On Monday, a district wide teacher workshop day and orientation for seventh and ninth grade students is scheduled to take place.  We are trying to plan ahead as best we can with the current unpredictability of the storm and will do our best to keep you up to date with any scheduling changes that may take place due to Hurricane Irene.

If severe weather causes us to cancel the teacher workshop day and orientation on Monday, August 29, 2011, the first day of school will be pushed back one day.   We will be holding that teacher workshop day and orientation BEFORE the first day of school.  Therefore, the first day of school would be pushed back one day to Wednesday, August, 31, 2011.

If severe weather causes two days of cancellations in the district, the first day of school will be Thursday, September 1, 2011.

Severe weather may hinder our communication process if internet, phone, and power service is interrupted.  Please check WMUR for cancellation information, along with this website for continued updates.

Since that time, our Community Advisory Council, which includes many community members and community educators who have been appointed by our School Board, has developing a multi-year plan for this transformation.  We have been researching effective educational practices and visiting successful, break-the-mold schools to learn how we can better serve our students and community.

Eventually, our plan will be submitted to the Nellie Mae Education Foundation with the hope that the Foundation will fund the transformation plan over six-years to help us create a student-centered education for all Pittsfield students.  We will submit our plan next October and learn about the awards in this highly-competitive process in December.     

Of course, most people would think that schools should be student-centered, but this is true only presently to a limited extent.  The nation’s dropout crisis, the need for so many high school graduates to take remedial courses in college, and the testimony of employers about poor preparation for work tell us that schools still have a long way to go before they are truly successful in meeting the needs of all our students, our communities, and our country.

The traditional high school model, originally developed over 100 years ago, is outdated in today’s digital world.  The knowledge and skills that it provided and the methods used for instruction no longer serve the needs of our students and country.  The institution has served us well for a long time, but we must recognize that our world has changed and so must our institutions, even long-standing institutions like our high schools.  It’s time to remodel.

What skills do our students need to be successful in college and career beyond high school in today’s and tomorrow’s worlds?  Of course, students will need a basic competency in core subjects, but will also be served by an expanded conception of core subjects to include health, civic, and financial literacies.

Creativity and innovation skills will help prepare students for increasingly complex life and work environments.  Information, media, and technology skills will ensure successful function in our technology and media-driven environment.  And life and career skills – such as flexibility, self-direction, and leadership skills – have become essential for living and working in our information age.

Clearly, it’s time for our education system, particularly our high schools, to be remodeled.  As with a house remodeling, educational remodeling will require that the same essential needs be met – students need to be prepared for post-secondary school success in college or career, our communities need to be well-served by high-quality, effective schools, and our nation needs involved, capable citizens to continue our culture and traditions.

But, remodeling also means upgrading and updating.  When we upgrade and update our schools, we raise standards and expectations, and we update our approaches to engage young people in their own learning.  And, remodeling means making the best use of available resources and providing improvement at the best value.  This is what our Community Advisory Council is planning for Pittsfield’s schools. 

More information on the exciting transformation of Pittsfield’s schools will follow over the months ahead.