EXCELLENCE
TODAY
FOR TOMORROW
SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT – JANUARY 2006
School Directors for Student Achievement
January is “School Director Recognition Month” in Pennsylvania – a time to
spotlight the contributions of these valuable citizen-volunteers. Of course, we are delighted
to take this time to honor and thank the devoted School Board Directors of Rose Tree
Media.
Each academic year, school directors must balance the goal of providing a high-quality
education for the children of our community with the commitment of fiscal responsibility to
the taxpayers of the school district. To be certain, it is not an easy task. For each
successful program or innovative solution, there is a new challenge or mandate that
requires action by school boards. In this era of significant change for public education, with
expectations for student achievement rising, requirements for school districts growing and
resources increasingly restricted, the work of school boards never has been more
challenging or critical to the success of our schools.
Those who serve as school directors truly are public service volunteers. These local school
leaders stand behind an education system that is prepared to meet the extraordinary needs
of more highly skilled jobs and new career opportunities. They set high standards of
performance and accountability, provide new choices and options for parents and students,
and work to ensure adequate funding and broad community engagement.
By taking the initiative to serve their communities, school directors ensure
decisions about public schools are made with the needs of the community and its children
foremost in their minds. These forward-thinking individuals are committed to ensuring that
our public schools remain a solid foundation for American democracy, and serve as shining
examples for our young people to continue the excellent tradition of volunteerism
that is a hallmark of our society.
On behalf of the children, parents, employees, and citizens of the Rose Tree Media School
District, we extend our heartfelt gratitude for your time, energy, service, and wisdom in
service to us all.
Rose Tree Media School District's 40th Anniversary
2006 also marks the Fortieth Anniversary of the Founding of Rose Tree Media School
District. We are looking forward to taking the time to honor our rich history, to celebrate our
many accomplishments, and to gaze into our future with excitement and vigor.
Accordingly, we are planning an Anniversary Gala which will also serve as a fund-raising
opportunity for us to support student-designed, innovative projects. All community
members will be welcome to attend. As the newly-elected Executive Director of the Rose
Tree Media Education Foundation, Dr. Meg Barney will work closely with me to organize
this fun event. Details regarding date and location are soon to be announced, so stay
tuned. Since ruby is the gem to celebrate a 40th Anniversary, I'd better get some ruby
slippers ready!
Redistricting Update
Community members should continue to check our website for the most up-to-date,
accurate information regarding our redistricting plans. Several folks have written to me to
express frustration with the "grapevine rumors." Unfortunately, I cannot control the
"whisper down the lane" effect that this project seems to support, but we can and will
provide honest and forthright answers to any questions raised. Please feel free to email Dr.
Valerie Burnett or me with your questions. Also, talk with your school representatives on
the committee who are charged with bringing all concerns forward. Your voice will be
heard! You may not agree with our answers, but we are open to any and all suggestions
for planning, and community members will have an opportunity to speak out during Town
Meetings scheduled for February and March.
Budget 2006-2007
Our legislators in Harrisburg are currently in the closing phases of the property tax relief
debate. While we support property tax relief, the current proposals place our ability to
deliver quality education at considerable risk. Most of the proposals tie property tax relief to
potentially significant cuts in public education funds via "back-end referendum." If
legislators approve back-end referendum, they will likely destroy public education as we
know it in Rose Tree Media. If some are adopted as currently written we will feel the
impact immediately and with long-term consequences. Complacency on our part may give
our elected members the notion that we have given up. I urge you to write to your
legislators today. Please go to our website for additional information regarding this
important issue and a sample letter you may review with addresses for contacting the
appropriate elected officials.
Closing the Achievement Gap in RTM
We are always focused on improving student achievement, and this year, we are placing
strong emphasis on closing our achievement gaps, especially as reflected in our state
testing results. You will recall that we have reported on this initiative frequently over the
last fifteen months, and now, as we craft the specifics of our plan and implement changes,
we are studying our current data and setting specific goals for improvement. Our
committee has reviewed the research regarding success stories in other districts and we
are planning a few "adult field trips" to see first hand what we should do better to make a
difference. Of course, we'll bring some students along as well. Over the next few weeks,
we will add to our website a link to our work in this area which will include the current data
for our students and information regarding our goals. Closing the achievement gap is a
national concern in education. In Rose Tree Media, it is a priority.
Speaking of Testing...
The Pennsylvania System of School Assessment Testing (PSSA) is scheduled to take
place in our schools during the last two weeks in March. Though we do not teach to the
test, we certainly work to teach for the test as part of our curriculum year round.
Additionally, we provide many and varied support programs for students who have not met
the proficiency levels in earlier state or district testing or those who have been identified by
teachers as students who would benefit from extra tutoring in both small group and one-onone settings. Since our scores in mathematics, particularly at the high school level, have
been lower than acceptable to us, our faculty and administration have been implementing a
number of new teaching strategies to support improvements in student achievement. We
are also working strongly, with our high school administrators, to insure that our eleventh
graders realize the significance of this testing and the learning that these results
demonstrate.