NL Schools undergoing major changes

By STEPH TAHTINEN

Mt. Pleasant News

NEW LONDON ? The New London Community School District is set to undergo some major changes for the 2012-2013 school year.

By the first day of school:

? There will be a new superintendent

? There will be a new secondary principal

? The 1:1 computer initiative will be implemented in grades six through 12

? There will be a pilot proficiency grading program at the middle school level

? The Tier I infrastructure improvements will hopefully be completed

Superintendent Chuck Reighard, who has been with the district six years, will work his last day on June 20.

?I do appreciate the six years spent with you. It?s been six good years,? Reighard told the school board during his last meeting on Monday night, as he reminisced on the past six years and said the academic side of things is what is really rewarding about the job. ?I just appreciate all of your support through these six years. It hasn?t always been fun. There?s been some rough patches along the way, but it?s all been for the good of the kids, and I appreciate your support on that.?

On June 19 and 20, Reighard will be showing the ropes to Steve McAllister, who will be the district?s new superintendent effective June 21.

Another member of the New London administration ? Secondary Principal Mike Jones ? has submitted his resignation, which was accepted by the board at a special meeting held on June 7.

?Thanks for giving me the opportunity here. It?s been a great run,? Jones told the board. He praised the teachers, administrators, support staff and students at the school. ?This is a great place. It?s a great place to be a board member, an administrator, a teacher. I?ve got nothing to gain by telling you all that, but I wanted you to hear that because there are great things going on ? you get your ears chewed off too often, and you don?t get a ?Job well done,? so I just wanted to tell you that.?

Jones has been with the district for 19 years. His replacement is still to be determined.

Neither administrator will be around to see the implementation of the 1:1 computer initiative or the completion of the Tier I infrastructure improvements, both of which the board received updates on Monday night.

On July 17, representatives from Apple will be coming to the district to help the administrative team plan the roll-out day.

?That will be a big day because you?re going to have, of your four administrative team members, two of them will be new,? said Reighard. ?So it?s getting everyone on the same page as far as that is concerned.?

The roll-out day will be Aug. 16.

The board also viewed a laptop handbook for students and parents that Jones had compiled. The board plans to review the handbook over the next month and will look to approve it at the July meeting, so that input from the new administration can be taken into account.

The board also heard an update on the Tier I infrastructure projects from project manager Ron Toebbel, who said the projects are moving along nicely to still be finished by the first day of school.

?All the parts and pieces are well around, close and coming in like they?re supposed to,? said Tibboel.

He noted that crews are attempting to get all of the work completed in one area at a time as much as possible so that the area can start being cleaned in preparation for the new school year.

The board also approved new tuckpointing projects not to exceed $25,739 to repair some damaged brick around the building. It was noted that this extra cost could come out of the contingency fund, as the district has only spent $81,000 of its $200,000 contingency and over 50 percent of the project is completed.

Monday night, the board also approved the use of a proficiency grading pilot program at the middle school level in the subjects of English, reading and math. The board had viewed a presentation on proficiency grading at the May board meeting, but chose to delay action until this month.

Proficiency grading differs from traditional grading in that it measures progress toward mastery of a specific learning target. Grades indicate a mastery of material, with 90 percent of the grade based on assessments of standards and 10 percent on participation, attitude and timeliness

Grades are based on ?I can?? statements. If the student is able to complete the skill listed in the ?I can?? statement, he or she has mastered the skill.

The program will not be used in science or social studies, however, as new curriculum requirements are being developed for those subjects, and it would not make sense for the teachers to plan a new program only to have to change it when the new requirements are enacted.