From the Superintendent's Desk - October 5, 2012
I am going to keep this week’s desk letter brief. Last week, I shared the good news around our SAT scores and the $23.7 million Teacher Incentive Fund grant we received. I have some more good news to share with you. We received our End of Course (EOC) results from the state. CCSD outscored the state average (percent of students passing) in every EOC subject and had the highest percentage increase in students passing biology among the neighboring school districts. This is great news for all of us, particularly our middle school and high school principals. This shows that an increasing number of our students are excelling in the rigorous coursework required by the state.
Earlier this week, we also found out that CCSD was nationally selected as one of 11 districts that will be supported by Project RED, an organization dedicated to 1:1 technology implementation research. Project RED will provide us guidance and collaboration opportunities – in the hopes of becoming a national model and leader in 1:1 technology implementation. This is another great partnership that directly supports Vision 2016.
Besides this wonderful news, I wanted to share a few other big highlights from my week. Last Saturday, I attended the second annual Parent Advisory Council – Hispanic Leadership Academy at Midland Park United Methodist Community Center. Over 150 Hispanic parents and students were in attendance. My main message to parents was to stay active in their children’s education and continue to be engaged with the Parent Advisory Council. I cannot underscore the importance of this event, and I want to thank everyone who helped organize it. Most of the Hispanic students attending Title I schools are limited English proficient (LEP) and the Leadership Academy is one strategy we are using to improve our outreach to parents of LEP students so they can help their children attain English proficiency. Events like this remind me of the importance of our work and the power we have to create true positive change in our community when we all work together towards one goal.
Another big highlight from my week was the PTA meeting I attended at Ashley River Creative Arts Elementary School (ARCA) on Tuesday evening. Like the Hispanic Leadership Academy, parents were out in full force sharing stories about their children and talking positively about their school and teachers. The best part of the night was watching the kindergarten class perform, “Life in the Pond,” which involved singing, poetry and a lot of movement. It was heart-warming to see the excitement on each of the student’s faces.
Lastly – as I mentioned in last week’s desk letter – please make sure to mark your calendars and attend the Parent Information Fair on Saturday, October 20 from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at Burke High School. Information regarding school choice options, Supplemental Educational Services and the Title I Advisory Council will be available.
Thanks for reading my desk letter and as always, e-mail me if you have any thoughts or suggestions.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
-Dr. Nancy J. McGinley
