From the Superintendent's Desk . . .
May 7, 2012
Good Morning,
May 7-11 is Teacher Appreciation Week, a time when we reflect upon both the importance of the teacher and the excellent work that is occurring in classrooms across the district. The research is clear: effective teachers have a significant and positive impact on student learning. Because of their close proximity and frequent contact with the students, teachers are the single most influential variable in the learning that occurs among the children in our schools. Good teaching matters and good teachers make a difference.
In visits to schools and classrooms throughout the district, I often observe teachers doing great things for kids. Our teachers are working to engage students in the learning process through thoughtfully designed instruction that is stimulating and rigorous. Teachers are holding students accountable to high standards and working to support them in a variety of ways to ensure that the different learning styles and individual needs of our students are met in order to draw out the best in every student. Teachers in our schools are going the extra mile to build strong relationships with the students under their tutelage so that students know their teachers care about them and believe in their potentials.
Thanks to you all for the great teaching that is being delivered to the students in our classrooms; the type of teaching that motivates, inspires, and brings out the very best in the children and young people who come to school each day. As we move into the final weeks of the 2011-12 school year, the growth and development that has occurred in the students with whom you work is clearly evident. That growth, and the efforts teachers have expended to nurture it, are cause for celebration.
Best Regards,
Joel
Archived Messages (pdf format)
