2010-11 Superintendent's Notes
Greetings and welcome to the end of the summer, 2010.
August 17, 2010
What a great summer it has been. The weather has been very warm and conducive for those trips to the beach or spending time outdoors and enjoying all the northeast has to offer. I hope this message finds you and your family enjoying the end of summer and the beginning of a new school year. This summer I “learned” some interesting things, and met some interesting people that I “learned” things about. In keeping with my informal role as Super-Learner, I enjoy “learning” new things, so here is what I “learned” or discovered this summer.
1) I made my first visit to Lake Luzerne and discovered the thrill of white water rafting. I “learned” that the white water rapids in the Hudson River are delivered from the flow of the water out of the Sacandaga reservoir. I did not know that.
2) I “learned” that handicapping horses can be very expensive, and I will not be doing that anymore!
3) I met Stephen Spielberg, and “learned” that making movies reflects the stories and emotions in his life.
4) I also met Billy Fucillo, and I “learned” he has a HUGE personality, that is boisterous and positive in everything he does.
5) I read a business magazine called Chief Learning Officer and discovered that most of the job descriptions for business professionals are similar to the job descriptions for a teacher. Things like creating learning strategies (lesson planning), sharing content with others (teaching), presenting information of best practices (professional development), and preparing all workers for the future global economy (preparing all students for the future global economy).
In fact, it is the last point of my summer “learning” experiences that I share this message with you this week. It has always been the focus of educators across the world to prepare students for the future. The global economy, being what it is at present, is an important focus for all of us in education and in business. We need to move our students to greater heights of expectations and responsibilities if we do justice to our mission as educators.
As school begins, you will hear much about new ‘cut scores’ for the New York State Assessments, and the creation of higher standards and “harder” tests. As the verbiage and fears pronounced by our state’s political figures continue, please take confidence in a few things. Our teachers, and administrators are working to understand how the new cut scores figure into our educational programs. While higher ‘cut scores” encourage fears that more students may fail, please know that we will be supporting the needs of all students to meet the proficiency standards of the state. And finally, it is our hope to upgrade our learning outcomes and not teach to tests, as some people may fear. Our teachers work very hard to broaden and facilitate the highest standards of instruction possible. Each child deserves the attention to the needs they bring to the instructional experience. At BC, we will continue to meet each child in a quality experience that enriches and prepares him/her for the big future ahead.
Have a great end of summer. Welcome back to school.
Mike Tebbano