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ESD 123: Meet Pete

How do school systems maintain local control while a myriad of new expectations are being introduced? This is the question that ESD 123 Superintendent Bruce Hawkins posed to the region’s district superintendents in February 2012. School districts across the state face an onslaught of rapidly approaching changes in the areas of teacher and principal evaluations, Common Core standards, and funding challenges. Stepping “outside the box,” ESD 123 challenged its school systems to consider applying the concept of the “whole child” to the “whole district.” In April, the ESD identified Prescott School District as willing and able to accept this challenge.

The ESD 123 “Transformation Project” offers to districts the opportunity to partner with their ESD in an effort to maintain local control and best practices, while creatively meeting shifting expectations. Through this project, Prescott will have access to well-coordinated and connected services from the ESD, such as TPEP, Common Core, data coaching, human resources, business management, public relations, early learning, or more. The Prescott ESD Transformation Enterprise, or PETE, will provide trained ESD staff leadership and expertise to the Prescott School District.

This month, ESD 123 facilitators will meet with the Prescott team to review the district’s current programs, resources, and expected initiatives. Together, the ESD and Prescott will identify a select number of top district priorities for which the district will receive assistance. After identifying areas of service, they will create a customized action plan that will assist the district in its transformation process. Rather than becoming a victim to the many changing expectations it faces, Prescott is daring to get ahead of the game through careful planning and preparation. Both Prescott and ESD 123 are anxious to encounter the unfolding possibilities that await PETE.

~Molly Curtiss, ESD 123
Communications & Graphics Coordinator