For hundreds of new students and families, dozens of new teachers and a smattering of other leaders, this is my first chance to say, ìWelcome!î We are excited to be starting a new school year with fresh energy and new insight joining the team.For the first time in many years, every school in District 49 will benefit from the leadership of a returning principal. This stability launches schools off to a faster startóahead of the learning curve. In a season of continued growth and changing expectations, this consistency is a ìstability dividendî that we can invest in our vision of being the best district to learn, work, and lead.We are delivering greater results with limited resources. The Center for American Progress announced last week that District 49 earned the top rating among Colorado school districts for financial productivity. By comparing our academic performance with our resource investment, the report found that District 49 is at the very top!We are pushing more budget authority and responsibility to our schools and classrooms. Since the reorganization that started in 2010, we have a lower administrative ratio, with major reductions at the central office. The majority of administrative leadership is at the building level compared to just four years ago.The capital planning committee and the board of directors have used that same fiscal responsibility in preparing to ask our community to support additions and renovations, new facilities and extended operational funding that will accelerate our improvement into the next decade. The next 90 days will be filled with discussions and information about our campaign to secure school funding for a new generation of students and families.While we serve a surging student population and support outstanding educators, we are also prioritizing two new initiatives with district-level leadership and focus. The first is our cultural capacity initiative that began last fall. In Dr. Louis Fletcher, we have a leader who will help every school and department become more welcoming to people from all sorts of communities. Our district benefits from many cultural contributions. Many D 49 families represent a tradition of military service and leadership. Others invest their talents in education, ministry, or human services. We have a growing array of ethnic diversity and a vibrant student population who aim to excel as scholars, engineers, scientists and leaders. We aim to be a culture that recognizes and brings out the best in everyone. That is a high ambition, but it describes our vision for establishing the capacity of our organization.The second major emphasis is developing a new model for secondary education called 49 Pathways. As part of a statewide shift to competency-based graduation, District 49 is creating a structure to ensure that every student is well prepared to launch toward success in both college and career. A critical element in that system will be providing for early college enrollment during a studentís high school career. District 49 has implemented a small-scale version of concurrent enrollment, but beginning this year, Mary Perez will serve as our Director of Concurrent Enrollment to lead us through a dramatic expansion of free college courses. Thatís right, no cost college!2014 is an exciting time to be in District 49. Just last week, our efforts to implement online and blended learning were affirmed in a major statewide report as an exemplary model for others to follow. From fully blended models like Falcon Virtual Academy, through supplemental online programs on Schoology and other systems, to the Aha!Networkóour leading-edge professional development academy, District 49 is leading the way toward a fully modern system. So much is going well that we might be tempted to relax a bit, but there are still important challenges to address. We are committed to continue improving our graduation rate and college preparation scores. We are sharpening our focus on early literacy, technology investments and performance accountability. Itís a great time to work hard on deeply significant matters, so District 49 ó here we go!
