Superintendent's January NewsLetter
by Jay McCracken
January 19, 2010
Superintendent Newsletter
Jay K. McCracken
As we begin the second half of the school year in our Putnam County Schools, I am mindful of the numerous initiatives we have at work in our district to improve our students’ opportunities for the best education possible. In this newsletter, some of these programs and changes are highlighted.
To involve our community and parents in the crucial work of educating our youth, we have established a district wide parent advisory committee. There is one member from each community serving on this committee, and we believe this will be helpful in discussing issues that have positive impact on the lives of our students. This dedicated group has already created a parent survey that will be available on our district website, and we invite you to take a few moments to complete this needs assessment. This will be utilized to plan topics for our upcoming parent workshops. More information will be forthcoming regarding these new opportunities for parents and family members to attend workshops specifically designed for them.
During this second semester, the high school has designed an innovative approach to provide targeted assistance for students. Through grant funding, we have hired a language arts coach and a math coach to provide specific interventions for our students. Our staff has been working diligently to create a two-year School Improvement Plan for the high school, and we are excited to monitor the progress.
Throughout our school district, we have begun to offer ongoing professional development for our teachers. This high quality professional development is paid through grants, and we believe there is a strong correlation with this staff development and student achievement. Our staff members will even have the opportunity to take graduate classes here in our Putnam County Schools. These are compelling changes that should lead to improved education for our students.
To honor the heritage of our Putnam County Schools, posters have been designed with historic pictures of our schools. We appreciate the help of the individuals who assisted with this project. Those prints are available for $10.00, and they can be framed to create wonderful keepsakes.
As always, we appreciate the fine support from the community for our Putnam County Schools. Working together, we can continue striving to make our school district one of the finest examples of educational excellence in the Illinois Valley.
Yours in Educational Service,
Jay K. McCracken, Superintendent
