LOCK HAVEN — Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Dr. Khalid Mumin visited Robb Elementary School and Central Mountain Career Technical Center on Thursday to tour the facilities and learn more about the district's approach to educating the next generation of Pennsylvanians. I learned.
Dr. Moomin, who has served in various capacities as a teacher, dean of students, principal, and administrator, travels to schools across the commonwealth to assess student and educator needs and see the impact of state education investments. Masu.
“We set out to communicate what the impact of investment will be,” Moomin said. He received a warm welcome from Robb Elementary School students who lined the hall and high-fived him and other administrators.
“This trip is very important because when you're dealing with Harrisburg and working to invest in education, you can get caught up in the fact that it's Philadelphia and this is Pittsburgh. ” said Moomin.
“I want to visit all 67 counties, because when you start talking about capital disparities in funding, what the numbers tell me…(is) the most important word in all these counties. is the “big P”, or poverty. ”
According to the Future Ready PA Index, 55% of students enrolled in the Keystone Central School District are economically disadvantaged. The district is one of many in the state that receives Title 1 funding. Title 1 is a federally funded supplemental education program that provides financial assistance to schools to improve educational opportunities.
“Being in central Pennsylvania, we are sometimes out of the spotlight in Harrisburg, but the reason he came here and saw all the great things is because he is so committed to education in every part of the state. It shows that what we're putting in is really important,' what our students are doing,'' said Deputy Superintendent Dr. Randy Zangara.
Zangara stressed that he hopes this visit, and others like it, will demonstrate that education funding, especially in the state's rural areas, is a priority for Harrisburg.
Instructional coach Leslie Skrich said she hoped Dr Moomin would use the visit to learn ideas about all the support educators here provide to primary school students.
“We want him to see the great things happening here at Robb, the great students we have. We have nearly 400 students and they come from a variety of backgrounds. We have, but we want him to see how we support them in every way,” Skrtich said.
Rob has implemented numerous programs to provide interdisciplinary support to students. The school employs a multi-tiered support system, dedicating time to targeted, needs-based instruction, community and school-based behavioral health teams, and students with a structured literacy approach, specifically reading science. We provide consistent behavioral interventions based on screening. program.
These efforts have resulted in a 26 percent decrease in student assistance program referrals, a 45 percent decrease in core office area referrals, and a 10 percent increase in regular school attendance compared to last year.
“All our students want is to be seen, heard, and loved, and we strive to make that happen for them every day. We don't just teach academics. We teach the whole child, and of course we're concerned about their social and emotional learning, their mental health, their academics,” Skritić said.
During the visit, the secretary watched Mrs. Mosier's second grade students learn how to code using Ozobots. Ozobots are programmable robots that use sensors to follow lines and read “color codes” that command the robot to complete specific operations.
“I was really excited about the STEM program that was going on in my second-grade classroom because that’s my future career,” he said.
Before departing for a tour of the Central Mountain Career and Technical Center, Dr. Moomin congratulated the educators and administration for creating such a positive learning environment.
“When I look at this building, I see a great culture of students who love each other. And we have students from different backgrounds, ethnicities, and learning styles. They are all together and love this family. , I really admire what you’re doing here,” he said.
To conclude the visit, in celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week, the Moomins, on behalf of the Pennsylvania Department of Education, presented staff at Robb Elementary School with signed banners thanking them for their hard work and dedication to educational excellence. .
“You should all be very proud,” he said.