When I showed up here in March 2022, the Montezuma-Cortez School District ranked near the bottom, according to one Colorado Department of Education assessment. Based on scores, CDE put our district on an improvement plan – we are in year two. This means, we need systemic changes in how we deliver instruction to our students.

I’m here to do this job. I have a plan and I need my entire team – every M-CSD employee to help us become a higher-achieving district. I’ve worked in both high-performing and struggling districts. There are striking differences between the two in school cultures and more. I’m here to share what I’ve learned in the former. Trust me – it’s better, all around.

Test scores don’t measure everything but they do offer information. Ranking this low means something isn’t working in business as usual in our schools. This situation requires clear, direct actions. What it ultimately tells us is that our schoolchildren aren’t learning what the state says they should know for their grade levels. Our students deserve better.

For students who aren’t meeting basic standards of grade level achievement, we have to get them there. For high-performing students, we have to make sure they truly have the skills to do well after high school. Which brings me to another area of testing that’s concerning. Last year, multiple students did well in their classes, earning As and Bs, then did not score proficient in specific areas of study in the PSATs. Why is this?

Yes, students learn differently. Some are better test-takers than others. And tests are just that. They measure knowledge at one moment in time. But we have to align what’s being taught in class with state standards. We have to at least make sure we’re doing right by students, in this way.

I hate to share news we already know but, again, before I arrived, Mesa Elementary School was in trouble. It’s now on year five – the final year – of an accountability plan. The team at Mesa has done much to turn around this situation, teaching to standards. We’re hopeful that we’ve shown improvement and will know more when we receive data in August.

I know, I sound like a broken record, repeating the importance of state standards and, as in life, the importance of having a plan. In the case of lesson plans for teachers, it can make life easier for them in the long run and set up students for success. Lesson plans aren’t to police teachers or give them more to do. Already, they have so much on their plates.

But teachers and principals can help each other, looking at where they got snagged and where students struggled. It’s just another tool. And if lessons align with state standards, the curriculum aligns and we are on our way to a better place.

I feel a little old saying this, but I’ve a been an educator just shy of four decades, from my start as a math teacher to a superintendent, nine years and counting before returning to Cortez. I need my team to work toward this unified goal of producing educated citizens. We need to do this together – it’s also a great way to better school culture, spirit and morale.

I’m fine with principals running their schools in their own style, as long as the bar is met. Principals are instructional partners with teachers, discussing strategies, and what works and what doesn’t.

In Shiprock in the 1990s, my former superintendent Dr. Stan Bippus wrote a series of books with Jennifer Maher on reasonable expectations. From kindergarten through sixth grade, he wrote a book for each grade with the same title, such as, “Basic Skills Every Fifth Grade Student Should Know.”

Resources are out there for parents and teachers. We’re not alone in educating our children. Bippus’ series is just an example of educational foundations.

I’ve said before, I’m the father of two high-schoolers. I always want the best education for them. I want the best for Montezuma-Cortez, too.

Tom Burris is superintendent of the Montezuma-Cortez School District. Email him at tburris@cortez.k12.co.us.