Dr. Fuhrman's "State of the District" -CHUFSD Budget Saturday, March 12th, 2016:
CLICK HERE To watch VIDEO of Dr. Fuhrman's speech“I find the
great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what
direction we are moving- we must sail sometimes with the wind and
sometimes against it- but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at
anchor”
Oliver Wendell Holmes
Dear Members of the Croton-Harmon School Community,
This is a time of great change in the State of New York regarding the education of our children. Expectations are high, as illustrated by the Common Core Learning Standards and New York State’s attempt to revise them. Funding
of schools is difficult, fueled by a tax levy cap that takes away the
right of a community to decide for itself the level of local financial
support that is acceptable. We live in a time where our
children have been subjected to high stakes testing with assessments
that in some cases are not appropriate.
In the midst of these churning seas of change, we in the
Croton-Harmon School District remain focused on what is best for our
children. We have a clearly articulated mission and vision that serves as our compass to navigate the sea of changes all around us. Our
laser-like focus on mission and vision points the direction. It
describes what kinds of learning experiences we must deliver for our
children. It guides our actions, including the formation of our budget.
We want our students to be contributors to society and to be lifelong learners. We expect them to be respectful to all. We desire them to become effective communicators, problem solvers, and researchers who are responsible for their own learning. If
we expect these outcomes, then we need to provide our students with
learning experiences where they apply their knowledge and skills. We need to provide opportunities where they collaborate with each other. We must also assess students in these 21st Century skills.
At CET, we introduced a world language experience for fourth graders this year. We will continue this program in 2016-17. Also
at CET, we introduced the What I Need (WIN) period where every child in
every grade can receive the individualized experiences they need.
At PVC, we introduced a number of integrated
Science/Technology/Engineering/Math experiences where students could
apply their learning. We also worked on self-directed instruction. Both of these experiences are consistent with our mission and vision and will continue in 2016-17.
At the high school, we introduced a computer science program. We will add AP Computer Science in 2016-17. We are also offering a Fundamentals of Engineering course and a refined grade 12 English program in 2016-17.
To keep our laser-like focus, in 2016-17 at each of our
schools we will continue to develop common grade and course assessments
where we use rubrics to assess students in communications, problem
solving and critical thinking. We also will develop a new Five Year Plan to move into 2016-17 and beyond.
I am pleased to report that the proposed 2016-17 budget provides us with the tools to move forward. In
tough financial times, the board of education and administration are
presenting a budget that preserves all programs in the school district. We
will continue to utilize technology to support student learning and
engage in instructional practices that encourage student engagement and
metacognition.
We will move on A Forward Path towards our mission and vision. We will continue to sail ever forward, regardless of the barriers in our way. Ever forward, for to “drift or remain at anchor” are not acceptable options.
Sincerely,
Dr. Edward R. Fuhrman, Jr.
Superintendent of Schools
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