The Moment Before the Splash

As I write this entry, I am looking at the calendar. We have 52 instructional days until our district's standardized testing window opens for reading, math, and science. Our writing standardized test is next month. There is a great deal of energy on campus. The teachers are very protective of their instructional time right now, and I am very protective of the school instructional time. Teachers are volunteering their morning time and their after-school time to provide tutorials for our children. AND, we just concluded our campus-wide data chats where I met with every single teacher and we discussed not only individual student progress but also class data trends and their action plans for the students. I have to admit, it was extremely rewarding to see some of the learning gains and progress being made by students at our school. Some students had line graphs that very steeply showed growth. 

Now we working very diligently to ensure success for our students, and I see evidence of it everywhere. But, I also have a huge lump in my throat, and I become very serious when I reflect on our school grade.  When I received my opportunity to be principal at our school, the school under previous leadership had been graded a B by the state of Florida but was actually very close to a D. The best way to explain it is--the state gave schools a safety net this year and only allowed them to drop by one letter grade. In all actuality, we were a C and only 9 points away from a D. Yikes. 

I have been at a D school in the past, and that school worked extremely hard to improve, and I assisted in the school moving from a D to a C and finally a B. It is a great feeling to reap the rewards of such hard work. However, the stigma that is applied to a D school is difficult to overcome especially with students and families leaving the public school system frequently to attend the charter schools. Our teachers and staff would like to avoid the stigma and all that comes with it. They deserve the best because they are an awesome, caring, and giving faculty and staff. Our students are lucky to have great teachers and staff to serve them.

So, I swallow hard and try to keep my positive viewpoint. However, I am a person that LOVES analogies. When I sought to describe how I am feeling right now, a memory from earlier this year came to my mind. During our fall festival this year, I volunteered to be in the dunking booth. It was a sunny day, but the water was cold, and I don't know anyone who enjoys that dunk in the frigid water. Sitting there on the board, I smiled and waved at each customer as they paid their money and got to throw the ball that might send me plunging into the water. Now, as I await the scores coming in later this year.....I have to compare it to this:

The Moment Before the Splash