The interim superintendent for the Monroe County Community School Corporation, Markay Winston, hosted a Listen and Learn Town Hall on Tuesday at Fairview Elementary. At the event, Winston fielded questions from parents and educators and discussed her vision for the county’s schools.
“My vision is for us to be the number one destination corporation in the state of Indiana, and I think that's an achievable goal,” Winston said.
To get there, Winston thinks MCCSC needs to increase the support it gives to teachers and make data regarding teaching and learning more accessible so that teachers can use it to “monitor progress in a meaningful and relevant way that's easy to communicate.”
According to the MCCSC website, the Listen and Learn series is meant to “strengthen public trust” and facilitate communication between students, families, community and MCCSC administration.
One new initiative that Winston discussed Tuesday was the Student Advisory Council. According to Winston, it began about a month ago and includes 20 high school students between Bloomington High School North and Bloomington High School South. The council will meet bimonthly as a chance for students to be part of the decisions made about their education.
“It’s a really wonderful opportunity for (the students) to come together and meet with myself and members of our executive team to tell us their thoughts and ideas about what's going well in our buildings,” Winston said. “What are we doing right? What are we getting right? And what are some ways in which we can improve the experiences of our students?”
Winston said she wants students to share their top priorities for change within the county. She said some of the students’ top issues are making sure that all students feel welcomed and supported, that administrators are being thoughtful about reflecting the diversity of students with corresponding representation in curriculum materials, that the educating staff are representative of the student body and that safety is valued.
Jeff Henderson, assistant superintendent for human resources and operations, said that his office is looking to incorporate “purposeful recruiting” for MCCSC staff.
Winston also reviewed the Accelerated Learning Program for Students (ALPS). In August 2023, the program began to serve third grade students at Fairview Elementary in addition to the fourth through sixth grade students it already served. This addition is a part of the program’s three-year transition to being offered at Fairview Elementary. This program begins to look for characteristics of “high ability learners" in kindergarten and gives them opportunities for personal and challenging instruction.
“ALPS is just one of the mechanisms by which students can have some of that advanced training and a lot of opportunities,” Winston said. “We're really excited about how our teachers are differentiating instruction in every one of our buildings.”
Winston answered some questions about the 2023 Family-Centered, Community-Focused Referendum, which was approved by MCCSC voters on Nov. 7, 2023. She said the referendum provided for the 70% expansion of the Pre-K program for students at age 4. According to Winston, 15 additional classrooms were opened for Pre-K programming. Along with this, the referendum provides funding to offer free school supplies and free AP testing for MCCSC students of all grade levels.
One example of student voice having an impact on the MCCSC is the creation of the scholastic esports programs at the middle and high schools. Each middle school has an esports club and next school year will begin having esports related classes as well. Both high schools offer a scholastic esports computer science pathway and have clubs that compete with other teams in Indiana. All locations in MCCSC schools that offer esports programs are equipped with gaming devices and materials for students. According to Winston, a group of high school students gave her a presentation about why they needed esports.
“It’s really about creating access and opportunities for students who may not have as much participation or engagement in our schools as other students,” Winston said. “It was giving them a connection.”
According to Winston, MCCSC has begun to see improvements stemming from students involved in esports, such as increased attendance and grades, as well as increased development of behavior and social emotional connections with other students.
At one high school, around 200 students signed up for the program. Director of Secondary Education Eric Gilpin said Bloomington High School North found that 80% of the students in the esports program at their school aren’t involved in any other extracurricular activities, making scholastic esports their way of connecting to the community.
“When you find a way to connect with the students, they want to learn,” Gilpin said.
MCCSC will host an informational event for parents called “What is Scholastic Esports?” at 6 p.m. Dec. 5 at 553 E. Miller Drive.
