On behalf of the Board of Trustees, administration and staff of the Genesee School District, I want to thank the community for once again supporting quality education in Genesee through the passage of the supplemental levy.
Your trustees worked very hard during the past five months to listen to all stakeholders regarding their desires for the Genesee School. Cutting a budget, and subsequently reducing the levy, created difficult choices that had to be made. The highest priority was to minimize the educational impact on students. After making some difficult choices, the trustees were able to reduce the budget by 5.8% and achieve their goal of continuing to offer a high level of educational programs for children.
The current budget does create some challenges but together we can continue to provide the high level of service you have come to expect. Again, thank you for the opportunity to serve in a community that values education.
Showing posts with label general. Show all posts
Showing posts with label general. Show all posts
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2009
Bike Month
May is National Bike Month and May 11-15 is Bike-to-Work week. We would like to encourage students to ride to school this month. Bicycle racks are located on the east side of the playground and students can lock their bikes to the rack, if desired.
If your student would like to ride to school or currently does ride to school, the two most important precautions you can encourage your student to take are:
Believe it or not, Idaho is nationally recognized for their bicycle laws. Idaho is the only state where a bicyclist is not required to come to a complete stop at a stop sign or stop light. That does not mean a bicyclist can blow through an intersection. It means the rider should slow down and make sure it is clear before entering the intersection. Not having to come to a complete stop allows those riders who are clipped into their pedals to continue without taking their feet off the pedals.
Otherwise, bicyclists should follow normal driving rules including signaling turns. A bicyclist has the same right-of-way as a motorist even if the rider is traveling at a slower speed. Again, this is not to say riders should ride down the middle of the street oblivious to motorists, but motorists have an obligation to pass riders with care. All motorists should pay particular attention when passing young children as they often weave back and forth and they may not know the motorist is behind them.
Encourage your student to ride to school during National Bike Week (May 11-15) and encourage them to walk, run, bike, play sports... get outside as much as possible. But remember... if your child rides to school make sure they have their properly fitting helmet on.
If your student would like to ride to school or currently does ride to school, the two most important precautions you can encourage your student to take are:
- Always... always wear an approved bike helmet and always wear it correctly.
- Always wear light colored or bright clothing so it is easy for motorists to see the bicyclist
Believe it or not, Idaho is nationally recognized for their bicycle laws. Idaho is the only state where a bicyclist is not required to come to a complete stop at a stop sign or stop light. That does not mean a bicyclist can blow through an intersection. It means the rider should slow down and make sure it is clear before entering the intersection. Not having to come to a complete stop allows those riders who are clipped into their pedals to continue without taking their feet off the pedals.
Otherwise, bicyclists should follow normal driving rules including signaling turns. A bicyclist has the same right-of-way as a motorist even if the rider is traveling at a slower speed. Again, this is not to say riders should ride down the middle of the street oblivious to motorists, but motorists have an obligation to pass riders with care. All motorists should pay particular attention when passing young children as they often weave back and forth and they may not know the motorist is behind them.
Encourage your student to ride to school during National Bike Week (May 11-15) and encourage them to walk, run, bike, play sports... get outside as much as possible. But remember... if your child rides to school make sure they have their properly fitting helmet on.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Holocaust Survivor Noemi Ban
Noemi Ban of Bellingham, Washington, a Holocaust survivor who has spoken in our area in the past, will be giving a presentation at Genesee School Monday, April 13 at 7:00 PM in the multi-purpose room. All are welcome and there is no charge.
In addition to the free public presentation, Ms. Ban will visit with secondary students on Tuesday the 14th. These presentations have been made possible through the ASB Multi-Cultural Fund which was originally funded by a donation from the United Dairyman of Idaho after Cord Barker was named the UDI Student of the Year. Cord's sister Destiny has been active in promoting diversity in our school and this program is a result of her efforts.
Noémi Shoënberger Ban is an award winning teacher and public speaker, respected and beloved mother, grandmother and synagogue senior who has lived in Bellingham since 1982. A native of Szeged, Hungary, Noémi Ban was 21 when the Nazis marched into Debrecen, Hungary on March 19, 1944. Ultimately her father was sent to a forced labor camp and she and her family (grandmother- Nina, Mother- Juliska, sister- Erzsebet, and baby brother- Gabor) were sent on a transport to Auschwitz arriving on July 1, 1944. Immediately separated from her family (where they became victims of the Nazi genocide) Noémi spent nearly four months in Auschwitz before being picked by Dr. Joseph Mengele to be transferred to a sub-camp of Buchenwald to work at a bomb factory. Escaping during the forced march to Bergen Belsen in April of 1945, Noémi and eleven of her campmates were found by a soldier from Patton’s army who informed them of their freedom. Finally arriving in Budapest in September of 1945, Noémi reunited with her father who also survived. Noémi was married to Earnest Ban in October and they settled in Budapest where Earnest was a teacher.
The Soviets came into power in 1948. While living under Communist rule and control, Noémi herself became a seventh and eighth grade teacher. Reaching the point were she could no longer live under the dictates of the Communist regime Noémi, her husband, and two sons tried to escape via train to Austria. Thwarted at the border Noémi did not give up or give in. With a friend’s help she and her family, less than a month after the first attempt, finally made it to freedom in Austria by hiding in giant balls of yarn being shipped by truck from Budapest to Sopron on December 29, 1956.
Noémi and her family arrived in the United States in February of 1957 and were relocated to St .Louis, Missouri. Both she and Earnest went back to school to learn English and then pursued American college degree-Earnest teaching math, Noémi becoming a sixth grade teacher. Upon Earnest’s retirement (he was ten years older than Noémi) they came to Bellingham, Washington to be close to their son, Steven, a pediatrician.
The importance of this event cannot be overstated considering the advancing age of remaining Holocaust survivors. Certainly we have pictures and museums, such as the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C., but the opportunity to actually hear an individual who experienced this tragic event in human history is one you will not want to miss. History tends to repeat itself, i.e. Darfur, and there is much to be learned.
This presentation may not be appropriate for younger children.
In addition to the free public presentation, Ms. Ban will visit with secondary students on Tuesday the 14th. These presentations have been made possible through the ASB Multi-Cultural Fund which was originally funded by a donation from the United Dairyman of Idaho after Cord Barker was named the UDI Student of the Year. Cord's sister Destiny has been active in promoting diversity in our school and this program is a result of her efforts.
Noémi Shoënberger Ban is an award winning teacher and public speaker, respected and beloved mother, grandmother and synagogue senior who has lived in Bellingham since 1982. A native of Szeged, Hungary, Noémi Ban was 21 when the Nazis marched into Debrecen, Hungary on March 19, 1944. Ultimately her father was sent to a forced labor camp and she and her family (grandmother- Nina, Mother- Juliska, sister- Erzsebet, and baby brother- Gabor) were sent on a transport to Auschwitz arriving on July 1, 1944. Immediately separated from her family (where they became victims of the Nazi genocide) Noémi spent nearly four months in Auschwitz before being picked by Dr. Joseph Mengele to be transferred to a sub-camp of Buchenwald to work at a bomb factory. Escaping during the forced march to Bergen Belsen in April of 1945, Noémi and eleven of her campmates were found by a soldier from Patton’s army who informed them of their freedom. Finally arriving in Budapest in September of 1945, Noémi reunited with her father who also survived. Noémi was married to Earnest Ban in October and they settled in Budapest where Earnest was a teacher.
The Soviets came into power in 1948. While living under Communist rule and control, Noémi herself became a seventh and eighth grade teacher. Reaching the point were she could no longer live under the dictates of the Communist regime Noémi, her husband, and two sons tried to escape via train to Austria. Thwarted at the border Noémi did not give up or give in. With a friend’s help she and her family, less than a month after the first attempt, finally made it to freedom in Austria by hiding in giant balls of yarn being shipped by truck from Budapest to Sopron on December 29, 1956.
Noémi and her family arrived in the United States in February of 1957 and were relocated to St .Louis, Missouri. Both she and Earnest went back to school to learn English and then pursued American college degree-Earnest teaching math, Noémi becoming a sixth grade teacher. Upon Earnest’s retirement (he was ten years older than Noémi) they came to Bellingham, Washington to be close to their son, Steven, a pediatrician.
The importance of this event cannot be overstated considering the advancing age of remaining Holocaust survivors. Certainly we have pictures and museums, such as the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C., but the opportunity to actually hear an individual who experienced this tragic event in human history is one you will not want to miss. History tends to repeat itself, i.e. Darfur, and there is much to be learned.
This presentation may not be appropriate for younger children.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
The Quality School
William Glasser, M.D. made the case in his seminal work The Quality School that one of the major reasons why so few students are involved in high-quality honors or advanced-placement classes is that schools historically use boss management. Students, just like teachers and other adults, have a quality world where they place things that are important to them. A student may place a specific teacher or subject in his quality world. Once this occurs, he will be intrinsically motivated to excel in that subject or for that teacher. This is what Glasser calls Control Theory.
No human is unmotivated. Boss-teachers and administrators might lament that students are not motivated but what they are really saying is that they do not know how to persuade students to work. And as long as they believe in coercion, they never will. It is always what we want at the time the causes our behavior. If keeping quiet is in the student's best interest, he will do so.
Managers can count on coercion to achieve only the simplest tasks. The same goes for reward. It isn't the reward that motivates; it is the individuals perception of how much he wants the reward that determines his behavior. What happens to us from outside has a lot to do with what we choose to do, but the outside event does not cause our behavior.
Lead-managers and lead-teachers prefer to give the workers or students the kind of information that will persuade them to do as they are directed because it is as much or more to their benefit as it is to the teacher's. Students will do things for a teacher they like and care about that they would never do for a teacher they do not care about.
Why are some students so motivated in their extra-curricular (sports, music, drama, etc.) activities? Students will tell you they feel important in these activities. Ask them and they will tell you that in these situations where they work together as a group or on a team, they work harder and accomplish more because they help each other and have more fun. This same type of work ethic can occur in academic classes as well, when students are actively engaged in their learning in a supportive and enjoyable environment.
It is not always easy to conduct school business in this fashion. Sometimes we do not have enough time or outside interests or pressure dictate what we must do, but the more we can help each student to place school into his quality world, the more effective we will be and the more the student will derive from his education.
No human is unmotivated. Boss-teachers and administrators might lament that students are not motivated but what they are really saying is that they do not know how to persuade students to work. And as long as they believe in coercion, they never will. It is always what we want at the time the causes our behavior. If keeping quiet is in the student's best interest, he will do so.
Managers can count on coercion to achieve only the simplest tasks. The same goes for reward. It isn't the reward that motivates; it is the individuals perception of how much he wants the reward that determines his behavior. What happens to us from outside has a lot to do with what we choose to do, but the outside event does not cause our behavior.
Lead-managers and lead-teachers prefer to give the workers or students the kind of information that will persuade them to do as they are directed because it is as much or more to their benefit as it is to the teacher's. Students will do things for a teacher they like and care about that they would never do for a teacher they do not care about.
Why are some students so motivated in their extra-curricular (sports, music, drama, etc.) activities? Students will tell you they feel important in these activities. Ask them and they will tell you that in these situations where they work together as a group or on a team, they work harder and accomplish more because they help each other and have more fun. This same type of work ethic can occur in academic classes as well, when students are actively engaged in their learning in a supportive and enjoyable environment.
It is not always easy to conduct school business in this fashion. Sometimes we do not have enough time or outside interests or pressure dictate what we must do, but the more we can help each student to place school into his quality world, the more effective we will be and the more the student will derive from his education.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Life of a school building
In addition to teaching School Finance and Advanced School Finance classes at the University of Idaho, I have also had the privilege to teach the School Facilities course. While doing research in preparation for that course, I discovered that the average life span of a school building is 42 years. That is a national statistic. Had it been an Idaho statistic it would more likely be much higher.
The original three-story portion of the Genesee School was built in 1912. It was added onto in 1938 (old gym, now MPR), 1966 (gym and classrooms) and the current addition in 2008. The agriculture shop was built in the mid-fifties and connected to the existing 1938 portion several decades later.
The 1912 and 1938 portions of the facility were remodeled at least once prior to the extensive remodel we completed in 1998. In addition to some reconfiguration to increase instructional space, the remodel also provided necessary health and safety modifications. The 1912 portion of the school received the most extensive remodeling (85%) while the 1938 portion saw a fifty percent remodel effort. Energy efficient lighting and mechanical updates were installed district-wide including the 1966 portion of the school. It is anticipated that these updates will extend the useful life of the school at least twenty-five additional years.
It is not unusual in Idaho for a school building to be used for 90-100 years. Genesee residents are justifiably proud of the quality school facilities available for their children. Routine maintenance is required to insure the investment the community has made in their school. Idaho requires that districts expend 2% of the value of their facilities on maintenance annually. This is at the low end of the national recommendation for maintenance which is 2-4% of the value of the buildings.
Deferring maintenance is a hazardous enterprise. The Genesee School had a large backlog of maintenance issues which led to the extensive remodeling effort in the late 90's. There is legislation pending that would allow Districts to defer maintenance until the current economic crisis passes. I have not been in support of this legislation because I feel this is short-sighted and will lead to increased costs down the road. If maintenance is deferred too long it can jeopardize the health and safety of our students. This is precisely what caused the on-going court struggle between the Idaho Schools for Equal Educational Opportunity and the Idaho Legislature. Genesee has been a plaintiff in this case for nearly twenty years. Currently the case is being appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Education of our children is an investment in the future. Some have argued that brick and mortar schools are a thing of the past and we should be investing in online technology rather than spending money on facilities. In the meantime, we will protect your investment in your school facility to insure that your children attend school in a safe environment that is conducive to learning.
The original three-story portion of the Genesee School was built in 1912. It was added onto in 1938 (old gym, now MPR), 1966 (gym and classrooms) and the current addition in 2008. The agriculture shop was built in the mid-fifties and connected to the existing 1938 portion several decades later.
The 1912 and 1938 portions of the facility were remodeled at least once prior to the extensive remodel we completed in 1998. In addition to some reconfiguration to increase instructional space, the remodel also provided necessary health and safety modifications. The 1912 portion of the school received the most extensive remodeling (85%) while the 1938 portion saw a fifty percent remodel effort. Energy efficient lighting and mechanical updates were installed district-wide including the 1966 portion of the school. It is anticipated that these updates will extend the useful life of the school at least twenty-five additional years.
It is not unusual in Idaho for a school building to be used for 90-100 years. Genesee residents are justifiably proud of the quality school facilities available for their children. Routine maintenance is required to insure the investment the community has made in their school. Idaho requires that districts expend 2% of the value of their facilities on maintenance annually. This is at the low end of the national recommendation for maintenance which is 2-4% of the value of the buildings.
Deferring maintenance is a hazardous enterprise. The Genesee School had a large backlog of maintenance issues which led to the extensive remodeling effort in the late 90's. There is legislation pending that would allow Districts to defer maintenance until the current economic crisis passes. I have not been in support of this legislation because I feel this is short-sighted and will lead to increased costs down the road. If maintenance is deferred too long it can jeopardize the health and safety of our students. This is precisely what caused the on-going court struggle between the Idaho Schools for Equal Educational Opportunity and the Idaho Legislature. Genesee has been a plaintiff in this case for nearly twenty years. Currently the case is being appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Education of our children is an investment in the future. Some have argued that brick and mortar schools are a thing of the past and we should be investing in online technology rather than spending money on facilities. In the meantime, we will protect your investment in your school facility to insure that your children attend school in a safe environment that is conducive to learning.
Friday, March 20, 2009
School District Insurance Program
The Genesee School District has an extensive insurance program to protect the patron's investment in their educational system. We do not provide insurance for students. It is a parental responsibility to provide accident insurance for individual students. The school offers voluntary student accident coverage through an independent agent. Brochures describing this coverage are available annually to students and parents.
The District does purchase the following types of insurance: property, equipment breakdown, crime, general liability, abuse and molestation, educators legal liability, and vehicle coverage. The cost of our current insurance policy was $28,053. Each spring, the District solicits bids for insurance coverage. Our current agent is the Fred A. Moreton Company in Boise and our policy is offered through the Idaho School Boards Association.
When non-school groups or organizations use school facilities we ask that the group provide comparable insurance coverage to protect the interests of the District. This requirement can be waived for some community groups depending on the activity.
The District has a risk management program in place to reduce or eliminate problems before they occur and thus hold down the cost of insurance. These include health and safety inspections and training for staff and students, as needed. Our agent sends risk management specialists to visit the school annually and provide help and support to us.
When you consider the wide variety of activities that occur in a school and the number of individuals involved, having a high quality insurance program in place is an important facet of operating a school district.
The District does purchase the following types of insurance: property, equipment breakdown, crime, general liability, abuse and molestation, educators legal liability, and vehicle coverage. The cost of our current insurance policy was $28,053. Each spring, the District solicits bids for insurance coverage. Our current agent is the Fred A. Moreton Company in Boise and our policy is offered through the Idaho School Boards Association.
When non-school groups or organizations use school facilities we ask that the group provide comparable insurance coverage to protect the interests of the District. This requirement can be waived for some community groups depending on the activity.
The District has a risk management program in place to reduce or eliminate problems before they occur and thus hold down the cost of insurance. These include health and safety inspections and training for staff and students, as needed. Our agent sends risk management specialists to visit the school annually and provide help and support to us.
When you consider the wide variety of activities that occur in a school and the number of individuals involved, having a high quality insurance program in place is an important facet of operating a school district.
Friday, March 13, 2009
"The future belongs to the nation who educates their children"
"The future belongs to the nation who educates their children." This quote from President Obama's speech earlier this week carries significant implications for the United States and the current state of our economy. The current economic crisis has touched nearly everyone in the country and has caused business and government alike to react to diminishing revenue streams. We may long for the "good old days" but, as many economists have suggested, the "good old days" may not have been as good as we think they were and they may not return.
But one thing is for sure. High quality education increases economic wealth through improved productivity. The challenge now is not to attempt to maintain the status-quo but to continue to move forward and provide an even more effective and robust education system even as revenue streams diminish. We need to identify the core of instruction. What skills and knowledge must our graduates possess in the 21st century to successfully compete with peers in India, Japan, China and Germany? How do we restructure education to accomplish this herculean task? How do we prepare students for a world with accelerating rates of change? The risks of not meeting this challenge are enormous for each student and for our state and country.
None of this is easy to accomplish. Fortunately, both public and private institutions have produced volumes of quality, replicable research to help point the way. Sometimes the research contradicts commonly held beliefs developed over time. After all, we all spent many years in school and we know "how it is done." If we are preparing students to work in factories we should utilize a factory model of education; bells, straight rows, similarity of tasks, movement from one unrelated task to another, student workers and boss teachers, etc. But, if we are in a post-industrial age then our education system needs to reflect this change. We need to insure that coming to school is not like visiting a history museum. While I would love to think that educational professionals are so powerful that we can change society, in fact, schools reflect society.
Schools also reflect their community. A community that demands and expects a vibrant, high-quality education system that changes to meet the needs of our students will produce successful graduates. Schools living with success made yesterday will graduate students who will find some career paths closed to them because of a lack of preparation. We are fortunate to live and work in Genesee, an education-minded community that has supported hiring the best staff, providing facilities that are safe and conducive to learning, and electing school trustees who put kids before personal agendas.
As we continue to restructure to meet future challenges your input and help will be needed. Thank you for your support of education.
But one thing is for sure. High quality education increases economic wealth through improved productivity. The challenge now is not to attempt to maintain the status-quo but to continue to move forward and provide an even more effective and robust education system even as revenue streams diminish. We need to identify the core of instruction. What skills and knowledge must our graduates possess in the 21st century to successfully compete with peers in India, Japan, China and Germany? How do we restructure education to accomplish this herculean task? How do we prepare students for a world with accelerating rates of change? The risks of not meeting this challenge are enormous for each student and for our state and country.
None of this is easy to accomplish. Fortunately, both public and private institutions have produced volumes of quality, replicable research to help point the way. Sometimes the research contradicts commonly held beliefs developed over time. After all, we all spent many years in school and we know "how it is done." If we are preparing students to work in factories we should utilize a factory model of education; bells, straight rows, similarity of tasks, movement from one unrelated task to another, student workers and boss teachers, etc. But, if we are in a post-industrial age then our education system needs to reflect this change. We need to insure that coming to school is not like visiting a history museum. While I would love to think that educational professionals are so powerful that we can change society, in fact, schools reflect society.
Schools also reflect their community. A community that demands and expects a vibrant, high-quality education system that changes to meet the needs of our students will produce successful graduates. Schools living with success made yesterday will graduate students who will find some career paths closed to them because of a lack of preparation. We are fortunate to live and work in Genesee, an education-minded community that has supported hiring the best staff, providing facilities that are safe and conducive to learning, and electing school trustees who put kids before personal agendas.
As we continue to restructure to meet future challenges your input and help will be needed. Thank you for your support of education.
Monday, February 23, 2009
News and Views from the Superintendent
I have created this blog to keep patrons, students, and other interested persons informed about important activities regarding the Genesee Jt. School District 282. While the District publishes a monthly newsletter, there are many important news items that occur in the interim. This format will allow interested persons to stay up-to-date with their school district.
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