The Starfish

There is a story that is near and dear to me; I have heard it and told it myself many times- as a matter of fact, I used it at our recent convocation. Many of you know it too. No matter how many times I hear it, this story serves as a lesson to us all about children and education.

There was a man walking along the water at sunset when he came upon a vast stretch of beach where thousands of starfish had washed up during a recent storm. In the distance, the man could see a tiny figure making quick, purposeful movements. As he walked closer he could tell that the person on the beach was a little boy who was picking up the starfish and throwing them back into the water. When the man finally reached the little boy, he asked “What are you doing”. The little boy replied “ I am throwing back these starfish so they can live”. The man replied “Look at all these starfish. You can’t possibly make a difference.” The little boy smiled quietly and threw one of the larger creatures well out over the breaking waves. “It sure made a difference to that one,” he said.

The lesson that this story teaches us is NOT that only some can be saved, but rather if we all work together, we can make a difference in EVERY child’s life- even if it is just one at a time. After the hard work of 2007-2008, we were thrilled to see that our school system has one of the highest percentages of schools making growth under the state’s ABC model in southeastern North Carolina- including Pender, Brunswick and New Hanover counties. I can assure you that a lot of starfish throwing made this happen. Our staff made the commitment to reach every child in a meaningful and engaging way, and the effort paid off handsomely.

Even though we made great strides, our work is not over. It is simply not enough to stop with just some of our students succeeding. This year we have put forth new initiatives that will build upon our past successes.

First, we will put a focus on Instructional Technology. One of the mistakes of the past (and present for that matter) is assuming that sticking technology in the hands of teachers (or students) without any purposeful direction is a recipe for disaster. We will give teachers the training they need to take students “beyond the powerpoint” , allowing students to create content with technology through podcasts, videos and blogs. We don’t want our students to be passive users of technology, but rather active creators using technological tools.

Second, all of our staff will utilize “High Yield Strategies” . These are scientifically proven tactics that are shown to raise achievement, like cooperative learning and consistent reinforcement. The goal is to utilize these strategies in such a way as to facilitate all learning styles.

Third is the development of Professional Learning Communities. Simply put, this is the process of bringing educators together in groups to assist in developing learning strategies for each student. More than just meetings, PLC’s will focus entirely on instruction and will allow all teachers to have input on the most effective ways to reach our students.

Finally, we hope to increase our parent involvement. We have discovered that the most important resource we have as educators is our parents. We need assistance at home and at school- but we strive to give all stakeholders a voice in how our children are educated. We hope to do this not just through PTA meetings and athletic events, but also through community roundtables and honest, one-on-one discussions.

Thank you for your support during the very successful year we had in 2007-2008. This year brings with it a new set up challenges, commitments, hopes and dreams. Our goal is a productive and bright future for all of the starfish that come ashore.

Please visit our website at www.columbus.k12.nc.us and I invite your comments on my blog at drstrickland.blogspot.com.