Spartan Talk

Solon Band Success

2012-03-06T14:59:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to both the high school and middle school jazz bands for excellent performances at the SEIBA jazz festival last weekend. The first place trophy was brought home by all three bands--Jazz Orchestra in the first band category, Jazz Ensemble in the second band category, and Jazz I in the middle school band category. Jazz Orchestra will now move on to Championships in Des Moines on April 10th!

Solon Invited to Present at Grant Wood AEA

2012-03-02T09:41:00.004-06:00

Solon students, teachers and administrators have been invited to the March 7th Grant Wood AEA Superintendent meeting to present on Standards-Based Grading and Competency Based education. The audience for the presentation will be Grant Wood AEA Superintendents and Grant Wood AEA staff.

Standards-Based Grading started in Solon with one teacher four years ago. Since that time, more teachers have implemented a Standards-Based grading philosophy. The district established Standards-Based Grading as a district wide study topic during the 2011-12 school year.

The presentation on March 7th will include an introduction by Solon High Principal, Nathan Wear. Matt Townsley, Director of Instruction, will then share the similarities and differences between Standards-Based Grading and Competency Based Education. A panel of Solon students and teachers will then have a Question and Answer session.

The Solon Community School District continues to be recognized as an innovative district.

Director Glass to address Solon School District Staff

2012-02-25T11:20:00.010-06:00

The Director of the Iowa Department of Education, Jason Glass, will deliver the keynote address to the Solon Community School District staff at the District wide meeting on Thursday, August 16th at 8:30 a.m. The event will be held in the Solon Middle School auditorium. The community is invited to attend the event and listen to Director Glass discuss educational issues. A Question & Answer session will follow Director Glass' keynote address.

Governor Terry Branstad appointed Dr. Jason Glass as the director of the Iowa Department of Education on December 29, 2010. He was confirmed by the Iowa Senate on April 11, 2011.

Director Glass has pledged that the Department of Education will focus on the values of demonstrating courageous leadership, promoting innovation in education, and acting as a servant to schools and communities in Iowa.

As Director, he works with the Governor, legislators, the State Board of Education, and people across the state in supporting efforts and initiatives to restore Iowa’s tradition as a national leader in education and to lead transformative change.

Born and raised in a family of educators, and married to a teacher, Director Glass’s career in education spans more than 15 years where he has worked in a variety of roles and diverse settings.

After teaching at the high school and university levels in Kentucky, Director Glass worked for the Colorado Department of Education in ensuring a quality education for students with disabilities. Director Glass served as vice president of Qualistar Early Learning in Denver, Colorado where he helped develop an early childhood education quality rating system and raised funds to help providers make needed improvements. He was the Director of Human Resources for Eagle County Schools in Colorado, a pioneering district in innovative human resources strategies including performance-based compensation.

In 2010, Director Glass joined Battelle for Kids as Senior Director of Human Capital, providing states and districts counsel in implementing transformational change as part of the federal Race to the Top program in Tennessee and Ohio.

Director Glass is a graduate of the University of Kentucky, where he received a Bachelor’s degree and two Master’s degrees, and holds a Doctorate in Education from Seton Hall University.

Standards Based Grading and Competency Based Education

2012-02-14T20:57:00.008-06:00

Several Solon Community School District teachers have been utilizing an innovative assessment strategy for students that is commonly referred to as Standards-Based Grading. If you do not know what Standards-Based Grading is, THIS four-minute video explains the differences between a traditional assessment and standards-based assessment.

Last week, a video that was made by Solon High School Teacher, Shawn Cornally, was played for Iowa Legislators as they consider Competency Based Education, which is one component of the Education Blueprint, that was proposed by Governor Brandstad. The video created interest for area legislators and they asked for an opportunity to come to Solon and learn more about Standards-Based Grading and Competency Based Education.

Last Friday, the Solon Community School District held an Open House on Standards-Based Grading and Competency Based Education. The open house was attended by Iowa Legislators, representatives from other school districts, Dave Aprey, President - Solon Board of Education and the media. Matt Townsley, Director of Instruction, explained the similarities and differences between standards-based grading and competency based education. A student and teacher panel provided attendees with an opportunity to ask questions about standards-based grading when compared to a traditional assessment. Following the Q & A, attendees were invited to Mr. Cornally's classroom to observe a Competency Based Lesson.

It was a great day for the Solon Community School District. Our students were eloquent and our staff member's passion for helping students have a quality learning experience, even when it requires them to work significantly harder, was evident. Jennifer Hemmingsen, a columnist for the Cedar Rapids Gazette, wrote about her reaction the following day.

I look forward to continuing our district conversations regarding the benefits of Standards-Based Grading. I also look forward to working with Iowa Legislators on providing Iowa school districts with more flexibility on how students are taught, assessed and promoted through the school system.

Solon Showcasing Innovative Instruction & Assessment

2012-02-09T08:04:00.000-06:00

The Solon Community School District will host an open house for state legislators, media, and educators to observe standards-based instructional practices at Solon High School on Friday, February 10th at 12:15pm. The session will include a student and teacher panel, an observation of a standards-based lesson, and information on standards-based grading and competency-based education. The state of Iowa is discussing competency-based education as part of Governor Branstad’s proposal for world-class schools.

Mourning the loss of a student

2012-01-31T11:57:00.000-06:00

The Solon School District was informed on Monday at approximately 9:20 a.m. that Lakeview student, Zach Engrav, and his father were killed in a two-car accident. The Solon school district staff and community mourn the passing of one of its own. The school has secured the assistance of trained counselors and other helping professionals. We will be trying to maintain as much of a routine at school as possible.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family.

Solon Baseball Recognition

2012-01-26T08:15:00.002-06:00

The Solon Baseball Program received several awards on January 21st at the Iowa Baseball Coaches Association's annual conference. Keith McSweeney received Class 3A Coach of the Year. This is the second consecutive year Coach McSweeney has received this award. Scott Shulista received the Assistant Coach of the Year for the Southeast District. The Solon Baseball Field was named Diamond of the Year for the Southeast region.

Congratulations to Coach McSweeney, Coach Shulista and the entire Solon Baseball organization. The program has had success for several years that has culminated in back-to-back state championships. More importantly, the players and coaching staff demonstrate their respect for the game by modeling that how you play and coach the game is more important than the outcome of the game.

Troop 120

2012-01-23T11:33:00.002-06:00

I attended the Eagle Court of Honor on January 22 at St. Mary's Church. Turner Wentzien and Jordan Stout were honored for earning the Eagle Scout Award.

I have never attended an Eagle Scout ceremony and was surprised to learn of the stringent requirements to attain Eagle Scout status. As part of the ceremony, Tom Clingerman presented the Scouting Bottom Line and listed several statistics demonstrating the value of scouting and development of future leaders. Under the leadership of Scoutmaster Mike Paisley, the entire Troop 120 organization deserves to be recognized and commended for their extraordinary service and commitment to our youth.

After the ceremony, I listened to several parents in the crowd share stories of their scouting past and the fun they have had in helping their son in his journey. Solon is fortunate to have such a strong scouting program.

Congratulations to Troop 120 for instilling the values that will help scouts their entire life. Also, congratulations to Turner and Jordan for achieving Eagle Scout.

Live Healthy Iowa

2012-01-18T09:19:00.002-06:00

It is that time of year when the resolutions that were made with all sincerity on December 31st, may be getting pushed aside or forgotten as many begin returning to comfortable living patterns. The data concerning childhood and adult obesity rates are troubling. For the first time in history, life expectancy is actually declining. Why, one major contributor is poor diet and lack of exercise. We are constantly surrounded by unhealthy temptations.

If you are interested in getting healthier, you may want to consider participating in the Live Healthy Iowa Challenge. What is Live Healthy Iowa? It is a challenge to bring together friends, family, businesses and communities in team-based wellness challenges designed to promote positive lifestyle change. The challenge begins on Monday, January 23rd. You can learn more about Live Healthy Iowa by accessing their website HERE.

I used to rely on my own discipline to stay healthy. However, as I got older, it became easier to skip a workout or not push myself. A year ago, I joined a workout team. It was a great decision. What I did not realize regarding fitness is the power of being part of team. Missing workouts and/or not working hard during the workout were no longer problems. Although I am still working toward the goals I have set, I have gotten healthier. My team has helped me stay committed.

I hope you choose to join a team and get healthy!

Strategic Plan Update

2012-01-06T10:41:00.000-06:00

The Board of Education and administration has been engaged in strategic planning conversation the past four months. During our four work sessions, administration has presented district initiatives and the focus of our professional development. On December 7, the Solon Theory of Action was presented by the administrative team. You can view a video of the theory of action HERE. This theory of action outlines the quality work that our staff has been engaged in.

At our work session on January 5, the administration presented an innovation proposal that we believe builds on our current work. You can view the PowerPoint presentation HERE. After you have reviewed the PowerPoint, you may have questions about the plan. Please note:

No formal action has been taken by the Board of Education. At this time we are simply discussing possible actions to improve the Solon CSD.
This plan is designed to build upon a strong foundation already established through our collaborative learning team philosophy. CLT's would continue to be our DNA.
The rationale for "90% of students will have earned a post-secondary certification or degree..." rather than 100% is that the administration believes post-secondary training is necessary for the super-majority of the students in our school district. There may be some students who pursue a post-secondary option, such as the military or peace corp, that does not include a certificate or degree, hence the 90% rather than 100%.
One of the tactics identified for Lakeview is to provide all students with a research based reading and math programs. This is not to suggest we are considering adopting a new reading or math program. Instead the goal is to analyze and evaluate our current programs and identify opportunities for improvement.
Another tactic identified is the creation of a student post-secondary readiness index. A sample index was used for illustrative purposes only. This is starting point and would improve with more stakeholder input as we collectively identify data sources and experiences beyond traditional measures that help prepare our students for post-secondary success.
We value stakeholder input and part of our strategic plan process is to utilize various stakeholders to improve components and the overall plan. A formal process for input is forthcoming.

Lakeview Elementary Door Contest

2011-12-20T14:31:00.001-06:00

Students and staff at Lakeview recently participated in a "Decorate Your Door Contest". I was very impressed with the creativity our students and staff displayed in their "winter" themed decorations. Below is a short video showing all the classrooms that participated in the contest.

Gerdin Family Donation

2011-12-16T11:18:00.003-06:00

The Solon Community School District is pleased to announce that the Gerdin Family Foundation has pledged to donate $400,000 toward the completion of the Solon Outdoor Events Center (OEC). The OEC is a school district project that has been in the planning and development stage for several years and recently has been moved to the implementation phase. The district has been carefully designing a functional OEC but has been challenged to fund the project in its entirety. Superintendent Sam Miller stated, “Last month the Gerdin Family donated new lighting at Solon Middle School gymnasium and with the announcement of this large donation, they continue to be major supporters of the Solon Community School District.”

In September of this year, the Board of Education (BOE) elected to take on the primary responsibility of overseeing the designing and planning of the OEC. As a result, the scope of the project and the projected costs has been an ongoing dialog for the district. BOE President Dave Asprey remarked, “This substantial investment in the district by the Gerdin family will greatly enhance the experience of our students, athletes, fine arts performers and members of our community. The BOE is very excited about partnering with the Gerdin family to be able to provide an excellent venue for so many of our district’s and community’s activities. The board is eager to consider the specifics of how this contribution can be utilized to complete the OEC project.”

Head Football Coach, Kevin Miller added, “The football program would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the entire Gerdin Family for their recent generous donation. We are very fortunate to have a supportive family that embraces the opportunity to allow our student athletes to have the resources and facilities necessary to compete at the very highest level.” Jordan Wymer, a sophomore student athlete at Solon High School stated, “I would like to especially thank the Gerdin Family for their generous donation. They really helped make the dreams of a new complex a reality. As an athlete, I will know every time I use the facility that it was built by a generous community that wants the best for our school district. It wouldn't have been done without all of your help. Thank you."

The BOE has already approved the existing track, visitor side bleachers and lighting at the OEC and it recently approved the purchase of a synthetic turf surface to be installed this spring. The district is currently working with Shive Hattery Architect Engineering on design work for home side bleachers, press box, home and visitor concession & restrooms and team rooms. Miller remarked, “The Gerdin donation may allow the district to complete the OEC.”

The Gerdin family wishes to express their thanks and appreciation to the Solon community for their ongoing kindness and support of their family before, during and after Russ’ passing.

Student Voices Project

2011-12-14T14:58:00.002-06:00

If you could change one thing about school, what would it be? What if you could change EVERYTHING about the way formal education is structured? How could school be more interesting, fun, engaging, and empowering AND better prepare students for the world of college, work, and life in a community?

Students aged 14 to 18 were invited to answer those questions in a short two-minute video in Grant Wood AEA's Student Voices Project. Students were not given any restrictions on how the video was made or content of the video.

Helaina Thompson of Solon High School was chosen from over 40 videos as the Individual Project Grand Prize Winner for her "School & Swivel Skiing" video. Helaina received $500 and a plaque.

Omar Longou and Katherine Carr were also recognized as first Honorable Mention for the video they submitted. You can view both videos at the following link: http://iowatransformed.com/2011/12/student-voice-awards/

Congratulations to Helaina, Omar and Katherine for their excellent work and representing Solon High School with great distinction.

Spartan Holiday Music Events

2011-12-05T08:50:00.001-06:00

It is that time of year when our talented students and extraordinary fine arts teachers present their holiday concerts. My wife and I attended the middle school band concert last week and were amazed at how well our students performed, especially the fifth grade band that has only been together for a few months.

I hope you you will be able to come out and enjoy other upcoming fine arts events. Below, I list dates and times for performances.

Monday, December 12 - High School Band and Vocal Winter Concert: 7:00 p.m.
Monday, December 19 - Middle School Winter Vocal Concert: 7:00 p.m.

Classroom Cash

2011-11-21T13:49:00.000-06:00

Mike Turner from Hills Bank presented the Solon School District with a check for $1,549 as part of their Classroom Cash program. Hills Bank has offered the Classroom Cash Program for several years and has donated over $15,000 to the Solon Community School District.

Thank you to Hills Bank for their continued support of the Solon School District.

American Education Week

2011-11-14T08:36:00.000-06:00

The week of November 13-19 has been declared American Education Week. As we celebrate the 90th year of highlighting national support for public education, I want to thank our students, parents, staff, administration, board of education and community for everything that you do to make the Solon School District one of the finest school districts in Iowa. Harry Wong, author of The First Day of School, stated, "The greatest asset of a school is its people".

Join me in recognizing the Solon staff for providing our students with a quality learning experience.

Education Blueprint

2011-10-28T12:01:00.002-05:00

Earlier this month, Governor Branstad released One Unshakable Vision, better known as the Education Blueprint. The blueprint can be viewed HERE. According to Governor Branstad, the blueprint is an urgent call to create world-class schools so Iowa students can succeed in a global economy.

Three weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend a meeting facilitated by Special Assistant Linda Fandel to share the blueprint and answer questions. Additionally, I have read about several other town hall meetings facilitated by Governor Branstad, Special Assistant Linda Fandel, or Iowa Director of Education, Jason Glass. The questions and reactions from fellow Iowans to the blueprint has been predictable. Obviously, with a significant reform initiative like the blueprint, many stakeholders have a lot of questions and concerns. As a lifelong educator, I too get anxious when "outsiders" tell me how I can do a better job of educating students. I completely agree with asking the designers of the blueprint the tough questions. I also agree that until a final document including the financing of the reform initiative is made available, approving some or all of the blueprint would be premature.

I have waited several weeks to share my views on the blueprint. I thought it would be beneficial to digest the extensive education reform included in the blueprint. I have read numerous quotes from Iowa stakeholders essentially stating that we do not have a problem and education does not need fixed. To those that feel that way, I respect their opinion, but completely disagree. It is not that Iowa education is broken, but the questions is, can we improve our student's learning experience? I think yes.

I am excited about several components of the blueprint. The centerpiece of the blueprint is Great Teachers and Principals. I would be very interested in hearing details to better compensate our teachers and allow our most effective teachers to play a bigger role in helping all of our teachers perform at the highest level. I am in complete support of the state highlighting the need to provide principals with support on daily management tasks so that their experience and training can be better utilized as instructional leaders. I have worked in several schools districts and although evaluation has gotten better in recent years, I think we can improve how we coach and support all staff members. I think most educators embrace assessing student learning and being accountable however, nearly all educators understand that No Child Left Behind is a flawed system that is punitive and has further weakened support for public education. We need a better system to assess students and provide staff with the necessary data, time, professional development and support to improve performance. Allowing more districts to implement innovation at the local level is long overdue. Finally, we must significantly change the high school student learning experience. The blueprint includes several examples of changes that would better customize how our students learn and progress through high school.

The devil is in the details. I am excited to see the final plan and how the Governor intends to fund the plan. I applaud the Governor and his staff for laying out a bold plan and traveling the state to get feedback.

I am hopeful the legislators will keep an open mind and not allow special interest groups to make school reform a political tool to rally their base for the next election.

We need to improve. Iowa education is very good. Our students deserve great.

Walk Throughs

2011-10-21T14:20:00.005-05:00

The Solon Administrative Team has made a commitment to increase visiblility in classrooms this year through structured Walk-Thoughs. A walk-through is a 5-15 minute observation of a lesson. The administrative team spent several months identifying a template and software to maximize the effectiveness of coaching staff with the ultimate goal of improving student learning.

Teachers have also utilized the walk-through template to provide peer-coaching for colleagues. Administrators and teachers are utilizing IPADS to gather data with structured walk-throughs. Below, is a sample form.

Last week I completed walk-throughs at Lakeview and earlier this week completed walk-throughs at the middle school. I plan to visit the high school next week. I am excited for administrators and teachers to have conversations based on feedback and data gathered from structured walk-thoughs.

Each building principal has committed to providing at least 9 walk-thoughs for every teacher in their building. Central office is also committed to walk-throughs as the Director of Instruction and Superintendent will each provide at least 3 walk-throughs for every teacher in the district. If we reach our goal, every teacher will be provided feedback through at least 15 structured walk-throughs of their classroom.

Eastern Iowa Compact

2011-10-13T15:20:00.004-05:00

Several education stakeholders have come together to support the Eastern Iowa Compact. The stated vision of the Eastern Iowa Compact:

Vision: Eastern Iowa is recognized as the most progressive, cutting-edge place for learning and achievement in the nation and world. It is the place where the deepest learning, the most successful innovation and the highest achievement happens routinely. To that end, we support and expect:

• Collaborative, flexible learning environments.

• Clear and challenging learning targets and personalized learning plans.

• Personalized learning experiences.

• Highly flexible and customized districts and schools.

What is the purpose of the Eastern Iowa Compact? The Eastern Iowa Compact is a public commitment for and coming together to innovate and to be jointly accountable for the realization of the above vision and goals and represents an unprecedented commitment of education, government, business, parents, students, citizens, and community institutions and leaders.

The signers of this Compact pledge to support significant, transformational changes to better prepare our children for post-secondary education, sustainable jobs and careers, and to play important roles in the communities in which they work and live. We can and will create our own future by school and community partners aggressively working in concert to help lead Eastern Iowa towards a sustainable and bright future.

To achieve this we must collaborate in a manner that includes all community entities and leverages our local networks and resources to truly transform education – not simply improve or supplement our current models. The effort of the Compact and its signers is to generate understanding, trust, permission, and support for engaging in this important and difficult work.

The Compact is designed to gather school board, business, community, teacher, parent, and student signatures from across Eastern Iowa as a public declaration of permission and support for schools to forge ahead in creating the schools our children need and deserve. The Compact clarifies the outcomes but DOES NOT dictate the means with which schools use to produce those outcomes. Collaboration, choice, and joint accountability are the cornerstones of the work.

Whether it is through a collaborative effort, such as the Eastern Iowa Compact, or through legislative mandates, such as the Iowa Blueprint, I think it is safe to assume that public schools operations will be changing. I have signed the Compact and look forward to moving forward in conversations about how to better prepare our students. Two other websites you may find interesting include: Iowa Future and TransformED.

2011-12 Annual Progress Report - Together We Are Better!

2011-09-29T13:25:00.002-05:00

The Solon Annual Progress Report (APR) has been released and can be viewed HERE. As I shared on the website, I enjoy preparing the APR. Our students perform at a high level in the classroom, on stage and on the athletic fields. The Spartan Wall of Pride recognizes our students and staff for extraordinary success.

I end my letter to the community by thanking our parents and community for the tremendous support we receive. Solon is one of the finest school districts in Iowa and it is the result of having great students, dedicated staff members, visionary administrators and Board of Education, and supportive parents and community. Together, we are better.

Strategic Plan

2011-09-20T19:51:00.002-05:00

The Board of Education and Administration will meet with Dr. Troyce Fisher on Monday night to discuss the Solon Community School District engaging in a comprehensive strategic planning session during the 2011-12 school year. The District has not gone through a comprehensive strategic planning session in several years.

The preliminary goals of a strategic plan include: The board, in close collaboration with the superintendent and administrative team and with input from staff and community at various points in the process would develop goals in at least these five areas:

(1) Increasing student learning for all
(2) Providing quality staff who support student learning
(3) Providing quality infrastructure that supports student learning
(4) Being good stewards of resources through budget development that aligns with system goals
(5) Increasing the engagement of families and the community in achievement of the district’s goals.

Other outcomes for the strategic plan may be identified at a work session Monday night. Dr. Fisher has significant experience facilitating strategic planning sessions for organizations and has a record of including stakeholder groups in the process. I am excited for our District to identify a visionary plan for our District.

Revenue Purpose Statement

2011-09-02T08:28:00.001-05:00

There will be a Revenue Purpose Statement (RPS) on the ballot in the September 13 school board election. Below, is a little history about RPS and Frequently Asked Questions. If you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to give me a call or stop in.

In 2007, the voters of Johnson County passed the SILO sales tax. This provided sales tax revenue to be distributed to the school districts in Johnson County on a per-pupil basis. In 2008, the Iowa Legislators replaced the SILO with a state penny for school infrastructure and property tax relief through December 31, 2029. The state penny continues and no new tax is being imposed. However, the legislation authorizing the state penny requires voter approval of a Revenue Purpose Statement to authorize expenditures of the state penny once the prior SILO authorization expires. The SILO for Solon expires in 2017, therefore the residents of the Solon Community School District must pass an updated Revenue Purpose Statement in order to spend the revenue from the state penny. This vote does not determine whether the tax will be collected – state law imposes the penny of sales tax. The Revenue Purpose Statement directs how the revenues for the school district will be spent.

The updated Revenue Purpose Statement will be on the ballot for the September 13^th school board election. Below, are Frequently Asked Questions regarding the Revenue Purpose Statement.

I hope you choose to vote on Tuesday, September 13.

Sam Miller, Superintendent

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is a Revenue Purpose Statement?

Revenue Purpose Statement is a ballot issue that describes the allowed uses for the state of Iowa Secure an Advanced Vision for Education Fund or SAVE funds (formerly known as the SILO or local option sales tax). Submitting the Revenue Purpose Statement to voters for approval was a requirement imposed by the Iowa Legislature in 2008.

Q: Why is a Revenue Purpose Statement needed?

The District needs a Revenue Purpose Statement to describe allowed uses for the SAVE funding at the district level.

Q: What is a Revenue Purpose Statement Vote?

The Revenue Purpose Statement vote will direct the purposes upon which the Solon Community School District can expend SAVE funds received from the state. This is not a vote on the SAVE funding. This is not a vote to increase the SAVE tax. District voters will be asked to vote YES or NO for the Solon Revenue Purpose Statement.

Q: When was the referendum resolution passed by the School Board?

The School Board approved the Revenue Purpose Statement resolution language at its July 11, 2011 regular meeting.

Q: What can the district use the sales tax revenue for?

Only what is included in the Revenue Purpose Statement approved by the district voters. At the current time this funding is being used for Lakeview and Middle School renovations, technology and transportation expenses.

Q: In general terms, what uses will be allowed under the proposed Revenue Purpose Statement?

Allowed uses of the tax will include: provide funds for property tax relief, build and furnish new buildings or additions; remodel and repair present District buildings; purchase or improve grounds; purchase or lease buildings or equipment; purchase transportation, technology, or recreation equipment; procure or acquire library or open roads to buildings; funds for emergency repairs to respond to natural disasters; respond to changes in demographics; establish or maintain public recreation places and playgrounds; supervision and instruction for recreation activities or community education; provide funds for the payment of principal and interest or retirement of general obligation bonds; authorize expenditures and purposes as now or here after permitted by law and designated by the Solon Community School District.

Q: Do we currently have a Revenue Purpose Statement in place?

In 2007, the voters of Johnson County passed the SILO sales tax. This provided sales tax revenue to be distributed to the school districts in Johnson County on a per-pupil basis until 2017. In December 2006, the Solon Community School District passed a Revenue Purpose Statement authorizing how the SILO funds would be expended.

Q: Will passage of the Revenue Purpose Statement increase taxes?

No, the sales tax rate is set by the State legislature. The sole purpose of the Revenue Purpose Statement is to describe the uses for which the tax may be used in our district.

Q: What is the time period covered by the new Revenue Purpose Statement?

Approved Revenue Purpose Statements are in effect until changed by the voters or until the end of the state-wide sales tax on December 31, 2029.

Q: Why is an election needed?

The requirements for a Revenue Purpose Statement election are specifically stated in Iowa Code 423F.3. Section 423F.3 of the Iowa Code requires that the Board adopt a Revenue purpose Statement, subject to the approval of the electors, listing the proposed use of the funds.

Q: Will passage of the Revenue Purpose Statement require a “super majority”?

No, only a simply majority (50%) is needed for passage.

Q: When will the Revenue Purpose Statement election be held?

The election will be held in conjunction with the regular school board election scheduled for September 13, 2011.

Q: What happens if the Revenue Purpose Statement in not approved?

Iowa law requires a minimum of six months to elapse before another Revenue Purpose Statement election can be held. If the original version is not approved, either the same or a revised Statement will be brought back to the voters for subsequent approval.

Q: Who can I contact if I have questions?

Contact the District Office at 624-3401.

Year 2

2011-08-26T09:57:00.007-05:00

As I begin my second year as Superintendent of the Solon Community School District, I could not be more pleased with the direction our District is moving in. Our district has several positive initiatives taking place that will improve the quality or our student's learning experience including:

Lakeview Renovation
Lakeview is currently undergoing a six-million dollar renovation. When completed, the school will have eight new classrooms, new cabinetry, whiteboards, windows, air conditioning, courtyard, entryway, and furniture.

Established Goals

New Leadership in our Nutrition Program
The District has hired Marcia Purington and Kelly Crossley to lead our Nutrition Program. The new directors have several changes planned for our district including new menu items and direct parent access to student dining information including lunch balance (Read the August 23rd Solon Economist story).

Professional Development
The District will be utilizing a new school calendar during the 2011-12 school year that has 16 early dismissal days at 1:00 to provide staff with increased professional development time. Our District will continue to use this time to provide our Collaborative Learning Teams opportunities to discuss and analyze student data as well as discuss how to improve our instructional practices.

Our staff recognizes that we have areas of strengths and areas we need to improve. I look forward to working with a quality and dedicated staff in this endeavor.

Welcome Back

2011-08-19T15:09:00.009-05:00

It was with great excitement that we officially kicked off the start of a new school year with the opening of our Staff Workshop. Below, is a short video clip and a link to my presentation to the staff. I have also included my notes to better explain my presentation.

1. Iowa - Did You Know.

2, My presentation. Simply click on the "play" button each time you want to advance the presentation.

21st Century Education on Prezi

3. My notes that accompanied the presentation

Welcome –

· Welcome Back! I hope you had a relaxing summer and were able to reconnect with your family and friends and recharge your batteries.

Softball

· Our softball team had a great summer. I want to congratulate the team and Coach Sorden on a great season and trip to State.

Baseball

· Congratulations to our baseball team on winning another state championship. Over the past two seasons our baseball team has compiled an 80-6 record. Congratulations to the players, Coach McSweeney and his staff for a great season.

Workshop Schedule

· Just a reminder that following this meeting we have several meetings beginning at 9:30. We have the district picnic at 11:30 at the high school. Finally, a reminder to bring your computer to the HS on Monday for PD.

Strategic Plan

· This past spring we had our accreditation visit and one recommendation provided by the state team was that our district develops a Strategic Plan. The BOE will consider hiring a facilitator at the September meeting. I’ll talk more about this later.

Professional Reading

· Over the summer months I try to catch up on professional readings in Education on best practice and innovation.

Summit & SAI

· Additionally, I had the opportunity to attend the Iowa Education Summit and SAI’s annual conference and listen to national experts on school reform. I’m sure most of you have watched the “Did you know” videos that have surfaced the last several years dealing with global changes. There is now an Iowa version that I would like to share with you now.

Iowa – Did You Know

· The video was sobering for me to watch. Our landscape is changing.

3 Slides of Iowa Data

· Add to it the multiple data points that were presented that indicated Iowa slipping in our student achievement data when compared to other states.

Competition

· And for me, another reality in education, particularly at the secondary level, is viable competition to public education. The days of families enrolling their children in the local school are over. Solon open enrollments into our District have quadrupled in the past five years. I am currently earning my Doctorate from a University located in Arizona and understand the benefits of a virtual campus.

Crossroads

· I left the Summit and SAI conference at Crossroads. As a proud Iowa educator for the past 20 years, I would be lying if I did not admit being a little defensive about the gloomy reports about Iowa Schools. Yet, the data is clear.

Wall of Pride

· Solon has an outstanding tradition of excellence.

Achievement Data

· Our students consistently outperform our neighbors and students across the state regardless of the metric.

District Goals

· Our District has taken multiple steps to improve our student’s learning experience. Last year, we started utilizing Collaborative Learning Teams to share our collective knowledge and provide all staff with additional time and support. This year we have identified several improvement goals, including a discussion topic on Standards Based Grading.

Strategic Plan

· However, I think we are at a unique and critical moment as educators. The Strategic Plan is a golden opportunity to engage in discussions and chart our course for district wide improvement.

Innovation

· We have an opportunity to discuss, evaluate and plan how to become an organization that provides students with a more customized learning experience with increased emphasis in collaboration and problem solving and increased access to technology.

Summary

· Although we have a lot to proud of in Solon, the fact is we have to do more for our students. Let’s use Standards Based Grading as a first step in having discussions on a sensitive topic, but done in a professional manner that is respectful of opposing points of view. And let’s engage a cross section of our organization and the community to participate in the Strategic Plan this school year.

Together We are Better

· I heard a quote from an Iowa Core team member the other day. He said, Together, We are Better. What a great theme as we begin another school year. Let’s help each other, lean on each other for support and realize that – Together We are better.

· Have a Great School Year!

Iowa - A Call to Action

2011-08-17T14:15:00.001-05:00

In the past three weeks, I have attended the Iowa Education Summit and School Administrators of Iowa's annual conference. Both events brought in regional and national education experts to discuss data and school reform in Iowa and across the country. U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, gave a sobering speech on Iowa data and how our students have slipped on national assessments and the fact that Iowa is no longer the top scoring state as we were in 1992 (I have shortened Mr. Duncan's 50 minute speech to 15 minutes that I thought were particularly interesting: snipsnip.it/ag35p7n3v23).

I think it is important to point out that Iowa student performance on national assessments has not fallen, in fact it has increased. Additionally, Iowa teachers and administrators are working just as hard as educators in other states. However, other states have changed the student learning experience and have implemented reform that has resulted in student performance increases that has outpaced Iowa students.

Analyzing data is part of the discussion regarding school reform, but we would be remiss if we did not also acknowledge that what we teach, how we teach, assessment, technology and organizational structure should be the major part of the discussion. Our goal should be to provide all Solon students with a World Class Education and in order to be successful, we are going to have to change some of our practices, structure and tools that we provide to our students and staff.

I look forward to speaking with our entire staff on Friday as we prepare for the 2011-12 school year. We have many challenges and discussions ahead, but I look forward to engaging stakeholders about the direction of our school district.

Iowa Education Summit

2011-07-24T18:06:00.001-05:00

I will be in Des Moines on July 25 and 26 to attend the Iowa Education Summit (LINK). Iowa has a history of being a leader in student achievement in the United States. However, student achievement data has slipped in recent years and other states have surpassed Iowa student performance levels.

Several distinguished speakers will present on "World Class Education" and innovative changes that has resulted in improved student learning. Arne Duncan, Secretary of the United States Department of Education, will deliver the keynote address. Iowa Department of Education Chief, Jason Glass will also participate in multiple sessions. Governor Brandstad will give the final remarks on Tuesday.

I look forward to hearing how schools across the country and world are changing to better prepare students for the 21st century.

Nutrition Program

2011-07-12T14:11:00.000-05:00

There will be a couple new faces working in the Solon Nutrition Program for the 2011-12 school year. Mrs. Marcia Purington will be the Director of our food service program (shared with Mt. Vernon). Marcia has worked for the Mt. Vernon school district for several years and is responsible for leading a quality nutrition program with a reputation for providing great customer service.

Mrs. Kelly Crossley will serve as the Assistant Nutrition Program Director. Kelly has served the past four years as the Nutrition Director for the Independence School District where she implemented a Farm to School program that included field trips to local farms, farmer visits to the classroom and a thriving school garden.

Mrs. Purington and Mrs. Crossley have already started planning for the 2011-12 school year. They plan to introduce new menu items as well as expand ala carte options. Marcia and Kelly have both stated they plan to develop relationships with students and staff members and will actively solicit feedback on ways to improve our nutrition program.

We will also be adding new technology to our food service program that will provide parents access to their student's account. Parents will be able to review items purchased and account balance. Additionally, parents's will be notified via email when an account balance drops below a set dollar amount (to be determined).

I look forward to working with Mrs. Purington and Mrs. Crossley and helping them provide our students and staff members with healthy and quality meals served in a nurturing environment.

Superintendent 2011-12 Goals

2011-06-28T15:00:00.005-05:00

I would like to thank the community and over 70 staff members who completed a short survey last month and gave me performance feedback from my first year as Solon superintendent. I have reflected on your feedback as well as feedback from the school board and created an Individual Professional Development Plan based on the feedback. I want to thank you for the positive comments and encouragement as well as your suggestions for improvement. Going into a progressive and respected district like Solon was a daunting challenge. The positive feedback and support is greatly appreciated.

Improving student achievement is my number one goal. It is important that all administration is visible in the classroom to provide positive feedback and coaching to improve performance. I plan to visit every classroom at least three times during the 2011-12 school year. This will also provide me with an opportunity to develop relationships with all staff members.

I have also set a goal regarding attendance at Collaborative Team Meetings (CLT). Our district has made a significant investment in time and resources to utilize CLT's to improve organizational performance. I plan to be more visible and active in CLT discussions.

My third goal is leading a comprehensive strategic plan process for the Solon School District. The Solon Board of Education has been interested in reviewing all components of how the Solon School District operates and I believe we need to bring in a trained facilitator and involve stakeholders from all sectors of the community to participate in a comprehensive strategic planning session. The finished strategic plan will give District stakeholders and community members a clear plan for our school district.

Again, thank you for your feedback. I am looking forward to a positive and productive 2011-12 school year.

Special Media Specialist

2011-06-08T14:00:00.007-05:00

I would like to recognize the Solon Community School Districts outstanding Media Specialist, Kathy Kaldenberg for getting published in a recent edition of the Teacher Librarian Journal. The article focuses on collaboration strategies Mrs. Kaldenberg utilizes to help provide general education teachers with great learning opportunities for students.

Kathy will also be a featured speaker at Ignite Education, a forum featuring ten Eastern Iowans who are passionate about transforming education and are involved in innovative school programming. Mr. Shawn Cornally, Solon High School math and science teacher, will also be a featured speaker.

Ignite Education will be held on Wednesday, June 22 from 6-9 p.m. at the Cedar Rapids Art Museum. The forum is limited to 100 registrants. HERE is a link to register.

Superintendent Feedback

2011-05-27T11:56:00.000-05:00

Community Members:

I am seeking feedback from community members on the effectiveness of my performance as superintendent during the 2010-11 school year. The survey is very short and your responses will remain anonymous. The results will be viewed by me and will help guide me as I prepare my growth goals for next year.

Please take a minute between now and Tuesday, May 31st to complete THIS survey.

Thank you in advance for your honest and open feedback during this busy time of the year.

Sam

Johnson County Regional Academy Center

2011-05-18T15:10:00.007-05:00

I am currently serving on the Johnson County Regional Academy steering committee. Kirkwood Community College opened a regional academy in Monticello and thousands of high school students in that area have benefitted from the diverse and expanded curriculum opportunity. Kirkwood is interested in opening a similar academy in Johnson County.

In order for the Johnson County regional academy to become a reality, Kirkwood must first pass a $46 million dollar bond in September to build an appropriate facility. Taxpayers would NOT see an increase in taxes, the current levy would simply continue. Without passage of the bond, the regional academy will be postponed until appropriate financing is secured.

The regional academy could provide a tremendous opportunity for the students and staff members in the Johnson County area. Solon students are currently provided a great learning experience at Solon High School. However, facility & equipment limitations, budgetary restrictions and teacher certifications are all factors in limiting the opportunities we can offer our students. Another limiting factor is that we cannot offer some curriculum opportunities because too few students sign up for a course and the result is that a small number of students are prevented from pursuing education/training in an area of interest.

A regional academy allows a larger geographic area, with a significantly larger pool of students, the curriculum opportunities most schools could not consider offering individually. Each school district is provided a set number of "openings" and students are then able to earn high school (and often times college credit) in curriculum areas not offered locally.

The Johnson County regional academy is in the early planning stages. Many things have to happen in order for Solon students to benefit from the academy. At the earliest, the academy would be open to students in the fall of 2013. However, I am anxious to visit the Jones County Academy and learn more about what it provides students. Additionally, like most school districts in the area, I plan to invite representatives from Kirkwood to a school board meeting and share with the board of education how a regional academy may benefit our students. There are many details to work out before our district could commit to a plan, but school districts not too far away have already worked out the details and students are reaping the benefits.

Stay tuned.

National School Board Recognition Week

2011-05-08T11:46:00.002-05:00

In recognition of the dedicated service of Iowa school board members, May 8-13 has been designated School Board Recognition Week with this year’s theme being “School Boards – Making a World of Difference”. Solon Board members contribute thousands of hours each year leading the district. Whether it is crafting policies, hiring top-notch employees, listening to staff and student concerns or recognizing outstanding programs, board members always keep their eyes on the goal of student achievement. Serving on the Solon board are: Dave Aprey, Tim Brown, Dean Martin, Dick Schwab and Lianne Westcot.

The time spent in board meetings represents just a small fraction of the hours school board members spend leading in the Solon district. They also work hard at seminars and training sessions to keep abreast of the latest trends in educational leadership, are deeply involved in our community activities and spend many hours in the schools and at extracurricular events. Their love for learning, and concern and caring for students, staff and community, drives board members’ desire to lead so students can achieve.

Join with others from throughout our district and state to salute the men and women who provide grassroots governance of public schools. Make a special effort to tell each school board member that his or her hard work has been noticed and is truly appreciated.

National Teacher Appreciation Week: May 2 - 6

2011-05-01T11:30:00.001-05:00

"A good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others." -Anonymous

The week of May 2 – 6 has been designated National Teacher Appreciation Week. The special week is meant to honor teachers and recognize the lasting contributions they make to our lives and the lives of our children. This day has been officially celebrated for 31 years. Thanks, in part, to Eleanor Roosevelt's efforts in the 50s, the government finally declared a National Teacher Day in 1980 and in 1985 the Parent Teacher Association claimed National Teacher Week as the first week of May.

Solon in fortunate to have a high quality teaching staff that is recognized as leaders in Iowa education. Several Solon teachers have been invited to other school districts, as well as state and national conferences to present on their innovative and successful teaching strategies. More importantly, our teachers demonstrate their commitment to our students on a daily basis by providing a nurturing environment while challenging each student to reach his or her potential.

Join me in showing our teachers the appreciation they deserve and get involved in National Teacher Appreciation Week by sending a note to a former or current teacher and thank them for their impact on your life.

2011-12 District Goals

2011-04-25T14:43:00.002-05:00

The Solon Community School District has established goals in multiple areas for 2011-12 school year. The purpose of establishing goals are to challenge our organization to perform at a higher level and improve the learning experience for our students. As I have stated in several earlier blogs, Solon is a premier school district in Iowa, however, we need to continue to improve.

As you will see on the document below, we have targeted student performance on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills and the Iowa Test of Educational Development as one area for improvement. Our student performance goal is that 85% of Solon students will perform at the 41 percentile (proficient) or higher. Additionally, our goal is that 25% of Solon students will perform in the High Range which is the 90 - 99 percentile.

You may be aware that Solon has implemented Collaborative Learning Teams for our entire teaching staff. We have both horizontal (sorted by grade level) and vertical (sorted by curriculum area). The district will continue to invest significant professional development time for our collaborative learning teams to review data, analyze best practice and implement new strategies for increased student learning. Three goals have been established regarding our Collaborative Learning Teams

Our third area of focus will be on standards based grading. There is no identified outcome for this area of focus other than we want to notify stakeholders of our intent to plan forums for dialogue and explore whether standards based grading may be something our district should consider. For those unfamiliar with standards based grading, I'll give you a short summary. The first part of standards based grading is to identify standards to be expected of every student. Then the curriculum must be aligned to the standards. Finally, the student must be assessed if they meet these standards of what every student must know and be able to do. There are several challenges to implementing a different grading system and I am sure those challenges will be communicated and discussed.

2011-12 Solon District Goals

National Volunteer Week

2011-04-22T11:10:00.000-05:00

Last week was National Volunteer Week. As you may know, the Solon Community School District is fortunate to have high participation from community volunteers. Under the direction of Kim Blankenheim, Volunteer Coordinator, our district benefits from over 23,000 volunteer hours annually. Solon volunteers were recognized at a "volunteer party" on Wednesday afternoon. The party included a fantastic performance by the Hopping Iguanas which includes high school teachers Jim Erickson, Ken Beck, Aaron Farnsworth and Shawn Cornally.

Our district would not be one of the premier school districts in Iowa without the significant contributions from our parents and community members. On behalf of the Solon School District, thank you for volunteering and helping our school district provide our students with a great learning experience.

Department of Education Accreditation Results

2011-04-15T09:00:00.001-05:00

The Solon Community School District had our five-year Iowa Department of Education accreditation visit on Tuesday and Wednesday. The site team presented their findings Wednesday afternoon during our exit interview. A summary of their preliminary findings will be available on the school's web page by Saturday.

The accreditation team was extremely complimentary of our school district. I was so proud of our entire organization as I listened to all the great ways we help students engage in a learning and extra/co-curricular experience like no other school district in Iowa. I shared with our entire staff during August workshop a quote from Harry Wong that I think represents the success of our site visit ~ "The greatest asset of a school is its people".

APRIL

WaMaC Art Show

2011-04-13T10:38:00.000-05:00

I would like to recognize Mr. Koza, Ms. Dolson and the art students of Solon High School for another outstanding year at the WaMaC Conference Art Show and Competition held in Anamosa. Solon had twenty students attend the art show.

Approximately 160 students from 8 schools competed in 14 different categories. Solon High School finished the competition as the most highly awarded school. Solon students were the recipients of 10 awards, including 3 first place ribbons and the Terry Masters Student Choice Award (voted best in show by all student participants). This marks the second year in a row that Solon students have swept the digital photography category. All of this year's entries will be on display in the lobby of the Middle School Auditorium through the weekend and in the High School Display Case beginning early next week.

Great job staff and students!

Solon State Accreditation Visit

2011-04-08T11:15:00.002-05:00

Every five years, the Iowa Department of Education conducts school improvement site visits. The purposes of the site visits are as follows:

To assess progress with the Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP)
To make recommendations with regard to the visit findings for the purposes of improving educational practices above minimal compliance
To determine that a school or school district is in compliance with the accreditation standards
To provide a general assessment of educational practices

Approximately 104 visits are conducted each year, including accredited non-public schools and accredited school districts. The only criterion used for selection is the time since the last site visit. SCSD's last site visit was in the fall of 2005 (report available here).

Our site visit will take place next week on April 12 and 13. Throughout these two days the site visit team, led by Iowa DE School Improvement Consultant Beth Happe, will complete a document review and interview teams of teachers, parents, students, associates, administrators and school board members. Several weeks after the visit, we will receive a lengthy report including non-compliance areas, areas of strength and suggested areas of improvement. This report will eventually be posted to the district website for the public to review and will be used to revise our Comprehensive School Improvement Plan.

I look forward to sharing with the accreditation team what makes the Solon Community School District a quality school district. We will benefit from learning from the state team our strengths and areas for improvement.

Solon Musical Showcase

2011-04-07T22:04:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to the Solon vocal and band students for an outstanding Musical Showcase. Under the direction of Mr. Fraseur, Mrs. Jacobi, Mr. Foreman, and Mr. Cervantez our students had several impressive performances.

Don Ellis served as emcee of the event and kept the crowd entertained throughout the night. The crowd was overflowing as our students were supported by family and community.

Great job students and staff!

Middle School Salad Bar

2011-03-28T13:37:00.003-05:00

Solon Middle School students were given a CHOICE for lunch today. Students could choose the normal hot lunch that was listed on the school menu, or they could serve themselves at our new salad bar. Although it took a little longer to get implemented than the high school, the salad bar includes lettuce, choice of ham or turkey, cheese, tomatoes, as well as other offerings. As I went around and spoke with students it was clear that the new salad bar was a welcome change to their lunch program.

I want to thank the Middle School Lunch Team for doing such a great job working with our students and adding the salad bar. It takes a lot of planning and execution to feed 400 students each day at the middle school and the lunch staff does a fantastic job. Thank You!

We hope to launch the Lakeview salad bar in the near future.

An American Hero

2011-03-23T11:42:00.004-05:00

I had an opportunity to visit Mr. McSweeney's class at the high school and listen to his guest speaker, Ted Sprouse. Mr. Sprouse told the Solon students his experience as a soldier in the Korean War and the three years he spent in captivity as a prisoner of war. Mr. Sprouse shared many of the experiences he endured during his time as a POW including the multiple wounds he suffered and how he survived the ordeal.

It was an honor listening to Mr. Sprouse speak about his journey through life and the struggles he has overcome to be the person he is today. I look forward to reading the book Mr. Sprouse gave me chronicling his ordeal, Limbo on the Yalu...and beyond.

I want to thank Mrs. Blankenheim on for organizing the event.

World Read Aloud Day

2011-03-09T15:12:00.002-06:00

I want to thank Mrs. Grimoskas and her first grade students for inviting me to read a couple books as part of World Read Aloud Day. It has been fifteen years since I taught elementary and it was fun to participate and observe the student's energy and enthusiasm while we discussed The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Mixed-Up Chameleon. It was evident that Mrs. Grimoskas has struck a great balance between leading a structured learning environment, yet nurturing and allowing the students to be independent. Thank you to Mrs. Grimoskas and the students of 1A!!

Lakeview Elementary

2011-03-04T13:19:00.000-06:00

I spent time in several classrooms at Lakeview Elementary today. It was great to get out of the office and spend time observing students learning. I want to thank the staff at Lakeview for welcoming me in every classroom. Instead of stopping instruction or making me feel like I was a distraction (I was a small distraction) they welcomed me in, continued their activity and encouraged me to visit again.

I also want to recognize the staff for their lesson design and ability to engage students in learning. Several of the activities had students working in teams on problem solving activities. Many of the project-based activities required students to demonstrate their knowledge through creating artifacts. Technology was also utilized in many of the classrooms. The skills being taught and practiced at Lakeview are exactly the skills educators are being told students will need to possess in order to be successful in the 21st century workplace.

Solon is fortunate to have a quality teaching staff that continues to change their teaching practices in order to provide our students with the skills and knowledge necessary for their future.

Thank you Lakeview Staff!

New High School Principal

2011-02-28T14:21:00.001-06:00

Solon High School will have a new principal for the 2011-12 school year. The Solon Board of Education at a special board meeting on Monday, February 28 approved Mr. Nathan Wear as Solon High School Principal. Mr. Wear currently serves as the principal of Pence Elementary in Fairfield, Iowa. He brings a combined nine years of experience as an educator, including the past six years as principal at Pence. Mr. Wear was selected from over 75 applicants for the position.

Mr. Wear earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Wartburg College. In addition he received his Masters Degree in Educational Administration from Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas while teaching for the North East Independent School District in San Antonio, Texas. Mr. Wear also completed a Certificate of Advanced Studies from the University of Northern Iowa.

“I am honored to accept the role as Solon High School Principal,” affirmed Mr. Wear. “The board, along with the community, students, staff, and administration at Solon has built a reputation for excellence. The first-class education program at Solon is a great fit for my family. I look forward to building strong relationships with all stakeholders that will allow us to continue to be the best school district in the state.”

Mr. Wear's wife, Anne, teaches foreign language and they have a six-year old son and a four-year daughter.

An open house for Mr. Wear and his family will be scheduled in the future. Mr. Wear will assume duties on July 1, 2011.

Legislative Update #2

2011-02-26T20:56:00.003-06:00

I met again with area legislators today (Saturday) to receive an update on bills that have been filed and the potential affect on education. As I shared in an earlier blog (See Meeting with Legislators), Allowable Growth and Preschool Funding are two of the major issues that are being debated at the statehouse.

I want to thank the Solon stakeholders that have contacted area representation. YOUR VOICE HAS BEEN HEARD. At the meeting today, Representative Mary Mascher recognized the patrons of the Solon school district for contacting her and sharing concerns about the lack of funding for our school district. I want to thank Representative Mascher for recognizing the Solon community for being active in our advocacy on education issues. I also want to thank you for being an advocate for our students, staff and school district. You have no idea how important your support and communication with legislators is for our school district.

I am asking you again to contact legislators. The debate is on-going and I encourage to contact all the legislators in the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids area and lobby on behalf of appropriate funding for schools. The students of Iowa deserve 2% Allowable Growth and NO CHANGE IN PRESCHOOL FUNDING or PROGRAMMING. The legislators stated AGAIN today that even a half-dozen emails regarding concerns about issues has an impact on them and their colleagues. Please take 10 minutes and let them know how you feel.

Thanks You!!

Lakeview Elementary Featured

2011-02-16T08:12:00.000-06:00

A story is scheduled to appear on Sunday in the Cedar Rapids Gazette about schools districts using Skype in the classrooms. Solon Media Specialist, Kathy Kaldenberg, is featured in the story leading a group of fourth grade students at Lakeview as they Skype with another class from Omaha, Nebraska.

To preview the story and see a short video of Mrs. Kaldenberg's lesson, click here.

Great job to Kathy and all of our staff as they continue to provide our students with innovative learning activities and experiences.

High School Principal Update

2011-02-15T13:02:00.001-06:00

The Solon Community School District received approximately 75 applications for the high school principal position. Of the 75 applicants, over 35 applicants have experience as a school administrator. The district will begin the challenging task of narrowing the field of candidates and identifying semi-finalists. The plan is to bring in finalists that will include spending a day in Solon interviewing with student, staff, administration and community committees. During their community tour, finalists will get to see first hand what the district and community have to offer the candidate and his or her family.

The unusually high number of applicants is a testament to the statewide recognition that the Solon Community School District is a quality school district and community. This type of recognition does not happen by chance. As I have stated repeatedly, we have motivated students, dedicated staff members and supportive parents and community members who all have very high expectations.

No wonder we had so many applicants.

Meeting with Legislators

2011-02-07T14:06:00.003-06:00

I will be in Des Moines for two days this week to meet with Legislators. Although it is time consuming and at times frustrating, the Solon School District has a lot to gain or lose based on the actions of the legislators.

Like every other state in the nation, Iowa is facing serious budget challenges. Although education is routinely identified as the number one campaign issue, in recent years, the funding has been insufficient. With a change in the Iowa House of Representatives and with a new Governor, several potential changes in education have been announced. A couple key issues for the Solon Community School District are Allowable Growth and preschool funding.

Allowable Growth: Each year the legislators set an amount of new funding to education which is called Allowable Growth. For many years, the amount of allowable growth was in the 4% range. This funding helps school districts with increased costs like personnel, transportation, energy and other costs that go up annually.

Preschool Funding: Four years ago, Iowa began providing grants to school districts to offer free or subsidized preschool to four-year old children. It has been an outstanding opportunity to provide students a structured education with an approved curriculum taught by a licensed teacher.

In summary, last year, the state decreased funding to school districts by 10%. The Solon school district is currently struggling with the effects of this drastic reduction in funding. Governor Branstad has announced that he is recommending 0% allowable growth for the next 2 years. This will have a devastating effect on school districts. In an era when more and more is expected from public education, the funding has been significantly cut.

I met with legislators last week in Iowa City to discuss the upcoming legislative session. Their message to me was clear, WE NEED TO HEAR FROM CONSTITUENTS. If you think the lack of funding to the Solon Community School District will have a detrimental effect on our ability to provide students with a quality education, please contact your elected officials. Do not think they do not read your emails, trust me, they do. Your voice is our best chance to get the funding levels in education, back to appropriate levels.

Here are the email addresses of Solon School District legislators:
Senator Dvorsky: robert.dvorsky@legis.state.ia.us
Representative Willems: nate.willems@legis.state.ia.us

Thank you for your help.

Preparing the Net Generation

2011-02-02T18:24:00.003-06:00

The web has changed how most people live. Anyone with access to the web has access to more information than ever. Also, the speed that information is accessed has become instantaneous. Why watch the evening news, when, by the time the major networks air the "news", it is typically no longer...new news. The web is changing how organizations operate.

Is education exempt from this major change? No. How does the web effect education? Well, education has historically been slow to change the student K-12 learning experience. For over 100 years, students have attended kindergarten at the nearest brick schoolhouse from 8:30-3:00 for 180 days a year. The majority of students would graduate from high school and enter the world of work. School districts that accomplished a high graduation rate considered they had done their job. Any family who wanted a different learning experience for their child, or a different schedule, did not have many options. In the last ten years, Iowa has seen an increase in students taking advantage of Open Enrollment to other public schools. However, other than parochial schools and limited homeschool opportunities, public education has enjoyed a monopoly.

Bob Dylan famously sang, "The times they are a changing". Everybody involved in the education profession, including teachers, administrators and Board members, need to hear the music. Pockets of charter schools and magnet schools have already started implementing systemic changes to how students are taught. In a charter or magnet school setting, students are provided alternative learning schedules, in classrooms where students do more of the teaching and learning and the teacher is more of a facilitator of of the process. Add to the mix, Florida and Utah now offers students the opportunity to graduate from high school...online. Florida's Virtual High School and Utah's Virtual Academy are significant competitors to those who are disenfranchised with public school or need an alternative or more flexible schedule.

The bottom line is that students no longer want to sit for seven hours a day and listen to anywhere from one to seven teachers lecture on information that they are later expected to recall on a formal assessment. Information that often times can be accessed by Google in less than one second.

Solon is a great school district that does many things at a very high level. Our staff has never worked harder to provide all of our students with a quality education. However, we must begin to have conversations about really important, and sometimes sensitive topics such as:

The school day and calendar
How we teach students (see earlier blog on Bloom's Revised Taxonomy)
How we group students
How we assess students
The role of technology

Change is difficult. Schools have never been great agents for change. Now is the time to begin having conversations about where we are as a district and where our students deserve to go.

Below are links from Educational Leaders on changing the learning experience for Iowa Students.

Troyce Fisher - World Changing Faster than Iowa Schools

State Board of Education - Competency Based Education

Tony Wagner - Talks to Iowans

Daniel Pink - Preparing Students for their future, not our past

Max Phillips - Challenges Administrators

Super Bowl

2011-01-31T14:57:00.001-06:00

Okay, I grew up a Viking fan. With the Super Bowl coming up this weekend, I've got to pick a team. Do I pick one of the Vikings biggest rivals the Packers? Or go with the team that looks like my Hawkeyes, the Steelers? What does any of this have to do with education...Nothing.

Go Packers!

A night of Jazz

2011-01-28T08:21:00.001-06:00

My wife and I had the privilege of taking in a great night of jazz, courtesy of Mr. Joel Foreman and Solon High School students featuring, "Blame it On Our Youth" and "5th Street Jazz". We also heard many outstanding individual performances during dinner, which was catered by Ruzickas as was very good. It was a fun night and I want to thank Mr. Foreman and our students and wish them luck in their state competition that is upcoming.

Bloom's taxonomy and paperless education

2011-01-24T10:50:00.004-06:00

The Solon School District is striving toward teaching and learning at higher levels of Bloom's revised taxonomy. Many schools have been guilty for years of overloading on remembering and understanding (important skills), but lacking in the higher levels. The Iowa Core will help us in this endeavor.

Tony Wagner wrote a great book entitled, The Global Achievement Gap. In his book, he describes seven critical skills students will need to succeed in the 21st century. At the top of his list are Critical Thinking and Problem-solving. In the 21st century, organizations want students who can think and find solutions to problems (see top three tiers of Bloom's Taxonomy). It is imperative our students are required to demonstrate these critical skills.

So how does a teacher create a lesson and assess students? Shelly Blake-Plock has a fantastic example of teaching and assessing in a paperless method (click here). This exam is a great example of using technology, teaching and learning at the highest levels of Bloom's taxonomy.

We have the challenge of preparing our students for a world and workforce that is changing rapidly. Our professional development will continue to focus on analyzing data and using the Iowa Core to drive best practice in instruction. More to come...

High School Principal

2011-01-20T13:31:00.006-06:00

Mr. Bob Lesan, principal at Solon High School (SHS), announced last week that he will retire at the end of the 2010-11 school year. Bob has been a leader in creating a great culture at SHS. Mr. Lesan hired approximately 90% of the current SHS staff. Bob's leadership, passion for SHS and quick sense of humor will all be missed.

The Solon C.S.D. will begin a statewide search for a new high school principal in the near future. The district will utilize several outlets to advertise the principal position. I've already been meeting with stakeholder groups to identify characteristics for the new principal. The district will use student, staff, community and administrative committees to interview finalists.

I am confident the district will be able to attract several quality school leaders to apply and interview for the SHS position. Solon high school has great students, a tremendous teaching staff, fantastic co-curricular and extra-curricular activities and is a great community to raise a family.

I look forward to working with many stakeholders over the next 6 weeks to bring a new leader to SHS!

New Iowa Director of Education

2011-01-10T14:40:00.001-06:00

Jason Glass will become Iowa's next Director of Education. To read his bio, click HERE

Integrating technology into school or integrating school into technology

2011-01-04T14:59:00.004-06:00

The administrative team had a lengthy discussion about the role technology should play in our school system. One would have to be living in a cave to not understand how rapidly technology is changing the world we live in. What an exciting time to be an educator or student.

Solon has a reputation of being on the cutting edge with technology utilization by staff and students. How do we stay ahead of the curve? What are the best investments to make? What do our students deserve before they graduate? In 2011, it is predicted that Iowa will have close to 100 school districts that provide each student with a computer (called a 1:1 initiative). Scott McLeod, Associate Professor at I.S.U. wrote an op-ed piece last year that ran in the Des Moines Register on the 1:1 initiative (click here).

Our district will soon assemble a technology committee to discuss how best to meet our student's technology needs. I am excited to engage in discussions about how best to invest our limited resources to provide our students with every advantage, including technology, to succeed in the 21st century.

Originally Published by The Daily Riff 12/19/10

21 Things That Will Become Obsolete in Education by 2020

by Shelley Blake-Plock

1. Desks
The 21st century does not fit neatly into rows. Neither should your students. Allow the network-based concepts of flow, collaboration, and dynamism help you rearrange your room for authentic 21st century learning.

2. Language Labs
Foreign language acquisition is only a smartphone away. Get rid of those clunky desktops and monitors and do something fun with that room.

3. Computers
Ok, so this is a trick answer. More precisely this one should read: 'Our concept of what a computer is'. Because computing is going mobile and over the next decade we're going to see the full fury of individualized computing via handhelds come to the fore. Can't wait.

4. Homework
The 21st century is a 24/7 environment. And the next decade is going to see the traditional temporal boundaries between home and school disappear. And despite whatever Secretary Duncan might say, we don't need kids to 'go to school' more; we need them to 'learn' more. And this will be done 24/7 and on the move (see #3).

5. The Role of Standardized Tests in College Admissions
The AP Exam is on its last legs. The SAT isn't far behind. Over the next ten years, we will see Digital Portfolios replace test scores as the #1 factor in college admissions.

6. Differentiated Instruction as the Sign of a Distinguished Teacher
The 21st century is customizable. In ten years, the teacher who hasn't yet figured out how to use tech to personalize learning will be the teacher out of a job. Differentiation won't make you 'distinguished'; it'll just be a natural part of your work.

7. Fear of Wikipedia
Wikipedia is the greatest democratizing force in the world right now. If you are afraid of letting your students peruse it, it's time you get over yourself.

8. Paperbacks
Books were nice. In ten years' time, all reading will be via digital means. And yes, I know, you like the 'feel' of paper. Well, in ten years' time you'll hardly tell the difference as 'paper' itself becomes digitized.

9. Attendance Offices
Bio scans. 'Nuff said.

10. Lockers
A coat-check, maybe.

11. IT Departments
Ok, so this is another trick answer. More subtly put: IT Departments as we currently know them. Cloud computing and a decade's worth of increased wifi and satellite access will make some of the traditional roles of IT -- software, security, and connectivity -- a thing of the past. What will IT professionals do with all their free time? Innovate. Look to tech departments to instigate real change in the function of schools over the next twenty years.

12. Centralized Institutions
School buildings are going to become 'homebases' of learning, not the institutions where all learning happens. Buildings will get smaller and greener, student and teacher schedules will change to allow less people on campus at any one time, and more teachers and students will be going out into their communities to engage in experiential learning.

13. Organization of Educational Services by Grade
Education over the next ten years will become more individualized, leaving the bulk of grade-based learning in the past. Students will form peer groups by interest and these interest groups will petition for specialized learning. The structure of K-12 will be fundamentally altered.

14. Education School Classes that Fail to Integrate Social Technology
This is actually one that could occur over the next five years. Education Schools have to realize that if they are to remain relevant, they are going to have to demand that 21st century tech integration be modeled by the very professors who are supposed to be preparing our teachers.
(Ed. Note: Check out Plock's 2010 nomination for best blog post: "Why Teachers Should Blog")

15. Paid/Outsourced Professional Development
No one knows your school as well as you. With the power of a PLN in their backpockets, teachers will rise up to replace peripatetic professional development gurus as the source of schoolwide prof dev programs. This is already happening.

16. Current Curricular Norms
There is no reason why every student needs to take however many credits in the same course of study as every other student. The root of curricular change will be the shift in middle schools to a role as foundational content providers and high schools as places for specialized learning.

17. Parent-Teacher Conference Night
Ongoing parent-teacher relations in virtual reality will make parent-teacher conference nights seem quaint. Over the next ten years, parents and teachers will become closer than ever as a result of virtual communication opportunities. And parents will drive schools to become ever more tech integrated.

18. Typical Cafeteria Food
Nutrition information + handhelds + cost comparison = the end of $3.00 bowls of microwaved mac and cheese. At least, I so hope so.

19. Outsourced Graphic Design and Webmastering
You need a website/brochure/promo/etc.? Well, for goodness sake just let your kids do it. By the end of the decade -- in the best of schools -- they will be.

20. High School Algebra I
Within the decade, it will either become the norm to teach this course in middle school or we'll have finally woken up to the fact that there's no reason to give algebra weight over statistics and IT in high school for non-math majors (and they will have all taken it in middle school anyway).

21. Paper
In ten years' time, schools will decrease their paper consumption by no less than 90%. And the printing industry and the copier industry and the paper industry itself will either adjust or perish

Outdoor Events Center

2010-12-21T10:15:00.000-06:00

The Solon Outdoor Events Center will be a fantastic facility for our students and community when completed. It was a bold vision when the project launched several years ago. To date, the Solon Board of Education has invested 1.6 million dollars in the project. The board of education made the decision at the December 13th meeting to delay using the facility for football games until the fall of 2012. While this decision was disappointing to many, the reality is that the facility is not yet ready to host football games. One benefit of waiting an additional year to open the facility is the goal of doing the project the right way so that the end result is high quality and something everybody supports and is proud of.

There is a lot of work to get done to bring this project to fruition. Under the leadership of Steve Duncan, a new fundraising campaign will begin in January. I have spoken to several community members that want this project completed. I can't agree with you more. The Solon School District has many fantastic facilities for our students. When the Outdoor Events Center is completed, it will be one of the finest football-track & field facilities in Iowa.

Stay tuned!

Lakeview, Leading the Way

2010-12-08T15:39:00.001-06:00

Members of the Lakeview staff met with representatives from Grant Wood AEA to discuss Lakeview piloting a new General Education Intervention Plan. The new software allows schools to track and monitor interventions used to help students become more successful in class. Only two AEA's in the state are launching the innovative software. The Grant Wood representative stated that the Lakeview staff was more prepared to implement the new software than any other school district he had met with.

Congratulations to Mrs. Rickels and her team for piloting new technology to improve efficiency and effectiveness with students.

Walking around the middle school

2010-12-03T09:25:00.004-06:00

I needed to get away from paperwork and decided to go watch some classroom lessons at the middle school. I arrived during passing time, four minutes students get between classes. At my own peril, I decided to venture into the middle school hallways. I learned a lot in the few minutes of break between classes. One boy was demonstrating to his friend the proper way to do a push-up. Two girls were discussing the pro's and cons of whether to go out with a particular boy. And one group was predicting how much snow was going to fall and allow them have their first winter fun of the year.

I caught part of Mrs. Smith's reading lesson. Mrs. Smith had a creative lesson design that I would have really appreciated as a student. Each student had a laptop and was able to login to their account where she had already loaded books at each student's reading level. The student then got to choose which book they wanted to read via the laptop. Each book read resulted in "stars" earned, which allowed the student to then purchase virtual objects in the software's fantasy world. Every student was engaged and motivated to participate in the activity. Great job Mrs. Smith.

Time to get back to the paperwork.

Budget Talk

2010-11-29T13:12:00.003-06:00

The Solon board of education had a work session on November 22nd to discuss our budget outlook for next year and beyond. Unfortunately, like many school districts across Iowa, I had to share with the board that the District is facing a potential budget deficit over $600,000 for the 2011-12 school year. The budget deficit is primarily the result of the 10% Across the Board cut announced last year by the Governor. By addressing the challenges in November, the District will have several months to gather data, engage in dialogue, and make informed budget decisions. Unfortunately, as a public entity, the board is limited on budget balancing options.

Although we like to spend the majority of our time focusing on student achievement and how best to prepare our students for the 21st century, the board will be forced to spend considerable time this year on the budget and what must be done to remain a fiscally sound school district.

State Champions

2010-11-22T11:38:00.000-06:00

State Football Champions, 4th consecutive year!! When the Iowa High School Athletic Association announces your school has accomplished something that has never been done in the history of the Iowa High School Athletic Association's history, you know you've done something pretty special. The Spartans put on an absolutely dominating performance against a quality Bishop Heelan team that has their own impressive football tradition.

The Solon players and coaches accomplished something this season that many people across the state did not think was possible...go up a class to 3A and continue to be successful. As I said at the championship celebration, everybody wants to win, but many are not willing to do what it takes to be winner. Solon football continues to be a winner. Great job Coach Miller and the entire coaching staff for your leadership.

Outstanding Spartan Performances

2010-11-17T15:51:00.000-06:00

The entire UNI dome crowd was treated to spectacular performances by Solon students Monday night. First, the Solon National Anthem Singers wowed the crowd with an awesomely arranged National Anthem. Then, the Spartan football team, led by Coach Miller and his staff, put on a dominating performance against a quality #1 ranked Pella Little Dutch football team.

On Tuesday night, the WAMAC Conference Honor Band was hosted at Solon High School. Students from Anamosa, Central Dewitt, Mount Vernon, West Delaware, Beckman, Maquoketa, Solon and Western Dubuque auditioned to participate in the concert.

Mr. Cervantez is to be commended for overseeing such a great event and leading our highly successful Solon High School Band program.

American Education Week

2010-11-15T08:05:00.000-06:00

American Education Week has been scheduled nationally to be observed this year during the week of November 14^th – 20^th, with the theme being, “Great Public Schools: A Basic Right and Our Responsibility.”

The Solon Community School District has a proud tradition of providing an outstanding learning experience for all students. As a leader in student achievement in Iowa, Solon educators continue to model excellence. I want to thank the entire Solon staff for all that they do to make Solon Schools one of the finest school districts in Iowa.

Veteran's Day Assembly

2010-11-12T10:44:00.002-06:00

I had the opportunity to provide the opening comments to the Solon Middle School Veteran's Day assembly held on November 11. I want to thank Mrs. Kim Blankeheim for organizing a great event for our students. We were fortunate to have forty-one veterans stand up and share their name and service to our country. Mr. Carlos Ayala-Pagan provided the keynote speech on the topic of "Today's Army".

Our middle school students provided several outstanding performances including: Pledge of Allegiance - Megan Tucker; National Anthem - Noelle Martin; Selected Poem - Logan Linderbaum; Taps - Maiya Cervantez & Chad Thielen and performances by the middle school band: "Armed Forces on Parade" and "A Joyful Journey".

Congressman Dave Loebsack was in attendance and asked me to thank the Solon staff for recognizing our Veterans and sharing their experiences with another generation of students.

Solon Lunch

2010-10-29T15:25:00.004-05:00

I visited a neighboring district and had the opportunity to tour their kitchen and eat their school lunch this week. Eating school lunch may not be something some people would look forward to, but I was treated to a fantastic lunch. What made the lunch even more impressive, their kitchen staff did not do anything differently for me, it was their normal lunch. I was so impressed with the culture the District had created for their students. Students were given an impressive variety of food options to choose from (including an incredible soup/sandwich/salad bar), and it was evident that students and staff members took tremendous pride in their lunch program. I am anxious for our District to implement several new changes this year in an effort to provide our students and staff membes with a nutritious and enjoyable lunch.

All State Band and Chorus

2010-10-25T12:59:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to the 13 Solon High School band and chorus students that have recently been selected for the prestigious honor of participating in the All State Music Festival. Student musicians are selected for the All State band, choir, and orchestra through an audition process and many hours are spent rehearsing and preparing for the audition day. Congratulations to Mr. Cervantez and Mr. Foreman for their outstanding leadership in our fine arts programs, as this was a record setting year for the number of Solon students being selected for the All State Music Festival.

Middle School Band Concert

2010-10-15T10:03:00.001-05:00

My wife and I attended the Solon Middle School Band concert on October 14th. Under the direction of Mrs. Dorothy Jacobi, the community was treated to a outstanding performance.

This was my first Solon Band Concert and I was very impressed with our 6th-8th grade student performances. I was also impressed with the excellent etiquette our parents and community members demonstrated during the performances. You may take proper etiquette for granted, but unfortunately, I have witnessed cell phones ringing, cell phone conversations and even people engaging in loud conversations during performances. I did not see any of those behaviors at the concert.

Congratulations to our middle school band students and to Mrs. Jacobi in a great concert.

ITEC

2010-10-11T12:47:00.000-05:00

I attended the Iowa Technology Education Connection Conference in Coralville on October 11-12. As the title indicates, the conference was designed around technology and education. There are some students, teachers and school districts providing innovative activities for students with many of the activities being student led. The Solon District had multiple staff members presenting at the conference. What an exciting time to be an educator and provide students opportunities to use technology as a teaching/learning/connecting tool.

The Battle

2010-10-10T19:29:00.000-05:00

Last Friday, I had the opportunity to watch Mr. Cornally's physic class participate in a battle. The activity was the culmination of several days of planning, designing and building weapons to be used in their Spartan Battle. Mr. Cornally had his 3rd block battle his 4th block. The event included Mr. Conrally dressed in Spartan gear as were several students. It was a fantastic activity. Students were excited and engaged. I was very impressed with the design of each class' weapons which included: a catapult, several oversized slingshots, individual weapons and a canon like machine that was built out of PVC pipe and was connected to an air tank. As educators, we strive for lessons that reach the top level of Bloom's Taxonomy - creating. This project included all levels of Bloom's taxonomy and was a great example of quality teaching and learning. Great job to Mr. Cornally and the Solon Physic students.

My first blog

2010-09-29T14:52:00.001-05:00

We ask students to embrace new learning all the time, so I am trying to practice what I preach by learning another communication tool....a blog. This is new to me, but life is boring without some risk-taking.