DENVER | Cherry Creek School District officials are crafting a long-term plan that will shape much of the district’s future — and they could use some help.
The district’s CCSD 2021 plan will cover a host of topics, from graduation requirements to how school officials will help students get there. In the coming weeks, as district leaders gather the information they need to craft the plan that will cover graduation requirements for the class of 2021, they are asking community members to attend several meetings and give their feedback on what they want to see from CCSD in the coming years.
Tustin Amole, a spokeswoman for the district, said every family with a student in CCSD will receive an email inviting them to the meetings this week.
Community input piece is crucial to the plan’s success, she said.
“We also want to hear from our community about what kind of programs, what emphasis do they want to see,” Amole said.
The district launched a similar effort in 2006.
“But it’s time to update,” Amole said. “Education and the college and career landscape are changing virtually overnight.”
The first CCSD2021 meeting was Aug. 26 at Grandview High School, but several more are planned. The next is slated for 7 p.m. Sept. 21 at Smoky Hill High School, and another is planned for 7 p.m. Oct. 20 at Cherokee Trail High School.
The meetings are one of several sources the district plans to lean on as it crafts the plan, according to a district news release. CCSD will also solicit feedback from district graduates to see how prepared they felt they were for college and career, information from internal and external experts on systems, structures and programming necessary to prepare all students for a successful future and literature and current research on best practices and college and career readiness, the release said.
When a draft is complete, it will be released to the community, Amole said, likely in the spring.
If community members can’t attend one of the meetings, they can fill out a survey online at www.cherrycreekschools.org.
When will the online survey be available?
Forget Common Core – Throw it in the trash bin. Teach the students what they need to know to get a job, OR go to college, without having to take rehabilitation courses, or try to unlearn some courses not needed. Find out how many College Freshmen had refresher courses, in what areas, and put more stress into those areas, and especially take a look at the teachers of those subjects. We already have too many activists, demonstrators, and occupiers. :We need productive people, not just thinking they are productive? Way too many of those self important folks, who have all the answers, but cannot do the work involved with those answers.
Frank2525, You just described what common core is; It is as though you are unaware what common core really is and go off of what you hear in the political spectrum. Do NOT, I repeat, Do NOT, let yourself go off what you see or hear. Get the facts; common core works and can always be improved.
And you assume too much. Typical for Union Teachers. Are you one?
I taught in military, and had to unteach much of what union teachers had taught by rote, without understanding what they were teaching, and having no idea what that would be used for. Korea opened my eyes to much that I was bored with in my high school days in the 1940s. First 9 years in military, I worked in personnel-administration, maintaining officers and enlisted records. Then stymied by cold war, no promotions, but expected to do more demanding work, in complex Intelligence, I applied for retraining into Avionics. First 2 weeks in electronic fundamentals, straight math for DC circuits, with basic math being strong point. Next two weeks in AC circuits, needed Algebra, trigonometry, some calculus, and I learned more in next two weeks, than I had learned in basic Algebra. I had learned very little in whole semester of Freshman Algebra in 1941 (by rote). Had no use for it then, and it was taught at state requirement, and introduced as such by the school principal, who could not find another teacher to handle the class.
In 1963, with Aircraft experience, I came back to teach electronic fundamentals. All of my students had HS and College Algebra, Trigonometry, Calculus and much of that was wasted, because they had not learned what to do with that. In Air Force, they learned more in 9 blocks of 2 weeks each, and went to work on aircraft, missiles, and other electronic courses.
I served 26 years 18 days, and can safely say I taught in the shop, in classrooms, and also attended off-duty courses at College level, and too much is still taught at ROTE (remember this, and also here is some nice things to know). That last is the most worthless collection of words any teacher-instructor can utter. I also learned from my teaching, and taking courses myself, and attending college level courses after retiring in1976, under GI bill, also maintaining Veterans Records at the College, Paid by VA, through the school, and assisting in registration, that about 1/4 to 1/3 of class time is wasted in fire drills, lectures on how to associate, and other briefings. Also by teachers-instructors wasting time in brain washing students.
As an adult, married, 3 grown children, I walked out of briefing by school nurse, discussing how to treat ZITs. Had been a long time since I had been concerned about jZITs Also when I signed up for Electronic course and found it was not what I wanted, and was not geared to meet my need, I discussed need to change and did, without dishing the teacher. That led to 3 others leaving that course, same as I did, and transferring into a practical course, with hands-on work repairing televisions 1980s.
That instructor – teacher was evaluated, and removed from teaching, given an office with assistant since he was within 8 credits of having Doctorate (PhD) in Electronics. He knew electronics, but did not know or could not teach. (I knew him from AF, and he could not teach there either- and in college situation was more obvious). So he wrote tests from then on, until he retired. Still a good guy, and I still know and respect him as person. But he is not a teacher, and never was.
Unfortunately I met others like that but their school leaders still put up with them, to the students loss.
NOW TO MAIN POINT. I HAVE REVIEWED CURRICULA FOR HS HISTORY, AS SET BY MARYLAND (ON NET). TELL ME HOW THAT CURRICULA DOES ANYTHING TO TEACH HISTORY. WHOLE POINT IS TO QUESTION, AND ANALYZE HOW EUROPEANS CAME TO USA AND STOLE THE LAND, ECONOMY, ASSETS OF THE NATIVE TRIBES. Post your reply to how you can draw any other inference from that, and I would be interested. It also sets forth schedule for all students, in each grade, to be learning same lesson, on a given day. HOW IS THAT TEACHING TO THE NEEDS OF THE STUDENTS IN A GIVEN CLASS? OTHER THAN HOLDING WHOLE CLASS TO THE SLOWEST STUDENTS.
I always had the Air Force Standard (curricula) and used 3 columnar lesson plan, and not only met the requirements, but taught my students to their needs. (If weak in prior I realized and brought them up to full, by team effort since my students were going towork on complex electronic equipment that if mistakes are made, people will be injured or die. Not the enemy we use it against, but the mechanic-technician maintaining that equipment, or the pilot of a plane with loss of plane and his life, more expensive than the plane.
So educate me of why you think Common Core is so good?
I don’t see it, would not want to teach under its goals, or those who support it.
Will add: After teaching Greeks and Turks at Perrin AFB, Texas, USA sold F102A aircraft (with Hughes Armament Control systems MG10) I then transferred to Grand Forks AFB, ND where I was Flight Line Radar Night Chief for a time, transferred back to FTD (Field Training Detachment) where I supervised the electric-electronic side of Detachment, until part of FTD went TDY, and I became chief of FTD. :Taught Canadians and ANG on F0101 aircraft, and I closed the detachment and shipped personnel at end of need. I retrained into Satellite :Communications in 1970 to 1976, where military (USAF) proved Computers could be matched to SATCOM terminals, work over satellites 32,000 miles in space, over equator, for World Wide Command and Control Systems. Lamar CO 2 years, DCA-PAC 2 years and 3rd year, I installed a TACSATCOM terminal on Oahu for Presidential Support. Selected the personnel, trained them, installed equipment, during 1974-75. Transferred to AFCS, 1975-76, where I and 2 others went TDY to Omaha, NE, met with Corps of Engineers, and SAC communicators (and others) and we designed Satellite Terminal siting, power and security, for Terminal on Offutt AFB, that President Bush spoke over in 2001, after WTC was destroyed, TO THE NATION. I retired in 1976 (completing 26 years 18 days of HONORABLE SERVICE.