Community Forum Update 2.8.12 February 8, 2012

Dear Edison Community,

As part of the ongoing series of community forums intended to strengthen the school, parents and teachers met last week to check in on our progress and plan the next steps ahead.  As a refresher, we identified 5 key challenges last spring and created solution teams to address each one:

1. Developing school-wide buy in for a shared vision
2. Improving school-wide communication
3. Creating a safer environment for everyone
4. Ensuring all students at Edison thrive under one roof
5. Ensuring all teachers are supported to delivery high quality instruction

Having made great progress on the first three items early in the year–with many thanks to the talents of parents and teachers alike–we have been narrowing in most recently on the last two solution teams.   Thankfully, the teachers and leadership team created an Under One Roof proposal that by most accounts did an exceptional job of addressing the hopes and concerns from the forums, and outlines the last two Solution Team’s approach to the challenges identified last spring.

At our meeting on the Feb. 2, we discussed the feedback people had received about the proposal, which was generally very positive, and what steps to take to finalize the plan this year and begin implementing it with a bang next year.  Please see the full minutes of the meeting by clicking here:

Edison Forum Summary 2.2.12

The CSC will finalize the plan at their meeting on March 1st.  Please share any thoughts you might have on the proposal with me or your CSC representatives in advance of  the meeting.

As we wind down the work of the forums for this year, the group of dedicated teachers and parents who have taken part are excited about plans for how to keep the positive momentum going into next year.  Keep a look out for an exciting Special Edition Newsletter coming in March with a complete report on the work of the year and exciting plans for next year.

While we prepare for the final passing of the forum’s torch–er, flip chart markers–back to the talented teachers, leaders, and parents at Edison, I stand in awe of the dedication and passion you all have shown to coming together as a community on behalf of all of your children.  While there is more ground to cover, your journey has been an impressive example of what happens when people unite their individual interests under a common cause.

With warmest regards,

Bill Fulton
The Civic Canopy
bill@civiccanopy.org

Forum Update 12/7 December 12, 2011

Dear Edison Community Forum Participants,

The Forum on December 7 proved to be a much needed turning point in our community process.  The staff presented an overarching plan for the school to address the concerns we have been surfacing in past forums (see attached proposal and the summary of forum comments on it).  While building on much of what is working at Edison already, the proposal addresses many of the specific concerns that have been friction points throughout the year.  In particular, parents in the audience appreciated the commitment on the part of all staff members to get further training in how to meet the needs of Gifted and Talented students.  This was explained as both a way to meet the specific needs of HGT/GT identified students, but that it will ultimately benefit all students by raising the bar of expectations and the means of support for all learners.  This commitment to professional development, combined with a continued use of flooding and cluster grouping of students, and the addition of more flexible project-based learning across all classrooms in the upper grades, was met with great enthusiasm.  People commented that this proposal not only shows a deep commitment to maintaining the HGT program, but an equally deep commitment to breaking down the barriers that people have felt between programs and people at Edison.

At the end of the evening, I asked each person in attendance to reach out to 5 people who weren’t there to talk to them about the proposal, and about the shift in the tone of the conversation.  I am pleased to say that many have clearly done this already, based on the emails I’ve received from those who couldn’t’ be there but were excited by what they see in the proposal, and by the more hopeful turn in the tone of the conversation.  I hope each of you will continue these conversations as we find ways to refine and improve the overall proposal.  We will schedule more forums as needed to do so, and make sure the best possible proposal is brought to the CSC for final approval.

On a personal note, I want to say how inspired I am by the commitment so many of you have made to working through these difficult issues. While I know some have grown frustrated along the journey, and even lost hope at times, I would encourage you to check back in at this point.  Not only are the solutions beginning to emerge, and the energy growing more positive, but the importance of broader buy in is now at the critical stage.  So much of the long-term hope for achieving the school’s vision hinges on a coordinated effort to row in the same direction, and to benefit from an upward spiral of possibility rather than being caught in a downward spiral of pessimism.  As people grow more hopeful, we tend to support each other better.  Teachers feel this support, and become more effective in the classroom.  As classrooms come alive, parents have more reason to show support, and so it goes.

While it wasn’t  fair early in the process to simply ask you to have faith while we sorted through the challenges, at this stage, as solutions are developed that address those challenges, it is vitally important for everyone to work toward these common goals.  Each time someone steps up to say “I’m in,” it makes it easier or the next person to do so.  I hope that in your conversations in the dropoff lanes and on the playground with fellow parents, and in the hallways with teachers, you will continue this positive momentum, inviting others to join the effort.

We won’t meet again before the holidays, so let me wish you all the best of times with friends and family and I can’t wait to begin again in the new year.

With my warmest regards,

Bill
The Civic Canopy
bill@civiccanopy.org

Edison Forum 11/17/11 November 22, 2011

Dear Edison Forum Participants,

Many thanks to those who came to last Thursday’s forum and who spoke honestly and openly about your hopes and concerns for moving Edison forward toward the vision of having all children thrive under one roof.  For a summary of the comments from the evening, click here: Edison Forum Summary 11.17.11

As each person used their allotted time to share his or her thoughts, I sensed that people were really trying to listen to each other’s needs and perspectives, and while there are strong differences of opinion—which are often held passionately—there is also a strong commitment to the community of Edison.   A number of parents made the point that while they acknowledge the importance of thinking of the needs of all children at the school, they first need to be assured that the needs of their child are being met.  Sally spoke eloquently about the challenge of addressing all of those concerns at once, especially while everyone is eager to get to solutions quickly.

As the evening closed, and as emotions ran high, it was clear that we need to move a bit more quickly and deliberately into the solution stage.  As you recall, the forums are helping to explore all the best options for program designs at Edison—including the HGT program—to ensure that all students are getting the best education possible.   We had originally discussed exploring all possible options and weighing the pros and cons, but parents were eager to hear from the teachers what they feel the best models are for working with all kids at Edison.  So we will begin the conversation at the December 7^th forum with a presentation of the staff’s ideal design for meeting the needs of all students at Edison.  We hope you can join that solution-oriented discussion!

Best regards, and a Happy Thanksgiving to you all,
Bill
The Civic Canopy
bill@civiccanopy.org

Edison Forum 10/13/11 October 29, 2011

Dear Edison Community,

Many thanks to those who attended the recent forum to discuss the different ways HGT programs can be designed to meet the needs of students.  This conversation was part of the broader theme from the work of the forums around finding a way to “ensure all students in all programs at Edison thrive under one roof.”  The minutes can be downloaded here:

Edison Forum PTA Mtg 10.13.11

This discussion was the first step in the ongoing process of determining the best way to configure the different programs in the school to meet all the students’ needs.  We will continue the conversation at a series of upcoming meetings, November 9 and December 7, to help explore the questions, challenges, and opportunities inherent in meeting the unique needs of all learners within the same school.  These forums will help inform the decision the CSC will make in the spring regarding the overall configuration of programs in the school.  We hope you will join the conversation and lend your ideas to the planning process.

Best regards,
Bill Fulton
The Civic Canopy

Edison Community Summit Update September 27, 2011

A big “Thank You” to everyone who attended Saturday’s summit—a key moment in the ongoing forum process at Edison. Here are the minutes: Edison Community Summit Minutes 9.24.11 and I welcome your feedback to make sure it captures in both word and spirit the important work you did on Saturday.  I realize that there were many more who would have loved to have lent their voice to the dialogue but schedules would not allow.  We hope you will read over these materials, reach out to those who were there to hear stories, and continue to stay involved in the upcoming PTA forums and Community Gatherings listed on the school’s new and wonderful website (http://edison.dpsk12.org).

Two of the big takeaways from Saturday were a confirmation and slight upgrade of the mission/vision statement, and a thoughtful discussion of the values that it implies.  I was inspired by how respectfully people took on some of the issues that have simmered below the surface, and when brought to the light of day, how they gave way to deeper understanding and a deeper commitment to closing the various gaps that exist between different groups of students.

I hope you have already marked your calendars for the October 13 PTA meeting, which will include a reprise of Sally’s overview of school wide data, a sharing out of some of the dialogue from Saturday’s discussion, and the beginning of an inquiry into the model for an HGT program that best lives up to the school’s mission, vision, and values.

Best regards,
Bill

Edison Community Gatherings August 15, 2011

As a response to the Community Forum discussions on communication and school vision, Edison will hold monthly Edison Community Gatherings. Edison Community Gatherings are scheduled for the first Thursday of every month from 3:30-4:30 PM. Representatives from the Community Forums, PTA, CSC, Parent Engagement committee and school leadership will gather on the playground or in the library to meet with parents informally.  Children can play while parents share thoughts and ideas with the PTA/CSC parent leaders, teachers and school leadership. These Community Gatherings will not be decision making meetings, but rather opportunities to share concerns, raise issues, and discuss how to ensure that Edison provides a quality education for all students within a safe and positive school culture. We believe that the Community Gatherings will:

• Provide a monthly gathering designed to create a culture and climate of respectful communication
• Create a space to surface and address issues
• Support continued evaluation of achievement of our school mission

Results of the conversation with be posted on the website for everyone to reference. Please join us!

7.26.11 Forum Follow-Up August 4, 2011

Dear Edison Community Members,

It was great to see everyone last week to map out the next steps in addressing the issues raised in the June forum.  My sincere apologies for the delay in getting this information back out to you, but on the “Documents to Download” page you will find:

• General minutes from the forum
• A summary of the various proposals from the “Solution Teams” regarding each of the core issues identified at the June forum
• Pictures of all the flips charts shared by those teams
• The original proposals that were used for the small group discussions at the forum
• A roster of attendees, including any solution teams they signed up for (I hesitate to send out the full contact list with emails and phone numbers, but will assist solution teams to connect with each other).

With the start of school just around the corner, now is the critical moment to turn discussion into concrete action that will lay the foundation for an outstanding year.  Among other things, the attached plans contain some great ideas for using Back-to-School night as a key outreach opportunity, and for hosting a visioning forum early in the year to help set the tone and provide guidance for the other solution teams.  Some of the teams designated a contact person for the team, and others did not. If you are willing to serve in that role over the next few weeks, please let me know.  We will find a time to either sit down together or hold a conference call before school starts to review these plans and make sure all the pieces come together.  As the Solution teams take shape based on the recommendations the groups presented, it will then be easier for everyone to plug into the process as much (or as little J) as they like.

Thanks again for all of your hard work to move this forward and to help make this the best year possible for Edison.
All the best,

Bill

Bill Fulton
The Civic Canopy
bill@civiccanopy.org

Edison Community June 9, 2011

Dear Edison Community,

I wanted to extend a sincere thank you to everyone who attended the forum on Tuesday night, and who weighed in via online survey in advance.  While we hope to hear everyone’s voice as this process unfolds, the 65 people who were able to attend shared a wide range of perspectives on a set of important issues and committed to reaching out to those not in attendance going forward.  Judging from the feedback cards you will find transcribed in the Edison Forum Notes 6.7.11, there was general agreement that the forum met people’s hopes for establishing a safe and civil atmosphere for moving forward on a shared vision for Edison, and some helpful critiques to improve future meetings.

On this webpage, created to share information from the Community Forums, you will find the artifacts from the meeting, the ground rules we used, minutes from the discussion, and a powerpoint we used to provide an overview and to capture input on the top priorities from the group.

A planning team will be reviewing this information to develop recommendations on how best to address the issues that were raised, and will share a draft plan for revision at the next community forum on Tuesday, July 26.  Please mark your calendars now, and we hope you will plan to attend.

If you are interested in being involved on the planning team before then, please contact me at bill@civiccanopy.org or 303-292-3144.

Thank you all again for your thoughtful and civil participation.  Edison will be the stronger for it.

Best regards,

Bill Fulton
The Civic Canopy