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Susan Hill is the Director of Pk-12 College and Career Readiness for the School District of University City. She has served as a Social Studies Teacher, Assistant Principal and Principal in her career as an educator. As a first generation college student she is committed to ensuring every child graduates with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in postsecondary education.
September 27, 2018
Today I am so excited to launch our new website content on college and career readiness and my new blog, Readiness Reimagined. This website and blog are evolving resources for the families and staff in our district and we will regularly add relevant content as it becomes available.
As a first generation college student, I understand some of the challenges that many of our students face as they transition to their postsecondary lives. The statistics on the state of college and career readiness in America are plentiful...and the results are mixed. While there are a few reasons to celebrate, there is more cause for concern than celebration. Today, more African Americans are now attending and finishing college than ever before. But, it is not enough. Data indicate large opportunity gaps for children of color and children who are raised in poverty. Unfortunately, these gaps are not shrinking. In fact, there is good cause to believe that with growing income inequality, gaps in education are also widening.
As a School District we have adopted a “to and through” culture. Over time, the role and responsibility of educators has changed dramatically. A new shift is our increasing accountability to ensure our students don’t just go on to postsecondary education, but that they earn a degree and/or credential and go on to thrive in their future career. We should not be dismayed or overwhelmed by this new perspective on the role of schooling. In fact, if schools are not preparing students for success after graduation, what is our purpose then?
The School District of University City understands its responsibility. Our District’s Vision is to ensure that ALL students graduate college and career ready, without remediation. While the work ahead of us is great, it is meaningful beyond measure. We will transform the life of every student, every day, by what we DO to prepare them for their future careers.
Learning Reimagined is a framework for our work as a whole. Humanizing, Personalizing and Problematizing education is crucial to a student's future readiness. This year we will build on Learning Reimagined by crafting a framework for college and career readiness districtwide. A team of dedicated educators that represent every grade level have come together to outline a plan for readiness, with a system of actions, education, and interventions for all stakeholders. Staff, parents, and students alike will be impacted by our plan to ensure every child is ready for the next level at key transition points, including Kindergarten, Middle School, High School, an on to their postsecondary choices.
My use of the word “choices” was selected intentionally. At the end of the day, it is our greatest dream that every single child who graduates from University City has multiple choices for their future. Choices are created by preparing students and giving them access to the knowledge and resources they need to succeed. Our team, and the University City Community, is dedicated to making this dream a reality and we have audacious goals for all of our children. Stay tuned...
