacher at Harrison Elementary.

Here's Abby.

2010-2011 Teacher of the Year finalist: Suzanne Hadden

2010-04-15T10:47:00.000-05:00

I want to continue introducing you to the five finalists for the 2010-2011 Teacher of the Year. Today, meet Suzanna Hadden, Central High School math teacher.

Meet Faith Chaney, 2010-2011 Teacher of the Year finalist

2010-04-14T08:33:00.000-05:00

I want to continue introducing you to the five finalists for the 2010-2011 Teacher of the Year. Today, meet Faith Chaney, English for Speakers of Other Languages teacher at Hickory Hills school.

Yesterday, we met Julia Armstrong, social studies teacher at Pipkin Middle School.

The 2010-2011 Teacher of the Year will be announced at the Teacher Appreciation Banquet on Monday, April 19.

State funding update for 2009-2010 school year

2010-04-13T15:26:00.002-05:00

We are hearing promising things out of Jefferson City today. Gov. Jay Nixon announced that he will distribute funding cuts for this school year among all 523 Missouri school districts rather than exempt more than 150 "hold harmless" school districts. Legislation previously approved by both the House and Senate would have left 372 school districts, including Springfield Public Schools, shouldering the burden of the funding cuts.

We appreciate Gov. Nixon and Missouri Commissioner of Education Chris Nicastro for all they have done to help preserve funding for education and to ensure that cuts are fairly distributed among all school districts.

This news is a relief to SPS and many neighboring school districts. It will mean SPS will lose about $850,000 in revenue in 2009-2010 rather than $1.1 million. It is unfortunate that we will have to make any reductions, but thanks to our conservative budgeting practices and efficient and effective use of resources, we anticipate SPS will be able to adapt to the lesser reduction without any drastic cuts between now and June 2010.

The funding outlook for 2010-2011, however, still remains bleak. Due to continuing debate among legislators, we have had to delay our budgeting process and may not know anything certain until after May 7.

The school board will meet May 10 for its budget work session so we should have more information to share by then.

Meet the 2010-2011 Teacher of the Year finalists: Julia Armstrong

2010-04-13T08:41:00.002-05:00

Earlier this month we announced the five finalists for the 2010-2011 Teacher of the Year.

Prior to announcing the 2010-2011 Teacher of the Year will be announced at the Teacher Appreciation Banquet, I wanted to give you the chance to learn more about each finalist. This week, I'll be sharing a series of five short videos with you introducing each finalist.

Julia Armstrong is a social studies teacher at Pipkin Middle School. I'll let Julia tell you a little bit more about her passion for teaching.

MAP testing and the positive difference you can make at home

2010-04-07T10:35:00.002-05:00

Students started taking the MAP test last week. Some schools have finished, while some schools just started.
I want to share a few reminders with you that can help foster success on the MAP test as you fill in the circles with a #2 pencil this week.

Parents, remember to keep the lines of communication open between your child and your child’s school this week…and every week. Find out how you can support learning at home.
Encourage your kids to get a good night’s sleep and start the day with a healthy breakfast. Studies show that rested, well-nourished children learn better.
Be encouraging and positive. Let your children know that you are confident in their abilities.
Try to make studying fun for your child and take breaks when needed. Encourage your child to get some exercise during breaks. Just like eating and sleeping well, studies show that physical activity stimulates the brain for learning.

I am confident in our teachers and students, and I know that you’ll all do great this year.

Budget update

2010-04-06T11:38:00.000-05:00

Our school board had planned to meet this evening for a budget work session. Unfortunately, because so many factors regarding state funding for 2010-2011 are still undecided, the work session has been postponed. The board will likely schedule another budget meeting in early May.

Currently being discussed in the state legislature are bills that would impact the amount of funding for the foundation formula and the dollar value modifier (used to adjust the foundation formula for cost of living differences between districts). Typically we receive an annual increase of $2 million in revenue from the foundation formula. That will not be the case in 2010-2011. Other programs legislators have targeted for cuts next year include transportation, Parents as Teachers and summer school.

When we began our annual budget process this year, we were expecting our revenues to remain flat for next year. Depending on decisions at the state level, though, we could be facing funding cuts amounting to several million dollars. Right now we have no choice but to wait for the state funding picture to crystallize.

An opinion piece by school board president Gerry Lee is printed in today's newspaper. He offers some insight into the funding dilemma we face. I encourage you to read it.

It is possible that we won't have any clearer information about our budget until May. Check The Bottom Line section of our web site for updates as they are available.

Congrats to the 2010-2011 Teacher of the Year finalists

2010-04-01T10:54:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to the five finalists for Springfield Public Schools 2010-2011 Teacher of the Year. The five finalists are:

Julia Armstrong, social studies teacher, Pipkin Middle School
Faith Chaney, English for Speakers of Other Languages teacher, Hickory Hills Middle School
Suzanne Hadden, math teacher, Central High School
Abby Lowe, kindergarten teacher, Harrison Elementary School
Linda McFarland, communication arts teacher, Carver Middle School.

Parents, principals and other teachers nominate candidates for the Teacher of the Year award. These five finalists will be recognized at the annual Teacher Appreciation Banquet on Monday, April 19. The winner will also be announced at that event.

I’m fortunate enough to spend time in our schools, and I’ve see a number of impressive, innovative things happening everyday in our classrooms. I want to congratulate every teacher for what they do and thank them for their dedication to kids. It’s a tough job.

Congrats again to these five teachers.

Persistence to Graduation

2010-03-30T08:56:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday, Dr. Tom Prater, vice president of the board of education, wrote a guest editorial in the News-Leader discussing the district’s Persistence to Graduation initiative. With spring break, you may have missed it.

We began the Persistence to Graduation (P2G) initiative three years ago. The early phase consisted of thorough research to give us more insight into the problem, identify students at-risk for dropping out of school much earlier in their schooling and devise appropriate interventions for those students.

P2G is a district-wide effort, involving stakeholders at the classroom, school building and district level for a more uniform system of identifying students before they fall through the cracks. Though it’s a district-wide program, interventions reflect the needs of individual students. After identifying students, teachers, principals, counselors and others put their heads together to devise intervention strategies tailored to the needs of individual children. I believe that this is the real strength of the program.

Right now, we are seeing some very positive results, as Dr. Prater mentioned in his article. For the 2008-2009 academic year, a total of 329 students had dropped out of school by February 2009. This February, that number was down to 211. Of course, we’re working hard to make sure those numbers keep declining.

Persistence to Graduation carries lots of potential. I’ll be keeping you posted on the results.

SPS budget and finance Q and A

2010-03-10T15:59:00.000-06:00

School finance can be a complicated subject, not often easy to squeeze into a sound bite or a 500-word news article. Yet, school finance, budget, revenues, etc. are going to be on the minds of many as we continue the process of developing the 2010-2011 budget over the coming weeks and months.

With that, I want to take this opportunity to invite you to use the comments section of this blog post to ask any question you may have around this topic. Just click on the comments link below to submit your question for us to answer.

I would also encourage you to check The Bottom Line for the latest news and information about district finances. Also, be sure to check out our FAQ page for some commonly asked questions about the district's revenue and the budget planning process for 2010-2011, and take a moment to view this video which provides an overview of the budget development process. You can also find a complete list of district financial reports on our website.

Springfield Public Schools strives for an efficient and effective use of community resources, and as part of that goal we want to promote an open dialogue around that subject.

A note about comments: Please keep them appropriate; foul language and personal attacks will not be tolerated. We do have to review comments because of inappropriate spam that can show up without using the moderation process, so please note that your comment will not appear immediately.

CHS student Nicole Andrews wins Poetry Out Loud competition

2010-03-08T14:46:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to Nicole Andrews, a student at Central High School, for winning Missouri's 2010 Poetry Out Loud competition held last week in Jefferson City.

Nicole will go on to the national Poetry Out Loud competition in Washington DC on April 26 and 27. Students receive a $200 prize for winning at the state level and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington DC for the national competition. Central High School will receive a $500 stipend to purchase poetry books.

Please join me in wishing her luck next month.

Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry recitation contest among high school students in all 50 states. The program is conducted by the National Endowment for the Arts, working with state arts agencies. It's a great offering for classrooms, providing the opportunity for students to interpret and evaluate poetry as literature while building public speaking skills and confidence.

Parents speak out about the need for involvement and dialogue

2010-03-05T15:59:00.000-06:00

In recent weeks, the Springfield News-Leader has featured several editorial columns filled with inaccurate and misleading information about our Springfield Public Schools. Because that erroneous information is presented so prominently on the paper’s opinion page my staff and I have attempted to correct it, because I believe an informed conversation about our schools and the challenges we face has to start with facts rather than conjecture.

Thus, it was refreshing to see two parents and volunteers speak out on behalf of our schools today. Both authors shared a common theme in their contributions: the need for real community involvement to ensure the success of our children and schools.

Tim Burk discussed his experiences as a volunteer and president of his school’s PTA.

Gail Melgren urged readers to take a broader view of the achievement gap, rather than attempt to address the issue with vitriol.

Less than a month after the editor of the paper called for a more civil dialogue on the opinion pages, it’s good to see that several have heeded that call. If you have questions or concerns about your school or the district, don’t hesitate to reach out to our staff, myself included. We want you to be informed about the state of our schools. I encourage you to take the time to volunteer in our schools, donating a small portion of your time pays immense dividends in the lives of students.

Ten minutes can help your community and schools

2010-03-05T09:50:00.000-06:00

This spring, the United States will once again conduct a national census. Going back to 1790—when George Washington was president—our country has taken an official count of the population every ten years according to instructions in the U.S. Constitution.

Please know how important your participation and a complete, accurate count is to our school district and community. In addition to establishing the number of U.S. Congressional seats for each state, census information is used to distribute more than $400 billion in federal funds to local, state, and tribal governments each year. Schools also receive funding based on data from the decennial census and the ongoing American Community Survey. In addition, census information is critical when determining locations for medical services, improving schools, building roads, expanding public transportation, and creating accurate maps for emergency responders. Even allocation of vital supplies, such as influenza vaccines, is provided to local communities based on census counts.

In March 2010, households will receive a mail-back form which should take no longer than10 minutes to complete. The 2010 Census questionnaire will be one of the shortest in history, asking only 10 questions. Strict laws protect the confidentiality of respondents and any information they provide.

To keep costs low and help the City of Springfield achieve a high mail-back response rate, everyone is encouraged to mail back the form (postage-free) as soon as possible after receiving the form. Census Bureau workers will not need to visit households to collect the information if the mail-back form is completed and returned by mail. People who live in group quarters (e.g., dormitories, nursing homes, etc.) will be counted through a group quarter count rather than receiving mail-back forms.

We join the Census Bureau in reminding everyone: “We can’t move forward until you mail it back.” Please mail your Census 2010 survey back as soon as possible!

Thank you for your continued support for our school district and community.

Meet Hillcrest's Pro Start culinary team

2010-03-03T14:19:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, I told you a little bit about the Pro Start Culinary career education program and the award-winning team at Glendale High School.

Today, I want to share this video with you featuring Hillcrest family and consumer sciences teacher Robin Jones and several of the Pro Start team members there, including one young lady who has had a great experience interning with the pastry chef at the Tower Club. I'll let them tell you all about it.

Here are links to today's story in the News-Leader and the report (with video) from KOLR 10 about the GHS Pro Start team.

This is just one of the innovative programs we're pleased to offer SPS students.

Pro Start career education program a recipe for success

2010-03-02T09:49:00.001-06:00

The elaborate setups of the TV show “Iron Chef” usually come to mind when you mention cooking contests. However, one of the real challenges of being a professional chef is being able to adapt to the conditions around you, while still putting together a final product that meets a certain standard. Many television chefs may balk at having to prepare a meal on a two burner propane hot plate, but that’s exactly what the students on Glendale High School’s Pro Start Culinary Team had to do last month for the state Pro Start competition.

The GHS team competed against 28 other teams and won second place, which included a $500 prize and a renewable scholarship at East Central College for each team member. This is just the second year of the Pro Start program at GHS.

SPS’ Family and Consumer Sciences department implemented the Pro Start culinary arts curriculum in the fall of 2008. This is one of the district’s innovative career education programs that bring together what students learn in the classroom with the application of that knowledge in the workplace. The program offers students a sequence of courses that can lead to certification from the Missouri and National Restaurant Associations and a leg up on culinary school or other post-secondary training. Students get another opportunity to put themselves to the test through internships with local businesses.

The benefits of Pro Start are not limited to the culinary arts. The program fosters students’ problem solving skills and critical thinking ability as they react to various challenges and circumstances as individuals and members of a team. These are the skills that transfer across classrooms and throughout every facet of life, the most essential ingredient for success in anything students pursue.

Currently, SPS has Pro Start teams at Central, Glendale and Hillcrest.

Clarifying the facts

2010-02-26T15:19:00.001-06:00

As we get under way with the budget development process in the face of difficult economic times, it is essential that we provide accurate and up-to-date information, especially with looming budget decisions that will impact people’s lives. Thus, I was very disappointed Thursday morning when I picked up the News-Leader and saw an individual spreading misinformation and manipulating numbers to create a false impression of our schools.

As you may have noticed the News-Leader’s opinion page requires frequent corrections from our staff and Board. Let me clear up the two misleading examples used yesterday to imply something nefarious about the district.

Increases to SPS’ debt service levy must be approved by voters. The district’s debt service payment for 2009-2010 included $30 million from an escrow account that paid off the 2000 bond issue, which was refinanced in 2003 at a significantly lower interest rate, resulting in a significant savings of taxpayer money. That bond debt was retired during the 2009-2010 budget year because that was the earliest date we were legally allowed to pay off the 2000 bond. As you know, those bonds were approved by voters who have made upgrading the physical condition of our schools a top priority.

It’s simply not true that the district’s administrative expenses have increased from $425,000 in 2005 to $2.5 million in 2009-2010. When the district upgraded its accounting software in 2006, the finance department reviewed all general ledger accounts to ensure they were classified as recommended by the Missouri State Accounting Manual. A number of accounts were reclassified under "Executive Administration,” including administrative services DESE requires districts to have. Our district strives for an effective and efficient use of resources. As a result SPS’ ratio of 279 students per administrator is far below the state average of 187 students per administrator.

It’s unfortunate that Mr. Gargus declined my invitation last September to sit down and discuss his concerns. That might have cleared up some of the misunderstandings he has about our district’s finances.

Developing a budget and responding to difficult economic times is not as simple as laying off more than 150 district employees (representing $8 million), as Mr. Gargus suggests. We cut more than $6 million from the current year’s budget, which included personnel reductions, facility maintenance and improvements, professional development and curriculum.

As we consider the various scenarios for the 2010-2011 budget, let me make it clear that we will seek options that have as little impact as possible on the quality of education that we provide. This will certainly mean some tough decisions, and we very well may have to have a conversation about the operating levy in future years if state cuts impact the core quality of our teachers and schools.

I strongly support the right for community stakeholders to express their opinion. I also know that not everyone has a favorable view of what we do, especially when it comes to talking about taxes in the midst of this economic climate. However, when the News-Leader continues to print inaccurate information we will come directly to the community with the facts, allowing them to draw their own conclusions.

I encourage you to stay informed about the budget process with our financial blog, The Bottom Line, and don’t hesitate to provide your feedback or ask questions you may have regarding this issue.

Keeping you informed and asking for feedback in the budget development process

2010-02-26T09:10:00.000-06:00

One of my priorities during the budget development process is to keep the community informed with accurate information as well as giving SPS staff, parents and all stakeholders the opportunity to provide input. As you well know, the state of the economy makes the budgeting process for 2010-2011 particularly difficult.

The short video below is intended to provide you with a look at the district’s revenue situation for the current and upcoming years and an overview of the budget development process. I encourage you to take a moment out of your day to watch it.

I also want to encourage you to ask any questions you may have regarding the budget, revenue, etc. Feel free to leave a comment or question here on the blog. Please note, that comments may not appear instantly because we do have to guard against spam, unfortunately, but your comments will be posted and we do respond. I would also encourage you to use our other channels to stay informed and communicate your questions and concerns to us, including Facebook, Twitter and our e-newsletter. Later in the spring, we'll be reaching out to stakeholders for additional input to further clarify the final budget for 2010-2011.

Keep up with the latest news and information about the district’s budget and financial picture on our finance blog, The Bottom Line.

Thoughts about SPS' revenue, budget and the levy

2010-02-19T15:13:00.002-06:00

District CFO Steve Chodes and board finance committee members Dr. Tom Prater and Jean Twitty held a conference call with local media outlets on Tuesday, Feb. 16 to discuss district revenue projections, the budget process for the upcoming year and the outlook for SPS’ funding picture.

Naturally, the question of a possible increase to the district’s operating levy was raised. Sensitive to the difficult economic times, Dr. Prater reiterated that the district has no plans to ask voters to support a levy increase this year in the face of difficult economic times. SPS will be looking at cuts to the 2010-2011 budget in the face of decreases to the usual revenue SPS receives from the state, whether through sales taxes, the foundation formula or categorical items such as transportation.

The possibility of a levy in 2011 or beyond was mentioned on the call. However, it was mentioned in light of the state’s budget situation in 2011-2012, when stimulus money currently being used to prop up the state’s budget shortfalls expires. This could drastically impact district revenues at the state level. We hope that the economy turns around by that point. However, if the state budget situation is still as dire, we will need to have a community-wide conversation about the operating levy. I know this community places a high priority on keeping good teachers in the classroom, keeping class sizes manageable and preparing our students for success in college and the workplace. That part was left out of the newspaper’s story.

Dr. Prater also made an important call to action during the discussion of the levy and state funding, encouraging parents and all voters concerned about education to contact their legislator and ask that they make every effort possible to preserve education funding (that statement comes at the 28:14 mark of the call).

Listen to the conference call in its entirety.

Pershing students collect 1,197 pairs of jeans

2010-02-12T11:26:00.001-06:00

Middle school students at Pershing collected 1,197 pairs of jeans for the PTA Clothing Bank over the last two weeks. Students in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades divided into two teams per grade. The winning team, the seventh grade PRIDE team, collected more than 500 pairs of jeans, and will be treated to Andy’s Frozen Custard as a reward.

The contest was initiated and supported by Pershing’s PTA. Jeans have been identified as one of the biggest clothing needs at the PTA Clothing Bank, which provides clothing for students who qualify for free or reduced lunch. For more information about the clothing bank talk to the principal, nurse, counselor or secretary at your school; they can provide families with referrals and other necessary information. The Kiwanis Shoe bank is located in the same building as the PTA Clothing Bank, 501 W Central.

Congratulations to the students at Pershing for their generosity on behalf of their peers across the district. I know these kinds of efforts are happening in all of our district schools, and it’s encouraging that we live in a community that values giving back to their neighbors.

Thanking Earl Newman for his service to Springfield's kids

2010-02-11T16:49:00.000-06:00

At today’s School Crossing Protection Committee meeting, Springfield Council of PTAs presented Earl Newman, a city traffic engineer and tireless voice for student safety, with the National PTA Life Achievement Award.

I want to personally congratulate Mr. Newman for his more than 30 years of service, working with parents, the city and our schools on behalf the Springfield children. The School Crossing Protection Committee is a collaborative effort between parents, schools, city, state and county officials that develops policies and procedures for a comprehensive, uniform school crossing protection program across our school district. With more than 50 schools in a community that’s experienced tremendous growth, that’s no easy task. Mr. Newman’s expertise has facilitated tens of thousands of students safely getting to school and back home again.

Please join me in thanking and congratulating Earl Newman.

Recognizing student efforts for Haiti

2010-02-04T15:40:00.004-06:00

Today, I had the opportunity to recognize the generosity and compassion of students, families and school staff members from our district and across the state for their efforts behalf of the devastated nation of Haiti.

I joined Governor Nixon, representatives from Convoy of Hope and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education at Bowerman Elementary to kickoff the statewide collection of Kits 4 Kids, a Haiti relief project coordinated by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Springfield-based Convoy of Hope.

Springfield Public Schools students have raised more than $15,000 in donations and collected almost 1,200 Kits 4 Kids. And that is not a final count! Many schools are continuing their efforts. One principal shared heart-warming stories of students who are donating money they earned by doing chores. One even contributed money received for making good grades.

Glendale High School alone has assembled more than 500 Kits 4 Kids. Two of our schools, Rountree Elementary School and Cherokee Middle School, have raised more than $3,000 each.

I’d like to thank representatives of Convoy of Hope and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for organizing the Kits 4 Kids effort. I also want to thank Gov. Jay Nixon for shining a light on this important effort and for recognizing the significant impact that schoolchildren can make in the lives of others.

Springfield selected for Kennedy Center "Any Given Child" program

2010-02-02T16:04:00.002-06:00

Tonight, I’ll be sharing some exciting news with the Board of Education at their February study session: The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has selected Springfield to participate in their Any Given Child program. This program assesses our district’s existing resources along with those of Springfield’s public and private arts organizations to develop a comprehensive arts education plan for the children of Springfield.

Any Given Child seeks to bring access, balance, and equity to each child’s arts education, using an affordable model that combines the resources of the school district, local arts groups, and the Kennedy Center. With the assistance of expert consultation services provided by Kennedy Center staff and other professionals, community leaders develop a long-range plan for arts education that is tailor-made for the Springfield school district and community.

The arts offer kids the opportunity to enrich their lives and enhance their educational experience. Studies have shown that involvement in the arts can help children increase their overall academic achievement. The expertise available through Any Given Child will be invaluable to our district and our entire community as we work toward the goal of enhancing arts education offerings throughout our community.

Springfield is fortunate to have such an active and vibrant arts community, especially since our arts organizations have made educational outreach one of their chief priorities. Those organizations and the district collaborated closely to make the Any Given Child program a possibility in our community. I want to thank the Arts Programming Sustainability Initiative, Springfield Regional Arts Council, City of Springfield and Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce for their role in making this happen.

US News honors Central and Parkview among the best in the USA

2009-12-10T16:59:00.001-06:00

Congratulations to the students, faculties, staff and parents at both Central and Parkview high schools. Both schools were recognized by U.S. News and World Report as two of the nation's best high schools.

Central received a Silver Medal. It was the third year in a row that Central has been recognized by the magazine as one of the nation's top high schools. They received a Bronze Medal in the two previous years. Only six high schools in the state to earn a Silver Medal designation, and Central was the only Silver Medal school outside of the Kansas City and St. Louis metropolitan areas to earn a Silver.

Parkview was honored for the second year in a row with a Bronze Medal. Only thirty-six other Missouri high schools earned that honor.

Here's a complete list of all Missouri high schools honored in the report.

Congratulations again to both schools.

Bowerman teacher making a difference

2009-12-09T10:43:00.000-06:00

Last week I mentioned Bowerman teacher Laura Evans who received the Neighborhood Organization Volunteer Award from Caring Communities for her work in the Bowerman community.

The video below features Laura and others from the Bowerman community describing their efforts to strengthen the neighborhood and get families active in the school community. Unfortunately, these aren't the stories that make the headlines everyday, but these are the kind of efforts that have a far-reaching impact on our schools and kids.

Two district teachers honored

2009-12-02T15:26:00.000-06:00

Two of our district teachers were recognized this month for their outstanding work.

Laura Evans, a special education teacher at Bowerman Elementary School. Ms. Evans received the Neighborhood Organization Volunteer Award from Caring Communities for her dedication to Bowerman students. She was selected by the Woodland Heights Neighborhood Association to receive the award.

Lisa Lilley, Central High School Spanish teacher, was named 2010 Teacher of the Year by the American Council for Teaching of Foreign Languages. Ms. Lilley was named Distinguished Educator of 2008 by the Foreign Language Association of Missouri and Teacher of the Year for the Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages last March.
The school day rarely ends at 3:00 p.m. for our teachers, who work on behalf of their students in and outside of the classroom. I'm certain the students and their families are as appreciative of Ms. Evans and Ms. Lilley as we are, and it is encouraging to see them honored for their work.

Remembering those in need this holiday season

2009-11-25T10:54:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. This is the time of year when we give back and offer our thanks. I hope that you will get involved with us in the effort to make this holiday season brighter and winter warmer. Please take a moment to view the video below to learn more about resources available for children in need and how to get involved in giving back this season.

Contact information for several organizations providing for families in need:

Contact information for all schools.
Crosslines - 865-5810
The Salvation Army - 862-5509
Victory Mission - 864-2225
The Kitchen - 837-1540

Everyone has a role in pedestrian safety

2009-11-18T11:53:00.000-06:00

I want to again thank Bill Armstrong, his daughter Kimberly, and Bill Harper for speaking out about the need for improved pedestrian safety on our city streets. Kimberly, you’ll recall, was walking to school when she was struck Sept 22 as she was crossing Kearney Street. We are pleased that Kimberly is making a successful recovery and that both parties involved in this unfortunate accident are working together to prevent future incidents such as this.

The School Crossing Protection Committee (SCPC) works with parents and the community to address concerns about crossing guards, crosswalks, lights, sidewalks, etc. This committee consists of PTA representatives, the Director of School-Public Safety for Springfield Public Schools, the District Traffic Engineer of the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department, Springfield City Traffic Engineer, Springfield Police Department, Greene County Sheriff's Department, and the Greene County Highway Department. They are tasked with reviewing school crossing protection requests, recommending action to address school traffic safety problems, establishing priorities on projects, and developing policies and procedures to ensure a uniform school crossing protection program throughout the city and county.

Springfield is a large community with busy streets and lots of traffic which can compromise the safety of our children on their way to and from school. While the city and county are responsible for the streets themselves, we work closely with them through the SCPC to address these concerns.

I encourage everyone to take responsibility for pedestrian safety. When you see areas of concern, as a parent, driver or pedestrian, please bring it to the attention of the SCPC. Parents can work through their PTA to get these issues before the committee. Others can contact the Springfield City Traffic Engineer or Springfield Public Schools Police Services at 523-2911.

Drivers, please remember to slow down and exercise cautious while you are on the streets when students are going to and from school. We must all work together to prevent accidents like this in the future.

Central broadcast students win Pacemaker Award

2009-11-17T07:43:00.002-06:00

Congratulations to Central High School's "Central Intelligence" for winning their second consecutive first place in the Best of Show category at the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) and Journalism Education Association (JEA) fall convention in Washington, D.C.

"Central Intellegence" also received their first Pacemaker Award, recognizing the five best student media programs in the country. Central also collected a total of 19 individual student awards, more than any other school in the country. Individual student awards include:

Superior- Nora Lewis and Grier Gammon for Short Documentary
Superior- Lydia Berns and Mitchell Trafford for Broadcast Package
Superior- Isabel Balla, Sarah Smith and Destiny Pettus for Public Service Announcement
Excellent- Alexa Snodgrass and Alex Scranton for In-Camera Feature
Excellent- Alex Schriver and Maddison McBurnie for Podcast
Excellent- Nate Fairbank and Raleigh Cavero for Broadcast News
Honorable Mention- Halli Bruton for Broadcast Sports
Honorable Mention- Yoonji Kim and Valerie Quirk for Broadcast Feature
Honorable Mention- Caroline Croessmann for Newswriting
Honorable Mention- Andy Wolff for On-Air Reporter
Honorable Mention- Brittany Donnellan for Broadcast Commentary

Congratulations to the students at "Central Intelligence" on their great work. Check out the show below.

October attendance tops 92 percent, despite influenza

2009-11-16T16:09:00.000-06:00

I’m pleased to report that Springfield Public Schools had an average daily attendance of 92.44% for the month of October. Typically, that number would be a little on the low side; it is down 2.69% from October of last year. However, that number is noteworthy this year since we’ve had to deal with H1N1.

Several of our schools experienced high absentee rates – topping 20% on more than one occasion – at various points last month because of students with flu-like symptoms. The district even had to close Delaware Elementary from Oct. 14-16 because of an elevated number of students absent with flu-like symptoms.

Because of the early arrival of flu season, I was pleasantly surprised by our 92.44% average daily attendance rate for October.

Nevertheless, it is worth reminding everyone that flu season is far from over, and we must continue to take precautions to deal with further outbreaks. SPS is now in the process of offering free H1N1 vaccines to our students, with parental permission. The schedules for vaccine clinics as well as additional information about flu prevention are available on our influenza information page. I encourage everyone to keep washing their hands and don’t hesitate to keep your child home from school if they’re showing signs of illness such as a fever.

Thank you from York Elementary

2009-11-05T16:14:00.000-06:00

York Elementary is one of the eight schools that will be air conditioned with the 2009 bond issue approved by voters this week. The students and staff at York expressed their thanks, and I wanted to share with you a photo of a thank you banner they made.

Teacher representation decision offers another opportunity to communicate

2009-11-05T14:27:00.000-06:00

On Tuesday, Nov. 10, Springfield Public Schools’ teachers, counselors and librarians will vote to determine whether or not they would like to be represented by one or more teacher organizations for the purpose of collective bargaining. The board and I place a great deal of value on the opinions of our staff, and their decision will provide us with another opportunity to communicate directly with our faculty.

As described in board policy HH, this election will ask teachers to choose among exclusive representation, multiple representation or no representation. Voting will occur at the district’s five high schools between 3:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Nov. 10. Each employee eligible to vote in the election is assigned to one of the five high schools as their designated voting location. Voting locations are assigned based on the employee’s primary work location on record. Employees whose names appear on the voter eligibility list have been provided a copy of the notice of election and notified of their designated voting location directly via U.S. Mail to their home address. The voting process at those sites will be overseen by an independent, third-party official, representatives from both teacher organizations (MSTA and SNEA) and a district official to ensure a fair process. Votes will be counted immediately after voting concludes.

I am continually impressed and inspired by the dedication of our teachers, counselors, librarians and everyone in the district who work so hard to educate our children. The community believes in our teachers and schools; almost two-thirds of voters approved a $50 million bond issue this Tuesday to upgrade the schools where our children learn. We are fortunate to be part of a community so supportive of teachers and education. The district will continue to support our teachers, and we look forward to an additional opportunity for direct communication on the future of our schools via whichever route they choose for representation.

Thank you voters

2009-11-04T11:00:00.006-06:00

Springfield voters overwhelmingly approved a $50 million bond issue on behalf of the more than 24,000 students in Springfield Public Schools. This represents an essential investment in keeping our facilities up to date and ready to serve the needs of children. We are fortunate to be part of a community so dedicated in their support for education.

Almost 65 percent of voters supported our bond proposal Tuesday and I believe that is a strong indication that this community is pleased with the direction of Springfield Public Schools. The community has entrusted the board of education and the district to do the right thing for children while being good stewards of taxpayer dollars. It is a commitment we take very seriously.

This bond fulfills a promise made to the community a decade ago to air condition all district schools. Air conditioning the remaining eight schools provides equity in the quality of learning environments for students in all parts of the district. Construction and improvement projects and technology upgrades will put more district schools in line with 21st century standards for education. As we break ground and move forward with the projects promised in this bond, we will keep voters apprised of the progress and informed of the impact.

This bond allows the district to access between $5 million to $7 million of federal stimulus money that will save taxpayers millions in interest. Our good stewardship of public resources gave the district additional bonding capacity and available debt service funds to issue this $50 million bond, extending the commitment by just four years from 2026 to 2030 without having to increase the current tax rate. It is also important to mention that the majority of these dollars will be spent locally, creating employment opportunities and generating demand for raw materials and supplies for local businesses.

Every day in our schools hands reach skyward to ask a question or report a result. Those young hands waiving in the air represent the great strides our community is making as we prepare the inquisitive minds of our children to become the leaders of tomorrow. This bond issue represents another leap forward for Springfield Public Schools. On behalf of the students, teachers, employees, board of education and the community, I extend a heart-felt thank you to Springfield’s voters.

Sincerely,
Dr. Norm Ridder, superintendent, and Gerry Lee, board of education president

SPS faces 9 percent reduction in transportation revenue

2009-10-28T16:29:00.000-05:00

Today Gov. Jay Nixon announced that $200 million would be cut from the state’s budget. Due to this budget reduction, Springfield Public Schools will have about 9 percent of its transportation funding cut beginning in October.

Based on what we know at this point, we expect SPS could lose as much as $233,000 in revenue which would have been used to support our transportation services for students. Unfortunately, this will probably be the first of many budget reductions we will experience this year.

The district is currently evaluating the other budget restrictions announced today by the governor to determine what other impact there might be on the district’s budget.

SPS has long history of favorable audits

2009-10-28T16:28:00.000-05:00

Today we were notified that a citizens' group is initiating a petition drive to request a state financial audit of Springfield Public Schools. Our focus on efficient and effective use of resources within the district is supported by our fiscal track record.

SPS has received unqualified audits for the past 16 years from an independent auditing firm and there has never been a concern raised about our fiscal management. Less than 5 percent of Missouri school districts receive unqualified audits.

SPS is required by the state and federal governments to submit to an annual audit conducted by an independent auditor. The auditor is required to perform the audit according to government auditing standards issued by the Comptroller General of the United States. If it is the desire of our community for the district to undergo an additional external audit, we will do everything we can to accommodate it.

The district's most recent approved audit (2007-2008), found district financial statements to be in compliance with established standards. This audit and other budget and financial information is posted on this page of the district's web site.

The 2008-2009 audit will be presented to the school board at their Nov. 17 combined meeting.

Monday morning recommended reading

2009-10-26T09:29:00.000-05:00

It's Monday morning, and I hope everyone had a great weekend. I wanted to share a few links of recommended reading with you.

The News-Leader wrote a really positive editorial about the bond proposal on Sunday, Oct. 25. The community's trust matters deeply to all of us here at SPS, and it's refreshing to hear the paper express their trust in the district to do the right thing for kids and the community.

Parents and volunteers play a vital role in the success of our schools. Two letters from parents and volunteers were featured in the paper recently as well. Be sure to read them.

Saturday featured a letter from Kim Wrinkle about finishing what we start.
Lisa Langley has a letter in today's paper looking at the bond proposal from the perspective of someone who spends plenty of time volunteering in our schools.
Finally, if you've got minute, be sure to watch more videos on the district's YouTube channel.

No determination on days missed due to flu

2009-10-22T10:23:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to remind parents and others that no determination has been made as far as making up school days missed due to influenza-related school closings.

Springfield Public Schools is currently working with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to determine the required course of action. Parents and staff will be notified as soon as a decision is made regarding possible make-up days. However, it is a decision that might not be made until it is possible to discern the full impact flu-related cancellations might have this winter on schools throughout Missouri.

Cathy Clark on SPS' alternative education programs

2009-10-21T16:38:00.000-05:00

The projects included in the Nov. 3 bond proposal address critical needs for our school district and are the right thing to do, but I certainly appreciate the thoughtful public debate the proposals have generated. A healthy community and robust schools require involved parents and citizens. Something that has troubled me is the misperception of the district's alternative education programs and the decision of a few invovled in the debate to portray students in the alternative education program as bad kids whose presence would threaten the neighborhood.

As I've said before, alternative education gives students who, for whatever reason, are not finding success in the normal classroom setting the opportunity to learn to trust themselves and take responsibility for their own achievement.

Posted below is a short video featuring Cathy Clark, SPS' assistant director of alternative education, sharing some thoughts about the role of alternative education and the proposal to house those programs at Study.

Update on Pipkin & next steps for removing mercury in our schools

2009-10-16T15:57:00.000-05:00

The presence of mercury in our classrooms and buildings is a very serious issue. We have made a concerted effort for the past three years to remove from our schools thermometers and other once-common devices containing mercury.

Last month when a broken thermometer caused a small mercury spill at Sequiota Elementary School, we reinforced with school staff the importance of removing these items from our buildings and reminded them of proper disposal procedures.

A recent incident at Pipkin Middle School was an unfortunate accident that occurred as part of that process. A teacher had identified an instrument containing mercury and was taking steps to have it removed from the building.

I want to take a moment to tell you about the next steps in the process. At each school building, administrative staff will inspect every room to identify and document all instruments containing mercury and then provide a list of identified items to the science curriculum supervisor and environmental safety manager, who will supervise the packing, removal and disposal of those items.

Thermometers, barometers and other instruments are important classroom tools, and many of us can recall a time when those containing mercury were present in our classes. Over the years, however, we’ve learned much more about just what a serious health threat mercury can be.

Mercury exposure can lead to neurological and developmental disorders in people of all ages. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has much more information about mercury’s impacts on our health, and I encourage you to take a moment to review this information at the following link: http://www.dnr.mo.gov/env/mercury.htm.

If you are concerned about potential exposure to mercury, contact the state Bureau of Environmental Epidemiology at 573-751-6102 or your personal physician for more information.

I would also encourage everyone to take stock of whatever items you have in your home that might contain mercury and follow the necessary steps to remove it. This page on the Environmental Protection Agency’s web site has more information for parents.

The Department of Natural Resources is now cleaning up the mercury spill at Pipkin, as well as the Employee Services Center and Doling Building. We hope to have Pipkin open for classes on Monday; however, an alternative location will be used if we are still unable to have classes at Pipkin on Monday. SPS will notify Pipkin families and staff on Sunday, Oct. 18, via the AlertNow telephone information system.

More on the decision to dismiss Delaware Elementary because of the flu

2009-10-14T10:59:00.000-05:00

I wanted to take some time and share my thoughts with you on the decision yesterday to dismiss classes at Delaware Elementary school through the end of this week. I realize this isn’t something we do frequently and that the move carries some implications for students, parents and teachers at that school. We are certainly sensitive to that.

The district consulted the Springfield-Greene County Health Department immediately, and officials there recommended that we close Delaware to prevent the further spread of the flu among students and staff at the school and of sensitivity to the school’s students with additional medical concerns.

For the rest of the week, our custodial staff will be working diligently to clean and sanitize Delaware for when students return next week.

To some extent we’re at the mercy of nature when it comes to influenza, but the district is doing everything possible to minimize flu season’s impact and reduce the interruption to the learning process. You can help us in this effort by doing some simple things like encouraging kids to wash their hands regularly, cover mouths when coughing and not sharing personal items like cups or silverware. Most importantly, if your child has flu-like symptoms, report those to the office at your school, and keep your child home for at least 24 hours after their fever goes away without taking any kind of fever-reducing medicine.

Be sure to visit our influenza information page to keep up to date with the latest news.

Congrats to SPS' student broadcasters!

2009-10-13T09:58:00.000-05:00

I wanted to call to your attention some of the great work being done by high school broadcast journalism students at Hillcrest and Central.

Last month, Central's "Central Intelligence" and Hillcrest's "HTV Magazine" were both named as finalists for the Pacemaker Award presented by the National Scholastic Press Association. The Pacemaker recognized the nation's top student produced program. Hillcrest has received the Pacemaker ten times throughout their 20 years of work. Central's program has been nominated as a finalist for the third time. The winners will be announced on Nov. 14.

Hillcrest's "HTV Magazine" is being featured this week in honor of their 20th anniversary by the High School Broadcast Journalism Project, part of the Radio and Television News Directors Foundation. Every day this week, they'll feature a video from HTV on the site. Be sure to check it out. My congratulations go out to Dave Davis, Hillcrest's broadcast journalism teacher, for his work over the years.

Be sure to check out the "HTV Magazine" web site.

Student mural speaks to the role of alternative education

2009-10-09T14:20:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to take a moment to share this photo with you. It's a picture of a mural painted by a student in the alternative program at Pepperdine. For the student, the mural helped him overcome some of the mistakes he'd made in his past It became an expression of his lesson learned and gaining faith in himself. The mural reminds other students in the program that they too can learn to trust themselves as they continue their academic & personal journey.

The mural will be moved to Study where the alternative programs will be housed if the no-tax-increase bond passes.

Bus cameras will help us keep kids safe

2009-10-08T14:34:00.001-05:00

One of the items discussed at the board study session this week was the purchase and installation of new security cameras on all 145 of the district’s school buses.

Drivers have a big responsibility to get children to and from school safely. Just like anyone behind the wheel, that means their attention is devoted to the road. That makes it hard for a driver to be involved in everything going on with the children in the seats behind them. Cameras can give us a big assist in stopping bullying and other unsafe behaviors. They also help us get the story straight when tales about what happened on the bus stray from the truth.

I want to say thanks to Charlie Ott, our director of transportation, and the drivers who do a great job every day getting our children to and from school. The board will be voting to authorize the purchase of bus cameras at the Oct. 20 meeting.

I’ll turn it over to Mr. Ott for more about the bus cameras in a story that appeared on KSPR earlier this week.

Setting the record straight

2009-09-30T16:27:00.003-05:00

Today Springfield Public Schools was the focus of several opinion pieces in the local newspaper. One in particular questioned the district’s use of the $96.5 million generated by the 2006 voter-approved bond issue and purported the district is “guilty of breach of faith with Springfield residents.”

Before some of this misinformation takes hold in our community, I wanted to provide you some facts that will clarify these questions.

In a column entitled “Numbers don’t back district’s claims,” the author implies that SPS did not use the $96.5 million to install air conditioning and address overcrowding in our schools. SPS not only air conditioned the 18 schools it promised, we were able to air condition three additional schools (Bowerman, Campbell and Shady Dell) due to sound fiscal and bond project management. Regarding the issue of overcrowding, I encourage you to ask the principal of McBride Elementary School whether construction of David Harrison Elementary School had an impact on crowding in southwest Springfield.
The column’s author also takes issue with our student-teacher ratio. Based on his math, SPS schools have a ratio of 14:1. While we have made a concerted effort to reduce class sizes, we have not achieved the levels he suggests. According to DESE, SPS had a student-teacher ratio of 21:1 in 2008. Our strategic plan has identified the need to reduce student-teacher ratios in our classrooms to meet desirable standards as defined by MSIP. We continue to make progress toward that measure.
In the same column, he states that SPS misused bond funds and “bypassed” voters by paying construction costs related to the new Hickory Hills School. In 2006 SPS stated that Hickory Hills construction would be funded through a lease-participation arrangement, requiring SPS to make an annual payment of $2.5 million. It was determined in 2009 that interest and earnings on the 2006 bonds had generated an additional $16 million so the school board prudently decided to apply $10.8 million of those earnings toward the project. This decision did not divert any of the $96.5 million in original bond funding. All projects were completed as promised.

This decision applied a portion of the $16 million in additional earnings toward the district’s debt, a wise financial decision which reduced interest and lowered the annual payment. A similar decision was made to apply the remainder toward air conditioning Bowerman, Campbell and Shady Dell schools. There was no “breach of faith” in the board’s actions. As elected representatives of Springfield they were acting as wise stewards of the resources entrusted to them.
In another opinion column, a west Springfield resident questioned the proposed 2009 bond project which would expand Westport Elementary School to a K-8 campus and turn Study Middle School into the new home for the district’s alternative programs. This project will help the district make strides toward all three of its strategic goals:
- Improve student achievement: Research indicates a K-8 configuration promotes academic success by fostering relationships over a period of nine academic years and by reducing the number of transitions students must make to other buildings. One study shows that students in K-8 schools outperformed their peers in attendance, dropout rates and test scores.
- Improve the graduation rate: More students at-risk of not graduating may be served when alternative education programs are relocated to the Study building. Currently Bailey Alternative High School has limited space and can accommodate a limited number of students in grades 10-12. Currently at-risk ninth graders do not have access to alternative educational services due to lack of space.
- Ensure efficient and effective use of resources: Enrollment at both Study and Westport has declined significantly over the past 10 years. Creating a single campus for both schools would free up the Study building to house all alternative programs, currently located in three buildings (Bailey, Berry and Pepperdine). The district would save more than $3 million by not having to air condition these three buildings. Other savings would result from reduced operating costs related to utilities, custodial, maintenance and food service for the three buildings. Additional efficiencies will be realized through collaboration with Springfield-Greene County Park Board, which will invest about $500,000 to improve the school-park program at adjacent Westport Park. Athletic fields, playground equipment, pavilion and swimming pool renovation are among the planned improvements.

Get the facts about the proposed no-tax-increase bond on the ballot in November on the district's site.

An overview of the proposed no-tax-increase bond

2009-09-21T14:28:00.005-05:00

In November, we will be asking Springfield parents and voters to help us take another important step forward by approving a $50 million investment in our schools to create quality learning environments for all students without raising the current tax rate. This no-tax-increase bond will fund air conditioning, construction & improvements and technology.

Here's a short breakdown of the proposed projects included as part of this no-tax-increase bond issue:

Air conditioning - SPS will fulfill its pledge to air condition every school in the district with this bond. Plans call for air conditioning to be installed at Boyd, Robberson, Rountree, Sunshine, and York elementary schools; Jarrett and Reed middle schools; Phelps Center for Gifted Education; and the district’s Tefft Center. This fulfills a promise made a decade ago to achieve equity in the quality of learning environments available to students in every part of our community.
Construction & Improvements - Essential construction and improvement projects will take place at Hillcrest, Glendale and Kickapoo high schools; Westport and Jefferies elementary schools; and we will use bond funds to retire lease participation agreements being used in the construction of the new Hickory Hills School.
Technology - Every classroom in the district will be equipped with an LCD projector and interactive whiteboard, and aging student computers will be replaced with more efficient workstations.

Passing a no-tax-increase bond issue now maximizes resources. It allows the district to leverage federal stimulus money to access between $5 million to $7 million in interest-free bonds available for a small window of time through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This will save Springfield taxpayers millions in interest. Those interest-free bonds along with the district’s current bonding capacity and available debt service funds – available because of our good stewardship of public resources – enable us to request a $50 million bond without having to increase the current tax rate.

I encourage you to read detailed plans for each project on our web site. I'm truly excited about the opportunity this no-tax-increase bond offers our schools and our community.

Thoughts on the Westport/Study discussion

2009-09-18T15:05:00.003-05:00

Thursday evening I had a chance to be a part of a panel discussion concerning the district’s proposed plans for Westport Elementary School as part of the proposed no-tax-increase bond issue. I want to thank the Westside Neighborhood Betterment Association for hosting this meeting and all of the parents, neighbors and others who came to learn more about and discuss this proposal. I am always encouraged when parents and citizens get involved with their neighborhood schools, and I hope each person who came to the forum will continue to stay involved in the lives of school children even beyond this election.

I’d like to take this opportunity to again share with you the details of this proposal and speak to some of the concerns expressed at Thursday’s forum.

This plan would expand Westport Elementary School to accommodate students from nearby Study Middle School. Both schools have experienced a significant decline in enrollment over the past decade. Bond funds would be used to construct a new cafeteria, gymnasium and classrooms plus renovate the existing all-purpose room. Westport will become a state-of-the-art facility and source of pride for students and the neighborhood. Study, air conditioned as part of the bond proposal approved by voters in 2006, will become the new home for all the district’s alternative programs, now housed in three different buildings.

Some important facts about this plan for Westport and Study:

Improving student achievement: Research and experience tells us that a K-8 configuration can promote academic success by fostering relationships over a period of nine academic years and by reducing the number of transitions students must make to other buildings.

Improve the graduation rate: By relocating the district’s alternative education programs to Study, we can serve more students at risk of not graduating. Currently, Bailey Alternative High School has very limited space for students in grades 10-12 and cannot accommodate ninth grade students. Consolidating these programs at Study would also allow the district to close and possibly sell the three buildings currently housing the programs.

Traffic: All our schools experience minor traffic inconveniences during start and dismissal times. As we develop the plan to expand the Westport campus, we will consult architects and planners to design traffic control measures which will minimize congestion on neighborhood streets.

Safety: Some parents have expressed concern about elementary school students and middle school students being together in the hallways. As with the other K-8 schools in Springfield, at Westport the middle school and elementary school programs will operate independently. While students may share the cafeteria, gymnasium and library, the times they use them will be staggered.

Alternative education: As for the plan at Study, I hope people will not jump to false assumptions about the students there. Kids in the district’s alternative programs are not “bad” kids, and it’s wrong to imply such stereotypes. Alternative education exists to provide an educational setting for students who are not succeeding for one reason or another in the regular school setting. These students may be teen parents or may have to work to support their family. Others may need more academic support to perform at grade level than their peers in a traditional classroom. Rather than allow these young people to fall through the cracks, we choose to provide them alternative educational opportunities designed to promote academic achievement, foster self-esteem and develop the skills required to graduate and become responsible community members. District rules governing conduct apply and are enforced among all students.

School-park program at Westport: The Springfield-Greene County Park Board will invest $500,000 to improve the school-park program at adjacent Westport Park. Athletic fields, playground equipment, pavilion and swimming pool renovation are among the planned improvements.

While many are excited about the possibilities associated with this proposal, I understand the concerns some residents have expressed about combining Westport and Study. I hope that this offers some assurance. New and improved school facilities can serve as the foundation of the revitalization of a community. I remain confident that this plan directly benefits the students of Westport, Study and all of our students accessing alternative services.

If you have questions about this plan or any of the others included in the upcoming no-tax-increase bond proposal, do not hesitate to contact us. You may read details of all proposed bond projects here.

Federal stimulus funds

2009-07-27T08:41:00.004-05:00

Thanks to League of Women Voters for inviting me to discuss how the federal stimulus program will benefit Springfield Public Schools on the Making Democracy Work radio program. Listen to the interview which aired July 27 on KSMU.

Future bond and levy proposals

2009-07-22T12:01:00.003-05:00

In the next few weeks our school board will make some critical decisions about Springfield Public Schools' financial future. Sensitive to the economic uncertainty our community and stakeholders are facing, the school board will be taking a measured approach to determine how to fund facility improvements and bolster our operating budget.

We know first hand that the flagging economy is having a negative impact on everyone's fiscal situation. Our five-year financial projections quantify its adverse effect on the district. If nothing changes, we likely will have to further reduce our expenditures every year for the foreseeable future, resulting in larger class sizes and reduced quality of education.

That's not something we want to see happen and, through our strategic planning process, our stakeholders have told us they don't want that either. Before we make any decision that might increase our stakeholders' financial obligations, though, we'll be seeking stakeholder input.

Equipped with that feedback, the school board will begin discussions in earnest to decide whether to request an operating levy increase, in what amount and at what time.

Fortunately, we will be able to addresss some of our most pressing facility improvements, including air conditioning all remaining schools, without increasing the current debt-service levy. School districts that pass facility improvement bonds this year or next year may take advantage of a federal stimulus program that makes available interest-free bonds.

The board is currently considering placing up to a $50-million bond proposal on the November ballot to leverage some of this funding. A list of possible bond projects has been developed for the board's consideration. The board will discuss this topic in greater detail at its Aug. 4 study session.

In the past decade, SPS stakeholders have been vocal about their desire to impove the quality of education and school facilities in our community. We will be touching base with them again to obtain as much input as possible to help shape these future funding decisions.

Collective bargaining lawsuit filed

2009-06-03T13:50:00.002-05:00

District legal counsel was notified June 2 that Springfield NEA has filed a lawsuit against Springfield Public Schools related to collective bargaining. Legal counsel is in the process of reviewing the petition that was filed.

On May 26, the Springfield Board of Education approved three collective bargaining policies: HA, Negotiations with Employees; HPA, Employee Walkouts, Strikes and Other Disruptions; and HH, Teacher Negotiating Representatives. These policies empower Springfield teachers to make their own choice about whether they want to be represented by one organization, multiple organizations or no organization at all.

Policy HH, which identifies a process for conducting elections to allow teachers to choose how they want to be represented, is a policy used by at least 10 other school districts in Missouri.

As with all legal issues, we will await direction from district legal counsel before making any further comment.

Update on 2009-2010 budget process

2009-05-12T10:25:00.001-05:00

Comments made by MSTA and SNEA teacher representatives at the May 5 school board meeting brought to my attention that misinformation is being shared about the effect of salary and step freezes on administrative personnel. Let me be very clear--no raises or steps of any manner have been issued with contracts for administrators.

Please know that any step and salary freeze that may be necessary for the upcoming year will be in effect for all employees of the district. This is without exception.

During difficult budget years, unfortunate rumors such as this one sometimes occur. It has been our goal to provide you as much detail as possible regarding our budget to avoid such misinformation. That is one reason we created the Bottom Line information page on the district Web site, which has been operational since April 23. Located on the front page of our Web site, it will keep the latest information concerning our budget at your fingertips. Click here to view the Bottom Line.

I would also like to take this opportunity to provide a quick outline of where we stand today as far as cuts being recommended to balance revenues and expenditures for the upcoming year. These total more than $6.1 million and were decided upon before any consideration was given to salary and step freezes.

The cuts will have a direct impact on the quality of support services provided to our staff and patrons but they are necessary given our current economic circumstances. Please note that this is a partial list of the cuts, which total $6.1 million for 2009-2010, which is in addition to the $4.2 million in cuts already made during 2008-2009.

Operations
Elimination of School Based Clinicians
Reduction in A+ funding
Reduction in Guidance and Counseling facilitator and support
Reduction in Non-District Security Services
Reductions in the Extended Learning Program
Reduction of 1 ESOL FTE
Reduction of 1 ISSI FTE through attrition
Reduction of 1 Counselor FTE through attrition
Reduction of 1 Nurse FTE through attrition
Elimination of Coordinator of Alternative Programs through attrition
Reduction of 1 Behavior Interventionist FTE through reassignment

Business Services and Facilities
Elimination of facility improvement funds
Reduction in custodial services
Postponement of Pershing electrical upgrade
Postponement of Glendale bleacher replacement
Postponement of filling internal auditor vacancy

Curriculum and Instruction
Reduction in materials, equipment and supplies budgets
Reduction in purchases of manipulatives and consumables for K-12 teachers
Reduction in funding for book replacement to address wear and tear
Reduction in purchase of printed music, instruments and supplies for music classrooms
Reduction in number of student print periodicals
Reduction in repair budgets
Reduction in repair or purchase of microscopes, dishwashers, refrigerators, electronic balances, triple beam balances, and scientific models
Reduction in conference support for leaders and teachers

Professional Development
Elimination of 1 STEP UP Coach FTE by reassignment as a classroom teacher
Reduction in 2010 teacher summer academies for professional development
Elimination of 2010 Summer Leadership Academy
Reduction in training supply budgets and frequency of teacher training
Reduction in the number of PD 360 licenses for teachers
Reduction in conference support for leaders and teachers
Elimination of Summer 2010 SIP Option

Information Technology
Reduction of equipment replacement and/or new purchases of new PCs, Smartboards, LCD projectors, and ELMOS
Reduction of maintenance contracts, server replacements, wireless access points, and switches/network equipment

Community Relations and Grants
Elimination of Channel 25 (now 81).
Reduction of Teacher Externship program
Reduction in newsletters to our patrons
Elimination of $100,000 available to match grant opportunities

Human Resources
Elimination of Retirement Banquet
Elimination of Teacher of the Month Recognition
Elimination of Teacher Insight Program

Once again, this is a partial list of cuts. In addition to the items above, there have been many cuts to overall general supplies, materials, and training, and those will unfortunately be felt throughout the system during the coming year.

Departmental leaders will be communicating more specifically with their staff and stakeholders to provide a clearer picture of all cuts and how they will impact the level of services and support previously provided.

Due to the uncertainty of the next few months, we must be prepared to make additional cuts to services and supplies as needed. Please continue to check the Bottom Line page for timely updates.

This district performs at a very high level and is one that, compared to any district of its size, is a very lean operation. Due to this fact, cuts of any type, but certainly of this magnitude, will have a negative impact on the quality of service provided to our staff and patrons. Please know that we are working very hard at making the most of these difficult times and decisions.

An open letter to the President

2009-04-06T08:11:00.004-05:00

Dear President Obama,

As I write to you today, I am on the verge of having to make some very difficult budget decisions that will impact Missouri’s largest fully accredited school district. I am superintendent of Springfield Public Schools and, due to current economic conditions, the positive momentum we have achieved in recent years is at risk of stalling.

We have reduced class sizes, improved teacher salaries and upgraded the quality of our aging buildings, but we are currently facing a budget deficit of $4.7 million, in large part due to declining revenue this fiscal year.

I am somewhat surprised to find myself in this position considering the promise and hope you inspired in our community when you announced the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act earlier this year. My optimism has been replaced by confusion since we have yet to see any of the dollars promised for saving teachers’ jobs and modernizing our school buildings.

Last week I had the unpleasant task of informing 3,000 dedicated employees that we are forced to cut $4.2 million in expenditures immediately. Each day that passes without receiving stimulus funds makes it more and more apparent that we will be forced to make further drastic cuts for 2009-2010.

Millions of Americans are struggling and making similarly tough financial choices. We believe that you intended for your bold act in January to not only invest in education but to bolster our faltering economy and create jobs for our friends and neighbors here in southwest Missouri.

Mr. President, our community and Springfield Public Schools stand ready to assist you in making that promise come true. Our district is prepared with a plan of action to invest the dollars promised in our community to save jobs, create work opportunities and generate demand for raw materials and supplies. In exchange for that investment, we pledge to be accountable for every dollar spent and to demonstrate the positive impact of these funds.

Here is our immediate plan of action given the funding:

Address critical facility needs by making our 53 schools safer, greener and better places for children to learn. We have identified 150 improvement projects totaling $66 million that can be immediately implemented. These shovel-ready projects will mean jobs right here in Springfield for a construction industry beleaguered by the housing slowdown.

Preserve teaching jobs to keep class sizes down and retain quality teachers in our classrooms. It is vital that we not only preserve but promote the quality of education to ensure our graduates, and ultimately our country, are equipped to compete in an increasingly global economy.

Move forward with important, innovative initiatives we have started in this district to meet ever-changing student needs. These are designed to prepare at-risk high school students to move directly into high-demand professions like nursing and diesel mechanics, and to promote fifth-graders’ focus on environmental science, equipping them to potentially create solutions to the tough environmental issues facing this country. These are just two examples of quality programs this district must maintain to meet the educational challenges of tomorrow.

While we still have hope that we can do our part in putting America on the road to recovery, we need the cooperation of the Missouri legislature. As of today, not one penny of investment has been made available to Springfield Public Schools via your initiative.

I am calling for leadership at the state and federal level to remain true to the spirit of your directive and enable this district, and all public school districts in Missouri, to do their part to secure America’s future with sound investments in our children, our schools and our community.

Respectfully,
Dr. Norm Ridder

Proposed 2009-2010 school calendar

2009-01-14T14:38:00.001-06:00

A draft of the 2009-2010 school calendar was presented last night to school board members for review at their study session. The board is expected to take action on the calendar at its Jan. 20 regular meeting.

Developing a school calendar is a complex process driven by many variables. I would like to thank the members of our calendar committee who work together to iron out these details and create a calendar that best meets the educational needs of our students.

The committee, composed of parents, students, teachers, principals, district staff, and community members, takes into consideration myriad factors such as legal and district requirements, holidays, parent-teacher conferences, professional development and stakeholder input.

For example, state law requires a minimum number of days and hours students must be in session and requires that six inclement weather days be included in the calendar. Within those parameters, the committee also tries to schedule the first day of school to limit heat-related issues (at least until all our schools are air conditioned) but still dismiss for the year prior to Memorial Day when possible.

As you might imagine this can be a complicated puzzle to piece together.

In the proposed 2009-2010 calendar, the first day of school would be Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2009. This puts the last day of school before winter break as Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2009. It is interesting to note that Dec. 23, 2008, was our last day before winter break this school year. We experienced very poor student attendance that day.

During discussions with my parent advisory council, some members suggested we move the first day of school to Tuesday, Aug. 25, and change the last day before winter break to Tuesday, Dec. 22.

What are your thoughts? Would you like to see the calendar approved as proposed or do you agree with modifying the calendar to start school a day earlier and release for winter break a day earlier?

Update on retirement issue

2009-01-12T13:51:00.002-06:00

I offer a sincere thank you to Missouri U.S. Representatives and Senators for their help in addressing a proposed change in retirement regulations. On behalf of Missouri’s teachers, our Congressional delegation moved swiftly in response to a proposal by the Social Security Administration and Internal Revenue Service to change current practices, drastically affecting the retirement benefits for some certificated staff effective July 1, 2009.

This week the SSA and IRS agreed upon prospective enforcement and said that the July 1, 2009, implementation date would be delayed. In a letter to Sen. Claire McCaskill, the agencies said it is their intention to resolve the issue by July 1, 2010. Following a 60-day evaluation period, they expect to have a better sense of future implementation plans and deadlines.

Our Congressional delegation believes that given the current positive and collaborative spirit among all groups involved, including the IRS, SSA, Missouri Office of Administration and the Public School Retirement System as well as various stakeholders in the education community, a fair and reasonable resolution will result.

We are grateful to everyone involved in these discussions for their efforts to protect the best interests of our educators.

Holiday activities and our schools

2008-12-17T11:06:00.003-06:00

This week a local radio program initiated a discussion about winter celebrations and observances in our schools. At this time of year, we often hear comments or questions related to that topic.

As a school system, we embrace the fundamental dignity and respect of each individual. That means we have a responsibility to protect individual rights even when majority views may be to the contrary. In keeping with that philosophy, we strive to ensure that no individual student feels excluded or singled out at any time, especially during the holidays.

Music, drama or literature with religious themes may be presented in our schools if done so in an objective manner, without sectarian indoctrination or other endorsement of religion. Many of our schools display Christmas trees in their lobbies. They include traditional Christmas carols in their musical performances along with songs about Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. Students create art projects featuring Santa Claus.

Christmas is not absent from our schools; it exists there right alongside many other religious and cultural traditions of the season.

Occasionally misunderstandings occur with regard to religious and cultural celebrations and observances. To prevent such misunderstandings, our schools strive to focus on educational aspects to advance students’ knowledge and appreciation of the global role religions and cultures have played in the development of our civilization. (Read Board Policy IGAC: Teaching About Religion.)

I always appreciate your comments. If you would like to weigh in on this topic, please leave a comment on my blog or call 523-0000.

New bond proposal postponed

2008-12-10T13:55:00.000-06:00

The focus of the school board’s strategic discussion this month centered around the potential for an April 2009 bond proposal to continue the district’s plan to go to the voters every three years with a bond initiative to address urgent facility needs. Since 2000, our community has generously supported bond proposals which have significantly improved the learning environment for students across our district.

Passage of an April 2009 bond would have continued this effort with a list of very important building improvements, including the completion of our air-conditioning projects. Although I consider these projects to be of great importance in improving our facilities for students, I believe the decision by the board to delay the bond election was the proper approach to take.

Our stakeholders understand the need for these improvements, and to their credit, many would be in line to vote in support of a bond in April 2009. However, we understand that while many community members are supportive of our efforts some may be struggling to make ends meet in this tough economic time. By holding off past April, a number of factors should become clearer at which time we will engage our stakeholders again in a discussion about setting a new date for a bond election.

For those of you who would prefer action in April 2009, I ask for your patience and understanding. For those who are struggling at this time but have supported the students of Springfield with past votes, please continue to stay engaged as we work though these times and make decisions that will be best for the entire community.

I look forward to hearing from you about this issue and urge you to submit a comment. Based on input from readers of this blog, I have decided to post your comments for all to read. As you submit your thoughts and opinions, please pose them in a manner that will contribute to constructive discourse. Thank you.

Boundary discussions

2008-11-12T13:56:00.002-06:00

Discussion at last night’s school board meeting focused on some of the proposed changes recommended in the Boundary and Facility Usage Review Final Report. This report is the result of a four-month process that involved staff, parents and community members. It is the first time anyone can recall Springfield Public Schools taking such a comprehensive look at attendance boundaries and other factors which impact our building usage and capacity.

Given the current economy, it is possible we will not implement all proposed changes immediately. However, this will not be the last discussion we have about our district’s boundaries.

As I explained last night, one purpose of this review is to develop a framework for us to use in the future to continually evaluate and modify our boundaries. For too many years our boundaries have been considered immovable. They cannot be viewed as static though because our community certainly isn’t static.

As Springfield grows and changes, we must be responsive and adapt our system to ensure we make the most of the resources you provide us. Along the way, we will continue to listen to our stakeholders as we consider ways to ensure the future success of Springfield Public Schools and its students.

Votes for the future

2008-10-31T09:58:00.002-05:00

Next Tuesday is an important day for Springfield Public Schools. As you know, your vote matters when it comes to local, state and national issues related to education. I encourage you to look closely at all the candidates and all the ballot issues that will no doubt have a major impact on the direction of our country and the future of public education.

This election will have a direct connection to the waters we will be navigating in the immediate and long-range future. Of course, right now the dominant topic of concern is the economy. I can assure you we will be following closely the impact a slowing economy will have on our budget, and I encourage you to stay engaged with our district so that we can work through these times together.

The Board of Education will be having a strategic discussion during its Nov. 11 Study Session to discuss the current economic conditions and its impact on our tentatively scheduled April 2009 bond election. While there is no question that the types of projects to be tackled with this bond, including the completion of air conditioning at the remainder of our schools, are needed as soon as possible, it is imperative that we be sensitive to the economic conditions that exist with our stakeholders as well.

Through focus groups conducted this year we were encouraged to find that frequent voters are very supportive of this school district’s direction as established by SP5. At the same time, we were encouraged to keep an ear to the ground when it comes to the economic reality faced by Springfield citizens during this economic roller coaster. Please know, we are indeed keeping a very close ear to the ground and will work hard on making the best decisions for all those impacted by future funding initiatives.

Enrollment increase

2008-10-06T13:48:00.003-05:00

Our official enrollment count indicates we have 166 more students in our schools this year. For 2008-2009 total enrollment for Springfield Public Schools is 23,968 students compared with enrollment of 23,802 students in 2007-2008.

Most of that growth is at the elementary level with an increase of 173 students. We also noted an increase of 44 middle school students but enrollment declined by 51 students at the high school level bringing us to a net increase of 166 students.

Growth in several southwest Springfield schools reinforces the need for the new elementary school currently under construction. McBride Elementary School has 69 additional students and Gray Elementary School increased by 31 students. These buildings are already struggling to accommodate their large numbers.

Other examples of schools in the southwest that are growing include: Carver Middle School with 37 additional students; Cherokee Middle School with 53 more students; and Kickapoo High School with 40 additional students.

We’ve added four kindergarten teachers to accommodate the elementary growth in the district and are requesting a fifth teacher be hired to help address the increase of 120 students who are English Language Learners. The hiring of these additional teachers is important in advancing the district’s strategic objective of reducing student-teacher ratios.

Schools, Neighborhoods and Cities....

2008-10-01T13:40:00.001-05:00

The recent Boundary and Facility Usage Review process that we are currently undertaking has once again served as a reminder of the central and essential part public schools play in a community. It was very clear with the Robberson Elementary discussion that it is the staff at Robberson and their relationship with their community that anchors that neighborhood.

Personal relationships are vital to the success of a public school, neighborhood and city. While individuals may have differing opinions as to the placement and future of the physical structure at Robberson, there is no denying that school and community relationships are built upon a solid foundation of trust and caring. I think you will find that is true throughout our system.

Based on the support expressed for Robberson, we will be working with that community to further define a vision for their school and neighborhood. It occurs to me that perhaps part of the struggle in discussing this type of emotional topic results from not being visionary enough. SP5, our strategic plan, has produced for our community a clear focus on what our stakeholders want to achieve for our district. What is needed now, for not only the Robberson community, but for all our neighborhoods, and our community as a whole, is a bold vision that reflects the dreams and aspirations we share for all students.

What if we did not just stop the discussion at whether a building from a distant era is suitable or not, but created a vision for the Robberson community that captured the imagination of not only the parents and students but of the entire city? What program and facility could exist that not only teaches the basics well but creates an environment which transforms a neighborhood and a school?

This discussion has reinforced for me that it is time, now more than ever, to be bold in creating an educational environment that meets the educational needs of our students as well as ignites the drive and innovation of a school, neighborhood and community.

With this in mind, I am asking Marc Maness to pull together a team of engaged citizens, a blue ribbon team if you will, to help us create this vision. The main goal of this team will be to take SP5 and propose ways to achieve the clearly stated goals in ways that will help transform neighborhoods and have a positive impact on our entire city. I will share with you in upcoming blog entries more specifics, but needless to say, this is an exciting time for public education in Springfield!

Future bond?

2008-09-19T09:23:00.000-05:00

Given this week’s economic news, I thought I’d ask your thoughts on an important financial issue facing the district. As many of you know, our school board will be discussing the need for another bond issue in the next few months.

We’ve been open with stakeholders in the past about our plans to ask for a new bond about every three years. You approved bonds in 2000, 2003 and 2006. Adhering to that plan would mean placing a new bond request on the April 2009 ballot, a decision which must be made no later than January.

With more than 50 school buildings, we will always have facility needs. But as members of this community, we have to balance our needs with those of our stakeholders. Should we keep to our plan and request a tax increase in 2009? How would it affect you and your family? Is it fair to delay our bond request and make students in the remaining 25 percent of buildings wait for air conditioning?

I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts.

Boundary and Facility Usage Review

2008-09-08T15:56:00.000-05:00

I hope headlines and comments about a few proposed alternates don’t overshadow the good that can come from the comprehensive Boundary and Facility Usage Review we initiated this summer.

Such discussions can be unsettling for students and families but I want to remind everyone they are just that at this point—discussions. We want to know what our stakeholders think about these proposals and hear their suggestions for alternative solutions.

I received a comment via my blog about closing neighborhood schools. The reader stated:
“I beg you to not go down the slippery slope that the closing of neighborhood schools brings to families, to economies and eventually to the school district itself. Bigger is not better when it comes to children.”

Two alternates under consideration do propose closing an elementary school and a middle school. The other buildings that could be closed currently house alternative programs. These buildings, Bailey, Berry and Pepperdine, have not been used as traditional school buildings for several years because of their inadequacies.

I agree with the reader that arbitrarily closing schools is ill advised. However, I encourage stakeholders to consider the rationale behind the proposals and envision the positive possibilities they could bring for students. We believe all students deserve a quality learning environment and some of these buildings have limitations that even the most comprehensive renovations cannot address.

Making proactive and strategic decisions now about how to use the resources you provide will ensure Springfield Public Schools continues to thrive along with our community in the future and ensure academic excellence for ALL students.

I encourage you to attend a town meeting Thursday, Sept. 11, at 6:30 p.m. in Central High School auditorium to discuss the boundary and facility usage review. You may also read more online and provide your feedback.

A new beginning

2008-08-25T11:05:00.002-05:00

Welcome back to the first day of the 2008-2009 school year! I started my day visiting some of our schools and I sensed an energy in our classrooms that causes me to be especially optimistic about the future of education in Springfield Public Schools.

There is excitement about education in our community. Students, teachers, staff and community members are proud of our schools and it shows.

Of course, I believe their pride is well placed. We realized some critical milestones recently that position us for continuous improvement this year. Our graduation rate is up. Attendance is improving. Last year’s seniors performed remarkably well on the ACT exam.

As we embark on a new year, we will sharpen our focus on student achievement, persistence to graduation and increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of our system. We will engage all our stakeholders in this effort to ensure Springfield students receive every opportunity to succeed.

I hope this blog will give you an avenue to become more engaged in the discussion about education. Send me your questions or comments and we’ll address them in this forum. Let’s start with your comments about the first day of school. How did it go for your child?

Increasing transparency

2008-08-18T14:07:00.005-05:00

One purpose of this blog is to increase the transparency of Springfield Public Schools’ operations. It is imperative that a high-performing system give stakeholders easy access to information about critical decisions and everyday operations.

Another way we are trying to enhance transparency as an organization is by posting our internal audit reports online. I’m not aware of many other public entities in the area that do so. You can read them and find out for yourself where we are doing well in managing our resources and where we’ve identified opportunities for improvement. When you do, you’ll see an audit of the Superintendent and Board of Education was the first one posted.

I’d also like you to be aware that we are currently evaluating the feasibility of the KSPR building at 1359 E. St. Louis St. as a potential site for our administrative offices. The deadline is looming for us to determine whether we will invest money in our current building or move to a more efficient facility. We know we will have to spend a minimum of $600,000 to repair the boiler at Kraft Administrative Center just to pass building code. Last week, the elevator in the building was taken out of service for required costly repairs that may take more than six weeks.

While some might oppose our moving to a different building, it could help solve several problems. In addition to addressing the inadequacies of our current building, moving to a new location would allow us to improve the Central High School campus by providing much-needed green space and parking for the school.

Any thoughts?

Keep your comments coming

2008-08-15T13:31:00.004-05:00

Since my first blog entry, I’ve received numerous responses from readers. Several of you asked for a more detailed explanation about why we won’t be posting your comments for everyone to read.

On July 15, the school board adopted Policy EBH: Technology Usage to ensure appropriate use of district technology resources. Here’s an excerpt that applies to my blog:

Closed Forum
The district’s technology resources are not a public forum for expression of any kind and are to be considered a closed forum to the extent allowed by law. The district’s webpage will provide information about the school district, but will not be used as an open forum. The district’s webpage may include the district’s address, telephone number and an emailaddress where members of the public may easily communicate concerns to the administration and the Board."

While we have established these general guidelines, I do not expect them to impede our ability to have free discussion. You can still ask tough questions and I will respond.

The spirit of this blog is to facilitate an open and honest dialogue. With your enthusiastic participation, I am confident that can be achieved.

Let's start the discussion

2008-08-01T08:00:00.001-05:00

I am always looking for ways to improve the quality of education at Springfield Public Schools and my own performance as superintendent. I truly believe the best way to accomplish both can be as simple as having a conversation.

So, I thought it made good sense to tap into the power of "blogging." This electronic journal will allow me to interact with you more informally and give you a way to share your thoughts directly with me.

Welcome to the first installment of "Norm’s Notes." My goal is to make this a place where we hold regular conversations – candid, courteous and relevant – about important topics that might otherwise go unexplored.

Through regular journal entries, I will provide insights into what’s happening in the district and in the broader world of education. In turn, I hope you’ll share what’s on your mind. Such two-way dialogue will foster clearer understanding for all of us.

I regret that I won’t be able to post your comments on my blog due to legal limitations. However, I’ll do my best to review each comment submitted and consider them for discussion starters in future Norm’s Notes.

In spite of this minor limitation, I’m excited about this new line of communication. I think you know me well enough to realize I’m very comfortable sharing information, seeking feedback and encouraging an honest dialogue about the issues and challenges we face as a district.

So let’s get started. Do you think my new blog will be a useful communication tool?