August 20, 2009
New Polson superintendent looks forward to challenges of school year
Berl Tiskus/Valley Journal
Polson School superintendent has been preparing for his first school year at the helm since June.
Valley Journal
POLSON — Polson District 23 has a new superintendent at the helm — David Whitesell. Whitesell has been familiarizing himself with his new job and new community since the last couple of weeks of June.
Whitesell said his administration would have a strong focus on teaching and learning as have past Polson administrations.
“As the superintendent, I have to be supportive of the principals who have to be able to provide their teachers with what they need to be successful with the ultimate client, the kids, “ Whitesell stated.
Whitesell also said he believed in delegating with direction.
“When you delegate you’re not really losing responsibility or accountability from this office, but you … are allowing people to do their jobs … under the umbrella of the philosophy of the district.”
“I do not like to be micromanaged,” Whitesell explained, “so I have no intention of micromanaging.”
As far as issues he sees for the district, Whitesell said, “It’s a challenge that we have a graduation rate of 72 percent.”
Whitesell explained that of any concerns he has with the district “the graduation rate had to rise to the top for me.”
Whitesell added, “One of the challenges I’ve noticed that is very apparent is basically we’re four school districts out there. We need to become one. … One of the best ways to do that is through curriculum, … scope and sequence all the way through.”
Whitesell continued, “A lot of that disconnect comes from the district office, the infrastructure that we utilize. … It’s not just the schools that need to take a look at how they interact with the next school or between the schools, but it’s also the district office.”
In talking about the interconnectedness between the schools, Whitesell quoted author Stephen Covey whose second habit for highly effective people is begin with the end in mind.
“You can front load that or you can back load that. What is it we want our kids to look like, to know when they graduate from Polson?” Whitesell asked.
This is a discussion not only for teachers at the senior level, Whitesell said, but that discussion can also be happening down at the pre-kindergarten level in Cherry Valley.
On the issue of where sports fit into school, Whitesell said, “Our students are student athletes. Our coaches need to be teacher coaches. When I talk extracurriculars, it’s everything; not just football, basketball, wrestling and track, it’s also drama, speech and debate, music.”
Whitesell said he referred to extracurriculars as co-curriculars and viewed them as an extension of the classroom.
Whitesell is a big proponent of public education.
“I think public education in the United States is the best program there is … Where else in the world do we have a free and appropriate education for everyone? … It’s a heck of a design.”
Whitesell said keeping up with technology is one area of public education that could be improved.
“We should be cutting edge with technology that is available; I don’t know if we do that,” Whitesell said.
Whitesell used one of educator Alan November’s examples of a kid who went to school and came home. Then he jumped on his laptop and Skyped somebody over in England. The kid started playing on his Xbox with a friend in California while he was texting another friend. The kid had all these global connections, none of which are allowed in the school he attends.
“I think we (educators) missed the boat,” Whitesell said, “because we are uncertain of how that (technology) actually should fit.”
“Cell phones are the bubble gum of the 50’s and 60’s,” Whitesell explained. “We’ve got school districts that don’t want cell phones in their schools. Literally there are school districts that jam cell phone reception. I’m not saying we just allow kids to run through with phones, but not only are we not accessing this technology for kids, we’re also not teaching them the etiquette involved … I think public education nationally is really going to have to take a look at that.”
Student cell phone issues such as cheating and locker room photos on the web are obstacles, Whitesell agreed.
“Just because those obstacles exist,” Whitesell said, “we don’t turn a blind eye … harness it (technology) and educate kids more effectively.”
“We (schools) are no longer the gatekeepers to knowledge. That’s gone. We need to become the gatekeepers to identifying and helping kids find knowledge,” Whitesell said.
Whitesell said colleges educating new teachers need to address these issues. Districts will need to provide professional development for teachers already in the classroom as well. Also there is the cost of constantly updating technology in schools.
On a personal level, Whitesell said he and his family are excited to be in Polson.
“When I was interviewed, I also was interviewing the community … looking to see that it was a good fit, not just a good fit for me personally but for my family,” Whitesell said. “Polson’s going to provide an excellent opportunity for our kids.”
Whitesell and his wife Raelena have six children. Three of their kids are grown, but three young Whitesells will attend Polson schools this fall — Lizzie, 7th grade, Becca, 6th grade and Greg, 3rd grade.
Whitesell came to the Polson district after serving as superintendent in Twin Bridges, a Class C school, for eight years. But Whitesell is not a stranger to the Mission Valley. He graduated from Ronan High School and then attended MSU-Eastern in Billings and got his teaching degree. Whitesell taught high school history for six years at a Bureau of Indian Education school in Fort Wingate, N.M., where he also coached football, basketball and track. While he was in New Mexico, Whitesell completed his masters in Educational Leadership at Western New Mexico University in Silver City, N.M. Currently Whitesell is in the doctoral program at the University of Montana, although he took the summer off to acclimate himself to his new job and his new community. |
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