RESTRUCTURING DEJA VU

We wanted to acknowledge one of the comments placed here regarding the restructuring and how some of these changes seem like the same things that have been done before.

Read the comment below:

New positions are being created "Collaborative Engagement Specialist" and as quoted from a letter sent to principals
"Next as an entire District, we will begin learning about Direct Interactive Instruction (DII) in the next few weeks. Members at all levels of the organization will be involved at varying degrees. Of course, teachers, school based administrators and central office departments —

those that work closely with schools, students, and instruction — will be the first to participate in this learning.

Additionally, we will identify and train 120 certified teachers that will form a pool of potential Direct Interactive Instruction (DII) Coaches. After initial training, we will select 60 highly qualified individuals from this pool of 120; these 60 will receive additional training and will serve as DII coaches on our campuses. During the 2016-2017 school year, these DII coaches will concentrate their work at approximately 1/3 of our campuses. An additional 1/3 of our campuses will be added in each of the subsequent two years. Please note that ALL principals and assistant principals will be actively and fully trained as the first cohort is launched this year.

We are in the process of identifying this cohort of 120 candidates to attend the "pre-coaches" training as a first step to selecting the 60 DII coaches. The turn-around is short, but I know that I

can count on you to help me recruit teachers whom you believe would make strong instructional coaches. These DII coach positions will be content neutral; DII coaches will be experts in the

'moves" associated with Direct Interactive Instruction and will work with teachers of all content areas and all grade levels."

For those of you who have been in the district a long time, this reminds us of the changes made with the literacy coaches, learning networks, specialists, etc.  Now you have this new program or approach that is to fix everything and you are playing musical chairs to get people to commit to this when the district cannot commit to them or to the schools.  The biggest thing is everything being controlled from central office.  Wouldn't it be better to give the allocation to the campuses and let them control, work with the individuals to help the school.  Once again, you are placing more red tape into the schools and this is nothing new, just another program, more expense, more chiefs and not enough indians.  So you have some campuses start and then the next year something new will come up, so don't expect consistency at all.  Some schools will have to wait longer to get help and as Ms. Moss said, we always have to wait until the results are back to then say something about it.  Recall the last board meeting video where Sorum could not tell her how the district is doing and what can be expected.