Tullahoma City Schools: To infinity and beyond!
The Tullahoma City School District has much to be proud of.  With WILDCAT alumni ranging from country music star Dustin Lynch to Rhodes Scholar Grant Rigney to Major League Baseball pitcher Bryan Morris, along with many National Merit Scholars and productive, contributing citizens, Tullahoma City Schools has a rich heritage. 

The TCS Board of Education recognises, values and celebrates past accomplishments but has come to the realization that the world has changed. Now, 19 years into the 21st century, having built upon past accomplishments, the way forward for TCS is to evolve teaching and learning so as to prepare kids in a modality that reflects the "new normal".  

November 1, 2018: Beginning of the Beginning  
November 1, 2018 - February 8, 2019 -100 days, Assess where we are at, identify strengths, opportunities for growth, build trust and cast a vision. To reflect on what we are now, get altitude, look over the horizon and discern what we want to become. 

Current kindergarteners will graduate from high school in 2032. Living in a time of accelerating change, in just 13 quick years, these young people will enter into a new world.  Keeping in mind that the iPhone did not exist 11 years ago, it is hard to imagine what their "normal" will be.   

To prepare and empower our young people for this, TCS as a system must reinvent itself. Old paradigms and outdated mental models must give way to fresher approaches to teaching and learning. TCS is not alone in this conversation; the process is occurring globally. TCS has the opportunity be the "edge of the cutting edge" and to figuring it out first.  

100 Days: Building Urgency and Momentum 
The first 51 days has been to make the case for change, create a sense of urgency and build forward momentum. In November the TCS Board of Education crafted and rolled out the mission statement:

This declaration gives the District direction and mandates that TCS will "support EACH child's academic, social, and emotional development." The ultimate goal "to prepare each child to live with integrity and a sustained passion for learning" is inspiring!  

Building "urgency and momentum" means creating capacity for change through reflection and learning. It means turning focus from inward to outward. What does the world looks like? How do we align our instructional practices to the real world? 

It means discerning "future shock" and deciding locally, here in Tullahoma, Tennessee, how to best serve, educate and prepare our young people.  This is our responsibility, nobody else's.  

Steps forward in the first 51 days, besides the Board Retreat to create the Mission Statement, have included:

"WILDCAT Well Drilling" also known as exploratory drilling, is the process of drilling for oil or natural gas in unproven or fully exploited areas that either have no concrete historic production records or have been fully exploited as a site for oil and gas output. A Roughneck's duties can include anything involved with connecting pipe down the well bore, as well as general work around a rig. To date two "WILDCAT Wells" (focused conversations) have been drilled with "Roughneck crews" from the District level and schools principals. A third "WILDCAT Well" conversation will be drilled January 4, 2019, with at least three more well drillings (conversations) to follow.

A TCS TEAM of educators attended the Future Ready Summit in Atlanta, Georgia.The TEAM had the opportunity to connect and collaborate with visionary education change agent and author of "Learning Transformed" Tom Murray. The TCS TEAM also connected with education redesign thought leader Jimmy Casas. All had their thinking "stretched'!

Collaborating in Tullahoma, leadership from Apple Computer, TCS Board members, Principals and District leaders focused on embedding technology into learning. The big "takeaway" from the exchange was realizing the difference between passive and active use of technology for learning.  Passive being low level thinking and doing vs. Active being creative and engaging. Additional realization was that technology is a TOOL and like any tool, in the hands of a master teacher, can enhance learning. Technology is NOT A SILVER BULLET! 

"Scouting parties" of TCS Board Members and Educators visited TN schools in Maury County, Arlington and Collierville to observe what classroom teaching and learning looks like in other districts. The openness and hospitality was very much appreciated. 
                

TCS educators also learned at the Tennessee Technology Educators Association (TETA) conference last fall. There they connected with teaching and learning innovator and author Eric Sheninger. Eric not only co-authored "Learning Transformed" with Tom Murray but also wrote "Digital Leadership".  The TEAM not only brought back to Tullahoma City Schools new thinking but relationships, adding to our learning network!

The next 49 days... (as of January 4, 39 days) 
The next 39 days the work will continue to "make the case for change, create a sense of urgency and build forward momentum."  This will include earning trust and creating relationships with stakeholders: the Board of Education, the community, administrators, teachers and students; review of the current state of the District; identifying strengths and areas of growth. From this a solid foundation will be built! 

The groundwork is being laid to launch 

Tullahoma City Schools

"TO INFINITY AND BEYOND"!