Dr. Timothy Mitchell Rapid City Area Schools 8-20-13 1 st Quarter Press Conference
Jan 06, 2016
Dr. Timothy Mitchell
Rapid City Area Schools
8-20-13
1st Quarter Press Conference
Systems That Learn
“Leadership is about going somewhere. If you and your people don’t know
where you are going, your leadership doesn’t matter.”
Ken Blanchard
Building a community of life long learners, one student at a time.
RCAS Mission
All Rapid City Area School students will
achieve to their full potential.
RCAS Vision
Guaranteed, Viable, Relevant Curriculum
Life and Career skillsTechnology Literacy (21st century skills)Staff Effectiveness and Organizational
Capacity-BuildingComprehensive System of AssessmentDiverse Opportunities for students to
learn and be academically successful
RCAS Priorities
Systems That Learn
Step 1-Recognize that schools were designed in a different era and for different goals
Step 2-Start a dialogue on how to restructure schools in ways that will foster all students learning at high levels
Priority Task #1All Students Learning at High Levels
Priority Task #22013-2014 Fiscal Responsibility
Priority Task #3Infrastructure Development
Priority Tasks 2013-2014
Priority Task #4Personnel
Priority Task #5Policy Development and Revision
Priority Task #6Miscellaneous
Legislative Session and School Safety
Priority Tasks 2013-2014
Professional Learning Communities Implementation
Early Release ScheduleAll Day Everyday Kindergarten
Priority Task #1-Learning
Priorities/Non-Negotiables:1. Build district-wide shared understanding of PLC
concepts
2. Develop high-performing collaborative teams focused on high levels of learning for all students
3. Clarify essential learning outcomes/power standards
4. Develop and deploy common formative assessments
Priority Task #1-Learning
Priority Task #1-Learning
The Big IdeaThe learning dynamics that a teacher establishes in his/her classroom is similar to the learning dynamics a principal/instructional leader establishes in his/her school, and is similar to what a superintendent does to promote learning within the district leadership team.
Priority Task #1-Learning
Overarching TheoryWhen a school systems learns,
continuous improvement enables educators to close
achievement gaps and ensures that all students grow
and develop as learners.
Priority Task #1-Learning
Strengthening the adult learning will benefit
students:
*When School Boards learn*When Central Administrators learn*When Building Administrators learn*When Schools and departments learn*When individual teachers learn
When a school system learns, continuous improvement
enables educators to close achievement gaps and
ensures that all students grow and develop as learners
Priority Task #1-Learning
Creating the time for collaboration does not guarantee
improvements. Structural change is not cultural change. Simply altering the schedule to provide the time to meet does
not create conditions for learning.
Priority Task #1-Learning
Communication Task ForceQuestions 3 & 4Career and Technical EducationDropout PreventionProfessional Learning Communities-More Clarity and Coherence
Priority Task #1-Learning 2013-2014
2013-2014 Budget Includes:
-$3.8 Mill in Fund Balance-No Capital Outlay Flexibility-$1.9 Mill Expenditure Reduction
Estimated Expenditures from GF$82.3 Mill
Priority Task #2-Fiscal Responsibility
Salary Schedule Task ForceHealth Insurance CommitteeReview and Analysis of Negotiated Agreements
Priority Task #2-Fiscal Responsibility
Budget Process-Similar to 2013-2014
Salary Schedule-On-going Salary Dollars
Health InsuranceWellnessDisease Management
Priority Task #2-Fiscal Responsibility 2013-2014
Policy Revision-Facility Use (KG)Five Year Capital Outlay Plan (Review and
Revision) South-Stevens-ElementaryFinalize Lease w/Rapid City Performing
Arts CoalitionRapid City High School (Alternative
Programs)Jefferson/Lincoln (District Staff)Kibbon Kuster (Elementary Classroom Space)Technology Refresh
Priority Task #3-Infrastructure Development
Policy Implementation-Facility Use (KG)
Five Year Capital Outlay Plan (Review and Revision)
Finalize Lease w/Rapid City Performing Arts Coalition
Long-Term Elementary Classroom Space Plan
Enrollment Projections
Priority Task #3-Infrastructure Development 2013-2014
Teacher and Leader quality are the most powerful variable affecting student achievement
Schools districts have to commit to populating our schools with the highest quality teacher and leaders possible
How does RCAS best attract, develop and retain the most highly qualified workforce?
Priority Task #4-Personnel
Teacher/Principal Effectiveness Pilot
Teachscape ImplementationActivities StaffingSalary Placement Issues
Priority Task #4-Personnel
Priority Task #4-Personnel
How do we increase educator capacity in
order to provide a more effective education for
all students in all schools?
Review and Revise specific Board Policies as identified by the administration and School Board Policy Committee
Identify and Review all Board Policies that have not been revised for 10 years are longer
Priority Task #5-Policy
AA School District Legal StatusBDA Electronic Communication with
BoardCCA Organizational ChartKMI Relations with Political
OrganizationsKDD Media Relations
Priority Task #5-Policy 2013-2014
Monitor Legislative SessionBuild on efforts to form sustainable relationships
School SafetyEntrances-MitigationCrisis Plan UpdatesInternal Communication
Priority Task #6-Miscellanous 2013-2014
Why is CHANGE so Hard?“There is nothing more difficult to plan, more
doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage than the creation of a new order of
things…Whenever his enemies have the ability to attack the innovator they do so with
the passion of partisans, while the others defend him sluggishly, so that the innovator
and his party alike are vulnerable”Niccolo
Machiavelli