Jeanné Collins
Superintendent of Schools, Burlington

Superintendent's Message
January 2009

2008 seems to have flown by so quickly! I am proud of the many things accomplished by the school district this past year. As the new year begins, I will reflect for a moment on just a few of the ways the district has made progress on excellence in education.

The Board of School Commissioners has continued to expend a great deal of positive energy and community connections in achieving excellence and equity. Starting the year was a market research survey that involved hundreds of Burlington residents about the direction of the schools. This led to a Master Planning process that included hundreds more to define a vision and master plan for our future. In July, the Board approved a vision and in early September, the Board approved Hallmarks of Excellence and two magnet schools to open in Fall 09.

The Board has also included a hard look at the district facilities throughout this year. Undertaking a full facilities audit while the master planning was underway allowed the two processes to merge into plans for district facilities that address Safety and Life Code concerns, energy efficiency, ADA access and updated learning environments for 21st century learners. The facilities audit clearly indicated the outdated condition of much of our buildings, as the district has sought to keep costs down over the years at the expense of routine capital expenditures. Many of our buildings are still in their 1950s condition, with failing boilers and single pane windows. The district is currently working with the city on a way to address these needs in a manner that is affordable in this community.

Teachers and administrators have spent a considerable amount of time implementing professional learning communities and learning to use data in a more comprehensive fashion to guide instruction. Using Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design as tools to guide the development of lessons, teachers across the district meet with their colleagues to look at student work, develop common assessments and further refine the curriculum at different grade levels. The amount of dedication and commitment to student learning shown among our faculty and administration is outstanding.

Our food services program continues to evolve as a nationally recognized Farm to School program. We now have salad bars available at every school and implement taste tests, with recipes using local produce and designed by our students, throughout the district. Stop by your neighborhood school and sign up for lunch- you will be pleasantly surprised!

Spanish has been a wonderful addition in our elementary schools this year. All students receive Spanish 2 or 3 times a week, determined by grade level, starting in grade 1 with kindergarten students also participating through integrated lessons in class. Introducing a world language and its culture, has excited teachers and students alike. It is a place where our native Vermont and refugee students can come together to learn new knowledge as one student body.

We continue to focus on celebrating our diverse student population, recruiting a diverse faculty to match that population, encouraging integrated technology into class lessons, and developing partnerships throughout the region, such as with Shelburne Farms, Flynn Theater, Echo Center and other incredible resources available to our students.

Looking ahead, Burlington schools is gearing up for the opening of two magnet schools in the fall: The Lawrence Barnes Academy of Sustainability and the H.O. Wheeler Academy of Integrated Arts. We seek to expand these themes of excellence and interest in Burlington to all of our schools. Through increased development of professional learning communities and use of data teams in the schools, we seek to improve upon our excellent educational system for years to come.

We seek your involvement in the vision of the future of our schools. Please check out our website and feel free to contact me at 802-864-8474 or email superintendent@bsdvt.org. We wish you and yours the best of years in 2009.

Please drive and walk safely this winter season!