Future Ready Schools

Strategic Plan Vision

Homer 33C will provide a high quality education to prepare and empower students for success in a dynamic world.

Through collaborative efforts representing ALL community stakeholder groups, Homer 33C is committed to empowering student success by graduating responsible, globally-aware citizens who are passionate life-long learners, creative thinkers and independent problem solvers. In addition, we are committed to providing technology that enhances learning, expands communication, and promotes data-driven decision-making.

Homer 33C students and staff will utilize technology to:

• enhance the teaching and learning process
• stimulate creativity
• communicate more effectively
• work more efficiently
• solve problems
• access and analyze information
• develop 21st Century Skills
  • Ways of thinking- creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, decision making
  • Ways of working- communication and collaboration
  • Tools for working - digital literacy
  • Skills for living in our world - global awareness
  • Use Google Docs and Google Drive to inspire students to create, collaborate, revise and publish

Digital leaders model new types of professional learning and ensure that educators have access to professional development opportunities that are diverse, customizable and supported by the latest technologies.

Homer 33C ensures that District fiscal, technological and human resources are efficiently utilized to further the District’s strategic priorities while also ensuring long-term fiscal solvency and technological and human resource effectiveness.

School administrators plan for upgrades, replacements, repairs, maintenance and more. Administrators need to stress that these costs must reoccur in budgets year after year. Planning for technology must include “rolling” funding year after year.

Homer 33C maintains a positive, dynamic work environment in a self-renewing organization.

Teachers, administrators, and other education professionals actively support their own professional practices by using technology to optimize teaching and learning. They are actively taking responsibility for their own professional growth through professional learning networks and online communities of practice. Educators have access to collaborative tools and environments that break down classroom, school and district walls. Professional development encourages, facilitates, and often requires creating and maintaining professional networks both within and outside of the district, frequently leveraging the latest in social media. In addition, the district has established policies that honor and encourage personalization of professional learning for teachers, administrators and other education professionals.

Homer 33C provides an effective and engaging instructional program that supports academic success for all students.

Our elementary schools and middle schools provide a plethora of opportunities for students to build skills and self confidence as well to make a difference in the lives of others. One example is the Coding class available to our Hadley Middle School and Homer Jr. High School students. Another example of student agency takes place during Board meetings where several students present to the Board of Education during the opening part of the meeting.

Homer 33C provides a safe, welcoming and inspirational learning environment that compels and motivates students to participate in their own education.

With the remodeling and reopening of Luther J. Schilling School, students have an inspiring building in which to learn with technology-based integrated classrooms, library and space for multiple functions. It incorporates advanced technology for both students and teachers. The Luther J. Schilling Library is modeled for 21st century learning. The room is equipped with an oversized whiteboard, tables, projector, large screen, Chromebooks, iPads and laptops. The space affords students the opportunity to explore and pursue interests as well as discover and nurture new ones. In the future, Luther J. Schilling will have an exploration space for instruction and experiential learning in order for students to build, design and create. It is important for school libraries to provide space for quiet reflection and inspirational learning. Students need workspace for small collaborative groups, standalone technology stations, computer teaching and/or learning laboratories. Our libraries will serve as incubators for inspiration as students work alone or together (with our without faculty) to create, discover, design, develop and learn in a different way -- a way that promotes deep conceptual understanding and ownership in their own education. The Luther J. Shilling Library will serve as a prototype for an active learning space for future libraries in our district.

At Homer Junior High School, we envision converting the current library into a 21st CENTURY LEARNING STUDIO for students, teachers and community members to use in an integrated fashion in which individual and small group learning can occur simultaneously. Staff members would like to convert an area of the library into an advanced learning center so that teachers and students are better able to collaborate with one another while having access to technology, books, videos, etc. To create this ecology of learning, Homer Junior High plans to bring in Learning Nodes on a tripod base with rotating desk top, two sets of mobile white boards and task stools. The Learning Nodes would be able to convert simultaneously to accommodate a variety of uses, from individual student testing to small group learning. The chairs would feature an attached personal work surface (utilizing five casters) and include storage space at the base for personal items, such as backpacks. The flexibility would allow eight chairs, for example, to be quickly arranged into a variety of configurations (e.g., pairs, small groups, traditional lecture), permitting teacher-focused activities as well as extensive student interaction and collaboration. The Learning Nodes feature a 360° swivel mechanism that allows students to easily remain oriented to the instructor, presentation materials or other students; a flexible and contoured seat shell that comfortably supports a variety of sitting postures; and a personal work surface that moves independently of the seat and base. The mobile white boards are portable and would be used for collaborative learning as well as dividers for testing situations. The task stools would be used as seating at laptop stations and can be adjusted to different heights for use at a variety of different level work surfaces (unlike the current chairs). In addition, the task stools can be easily moved to other areas in the library since they are lightweight and on castors.

Homer 33C manages and maintains the District’s positive fiscal status while addressing the District’s strategic priorities.

Providing the highest quality technology-based services, in the most cost-effective manner, to facilitate Homer 33C as it applies to the management, teaching, learning, and community service.

Develop, enhance, and manage the District's enterprise networks to provide high speed and transparent/highly functional connectivity among all information resources.

Develop and maintain highly effective, reliable, secure and innovative information systems to support instructional, administrative and research functions.

The Technology Division will provide the highest quality technology-based services, in the most cost-effective manner, to facilitate Homer School District as it applies to the management, teaching, learning, and community service.

To meet this mission we will:

• Provide effective technology support for audio/visual, computer, multimedia, voice, video, web based applications, telecommunications technologies and services to all areas of the district.
• Promote and facilitate the effective integration of technology into the basic mission of the district through planning, programming, training, consulting, and other support activities.
• Facilitate the collection, storage, security and integrity of electronic data while ensuring appropriate access.
• Promote new uses of information technology within the district through the support for exploratory and innovative applications.
• Provide leadership for effective strategic and tactical planning in the use of technology.
• Provide fast & reliable access to all information systems.