Tullahoma City Schools: The beginning of the beginning

Tullahoma City Schools: The beginning of the beginning

At Tullahoma City Schools, Tullahoma, Tennessee our orientation is changing. We are moving from looking inward to looking outward.  Old thinking had learning happening inside. Our emerging thinking is that learning can happen anywhere at any time with empowered learners who own their learning. Projects and “homework” are no longer done for an audience of one-the teacher-but shared with the world.  In this new modality, students demonstrate content proficiency, moving from consumers of content to creators of content. This is the beginning of the beginning of Tullahoma City Schools moving from GOOD to GREAT!

TCS is a system 3,500 students on seven campuses; 4 elementary schools, two junior high schools and one high school.  Historically, each elementary and the two junior high schools operated independently of each other.  From each “silo”, students moved through the system into the high school.  TCS has been very good on graduation rates and students going on to college and careers.  The new desired way forward is for students to move from conformity and order to creativity, collaboration and imagination.  The change in thinking: It’s not what company am I going to go work for, it’s what industry and new jobs am I going to create

Beginning at the beginning: Bel-Aire, East Lincoln, Jack T. Farrar and Robert E. Lee Elementary Schools.

TCS is seeking emerging practices and new research. We are taking lessons learned from others, evaluating and synthesizing them into our new design for learning. No use reinventing the wheel. 

East Lincoln, Jack T. Farrar, Robert E. Lee and Bel-Aire elementary schools are each investigating different learning concepts. East Lincoln is working on relationships and building GRIT with Ringbeller.  Partnered with St. James Regional Catholic School (Pennsylvania), Bel-Aire is working on distance learning.  Farrar is focused on physical space to support learning and Robert E. Lee has been tasked to explore personalized learning in elementary.  The plan is that lessons learned from all investigation and research will be shared throughout TCS and become part of our thinking and design.  This builds capacity and gives each campus an opportunity to contribute new thinking to share with colleagues. Each has an important part in redesigning teaching and learning.

Teachers learn best from teachers!

In previous posts, Harrisburg CSD (Sioux Falls, South Dakota) elementary instructional structure and design was shared.  On February 8, 2019 a TCS TEAM was on site at Harrisburg CSD as part of the due diligence in bringing this to Tullahoma City Schools. TCS teachers, leadership and a board representative saw firsthand this design in operation. Further exploration and dialogue will either affirm the plan or will reveal the need to go a different direction. A second TCS TEAM visit is scheduled for March 8.  What has been observed by our school leadership seems very promising.

Tullahoma High School, East and West Middle Schools: redesigning teaching and learning.

Tullahoma High School, and East and West Middle Schools are pushing the envelope. With site visits to Arlington and Collierville (TN) school districts completed more are being scheduled.  The overarching goal to help students discern their passions and connect them to professions.  Our actions are in concert with and supports Tennessee Governor Lee’s priority in creating a STEM-ready workforce.

Accomplishing this means thinking outside the box and creating a flexible system that positions and empowers young people to start the next chapter in their lives. TCS is up for the challenge.

A snapshot of what learning looked like last week at TCS!

The Next 100 Days

The next 100 days

From November 1, 2018 to February 8, 2019, 100 days have flown by.  TCS is quickly moving from the “READY” phase to the “AIM” phase.

A quick look back at the last 100 days

The priorities have been to earn trust, create relationships and cast a vision with stakeholders: the Board, community members, administrators, teachers and students. Foundationally, we are establishing a sense of urgency and need for change based on reviewing the current state of the District, identifying strengths and areas of growth potential. 

The District’s direction forward has been cast: “…to provide challenging and innovative experiences that support each child’s academic, social and emotional development, preparing them to live with integrity and a sustained passion for learning.”  To THINK, LEAD and SERVE.

The target year of 2025 (72 months) has been set as to when Tullahoma City Schools will be transformed; when the class of 2025 ( current 6^th grade) graduates they will be the best prepared, most recruited kids on the planet.

"Wildcat Drilling" dialogue with staff has provided insight and perspective as to where TCS has been and where we are at this point in time.  Throughout the conversations there was an emerging consensus that what has been done to educate kids has been good, but going forward, things need to be done differently in order for TCS to be GREAT!  There is excitement about going forward, but it is mixed with trepidation about WHAT to do. It’s hard to go “where no man has gone before” and be first. 

From school site visits, investigation of emerging research, and self-reflection, the case for change has been established. From EdCamp Gig City, to personalized learning in South Dakota, to observation of how Maury County School's physical classroom space is configured to support 21st century learning, change capacity at TCS is building.

What we know today

The next phase to focus “AIM” is the creation of the TCS strategic plan to reach 2025. At the core, a district’s strategic plan, is the how and why to preparing and empowering young people. Affective strategic plans have aligned goals and objectives with measurable action steps.  The strategic plan needs to be a living document with flexibility, centerpiece to all operations of the district. Constantly referred to and reviewed, it is the district’s compass.

Impacting the District strategic plan includes the realization of what the world looks like and how education fits into it. The Future of Jobs Report 2018 Economic Forum identifies ubiquitous high-speed mobile internet, artificial intelligence, big data and cloud technology as the impactors of work in the near future.  “Industry 4.0” refers to the combination of several major innovations in digital technology, all happening NOW. Advanced robotics; artificial intelligence; sophisticated sensors; cloud computing; the Internet of things; data capture and analytics; digital fabrication (3D printing) and software-as-a-service are reshaping work.

Navigating and flourishing in this new normal cannot be achieved without life balance and a strong moral compass. Developing relationships and strategies for healthy living are crucial.

Relationships and Building the TCS Brand

To reach the goal of preparing all kids means moving from looking inward to looking outward. This means building relationships through partnerships, networking and looking over the horizon. It means connecting TCS to the community and beyond.

During the last 100 days, connecting with Southern Central Waste Services, Schmiede Corporation, Micro Craft Inc.  and GP Strategies has been a great beginning.  With over 120 high precision design and manufacturing facilities in our area, along with Motlow Community College, University of Tennessee Space Institute, Arnold Air Force Base and the plethora of forward-leaning business and industry, potential partnerships are endless!

What is learning in K-12 going to look like?

The industrial factory model structure of learning is giving way to something new. This “something” is a work in progress, yet to be fully defined. Emerging thinking is that teaching as well as learning is moving from “one size fits all” to individualized, personalized learning. It is moving from teaching to the masses to empowering students to take ownership in/of their learning. It is moving students from being consumers of content to creators of content.  The question is, what will this all look like?

TCS is actively seeking examples of emerging practices and pedagogies.  Recently a TEAM from TCS traveled to Harrisburg, South Dakota to see how they are empowering and personalizing learning in grades 2-5. Simply amazing! We will take their lesson learned and fold it into our thinking.

Redesigning secondary learning continues to be explored.  Tullahoma High School has a rich tradition with high academic achievement. The challenge will be to maintain excellence while at the same time retooling to meet the needs of ALL students. Lots of research and examination will happen in the next 100 days!

 TCS is turning into the wind!