How do we know we are developing 21st Century Skills in our HCS students

We are bombarded daily with the clear reality that the demands of modern students and parents are shifting.  The value of what people want for the money they spend has exponentially increased in recent years.  If people are going to spend money, they want to know exactly what they are getting out of it.

For some, paying for their children to attend school where the Catholic faith is woven throughout the day is good enough.  Clearly, based on what we have seen across the country, the number of people willing to do that is shrinking.  So what more can we offer?

Safe environment?  Certainly one would think that is a cornerstone of our Catholic schools, yet we know that kids are kids and that no school is immune to the developmental phases kids move through and the trouble that can arise out of growing up. 

Quality and personal communication?  One would think that because our schools are smaller than our public counterparts and our larger private counterparts that this would be one of our greatest assets.  It seems to be so, but are parents going to pay money simply to really know how they're child is doing in a more efficient and personalized manner?  The fact is that public schools are being held to a high standard for communication and it costs nothing but tax dollars.  It seems to me that people choosing to pay for school expect a higher level of communication from their child's school and, quite frankly, they deserve it.

So where does academics fall into this list of high expectations?  Sometimes I feel that because a student shows up at our school we assume they are somehow different than other kids and will automatically work hard and engage.  That just because the parents want the child to attend a quality institution, the child will automatically follow suit.  Now, that probably is the case with most students, but, why then, are we losing students - across the country - as Catholic institutions?  Why are some of our schools flourishing and others struggling?  Why does our student population contain a growing number of non-Catholics?

All of this is meant as a discussion initiator.  We are, as Father Thompson put it at the beginning of the school year, at a point of change in our system of education - both as Catholic institutions and in the broad spectrum of education.  We must change how we are engaging students and reach out to our communities to let them know that we hear their voices.  We must raise the bar for our instructional practices and do everything in our power to support our teachers through this transitional period while providing an education parents are willing to spend money for.

Professional development has never been so important, in my mind, as it is now. By investing time and resources into the professional growth opportunities of our teachers and school leaders, we can better meet the needs of our changing population of students and their families and the changing landscape of education.

Please post your thoughts and comments online!  Constructive criticism and the facilitation of healthy dialogue are the intentions of this blog.  Sharing our thoughts and ideas in a professional forum can generate the effective questions that will propel us forward as we strive to provide the highest quality education for students here in Hawaii!