Superintendent Heuer
Superintendent Douglas G. Heuer
At the State of the Schools address in January, I outlined to parents, teachers, and members of the community our vision of P.A.S.S.A.G.E., “Preparing All Students for Success in A Global Economy.” I also discussed our current State of Ohio report card designation, “Continuous Improvement,” and the ways we are working to achieve an “Excellent” designation from the State for the 2011-2012 school year.
At the moment, we are very close to receiving an “Effective” designation. If we earn it and exceed the State’s “value-added” criterion, which measures student progress from one year to the next, we will achieve an “Excellent” designation. It can happen.
This, in part, is because it’s our view that for students to not only pass—but succeed—in today’s world, they must study hard, think smart, and work fast. Additionally, they must be technologically savvy, culturally aware, and socially responsible, and they must be independent learners, critical thinkers and effective communicators. [Click here to watch excerpt from State of the Schools.]
To ensure we instill all these qualities and skills in all our students by the time they graduate, we created “Pathways of Choice.” This program enables students to develop 21st Century skills and master Ohio’s rigorous, required curriculum in the ways that make the most sense to them.
As part of the Pathways program, students choose to participate in one of three “paths” of study: a creativity path, which focuses on the arts; a society path, which focus on humanities; or a discovery path, which focuses on the sciences. Students are never locked into one particular path. They may change paths as they grow and their interests evolve. The Pathway program itself is flexible, and we—as teachers and administrators—continue to develop and revise it as we learn what helps students best achieve. [Click here to watch excerpt from State of the Schools.]
Also during the address, I thanked the community for protecting our students from significant reductions in state funding and cuts in school programming this past November by passing the operating levy. Their support of both the levy and the Community Master Facilities Planning Process are invaluable, and we feel very fortunate to agree that strong schools mean a strong community.
The new and renovated buildings that result from the Master Facilities Planning Process will be beacons for our cities. Additionally, they will make it easier for teachers and students to collaborate and use technology. [Click here to watch excerpt from State of the Schools.]
We are currently using federal Race-to-the-Top funds to work with our teachers to develop a fair evaluation process that takes into account student achievement. And help District officials identify and reward effective teachers while helping poorly performing ones or removing them from the classroom.
So, as you can see, we have made some significant progress in a short amount of time here at Cleveland Heights-University Heights schools, and we anticipate this year will be no different. We will continue to work hard to evolve with the times, provide our students with a world-class education, and ensure our school district remains a place you can talk about with pride.
Thank you—as always—for your continued support, interest, and involvement in our schools.
