Community Newsletter

Thursday, October 8, 1998

Dear CLC parents and friends,

Thanks, so much, for your continued support. We really appreciate all that you have done to get us to this point! Our progress to date has been quite remarkable, and we look forward to "completing the trip."

As we discussed, our final "destination" is a school in which every child is actively engaged in project-based learning, and is making progress toward a personalized learning plan. It’s a school in which all parents have more and better information about the progress students are making, and one in which students have powerful learning resources both at school and at home, and know how to use them well. And, it’s a school in which we have developed strong, productive relationships between school and home &emdash; relationships that lead to the development of happy, capable, confident people.

As we all know, we are not there yet. But don’t be disappointed, that’s the way complex changes work. Numerous books and articles have been written about the phenomenon. Whenever you make a significant change, productivity goes through what experts call an "S curve," like this…

Productivity increases slowly at the beginning, as people adjust to new routines and methods, but then productivity picks up dramatically, and climbs for quite a while before eventually leveling off again.

When my mind wanders, it wanders to CLC issues. The other day I carved out a few hours to work on a deck we’re adding to our home, and I had an "Aha! Experience." The deck-building project and the development of the CLC have a lot in common! The deck project began with a period of thinking about what our home would be like with a deck, and some time spent with books and magazines on the subject. Then, to investigate the possibilities, we went to Lowes, where a salesman sat down at a computer and quickly moved our ideas onto the screen and automatically developed a parts list and a price. We left with a pretty good idea of what we wanted to build, what materials we’d need, and a good estimate of the cost.

That was in June. I then sat down at my computer and created my own customized set of plans, and produced the forms and supporting documents I’d need to apply for permits. The process of getting permits took quite a while, but when I got approval I had new information that resulted in a better plan and a hopefully a stronger, longer lasting result.

It took a few hours to create the web of strings that would guide us during construction, after which the "real work" began. What I now call "the dirt phase" involved digging 18 holes (each 3 feet deep), pouring a concrete foundation in each hole, adding precisely positioned brackets and posts, and refilling the holes. It took many hours, over several weeks. When that stage was complete, there wasn’t much to show for all that work, but we were actually well on our way. A few weeks ago, the area looked like a battlefield, and last week it was just a bunch of poles sticking up out of the ground. But now, with that solid foundation in place, we are making rapid progress, and it won’t be long now before all that hard work pays off.

So, what does that have to do with us? For years we’ve been studying education and visiting interesting schools (the idea stage). Just five short months ago, our charter was granted (the permit stage). Since that time, we have: recruited an amazing cast of students and families; hired an excellent staff; found a fine location; acquired furniture and equipment; defined the curriculum; implemented a financial management system; installed a computer network; ordered software to support student learning goals; initiated a school lunch program; opened for business, and incorporated (the foundation stage).

Now, thanks to lots of hard work from our teachers and great volunteer contributions by our parents, we’re climbing toward the steep part of the S curve. In our first few weeks, we have worked hard to assess and develop writing skills, arithmetic skills, and technology skills, and to develop important attributes in students that will make the goal of independent, project-based learning possible. I believe, now more than ever, that we can attain our goal. We can create the school I described in the opening paragraphs. To do this, we’ll have to work together, openly and honestly, and resist the temptation to judge too quickly. It is my hope that this newsletter and the conversations that follow it will be steps in that important direction. Please read on, and please use one of the methods described below to help move the CLC forward.

"Rome wasn’t

built in day."

---

Parent Concerns

Result in Important Action

by Kyle Peck

Dr. Tom King, a friend of mine, was the founder of the "Saturn School," an innovative, technology-rich "magnet school" in St. Paul, Minnesota. In a recent conference presentation, "Lessons from Saturn," Tom made a very important point. He said that every innovative school needs a "critical friend," someone who will tell you what you need to hear, even if it isn’t easy to say.

The CLC is VERY fortunate to have several critical friends &emdash; parents who are not afraid to tell us what they think, even when they don’t particularly like what they see. At the CLC we believe that constructive criticism, tempered by patience, is crucial to our success.

The purposes of this article are:

1. to summarize the concerns parents have voiced to date
2. to describe our plans to deal with the concerns, and
3. to introduce new ways of raising and discussing issues.

The major concerns we’ve heard so far are:

• "The students are not well supervised at lunch and after school."
• "The teachers are working too hard."
• "I don’t see enough (insert a subject here) happening."
• "The behavior of other students is limiting what CLC can do for my child."
• "I don’t have enough information about what’s happening at school."

I’ll discuss each of these concerns briefly below, and will invite an extended on-line discussion of these concerns at the end of this article.

Concern #1: "The students are not well supervised at lunch and after school."

At first, I resisted taking action on this concern for three reasons: 1) I felt that providing unnecessarily high levels of supervision costs money that I’d rather spend on learning resources for students. 2) I found it curious that we would require a teacher to be in visual contact with children at school, when at home adults are clearly not in visual contact at all times. We’re in "auditory contact," but not visual contact. 3) If we over monitor students, when will they develop the capacity to monitor themselves? Several of the attributes we’re intent on developing ("self-discipline," responsibility, respect for others, respect for property, and others) are not optimally developed when an adult is always here to require that students live within externally imposed guidelines. 4) I felt that these kids should be allowed to have fun, since many of them are in school from 7:30 &emdash; 5:30 &emdash; a ten-hour day that eliminates other opportunities for "kids to be kids."

However, after hearing repeated suggestions that we tighten the reigns, and hearing requests from some parents that we make it easier for students who have other obligations in the evening to do their homework and spend their time in other productive ways, we have devised and implemented the following plan.

Starting on Monday, October 5^th, parent volunteers will be at the CLC to help with supervision of students during lunch and after school. Parent Volunteer Kate Itinger has done a great job of drumming up a list of willing and able volunteers, but I’m sure would be eager to hear from other parents who want to help out.

The upstairs classroom will be reserved for two types of activities: 1) Quiet Study, and 2) Quiet Games. The upstairs classroom is within "earshot" of the office area, and the teachers and I will step in if we hear any noise from this room. I will be acquiring a few more quiet games that require strategy or other skills, like chess, "Othello,." and jigsaw puzzles.

The downstairs classroom will be reserved for supervised activities, which will increase in number. We already have parent volunteers who have expressed an interest in offering 4-H, Odyssey of the Mind, a Young Authors’ Club, and a Drama Club, and other ideas are welcome, too. We will send home announcements as these opportunities are firmed up.

Concern #2: "The teachers are working too hard."

As I look at all of the threats to the future of the CLC, my biggest concern is that the teachers are working WAY too hard. Although it’s not easy to get accurate data on this from them, we’re probably looking at about twelve-hour days, and not just five each week. These are dedicated people, and they care about your child’s progress. They want to make it all happen at once, but it simply can’t.

To be honest, we all knew that the first two months would be a horrendous workload. That’s not a surprise. But we didn’t anticipate a few factors that have compounded the workload problem.

Delays in purchasing were caused by trouble getting leases for equipment because we had no "financial history." We lost several weeks trying to come out from under these startup problems, and several more with manufacturers’ delays in shipping, as we waited for the latest and greatest products to ship, long after we were told they would arrive. As a result, Josephine has been "limping along" on an outdated laptop computer, and does not have full access to the network and the applications that will soon arrive.

To address this problem

We are searching for an additional "Instructional Aide" to allow one full-time aide to work with each teacher all day.

Malena Moore has contacted Penn State’s College of Education and has invited students studying to become teachers to volunteer time to assist in CLC classrooms. A meeting has been scheduled to talk with over 15 interested student teachers.

The teachers have move toward our ultimate goal of individualized education in stages, rather than trying to get there all at once. By working with three or four groups of six or eight students it is possible to provide appropriate levels of challenge without the increased preparation time required by full-scale individualization.

We have grouped the students into two teams, and have each teacher working with a single group most of the day. We meet briefly as a large group at the beginning of each day, and them split into the two teams, generally coming back together for lunch and PE. This gives the teachers and students a better opportunity to get to know each other, which simplifies the planning process.

I am trying to absorb some of the calls and duties that would normally be directed to the teachers. This newsletter, for example, will normally have columns and other contributions by each of the teachers and students, too, but I wrote this first issue to protect their time. If you have general questions or a comment on the operation of the school, please contact me, rather than one of the teachers.

Each day the process is working a bit better, and the teachers and students become more capable and comfortable in their new roles. Let’s keep an eye on this one…

Concern #3: "I don’t see enough (insert a subject here) happening."

Please be patient. Our promise to you was that your children would learn the topics normally covered in grades five through eight, but not necessarily in the same order. In addition, we promised to work toward greater levels of creativity, problem solving, teamwork, confidence, and other important attributes. If you don’t see enough of a particular subject, please remember that we made a multi-year commitment to your children, and we are accountable for delivering the full range of academic content, as defined in the documents we distributed. If, in a month or so you are still not happy with your child’s activity in a particular subject, please call me. At that time we may be able to enhance your child’s academic program in that area.

Concern #4: "The behavior of other students is limiting what CLC can do for my child."

I believe I speak for the others when I say that we are disappointed with the behavior of some students. While each of our students is remarkable in many ways, and I wouldn’t trade any of them (Really!), many are simply not ready to operate in the activity-oriented mode we envision. Some lack interpersonal skills, some are very easily distracted, and others engage in behavior that is disruptive and takes the teacher and class off track. Add to that the fact that most of our students have never even SEEN the type of cooperation we’re looking for, and the fact that many adults can’t function this way, and you’ll see that it’s a tall order.

However, we remain convinced that all of our students will attain the level of understanding of their role and the skills the role requires. We have all read the research on the effects of rewards and punishments, and we all want to develop a school in which students perform and behave guided by an internal sense of right and wrong, and not out of fear of punishment or desire for a reward. We want students to experience natural consequences for their misbehavior, and we want them to see participation in CLC activities as the privilege they are earning through responsible behavior.

So, given the fact that behavior is a problem for some of our students, but not others, we have taken the following steps:

All students were given a CLC Plus Card that signifies that they are responsible people and should be given the right to participate in all CLC activities. When students misbehave, these cards are revoked. Students who do not have a card cannot go to certain locations at certain times (minimally supervised areas during lunch and after school) and may not be allowed to go on walking field trips or other activities during which responsible behavior is required.

Fighting and other acts that jeopardize student safety will not be tolerated. Students who fight will be immediately removed from the classroom. Their parents will be contacted, and the student will not be allowed to return from school for two days.

Because students at this age are very concerned about their social status, and because their emotions are tied to their academic performance, "fighting with words" will result in immediate repossession of the CLC Plus card, for a two-day period.

We believe that all of our students have great potential, and we are confident that we will not need to use any of these responses very often.

Concern #5: "I don’t have enough information about what’s happening at school."

You are absolutely correct, and I take responsibility for this. We promised you "more and better information about your child’s progress," including online access to student information. We’re working on it. We have developed databases that describe: the projects students are working on, the assignments teachers are giving, and the quality with which students are completing assignments. Parent volunteer John Cieply is developing computer programs that will allow parents to type in a login and "PIN Number" and will then retrieve and display the data for your child.

Unfortunately, we are still a few weeks away from providing the type of information you want. I predict that certain types of online information will be available online before the end of October, and more will follow. Your patience in this area, too, is appreciated.

In summary, we hear and share your concerns, and we are taking steps to address all of your concerns.

To make your thoughts known on these or other issues, do one of the following:

• Call Kyle at 861-7980. (If you like, you can call after hours and leave a message on the answering machine.)
• Use one of the "online conversations" we have established. (Go to our website at clccharter.org, and follow the links.)
• Send a note in with your son or daughter, and ask them to put it in the "Suggestion Box" beside the photocopier.
• Come in any time and talk with Kyle about your concerns.

CLC Students Almost Ready

to Bring iMacs Home!

That’s right! Our CLC students have just about mastered the skills they need to ensure success when they take the CLC iMacs home. Each student will work to demonstrate the skills listed below, and when all have been completed we’ll send a brief "permission slip" home to arrange a time for you to pick up the iMac.

Here are the skills students must demonstrate before they bring the iMac home:

____ Open Claris Works

____ Write a short paper and save it using Claris Works

____ Create a folder

____ Move a document from one folder to another

____ Use the "Find File" software to locate software and documents

____ Send an email message

____ Send an email message with attachments

____ Receive an email message

____ Receive an email message with attachments

____ Reply to an email message

____ Open Claris Home Page

____ Create and save a simple web page

____ Browse the Internet

____ Search the Internet

____ Copy Text and graphics from Web pages to word processing documents

____ Explain what "copyright" is and how to avoid copyright violations

____ Explain the CLC Internet Use Policy

____ State the URLs of the CLC server, the CLC "tools" directory, and your directory

____ Use File Transfer Protocol (FTP) to transfer documents to and from the CLC server

____ Describe how to set up an iMac

Most students are nearly ready, and we anticipate sending the first iMacs home this weekend!

Please start thinking about where you’ll put the computer when it comes home, and whether you’ll be able to attach it to a phone line for Internet access, which will significantly increase the value of the computer. If the fee for Internet access presents a problem, please do not feel obligated to provide it. We are writing a grant and with any luck we may be able to offer to pay for Internet access in homes where this presents a financial hardship. In addition, we have ordered ten "Superdrives" that students without access to the Internet can use to transport their work from home to school.

To assist you in getting an Internet connection, Kate Itinger (CLC Parent) has compiled some information about some of the companies you might wish contact to gain access to the Internet. This information is attached. These are not the only providers -- others can be found by looking up "Internet Services" in the phone book. Thanks, Kate, for creating this.

Thanks, to you, too, parents, for opening your homes to this "new addition." We are confident that the educational opportunities this affords will greatly outweigh any inconvenience.

When your child brings home the iMac, you will want to consider connecting it to the Internet, a global computer network. Apple has made this very easy (although not quite as easy as their TV commercials make it look). The following notes are taken with a few minor modifications)

pfrom the Apple documentation that comes with the iMac…

The Macintosh operating system software (OS 8) comes with an Internet Setup Assistant to help you set up Internet access either through an Internet service provider (ISP) or a local area network (LAN). Double-click the Internet Setup Assistant icon located in the Internet folder on your hard disk to set up your computer to connect to the Internet.

The Internet Setup Assistant provides you two options:

Register connects you to the Netscape Internet Account Server, where you can select an ISP and set up an account with that provider.

Update lets you add an Internet configuration for an ISP or a LAN connection. You also use the update feature to modify or remove existing Internet configurations.

For either option, follow the onscreen instructions and type the appropriate information in each screen. If you don't know all the information you are asked for, contact your ISP.

Connecting to the Internet

Your iMac is set to dial automatically into your ISP when you open an Internet application, such as Claris Emailer Lite, Eudora, or Outlook Express. If you turn off the auto-dial option, or you have more than one Internet configuration, you use the Internet Dialer to connect. The Internet Dialer is located in the Internet folder on your hard disk.

Disconnecting from the Internet

When you have finished your work on the Internet and want to free the telephone line for use by others, quit each of the Internet applications that are open (like Outlook Express, Netscape, Fetch, or Internet Explorer), then use the Internet Dialer to disconnect.