A
Message From Dr. Suellen Reed
Visiting schools across
Indiana this past year, I again witnessed the
increased dedication to education by administrators,
teachers, students, parents and community members.
The world we live in is
rapidly changing and becoming increasingly interconnected.
In order for us to provide an education that
will serve our students well into the future,
we must make certain students are well-grounded
in the basic tools that will enable them to become
life-long learners.
The basics we have always
learned have expanded beyond the knowledge of
how to read, write, add, subtract, multiply and
divide. We now must provide the Twenty-First
Century skills required in a global economy,
such as problem solving, critical thinking, collaborating,
using technology and understanding other languages
and cultures. At the same time, we must offer
a balance of art, music and physical education
along with an emphasis on citizenship and service-learning.
How do we meet this challenge?
Here are just a few highlights from local school
communities who are rising to the challenge:
- In Bloomington, a middle
school principal had to set a curfew when teachers,
parents and students were working together
on projects until late into the night.
- In Brownsburg, elementary
school students started a project to protect
Monarch butterflies that became a community-wide
effort.
- In Evansville, high school
students produced segments on local history
shown on public television.
- In Fort Wayne, Gary and
Muncie, teachers, school board
members and administrators took summer training
to
produce a balanced scorecard designed to better
measure the progress of their schools.
- In Rochester, computers
and teacher training were paid for in large
part by local business people who wanted to
help provide a New Tech High School program
for their students.
- In Spencer County, schools,
businesses, colleges and community members
worked together to improve educational and
workforce opportunities for the entire region.
- Across Indiana, our education
service centers are finding new ways to stretch
precious dollars further through expanded joint purchasing.
How do we do it? By working
together – better and smarter than we ever
have before.
Sincerely,
Dr. Suellen Reed
Superintendent of Public Instruction |
Home
