District Administrators Corner

by Loren Glasbrenner River Valley School District Administrator Can you fly an airplane?  Let me rephrase that...could you fly an airplane if your life depended on it?  I am guessing that if you had to learn how to pilot to the ground in order to survive (after getting over the immediate shock) that you would grab the throttle and give it your best shot.   You would be immersed into a new language of codes and technology that would become immediately essential in order to safely land.  Would you know how to translate CTAF 123.0, ASOS 119.425, APP/DEP 135.45 RCO, and 122.35?  Maybe the following terms would help in order to successfully complete the flight … TPA of 1717, Field: 112.8 LNR 202°/5.4 NM; 380’ Bluff 1 NM north.  Not sure yet?  I’ll give you a hint--the information provided here lists the directions for pilots to successfully locate and land at the Tri-County Regional Airport on County JJ, just north of Lone Rock.  The terminology used seems foreign to most, and your brain most likely was seeking the familiar.  Until the words “field,” “bluff,” or “north” were read, most of the information was indecipherable.  And, unless you are an aviator, the information was markedly new.   There are times in our lives when, without choice, we are all forced to learn new skills to survive, and our brains are asked to adapt to the new content very quickly.  The staff, students, and families of the River Valley School District learned how to “fly” without much training and very little choice.  We were all forced into a very new and different way of facilitating education and have not only survived, we have succeeded.  The fear of flying didn’t keep us grounded. The 2020-2021 school year was unprecedented.  Multiple times this past year, I have heard leaders compare this year in education to building a plane while in flight.  Last March, teachers, families, and students, with little to no warning, were bound to a virtual education.  They were introduced to new terminology, new technology tools, and new expectations within this instructional paradigm shift.  They were asked to fly the plane while building it.  This adventure came with many challenges--especially to this rural community.  The ability to connect and communicate virtually remains a challenge for some. Additionally, the students with the greatest challenges often had the fewest resources.  Yet, the River Valley School District purchased additional technological resources, additional internet access points for families, prepared and delivered meals, provided additional transportation assistance, provided healthcare processes and information, and followed new CDC guidelines while teaching.  Many instructors have developed incredible engagement techniques to maintain the academic decorum of their classroom while connecting with students simultaneously online in a virtual format.  It hasn’t been without some turbulence, but the plane has touched down. Students, parents, families, teachers, custodians, food service staff, administrators, assistants, secretaries, bus drivers, crossing guards, community resource partners, pilots, and passengers alike...we have landed.  “Thank you for flying Blackhawk Air.  On behalf of the entire crew, I’d like to thank you for your role during this trip, and we look forward to seeing you in the near future.”