In an effort to provide information about each of the Morris school districts, we have decided to write an article once a month that features a different topic. This month the topic focused on curriculum. Other topics that will be covered in the upcoming months are finance, special programs, technology, and in May a "year in review". We hope that the community finds the information useful. Our goal was to highlight some of the positives and identify our challenges and opportunities for improvement. I hope you will take time to check out some of the neat things happening at MCHS!!
Morris Aims High to Improve Achievement
Friday, January 28, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
"Times Like These"
The events of the past several days on the national and state level have held my interest to say the least. The senseless shooting at a Florida school board meeting several months ago seemed outrageous enough- only to be followed this week with the violence in Arizona- what a tragedy! I won't enter the debate on whether or not fierce political rhetoric contributed to this cowardly act, but it is unsettling to think of that being a possibility.
The Illinois income tax increase will impact everyone and it will be interesting to see how the business community responds in particular. Once again the political arena found center stage and rather than a solution that reflected a meaningful "across the aisle" dialogue, a partisan tax increase was the revenue solution.
I guess the schools that were hoping for the $1.00 per pack tax on cigarettes "dedicated for education" should cancel their cigarette machine orders=) Maybe schools will replace those evil soda machines with banks of video poker machines if expanded gaming revenues are earmarked for education? Time will tell.
While the financial stability of Illinois remains murky, schools continue to educate students, provide extra-curricular programs, and prepare students for whatever that "next step" may be.
Morris Community High School has been working hard to implement the strategic goals developed by the Board and Administrative staff that center around four themes: Teaching and Learning, Human/Student Resources, Communication, and Finance. I have prepared a District Scorecard that demonstrates projects that are in planning, in progress, or have been completed. We know we have many challenges ahead and we "don't always get it right", but as an organization improvements are being made that are having an impact on student achievement.
Changing the structure of the day may sound easy enough to some, but moving from a Block 4 schedule that has been used for the past 15 years to a 7 period day has presented both challenges and opportunities for healthy discussion. Guidance counselors, administrators, teachers, and support staff recently held a meeting to identify critical questions that still needed to be answered as we make this transition. The Schedule Transition spreadsheet demonstrates some of the activities taking place. A lot of outstanding discussion has occurred as a result of this change and I anticipate the end result will be positive.
I think for me one constant during times like these has always been the students! MCHS students are resilient, ambitious, and generally know right from wrong! All of us need to live by Mr. Hussey's challenge for the year: "Do Better Today"- during "Times Like These"!!
The Illinois income tax increase will impact everyone and it will be interesting to see how the business community responds in particular. Once again the political arena found center stage and rather than a solution that reflected a meaningful "across the aisle" dialogue, a partisan tax increase was the revenue solution.
I guess the schools that were hoping for the $1.00 per pack tax on cigarettes "dedicated for education" should cancel their cigarette machine orders=) Maybe schools will replace those evil soda machines with banks of video poker machines if expanded gaming revenues are earmarked for education? Time will tell.
While the financial stability of Illinois remains murky, schools continue to educate students, provide extra-curricular programs, and prepare students for whatever that "next step" may be.
Morris Community High School has been working hard to implement the strategic goals developed by the Board and Administrative staff that center around four themes: Teaching and Learning, Human/Student Resources, Communication, and Finance. I have prepared a District Scorecard that demonstrates projects that are in planning, in progress, or have been completed. We know we have many challenges ahead and we "don't always get it right", but as an organization improvements are being made that are having an impact on student achievement.
Changing the structure of the day may sound easy enough to some, but moving from a Block 4 schedule that has been used for the past 15 years to a 7 period day has presented both challenges and opportunities for healthy discussion. Guidance counselors, administrators, teachers, and support staff recently held a meeting to identify critical questions that still needed to be answered as we make this transition. The Schedule Transition spreadsheet demonstrates some of the activities taking place. A lot of outstanding discussion has occurred as a result of this change and I anticipate the end result will be positive.
I think for me one constant during times like these has always been the students! MCHS students are resilient, ambitious, and generally know right from wrong! All of us need to live by Mr. Hussey's challenge for the year: "Do Better Today"- during "Times Like These"!!
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