Post by Chris_Wendt on Jan 17, 2012 14:09:53 GMT -5
...and this loss should 'hurt' more than blowing a sports championship.
gardencity.patch.com/articles/garden-city-middle-school-to-present-best-practices-in-albany
Back in the day, Wantagh was pre-eminent in all things Middle School. We were the "Go-to" district for visitors literally from around the country who wanted to get Middle School right.
Our heady former glory days also reflected our trail blazing with the inclusion concept or model, also in our Middle School.
Well, the halcyon days seem to have faded into memory (thus making them 'halcyon' days). Now it is Garden City's turn to shine as the "Go-to" district for Middle School excellence across the Empire State, if you can translate "best" to "excellence".
Oh, and Garden City gets $10,000 for being "best" at doing Middle School these days.
However, in the overall scheme of things, this thread should be read as being less about Middle School but primarily about "best practices" in all things education. Of course, to determine "best" practices in anything you need a minimum of three participating (districts) partners, up to a maximum of the entire universe of school districts in our (quadrant, county, state, nation) relevant region.
So, as an example, to determine the best practice for proctoring tests, you would stack up Wantagh's proctoring practices against Levittown's and Seaford's proctoring practices. The two district's practices among all three that were not deemed the "best" would be dubbed "good" and "better", relatively. Good, better, best. Like that.
But, in order to determine best practices, three or more districts need to meet and talk and actually work together at this. Which sounds to me like an excellent way for school district leaders to spend their time, as opposed to some other, less productive pursuits.
The flip side of best practices is the head-in-sand approach, alternatively known as "just good enough" practices, because, hey, that's the way we've always done (this, that, those other things).
I suppose some of Wantagh's Middle School personnel will trek to Albany in March to learn how Garden City does what Wantagh used to do better than anybody, anywhere.
Chris Wendt
gardencity.patch.com/articles/garden-city-middle-school-to-present-best-practices-in-albany
Back in the day, Wantagh was pre-eminent in all things Middle School. We were the "Go-to" district for visitors literally from around the country who wanted to get Middle School right.
Our heady former glory days also reflected our trail blazing with the inclusion concept or model, also in our Middle School.
Well, the halcyon days seem to have faded into memory (thus making them 'halcyon' days). Now it is Garden City's turn to shine as the "Go-to" district for Middle School excellence across the Empire State, if you can translate "best" to "excellence".
Oh, and Garden City gets $10,000 for being "best" at doing Middle School these days.
However, in the overall scheme of things, this thread should be read as being less about Middle School but primarily about "best practices" in all things education. Of course, to determine "best" practices in anything you need a minimum of three participating (districts) partners, up to a maximum of the entire universe of school districts in our (quadrant, county, state, nation) relevant region.
So, as an example, to determine the best practice for proctoring tests, you would stack up Wantagh's proctoring practices against Levittown's and Seaford's proctoring practices. The two district's practices among all three that were not deemed the "best" would be dubbed "good" and "better", relatively. Good, better, best. Like that.
But, in order to determine best practices, three or more districts need to meet and talk and actually work together at this. Which sounds to me like an excellent way for school district leaders to spend their time, as opposed to some other, less productive pursuits.
The flip side of best practices is the head-in-sand approach, alternatively known as "just good enough" practices, because, hey, that's the way we've always done (this, that, those other things).
I suppose some of Wantagh's Middle School personnel will trek to Albany in March to learn how Garden City does what Wantagh used to do better than anybody, anywhere.
Chris Wendt
