Parent to Parent:
Thoughts on the past year—
and a sneak peek at the next

The 2007-08 school year is rapidly coming to a close. I started this year as your children did—energized and excited, eagerly anticipating all that might be achieved. I end it—as I hope your children will—with a sense of satisfaction for all that was learned and achieved.

Since arriving in Louisville, I have talked with many parents who believe that our schools provide high-quality learning experiences for their children. I also have spoken with many interested community members who volunteer in our schools and are impressed by the dedication and talent of our faculty and staff. Such a high level of parent and community support is appreciated by all of us who work at JCPS. It is only when there is continuity and communication among the school, the home, and the community that we can achieve true educational success. I thank you for your support of students and of the school district’s work.

As this school year winds down and your children prepare to take final exams, graduate, or participate in class trips and other end-of-year activities, I’d like to reflect on our accomplishments of the past year and share a sneak preview of some exciting plans for 2008-09.

Last summer’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court stimulated a communitywide dialogue about the value of diversity in schools and about several options for revising our current student assignment plan. Based on extensive research and community input, we developed two scenarios that have the potential to enhance both diversity and quality within our schools. This month, your elected Board of Education members are slated to decide which option they deem best for the community. The 2008-09 school year will bring minimal changes in student assignment, primarily affecting students who are new to the district and those who are changing their residence or choosing to transfer. More significant changes will begin in 2009-10 as we regroup our elementary school clusters. Again, however, the transition will be gradual and the main impact will be on new first-grade students and transferring students. We are confident that the new student assignment plan will uphold and even expand our community’s strong commitment to diversity, while enhancing opportunities for learning and achievement.

I am also pleased about the tremendous strides we are making in the area of curriculum. Next year, we will be moving forward on the GE math and science initiative, implementing a powerful elementary math curriculum that will complement the elementary and middle school science programs and the middle school math program already in place. All of these programs encourage student-centered inquiry and problem solving.

Our Every 1 Reads literacy initiative is wrapping up its fourth year. With strong community support, it has helped reduce the district’s number of Novice readers by half. We are well on our way to meeting our goal of every student reading on grade level, and we have developed a plan to sustain the initiative in the coming years.

We are also launching a significant school culture initiative that will foster students’ social development at the elementary and middle school levels. The Adventures in Peacekeeping program has already been established in all early childhood classrooms, and next year we will introduce CARE for Kids at the elementary and middle school levels. CARE for Kids is a school-day initiative to help students develop social responsibility and build positive relationships with peers and adults. We believe these programs will create a positive and caring sense of community within our schools.

Other exciting changes will be taking place at the high school level. A new trimester schedule was approved by more than half of the district’s high schools and will replace the traditional two-semester schedule. Students will take five classes each trimester with each period being 70 minutes. Trimester scheduling will enable greater depth in learning, promote smoother transitions when students transfer to different schools, and reduce the student-teacher ratio. We also convened a task force of business, union, university, community, and district representatives to evaluate the effectiveness of our district’s career and technical education programs in preparing students for careers and postsecondary education. Once their recommendations are complete, we will move ahead with strategies for enhancing these vital programs in our high schools.

Major changes are in the works for several schools. Coral Ridge, Engelhard, and Wheatley Elementary Schools will begin a pilot program that will transform them with smaller classes, differentiated instruction for individual students, on-site nurses, and wrap-around services for children in need. We hope to learn a great deal from these pilot sites and to eventually extend the benefits to other schools. Meanwhile, Iroquois Middle School and Southern Leadership Academy will become gender-specific sites next year, with Iroquois serving female students and Southern serving the males. Both schools will become districtwide magnets in 2009-10. Instructional strategies and cocurricular activities will capitalize on the interests and aptitudes demonstrated by each group of students. We are also laying the groundwork for a number of new magnet schools at the elementary level, each focusing on a different theme. I look forward to sharing exciting details about these magnets as we firm up our student assignment plan for the 2009-10 school year.

Setting direction for the district has been another important aspect of our work over the past year. We’ve developed an inspiring district belief statement, a clear set of goals, and a well-designed strategic action plan that emphasizes effective teaching, effective leadership, strong school cultures, and organizational improvement to support these goals. This plan will serve for years to come. Much of this information is available on our Web site at www.jcpsky.net. We encourage you to take a look at it.

As a parent, I know that the most important achievements of this school year were accomplished by your children. Whether your child received an award, earned a scholarship, performed a service for the community, was recognized for outstanding effort, or made progress in academics and behavior, I join you in applauding his or her achievement. Each child’s success moves our district that much closer to our vision of having all JCPS students graduate from high school prepared to achieve their goals and follow their dreams.

I wish you a relaxing and fulfilling summer vacation. We look forward to seeing you and your child in August for another wonderful year of learning and growth in the Jefferson County Public Schools!

Sincerely,