Tullahoma City Schools the next 100 Days: Mission Update

Mission Update

February 9, 2019, we began the next phase of transformation and change. Now 43 days into the next 100 days, it’s good to pause and look back at the momentum TCS has moving into Spring Break 2019. 

Good things happening!

In the days leading up to vacation, Bel-Aire Elementary opened and dedicated their Ben Carson Reading Room.  Bel-Aire Bees are excited to use this transformed space for reading and are THINKING BIG!

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” was the focus at the Jack T. Farrar Elementary Career day. Farrar Frogs not only had guest career speakers come on campus, but they also went into the community to see first-hand Tullahoma opportunities.   Having the Vanderbilt Hospital Life Flight helicopter land at the school, as well as Tullahoma Fire and Rescue, and Coffee County EMS on site, made the day special.  THANK YOU to ALL community members who made this happening possible.

The TCS Fine Arts Night was AMAZING! The clay works and paper baskets, artwork in various media, altered books, instrumental and vocal music very much showcased the talents of our young people.  

To have TCS band members selected to play with our guests, the U.S. Navy Band, at the high school speaks to our student’s musicianship and the commitment of our directors. 



District direction forward: Personalized Learning

A second TCS TEAM visited Harrisburg School District in Sioux Falls, South Dakota to learn more on personalized learning.  Though our focus was on the elementary, this trip did include visits to Harrisburg Middle and High School to see what personalized learning looks like at the upper levels.  We have identified three steps in creating a model to make this an option in Tullahoma: select a team of 4 teachers to pilot this and a physical space to do so, align 2^nd through 5^th grade curriculum, and identify the needed pedagogy and instructional tools.  

The TEAM has been assembled: Brett Petty from Farrar, Jenifer Bean, Ashley Davis, and Rhonda Stevens from Robert E. Lee elementary. REL principal Woody Dillehay and TCS Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Director Susan Fanning are supporting the initiative.  The next big lift is the curriculum alignment piece. The goal is that prior to Spring Break 2020, information will be provided to parents who then can choose to participate. The start date for the model is the fall of 2020.  

District direction forward: Board of Education Work Groups

The elected Tullahoma Board of Education is entrusted to create direction, policy and governances for the Tullahoma City Schools.  Among the Board’s responsibility is the hiring of a Director of Schools, empowering and holding the Director accountable to make operational the mission of the District. Board Work Groups provide opportunity for BoE members to collaborate, investigate, fact-find and verify actions taken and/or being considered. Working with the Director of Schools and District Staff, findings are reported back to the full Board.

Board and Director Relations: Amy Johnson, Gigi Robison, Kim Uselton

This work TEAM is charged with drafting goals for the Director of Schools, monitoring progress made and providing feedback to the Director.  It is also a means for the Director of Schools to offer feedback to the BoE.

Budget and Finance: Kim Uselton, Pat Welsh

This work TEAM is charged to advise on the Budget, with focus on expenditures and operational costs. It serves the function of insuring resources are allocated to support the District’s Mission and Vision.  It collaborates with the Director of Schools to forecasts future revenues, resources and obligations.

Buildings and Grounds: Teresa Lawson, Dr. Steve Lynn, Pat Welsh

This work TEAM collaborates with the Director of Schools and other District staff to oversee the assessment of current physical space, maintaining current buildings, prioritizing work to upgrade buildings, and projecting future building and classroom space. 

Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment (CIA): Jessica Fogarty, Gigi Robison

This work TEAM is charged to engage with the Director of Schools and other District staff to observe that curriculum, instructional practices, and assessments are aligned.

Policy and Governance: Amy Johnson, Teresa Lawson, Dr. Steve Lynn

Board Policy and Governances are ever changing.  (two separate words when used as a verb phrase) This work TEAM is charged to engage with the Director of Schools and other District Staff to review Board Policy and governances to insure practice and protocols are aligned and up to date.

Public Relations: Jessica Fogarty, Amy Johnson, Gigi Robison

This work TEAM is charged to engage with the Director of Schools and other District Staff to define and enhance the District’s brand.  This includes, but is not limited to, the

overwatch of the District’s social media footprint, serving as an ambassador of the district, and interfacing with elected and community leaders to share TCS accomplishments and advocate needs.

Tennessee Department of Education TCS visit

Two groups of representatives from the Tennessee Department of Education conducted onsite reviews during the week of March 11, 2019. This is part of the Tennessee DoE practice of getting into the field and giving Districts feedback on practices and procedures.  Bel-Aire and East Lincoln elementary schools shared practice, Special Education protocols were examined, and Tullahoma High School was reviewed to insure compliance with Office of Civil Rights legislation. 

The TN DoE TEAMs provided good feedback and helped to identify areas of growth. They were extremely complementary of the staff and their professionalism, as well as the involvement of the BoE in support of our schools. Thank You, Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Director Susan Fanning, Special Education Director Dr. Tammy Hatfield, Principals Scott Hargrove, Dr. April Norris, Kathy Rose and CTE Coordinator Dr. Shari Zimmerman for your efforts and attention to details in preparing for this.

What’s next?

After Spring Break, it will be a sprint to the end of the school year!  It is important we run hard and finish strong!

Developing the District 5-year Strategic Plan

Already in the works and affirmed as good business by the DoE site visit team, the TCS BoE continues to draft the District’s 5-year strategic plan.  The strategic plan is the foundation, the roadmap on how the District’s mission to “provide challenging and innovative experiences that support each student’s academic, social, and emotional development, preparing them to live with integrity and a sustained passion for learning” will become operational. The plan will align resources and actions.  More information will follow.

Iowa and Nebraska site visits

 A TEAM for THS will visit Iowa and Nebraska, touring CTE and High Schools and gleaning ideas to bring back to Tullahoma. The focus is on empowering learners, identifying their passions and connecting them to professions.  While in Iowa they will attend the State 1:1 conference.  The THS TEAM will leave Sunday, March 31 and be back Wednesday, April 3^rd.  Findings will be shared in later Blog posts.

Tullahoma and the Tullahoma City Schools are on the move! 

Tullahoma City Schools: Moving from GOOD to GREAT

Tullahoma City Schools: Moving from GOOD to GREAT

Tullahoma City Schools has a rich tradition of academic excellence and achievement.  The world has changed, and as such TCS realizes that to continue to prepare and empower our young people to THINK, LEAD and SERVE, it must evolve and change as well. 

The “why” TCS exists

20^th-century educational design features included the importance of learning to read so one could then read to learn. There was not the same emphasis on math and the target for students exiting K-12 was to be college and career ready. The three “Rs” (reading, writing, and arithmetic, of which only one began with an “R”) were the foundation to learning.

21^st-century educational design features must include: Science-knowing how things work in nature, ability to use Technology tools to create and learn, Engineering-thinking on how to design and create and Mathematics-the language of logic and explanations. STEM connected to the Arts, Transliteracy coupled with healthy life choices along with opportunities for community service address the whole child, body soul and mind.

21^st-century Generation Z kids need new opportunities and outcomes. Along with college and career ready, there is a need for creators and entrepreneurs.  TCS is seeking to create a K-12 system to teach students how to learn and create so they can create and learn.

Strategic Planning 
Since November 1, 2018 the Board of Education has been in constant conversation regarding what TCS needs to become.  With the Mission statement crafted and approved, the Board is now focused on the vision and core beliefs.  With a look to the future, the Board is discharging its responsibility to create policy and governances. 

Scouting parties

The transformation of teaching and learning is happening globally. There are emerging practices, pedagogy and protocols with promise, but nobody has it figured out yet or has been able to take it to scale.  TCS will figure it out.  

Research and investigation are ongoing into what elementary teaching and learning could look like. A second TCS TEAM will be visiting Harrisburg CSD in South Dakota to see their structure and how they are providing elementary instruction. Thinking about how this could be piloted here at TCS is ongoing.  Robert E. Lee Elementary does have a physical space similar to what Harrisburg CSD is using. This could accommodate one pilot group of four teachers (roughly 85 students).   Three R. E. Lee teachers and one teacher from Jack T. Farrar have volunteered to explore further and may possibly be the pilot teachers.  It is important to do our due diligence, and should this initiative go forward, it would begin in the 2020-21 school year.  If the pilot proves successful, based on parent choice, it could be expanded for the 2021-22 school year. More information will follow.

This spring more energy will be focused on Middle and High School research and investigation.  TCS secondary representatives and board members have already been to Arlington and Collierville School Districts (TN) to see how technology is being infused into instruction and what their 1:1 environment looks like.  Recently BoE member Gigi Robison and secondary representatives toured the Chattanooga (TN) STEM School.  Principal Tony Donen shared his inspirational thinking to “move the bottom up and take the top off students learning”.  More exploration and fact-finding is coming. Stay tuned.

Shout-Outs

The Bel-Aire Bees’ entry into the Future Ready Video contest was recognized as a Notable School Features and shared on the Future Ready website.  This is a GREAT example of kids creating content and sharing their story. OUTSTANDING.

AristoCATS: THANK YOU for being ambassadors for Tullahoma High School and also the city of Tullahoma. Wonderful kids doing wonderful things! Congratulations on your achievements and accomplishments! ROCK ON!

Tullahoma is lucky to be represented at the state capital by Senator Janice Bowling. Her voice and commitment to rural Tennessee is inspirational and is helping to move us forward! Her support of Tullahoma City Schools is greatly valued and appreciated!  THANK YOU!

Momentum is Building!

Be sure to follow the TCS story on Twitter at #TCSPublic

Reading ROCKS!  
Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!