Comments for Superintendent Communications https://sup.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us Communications and presentations from KPBSD Superintendent Sean Dusek Fri, 21 Nov 2014 22:40:20 +0000 hourly 1 Comment on Last Blog by Mrs. Stading https://sup.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/2014/11/17/last-blog/comment-page-1/#comment-191 Tue, 18 Nov 2014 23:38:46 +0000 http://sup.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/wpmu/?p=1310#comment-191 Thank you, Dr. Atwater, for your leadership at KPBSD these past years. We are an even stronger district because of your vision of excellence for all of us. Best to you at UAA!

]]>
Comment on Compared to Finland, Poland and South Korea by CN https://sup.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/2014/09/28/compared-to-finland-poland-and-south-korea/comment-page-1/#comment-189 Tue, 30 Sep 2014 00:37:03 +0000 http://sup.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/wpmu/?p=1273#comment-189 Comparing students in these countries to the students in the United State is like comparing apples and oranges. Does the book address how poverty affects education or how countries with higher poverty levels can reach the level of education seen in Poland, Finland, and South Korea? The percent of children living below the poverty line in these three countries is drastically lower than what we see in the United States, especially here in Kenai. In Finland, about 5% of students live in poverty where in Kenai the rate is closer to 50% ! How can we even begin to compete with these other countries education systems until we address the issue of Poverty and how it affects education.

]]>
Comment on Compared to Finland, Poland and South Korea by RTC https://sup.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/2014/09/28/compared-to-finland-poland-and-south-korea/comment-page-1/#comment-188 Mon, 29 Sep 2014 20:30:41 +0000 http://sup.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/wpmu/?p=1273#comment-188 I think it’s also worth noting that the foundations of this rigor start at the elementary school level. These middle/high schoolers in Korea don’t just find themselves ready to accept the challenges when they enter middle school.
I think there is a general disdain among elementary school educators when this idea is broached as if we are sacrificing one thing for another. However, a challenging math program and a very enriching arts program are not mutually exclusive. I think those can go hand in hand without one sacrificing the other.

]]>
Comment on Pressure to improve by Barbara https://sup.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/2014/06/29/pressure-to-improve/comment-page-1/#comment-187 Mon, 30 Jun 2014 20:31:55 +0000 http://sup.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/wpmu/?p=1223#comment-187 No common core! It is bad for students and worse for society! Common core is useless! It’s time for back to basics folks and basics do not include common core! Common core lets stupidity become common! Just say NO to Common Core!

]]>
Comment on Fork in the road by Dan https://sup.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/2014/05/03/fork-in-the-road/comment-page-1/#comment-186 Wed, 07 May 2014 19:23:46 +0000 http://sup.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/wpmu/?p=1196#comment-186 In reply to David Thomas.

Steve,
I enjoyed reading your blog.
I would just like to add that many students (even those that say they know “exacty what they want to do in this world”) change their career pathway 5-7 times throughout their lives. I recall a comment from one of our CTE teachers that said, “I tell students that they all need a skill or tade so they can at least put food on the table while they’re trying to figure out what they want to do with in their lives.” Some of us are still tryng to figure out what we want to do when we grow up, but until then we have a skill(s) that will make us self-sufficient.

]]>
Comment on Parental Involvement by David Thomas https://sup.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/2014/04/06/parental-involvement/comment-page-1/#comment-185 Tue, 06 May 2014 03:20:44 +0000 http://sup.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/wpmu/?p=1175#comment-185 Clearly parental “involvement” can be detrimental if it the completion of a student’s task by the parent. And volunteering in the school office to file or xerox papers is very helpful free labor for the school, but I fail to see how it helps the parent’s child directly.

Things that parents do that help a student’s progress include:

Early reading – lots of reading to the child at ages 1, 2 and 3 so that they are reading themselves at ages 3 and 4.

Kill your TV. Passively watching entertainment does not develop a child’s abilities or intellect like creative play, reading, and conversations with adults.

Modeling good work and study habits.

One-on-one time with your young child doing your day-to-day tasks (gardening, cooking, home repair, hiking, house work) while talking A LOT the whole time.

Not taking the Summer off. The drop in student performance from May to August is so very clear if nothing academic is done all summer. This district produces some very accomplished students – none of whom “vegged out” all Summer long.

Being a task master on homework and assignments. No, you don’t play until you’ve finished your homework.

Filling in when the school fails to challenge a student. There are sub-par teachers in any school. There are students who need more of challenge than the other 20 kids in the classroom. “School is boring” should be a wake-up call to parents. Maybe you need to transfer to a class with a more engaged teacher. Maybe your student should be given more challenging work. Hopefully that can be accommodated in class, but home-schooling, online classes or Khan Academy can fill the gaps in this day and age.

]]>
Comment on Fork in the road by David Thomas https://sup.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/2014/05/03/fork-in-the-road/comment-page-1/#comment-184 Tue, 06 May 2014 03:03:12 +0000 http://sup.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/wpmu/?p=1196#comment-184 Liberal-arts majors argue that the humanities must to be taught if we are to convey broad concepts, understand our place in the world, and develop problem-solving and communications skills. And for students continuing on to college – especially into the liberal arts – that is an approach that can work well for those students. But it isn’t the only way to teach about the broader world, communications, or independent learning. To give but a few possibilities:

Whatever “wood shop” or “carpenter” is called these days (“cellulose-based construction technology”?), those students could construct a homesteader’s log cabin, some 3-story-high scaffolding out of bamboo, stick&waddle housing from Central Africa, and a rain-forest long-house. Then they’d not only learn some low-tech techniques that would serve them well, but also some cultural awareness and a sense of the planet’s huge economic disparities.

In Cooking / Home Ec, Americans would typically use an electric mixer to make a merengue, but most of the world does that with a whisk (or, in a pinch, I’ve used a fork). So in a single lesson, cultural awareness, creative problem-solving, and some chemistry (copper ions help create a more stable merengue) can be taught.

Germany separates students into university-bound and vocational-tracks in the 5th grade and Germany does quite well both in academic pursuits and in the skilled trades (there are opportunities to switch tracks later). The US errs on the side of “one-size-fits-all”. Even at a university level there are courses like “Astronomy for non-majors” and “Physics for Musicians”. How about “Math for technical trades” with a lot less continuous-functions but more demanding discrete math and measurement skills? Because the carpenter a roof doesn’t need to differentiate or integrate anything, but a practical understand of geometry and trigonometry would avoid cutting all the rafters too short.

And, by serving the vocational-track students better, you also serve the college-bound students better. Math, science, English, and literature for the college bound should look different than for vocational students. “Tracking” is NOT a bad word. We have elementary schools around the district which “deal from the top of the deck” so each teacher gets a few stellar students and then distribute the more challenging students. That’s “fair” to each teacher, but I’d rather schools benefited the STUDENTS more. How does putting the most disparate students in the same room help? If that’s sound pedagogy, let’s make 2+5 and 3+6-grade classes. Some students KNOW they are never going to use radians, analyze literature, or work in laboratory. It wastes those student’s time, diverts the teacher’s time and lessens the opportunities for students who do belong in that class. The solution is not to make vo-tech classes a dumping ground, but to make vocational classes as challenging, broad, and relevant as college-prep courses are.

]]>
Comment on Causal Relationship by Kimberly Leslie https://sup.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/2014/04/13/causal-relationship/comment-page-1/#comment-183 Mon, 14 Apr 2014 16:18:18 +0000 http://sup.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/wpmu/?p=1178#comment-183 Dr. Atwater – Every day I scan through the KPBSD homepage en route to checking my gmail; every week or so something catches my attention and I find myself clicking and going deeper. Today your phrase “causal relationship” drew me in. As a science teacher, I greatly appreciate people who approach new ideas through a lens of science. THANK YOU for sharing this valuable perspective, for using the language you did, and for continuing to guide our district under the same philosophies with which we try to guide our students.
~Kim Leslie, KPBSD Distance Education Science Teacher

]]>
Comment on Parental Involvement by Pat Daly https://sup.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/2014/04/06/parental-involvement/comment-page-1/#comment-182 Tue, 08 Apr 2014 17:23:08 +0000 http://sup.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/wpmu/?p=1175#comment-182 A recent article in “Atlantic” magazine indicates that parental involvement might be overrated, also. I agree–let kids run around, invent and hurt themselves while learning about the world. And check to make sure their chores and homework is done on time, help if asked.

Incidentally, I note that my 6th grader (and 4th) have little homework–about 15 to 30 minutes per week, and it is cancelled at the drop of a hat–no school Friday? then we will have no homework this week (it is due Fridays). Also, there will be no homework next week (it is assigned on Fridays).

2 weeks of no homework b/c one day off?

Sincerely,
Pat Daly

]]>
Comment on Under the radar by Neil Denny https://sup.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/2014/02/08/under-the-radar/comment-page-1/#comment-180 Wed, 12 Feb 2014 18:17:07 +0000 http://sup.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/wpmu/?p=1146#comment-180 Very pertenent article. I would challenge all legislators to spend time in the schools of their districts. Volunteer, see how truly creative our teachers are and how much they give of themselves for their students. See that standardized testing is a greater revenue drain then benefits accured. Let teachers teach!

]]>