Tracy
By EMILY TRACY, guest columnist
I am excited for the opportunity to serve 30 Brown County community members in our first cohort of ambassadors for Brown County Schools.
Program participants will be exposed to all facets of running a district, including business management, academic programs, student services, technology, operations and more.
Members of the first cohort will have the opportunity to:
Gain firsthand, “behind the scenes” knowledge of how Brown County Schools functions.
Experience the engaging learning styles used with students.
Participate in an extended dialogue with leadership on education issues.
Develop an understanding of how Brown County Schools has created a unique culture of educational excellence and innovation.
Ambassador graduates are partners in sharing Brown County Schools’ vision throughout the community and will be invited to continue to engage with the district through future project teams and input gathering opportunities.
In August, participants will attend a welcome reception where they will receive an overview of the ambassador program and introduction to Brown County Schools. That meeting is scheduled for Aug. 31 in the Goldberg Room at Brown County High School. Agenda items include discussing the district’s mission, vision, history, strategic planning and survey results.
A month later, the cohort will meet again on Sept. 28 at the Educational Service Center for a tour. That meeting will focus on “business of kids and strong foundation of the basics.” The agenda includes discussions on school finance, human resources, operations, the school board, transportation and food service.
In October, the group will meet on Oct. 26 at Helmsburg Elementary School for a tour and to learn more about teacher instruction and how students learn. Agenda items include discussing the school district’s graduate profile, teaching and learning styles, curriculum, standards and accountability.
On Nov. 30, the meeting will take place at Van Buren Elementary School where participants will get a tour and learn more about how the school district supports the whole child and keeps children safe. Health services, mental health and the school resource officer discussions are on the agenda.
No meeting will happen in December.
At the start of 2023, the group will meet again at the Goldberg Room where the focus of discussion will be on how the school district enriches students’ learning. Discussion about extracurricular opportunities, clubs, athletics and community partnerships are on the agenda for the first meeting of the year.
On Feb. 22 the meeting will be held in the new Eagle Manufacturing Classroom so the group can have a tour of the new facility for the student-ran manufacturing business and discuss new initiatives and programs underway in the district. Other items on the agenda include career pathways, early childhood education, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), Eagle and Eaglet Manufacturing, work-based learning and career connected learning.
In March, the BCS ambassadors will get a tour of Sprunica Elementary School before meeting to discuss how the school district educates all students and ability levels. The agenda for that meeting includes special education, high ability, Advanced Placement/dual credit and Indiana College Core, and the Career Resource Center.
The final meeting of the school year will be on April 26 at the Goldberg Room where the group will focus on having a closing retreat and graduation from the program. Future plans for the school districts, opportunities for involvement and a summary of the program will be discussed.
All meetings are scheduled to last from 8:30 to 11 a.m.
Finally, the 2022-2023 first cohort of ambassadors for Brown County Schools are: Dwight Thompson, Michele Wedel, Jim Kemp, Anna Hofstetter, Doug Payne, Tina Bedey, Vicki Harden Tim Kelley, Jason Riggle, Evan Raisor, Karen Kriby, Stephanie Kritzer, Carol Bowden, Kara Hammes, Jenise Bohbrink, Maddison Miller, Mandy Kinnaird, Christian Webb, Kevin Patrick, Melissa Stinson, Ed Wojdyla, Kamady Lewis, Brad Stogsdill, Nancy Crocker Dave Redding, Corey Frost, Mark Shields, Cassie Stratton and Amy Oliver
Emily Tracy is superintendent of Brown County schools. She can be reached at 812-988-6601 or [email protected].
