Every Door Open for Everyone Who Graduates

On Sunday, 63 students will graduate from Hudson High School. It is a momentous occasion for these young people and their families, and most certainly a cause for celebration. We are proud of all they have accomplished not only this year, but during their entire career as students in our school. Sunday has been a date circled on the calendar a long time for these students and their families. What happens next for these graduates? If we have done what we set out to do then they have the skills and knowledge to do whatever they want.

In his May message to the field, the Iowa Department of Education Director Brad Buck shares that our goal as a statewide educational system should be to ensure that every door is open for everyone who graduates. Simply put, our new alumni should be able to decide for themselves what they want to do. Regardless if they want to go to a four year college, technical school, the military, or enter the world of work; we need to ensure that they have the skill set to do just that. 

To achieve that goal is no small feat and it means a different set of skills for a diverse population of learners. It means asking critical questions about whether or not it is necessary for every student to take chemistry or industrial technology in high school. The answer to that question is that it is not necessary for each student to take the same courses as everyone else. After all, we are not a widget factory. For the record I did not take chemistry in high school but did take every woodworking class and industrial technology class that was offered. (Some of you probably think that is a bit humorous considering my lack of expertise in the shop!)

It doesn't stop with determining for each student whether or not they should take calculus. After all, we have acknowledged that not all learning takes place in within the walls of the regular classroom setting. It is in preparing our students for a world that is much different from the one that you and I grew up in. It is ensuring that our students have access to a global network, understand the power of collaborative work, and know what it means to work and live in a Flat World. This sometimes takes new, innovative approaches; many of which we have embraced here at Hudson.

I had the opportunity to join my colleagues from educational systems around the Cedar Valley in a round table discussion about this very topic. Our consensus is that while technical skills are crucial to ensuring success in the world of work, we also need to ensure that our students have well developed skills in communication and critical thinking. Schools need to ensure that our students are engaged in what is going on in and out of the classroom by making learning more applicable and hands on, addressing real world problems.

The question then becomes, what are we doing to ensure those very things are woven into the fabric and culture of what we do at Hudson. The good news is that they are alive and well in our learner performance goals. Students must demonstrate that they have met the learner performance goals with examples as a requirement for graduation. We are also in the second year implementing our Pirate Term, which is an opportunity for students to more fully develop communication and critical thinking skills by participating in real life experiential learning. Then there is the connected learning initiative, which studies have shown has significant correlation to student engagement-which does have a positive impact on student achievement.

As these students graduate on Sunday, you can be assured that every door is open for every student that graduates.

Teachers Make it Happen

This has been a truly remarkable year at Hudson. A common theme has begun to emerge in the last several months. That theme: 'It's Good to Be a Pirate'. This isn't something that I alone have noticed, or a phrase coined by me. It is a sentiment shared by many, and has been a topic of reflection as we prepare for next year. Hudson Schools is a great place to be and a great place to work, due in large part to the effort of our teachers. In fact, I would place this year as a highlight and one that I won't soon forget. We can point to significant and monumental accomplishments-the launch of a connected learning initiative, a new 'reformed' math curriculum, and even being a leader in the state when it comes to developing and implementing a system of teacher leadership. 

It has been a joy to experience and share in the accomplishments of our young people. From their success in sports to the progress they have made in the classroom, we have a lot to be proud of. I am quite certain each teacher in the district can think of a particular student or circumstance where a little 'Hudson Magic' happened. Perhaps it was that first grade student that was able to finally say 'I Can'; or the high school senior who not only will cross the finish line next week, but will even go on to college. Maybe that is when you were reaffirmed, realized or even remembered that it was all worth it. 

We have tremendous momentum right now, and for all the great things that have happened this year I can only imagine they are going to get better. Our district is poised to do amazing things, to be one that is looked upon and emulated by others. Why is that? It is because of the commitment our teachers have to the students they serve and the amazing things they do each day.

Our teachers have been challenged this year. A year ago in December we asked the secondary staff if they wanted to begin a connected learning initiative. We were upfront in our hypothesis that moving in this direction would not be easy. In fact, it was going to require everyone to put in more time, to engage in a rigorous training program, and to step outside of their comfort zone. A year and a half later, teachers are surpassing those expectations. In the elementary, our staff has been deeply involved in the implementation of a new math curriculum. There is no mistaking that these challenges required the acquisition of new knowledge, a break from past practice, and embracing reality outside of existing paradigms. We are almost a year into this implementation and beginning to hit our stride. 

While it is true that we have a lot going on right now, it is also true that everything is interrelated and connected. We are moving toward one common goal, and that is to 'Create Effective Environments That Result in Success for All Students'. That vision will be realized by strengthening instruction through embedded professional development. That vision will be brought to bear through the continued commitment and dedication of our teachers to the students they work with each day, and the collaborative environment that is beginning to be embedded in our culture.

The work that we ask all of our teachers to to is hard. It is exhausting. It is noble. So thank you teachers, for all you do to make it 'Good to Be a Pirate'!