D-49 ideas for change include 4-day week, more technology

A four-day week for most students, a shift from books and papers to online tools and exit exams were among the ideas presented Wednesday night at the third innovation convention in Falcon School District 49.

About 100 people attended the Falcon Zone convention at Falcon High School.

Mark Carara, assistant superintendent of the zone, said he didn't know how many ideas would be "brought to the table," although he added that one school of the five schools in the zone had gathered about 28.

Carara told the parents, teachers and district employees that the evening was to present ideas, not debate them. Details and merits of ideas, he said, would be worked out in the schools.

Attendees divided into three groups to discuss ideas for elementary, middle and high school levels.

Some teachers and parents read directly from the submitted forms while others informally presented general ideas that were being worked on, such as exit exams for students in or approaching high school.

At the elementary level, teachers wanted more time to collaborate. They also said they intended to pursue corporate sponsorships to pay for technology. Other ideas included ways for teachers and parents to work more closely together on kids' needs, such as providing reading recommendations for reading out-loud at home.

Technology also was a focus for those in the Falcon Middle School group, which talked about  shifting away from paper books and relying more on online tools and computers.

Several district employees voiced a need for a tech person at the building - saying the current system of needing to contact central administration was inefficient and too slow.

A four-day instructional week was discussed, as it has been at the other conventions. The fifth day would be used for teacher planning, student enrichment, or a combination of both.

Expanding or adding career-focused programs, and working on options for college credit were among ideas also presented at the high schools level.

"Not all these kids are going to college," said one district employee, "but one might want to work on your car."

Another parent said she wanted to hear more ideas about increasing the amount of challenging curriculum, such as Advanced Placement classes.

The meeting was one more step in a lengthy process as District 49 changes its approach to education. The roughly 14,700-student district on the eastern edge of Colorado Springs is pursuing innovation status from the Colorado Department of Education.

In January, a massive reorganization of the district left control of how to deliver education largely in the hands of innovation leaders/assistant superintendents and their school communities. As part of the process, District 49 was divided into four zones, including one for alternative and charter schools.

Attending the Wednesday night convention were parents, teachers and administrators from Falcon High School, Falcon Middle School, Falcon Elementary School, Meridian Ranch International Elementary School and Woodmen Hills Elementary School.

Board members Rusty Moomey and Christopher Wright, who lives in the zone, also attended.

Carara echoed the sentiments that opened up the other conventions this past week in the district: "This is going to work."