Superintendent Dr. Reginald Eggleston has been focused on developing a plan to create a thriving and successful learning environment for the students of USD 475, since his arrival in April of 2019. This plan encompasses many parts of the learning experience and daily interactions for the students, teachers, and staff. Dr. Eggleston drew inspiration from the community and has developed a plan for improving educational opportunities within the district, moving forward.
Over a dozen listening sessions within different community groups inside of Geary County. These groups consist of parents, teachers, community leaders, law enforcement, and district personnel. There have been many different praises for the district during these sessions, but there have also been some areas of concern. Some of these concerns are voiced more often than others, but the one he has heard about most is related to order and discipline within our schools.
A safe and orderly learning environment is at the top of the USD 475 list of priorities. “Creating an environment that is safe and free from distractions is one of our goals, and it is essential for teaching and learning to take place”, states, Dr. Eggleston. He continued to say, “We want students to come to school every day with a positive attitude and ready to receive the academic content teachers have prepared.”
Dr. Eggleston isn’t the only one who thinks that an orderly and safe environment is necessary for learning. Research shows that schools are essential to providing students with the educational foundation to build successful, independent lives. Classroom disruptions interfere with student achievement and teacher effectiveness, which ultimately makes it harder for students to learn.
Teachers and administrators must maintain order and discipline in order to create an effective learning environment. Teachers are responsible for setting the standards within the classroom. If teachers are equitable in rule-enforcement, then students can have a set of expected behavioral standards to live by.
Superintendent Eggleston also believes that consistency from classroom to classroom, and from school to school, is essential to students maintaining a positive learning environment throughout their school experience. Additionally, proper behavior expectation now will result in students that are better prepared to enter the workforce after school.
You can hear more about Dr. Eggleston’s plan to better facilitate a consistent and positive learning environment throughout the district by attending the State of Education event, taking place at Junction City High School on January 28th, at 6:30 pm.