Do What You Can Do

Last Friday we visited Van Meter, Ia. schools I was accompanied by our High School Principal and IT person on the trip, our Elementary Principal was ill and unable to attend. We are thankful to John Carver and Shannon Miller for spending the time with us. It dawned on me after the visit that we never once mentioned state standards, test scores, or AYP, we discussed the future of education, the future of our nation, and student learning. The ride home we probably had the most engaging conversation we've had since I have been superintendent here.

We talked about what we can do for our students at Pleasanton to improve our schools. I told the two others that no excuses will be tolerated, we are all college graduates with advanced degrees and we need to figure this out with what we have available to us.

We cannot afford to be a 1:1 school at this time no matter. That may limit us on some things we can do but we can make different class offerings to access what we do have. It is not about computers its about engaging kids and a different mindset. We can provide staff development to insure success for what we want to do.

We talked about how to change the people on our staff and board resistant to change who consistently say "We've never done it like that before." A saying that makes me cringe. We developed strategies to combat the "yeah but" resistance we will meet. You know who I'm talking about the people that when confronted with change always respond with "yeah but". Thats another saying that makes my hair stand up on end.

We are going to do what we can do and it benefit our kids at Pleasanton, it may not be be what some districts can do but its what we can do. We are going to take a combative approach if necessary because its what we believe and its what is best for our students and making excuses will keep us in the same rut.

We know we are instructing kids not subjects and/or disciplines an are willing to fight for them. We are making our stand to Do What We Can Do.