Residents Comment on Designing the Schools of the Future

Many Avon parents were thinking big picture at input session on Monday, voicing their desire for a school system that prepares students for the world after high school.

Richard Sugarman, founding president of The Connecticut Forum, facilitated the on ideas for the district's next strategic plan. About 30 parents, school board members, faculty and Strategic Planning Committee parents attended.

“I think the design and structure of the strategic planning process that’s been put together is a clear one, a very sound one ...," said Sugarman, who used to live in Avon and now is a West Hartford resident.

He asked audience members to consider what they would like in a school if they could design the school of the future.

"What would you consider to be the most important responsibilities of the Avon school district?" Sugarman asked. "What should the school district be for the children?"

Here were some of the responses:

Problem Solving and Thinking about the Future

• "I think the future of education is changing," Avon resident Roy Schwartz said. "The important thing when thinking about strategic planning is thinking differently than we are today."

• Schwartz later said that problem solving and entrepreneurship are important values to have.
  
  "If we don’t pass that onto our kids, we’re losing what’s unique about America," Schwartz said.

Career Preparedness and Individual Attention

• Abha Bernard, Avon parent and a representative of the Coalition of Citizens for Avon (CC4A), said that the district should "craft curriculum to fit the future career paths of all students."

• "The schools should start focusing on individual students and their needs," Schwartz added.

• "I think this school district should give students the tools to succeed in the future," Avon resident Mark Gerber said.

Academics

• Carol Goldberg stressed the importance of teachers in strategic planning and implementing change in the schools.

• Avon parent Alison Jackson requested smaller class size.

• "The school system should instill the love of learning for the kids," Avon resident Mary Oliver said, noting that her kids received Montessori educations when they were younger.

• Avon resident Roger Kirschen said he wanted the district to find a way to "turn kids on to science and technology" and give them hands-on experience at an early age.

• “The responsibility of school district is to teach to every child to the best of their ability…," Avon parent Amy Branch, who went through the Avon school system herself, said.

• Avon parent Michelle Ryan said that the district needs to teach more science and history at the younger grade levels.

Private versus Public School

• Avon parent Gwen Hahn, who is involved with Avon Dollars for Scholars, asked, “Why do we seem to be losing so many students to private schools?... Is there something we could culturally be doing different?"

• Sugarman responded that his own kids were educated in Avon until high school when he enrolled them at Loomis Chaffee in Windsor. He said that he felt his kids were going to be in a more diverse setting there.

Communication with the Public

• "I think one of the responsibilities of the school system and the Board of  Ed is to tell the truth," said Florence Stahl, president of the Avon Taxpayers Association and a member of the Strategic Planning Committee. "....Tell the truth and realize Avon is a mosaic and public education is just part of that mosaic."

• Avon parent Mitchell Piper built upon Stahl's statement, but said that the concern shouldn't be that district leaders aren't telling the truth, but that educating the public could improve so that everyone in town can come to a "common ground."

• "Be consumer friendly when it comes to writing contracts, so we understand them," Stahl also requested of district leadership.

Electives, Electives, Electives

• Piper also said more languages and arts electives should be taught at Avon High School.
  
  "I feel the arts has never been in this country what it’s been in Europe," Piper said.

International and Cultural Exposure

• "It is such a changing world and changing society," Oliver said, suggesting it would be beneficial to "expose them to the international, as well."

• Board of Finance member and parent Brian Stoll (D) said it might be impractical to expect Avon students to be "highly involved internationally," but that does not mean they can't get that real-world exposure locally. He said it should be a mission of the district to teach its students to be "a crown jewel in our community" by getting involved.

• Branch also spoke about the Odyssey of the Mind program, an "international education program," according to its website, that offers kindergarten to college students problem solving opportunities. She suggested that the school district work with it "if we want to compete on the worldwide stage."

Resources

• "Part of the resources issue is based on what we really need versus what we really want," Avon parent Karen Cianci said.

What's Next?

said that 35 people make up the Strategic Planning Committee, including parents, teachers, principals, administrators, town employees and community members.

Once approved by the school board, the strategic plan will be the focus of the next five years, though Mala calls the future plan a "living document" that will be subject to adjustments as needed.

The committee will cull through from the three public input session, the third of which is Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Avon Town Hall Building One in the Selectmen's Conference Room. Mala encouraged parents to take the SurveyMonkey questionnaire on the school website to give more feedback.

Action teams within the committee will propose plans of action for implementing strategic plans.

The committee will spend a few months helping Mala develop a strategic plan conceptual draft to submit to the school board. The target date for the board to vote on the plan is April 24.

Editor's Note: The original version of this article references a parent group called CC4A as Concerned Citizens for Avon. The group's actual name is the Coalition of Citizens for Avon. The reporting error has been corrected.