Superintendent Message -- October

Superintendent’s Message -- October

After just a short time in the District, I have been amazed at the quality of instruction I see in the classrooms throughout the District.  Just as impressive is the eagerness of our students to learn.  I try to take every opportunity I can to spend as much time watching teachers and students in the classroom.

Education is undergoing a change throughout our state and country and Herscher District #2 is no exception.  In order to meet the challenges of the recent changes in teacher evaluation and the curriculum, we are exploring new models of evaluation and instruction.  This will require significant professional development for our teachers and administration as they work to provide a rigorous instructional program.

We are also continuing to expand our understanding of how students learn through their individual learning styles, so that we can differentiate our instructional practices (co-teaching and planning).  We are looking closely at our curriculum and our priorities for the future so we can:

n  Teach the most important skills and competencies and spend the appropriate time on each skill.

n  Teach the skills in a logical and sequential order (Common Core standards).

n  Assess students in order to determine weaknesses and strengths of both students and teachers (MAP testing).

We are also making a concerted effort towards improving technology in the District.  We have several schools in the District where teachers are utilizing iPads for instruction.  We are hoping to add even more of these instruments next year.  We are also hoping to get all schools in the District to have access to wireless technology by the end of the next school year.  Finally, we recently held a Technology Fair to help familiarize our faculty of all the various technology that can be used in the schools.

I am truly excited about our educational future and our commitment to excellence in the Herscher schools.  We are hoping to provide an enriching and challenging program that will continue to meets the needs of all of our students.