The Peoria Public Schools Foundation hosts its 20^th Annual Golf Outing at the Country Club of Peoria next Monday, June 26.  This popular event includes a casual lunch, 18-holes of golf, dinner at the historic clubhouse, a silent auction and hole prizes including a chance to win a new car.  

The golf portion of the event is fully booked with a record-breaking 144 golfers.  Reservations are still available for the dinner portion of the day, featuring keynote speaker Andre Allen, Methodist College Coordinator of Student Life and Career Services, a graduate of Sterling Middle School and Richwoods High School.  Dinner guests can also bid on three Super-Sized Raffle Baskets containing gifts from dozens of local businesses.

Funds raised each year at the Golf Outing support the Foundation’s Classroom and Field Trip Grants and student scholarships.

In early May, a group of about 30 professionals -- Peoria Public School educators, retired educators and community and business volunteers – gathered for Action Team Leader Training specifically charged with developing a strategic plan for Manual Academy.  Former Peoria Public Schools Administrators Dr. Thom Simpson and Mrs. Cheryl Sanfilip are leading the effort.

Manual Academy principal Elizabeth Zilkowski and I are excited about the work of the Action Teams and about watching the implementation of their plans.

Manual Academy encompasses three separate programs: a middle school for grades 7 and 8; a 9^th grade Academy to provide students a smooth transition to high school, and a high school for grades 10, 11 and 12. Manual Academy primarily serves students from the 61605 zip code.   

The Manual Academy site planning follows a structured process beginning with the development of tactics. The tactics formed for Manual Academy are:

• We will develop and implement a professional development plan for Manual Academy.
• We will develop and implement a social/emotional curriculum and plan for Manual Academy.
• We will create and foster an environment that promotes pride and a positive school culture that fosters caring, promotes safety, models respect, and honors achievement.
• We will partner with the community to develop and implement a continuum of college and career opportunities for Manual Academy students using competency-based education.
• We will develop and implement a 9-14 Pathways in Technology early-college high school structure at Manual Academy.
• We will develop an Individual Learning Plans (ILP) and a process for implementation.
• We will create and implement a marketing plan for Manual Academy and the Manual community.
  
  

Each Action Team, consisting of four to six professionals, focuses exclusively on one tactic, brainstorming and defining specific criteria of successful implementation.  A result is only considered successful if it can be measured, observed and attained within one year. 

One tactic that may be unfamiliar to many in Peoria is the concept of a 9 – 14 P-Tech school.  P-Tech stands for Pathways Technology Early College High School.  Citing models from New York City and Chicago, Simpson and Sanfilip describe the schools where students graduate with two diplomas: a high school diploma and an associates degree in Information Technology (IT).  The examples studied were also teamed with IBM, which provided employee volunteers as one-on-one mentors for students and, frequently, the promise of employment when students graduated.  Although, Manual Academy currently does not have a similar corporate partner, we are hopeful to replicate that model.

Unlike traditional high school students, P-Tech students spend a significant amount of time during their upperclass years away from school participating in paid employment, attending community college classes, doing career-related volunteer work, apprenticeships or internships.

Our Manual Academy Action Team members are motivated and, most importantly, care deeply about the success of Manual Academy students. 

The Peoria Public Schools strategic plan specifies that we provide job-appropriate targeted professional development for all staff, aligned to support student achievement and school effectiveness. 

A project completed this spring by the Building and Grounds and Technology staff members makes accomplishing this goal easier, more efficient and more economical.  Over six months, what had been a cavernous furniture storage space at the back of the Peoria Public Schools Administration Building, has been transformed to a state-of-the-art, bright, open space for offices and staff training. 

The focal point of the space is the Professional Learning Center (PLC) consisting of two professional development classrooms and an open area to support small group trainings of up to 20 people.  The larger classroom, at 2,320 square feet, accommodates 100 people and the second, at 1,624 square feet, accommodates 63 people.

During the summer months, our PLC classrooms are in almost daily use for professional development training for principals, assistant principals, classroom teachers and other district professionals. 

Each of the two classrooms has a large screen display connected to a document camera and a computer, with additional connections available for presenters’ laptops, iPads, MacBooks, cell phones or tablets.  The rooms include large flat-screen monitors on the side walls to ensure all attendees, even in the back, can see presentations clearly. 

The rooms are equipped with microphones and speakers so attendees can ask questions and be easily heard by colleagues or anyone participating by phone or Skype.  The rooms have HP stream laptops available so attendees can interact during presentations and have wireless capabilities for attendees using their own device.

Peoria Public School staff members attend professional development programs on various topics several times each month.  Prior to building the Administration Building’s PLC rooms, programs were most often held in the commons at Woodruff Career and Technical Center (WCTC), a space with limited capacity, outdated technology and the need for several hours of custodial and technology staff work to set up and tear down.  Larger professional development activities were forced off-site. 

Much of the technological equipment housed in the PLC was donated to the Peoria Public Schools by Methodist College when they moved to their new campus in north Peoria in 2016.  In addition, the renovation labor was entirely performed by Building and Ground staff members, saving approximately $300,000 in labor costs.  Even the WCTC Construction Trade students pitched in by beautifully refinishing a large conference table that had already been in use at the Administration building. 

The new space also includes offices and a small conference room for the 6-members Office of Curriculum and Instruction and completely renovated restrooms. 

In addition to using the space for Peoria Public School professional training, the District will make it available for rent to outside groups and meetings. For more information or to secure a rental agreement, call 672-6536.

This weekend, 685 Peoria Public Schools students will graduate from our three high schools at ceremonies held at Bradley University’s Renaissance Coliseum. To date, Peoria Public Schools’ class of 2017 has accumulated nearly six million dollars in grants and scholarships. We have one National Merit Scholarship finalist and 44 State Scholars. Please help me in congratulating the class of 2017!

In recent weeks I have written about Equal Opportunity Schools (EOS), our effort to encourage under-represented high school students to enroll in Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses; Early College or dual credit courses and the Peoria Public Schools/ICC Strong Start program, in which students attend early college courses on the Illinois Central College (ICC) campus.

The principles of another Peoria Public Schools college-readiness program – Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) –  have been a growing piece for many Peoria Public Schools for the last several years. At the middle and high school level, AVID is an elective course which teaches study-skills methods. AVID is specifically designed to address the needs of students who will be the first in their families to attend college.

In the AVID elective, students learn organizational skills, study skills and critical-thinking skills. They also learn soft skills required for academic success in high school and college. For example, many students struggle simply to ask for help if they do not understand a concept. In AVID, students work with peers and college tutors to overcome the hesitancy to ask for assistance and guidance. 

I recently had a chance to speak with AVID teachers from Peoria High School, Richwoods High School and Manual Academy.  Below are some of their comments about the AVID program.

True leaders go on journeys and take others with them.

“The biggest improvements I have seen is the willingness of AVID students to collaborate and take on leadership roles in other areas of the school. The tutorials and collaboration strategies students learn in the AVID elective are used in courses schoolwide, and AVID students have confidence in their own ability to use those strategies. Through this increase in confidence, they are willing to share and take on roles within the school that are often uncommon in high schoolers. For example, our seniors led the AVID 8^th-grade recruitment, led Preparatory School for the Arts (PSA) events, were elected student council officers, wrote for the school newspaper and were athletic leaders. They are more likely to join clubs, activities and athletics.

The AVID students’ willingness to contribute and the self-confidence they display is particularly exceptional because these are not students that necessarily started at the top academically. Most of these students fall in the middle, and some might have been labeled as difficult. They may have needed extra support academically, socially or emotionally. AVID presents a family atmosphere that is unique. We aren’t racing to the top against each other but with each other.

Our AVID seniors achieved their goals by overcoming obstacles. They found their way from the middle to the elite. That achievement is extraordinary. Often students are not able to overcome the fear of failure or find a place of comfort within a large group to move into elite status. Our 2017 AVID seniors were able to move into the elite.”

Adam O’Neill, Peoria High School

Manual Academy’s ten graduating AVID seniors are attending Illinois Central College, Illinois Wesleyan University, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville and Western Illinois University, studying business, nursing, business law and political science. At Manual Academy, many AVID students begin the program in the 8^th grade. In their senior year, AVID students learn how to complete FAFSA, college and scholarship applications and to understand the financial aide and college loan system. They also go on college visits.

“Over the years, I have observed the AVID students inquiry techniques and study habits develop. They know the right questions to ask, they know what to study and how. The primary change I have noticed is the improvement in their organizational skills. The students monitor their grades regularly and proactively seek ways to improve their GPA.  Students tell me that the AVID program helps them stay focused.”

Mary Newman-Evans, Manual Academy

“Of the 21 seniors at Richwoods High School who are graduating from AVID,  100 percent of them have been accepted to at least one four-year college or university. Our students have been accepted to Illinois State University, Kentucky, Alabama, Jackson State University and the list goes on.

I am so proud of them and their hard work and determination. These students have taken the AVID elective for four years and I have watched them mature and grow into outstanding young adults. Not all of them have chosen to attend at four-year college, but they all know now that they have the potential to achieve great things in their futures, and I couldn’t be more proud to help them reach their academic goals. I am grateful to the Peoria Public Schools leadership and their belief in the AVID program. Without it, many of these kids may have fallen through the cracks.”

Phil Earhart, Richwoods High School

AVID provides another step toward realizing the Peoria Public Schools’ Vision -- educating and graduating each student prepared and inspired to contribute to the world.

I always enjoy hearing from parents and getting feedback on their experiences. I especially enjoyed receiving this kind note today!

Ms. Kherat,

I would just like to say thank-you for the amazing education you and your staff have provided for my children.  My daughter is a Senior at Richwoods and doing very well.  Thank you!  

Also, I would like to express thanks to Brett Elliot.  He has done just an amazing job this year at Richwoods.  (My daughter) has been excited and had the most fun this year with him at Richwoods.  We are lucky!  

She is leaving 150, but I have one more at Washington, then looking forward to her time at Richwoods. Washington has also been amazing!  Thanks to Mr. Poels as well.  

Sincerely,

Ms. Selle

This has been an exciting and busy week at the Peoria Public Schools.  I was truly gratified to present the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce the Annual State of the Schools address on Wednesday morning.  It was a chance to update stakeholders on the amazing progress the Peoria Public Schools is making toward the five pillars of our strategic plan.

There is much good news to share and I will start with this week’s highlights.  Last week, we learned that Richwoods High School is ranked 59^th in Illinois and 1,881 in the U.S. in the most recent U.S. News and World Report ranking of U.S. high schools. The ratings are based on state assessments and on how well students are prepared for college. U.S. News and World Report awards schools Gold, Silver and Bronze ratings.  Only three central Illinois high schools attained a Silver Rating: RHS, Dunlap High School and Tri-Valley High School. This is particularly impressive considering that RHS has low-income and minority student populations significantly higher than the other school districts.

On Tuesday, we showcased new machines donated by Caterpillar Inc. for Manual Academy’s Industrial Technology program that will give students the skills needed to find well-paying manufacturing jobs when they graduate from high school. Equipment rarely available to high school students, like the high-tech hydraulic tube bender and welding stations, represent just one-sixth of the $300,000 three-year investment that Caterpillar has pledged to the Peoria Public Schools.

Let me briefly highlight some of the other accomplishments I shared on Wednesday. Details, including the State of the Schools address and accompanying slides are available to download here.

• Although over 1,000 of our students are now walking to school and we experienced some inclement weather, our school attendance rates held steady.
• The number of students with perfect attendance rose 83 percent over last year to 581.
• Both the number of suspensions and the number of schools days missed due to suspensions dropped about 18 percent. Expulsions were down 60 percent.
• NWEA scores show growth in reading and math.
• According to the 5Essentials survey, the number of parents who are “very satisfied” with their child’s school and the number of respondents who would recommend PPS to another parent both rose by six percent.
• Also, according to the 5Essentials survey, 57 percent of PPS parents regularly read to their children at home and supervise their student’s homework both up from the previous year.
• PPS was one of ten Illinois districts chosen to pilot competency-based education which will move more students toward career-readiness faster.
• PPS participation in Equal Opportunity Schools (EOS), a program that works to enroll underrepresented students in AP and Early College or Dual Credit courses, is producing phenomenal numbers – the number of high school students enrolled in AP classes in 2017-2018 has increased 212 percent. Similarly, students enrolled in Early College or dual credit courses has increased 117 percent.  Research shows that students who complete AP and Early College courses are better prepared for the rigor of college classwork and are more likely to graduate from college.
• Our Peoria Pathways to Prosperity program is giving PPS students first-hand workplace experience through internships and part-time employment. Currently, 23 students are placed in work situations and over 50 other placements are either pending or available.
• PPS parents and family members are more involved as we work toward the fourth pillar of our strategic plan. Our monthly Parent University events drew hundreds of family members this year. Our school PTOs are more active and organized and we have established strong connections among the PTO groups from all of our schools and with our teachers and administrators.

As we raise the standard of academic rigor for our students, PPS teachers are meeting the challenge. The District currently has 73 National Board Certified Teachers and another 25 are enrolled in training.

We also, however, have 30 openings for teachers. This coming Wednesday, May 10, we will host a Hiring Fair at Woodruff Career and Technical Center (WCTC) from 2 to 6 p.m. Principals from each of our schools will be available to interview certified teachers or May graduates with certification pending. We also will be interviewing for school nurses, teacher aides and bus drivers.  The teacher shortage is a national problem which is why PPS is starting a new career pathway for students interested in becoming educators.  We can grow our own teachers and keep our students in Peoria as they become productive citizens.  I have asked our most recent Illinois Teacher of the Year, Kim Thomas, to help with this effort. 

I am confident this progress will continue and grow exponentially, particularly now that Alignment Peoria is up and running, with dedicated Governing and Operating Boards and a highly-skilled Executive Director, Catherine Coyle. If you would like to learn more about Alignment Peoria, I recommend taking the time to read the article in the May issue of InterBusiness Issues (www.peoriamagazines.com).   Alignment Peoria’s next step in creating systemic change within the Peoria Public Schools will depend on community stakeholders willing to serve on action teams to address specific obstacles to our success.  I invite you to become part of the solution.

2017 State of the Schools

2017 SOTS Slides

2017 SOTS poll results

Last week, 389 Illinois school superintendents, including myself, representing approximately 1.3 million students, stepped up our efforts to urge Illinois lawmakers to pass a budget and to fix the school funding formula.  Here are important points to consider regarding both issues: 

• Because of declining revenues, Peoria Public Schools (PPS) has made budget reductions in its Education Fund four years in a row – just to contain costs. Despite cutbacks, expenses have exceeded income each of the last four fiscal years – with no end in sight.

• Budget reductions have necessitated teacher RIFs and building closures.

• Since 2011, PPS has had $23.4 million of General State Aid withheld by the State.

• Because of insufficient revenue, PPS has not been able to operate its Education Fund in the black since the 2013-14 fiscal year.

• PPS revenue shortfalls have introduced cash flow problems that are exacerbated when State payments due the District go unpaid.

• Right now, the State owes PPS $7 million in categorical payments that cover day-to-day operating costs in our schools.

• Our District has virtually exhausted working cash reserves and had to take out a line of credit to compensate for the lack of funding – and we do not expect repayment of interest by the state.

• The lack of sufficient funding keeps us behind on competitive teacher salaries, leaving many positions unfilled and resulting in larger class sizes.

• Without funding reform, PPS will face further layoffs, building closures, larger class sizes and less than optimal learning environments that will become worse long before they are able to become better.

• A formula fix would mean our students – who are low income -- are no longer penalized because of the zip code in which they reside.

• A formula fix would significantly mitigate funding reductions we experience because of low attendance rates which are common in low-income districts like ours.

• Further, our students would see – and benefit from – smaller class sizes, more special classes like art and music, updated technology and textbooks. By offering stronger, more competitive salaries, we can attract higher quality teachers—another benefit to our students.

• Improved funding would afford our district much-needed options for extending learning time for students, and help provide a broader array of enrichment resources which research says is necessary in low income districts.

• The delay in categorical is causing some Districts’ bond rating to already be downgraded. This increases borrowing costs on debt, which gets passed in to local taxpayers. This is a huge concern for Peoria Public Schools. The unstable financial picture in Illinois government also raises our borrowing costs, just because we are Illinois-affiliated in the marketplace. This too, gets passed on to taxpayers. This especially impacts us since we will sell over $30 million in the bond marketplace during calendar 2017.

Please join me by contacting your state legislators to urge them to pass a budget and fix the school funding formula. 

Starting kindergarten is an exciting rite of passage for children and parents. The Peoria Public Schools Kindergarten Transition Fair, Saturday, April 22, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Woodruff Career and Technical Center (WCTC), 1800 N.E. Perry Ave., gives parents and children a great introduction to this important step. By finishing many registration details now, parents can be sure that the transition to school will be smooth in August.

• Principals, assistant principals and teachers from each Peoria Public School with kindergarten classrooms will be at the Fair to meet parents and children. Parents can learn details on uniforms, school supplies, schedules and lunches.
• The first 50 children in the door will receive a free t-shirt.
• Each new kindergarten student will receive a packet of books.
• Families will be able to complete registration paperwork. To register, parents must bring a certified copy of their child’s birth certificate, medical records and two proofs of address.
• Representatives from the Peoria County Health Department will help parents search online for birth certificates.
• Shuttles will be available to transport the first 15 families that make the request for immunizations and physicals, from WCTC to East Bluff Heartland Health Center to get all health services completed the same day.
• A light breakfast and lunch will be served.

Between late April and early August, each Peoria Public School with kindergarten classrooms will host a Kindergarten Open House to give parents and children a chance to visit the school, see their child’s classroom and meet teachers and other school staff.  The dates and times of each school’s Kindergarten Open House are listed on each school’s website calendar or you can download the complete schedule here.  Go to www.peoriapublicschools.org and use the pull-down Our Schools menu to find each school’s webpage, then click on the calendar icon for that school to find a calendar of events for each month.

Please help us spread the word that Kindergarten registration is open for all new students starting April 22^nd!

To support its vision of “taking pride in educating and graduating each student prepared and inspired to contribute to the world,” Peoria Public Schools is preparing to reimagine high school by developing a Competency-Based Education (CBE) Pilot program.

As announced by Illinois State Superintendent of Education Tony Smith, Ph.D. this week at Manual Academy, ten school districts, including the Peoria Public Schools, were selected to participate in the first cohort of Illinois’ Competency-Based High School Graduation Requirements Pilot Program.

Through structures already in place and outlined in the District strategic plan, we anticipate that the CBE Pilot will open a vast array of opportunities for students to be successful and complete their high school graduation requirements while also pursuing the pathway toward their college and career goals.

CBE is a new and evolving way of viewing secondary education and we are very excited to begin the process. In preparing the proposal to the ISBE to become a CBE Pilot, we used the expertise of our own teaching staff, including Mike Rhodes, Project Lead the Way (PLTW) career program coordinator at Richwoods High School, Manual Academy Industrial Technology teacher Andrew Rice and WCTC Construction Trades teacher Michael Brix, among others. 

CBE redefines high school graduation requirements in the form of competencies and performance-based assessments tailored to various career pathways. The competencies for the courses will be culled from Common Core State Standards. 

The goal of Phase 1 of the CBE Pilot is to identify the math, English, and science competencies related to the pathway capstone courses for the District’s high school manufacturing, culinary, cosmetology, construction and PLTW career programs, integrate them into the curriculum for those courses and develop the assessment measures to determine mastery of the competencies.  Students then can earn credit for the math, English, and/or science required for graduation as part of their career-related courses rather than requiring separate subject-focused courses. Integrated projects, combining academic instruction in math, English, and/or science and demonstration of the competencies will require flexibility.  The certified content area specialist will work with a career-based course instructor to define the competencies of mastery, but the course could be taught by either teacher.

Peoria Public Schools is also reimagining the students’ school day.  Having flexibility with clock hours will allow students to participate in blended project-based experiences, work offsite in a professional setting and work directly with experts.

The CBE Pilot initiative is expected to engage students who might otherwise drop out or find school irrelevant. 

Redefining Ready! is a national initiative launched by the AASA (The School Superintendents Association) to introduce new research-based metrics to more appropriately assess that students are college ready, career ready and life ready. Their website makes the powerful statement that students cannot be reduced to a test score. This assertion is reinforced by Peoria Public School district data that approximately 40 percent of students go directly to the workforce. We must equip those students with immediately employable skills while reducing the six percent dropout rate.

The work of Alignment Peoria and Pathways to Prosperity support these goals and are based on feedback from community stakeholders including businesses and trade unions. 

Our immediate course of action will be to identify teachers and a CBE leader for the District and developing a plan for professional development.  We anticipate rolling out the first CBE courses for the 2018-2019 school year.

With the CBE Pilot, the Peoria Public Schools are in the vanguard of a paradigm shift for secondary education that is taking place in public school districts nationwide.  I am excited and confident that this direction will bring lifelong success to our students and to our region. 

This week, we experienced an incident in our district that generated local media coverage and a large public following with help from social media and cell phone video. The spotlight on the district was not the publicity that represents the high majority of our students and staff. In fact, one of the things that an incident like this week overshadows and that doesn’t get reported is the number of incidents that get prevented through the diligence, care and personal relationships developed by our staff members. That happens on a daily basis in Peoria Public Schools.

Our schools are a reflection of our society. As a district, we know and take seriously the role our staff plays in developing relationships with students and parents, so that issues outside of our school buildings, fights and even weapons are not brought into our doors.  Providing a safe and supportive learning environment for all students and staff is our top priority. At Peoria High School, “Pride Time” or advisory is one time during each school day that each of the 150+ staff members meets with their assigned group of students, usually 15 or less for each staff member. They check in with each other, utilize curriculum to teach students behavior interventions, coping skills, self-confidence building, triage and conflict resolution. Staff at all 27 of our schools regularly participates in professional development around de-escalation techniques, conflict resolution and behavior interventions. When safety is compromised, our staff are trained for that, too. Our District’s School Safety Officers and School Administrators quickly stopped Monday morning’s fight involving five girls and dispersed them from the altercation. When one student grabbed her backpack and removed a knife to publicly display, threaten harm and refuse the commands of a Peoria Police Department Officer (housed at PHS full-time), the officer took action to protect the students and staff that surrounded the armed student.

While our investigation is ongoing, we have not found that this situation was linked to bullying. In fact, everything in our investigation has led us to believe the young lady that was tased was the aggressor. However, all students involved in the initial altercation face school discipline and/or arrest.

We have a process to address bullying that we believe works very well when followed. It’s a policy adopted by our Board of Education in 2013 and our administrators are re-trained each year in how to handle bullying complaints and situations. The process is available on our website (www.peoriapublicschools.org/nobullyzone), in our student handbooks and paperwork is available in each of our school offices. At PHS, daily and weekly announcements are made and sent home sharing with students that any staff member is available should they be experiencing bullying, a personal conflict or other personal situation. The school has a strong team that also works to build personal relationships with students, including four counselors, two social workers, one psychologist and five administrators. Student conversations happen daily and often lead to action plans being developed by the student and staff member so that both can play a part in resolving situations.

We define bullying as intentional, repeated harmful physical acts, words, or other behavior such as name calling, threatening, and/or shunning committed by one or more persons against another.

When a student or parent, or a staff member on behalf of a student, reports a potential bullying situation, we ask that they document details of the situation on a form. That form is reviewed by the school administrator. Our School Safety Department, Office of Social and Emotional Learning, Student Affairs Department and/or the Peoria Police Department is involved, as needed. Staff members work to address the situation as quickly as possible, whether that means bringing all parties together or working through a plan to assist the student so that they feel safe.

This year, through our new Office of Social and Emotional Support, we are focused on increasing supports through five researched-based competencies identified by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning or CASEL. 1) Self-Awareness; 2) Social-Awareness; 3) Relationship Skills; 4) De-escalation; and 5) Problem Solving. We have worked to identify ways we can better inject curriculum targeted to these areas into our learning day so that we can work with students more on the soft skills that they will need throughout the rest of their life.

In addition, over the last month, we have been planning a merger of our SAFE Schools and Day Treatment programs. Both have elements of social and emotional support for students, but starting next school year, we are looking forward to a full menu of supports for students in either program. Both programs will be housed at Trewyn School and a portion of the building will be dedicated to what we are calling the Trewyn Therapeutic Program. We anticipate serving up to 80 students total and providing access to a full-time counselor, social workers, Children’s Home Therapist, certified teachers, school safety officers, in-school health clinic and community partners. We want to partner with the outstanding medical and mental health facilities that are in our community to make this a full service program.

We are providing more resources to our students around social and emotional learning than ever before. We know that students must be ready to learn in order to see success in the classroom. We are committed, and hope that our community will join us, in providing whatever support is necessary to overcome obstacles a student may be facing. We are also committed to providing a safe learning environment for all students. While the spotlight might not always follow this important work, I am confident by keeping our focus, we can help more of our students find the spotlight shining on their successes.