Before the lights come on

Every day before many of us are out of bed, something special is happening at the Ozark School District.  The Ozark School District transportation department employees have the lights on, diesel engines warming and are performing pre-trip inspections on our route busses.  Many of the drivers leave out under the cover of darkness to do one of the most important tasks of the day. 

The mission of the transportation department is simple; we want to deliver our students safely to and from school in order to maximize each student’s educational opportunity.  We will go a step further and say we want to do it with a sense of excellence and pride. 

Recently, I had the honor of riding through the snowy mountains checking road conditions for the Ozark School District with transportation director Mr. John Bennett.  It is clear within minutes that Mr. Bennett’s knowledge level concerning effectively transporting students in the Ozark School District is off the charts.  He explains the difference of the road conditions from town to the mountains as we’re heading north always emphasizing the safety of our students in his descriptions.  Mr. Bennett is accurate in his description and his knowledge level is very high, but the thing that impressed me the most is how personal student safety is to him. 

The bus drivers that make this happen every day share this same passion.  Ozark School District busses drive 18 different routes, approximately 1250 miles a day in a 400 square mile rural, mountainous district.  Generally speaking, we have very few problems and incidents.  It is really a phenomenon that takes great planning and cooperation between families, community, government, school district employees and our students.  This is a great testament not only to our transportation department, but to our community and families as well. 

Mr. Bennett and I concurred that a lot happens in Ozark School District before the lights come on in the buildings. 

I am sure this is true in each of your personal and professional lives as well.  Training, preparation, goal setting, planning and cooperation happen mostly out of the spotlight, in the trenches and away from the crowd.  It has been said that successful individuals and organizations spend more time preparing than they do performing.  I am thankful that our teachers, administrators, food service, transportation and Ozark School District staff are committed to doing just that. 

Thank you Mr. Bennett, drivers and the rest of the Ozark School District transportation staff for the efforts you make daily to transport our students in a safe and orderly fashion.  Thank you to the families of our students and the students themselves that make a great effort daily to be at the bus stop on time.  Maximizing the educational opportunity to the students of Ozark School District takes great planning, preparation, talented employees, parent support and cooperation.  Thank you for doing your part to make this happen!  I say this often, but it is so true; Together We Are Strong!  Go Hillbillies! 

Collaboration

Collaboration is a word heard often in today's world of education.  You hear of teachers collaborating, administrators, school boards and communities collaborating.  I'm hearing more and more about student collaboration.  Collaborative learning to be exact.

According to Wikipedia, Collaboration is working together to achieve a goal.  It is a recursive process where two or more people or organizations work together to realize shared goals, (this is more than the intersection of common goals seen in co-operative ventures, but a deep, collective, determination to reach an identical objective) — for example, an intriguing endeavor that is creative in nature by sharing knowledge, learning and building consensus. 

Don't you think this is where our strength lies?   Working together to achieve a goal sounds simple, but often it is very challenging.  The people involved have to be willing to listen and contribute to the project.  Goals have to be identified and roles have to be assigned by the group.  Resources have to be assessed and maximized.  Teammates have to be accountable and dependable. 

There are a lot more things that could be included in this list I know, but one that has to be on the list is leadership.  In the case of collaborative learning, it simply will not work without it.  Our teachers, administrators and staff at Ozark School District are committed to providing great leadership to our students in this regard.  I'm thankful for your involvement and influence in our students' lives.  Thank you for being committed to equipping our students with the tools they need to be successful in the classroom and life. 

Collaboration:  Isn't this what many of us do every day as adults?  Working on projects together, identifying roles, organizing tasks, pulling resources together, being dependable, depending on your teammate to do their part, supporting one another in the task at hand, researching best practices, proposing solutions and being accountable to your work...  It only makes sense to continue to instill these skills into our students' daily lives and curriculum. 

This isn't a brand new idea, I'm thankful for the teachers in my life that taught these skills.  It is an idea that is receiving a lot more print and emphasis as our schools systems begin implementing Common Core State Standards and a whole new teacher evaluation system.   Push forward, collaborate and equip our 21st century learners with the skills to do so! 

Together, we are strong! 

The Little Things

We've all had many opportunities to encourage and impact others' lives.  As parents, educators, families and friends this is what drives many of our thoughts and actions.  We look for ways to encourage and enhance other peoples' lives.  This is often accomplished through the way we spend our time and making wise decisions on the "little things" in life.  I don't know what these are for you, but in my personal life right now having dinner with my young kids and wife is an important little thing.  Playing basketball, catch, fishing and going for rides on the farm are other little things in my life that I have to be intentional about.  They don't just happen like I always thought they should. 

If I'm not careful, I'll go to work, work some more in the evenings, check and respond to email, eat something on the run for dinner and fall into bed exhausted just to get up and do it again the next day.  This is what I refer to as "the grind."  It's easy and a common thing to get so busy, that the "little things" slide.  However, "common" isn't good enough, not for something this important in life.

The same is true for working in school.  We have so many students that come to us from a wide variety of backgrounds.  We take them as they are, every day into our buildings and classrooms.  It's easy to be focused on what has to be done every day; curriculum, standards, lesson plans, conduct, the schedule of the day, the challenge of working with students and "the grind"...  If we're not careful, we'll miss out on some of the most important opportunities we have every day to impact lives.  I don't know what this means for you professionally.  For me, this means getting out of the "Superintendent's Office" and spending time with the students and staff, entering their world in the classroom and on the campuses of our schools.  This is an important thing that I don't want to miss out on.  It's the most enjoyable and rewarding time for me professionally.  It's also a great time to problem solve, provide feedback, direction, gain perspective and understanding as well as build relationships. 

I'm proud of the talented students and staff of Ozark School District.  I'm proud that we provide student centered learning environments and that we are always working on ways to enrich the culuture of learning inside our schools.   I'm proud we have staff members that "play catch" with our students and look for ways to impact their lives.  I'm proud that those same staff members have high standards and that they hold students accountable.  I'm proud that OSD desires a strong relationship with the families of the students we serve.  These things are exciting and at the end of the day, students win in this environment. 

I encourage you to be intentional about the things you value the most.  Be proactive and guard against "the grind" at home and school.  Make wise decisions about the "little things" in life, they're often what matter most.  Invest deeply in others' lives.  Live the life you are called to live and leave the legacy you were meant to leave.

There is a quote on my desk that says,"Your date book is your creed.  What you believe in, you have time for."  Truer words were never spoken... 

Together We Are STRONG!  Go Hillbillies!

EAST Lab

Great week at OSD!  We had our annual report to the public and regular monthly board meeting on Monday.  All of the building principals, curriculum coordinator and a few teachers had great presentations for our board and audience.  It was a great night. 

Many wonderful things were discussed and acted on and I'll mention a couple of Board items. 

OSD board of directors awarded a contract for a new Safe Room.  I'm excited about getting this project off the ground in the very near future. 

We also discussed Coordinated School Health and making this a priority for our school district.  Ozark has a lot of great leadership in the area of school health services, Coordintated School Health will help coordinate all of our efforts and look for new ways to meet student needs. 

I got to visit the Ozark Middle School EAST lab today.  This place is really innovative and engaging.  The students are currently working on a "Hillbilly" Mobile App for I-Phones or Android systems.  They're making great progress and are looking for more ideas and things to add.  If you have suggestions as to what you might like to see on the Hillbilly App, let us know!

This is a great example of some Project Based Learning going on in our Middle School. 

Have a great week!  Go Hillbillies! 

OSD Superintendent's Blog

Hello!  I am very excited to start a new way to communicate with you as Ozark's Superintendent of Schools.  This is my first blog, so I don't really know what I am getting into here...  :)  My intention will be to keep you up to date on Ozark School District happenings and open new doors of communication and interaction.  I appreciate the support you provide the students of Ozark School District.  Together We Are Strong!  Check back often for updates.  Have a great weekend!