Classrooms for the Future
Here in Pennsylvania there is a high school reform/technology initiative called Classrooms for the Future. The idea is to approach technology use as a catalyst for change, in this case at the high school level. The grant application process closed today, and my district submitted our proposal. More satisfying than completing this rather large undertaking was the process that led to this final product.
I could be out of touch here, but most districts that submit these kinds of grants have one or two people that sit in a room, brainstorm the ideas and then sit down to write the thing. The people on the font lines, those that will actually have to implement the proposal, don’t have much voice in developing the project and usually end up having it forced upon them once the monies come through. I am really proud of our process. We had about four weeks to develop the proposal from the time it was announced until the due date. In that window of time, we (meaning the Assistant Superintendent, High School Assistant Principal and me) assembled a team of around eight teachers to meet for six hours after school and generate a plan. What was most fascinating about this process was the fact that this group of teachers was generating the ideas! It wasn’t us administrators forcing ideas on them. They were discussing, debating and deciding on what their project would entail. Talk about building capacity. After those idea sessions, the three of us actually went and wrote the narratives, developed the budget etc. The group then offered final feedback on the proposal.
My biggest concern, early on, in applying for this grant was the question of readiness. Was the high school going to be ready for the changes attached to a proposal such as this? I have no doubt they are ready for this work. I am hoping that we are competitive. This would be a huge boost for our high school program as well as technology program. Tune in sometime in July to find out how we did. 
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