You Can’t Innovate Without Asking the Difficult Questions

During my 15 years as Superintendent, I have always been grateful for the passion and perseverance of our teachers. They are curious. They welcome a challenge. They never say “good enough.”

Curiosity, Courage and Skill Can Change the World

As the year winds down, I ask myself — how can I capture the strides our students made in 2017-18? And the answer is: I can’t. Every day is filled with new challenges, small discoveries and giant leaps in achievement. As I look back on the year, a few things stand out — our students’ insatiable curiosity, their willingness to use what they’ve learned to try something new and their genuine interest in trying to improve the world around them. I could pick from numerous 2017-18 projects, but two of the most recent are fresh in my mind: the research of the DCE Middle School STEAM Team and the Construction Trades’ completion of the Habitat for Humanity house.

Opportunities Beyond the Classroom Are Priceless

Do you remember the field trips you took as a student?

Preparing Our Facilities — and Students — for the 21st Century

On April 3, residents in the D.C. Everest Area School District will have the opportunity to vote on a referendum that would allow the district to issue up to $59.8 million in general bonds to expand and upgrade facilities in order to meet the needs of 21st century teaching and learning, improve safety, ensure equitability, extend the life of our facilities and reduce utility and operating costs.

Our Students Do Make a Difference in Our Community (and beyond…)

When most of us think back to our early years in school, we may remember sports, clubs, tests, friends, dances or a favorite teacher. How many of us remember community service projects?

Introducing Our New Pilot Project: The Multi-age Elementary School

For the past several years, the D.C. Everest Area School District has integrated innovative educational initiatives — such as personalized, independent, collaborative and hands-on, project-based learning; career and technical education; STEAM; student voice and choice — into our traditional classrooms.

Empowering Students to Choose Spaces Where They Learn Best

If you’ve visited some of our classrooms, you will notice that the traditional grid of desks, with the teacher seated at the front of the classroom, isn’t as common as it used to be. On any given day, those desks may be clustered in groups or pressed against the walls to create space — based on the day’s lesson and the need for individual or collaborative study.

Adding Our Voice to the Global Conversation — Alaska Public Radio Showcases Riverside Elementary Podcast

Last week, Mrs. Treptow’s fourth grade classroom at Riverside Elementary ventured into the homes of Alaskans (and Iditarod fans around the world) thanks to Alaska Public Radio (APRN). Josh Edge, who hosts the Iditapod (a podcast devoted to the Iditarod) on APRN, showcased the Riverside Elementary students’ I-Kid-a-Pod podcast.

The Importance of Financial Literacy — Preparing Our Students for Life After High School

Why is Financial Literacy a requirement at DCE? A few years ago we realized our high school students did not feel prepared to manage their own finances after graduation. They often felt overwhelmed about a skill that can play a critical role in their life — so our District made it mandatory for all high school students to take a ½-credit Financial Literacy course of their choosing.

Student Accomplishments Can’t Be Captured with One Test Score — We Are Redefining “Ready”

Those of us who graduated a decade or two ago (I must admit three) might struggle to recognize today’s classroom: furniture and spaces are arranged to encourage group collaboration, teachers are often seated among students (not standing at the front of the classroom) and it tends to get “noisy” as students share thoughts and ideas or peer-review one another’s projects on their iPads.

A Select Invitation to Washington, D.C. — DCE is Leading Educational Transformation

Recently, I had the honor to represent D.C. Everest at an event that gathered educational thought leaders from across the nation. The invitation for this one-day event, which took place in Washington, D.C., consisted of just 14 superintendents. Yes, let that soak in for a minute — 14 superintendents from across the United States.

How Do We Prepare Students for Careers That Don’t Yet Exist? Build a STEAM Culture for All.

Chances are, you’ve heard about STEM courses of study and careers — those that involve Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Now before you say to yourself, “This blog post isn’t relevant to my child — s/he isn’t interested in those subjects,” I encourage you to read on.

After Visiting Silicon Valley, I Know This: D.C. Everest Can Run with the Best of Them

I had the privilege of collaborating with some of the nation’s most respected superintendents to discuss the challenges and opportunities of utilizing digital tools and content to improve professional development for teachers while improving personalized learning for students.

More than a Football Game — Celebrating Hope, Possibility and the Future

Last week, as I celebrated the D.C. Everest homecoming tradition with students, families, alumni and members of our community I was struck by the “bigger picture.”

And Away We Go….

As Superintendent of the D.C. Everest Area School District, I have the honor of representing our students, teachers, staff, parents and community at a wide range of events across the state and nation. I also have the distinct pleasure of visiting our schools — participating in classroom projects, listening to student presentations or getting a lesson in the use of the latest technology — and attending DCE sporting events, musicals, exhibitions, plays, book launch parties and award ceremonies.