PLC for the Future

Is it politically incorrect to point out that the children of nearly every U.S. President in my lifetime as well as the children of most elected officials in Washington choose to attend private schools? We all know this to be true but no one seems to ask why. Or is the answer so obvious that the question seems irrelevant?
Perhaps it is because unlike Marietta City Schools, the DC schools have not realized that the best place to find the answers to better education lies with empowering the employees closest to the process. Teachers, administrators and staff that do the job day in and day out.
The Professional Learning Community (PLC) process begun over a year ago continues apace at the building and district level. The goal is to seek excellence and duplicate it. Find waste and eliminate it. And in general create a more productive and rewarding educational experience for our students and the community.
Many of our staff invest time and talent to move the process forward. Their enthusiasm is contagious and their desire to move more quickly is understandable. But one does not change a culture over night. And that’s precisely what is happening. A change in culture.
The core concept of PLC is based around four questions. 1. What essentials must all students learn? This addresses curriculum, how it is defined and executed. Are we on the right path in our teaching?
2. How can we be certain students have leaned it? This question goes to assessment. How do we measure the retention and understanding of the material taught?
3. What do we do for those who haven’t learned it? This question addresses the needs of those students whose skills fall beyond standards and require modified teaching methods and equipment.
4. What do we do for those who have already mastered the material? In other words, how can we serve the needs of students for whom the material falls short of their level of interest and ability?
The PLC process was begun last school year under Dr. Baker’s leadership. Several teams traveled to other schools where the concept has been at work successfully. They learned about challenges and successes and brought the information back.
Mr. Young has met authors of books on the subject and worked with the process in other districts. He stated last week his full endorsement and support of carrying the concept forward for the betterment of Marietta City Schools.
Your board understands and endorses the PLC process as the best means of maximizing our resources and offerings to students. We are currently examining non-curriculum areas to determine our status and develop targets for achievement over time.
The model we create may evolve with input from the community and administrators. It is fair to say that our position of being outside the system brings its own value to the table. We don’t know what cannot be done so it’s all possible at this point. We suffer no preconceptions.
Doing this work is taking time and talent and commitment, and not a small dose of faith in the outcome. The larger group that represents all the buildings in the district met last week. There were 23 members present and reports on the activities of each building were given. Good things are happening even though some feel the desire to move more quickly.
New buildings that enable people to communicate more easily with peers would be a big help. That too will come but will have to await approval by the larger community. This group is ready for the future of Marietta City Schools.