Our Voices, our Schools - October 2009
This month we interviewed Vickie Fleming, Superintendent of Redmond School District.You are currently chairing Oregon's Race to the Top Design Team. What are you looking forward to most in the application design process?
The Race to the Top design process has provided an opportunity for the best minds in Oregon to come together and explore bold ideas and challenge the status quo. It has been a meaningful collaboration of teachers, researchers, advocates and many other perspectives tackling tough questions related to improving educational outcomes. It is a critical conversation that must continue over the next months and years, regardless of the money.
The Redmond School District has adopted a model of proficiency practice, which, simply put, is a way of giving students credit for what they know rather than how much time they spend in a classroom. How does one go about creating a culture of innovation in a school district?
It is my firm belief that a culture of innovation evolves by listening for wisdom from students, recognizing and nurturing the best practices of teachers and deeply understanding the story objective data reveals. It then becomes the work of the leaders to get out of the way, to remove barriers and celebrate success. The innovation happening in Oregon schools comes about through support of 'courageous leadership from the middle' and allowing great ideas to flourish from the classroom up.
Your district was also the recipient of a CLASS design grant. What sorts of goals or objectives are you bringing to the design process?
We are committed to teamwork and delving deeply into the support of professional practice. An honest exploration about what gets us to better outcomes will be tough but well worth the effort. Understanding the art and mastery of teaching and learning is an evolutionary process that requires courage, discipline and dedication. We are grateful for the time and support to push ourselves on behalf of students.
