Tis the Season...

At the end of the day yesterday, we distributed the new HP 100e mini-laptops to members of the freshman class. The purchase of these powerful little computers was financed by a grant from the federal eRATE program and is part of a four year plan to provide computing technology to all of our students. I recall when this idea first surfaced almost five years ago during the community-wide Future Search session which began the process leading to the development of our school district's Strategic Plan. Someone pledged to work to ensure that all of our students would have a laptop computer. Well, that individual did not really follow up on that pledge nor did he have anything to do with this new project, but the idea did resonate and here we are five years later a week before Christmas providing each one of our freshmen with a new mini-computer! The real credit for this project goes to our Director of Technology Deb Morgan for developing the vision, researching the available technology, and for securing the funding. Well done!

So yesterday was pretty exciting. Since we waited until after lunch to begin the distribution, all day long the freshmen were buzzing about getting new computers. Their excitement was palpable as they were brought into our computer lab to receive their machine, check that their log in would work, and sign the official paper work. The smiles on the faces of the students was truly rewarding. However, most rewarding was the discovery I made when I went into a freshman biology class twenty minutes after they had all received their laptops. The students were sitting at their desks with their new laptops open entering data into a spreadsheet in order to eventually create a graph of their data. A simple project but a great start nonetheless. All of the teachers who have freshman classes have been preparing to integrate more technology projects into their instruction. This 1:1 laptop project is based on the belief that engaging students in solving problems and expanding their learning by using technology in the classroom and at home will not only replicate life and work in the real world of the 21st century but will also improve learning and student performance. Time and a program evaluation will certainly tell, however we have clearly entered into an exciting phase in education at CHS.

Sadly, my one regret is that we only had enough funding to supply the freshmen with laptops. Always impatient, I would have loved to have been able to purchase 210 computers but we could not afford it and we did have to start somewhere. However, that will not stop us from looking for additional funding to expand the program into the sophomore class which will then encompass half of our school. If that happens, it certainly will be cause for more celebration!

So, smiling faces and new computers with three days to go until the winter break. Regionalization is moving forward, the budget process looking positive, and the holiday season is upon us. With already so much for which we should be thankful, the new year is also looking like it will be filled with exciting progress and lots of success. Let's all make a resolution to ensure that it will be a great year!

This is most likely my last post before the holidays so let me take the opportunity to express my best wishes to all for a very happy holiday season! Look for more musings in the new year.

A New Era Begins...

Well, last Monday was an historic evening resulting in a positive vote for regionalization. Over fifty years of often heated and uncivil debate ended with a very respectful exercise in direct democracy. Perhaps during the three previous efforts the time just wasn't right. However, this time voters did see the gravity of our situation and supported the effort to move forward toward regionalizing with Harwich. So the debate and the arguments are over and now the real fun begins! Over the course of the next three and a half years we will be working with one goal in mind: to create the best regional school system possible by combining the strengths of both districts to expand educational opportunities for our students. It is as simple as that.

The regionalization process begins as early as tomorrow when I will be meeting with Harwich Principal Kevin Turner and our respective superintendents to examine ways our students can begin working and learning together now, far in advance of the opening of the new high school. We will look at the performing arts, athletics, advanced classes, and perhaps student governance to find ways to bring our students together. I am sure that this will be the first of many meetings over the coming months involving administrators, teachers, students, parents and community members as the merger evolves. This is the beginning of an exciting process! I know there are many who still have doubts and fears, and that there will be lots of transition issues, however if we all continue to focus on the goal and promise to make every decision based on what is in the best interest of our students, then I am convinced that we will be successful.

Once again, in the aftermath of what can only be described as an historic vote, I would like to commend the six member Regionalization Board and Superintendents Cragin and Lanzo for the incredible effort they exerted studying and making public every conceivable aspect of regionalization and then working tirelessly to support it and bring forth a positive outcome. They put in exceedingly long hours, attended countless meetings, and endured a withering attack on their credibility by a number of vocal critics, and yet they persevered. And the students of Chatham and Harwich will be the true beneficiaries of all of their dedication and hard work. To the 592 voters who saw the ultimate benefits of regionalization and rose above the provincialism and fear to vote in the affirmative, I thank you as well. I especially appreciate the trust you have placed in us as school leaders to make the right decisions for your children and for the community. To those who were opposed to regionalization, I respectfully ask you to set aside your objections and join the process. Let's all commit to work together to create a rich, positive, and productive educational future for all of our children. What a noble endeavor for us to pursue together!

Focusing on the Positive....

It has been a while since my last post. Unfortunately, a software glitch kept me from accessing my Google account and prevented me from posting anything to my blog. I admit it was a bit frustrating to not be able to communicate when I had so much I wanted to say, however in some ways it was a blessing. There were several incidents over the last month and a half that have made me angry and I suspect that if I could have accessed my blog, I might have written something I would later regret. Most troubling was the outright slander and public character assassination of a decent man and excellent coach by a small group of individuals based on fabrications and personal disagreements with his coaching philosophy and leadership style. Added to that were the disturbing tactics of some folks who are opposed to regionalization which focused on creating a climate of fear and uncertainty based on misinformation and prejudice. Repeated efforts to debase Harwich, its schools, and its students by calling into question a seeming disparity in MCAS or SAT scores and by suggesting an examination of comparable crime statistics in both towns were not only inappropriate but deeply troubling. It was surprisingly reminiscent of a previous regionalization attempt in the 1980's which failed due to heightened tensions over race and class which drove a wedge between the two towns. Sadly, that wedge has resurfaced and has impacted not only the regionalization debate but the normally collegial relationships among staff and students. As we approach the final decision, it is safe to say that the level of incivility in the debate has been very unfortunate leaving many to comment that they cannot wait for the issue to be resolved one way the other. And, soon it will be. Regardless of the resulting vote, we will need to move forward, eliminate the divisiveness, and restore civility to our school and community.

So lately, it seems as if we are drowning in negativity. I think we need to focus on some positives. While it is true that a recent survey of our student body did reflect a general opposition to regionalization, I have seen an amazing turnaround since the survey. Two weeks ago Harwich students spent a day in our school shadowing and, just this week, we sent sixteen students to spend a day at Harwich High School. It was amazing to watch students from both schools blend together in an instant, but more importantly to listen to them talk excitedly about their experiences and hear the stereotypes and fears evaporate. In the end, many of the students discovered what a lot of us already knew; the issues that set us apart from our neighbors pale in comparison to the number of things we share in common. Of course there will be transition issues, but in the end, should we elect to merge the two schools, we will discover that we really are all the same and before long people will wonder what all of the fuss was about.

On the eve of the town meeting vote I want to restate my position on the question of regionalization with Harwich. I am wholeheartedly in favor of merging our two fine schools and creating a dynamic new school system which will be a tremendous benefit to the students of both towns well into the future. On a personal note, this is my 39th year in public education. Having spent 28 years as a teacher and administrator at Harwich High School and the last 10 as the principal of our wonderful school, I see myself as being in a unique position. Almost a year ago I reached that numerical combination of one's age and years of service which allows one to retire with maximum benefits. However, the fact that I am still working should be an indication that I am not really ready to retire. Now, I readily accept the fact that I will probably not be part of the administrative team when the new school opens, but given my experience working in both school systems and my educational philosophy and leadership skills, I can think of no better way to bring my long career to a close than spending my last two or three years in education working on the transition to the new regional school. My effort will be dedicated to ensuring that not only all of the concerns of Chatham parents and staff are addressed, but more importantly that the new school and its curriculum and culture are the successful product of a true collaborative effort on the part of teachers, administrators, and students from both districts. That's my pledge; wrap up my career as a public educator bringing people together to build an exciting new school by merging the best of what Harwich and Chatham now have to offer. I am convinced that the results will truly awesome!

So for parents, community members, teachers and students, the stakes will be high this Monday evening. And I guess I have my own personal stake as well. I am hoping for a favorable outcome and, quite frankly, I cannot wait to get started on the transition!