There are unprecedented changes occurring in public education. Last year South Dakota, along with forty-four other states and three territories, adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). These standards implement specific ways math and English Language Arts are taught to unify education throughout our country. The standards are a result of input from the business community, the military, higher education, and public educators. The idea is to equip our students with the necessary skills to be better prepared for success, regardless of which avenues they choose post-high school.
These standards also come with new assessments that evaluate reasoning and problem-solving skills as well as overall knowledge. For every teacher, this means change! It is human nature to keep doing what we do until it is no longer successful. For many educators, what they have been doing works and now they are being told to do it differently. As a District Curriculum Director, implementing systemic change for the classroom requires communicating manageable pieces of information so as not to overwhelm the day-to-day operation for the public school educator.
Pioneer: I have been in education for 39 years. All but four of those years were spent working directly with elementary students. In 2008 I was hired to be our district’s first Curriculum Director. Although I have mentored adults and worked in professional development, this is my first experience in an administrative-type position. The learning curve is steep.
Since our district is small, I am acquainted with most of the teaching staff but only on a superficial level. I had no idea what it was like to be in the middle or high school. Now, my office is located in the middle school (right next to the band room), so I have a firsthand knowledge of life in the middle and high school (they are connected by a hall-way). I have always known how hard elementary teachers work and the challenges they face; now I have a deep appreciation for teachers of older students as well. Each grade-level has its unique set of qualities and challenges.
As the District Curriculum Director, I am responsible for leading the District Leadership Team which consists of representatives from across the district, including grade levels and content areas. It became immediately evident that teachers are passionate regardless of their students’ age. I quickly learned that I needed to listen more and talk less.
Risk-taker: I tend to be a risk-taker and will initially jump into something knowing I will make adjustments along the way. I enjoy the experience of going through the process of a new undertaking. It seems that I am in the minority! In my new position, I learned quickly (and the hard way) that most people need time to think about and plan carefully before beginning a new venture, and what they want is the bottom line when being told what to do and how to do it.
Strategy: Adopting a strategy has become very important to me. A strategy is a long term plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal. Coaches and education leaders rely on strategizing because they have a clear understanding of the intended goal. They are experts at giving pertinent information to the people who need it. The strategy I now employ is focused on conveying information in smaller pieces so my vision, or the district’s vision, is expressed then understood clearly. I have learned to dispense meaningful information to my audience. I am learning to imagine myself as a staff member whose first priority is a classroom and who does not get a kick out of “going through the process.”
In preparation, I have attended every possible meeting about implementation of CCSS, taken part in state sponsored workshops and webinars where speakers attend, done extensive research on the internet, and collaborated with peers from across the State. So far, it has been effective. I have been able to bring information back to our District Leadership Team for digestion and discussion. They are able to answer questions and clarify information in order to achieve uniform understanding after the information goes out to the teachers. We have also had some in-house training so our teachers are able to get a taste for what is to come.
My personal goal is to get teachers comfortable with CCSS and the changes taking place without overwhelming them with information. Given the fact that some people resist any kind of change and are easily overwhelmed, I want them to get use to the ‘new normal’ in order to help ease them into the transition.
Deadline: Because of No Child Left Behind and accountability requirements, public schools are driven by assessment scores. The first round of CCSS assessments will be given in 2015. As a district, we have three years to get our students (and teachers) transitioned from the old state standard requirements to the new CCSS requirements. The challenge is huge. Many of the former standards have been ‘pushed down’ so younger students are expected to master skills traditionally taught to older students. We have to be careful that, in the transition, skills are not skipped and students do not have holes in their foundation of knowledge.
After visiting with curriculum directors and administrators state-wide, I learned there is no wrong or right way to go about implementing the CCSS. What is important to keep in mind is that this is not a passing fad or philosophy that will fade away. Big changes are here and more are coming as technology makes our world a different place than many of us experienced as youngsters.
It is my job to help make the transition as painless and practical as possible while continuing to keep my students motivated. In a recent article on Motivation Ping, I learned some very specific techniques to stay motivated throughout this process. Although my hair is gray, my spirit is young. Implementation of the CCSS is not for the faint of heart. It is a paradigm shift from what education has been for the past 100 years. As this shift takes place, more changes will come. I can see new and exciting possibilities emerging for our young people as we get them out of straight rows and into the 21st century.