Thriving
Thriving…………. thrive verb \ ˈthrīv \ thrived or throve\ ˈthrōv \; thrived also thriven\ ˈthri-vən \; thriving\ˈthrī-viŋ \ Definition of thrive intransitive verb 1: to grow vigorously : FLOURISH 2:…
Superintendent Blog
Martin Luther King Jr. Remembered
On this day, 1.21.19, I have taken a look at the “I have a dream speech” again and selected some quotes from it. The speech, of course, should be taken…
S.T.E.A.M. : What’s it all about?
S.T.E.A.M. : What’s it all about? S.T.E.A.M. learning focuses on science, technology, engineering,arts, and math. These disciplines and practices have become more prominent focal points for school curriculum and…
What we measure…
What we measure…. Is what we measure what gets done? All that gets done? Is what we measure what we value? Is how we measure what we value indicative…
Why M.L.K. Matters to Children Today
Why M.L.K. Matters to Children Today Martin Luther King was a tireless worker for creating a better America. In this sense, children should know who he was and what…
Childhood
Childhood As I get older in years I have taken to rereading books from our home’s many bookshelves. We are a family of readers and some books have kept…
Children as Infrastructure
Children are our infrastructure. America is a country that is fairly young by country existence standards. Born in 1776 and existing to 2017 that makes 241 years of the…
Who Do We Learn From?
Who Do We Learn From? This is a question we educators need to ask and re-ask. Do we learn from teachers? Do we learn from peers? Do we learn from…
What does leadership of 21st century educational organizations require?
For more than a decade it’s been my pleasure and education to teach as adjunct professor in educational leadership programs for two local universities. Recently, I just completed a school…
Who are Classified Employees?
Who are Classified Employees? Classified employees in the Rio School District are represented by the California School Employees Association (CSEA). Along with confidential employees, they perform a wide range of…
Just 18 days left
Just 18 days left There are just eighteen days remaining of the Rio School District 2016-17 school year. The more than 5000 students who attend our eight schools are surely…
College. Go For it! Complete it! Enjoy it!
College Go for it! Complete it! Enjoy it! This month’s Ventura County gathering of school superintendent’s was noteworthy. We were fortunate to be visited by three educational leaders in…
21st Century Skills? Practices? Stuff?
As we enter into the year 2017, there is quite a buzz afoot in education circles about 21st century skills. As an educator for the last 31 years it’s refreshing…
Profound thoughts from the Reading Forum
On Thursday, December 15, 2016 at 6:00 pm during a mild but rare Southern California rain, we held our first Superintendent’s Reading Forum. Parents and staff were invited and a…
What’s up in 2017 ?
What’s up in 2017? These days of Fall to Winter are filled with expectations of vacation days, holidays, and time away from school. They are also filled for many educators…
Reading, Reading, Reading…
This year the Rio School District, more than ever perhaps, is focused on guiding every child to become an interested and excellent reader. Interested readers choose to read as a discretionary…
Amazing Rio Technology Team
The Rio School District employs nearly 500 people in one role or another. All working together to provide the best possible learning environments and opportunities to our more than 5000…
Portrait of a Graduate
As we commence the 2016-17 school, we have begun to reflect on the basic AIMS of this school year and every year. We are asking ourselves again the simple question;…
Smarter Balanced Testing
Helpful Testing LinksStudent Practice Tests Test Administrator Resources Test Administrator Practice CAASPP.org
What’s a great 4C classroom look like ?
Across this country, American schools are innovating, changing, and re-inventing themselves in the calculus of a rapidly changing world. Not every school, of course, but schools like those who are…
Why the 4 Cs for Title 1 Schools?
There’s a movement afoot exemplified by edleader21 School Districts and Schools. These learning organizations recognize that the world is changing rapidly while many schools are not. Edleader21 schools and Districts…
Thinking About Testing
The Ides of March are upon us. Soon it will be May and students in grades 3-8, and 11 will be asked to do state mandated tests called the CAASPP…
I am a son
I am a son of an orphaned son of immigrants and immigrants’ daughter. I am a son of the low income class. I am a son of high school graduates…
Renaissance in Rio and Oxnard
Recently we have engaged in a series of visits of community members and staff to Rio School District classrooms and Oxnard High School District Classrooms. These visits have brought visitors from…
Why Art Matters?
This year the Rio School District has made a concerted effort to develop our Visual arts programs across our eight schools. In doing so, we hired two new outstanding art…
What does it take to be great?
The leadership of the Rio School District is aiming at greatness. We are rallying our resources and energies to achieve great things. Our main function as a school District is…
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was an American man that left teachers and students an endless legacy of learning for as long as there are schools , lessons, and the…
Rio’s Teachers are Diverse Learners
Rio’s Teachers are Diverse Learners. Our more than 200 teachers are a diverse set of people. Almost a third are new to teaching and new to Rio. Many more have…
Leadership
The Rio School District actively engages its employees to develop themselves as staff members and people. We look to develop leadership in every employee as well as every student. Our…
Test Results, Learning, and Improvement
Last year was the first year California’s students took the new computer based SBAC test. Late this summer we received the results from the California Department of Education (CDE) and…
21st Century Learning! What’s it All About?
Rio School District students and staff are working towards new learning goals. Like many Districts across the country we call them 21st century skills or practices. This acknowledges that we…
Caring…..How to Score a “5” on a scale of 1-5 for Caring
Caring is a 21st century skill and practice and has always mattered and will always matter in any century. Rio’s students, staff, and community care. This is why we have…
The Centrality of Reading
In the last three year at Rio, we have gone all in for reading. We have added many high interest books to our libraries and made sure our libraries are…
One to One to the World
This month, October 2015, the Rio School District will achieve its goal of having one connected computer device for each child enrolled. This is sometimes called one to one computing…
Rio’s “Forward Momentum”
More than one half of the 2014-15 school year is complete marking the half way point of my third year serving the Rio School District. Staff, students and community have…
S.T.E.A.M. – What’s it all About?
is learning that focuses on science,technology,engineering, the Arts, and mathematics. The Rio School District is working to imbue STEAM learning in all our 8 schools in a variety of ways.…
Communication (Video)
Our communication is what we put into the world and what remains after we have left it. Speech can heal and liberate or it can cause destruction and pain.
Exploring Space and Time
This week students are out for Winter break but it will be my pleasure and adventure to go out to the observatory we are creating and record the shadow length.…
Rio Vista 6th Grade Earthquake Resistant Building Contest
Today I had the great opportunity to visit the culmination of a great learning project at Rio Vista Middle School. 6th grade teachers and students worked hard and long learning…
Demystifying Multiplication
Demystifying Multiplication Click on this excellent tool to help kids see the patterns in their multiplication tables…..
VCSTEAMN Colloquium # 3 on SEARCH
The VCSTEAMN Colloquium # 3 on SEARCH was a great success. Mike Vollmert, our Director of Technology, pinch hit for Keynote speaker Andrew Schwab who was ill, and used Andrew’s…
T.R.I.P. Meeting Update 11.21.13
The Rio Indigenous Project (TRIP) met successfully on 11.21.13. Representatives from the Rio School District, CSUCI, St. Johns Hospital, MICOP, Boys and Girls Club After School programs were in attendance…
VCSTEAMN Colloquium# 3 “SEARCH”
Keynote Speaker: Andrew Schwab, CTO, Berryessa Union School District VCSTEAMN search colloquium flier Andrew Schwab is an educator, IT professional and 1:1 evangelist. As a member of the CUE Board of…
Instructional Vision
Recently, the Rio School District has been working on developing our vision of Rio Instruction. Like many other Districts and organizations, we are pressed to do two simultaneous and daunting…
Quilts and Math
Quilting and Math are inexorably intertwined. Here are some excellent links for educators to get learners working on both. Math Quilts Explained Tying Quilts to Montessori Math and Geometry (PDF)…