November 2013 Herd Article - District Vision

In a recent conversation that I had with a staff member it was mentioned by the individual that they would like to see a clear vision for their school, and for the district overall. I appreciated receiving this feedback, because developing a clear shared vision and articulating it is something that we as a school leaders, are constantly striving to do. The fact that some staff may feel as though the vision is not clear, reflects that we need to do a better job of revisiting our overarching vision, communicating to everyone, and developing commitment. It is my hope that this month’s message will help provide some clarity in regards to our district’s vision...

This summer the district leadership team, in cooperation with the school board, held several meetings in which we reviewed student data, feedback from the staff survey that I sent out last spring, and feedback from one on one interviews that I had held with school and community leaders. We also reviewed our current “District Goals”, “District Philosophy” and “Statements of Belief”. It was decided that our overarching district vision as detailed in our goals, philosophy and Statements of Belief is still relevant and compelling. If you have not reviewed these three documents I encourage you to do so by clicking on the embedded links above, or visiting the applicable sections on our website under district policies.

What did come out of our meetings was that we felt we needed to boil down our overarching vision into one simple statement that all staff members could remember and strive for within their area of responsibility. After much thought, discussion, and deliberation we selected, “Top Ten Percent In All We Do”. If each and everyone of us can perform at the top ten percent then as a district we will have no problem fulfilling our goals, philosophy and Statements of Belief. We recognize that on a day to day basis we will not always perform at that level, but it is our hope that as we strive to be in the “Top Ten Percent In All We Do”, we will elevate our performance and thus the service to our parents, students, and the community. This target applies to all of us, as Martin Luther King Jr. said,

“Whatever your life's work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better.”

By striving to meet  this target we will succeed in maximizing growth, in improving academic achievement for our students, and expanding access and opportunities for all, which will result in preparing our students for a globally competitive 21st Century.  

This outlines our district’s overarching vision, but more importantly I would ask that you reflect upon your vision. Whether it is for your class, your department, or your specific job duties…. What does “Top Ten Percent” look like to you? Capture that vision and pursue it…. Thanks for all you do!!!

Committee Work Update: Previously posted in the HERD

I want to take a moment to let each of you know what a pleasure it has been to join the Elkhorn Area School District team. The start of the school year has flown by, and I feel we are off to a great start. The positive nature of the staff and willingness to explore future possibilities, try new things, and refine current practice has been outstanding. We live in a time in education when many forces are converging…. Whether it be political, society, or self imposed, it is a lot to do. I know that we will be able to accomplish all that is at hand, we have the right staff, with the right attitude to accomplish all that is and will be required of us.

As I walked through several of the buildings last week I had the opportunity to catch people while working in their Response To Intervention (RTI) groups. Wow! I walked away very impressed with what was going on. Whether it was in larger groups, small groups, or in some cases one on one, students were engaged in meaningful, rigorous, personalized activities, and their learning was being checked for understanding. I witnessed numerous textbook examples of how RTI should be delivered. These efforts will have a tremendous impact on our students achievement and skill development! Keep up the great work!

As you know we have several committees representing the district and beginning to work on the top identified needs of the district. Below is a very brief update of each committee’s efforts to this point.

1 to 1: This committee is working on developing a plan to implement a 1 to 1 computing program for our students. The group began to identify what would need to occur in order to have a successful program and implementation. I believe this initiative can have a significant impact on student learning and personalizing our education for each of our students. The following are some short video clips that were shared with the group to help develop a common understanding: 21st Century Learner, Why one to One?, What can it look like?, What can it look like part 2 The following is an article that we also read with the purpose of identifying what must be done in order to have a successful program. Findings from one to one studies

Virtual School: This committee began exploration into what are possibilities of a EASD virtual school or program. Over 30 of our students that are open enrolled out are enrolled in virtual schools at a loss of just over $200,000 in revenue a year. Many of these enrolled in the past two years. The following video is approximately 20 minutes, but gives great insight into the potential power of tapping into virtual learning, and shows that we can get access at no cost in some cases. What we are Learning From Online Education Our next steps are to meet with a virtual school expert in order to gather recommendations.

STEM Committee: This committee also met and began exploring additional opportunities related to STEM education. The committee members will attended a STEM conference in Milwaukee this past Tuesday and are beginning to gather additional ideas and potential resources.

Facilities Committee: Met this past week and began to identify a potential timeline to follow in order to address facility needs related to space, usage, and safety. The potential target date for a referendum could be the general election next fall, November, 4th 2014. This is is very much a preliminary discussion and no decisions have been made.

Bullying and Harassment Committee: The committee held its initial meeting and has begun to explore the best manner in which to establish a uniform district approach in addressing bullying and harassment.

when there is a correct answer Exercise in creative thinking

Teamwork, 21st Century Prep, and Game Based Learning at its Best!

I am very pround of the great work Mr. Hartley and his students are doing in their 7/8 computer class. The current project has exposed them to excellent collaborative learning opportunities, 21st century preperation and development of skills, as well as maintaining a very high level of student engagement thanks to the use of Game Based Learning.

Be sure to take a moment to visit their blog, website, twitter feed, and instagram to learn more!

Wheatland Minecraft Inc.: What's The Whole Overview Of What We're Doing?: MinecraftEDU-Wheatland Center School Some people may be confused because they really don't have any idea of what we're doing. We...

Job Change Announcement to the Wheatland Community

January 15, 2013

Dear Wheatland Community:

At this time, it is with mixed emotions, that I must inform you that I am resigning my position as superintendent of the Wheatland J1 School District effective June 30^th 2013. I have accepted an offer to serve as superintendent of the Elkhorn School District starting July 1^st 2013.

I want to thank students, parents, community members, staff and the school board, for all of the support and friendship you have provided my family and me. From the moment, we moved to Wheatland we felt welcomed and appreciated. During the past three years, the friendships that have been made and the work that has been accomplished has made my time in Wheatland a highlight in my life that I will not forget. This work has been the result of all stakeholders coming together for a unified purpose. I know that this will continue and Wheatland will continue to be a leader at the state and national level in K-8 education and the development of our countries future innovators.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my tenure as an employee of Wheatland School District, and I look forward to continuing our efforts during the next few months. The school board will assure that the transition to the next school leader is smooth and seamless and I have offered to assist in anyway. I have also agreed to serve as a consultant/adviser to the district in the future if needed. I leave Wheatland with nothing but positive feelings and experiences and I look forward to maintaining my relationship with the district in a different capacity.

Sincerely,

Jason Tadlock

Our Visit With Sandy Jacoby and Education Matters

I love talk radio and always had a secret fantasy of someday being a talk radio host. So I found the experience quite enjoyable and an honor to be asked to join Mrs. Jacoby to discuss the great work going on at Wheatland.

Below is copy of a press release regarding our recent discussion with Sandy Jacoby, host of Education Matters WGTD 91.1 FM.

Press Release:

Wheatland School District Superintendent, Jason Tadlock, and Principal, Patti Clements recently sat down with Sandy Jacoby, one of the hosts of Education Matters, a Saturday morning talk show on WGTD 91.1 FM dedicated to topics related to education in Wisconsin. Ms. Jacoby had approached the Wheatland administrators and asked them to share the story of Wheatland’s recent transformation into one of the leading K-8 STEM education schools in the state, a leader in technology integration, and their focused approach on maximizing growth for every student and providing unique cutting edge educational opportunities for ALL students. Mrs. Clements stated, “I really enjoyed having the opportunity to share the stories of Wheatland and the great work the staff has done over the past few years. I am so proud of all the work our teachers have done and for the excellent support we get from our community.” Mr. Tadlock added, “I wish we had more time. So many people have done so many wonderful things to better the district. It was impossible to get it all in and I don’t want anyone to feel slighted.” Mr. Tadlock continued to say, “We failed to share that by investing in the right areas, the students and the staff, we can provide a high quality education to our students, which has had the positive return of putting the district’s finances back in order.” The program will air Saturday morning January, 19^th at 10:30 AM on 91.1 FM WGTD. If you miss the aired program, the program will be archived on WGTD’s Education Matters web page http://www.wgtd.org/Education_Matters.asp.