EXCELLENCE
TODAY
FOR TOMORROW
SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT – September 2006
Act I
We are currently very active in learning about the details of this important legislation that
has changed a number of budgetary matters for school districts. It is important for our
community to know that the “tax relief” that is being talked about on television
commercials can be misleading since the “relief” will be minimal, if at all. School districts
benefit in no way from this property tax model. In fact, we now have to use critical
resources such as personnel and dollars to support implementing this imitative that in no
way benefits our students. We are simply the conduit for implementing a shift in how tax
dollars are collected. When all is said and done, even though RTM taxpayers may realize
a minimal “relief” in their tax burden, no additional funds are coming to our district to
support programs for students. RTM must work to have a budget for 2007-2008 that
does not exceed the state assigned index of a milage increase of 3.4%. We are currently
working to study all variables known to us at this time so we will be able to inform our
School Board before January about our projected increases.
Certainly, this
administration has demonstrated in the last two years strong fiscal responsibility by
presenting to the Board a budget that represented the lowest increases in the last ten
years. We pledge to all citizens that we will follow this path as we move forward. Please
check our website for additional information regarding Act I.
Alternative School Education
As you saw in this evening’s educational presentation, we are very excited about our
planning for an Educational Resource Center at Granite Run Mall. Though we have the
proverbial “miles to go before we sleep,” I wish to publicly thank Simon Youth Foundation
for its support of this grand initiative, the management at Granite Run Mall for their
cooperation, encouragement, and generosity, and Mrs. Lorraine Bradshaw, community
member and architect who has generously offered her services to this project pro bono.
We now look forward to working with other community leaders and businessmen and
women to raise the funds necessary to make this dream a reality. It is our plan to add this
program to our district at no additional cost to taxpayers. I know that with the generous
support we anticipate, this is very doable! We look forward to coming back to our Board
of School Directors for formal approval so we can open our doors in September 2007.
Working In Others’ Shoes
You will recall that last year we began a project of trading places with two RTM
employees each month. Since it is often said that you don’t know a job until you’ve
walked in the person’s shoes, I decided that it would be a great learning experience for
me to do someone else’s job to make sure I stay in touch with the realities of everyday
happenings and concerns. Of course, the secondary benefit is that we give a 2-hour ‘gift
of time” to the lucky employees whose names were drawn at random on the first day back
to school for employees. This week, I am completing my September assignments.
Tomorrow, I will be teaching art at Media Elementary and I served as a
lunchroom/general aide at Indian Lane. If truth be told, I am not only learning quite a bit
and getting to know our employees and students better, I am also having fun—something
that is a rare commodity in the 24/7 world of a school superintendent!
No Place for Hate
Rose Tree Media Schools have worked over the years to teach programs in diversity,
anti-bullying, and tolerance. Though it is challenging to assess the impact of these
programs, anecdotal data suggests that progress has been made but we have more work
to do. We will soon be implementing a program, offered through the PA Department of
Education, entitled, “No Place for Hate.” Through this program, in which we will have
students and employees sign pledges regarding our commitment to these values, we
hope to galvanize all present and past programs to send one clear and strong message to
all. We are just beginning our work in learning about this model so stay tuned and check
our website for additional information in the months ahead.
Closing the Achievement Gaps
We have made a commitment over the last two years to work to close achievement gaps
in student achievement in Rose Tree Media. As noted in our PSSA 2006 testing data, we
have achievement gaps for our special education students, our minority students, and our
students from lower socio-economic means. Though this is a common challenge statewide and nationwide, we are taking this matter very seriously in RTM. Our mantra on our
first day Back to School for employees was, “No blame, No shame, No excuses.
Excellence for all!” Our administrators and several teacher leaders have participated in
a number of opportunities to help us to review the research and to study how other
districts across the country have met this challenge successfully. Through our
participation in the Delaware Valley Minority Student Achievement Consortium, we will
continue to implement a model for change. We have established a supplemental position
to lead the charge in getting this work to every classroom in the district. Mrs. Kathy
White, Springton Lake teacher extraordinaire, will be serving to guide our work. We now
have much more and better data to assist us in targeting specific instructional changes
and we are all focusing our energies on this important task for this year and years to
come.