I'm almost embarrassed by how long it has been since I last posted to my blog, the whole purpose was to regularly communicate information to various audiences. And failing to update it regularly fails to accomplish that task. February will be over before we know it and March will go by just as quickly with the significant number of vacation days currently scheduled.
Some big news out of Pierre earlier this week as SD Legislature passed a 0.5% sales tax increase specifically for education funding. It is nice to see education become a priority in Pierre; the past several years it seems to have been barely mentioned. I would like to thank all the legislatures who supported the bill and reassure those folks and the individuals who were opposed that the new revenue is a wise and worthwhile investment in the present and future of SD. A couple of other interesting developments in Pierre: we have proposed legislation dealing with bathroom options, boundary changes, testing requirements, and e-learning expansion, just to name a few. Overall the session seems rather short on total number of bills/measures, but the importance of a select few will have a huge impact on K-12 Education,
Congrats to our One Act Play and their successful State One Act competition; Ms. Herrboldt has done a wonderful job growing this program over the last couple of seasons. The students put in a lot of early mornings practicing and preparing and that all paid off this year. Good luck to our State Wrestling qualifiers, Nick and Justine are off to Rapid City this weekend for this season's final event. They both are excited about the opportunity to finish their season on a high note. Good luck to our basketball teams as their post season play gets under way also.
I hope everyone gets a chance to enjoy the pleasant spring like weather; we all know SD is a land of infinite variety (when it comes to weather) and this year is no different.
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Friday, October 23, 2015
Rachel's Challenge
Dramatic events in our lives often leave an indelible mark on our mind and memory. For some it was the assassination of JFK; for others it was the explosion of the Challenger Shuttle; or more recently 9-11 terrorist attacks. The shooting at Columbine High School in Columbine Colorado was one of those moments for me. I was completing my 2nd year of teaching experiences at SDSU (they call it Professional Semester II, Northern refers to the same experience as Junior Field). It was the end of the semester so the 12 or so students in my class had just completed our work in area classrooms and we were meeting to discuss the experiences. The topic changed quickly as we wanted to discuss the national event as details were continuing to be dispersed. Media was different then, so information was not quite as quick as it is today; national news outlets were sharing some information but it would take some time for the story to unravel. Being a college student that was practicing to be a teacher you can understand my concern with such events; the much more recent events at Harrisburg makes those concerns even more real today. Monday's assembly, Rachel's Challenge, lead by Chris Mowery brought those memories back even more; watching the old news footage, seeing those same images from 16 1/2 years ago turns old memories into raw emotions once again. The grainy footage and broken video seems almost eerie and surreal; how could something so horrible happen at a school. Yet out of those circumstances comes something very positive and powerful, and our students had the opportunity to experience that first hand Monday.
Monday morning started out with a challenge for all students in Warner courtesy of Rachel's Challenge and the Aberdeen United Way. Thanks to the United Way of Aberdeen, Chris from Rachel's Challenge brought a message of hope and caring that began from those horrible acts. Rachel, you see, was the first victim in that tragic event (her brother was a fire sprinkler away from being another) and from her writings, practices and family comes her "Challenge", 5 to be exact. A simple, practical and powerful message that resonates with students and adults alike. She wanted to have an impact on the world and only in death did she accomplish that. If you get a moment over the weekend ask your kids about the assembly and message; encourage them to practice her challenges and encourage others to do the same. We know it isn't always easy or 'cool' but one person has 'the power to start a chain reaction'.
Thanks again to Aaron at the United Way of Aberdeen for including Warner in this great presentation. Also, thanks to Dana Oye for getting us on the list of interested schools.
Monday morning started out with a challenge for all students in Warner courtesy of Rachel's Challenge and the Aberdeen United Way. Thanks to the United Way of Aberdeen, Chris from Rachel's Challenge brought a message of hope and caring that began from those horrible acts. Rachel, you see, was the first victim in that tragic event (her brother was a fire sprinkler away from being another) and from her writings, practices and family comes her "Challenge", 5 to be exact. A simple, practical and powerful message that resonates with students and adults alike. She wanted to have an impact on the world and only in death did she accomplish that. If you get a moment over the weekend ask your kids about the assembly and message; encourage them to practice her challenges and encourage others to do the same. We know it isn't always easy or 'cool' but one person has 'the power to start a chain reaction'.
Thanks again to Aaron at the United Way of Aberdeen for including Warner in this great presentation. Also, thanks to Dana Oye for getting us on the list of interested schools.
Thursday, October 8, 2015
Cuff Links and Skid Steers
Several weeks ago (towards the beginning of school) I saw a photo of myself climbing out the school skid steer wearing my official "superintendent attire"--shirt (with cuff links), tie, dress pants and dress shoes. I guess that sums up my answer for those people who wonder what I do all day; the simple answer is: whatever needs to be done. Teachers have the advantage to "plan"; they literally have lesson plans to give them a guide (of sorts) to follow for the week. I remember teaching (I haven't been away from it that long) some days you stick to the plan and the days rolls by right on schedule. Other days, the plan is gone by 8:35 and you are looking to regroup and take an alternative course of action. Both options offer great learning opportunities for the students; some are more personal than curricular but a learning experience none the less. The point being, you get to plan.
An administrator's work life is full of the unexpected and the expected. I like to think I start everyday with a 'to-do' list and the 'to-do' list can either grow or shrink depending on the day. Some days feel super productive; I may cross off several items from the list. There are different forms to fill out, evaluations to complete, personnel to supervise, material to review, budgets to examine, etc, etc. We also have various meetings to prepare for, in-services to plan and coordinate, building and grounds to survey, and expense lists to prioritize. When a person heads home and can look at the 'to-do' list and see several items crossed off you feel good about your day and know you accomplished something.
There seems to be plenty of "management" activities for us to complete on a daily basis, but we also have plenty of "other" things to do that don't seem like management and are not always planned. (The event from Harrisburg a week ago was a stark reminder.) I think in general school administrators complete many of the tasks that we don't want to have teachers worry about or tasks that will take them away from the classroom. We run skid-steers, drive bus, clean up illnesses, fix drinking fountains/doors/bleachers, substitute (I once was sent to the Junior Kindergarten room, this HS History teacher was a bit out of his element), we help with health screenings and numerous items throughout the day. The unexpected (both good and bad) is part of the allure of the position; there is something motivational about the unknown and how prepared you are to handle it. Don't get me wrong, the smooth sailing, 'to-do' list completing, pleasant weather days are eagerly accepted and often sought after. At the same time the unknown elements keep us engaged and helpful for both students and staff. Those events often remind us of why we accepted the education calling in the first place--to help kids.
No matter if the day is good for the 'to-do' list or shaken due to the unexpected; any day we get to help kids learn and grow is a good day. I often remind myself to not judge my day by the length of 'to-do' list but by the length of the accomplished list. We get lots of things accomplished that seem small in the grand scheme of things, but every management issue and surprise event that we can handle and allow our staff and kids to have a good day is productive for everyone. Plus, who doesn't love driving a skid steer--cuff links or coveralls, it doesn't care what you are wearing.
An administrator's work life is full of the unexpected and the expected. I like to think I start everyday with a 'to-do' list and the 'to-do' list can either grow or shrink depending on the day. Some days feel super productive; I may cross off several items from the list. There are different forms to fill out, evaluations to complete, personnel to supervise, material to review, budgets to examine, etc, etc. We also have various meetings to prepare for, in-services to plan and coordinate, building and grounds to survey, and expense lists to prioritize. When a person heads home and can look at the 'to-do' list and see several items crossed off you feel good about your day and know you accomplished something.
There seems to be plenty of "management" activities for us to complete on a daily basis, but we also have plenty of "other" things to do that don't seem like management and are not always planned. (The event from Harrisburg a week ago was a stark reminder.) I think in general school administrators complete many of the tasks that we don't want to have teachers worry about or tasks that will take them away from the classroom. We run skid-steers, drive bus, clean up illnesses, fix drinking fountains/doors/bleachers, substitute (I once was sent to the Junior Kindergarten room, this HS History teacher was a bit out of his element), we help with health screenings and numerous items throughout the day. The unexpected (both good and bad) is part of the allure of the position; there is something motivational about the unknown and how prepared you are to handle it. Don't get me wrong, the smooth sailing, 'to-do' list completing, pleasant weather days are eagerly accepted and often sought after. At the same time the unknown elements keep us engaged and helpful for both students and staff. Those events often remind us of why we accepted the education calling in the first place--to help kids.
No matter if the day is good for the 'to-do' list or shaken due to the unexpected; any day we get to help kids learn and grow is a good day. I often remind myself to not judge my day by the length of 'to-do' list but by the length of the accomplished list. We get lots of things accomplished that seem small in the grand scheme of things, but every management issue and surprise event that we can handle and allow our staff and kids to have a good day is productive for everyone. Plus, who doesn't love driving a skid steer--cuff links or coveralls, it doesn't care what you are wearing.
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Blue Ribbon Task Force
Good wonderful evening everyone; it is days like today that make you really like living in South Dakota. Plenty of sunshine, nice temperatures, and light breezes; combine that with harvest season, leaves changing colors and seeing your breath in the morning--now that is what I call a fantastic day. Those are the types of days that get people to move to South Dakota. I hope everyone got to enjoy it in some way or another. Tomorrow promises to be different and so does Thursday and so on and so on for the days to follow; as we all know; SD Weather never stays the same for too long.
One thing that has been consistent over the last several years in SD has been funding for public education and the decreasing teacher pool. Thursday (October 1st) will bring those things back into the public's attention as the famed "Blue Ribbon Task Force" meets (for what might be the final time) in Pierre to discuss a number of different issues. Two items on the agenda that will garner major attention will be the school funding model and school revenue sources. Being an educator my opinion is clearly bias; being a South Dakotan my opinion only represents one vote; being a parent of school age children my opinion only becomes more bias but I have an opinion that I want to share, even if it only allows me to vent.
My opinion is very simple: "Something different needs to be done for public schools in South Dakota". Data indicates we are clearly behind in state funding and that gap will only continue to grow if we remain status quo; fewer and fewer young adults are choosing to become teachers (not that I can blame them). We are becoming a state that seems to value education less every year; our state policy makers are more concerned about saving money (often at the cost of education) than finding ways to increase opportunities for education. Maybe we need to look at education as an investment instead of an expense. It is a well accepted fact that students who complete a high school diploma make more money than those who do not, and making more money means spending more money, which means more money for the state to collect in sales tax. Maybe we should blame the educators in South Dakota; how dare they continue to do more work for the same (or less) pay and still have high achieving students. What are they thinking; no wonder the state policy makers still push to take advantage of them and their merits. There a lot of different places to look to when trying find excuses but let's stay positive and focus on the future.
The state of South Dakota needs approximately $100 million in new money for education just to drew even in regional salaries, that does not count any new increases regional states will add the upcoming fiscal year. That doesn't count any normal increases in other school expenses, it only counts salaries. Those dollars need to be ongoing and sustainable, not one time money that only provide short term relief. In order to make this happen state policy makers need to make conscious and thoughtful decisions about the formula and the revenue sources. To add that large amount a minor fix or small tweak to the current formula and/or revenue will not provide the needed relief. Education needs a forceful effort from all policy makers/decisions makers in Pierre to make that happen. The upcoming legislative season is a prime opportunity to push for those changes.
The Blue Ribbon Task Force will present something after their final meeting; I just hope they are willing to take the huge leap and purpose significant changes to both the formula and revenue options. I then hope the governor, legislators and other policy makers follow suit and push for legislative action during the upcoming session to make those changes real. My biggest worry is what it will "cost" education to get those dollars. Everyone needs to forget about who wins and who loses and focus on what is best for our kids. They need to be the winners.
Good luck to all the BRTF members and don't be afraid to be bold, be decisive and think big. Legislators and government officials don't allow the two months after the BRTF ends to cloud your judgement and draw your attention to other venues. This is something that needs to be dealt with now while it is at the forefront of public attention.
Your in education,
Michael Kroll
One thing that has been consistent over the last several years in SD has been funding for public education and the decreasing teacher pool. Thursday (October 1st) will bring those things back into the public's attention as the famed "Blue Ribbon Task Force" meets (for what might be the final time) in Pierre to discuss a number of different issues. Two items on the agenda that will garner major attention will be the school funding model and school revenue sources. Being an educator my opinion is clearly bias; being a South Dakotan my opinion only represents one vote; being a parent of school age children my opinion only becomes more bias but I have an opinion that I want to share, even if it only allows me to vent.
My opinion is very simple: "Something different needs to be done for public schools in South Dakota". Data indicates we are clearly behind in state funding and that gap will only continue to grow if we remain status quo; fewer and fewer young adults are choosing to become teachers (not that I can blame them). We are becoming a state that seems to value education less every year; our state policy makers are more concerned about saving money (often at the cost of education) than finding ways to increase opportunities for education. Maybe we need to look at education as an investment instead of an expense. It is a well accepted fact that students who complete a high school diploma make more money than those who do not, and making more money means spending more money, which means more money for the state to collect in sales tax. Maybe we should blame the educators in South Dakota; how dare they continue to do more work for the same (or less) pay and still have high achieving students. What are they thinking; no wonder the state policy makers still push to take advantage of them and their merits. There a lot of different places to look to when trying find excuses but let's stay positive and focus on the future.
The state of South Dakota needs approximately $100 million in new money for education just to drew even in regional salaries, that does not count any new increases regional states will add the upcoming fiscal year. That doesn't count any normal increases in other school expenses, it only counts salaries. Those dollars need to be ongoing and sustainable, not one time money that only provide short term relief. In order to make this happen state policy makers need to make conscious and thoughtful decisions about the formula and the revenue sources. To add that large amount a minor fix or small tweak to the current formula and/or revenue will not provide the needed relief. Education needs a forceful effort from all policy makers/decisions makers in Pierre to make that happen. The upcoming legislative season is a prime opportunity to push for those changes.
The Blue Ribbon Task Force will present something after their final meeting; I just hope they are willing to take the huge leap and purpose significant changes to both the formula and revenue options. I then hope the governor, legislators and other policy makers follow suit and push for legislative action during the upcoming session to make those changes real. My biggest worry is what it will "cost" education to get those dollars. Everyone needs to forget about who wins and who loses and focus on what is best for our kids. They need to be the winners.
Good luck to all the BRTF members and don't be afraid to be bold, be decisive and think big. Legislators and government officials don't allow the two months after the BRTF ends to cloud your judgement and draw your attention to other venues. This is something that needs to be dealt with now while it is at the forefront of public attention.
Your in education,
Michael Kroll
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Wow 1st Quarter Mid-term is Friday and by the way it is Homecoming Week
I'm not sure if anyone else has noticed but we will be 1/8 finished with the school year on Friday (1st Quarter Mid-term date); it still amazes me how fast the days go by but with all the activities going on I shouldn't be surprised. Obviously this week is homecoming and we have numerous items keeping us busy; Volleyball last night in Hitchcock, Volleyball tonight versus Ipswich, Coronation on Thursday and Football on Friday. We have so many things going on this week, we have to play football during football (3rd-6th graders will play at halftime of the varsity game). Friday's are so meant for football that even the 1st Graders have a flag football game on Friday; 5:00pm at Manor Park if anyone wants to watch future Monarchs mix it up.
I hope everyone can come out and support our students this week as we go through the homecoming festivities; large crowds are always appreciated. If you have any interest in entering a float in the homecoming parade, please contact Pam Lane or myself at the school and we will get you on the list of entries. We are always looking for entries, so the more the merrier.
Happy Homecoming Week; Good luck to all of our Monarchs; thanks to all our supporters, we appreciate everyone's encouragement throughout the seasons.
I hope everyone can come out and support our students this week as we go through the homecoming festivities; large crowds are always appreciated. If you have any interest in entering a float in the homecoming parade, please contact Pam Lane or myself at the school and we will get you on the list of entries. We are always looking for entries, so the more the merrier.
Happy Homecoming Week; Good luck to all of our Monarchs; thanks to all our supporters, we appreciate everyone's encouragement throughout the seasons.
Monday, August 24, 2015
School has Begun
As I am sure all of you have noticed, but school started here at WHS last Wednesday. The day snuck up on me so quickly that I wasn't able to publish a new blog entry until 3 school days later. (I am not entirely sure how to explain my 3 week hiatus prior to school starting.) The summer ended very abruptly and before I realized it school was in full swing. Thankfully the staff and school personnel pay better attention to the calendar then I do and everyone was more than ready when the student body arrived last Wednesday morning.
We are off to a good start and this week will provide an additional mental and physical test for all our students as they get settled in to the regular school routine. For parents of younger students, this may have been clearly apparent last week; sitting in class and focusing on academics for an extended period of time can be fatiguing on the brain, body and emotions. It is probably not be as apparent for the older students but it may manifest itself over the next week or so as everyone gets themselves reconditioned to the school atmosphere. Trust me, it too will pass and everyone will get acclimated to school life soon enough.
We do have some new faces in the building this year, so don't be alarmed if your child mentions the name: Mr. Johnson (new JK-8 Principal) or Ms. Eisenbeisz (Elementary Aide) or Ms. Waddle (Elementary Music/Art/Aide) or Mr. Roso (JK-5 PE) or Mrs. Ryckman (Elementary Aide) or Mrs. Hoglund (MS/HS Science). We are excited to have all of these new people in the building helping us engage the students and enhance learning in all areas.
Transportation Director's PSA: Buses arrive between 8:00am and 8:05 so be on the lookout for them in town, also remember to pay attention for flashing lights, students boarding and getting dropped off at home. Everyone please respect the rules of the road and stop for buses; we would all hate for a senseless accident to occur. Bus routes are up and running but may take some fine tuning on times as we get settled in to our slightly altered routes. Please have kids ready to get picked up 5 minutes ahead of the scheduled time so no one has to wait.
I hope everyone has a good start to the year; I know I am happy to see everyone back in the building for another great year.
We are off to a good start and this week will provide an additional mental and physical test for all our students as they get settled in to the regular school routine. For parents of younger students, this may have been clearly apparent last week; sitting in class and focusing on academics for an extended period of time can be fatiguing on the brain, body and emotions. It is probably not be as apparent for the older students but it may manifest itself over the next week or so as everyone gets themselves reconditioned to the school atmosphere. Trust me, it too will pass and everyone will get acclimated to school life soon enough.
We do have some new faces in the building this year, so don't be alarmed if your child mentions the name: Mr. Johnson (new JK-8 Principal) or Ms. Eisenbeisz (Elementary Aide) or Ms. Waddle (Elementary Music/Art/Aide) or Mr. Roso (JK-5 PE) or Mrs. Ryckman (Elementary Aide) or Mrs. Hoglund (MS/HS Science). We are excited to have all of these new people in the building helping us engage the students and enhance learning in all areas.
Transportation Director's PSA: Buses arrive between 8:00am and 8:05 so be on the lookout for them in town, also remember to pay attention for flashing lights, students boarding and getting dropped off at home. Everyone please respect the rules of the road and stop for buses; we would all hate for a senseless accident to occur. Bus routes are up and running but may take some fine tuning on times as we get settled in to our slightly altered routes. Please have kids ready to get picked up 5 minutes ahead of the scheduled time so no one has to wait.
I hope everyone has a good start to the year; I know I am happy to see everyone back in the building for another great year.
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Thank You and Playground
A couple of quick notes for today's version:
1) Thanks to Brad Oye for his 4 years of service to the Warner School District as a Board of Education member. Serving on any public board is generally a very thankless position and education boards are no different; you tend to hear only complaints and few compliments, even when you do something for the greater community good. School Boards are typically an undesirable office and often garner little interest from candidates or voters but those who are willing provide a significant service to the communities they serve. They ensure a quality education for all attendees while maintaining fiscal responsibility to the local taxpayers while under duress from lack of financial or political support from state offices. Brad provided a certain levity to our board and an open mind to what new possibilities were available for Warner students.
Thanks again Brad for your commitment to the Warner School District
2) Playground Remodel Project--Step 1: Extraction of Old Equipment
Saturday, July 18th at 9:00am, we will begin the playground remodel by removing the "Twin Tower Slide" and "Two Person" Swing set immediately north of the slide to make room for the new pieces. If you are able to help, bring some tools for dismantling, gloves and willingness to take part; we are going to preserve the pieces the best we can for possible resale.
1) Thanks to Brad Oye for his 4 years of service to the Warner School District as a Board of Education member. Serving on any public board is generally a very thankless position and education boards are no different; you tend to hear only complaints and few compliments, even when you do something for the greater community good. School Boards are typically an undesirable office and often garner little interest from candidates or voters but those who are willing provide a significant service to the communities they serve. They ensure a quality education for all attendees while maintaining fiscal responsibility to the local taxpayers while under duress from lack of financial or political support from state offices. Brad provided a certain levity to our board and an open mind to what new possibilities were available for Warner students.
Thanks again Brad for your commitment to the Warner School District
2) Playground Remodel Project--Step 1: Extraction of Old Equipment
Saturday, July 18th at 9:00am, we will begin the playground remodel by removing the "Twin Tower Slide" and "Two Person" Swing set immediately north of the slide to make room for the new pieces. If you are able to help, bring some tools for dismantling, gloves and willingness to take part; we are going to preserve the pieces the best we can for possible resale.
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