Peregrine Leadership Institute, LLC A History of Traut Core Knowledge School The Power of Commitment… AND Vision…

Peregrine Leadership Institute, LLC

A History of Traut Core Knowledge School

The Power of Commitment…AND Vision…


In the Beginning…leading up to April, 1993

• Parent led initiative—80+ families.• Combined efforts of 3 groups—with concerns

about Outcomes Based Education, Values Clarification, desires for stronger curriculum.

• Common desire for more choice in instructional approaches.

• All wanted more involvement in the decision making that affected their children at school.


Issues Creating Concerns

• Whole language vs. “Phonics first” approach to teaching reading.

• Invented spelling vs. rules for spelling.• CSMP (Comprehensive School Math Program)

“strings and arrows” vs. direct instruction in math concepts.

• Philosophy that specific content in the curriculum did not matter as long as the students were learning the skills of how to learn.


“The Original Proposal”

• Elementary School of Choice Proposal submitted to Board of Education April, 1993.

• Described four components of school:– A school of choice—allowing parents to choose their

children’s form of educational instruction.– Would raise specific academic standards.– Designed to provide more equality and fairness to

those with differing family, economic, or racial backgrounds.

– Would teach the values of a democratic society.


Your Proposal is Approved!

• April 16, 1993 – Board of Education approval of 3 school proposals – the Lab School, the Bilingual School, and the Core Knowledge School.

• 2 year pilot for each school to try out its proposal.

• Harris Elementary School to house the Bilingual and Lab Schools; Washington Elementary to host the Core Knowledge School.


“Cost Neutral”

• The new Core Knowledge school would cost no more than sending students to their assigned “neighborhood school.”

• No budget for furniture, educational equipment, library books, computers, or instructional materials that were usually part of opening a new school.

• No administrative staffing unit for a principal—the “Principal Teacher” will teach full time while fulfilling the responsibilities of a licensed principal, and will be paid as a classroom teacher.


Year 1: 1993-1994

• “A healthy sprout in public education.”• First Core Knowledge School in Colorado – one

of about 40 in the United States.• Named “Washington Core Knowledge School” in

accordance with Poudre School District’s policy of naming the program after the name of the building in which the program is located.

• First year K-4 one-track with 25 students per grade level – 125 students total.


The Scramble is On!• Urgent time table to open on first day of school

in August, 1993.• Multiple action initiatives occurring

simultaneously e.g. Hiring Committee for staff, scrounging for furniture, Curriculum Committee, Discipline and Decorum Committee, Fundraising Committee, Transportation Committee, Communications Committee, Library Committee, Parent Advisory Board, etc.

• Discipline and Decorum Committee identified 12 character qualities as school wide standards for behavior and for getting along with each other.

• PARENTS provided primary leadership for each committee and multiple action initiatives.


Fitting Within the Budget

• PSD budget for 1993-1994: $18,104.00.• Chapter 2 grant: $13,200.00.• Additional boost from Monte Peterson, Assistant

Superintendent: $12,000.00.• Promise of $15,000.00 from Challenge

Foundation.• Garage sales; donations from parents; borrowing

materials from other PSD teachers.



First Year Report to BOE• Part of requirement as two year pilot

program.• Report to Board of Education included:

– Student test results (ITBS).– Parent involvement hours and parent projects.– Student management/discipline issues.– Parent-teacher conferencing times/dates.– Teacher training and staff development.– Survey of parents and teachers to measure

their satisfaction with their WCKS experience.


First Year Progress• Approval by PSD for admitting more students

from the waiting list – 100 more students for 1994-1995 school year.

• PSD moved modular classroom to Washington Elementary site.

• Multiple visits to WCKS from those interested in the Core Knowledge curriculum.

• Networking from school leaders as key members of national Core Knowledge movement – providing leadership within the Core Knowledge Foundation.

• Colorado charter school law passed fall, 1993.


Year 2: 1994-1995• K-5 with 225 students (2 track K-2; 1 track 3-5).• 12 character qualities with definitions printed on

8.5x11 posters (Mrs. Moore); parent partner Ken Colasuonno used graphics skills to build colored 8.5x11 pages – Sharon Colasuonno mounted on poster paper and laminated them. Duplicated for whole school; posted in each classroom.

• Proposal to charter WCKS continued during parent discussions.

• Approval by BOE to make WCKS a permanent part of PSD, with change in location to old FCHS to allow continued growth in student numbers.



Years 3-6: 1995-Dec 1998• K-6 with 408 students; administrative unit for full-

time principal.• Massive parental effort to paint, prepare old

FCHS for elementary school students, remodel of first floor for primary students ($100,000.00 investment by PSD), move into FCHS classrooms organized by parent partner Carol Christ. Parents and teachers worked together to make the move from Washington Elementary to old FCHS.

• Era of “Charter Wars” as discussions continued about chartering WCKS. Eventual vote: parents 76%, staff 100% in favor of remaining a partnership school within PSD.



Years 3-6: 1995-Dec 1998• Character education initiative: parents led effort to

build matrix identifying portions of Core Knowledge curriculum at each grade level providing “teachable moments” for teaching character qualities directly from the curriculum. Continued emphasis for building character into all components of school life.

• First SBMC (PAB and TAB combined) meeting on old FCHS stage.

• Progressive growth each year – to K-6 three track school with 504 students (24 per class x 3 classes per grade level).

• Development by SBMC of Covenant and Charter—with vision, mission, core values of 12 character qualities, 5 “pillars” identifying WCKS’ program.


Years 3-6: 1995-Dec 1998 • Participation in Johns Hopkins University 3 year

study to document level of success of students learning in schools using the Core Knowledge Sequence as their curriculum. Study commissioned by Core Knowledge Foundation in Charlottesville, VA. Results published in 1998 supported use of Core Knowledge curriculum as means of improving student learning and achievement.

• Visit and presentation from Core Knowledge director John Holdren and Dr. Connie Jones, first Core Knowledge principal.

• Construction of bulletin board by parent partner Ken Colasuonno to identify 5 pillars of WCKS/TCKS educational approach.



Finally – Our Own School!!• Approval by Board of Education to build a school

specifically for the Core Knowledge program. Choice of Preston site – school named after Lena and Evelyn Traut.

• Groundbreaking in early 1998, and construction throughout 1998.

• Proposal by parent partners Cindy Dalton and Sharon Colasuonno to name 12 hallways of new school after WCKS’ 12 character qualities.

• Move to new Traut Elementary organized and led by Sharon and Cindy. This time, PSD did the major moving, with help from teachers and parent partners.



Groundbreaking 1998


Parent-Teacher-Student Partnership


Lena and Evelyn Traut – 82 years devoted to loving and teaching children…what a legacy!


Traut Elementary Neighborhood in January, 1998


PSD Board of Education’s Purpose for building Traut Elementary


Traut Core Knowledge School – January 1999 – June 2006

• Designation of TCKS as National School of Character in 1999 by Character Education Partnership in Washington, DC.

• Responsibility to share with other schools and interested groups how to develop a school wide program of character education. Dozens of presentations at TCKS, CEP and CK Foundation’s national conferences, and Center for 4th & 5th R’s in Cortland, NY.

• Support for Mayor Ray Martinez’s initiative to designate Fort Collins as City of Character. Support for Character Fort Collins and writing PSD’s sector of character education.




• Publication of Door to Door Handbook of Character Education.

• Presentations to BOE with principals of CLPE, Kruse, and Tavelli. Directives from BOE to PSD Superintendent for all PSD schools to implement character education as part of their school initiatives.

• Presentations to Elementary, Junior High, and High School principals for how to develop a school wide program of character education.



• Academic achievement of TCKS students on Colorado School Achievement Program (CSAP) recognized by Colorado Department of Education.

• TCKS designated as a John Irwin School of Excellence for five years in a row between 2000-2006.

• Initiatives to strengthen student leadership sector of three way partnership of Parents, Teachers, and Students.


TCKS 2006 - 2010

• A good idea lives on…currently, over 50 schools in Colorado listed as Core Knowledge schools. Over 780 national and international schools using the CK Sequence as the basis for their K-8 curriculum.

• In PSD, the Core Knowledge schools include Bethke, Moore, O’Dea, Traut, Zach, Kinard, Liberty Common Charter School, and Ridgeview Classical Charter School.


Lessons Learned about Team Leadership

• A good idea is a good idea…no matter where it comes from, and good ideas are worth implementing.

• The 5 pillars of TCKS represent 5 excellent ideas—the value of a solid, challenging, and enriching Core Knowledge curriculum, the strong partnership of parents, teachers and students working together, core character values taught directly and integrated into all parts of the school community, mature literacy to enjoy reading and reading to learn, and students’ recognition of their responsibility for their own learning—all rooted in a strong foundation of choice in public education.


Lessons Learned about Team Leadership (continued)

• Allowing choice in public education promotes customer satisfaction, encourages “buy-in,” and helps secure the commitment and supportive partnership necessary to achieve lasting excellence in education.

• Every leader needs a mentor, and wise leaders select their mentors thoughtfully.

• Leadership preparation must be thorough—there is no room for shortcuts. Leaders learn the most from their mistakes—but do not have to make all of the mistakes themselves if they are willing to learn from others’ mistakes.



• Leading change is hard work. It requires a clear vision of why the change is necessary, a well planned strategy to include all key stakeholders, sound communication practices, and strong applications of determination, optimism, humility, a sense of humor, and perseverance.

• Every leader needs “battle buddies,” meaning essential guiding coalition members the leader can trust as dependable allies during the struggles and inevitable fights to bring necessary change to an organization.

• NEVER GIVE UP! Lead to continuously improve strategies to more effectively enable all students to learn and grow to their full potential.



• When we agree on a common vision, and support each other without worrying about who gets the credit, we can accomplish a lot.

• Leaders who are willing to be used up and expended in the process of leading do make a difference.

• Leadership matters. Nothing much gets done without leadership.

• One person, committed to a worthwhile vision and determined to bring it to reality, can make a huge impact during years of focused action.


..


The Power of One…Who is The Power of One…Who is Committed…and refuses to give up.Committed…and refuses to give up.


What is the Future of TCKS?• It Depends!

– On commitment to TCKS’ vision, and strength of leadership of parents, principal, staff, and students in working together to achieve that vision.

– On willingness to continually improve and grow in finding more effective ways to improve learning and growth for ALL students.

– On initiative in taking the ownership to do what needs doing—rather than the attitude of “someone else will take care of it.”

• Beware of Complacency!

* No “resting on laurels” of past achievements of TCKS. If you’re not growing and continually improving, you’re regressing—even dying.


Traut Core Knowledge School’s Vision Statement:

“Our vision is educational excellence in knowledge, skills, and character—with strong parent-teacher-student partnerships.”


“A Republic, if you can keep it.”

• Benjamin Franklin’s answer to the question of “What kind of government have you given us?”, after leaving the Constitutional Convention in 1787.

• i.e. democratic republics are not merely founded upon the consent of the people—they are absolutely dependent upon the active and informed involvement of the people for their continued existence.


If it is to be, it IS up to me!

“Our vision is educational excellence in knowledge, skills, and character—with strong parent-teacher-student partnerships.”

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Peregrine Leadership Institute, LLC A History of Traut Core Knowledge School The Power of Commitment… AND Vision…