New Spring-Ford Super Addresses Community

Spring-Ford Area School District Superintendent David Goodin wrote a letter to Spring-Ford parents and community members in light of his taking over the position for 2011-2012. The letter was posted on the school's website last week.

Dear Spring-Ford Area School District Community,

As I begin my tenure here as Superintendent of Schools, I would like to thank the community for the warm welcome that my wife and I received upon our arrival. In talking with many of you, I sense that your greatest desire is to have an outstanding school district, and that second best is not good enough. Your passion for education is exciting and I want you to know that I share it as well – my goal will be to make our school system one of the best in the nation.

With that said, becoming the best at something doesn’t usually happen without change. While I realize that change and transition can be uncomfortable, I believe they are necessary if we are to take Spring-Ford Area School District to new heights. My job in the coming year will be to identify areas where improvement is needed. To accomplish this, we intend to conduct a community survey that will help us establish baselines in areas such as student-and-teacher engagement and customer satisfaction. In the near future, you will be contacted and asked to participate in such a survey. Once completed, the results will be shared publically and operational plans will be put in place to target areas where change may be necessary.

While these surveys will take some time to develop, one area in which I hope to immediately effect change is the gulf that exists between theory and practice. I encourage you to tune in to the next episode of “Supe’s On,” where I will discuss this topic. It is the quality of instruction that has the single most significant impact on student achievement in the school setting. Effective school leaders have a tremendous impact on the quality of instruction in the classroom by providing guidance and input into instructional practices. However, many building level and central office administrators do not traditionally teach in the classroom once they enter leadership positions. As a result, a gulf exists between theories developed at administrative levels and how practical it may be to put these theories into practice in the classroom.

A new initiative at Spring-Ford, Administrators With Class, is intended to change that. Administrators With Class will return administrators to the classrooms, filling in for absent teachers, once every grading period. This unique opportunity to teach will provide administrators the opportunity to put theory into practice as well as connect with students and teachers in a way that bridges the traditional gap between those in the classroom and building principals. So when your child comes home and says “the superintendent/principal was the teacher today,” they will be correct.

I expect this to be the first of many changes we will see going forward and want to remind everyone that by working together as one, community members, School Board members, administrators and faculty and staff members can help promote a clearer purpose and mission for our district that will drive our improvement efforts. Thank you once again for your kind welcome and enthusiastic support of the Spring-Ford Area School District. GO RAMS!

Sincerely, Dr. David Goodin

Superintendent

The school board will reconvene this month. Its first meeting is on Aug. 15.