New Year’s Resolutions
Educators get to enjoy two “new years” each year – one at the start of the school year and another on January 1st. Each of these new starts brings a renewed sense of hope for success and happiness. New Year’s resolutions, whether they are made on January 1st or in August, allow us to go beyond hope to proactively change the factors that contribute to our success.
Our teachers have begun to make changes to instruction and assessments to meet the more rigorous expectations measured in the new state assessments, RICAS. While the learning standards have not changed, expectations for what is considered “proficient” has increased. Massachusetts has led the nation with a rigorous Curriculum Framework that incorporates the Common Core Standards, ensuring higher level thinking skills, increased instructional rigor, and better prepared students for higher education and success in an increasingly global work environment. Rhode Island is following suit. We must resolve to continue the curriculum work already begun, as these changes, if done well, will require a considerable amount of time and effort.
Out of both necessity and a respect for Smithfield taxpayers, another resolution for 2019 will be to continue to find ways to operate our schools more efficiently. We began the school year operating under a budget increase that was funded by increased state aid; there was no tax impact to Smithfield taxpayers in FY19. The estimated FY20 state aid, however, brings us to a figure that is lower than that received in FY18. If we are to maintain the current level of programming, a significant increase will be needed in our town appropriation. With a per-pupil allocation that is well below the state average, we don’t have too many options for reducing expenses without substantial impacts to staffing and instruction. School budgets are complicated under the best of circumstances. Expenses are pulled from Federal grant accounts as well as the local budget. Federal law requires a “maintenance of effort” for special education programming, meaning that this part of the budget cannot decreases. Contractual salary increases, utility increases, and continually rising health care costs contribute to annual increases. Despite these challenges, we are committed to do our best to find efficiencies, reduce expenses, and explain our budget decisions as they are made.
Another important resolution is to work smarter. The district strategic plan provides a clear direction for district goals, individual school improvement goals, and educator goals as required by the Rhode Island educator evaluation system. We cannot afford nor have the time to expend effort on initiatives that will not help us to achieve the community’s vision for its schools. A mid-year progress report for both the district goals and my goals for this school year will be presented to the School Committee at its January 22nd meeting.
I hope that many of you will consider making activism in the Smithfield schools a resolution for 2019. School Committee meetings are often unattended or poorly attended. The School Committee needs to know what all stakeholders – students, parents, taxpayers, and staff – want for our schools in order for them to serve you well. John Carver (2006, Boards That Make a Difference), an expert on effective board operations, explains that although boards act as trustees on the “owners’” behalf, board business often “pull the board staffward.” The Future Search, which brought together a variety of stakeholders for a conversation about our district’s future, provided an opportunity to hear from the “owners” of Smithfield schools. There are many opportunities, such as School Committee and town meetings and participation on school improvement teams, for this voice to be heard into the future.
Happy New Year!
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