Prevent, Prepare, Respond, Recover

Smithfield Schools’ promise, “every child will be prepared for continued learning, career, and life” can only be realized if we attend to supporting a safe learning environment.  I’ve discussed rigor and technology in previous blog posts and would be remiss if I neglected to address safety.  Sometimes the extent of the work of our administrative team and staff behind the scenes is not well understood by parents and towns people.  I hope that this particular blog entry provides a glimpse into the very important work we are doing to ensure that Smithfield Schools are safe places to work and learn – even in a pandemic.

The Smithfield School Committee recently adopted a new policy, aligned to state law, that outlines the contents of school and district safety plans.  While Smithfield’s plans are up-to-date, reviewed regularly, and are supported by a district emergency operations team, consisting of police, fire, and school officials, the policy reminds us that we have more work to do to address safety concerns in our schools.  Additionally, a comprehensive safety audit done by Safe Havens two years ago provides guidance for ensuring a safe school environment.  Interestingly, the audit identified the need for a pandemic response plan — something that we never thought we’d have to consider.

Several resources provide direction on actions that districts can make to prevent, prepare and respond to, as well as recover from an emergency. The emergency management cycle, prevent-prepare-respond-recover, provides a framework that is used nationally to ensure that entities consider all aspects of safety planning.  Developing plans, training staff on various protocols, investing in locks and security systems, reviewing food safety protocols, working with RIDOH to quarantine students who may have been exposed to the coronavirus, and other efforts all contribute toward reducing risks that are prevalent in today’s society.  

The PREVENT phase aims to avoid the occurrence of incidents or lessen the harm done by unavoidable incidents. 

Over the past two years, Smithfield Public Schools has used COPS grant funding to complete facilities improvements at SHS and GMS that include new security entrances for visitor management and alarm systems that allow office staff to discretely alert the police if a situation warrants police response.  New camera systems, purchased with local funds, can be accessed by the police and fire departments remotely, if needed, to respond to an incident safely.  In response to the current pandemic, new practices include cleaning protocols, mask-wearing, and social distancing. These are all preventative measures.  More importantly, the greatest preventative measure a school can make is through relationships.  Our small school sizes provide environments where every child is known.  Conversations about alternatives to suspension are aimed to reengage students who make poor decisions, rather than furthering the divide.  Responsive Classroom techniques in grades PK-5 develop strong classroom cultures. The Classroom of Difference programming supported by the Anti-Defamation League supports inclusive school environments at our middle and high schools.

The PREPARE phase is the process of preparing for incidents. Effective preparedness requires planning for worst-case scenarios. It involves a continuous cycle of planning, practicing, and evaluating actions aimed at effective response to an incident. 

Fire drills are perhaps the longest standing protocol developed and practiced by schools but there are many others as well that should be established and practiced regularly.  Plans for medical emergency response include sufficient staff who are CPR trained and consider the locations of our AEDs and naloxone for opiod overdose, the response time of EMS to our schools, and delineated steps to take in case of a medical emergency.  Other protocols have been or are being written and shared with staff for lockdowns, stay-in-place, bomb threats, and other responses.  Establishing systems for sharing the protocols with staff and practicing protocols are and will always be a work in progress as we learn more about which practices are the most effective.  

The RESPOND phase includes the steps taken to minimize harm to people and property during a particular incident. Its focus is on the short-term, direct effects of an incident and requires tight coordination and rapid action among all participants. This includes executing the emergency plans developed and practiced in the Prepare phase. Working with the RIDOH to determine who will be quarantined after a positive case is confirmed is another example of a response.

The last phase of the cycle will hopefully never have to be utilized, however, planning for it is an ongoing enterprise.  Working closely with our police and fire departments, practicing protocols, and developing plans will help us to respond appropriately and effectively should an incident occur.

The RECOVER phase is concerned with restoring the learning and teaching environment after an incident. It is the process of mending the physical and psychological health of school community members, as well as restoring its physical facilities to re-establish a positive learning environment. 

Each school has a crisis team and a corresponding district team will be established.  Such a team would consist of administrators, nurses, school psychologists, emergency responders, and local clergy, to meet regularly to develop protocols ensuring that the community is supported during the recovery phase of a critical incident, should one occur.  To be clear, critical incidents include natural disasters and events outside of the school environment in addition to violent actions during the school day.  An effective district crisis team should not be simply a list of people on a piece of paper but, instead, should consist of a team of caring individuals who are poised to come together to provide specific support after a critical incident.  Written agreements can be developed with neighboring districts to share psychologists and counselors so that our community will have more support than it could possibly provide on its own.  One of our In a former district, PREPaRE training, developed developed by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), was provided to administrators and mental health professionals to strengthen school safety and crisis management plans and response.

It is scary to think about the incidents that have occurred in other communities and impossible to eliminate all risks to our own schools but through the work we are doing in Smithfield schools, we can do the best that we can for the most important asset of our community – our children. 

Respectful Political Discourse

At a statewide meeting I attended prior to the start of the pandemic, a retired superintendent commented, “I am so glad I retired before the onslaught of social media.”  There were many heads nodding in agreement; social media has provided both a challenge and a resource.  Social media itself is not an issue.  Instead, how some use this resource has become problematic. Discourse, whether it be online or in person, should be respectful. Educators go to great lengths spreading this message to students but they also learn from the adults around them and the examples they are exposed to through their own networks.

Communications during election seasons tend to be especially discourteous.  There are ten weeks left until the general election and I’ve already felt inundated by political ads and social media feeds.  Few present a positive approach.  Political postings on Facebook and Twitter often cross the line for respectful discourse.  The negativity of these ads and posts contribute toward feelings of hopelessness instilled by the coronavirus pandemic.   I hope you will join me in pledging to keep the discourse respectful this year— not just for this topic but for everything that we tweet, retweet, or post. 

All members of our educational community can contribute to helping our students navigate disruptive times.  Some students may be confused about the conflicting opinions of their families and friends.  It is important for our school community to be a safe and respectful place for every student, especially during difficult times.  Although educators may not be experts on all matters affecting our country and may not be of the same mind about the steps our country is taking, we do our best to help students feel safe to express their position on matters of concern.  

Each of us has different perspectives, beliefs, and political affiliations.  What makes our country great is that we can live side by side without fear of hostility when our opinions differ.  It is human nature to want to help others understand our position and to sway others to share our perspective.  Rallies, letters sent to political leaders, writings (blogs), Tweets, and other means help us to do just that.  What I hope we all remember, though, is that when we feel frustrated by friends and family who do not come around to our views, we must take care not to move to anger, even when we see adults that we respect do just that.

A Vision For Technology Use in Smithfield

With the implementation of distance learning, student and educator use of technology increased substantially, however, technology can be used innovatively or it can be used routinely. Our goal as educational leaders are to support staff to harness technology for more effective communication, engaging instruction, use of data for instructional decision-making, and professional development.  To this end, we must ask:

  • Do students in Smithfield Public Schools utilize technology to communicate, create, problem-solve, and collaborate?
  • Does the curriculum, instruction, and assessment in Smithfield leverage technology to provide the most engaging, effective, and personalized learning environment?
  • Through the use of technology, can learning occur 24/7 both inside and outside of the classroom and at each student’s individual pace, both to meet rigorous standards as well as to explore individual interests?
  • Do our schools provide technology, networks, and hardware to enable safe but open access to digital resources?
  • Do we provide a digital environment that ensures privacy and security of data as well as the protection of students’ identities while encouraging staff to use data to inform instruction, curriculum, and assessment?
  • Are partnerships leveraged to build global competencies and connect parents to their child’s educational goals?
  • Do Smithfield educators engage in contextual professional learning that builds competencies necessary to support 21st Century learning?
  • Are the budget process and policies of Smithfield Public Schools designed to ensure continual improvement of the instructional experience of our students while being fiscally responsible to the taxpayers?​​
  • Does the leadership of our schools and district support 21st Century learning that utilizes technology to communicate, create, problem-solve, and collaborate? 

As we move into the new school year, we’ll be reflecting on these questions to ensure that we better support our educators’ use of technology.  ​In addition to continually planning for our future, we will also reflect on each year’s progress.  In particular this year, Smithfield had a strong start with a quality distance learning program but improvements were identified to ensure that “distance learning 2.0” is even better.

For this school year, students and teachers will see a variety of improvements that can support their innovative use of technology. New, elementary ELA curriculum materials, ready for the start of the new school year, will include engaging technology supports.  Document cameras will be provided to each Smithfield teacher to support distance learning lessons.  The fiber optic cable connecting McCabe to GMS and SHS was accidentally cut by construction workers during site prep, since the conduit was only 6” deep, rather than the 18” in code.  This cable is being replaced with upgraded fiber optics, which should result in faster, more reliable Internet access.  Efforts, as well, weren’t focused exclusively on new hardware, software, and instructional practices.  We also added a new School Committee policy addressing data security.  

Most importantly, we’ll continue to ask questions of ourselves to push our thinking and devise additional measures for improving our use of technology. As Tom Peters, the author of In Search of Excellence, once said, “Never, ever rest on your laurels. Today’s laurels are tomorrow’s compost.”

A Class to Remember

One of the many things now missing from our lives due to COVID-19 is sports.  Despite the fact that there have been no professional sports played in the last two months, ESPN’s Pardon the Interuption remains a staple in my household and I’ve come to enjoy its hosts, Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon who argue over a wide variety of sports topics.  

Recently, the pair discussed Armando Galarrega’s plea to have baseball overturn the erroneous call made by first base umpire Jim Joyce that robbed Galarraga of his perfect game.  Tony Kornheiser made a point, during that discussion, that made me reflect on this graduation and on this graduating class.  He stated, “I think that Galarrega is more notable because everyone remembers this call at first base…. I know him more than I know other people who have pitched perfect games.” 

For you, the graduating class of 2020, it wasn’t an umpire that robbed you of a perfect game but instead was a virus that hijacked a traditional graduation ceremony, along with the end-of-year events that you had looked forward to since September.  But rest assured, while many graduation ceremonies blur together in the memories of your teachers and administrators, this one won’t.  This ceremony and this graduating class will not soon be forgotten.  You will forever be etched into our collective memories as graduates who have earned a place in history. Best of luck on everything you set out to do in your future.

Solutions Needed – Our Nation’s Civil Unrest

Another black man murdered, more division in an already divided county, and the risks associated with police work becoming more dangerous. How do we make sense of the killing of George Floyd and its aftermath?

Violence, nor looting and rioting are answers but answers are needed.  No response from previous deaths thus far has created a decreased risk for African-Americans. Over 50 years after the death of Martin Luther King, we are not yet in a good place with respect to equity, bias, and racism.  We have, as a nation, chosen to address each incident individually and not very well, rather than systematically getting to the root of the problem.

The majority of police officers are good, community-oriented, public servants but there are some who enjoy the power the position brings and abuse that power on those who they see are lesser than themselves.  At least two of the officers involved in Floyd’s death had several conduct complaints and/or were cited for police brutality. Why were they allowed to continue to serve as officers?  Answering this question then removing the barriers for removing bad cops is essential for improving the lives of African Americans and, I contend, for us all.  Certainly, this would help the many dedicated police officers that serve our communities; the actions of bad cops make the work of every police officer more dangerous.

The majority of Americans, as well, are good, kind citizens but there is often an underlying current of racism, inherent in people who often live and work with people who share a racial and cultural profile.  In Smithfield, over 85% of our students are white and the corresponding percentage for teachers is nearly 100%. We began to see a rising use of racial slurs and chose to focus on bringing about a systemic response to the issue, rather than simply addressing each incident separately.  The district partnered with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), who began as an organization focused on antisemitism but evolved into one whose mission is to bring about equality for all.  

The ADL’s A Classroom of Difference program provided anti-bias training for our middle and high school communities – educators, students, and families.  The focus is on an inclusive culture and respectful school climate free of bullying and bias, characterized, instead, by respect and safety for all students.  The ADL’s training for students helped a group of students from GMS and SHS to work with their peers to confront bias and nurture inclusive environments.  Immediately before the COVID-19 crisis, we were “on a roll,” with students gaining comfort in facilitating conversations in advisory settings.  We will restart this important initiative for the 2020-2021 school year.  

Minneapolis is nearly 1400 miles from Smithfield, RI but we are not a world apart.  If we Rhode Islanders don’t work on bringing about systemic change to address racism and bias in all of our public institutions, in all our communities, and in all our homes, we fail as Americans. 

The Power of Suggestion

The power of suggestion has long been studied by psychologists, marketing professionals, and politicians interested in learning about how we are influenced to think a certain way or believe in certain things, however inconceivable.  I’m sure we all can find examples of a time when someone said that another person was rude or a book was boring or a movie was too long and sure enough, our impression of the person, book, or movie, turned out just as was suggested. Of course, the person might really be rude and the book boring and the movie long, but one wonders what our opinion might have been had the suggestions never been made.  

I have been noting instances when a political speech or a piece of writing or another type of communication has been initially interpreted a certain way then reinterpreted after a strong opinion was voiced on the communication.  Even with a firm understanding about the power of suggestion, I find myself moved by a clip or a quote passed along by social media.  With the barrage of messages received each day, how could anyone apply critical analysis to formulate independent assessments of all this information?  It’s easier to consume the communication prepackaged as it is, with interpretation already provided.  

Somehow, we’ve also become a divided nation, ready for a fight, easily insulted, distrustful, and unforgiving, making it easier to become influenced by a call to arms supported by another’s interpretation of a dialogue, article, or message and without a connection to the person or an understanding of context. Isolated as we are at this time, we can become further divided. 

Let’s make extra efforts to suspend judgment, become quick to forgive, reflect on our own words in an effort to ensure that we consider others’ feelings, and use our own power of persuasion to bring about positivity and unity.  As the political messaging ramps up as November draws near, let’s also make sure to check on how the messaging is affecting our feelings, especially our feelings toward one another.  The threat of COVID-19 to our physical health is outmatched by the threat of negativity to our mental health.

Difficult Times Nurture Innovations

When we can’t do the same things the same way, we learn to do things differently. The coronavirus pandemic has brought about a difficult time in our community and in our nation but difficult times spur innovation.  

An article in Biography, published last month (available online at https://www.biography.com/news/isaac-newton-quarantine-plague-discoveries), provides a list of innovations developed by Isaac Newton while on quarantine during the Great Plague of London in the 1660’s. In addition to developing calculus and studying gravity and inertia, Newton investigated optics through experiments with prisms, showing that white light is made up of light of varying colors.

Our current pandemic is also spurring innovations in a variety of areas – in medicine, service delivery, entertainment, and education.

The Academy of Country Music Awards were delayed until September but, as the saying goes, “the show must go on.” Over 20 country music stars performed from the comfort of their homes for a television production, ACM Presents: Our Country.  It was brilliant. The two-hour television special traded stage lights and choreographed routines for a glimpse into the homes and hearts of the biggest stars of the genre.

The program was hosted by Gayle King and included Lady Antebullum, Shania Twain, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, and others, along with children, dogs, and, most notably, an affectionate horse.  Through the use of technology, band members performed together — separately. As country music does best, stories were told, messages of hope shared, and emotion was interlaced with melody. Keith Urban’s song, “Wasted Time,” was fitting for the situation while Eric Church reminded us to “Never Break Heart and Thomas Rhett told the audience to “Be a Light.”  It was, by far, the best televised music production I’ve watched and a source of inspiration during this period of despair.  

Between sets, I mused on the innovative design of the show. The actual technology used isn’t what was impressive; people have been Face-timing for quite a while, though probably with less sophisticated equipment.  It was the creativity of the show’s design that was out-of-the-box and never attempted before this time – before we had no choice but to ask musicians to perform together — separately. 

Likewise, educators have innovated more in the last month than they have in months prior. In some cases, teachers are figuring out how to perform a traditional function – deliver a lecture, give a test, or have a discussion – in a new way, using technology.  In other cases, entirely new instructional practices have emerged.  

The new instructional delivery approach has enabled SHS music teachers Kelly Chartier and Katherine Young to invite guest musicians, a Broadway performer, and a singer/songwriter to talk with their students in Google Hangouts. Students enjoyed learning about the experiences of these professional musicians.   

The virtual format also allows for student choice.  For example, last week Mrs. Young created an “Ode to Bill Withers” assignment for Chorus to celebrate his life and work. Students had 5 options within that 1 project, such as creating a Google slide presentation about his career,  writing a new verse for “Lean and Me” and creating their own cover video of one of his songs.

For the past 3 weeks, Alicia Marques-Jorden, McCabe’s PE/health teacher, provided a “choice board” from which students are able to choose from 3 warm ups, 3 main activities  and 3 cool downs. Next week, students are invited to wear their favorite Star Wars gear to the virtual PE class as part of Star Wars Week. The Star Wars choice board will feature 4 warms ups, 4 main activities, 4 cool downs, and 4 creative activities all having to do with Star Wars. 

As a paraprofessional and with just a click of a mouse, Robin Alves has been able to access different classrooms to support students needing extra help. She has found this extremely effective and thinks it might be helpful, as well, for teachers to access each other’s classrooms, to learn how other teachers set up their virtual classroom environments.

Having the forethought to take home some lab equipment on the days prior to the March vacation week, SHS chemistry teacher Jenn True has been filming her daughter conducting experiments under her watchful eye. The pair has investigated molarity, intermolecular forces, and types of solids. They even made their own conductivity tester from household materials. 

Another SHS science teacher, Liz Rusillo had her students write superhero stories based on electromagnetic waves. They recorded themselves reading the stories on a padlet and then listened to one another and commented. The use of technology has enabled students to provide feedback to each other in a variety of classes.

GMS teachers Lisa Carter and Cindy Ripley shared a link to the new Narrow River Osprey Cam and shared information provided by the Narrow River Preservation Association.  This enables an opportunity for students to participate in a virtual field experience while learning at home.

In a lesson for the introduction to engineering class entitled, “The Mission to Mars,” fledgling engineering students used critical thinking, creativity and the engineering process to colonize Mars.  Students are researching the red planet to understand the planet’s conditions, including climate, atmosphere, natural resources, and terrain. They can then make decisions about the 25 things they would bring to Mars to help build a sustainable colony. The class is using “Minecraft for Education” and a “Mars Realm” to build their colonies.  Jeff Macari, the engineering teacher, is able to “walk around” in the virtual world, checking on student progress in real time, answering questions and giving advice.

Not every lesson can be a tradition-shattering experience, but with less than a month under our belts, Smithfield teachers have learned to do things differently, applying innovation to continue to provide our students with effective learning experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our Learning Organization

“A learning organization is an organization that is continually expanding its capacity to create its future.” (Senge, 1990)

A commercial from the 2012 winter Olympics, well worth a watch (see this link), reminds us that it takes many falls and failures before Olympic success.  Of course, we all know this. Whether we are a parent watching our 6-yr-old child at batting practice, a teacher listening to a kindergartner stumbling over a word, a 9th grader learning to golf, or a newlywed trying to recreate grandma’s meatballs, we know that learning from experiences, especially from those experiences that weren’t successes, is extremely beneficial. 

We don’t always think about how this principle applies to organizations.  Peter Senge’s The Fifth Discipline continues to be the most cited text about learning organizations.  Since that publication, numerous articles proclaim the benefits of taking a learning stance.  An article in Harvard Business Review (Garvin, Edmondson, & Gino, March 2008) cites examples of this approach from business, hospitals, and military organizations.  At the Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, a policy of “blameless reporting” resulted in “everyone working together to understand safety, identify risks, and report them with out fear of blame. … Over time, these learning activities yielded measurable reductions in preventable deaths and illnesses at the institution.”  The authors also cite the U.S. Army’s After Action Review (AAR) process, “which involves a systematic debriefing after every mission, project, or critical activity. This process is framed by four simple questions: What did we set out to do? What actually happened? Why did it happen? What do we do next time? …Then the results are codified by the Center for Army Lessons Learned, or CALL. Such dissemination and codification of learning is vital for any organization.”

In Leicester, where I previously served as superintendent, an incident involving food borne illness (see ‪goo.gl/n70e9h) provided an opportunity for that school community to apply their learning to reduce the risk of future issues.  In short, nearly the entire football team, along with some adults, became sick during the school day, resulting from improperly handled food (#shepardspie) eaten during a team dinner the previous night.  Following the quick identification of the source of the illness and the isolation and care of sick students, we set out to ensure that such a incident would not be repeated in Leicester.  We knew that knee-jerk reactions, such as eliminating all potluck dinners or locking down dining commons after hours, would do little to help us to become an organization that serves the community well.  Instead, we met with representatives from the board of health to review and revise protocols relating to food borne illnesses, loss of power (that may result in food spoilage), and other matters of mutual concern.  What was learned was shared with the district safety committee to ensure that the protocols in all district schools were updated.  The findings had professional development implications (Who might be invited to training on FOODSAFE when we provide this training to our food service employees?), curriculum implications (Do we include food safety in our health curriculum?), and communication implications (Should we distribute information about safe pot luck dinners?).  National data suggests that one in every 6 Americans experiences food borne illness each year but we knew that we’d be able to reduce this statistic in our own town if we were, indeed, a learning organization. 

This year, we have been thrown into uncharted territories with neither a map nor a captain who has previous experience on this journey.  COVID-19 has and continues to have implications for our district’s finances, teaching and learning, and on the health and safety of our students and staff.  Our approach is to take on a learning stance. 

We had already forayed into technology-assisted instruction with the use of Google classroom, flipped classrooms, and online programs.  We have applied the principle of organizational learning to this work, with structures in place, such as common planning time, to allow teachers to work together to share experiences with the use of technology or new instructional approaches.  After experimenting with these new approaches, teachers are able to decide upon minor revisions for improvement. Their previous learning was applied to our design of Smithfield’s virtual learning plan.  The plan was not devised by any one person but was, instead, expertly facilitated by our assistant superintendent, Sara Monaco, who worked closely with our district and school administrators.  Principals, in turn, worked with teachers and paraprofessionals to further develop the plan to meet their individual school’s needs.  We can’t stop there;  like the U.S. Army’s After Action Review (AAR) process, we need to ask ourselves at regular intervals, What did we set out to do? What actually happened? Why did it happen? What do we do next time? Through such a process, our plan will continually improve.

The entire experience itself, from the development of a virtual learning plan and a continuity of operations plan to our cleaning protocols, the review of service contracts and employee assignments, and the work with our town partners for monitoring and decision-making relating to the impact of COVID-19 on Smithfield, will not be devoid of mistakes.  Instead, we, as a learning organization, will take what is not perfect and learn from it.  Our response to this crisis will continue to improve and any ad hoc plans developed at this time will be codified and included in our District Emergency Operations Plan so that, if this were to reoccur, we will be starting with both a plan and experience.

When things don’t go exactly as planned during this current crisis, please help us improve by providing specific, constructive feedback. Help us to be a learning organization. “continually expanding [our[ capacity to create [our] future.” (Senge, 1990)

Senge, P. M. (1990). The fifth discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization. New York: Doubleday/Currency.

Garvin, D., Edmondson, A., & Gino, F. “Is yours a learning organization?” First published in the Harvard Business Review (March 2008).  Available: https://hbr.org/2008/03/is-yours-a-learning-organization

The Protagonists of This Medical Thriller

Vital Signs, Harmful Intent, Terminal, Acceptable Risk, Mortal Fear, Outbreak, Fever, Contagion, Invasion, Crisis, and Pandemic   –  News headlines and titles of Robin Cook novels have become interchangeable in this age of the coronavirus. While historical fiction is now my genre of choice, I went through a period of time when I couldn’t get my hands on enough medical thrillers.  Robin Cook, a favorite author, wrote over two dozen novels about contagions from other worlds, uncouth drug companies, unexplained comas, perils of genetic engineering, industrial sabotage, and, of course, pandemics. 

Rather than being bent on stories of disaster, I’m drawn to the protagonists of these tales: sometimes ordinary, but smart people doing extraordinary work to develop a plan to save lives. Cook’s protagonists include medical examiners, idealistic medical students, forensic pathologists and devoted physicians who apply science and detective work to resolve the crises in which they circumstantially find themselves entangled. Dr. Laurie Montgomery and Dr. Jack Stapleton are recurring characters in several Cook novels. Medical examiners and pathologists, they stumble into more unexplained mysteries than is reasonable, but Cook devotees disregard the obvious fallibility of the series, enjoying, instead, the comfort of familiar characters.

We have our own protagonists in this drama in which we are unwitting characters. Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, Rhode Island’s Director of the Department of Health, is an articulate, methodical, and tenacious warrior in the fight against the spread of the coronavirus. While directing the work of the department whose mission is to prevent disease and protect and promote the health and safety of the people of Rhode Island, she also is the face of the department, providing news briefs every day during the crisis.

Dr. Alexander-Scott has credentials that match, if not rival, the credentials of Cook’s protagonists.  Until recently, few Rhode Islanders knew of Dr. Alexander-Scott, yet her work prior to the crisis, which focused on ensuring access to quality health services for all Rhode Islanders, earned her recognition from Grow Smart Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Kresge Foundation. 

Our Director of the Department of Health is board certified in Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, Pediatric Infectious Diseases, and Adult Infectious Diseases. She holds degrees from Cornell University, the SUNY Upstate Medical University at Syracuse, and Brown University.  Even after her medical credentials were secured, she pursued a Master’s Degree in Public Health. Elected by her peers to serve as the President of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) in 2018-2019, Dr. Alexander-Scott is a respected member of the relatively small group of medical professionals that call themselves state health directors.

On the national front, members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, led by Vice President Pence, include FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn.  Dr. Hahn is the commissioner of the FDA, the agency responsible for approving drugs, expanding therapeutic options, and approving vaccines and the compassionate use of trial drugs.  This post is often left vacant or is filled by an interim director and, in fact, Dr. Hahn was appointed only three months ago. In the genre of the medical thriller, this could make an interesting subplot.

Also members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force are our Surgeon General, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the Coronavirus Response Coordinator. Our Surgeon General, Jerome Michael Adams is an anesthesiologist who previously served as the Indiana State Health Commissioner. The website of the Office of the Surgeon General describes this position as ”the Nation’s Doctor, providing Americans with the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and reduce the risk of illness and injury.” 

Consistently expressing the severity and seriousness of the current pandemic is Anthony Stephen Fauci, an immunologist who serves as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. At the age of 79, he has made significant contributions to HIV/AIDS research and our knowledge of infectious diseases.  In recent White House briefings, he is the one I listen to most closely.

Bridging the medical and political functions of the task force is Deborah Leah Birx, a physician and diplomat.  A military-trained medical clinician in immunology serving as a Coordinator of Strategies to Combat HIV/AIDS, her experience managing a public health crisis is well grounded.   

Besides these “generals” in the war against COVID-19, there are countless soldiers contributing to the efforts to keep each of us healthy. Nurses, doctors, EMTs, police officers, the National Guard, firefighters, grocery and drugstore workers, public leaders and others at the front line play a part in this effort, sometimes at their own peril.  Those of us who rely on their efforts must find our own ways to contribute to and express gratitude toward their work.  

While I can sometimes rip through a Robin Cook novel in a matter of hours or a few short days, the current drama will most likely last for months.  As this plot twists and turns and, undoubtedly, reaches a climax, I have confidence in our protagonists. While sometimes saddened when finishing a good medical thriller, I can’t wait for this one to end. 

  • Credentials of persons included in this blog post were obtained from department websites and Wikipedia.

FY21 Budget Narrative

This narrative summarizes the budget process in Smithfield, the current school needs and goals, and how various resources combine to meet those needs.  Details about each budget line are provided in budget spreadsheets. These spreadsheets, along with slides used in each of the budget meetings, are posted on the finance page of the district website following School Committee meetings.  While much information is available to the public, school budgets are admittedly complicated. Questions about this budget can be addressed to any member of the School Committee or the administrative team.

Budget Process

The promise of Smithfield Public Schools, every student prepared for continued learning, career, and life, requires that we continually improve the instructional experience of our students, our facilities, and our access to technology and do this in an efficient and economical manner.  Great care was taken in the development of the 2020-21 budget, which provides for a minimum level of funding for our schools that allows for a sound instructional program for Smithfield’s most valuable resource – its students – while also being fiscally responsible to the taxpayers.

The budget process officially began in November when administrators were reoriented to the use of our financial software, iVisions, for budgeting.  iVisions allows the administrative team to budget for the upcoming year and provide details about anticipated needs. The process used in Smithfield is referred to as “zero-based budgeting.”  Rather than simply providing a cost-of-living increase to budget lines, we require that administrators start with zero and justify requested budget amounts with specific, anticipated needs.  

At the December 2nd meeting of the School Committee, School Committee members had the opportunity to discuss any parameters and goals they would like administrators to consider while budgeting.  Additionally, the budget calendar was adopted and the process reviewed. At that time, we had been informed that the state aid for next year was projected to be over $300,000 less than for FY20, posing a significant challenge.

The district’s administrative team first worked on a staffing plan, knowing that salaries and associated benefits make up the largest percent of the school district budget.  Non-salary lines were then addressed. After submission of individual school budgets, principals defended each planned expenditure, line by line. Although administrators submitted budgets or non-salary lines that were less than the current year, budget lines were trimmed further by identifying alternative means of achieving objectives.  Members of the administrative team have worked hard to prepare this budget, listing specific, anticipated expenditures for each budget line.   

At a joint, Town Council – School Committee meeting, held on December 2nd, the school department shared information about budget challenges, state aid, and a budget projection.  Although, at that time, the projected budget total was 3.6% higher than the FY20 budget, this figure would require an increase in the town appropriation exceeding 4%. Clearly, more reductions would have to be made to bring the increase in the town appropriation down to a more reasonable level.

After a review of class sizes and instructional programs, the administrative team identified positions that could be eliminated with the least impact on instructional programming.  To be clear, every reduction in staffing affects instructional programming. Current staffing levels are not excessive, as evidenced by our low per pupil costs. A staffing plan and the draft budget was discussed at two budget workshops, held on January 21 and February 3, then at the March 2nd School Committee meeting.  

After approval by the School Committee, this budget plan will be discussed by the Town Council, then will be considered, along with the town budget, at the budget hearing, held on May 12th. Budget recommendations are then made to the community at the Town Financial Meeting, scheduled for June 11, 2020, and the community votes on both the school and municipal budgets.

Revenues

The school department receives revenues from a variety of sources.  Federal grants, amounting to $1,044,922 in FY20, provide funds for specific purposes, such as for special education and professional development.  These funds, along with monies received from competitive grants, are managed outside of the general fund.

The local appropriation from Smithfield taxpayers; miscellaneous revenues, such as Career and Technical Education (CTE) and preschool tuitions; and state aid contribute to the general fund.  Figure 1 showing the relative amounts for each of these sources contributing to the school department budgets, from FY18 to FY21.

For the FY21 budget, state aid to education for Smithfield is estimated to be $6,127,668, which is $244,000 less than for FY20.  Miscellaneous revenues are estimated to increase to $642,000.  The school department is requesting a 3.18% increase in the local appropriation to make up some of the funding lost from state aid.  Even with this increase in the local appropriation, the FY21 budget will be only 2.3% higher than FY20 figures.  

The large swings in state aid experienced over the past three years was investigated, since such changes bring both instability and unpredictability for operational planning.  Variables in the state aid formula include enrollment, the number of students eligible for free and reduced lunch, as well as variables that make up a determination of a town’s wealth.  These variables include the total assessed value of taxable properties, adjusted considering the selling prices of properties over the past 2 years and the median family income of town residents. 

The median income of town residents is estimated by the US Census Bureau.  An inspection of this data over the past few years seems to indicate that the town residents of Smithfield became first poorer then significantly more wealthy compared to their state peers.  The resulting “wealth” of the town, which the state refers to as the Equalized Weighted Assessed Value (EWAV), rose 8.8% between FY19 and FY20 then rose yet again after these adjustments, despite the fact that the town does not have any real means of securing more taxes from its residents from one year to the next.  These factors, therefore, lead towns to strained fiscal challenges. In Smithfield, for example, even if the district were to maintain a level budget — a significant feat considering that health insurance is expected to rise, contractual pay increases obligates the district to increase salaries ranging from 2-2.5%, and utility costs also tend to rise from year-to year — the town appropriation would need to increase by 1.7% if no fund balance was applied.

We have met with state legislators, the Commissioner and his staff, and other policy-makers in the hope of calling attention to the failings of the state aid formula and advocating for a revised formula that can better serve our state and town.

Figure 1.  Revenue sources for FY18-FY21 for Smithfield Public Schools

Historical Perspective

Since the 2009 economic downturn, state and federal grants, which provide a significant portion of the support for Smithfield schools, have declined and local contributions and increased state aid have just recently made up this gap.  A summary of the last 6 years of various revenue sources is provided in Table 1.

After the economic downturn of 2009, the district experienced challenging budget years.  In FY14, the school appropriation just surpassed the FY11 school appropriation. Over the past 8 years, the town voted school appropriation had not increased to the same extent as the Consumer Price Index (CPI), a common measure of economic growth, until FY17.  Due to the impact of escalating health care costs, the budget should be exceeding the rate of increase of CPI just to maintain level services. 

 

FY14 Actual FY15 Actual FY16 Actual FY17 Actual FY18 Actual
Town Appropriation $27,267,117 $28,218,085 $29,168,085 $30,252,808 $31,227,808
Capital Appropriation $450,000 $450,000 $450,000 $450,000 $450,000
Total Town Appropriation $27,717,117 $28,668,085 $29,618,085 $30,702,808 $31,677,808
State Aid $4,938,651 $5,058,392 $5,309,806 $5,887,567 $6,260,710
Re-appropriated Fund Balance $769,893 $727,261 $375,608 $117,092 $130,223
Federal Grants $939,318 $919,117 $883,107 $898,579 $876,762
MISC Revenues $253,750 $248,441 $327,819 $361,179 $403,173
Total $34,618,729 $35,621,296 $36,514,425 $37,967,225 $39,348,676
Increase over previous year .86%

$295,580

2.9%

$1,002,567

2.51%

$893,129

3.98%

$1,452,800

3.64%  $1,381,451
Additional Capital Fund  $280,000 $280,000

 

FY 19 Actual FY 20 Adopted Budget FY 21 Budget
Town Appropriation $31,227,808 $32,538,175 $33,573,969
Capital Appropriation $450,000 $0 $0
Total Town Appropriation $31,677,808 $32,538,175 $33,373,969
State Aid $7,778,638 $6,370,405 $6,126,405
Re-appropriated Fund Balance $300,000 $300,000
Federal Grants $989,801 $1,044,922 $1,044,922
MISC Revenues $542,288 $506,519 $642,000
Total $40,988,535 $40,760,021 $41,687,296
Increase over previous year 4.17% $1,639,859 -0.56%%

($228,514)

2.2% ($927,275)
Additional Capital Fund  $512,160 $0 $294,000

Table 1. School Department Revenues, FY14-FY21

The town should be commended for its support for the school budget through FY18.  These school appropriations have helped to ensure that the school department can maintain level services despite the disproportionate increases in health care costs.  While no increase in the town appropriation was provided for FY19, most of the gap in state funding from FY20 was made up by the town appropriation. Providing an appropriate level of support for FY21 and for years to come will ensure that the schools – the town’s most valuable resource – continue to provide a sufficient level of service to town residents.

In concern about overburdening local taxpayers, our approach has been to assign staffing and resources to our most pressing needs.  Additionally, we have sought and secured grant funds for various professional development, facilities, safety, and extra curricular needs.  As a result, the per pupil cost of education in Smithfield is considerably lower than that of comparably successful districts. A comparison of Smithfield’s per pupil costs with surrounding districts and the state is provided in Table 2.

District # Pupils FY18 Per Pupil
Lincoln 3064 18,468
Scituate  1275 18,106
Johnston 3251 18,802
STATE 142,428 17,755
SMITHFIELD 2380 16,854
North Providence 3587 16,633
Burrillville 2250 15,615
North Smithfield   1705 15,516
Cumberland 4613 14,697

Table 2. Per Pupil Costs for Area Districts and the State based upon FY18 Data

While enrollment in Smithfield dropped between the years 2007 and 2015, enrollment then rose before dipping again for FY20.  Projects, obtained by the New England School Development Council, predicts small but steady growth over the next few years. Figure 2 shows enrollment over the past 5 years and the projected value for October, 2021 through October, 2023.  

Figure 2. Enrollment for Smithfield Schools, Actual: School Year 2010-2011 through School Year 2019-2020, Projected: School Year 2020-2021 through School Year 2023-2024

Collective Bargaining Agreements

The contract for NEA Smithfield (teachers) will expire on August 31, 2020.  The negotiation process has begun and estimates have been used for the 2020-2021 budget.  Actual negotiated items may affect salary and benefit costs.

Health Benefit Renewals

At the start of budget development, health and dental benefit renewal rates were not yet known but were estimated to include a 10% increase for health insurance and a 5% increase for dental insurance. Newly released figures are a 8.65% increase for health insurance and a 4.24% decrease in dental insurance.  

Staffing

The resulting plan maintains class sizes to acceptable limits.  The number of staff for each category of employees can be found in Table 3.

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Administrative 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0
Certified Instructional  156.5 157.5 157.0 153.6 152.6
Certified ESL 0.5 0.5 1.0 1.0 1.0
Certified Special Education 45.3 47.3 48.3 48.3 48.3
Certified Other (library, nurse, etc.) 23.6 24.6 25.5 25.1 25.1
Non- Cert. Secretary and Clerical 18.0 18.0 18.0 16.0 16.0
Non- Cert. Building Maintenance 27.0 27.0 27.0 27.0 27.0
Non- Cert. Teacher Assistants   39.5 38.0 38.0 39.0 39.0
Non- Cert. Technicians 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0
Non- Cert. Athletic Director 0.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0
Non- Cert. Attendance Officer 1.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Non- Cert. CTE Coordinator 0.0 0.0 1.0 1.0 0.5
TOTAL 329.4 332.9 334.8 330.0 328.5

Table 3. Staffing for FY18-FY20 (excludes temporary staff)

Special Education

Special education programming requires over $10 million in expenditures.  9.5% of these costs are covered by funds (federal grants) outside of the local appropriation.

A performance audit identified the Smithfield Public Schools’ Special Education services as exemplary with regard to federal and state statutes and best practices.  In addition, the percentage of students identified as having a disability is 14%, which is very close to the national average of approximately 14%. The budget includes purchased services that support students in the Least Restrictive Environment.  

Technology

The technology budget for 2019-2020 was $329,660 (includes both pupil technology and data processing) in general funds and $350,000 in capital funds. For 2018-2019, these figures were $360,091 and $450,000, respectively. Thus, the technology budget decreased by about 20% between these two years.  This budget decreased again in FY20 and will be decreasing again in FY21.. Table 5 shows how funding for technology equipment will be used for FY20.

The use of technology in various curriculum materials has increased over the past several years, increasing our reliance on this resource.  This year, for example, new middle and high school math materials utilize online resources in new and novel ways. The Director of Technology continues to work on updating policies related to technology use, developing detailed inventories and replacement schedules, and improving the network infrastructure to better support teaching and learning.  Projects in 2019-2020 included the installation of whiteboards and projectors at our elementary schools. Phase 2 of this project is planned for 2020-2021.

Initiatives/Items for 2020-2021 Estimated Cost
Chromebook Program $160,500
Elementary classroom projector installs Phase 2 – remaining classrooms $11,331
PC Replacements at GMS $5,000

Table 4.  Major Technology Equipment and Infrastructure Expenditures

Major Areas of Increase

In addition to staffing, there are a number of significant budget drivers, including retirement contribution increases, rising health care costs, and increases for transportation.  Major areas of increase are provided in Table 5.

REVENUE CHANGES
Re-Appropriated Fund Balance $   0
Request  3.18% increase Town Appropriation $1,035,794
Miscellaneous Revenue $135,481
Estimated Decrease in State Aid ($244,000)
TOTAL INCREASE IN PROJECTED REVENUE $927,275
EXPENDITURE CHANGES
SALARIES $249,869
BENEFITS $436,319
INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS $10,762
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (non-salaries) $1,114
GENERAL EDUCATION TRANSPORTATION $95,846
SAFETY (non-salaries) ($5,031)
OPERATIONS/MAINT. OF PLANT (non-salaries) $31,178
OUT OF DISTRICT TUITIONS (Reg. Ed.) $150,735
DATA PROCESSING (non-salaries) $17,175
OUT OF DISTRICT TRANSPORTATION $53,060
SUPERINTENDENT/SC (non-salaries) ($11,730)
SPECIAL EDUCATION (non-salaries) $25,530
GUIDANCE (non-salaries) $30,127
PUPIL USE TECHNOLOGY (non-salaries) ($94,679)
LIBRARY (non-salaries) ($7,458)
CURRICULUM (non-salaries) ($16,315)
LEGAL ($25,000)
ATHLETICS AND CO-CURRICULAR ($11,381)
MISC. INCREASES/DECREASES ($2,846)
TOTAL INCREASE IN PROJECTED EXPENSES $927,275

Table 5. Major Areas of Increase (compares 3/2/20 draft budget to FY20 adopted budget)

Budget Summary

The School Department is requesting a 3.18% increase in the school appropriation from the town of Smithfield for FY21 above FY20.  It is important to note that this does not translate into the same value for an increase in total expenditures for our district since we are experiencing a drop in state aid.  While federal entitlement grants are expected to either remain level funded or decrease, the state aid to Smithfield is decreasing. Thus, the overall change in the school budget from FY20 to FY21 is 2.3%.

Salaries $24,311,757 Supplies $1,095,888
Benefits $9,274,519 Capital $239,114
Purchased Services $5,678,547 Fees and Dues $42,549

Figure 3.  FY21 Budget by Categories

Concerns

Two years of state aid decreases, inherently, pose concerns to town and district leaders.  In order to reduce expenditures to make up for the loss of state aid, funding professional development, curriculum development, and instructional supplies and equipment was reduced .  This, combined with reduced staffing, challenges current improvement efforts as well as efforts to meet the needs of all of Smithfield’s students.

While “Every student prepared for continued learning, career, and life” remains our promise to our students and to the community, such a promise can only be realized in facilities that are safe and structured for 21st century learning.  Our school facilities have considerable, unmet, capital improvement needs.  The town’s support for funding the elementary reconfiguration project and for establishing a building committee to investigate options for the high school athletic facilities are greatly appreciated.   Over the next two years, work on elementary facilities will improve the overall experience of our youngest students.

It’s also important, however, to ensure that annual capital facilities projects for our middle and high schools, which are funded outside the operating budget discussed here, rise sufficient to address the many facility deficiencies in these school facilities.  We are recommending a FY20 capital budget to partially renovate our high school auditorium. We are also committed to using operating budget savings to complete additional projects, whenever possible. Considering both school and town needs, a comprehensive strategy for capital improvements is essential.  

Finally, the future year’s state aid is not expected to rise.  Two of the economic data used in the formula – median household income and the value of taxable properties in Smithfield – continues to increase disproportionately with the rest of the state.  This creates challenges on top of challenges. Unless the town appropriation makes up losses in state aid, programs may be lost. Decreased programs can result in students leaving for charters and other CTE programs.

Conclusion

The proposed budget potentially continues progress on district goals in the areas of curriculum development, professional development, and technology integration, even with reductions in investments for each of those areas. Added resources for elementary librarians, coaching staff, and additional investments for interventions, would accelerate improvement efforts but cannot be supported at this time. The leadership of our schools, in collaboration with our staff, will endeavor to find new sources of income as well as low- or no-cost ways to drive instructional improvements in our schools.  

While the District recognizes that our town is challenged to address its many needs in a way that has a minimal impact on taxes, its responsibility to provide quality programs, especially in its schools, directly affects the value of homes and the quality of life in Smithfield.  We believe that support for the budget presented by the School Committee is essential to achieve these goals.  

If you have any suggestions or questions about the budget process or the budget itself, do not hesitate to contact me or any School Committee member.

Sincerely,

Judith J. Paolucci, Superintendent of Schools