District 13 strives to teach 21st Century skills

Barely two months into the school year, District 13 officials are already planning for next year. The district held its annual Educational Planning meeting last Saturday morning, a 20-year tradition.

Board of Education President Frank Chiachiere said that the meeting is the first step in the budget process. He said this year will be particularly challenging because it is the first time that the new tax cap is in place. The new state regulation prohibits the district from raising the tax levy more than 2 percent. “We’re going to make it work,” he said, “because that’s what we do.”

It was the first Educational Planning meeting for Superintendent Dr. Adrienne Robb-Fund, who took over on July 1. Her two-hour presentation focused on the importance of creating an academic program that focuses on 21st Century learning skills.

While every child still needs to learn reading, writing and arithmetic — “the core,” Robb-Fund explained — there are many more skills that are crucial. She highlighted the technological advancements in the district in recent years, including the addition of SmartBoards — interactive white boards — in every classroom.

There are also many skills that students must learn in order to use technology effectively. For example, Robb-Fund said, under the new Common Core Curriculum standards, fifth-graders will be expected to be able to type two full pages on the computer in one sitting. Keyboarding, she noted, is an essential skill that school districts must teach students.

Robb-Fund also wants students to be adept at doing research online. She doesn’t want children to just “Google it” when they need information, but actually know how to find reliable sources. Owning a set of encyclopedias may be a thing of the past, she said, but online encyclopedias, such as the World Book, are available on the Internet.