Septmeber 2015 • Estd. 1892 • Vol. 123 #6 • Published Monthly • www.ihstattler.com Ithaca High School, 1401 N. Cayuga St, Ithaca, NY 14850 • FREE
BoE Appoints Four New Admins By JOHN YOON
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Liddy Coyle, David Brown, Lilly Talcott, and Jeff Tomasik
The Board of Education (BoE) appointed Liddy Coyle and David Brown last June to the ICSD Executive Team, which assists Superintendent Luvelle Brown in overseeing various aspects of administrative operations, human resources, and academics across the district. The structure of the district’s central administration has evolved over the years to meet different needs and challenges based on the changing financial situations, according to Superintendent Brown. “As the organization evolves, the leadership team must evolve as well; it can’t be static,” he said. Prior to these new appointments, the district’s central administration consisted of Superintendent Brown, Chief Academic Officer Matthew Landahl, and Acting Chief Administration Officer David Johnson, who temporarily filled the position that Jason Trumble vacated when he became principal of IHS. While the number of central administrators has increased from last year, according to Superintendent Brown, the BoE was able to do so without significantly increasing cost by eliminating other administrative positions elsewhere in the district. As Chief Academic Officer, Coyle will oversee curriculum, Continued on Page 6.
ICSD Adopts New Science Standards Early By EMMA KARNES
Educational reform is never far from the top of the priority list of many nationally. Distressing statistics of students in foreign countries outperforming Americans loom over our entire schooling system, prompting a never-ending debate over learning philosophy and a surplus of tests designed to supposedly measure progress. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), created in 2011, aims to revise science plans to be more strategically organized, and to more thoroughly integrate technology and engineering into students’ experiences and understandings. Not all districts have adopted the NGSS as it is still pending for approval by New York State. ICSD has not officially put NGSS into effect, but teachers are making swift moves to begin its implementation. “We anticipate that the state will be adopting them soon,” Superintendent Brown said in an interview. “We’re just making the transition. The sooner we can crosswalk, the better.” Rather than a change in curriculum, the standards are a modification of student performance expectations. This method of standardization allows for flexibility in terms of classroom process and learning technique, while still maintaining a universal level of achievement for all students. The creators of the NGSS are hoping the new standards will raise the standard of learning for students across the country, and its specially-designed aspects, like application of technology, will have long-term effects on American success in global science and industry. Continued on Page 4.
Welcome back to school! Do you want to write or become a staff writer? Join us at the first writers’ meeting of the school year held after school on Monday, Sept. 14 in H-Courtyard. Everyone is welcome!