Commentary: Springdale Schools Off To A Great Start

Thank you, stakeholders of the Springdale school system, for a great school opening.

Your partnership has invited back to school almost 22,000 students, more than 1,500 teachers and approximately 1,000 support personnel.

It is very special to be a part of the opening of school in Springdale and to see firsthand the respect that all patrons have for Springdale students and teachers.

That commitment to providing a quality educational opportunity for every child is instrumental in deepening the culture of excellence in the Springdale School District. This model of educational support is evidenced by the following community efforts:

• The "Welcome Back to School" teachers' reception hosted by the Springdale Chamber of Commerce.

• The Partners in Education luncheon sponsored by the Springdale Education Foundation.

• Open-house events at each of the district's 30 campuses.

• Parent-teacher association events.

• Events sponsored by school booster organizations.

Opening of school in the Springdale School District is a "whole community" affair, and on behalf of every staff member, I extend a special thank you. In Springdale, we do school together, and that united effort sets the stage for an excellent school year.

Traditionally the work of a new school year builds on that of the prior year. That foundation serves as a launch pad from which we can begin anew. Some excellent examples of the current platform we will build on in the year ahead are:

• The new learning standards have been developed, personalized and put in place by Springdale teachers. We will now define precisely the "essential learnings" in every class and begin to prepare for the upcoming new assessment.

• In-depth Professional Learning Community programs are in place at every school. It is now our opportunity to put each one into operation and in so doing to create the working plans that will support the professional growth of every teacher and instructional support specialist.

• Parent support initiatives such as the Patron Shelf of the Superintendent's Cabinet will reorganize and begin to shape their partnership plan for the year ahead.

• Certified personnel committees and classified personnel committees will also meet and discuss how they can address continued improvement efforts in the year ahead.

Those collaborative efforts are essential as we work together to meet the educational needs of 22,000 students. There are opportunities for every Springdale patron to be part of these collaborative efforts. Please come and join us. Talk with your child's teacher or principal or give me a call and we will work together to determine where you can make the greatest contribution. Our students and our teachers will be the beneficiaries of your participation.

I thank you in advance for all that you will do in the year ahead to make the 2014--2015 school year the best ever in the history of the Springdale school system.