Get to know Assistant Superintendent Kimberly Beck! Here, Ruth W. Feldman, RPS Communications Coordinator, shares her recent Q&A with Ms. Beck.
Kimberly Beck in her role as Assistant Superintendent, leads work with administrators and teachers to enhance all aspects of teaching and learning in the Ridgefield Public Schools. This includes oversight in the areas of professional development, curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
Now in her fourth year in Ridgefield, her dual role in leading what we teach and how it is taught makes her a key player in developing a learning environment that meets the needs of all our students and educators. You will see her each month at our Board of Education meetings offering her knowledge of best practices to the Board and the greater community. Her enthusiasm for her work, our teachers, and our students is contagious.
Please enjoy this Q& A as we invite you to get to know, Kimberly Beck.
Q: Thank you for your time Kim. Can you first share with us a picture of what your work involves?
A: The nature of my work is at the core of why we exist as public school system. It is grounded in preparing students to be successful not only in the here and now, but also for life beyond the Ridgefield Public Schools. This means attending to their academic, social, and emotional learning needs. In order to do this, we as a district have to provide an education that both deeply understands best practice, but also understands each child’s and educator’s needs in a contemporary context. Many of my days are spent side by side with leaders and teachers building capacity and understanding of the role and implications of instructional frameworks, new standards, and strategies for leading and learning. This comes in the form of collaboration, observation and analysis, as well as research and reporting. My best days are in schools with students and educators seeing the learning come to life. By the way, I am talking about the grown-ups! Our leaders and teachers have been engaged in professional learning that has advanced their understanding and enhanced their practice to better meet the needs of all learners. It is sophisticated and complex work. It is magical to see our teachers and administrators in action with our students. The best part about my work is that it is never done. We will continue to grow and strive to get better every single day. With the talented educators coupled with the wonderful students and their families, it is a joy to have the opportunity to lead this work.
Q: Change, constant change affects everyone who is living and working in these times. Our educators are not immune to that and certainly our students are growing up in this same world, heading into careers in fields that will function differently in the future or haven’t even been created yet. That knowledge has changed education dramatically as such that we are becoming less focused on content and more focused on developing skills of communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity - skills believed to help us effectively participate in rather than be overwhelmed by a changing world. However, this idea of content not leading the way is often misunderstood and to some, unsettling. Can you explain how we are delivering content in today’s teaching and learning environments?
A: Let me begin with content and the “basics” are still important, very important. The difference now as to compared with when we were in school is that they are simply not enough anymore. Gone are the days of regurgitating facts and doing quick computation with memorized mathematical procedures to show off your prowess. Now, it is critical that students make meaning of content, pose their own questions, deeply engage with text, communicate their thinking, create something new, apply their skills and knowledge to novel situations, understand concepts and how all of the details (or basics) of learning can be synthesized. It is not what students know, but what they do with what they know.
Q: Many of us are still confused about the “Common Core Standards.” adopted by the State of Connecticut in 2010 and fully implemented in 2013-14. A change this big doesn’t happen overnight. What role do these standards play in educating the students in Ridgefield?
A: As a public school, we are required to implement the standards set forth by the legislation and Connecticut State Department of Education. In Connecticut, we have always had and implemented standards in all domains, including physical education and the arts. By federal and state statute there is an additional requirement to assess student performance in relation to the standards in math, literacy and science. For decades, Connecticut used the Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) and Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT) to assess in literacy and math. In 2008, science was added to the CMT and CAPT testing. The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in literacy and mathematics are a set of standards that are not unique to Connecticut. The Common Core State Standards were adopted by over 30 states in an effort to create more equity and access across the nation. Previously, each state had their own standards and their own way of assessing them. Essentially, the multi-state adoption was seeking to “level the playing field.” The CCSS comprise much of what our previous Connecticut standards contained. However, they are greatly reduced in number and were designed to require much deeper student understanding. When compared to the previous Connecticut standards the core standards have more variance in mathematics than in literacy. The requirement of deeper understanding and the communication of mathematical thinking were not embedded in the previous math standards as they are the CCSS. Where uniform adoption and implementation of standards is required by each public school in Connecticut, how we implement is determined locally. As a district, we develop curriculum, determine assessments, select resources and implement instructional strategies that meet the needs of our students. We have the autonomy to make meaning of the standards in our Ridgefield context. This is why K – 8 students have seen new math resources, new math courses were developed at the middle school, and curriculum and assessment is being upgraded and aligned in K – 12 literacy. These changes have been incremental to allow for thoughtful, informed decision-making, as well as to enable all educators to learn throughout the transition. As you said, “A change this big does not happen overnight.”
A: As shared previously, the successes are evident in our classrooms. As a result of high quality, job-embedded professional learning, educators are creating learning environments and employing strategies that are promoting deeper levels of understanding and increased demonstration of the critical skills they will need for the future. We are celebrating tremendous success in our sophisticated work with Teachers College in our 3 elementary literacy lab sites. We are indebted to our literacy specialists at the elementary and middle level, and our elementary math specialists for providing “just in time” learning through coaching and collaboration. RHS’s strong commitment to alignment of practice and standards is evidenced in national student recognition, in-class performance, and achievement on standardized tests. New learning structures and strategies across the K – 12 continuum have resulted in our students being better prepared to take on “their tomorrow.” The impact of this successful work cannot be underscored enough. Our goals are simple and challenging: keep learning, keep growing, and keep getting better. The simplicity is in the concept. The challenge is finding the resources of time and funding to provide all of our RPS educators with opportunities for job-embedded professional learning and collaboration. Additionally, we must educate not only our students, but also our community about the changing educational landscape and what is necessary to meet the demands in our evolving 21st century context.
Q: Do you have any closing thoughts to share with our parents and the greater Ridgefield community?
A: Learn alongside us. Engage in understanding our work and the vision for our students. Keep asking questions and sharing your experiences with us. We are here to partner with parents in meaningful ways that will enhance not only your child’s educational experience, but also that of every Ridgefield student. Be ambassadors. As we endeavor together, share your learning with the entire community. Encourage others to be a part of the conversation. Watch a Board of Education meeting, join a parent study group, attend PTA and parent meetings at our schools, and please support the RPS budget. We are excited to be on this journey with you. This is the most exciting time in education!