Memo to Dr. Hicks

To: Dr. Hicks - CEO of Racine Unified School District
From: The Greater Racine Community
Date: April 22, 2006
Re: 10 Traits of Highly Effective Schools


We came across this list of traits of highly effective schools and thought it would be helpful to you. Our suggestions on how to acquire these traits are included.

1. The principal is a strong instructional leader. He/she sets the school agenda, communicates the mission of the school, determines what gets measured and noticed, and distributes the resources.

Please note that the principal is a leader in an effective school; not administrators in Central Office. We need the decisions made by the principals for our schools to be effective. Our schools are unique; the one-size-fits-all approach is not working and the principals are the best resource to make the right choices.

2. The teachers are well-trained, motivated and know their subject matter. They respect their students and have high expectations for their achievement, and teach using methods that produce results.

The average age of a RUSD teacher is 48; this fact will lead one to believe that the majority of our teachers have numerous years of experience and continuing educational credits. Instead of valuing their years of experience and different teaching styles, you brought in consultants to retrain our teachers to deliver the curriculum in a way that is uncreative and only promotes mediocrity.

3. The students are motivated, disciplined, eager to learn, self-directed, and respectful of their peers, their teachers, and their parents.

RUSD does not have control over what kind of student enrolls, but you as a superintendent, do have the power do make sure that children who choose to act violently towards their peers and teachers are removed. Expulsion, not another Responsibility Training session, is needed when children act so violently that we need to have 3 police officers in each of our high schools.

4. The parents are involved in the life of the school in real and important ways.

Again, this is something that is hard to mandate. With that said, your attitude when parents approach administration with concerns is disturbing. You, as the leader of this district, need to take some responsibility and admit that your directives are not working.

5. The school's standards are academically focused, rigorous, comprehensive, clear, and measurable. They call for students to learn material and demonstrate skills that grow increasingly more difficult as they progress through school.

NWEA-MAP testing is an excellent tool for measuring a student’s annual progress. However, there are not any measurable goals. How can we hold you accountable if we do not understand what goal we are working towards?

6. The school has a solid academic curriculum (the teaching materials and methods that are used in the classroom) that is focused on student learning.

Our curriculum is sound, but as mentioned earlier, the teaching methods mandated by your educational reform plan does not allow the teachers to teach in a creative way. The teaching methods of CP (teaching 2 small groups alternately) does not allow for teachable moments. While one small group is being “directed” by the teacher, the other group is working independently. These children cannot address their questions in a timely manner, thus making it difficult to master the information that was presented to them in their earlier “direct instruction” allotment of teacher time.

7. Academic achievement and educational excellence are top priorities. The successful school pushes students to achieve, accepts no excuses, and has requirements and expectations for all students.

Far too long we have accepted that because we are a large urban district, we should expect lesser results from our students. To imply that only white middle-class children can learn is insulting. If different teaching methods are needed to close the achievement gap; please allow the schools to use those.

8. The school's mission is academically focused.

Our district’s focus does not seem to be academics; it is about labor unions, contracts and our “business partners”. We delay the purchase of textbooks as a budgetary adjustment, instead of insisting that the district employees pay a more equitable share of their health benefits.

9. A network of communication channels keeps information flowing back and forth between and among principal, teachers, students, and parents.

Information is not flowing freely; there seems to be a dam built by administration. We have heard from parents, board members, and teachers that information is not shared with them. Meeting agendas, complete with “board packets” should be available via the district’s website. More town hall meetings and focus groups should be held; not committees with the same corporate-sponsored members dictating policy. The schools belong to all the citizens of eastern Racine County; not just the hand-picked corporate lackeys.

10. There is agreement about what constitutes acceptable behavior by staff, students, and parents.

There is much discussion about this lately; apparently violence is running rampant in our schools. Many teachers state this is a direct result of the Responsibility Training that was implemented in our schools. We need to return to schools that provide a safe and welcoming environment.

We urge you to consider these recommendations; both our children’s and Racine’s future depends on the success of RUSD.

Adapted from Ten Traits of Highly Successful Schools, by Elaine K. McEwan, ©1999