This the the second in a series of articles about the work of the Facility Planning Committee at Des Moines Public Schools. Each week we’ll look at the REIMAGINING EDUCATION initiative, from why this work is underway in the first place to how it could improve education for our students and community. If you missed last week’s report, just click here. This week’s article looks at the “why” of this work and some of the issues and opportunities it presents for our students and the entire community.
As we shared last week, the Facility Planning Committee at Des Moines Public Schools is working on a proposal for the Reimagining Education Initiative to bring forward for public feedback and an eventual Board of Education vote. In the meantime, we want to share more information about why this work is so important for the future of the district.
For the past several years, student enrollment in DMPS has been declining. The pandemic caused enrollment to slip further, and our projections indicate that enrollment will continue to drop into the future. While fewer students means less revenue for our district, it also means that facility and space needs will change.
Many school districts throughout the nation are faced with a similar situation, and their typical response is to reduce costs by cutting programs and closing schools.
For DMPS, the Reimagining Education initiative is the opportunity to think differently about how to create a new system of schools that will best meet the needs of students.
“Rather than adjusting the current system to make it fit our changing circumstances, we decided to start at the beginning and create a new model for learning in DMPS,” said Matt Smith, associate superintendent. “The work of the Facility Planning Committee and the Reimagining Education initiative has allowed us to think about how we might reorganize our district to best prepare our students for their most successful future.”
Creating a new model for student learning means thinking differently about meeting student needs.
This could include:
- Multicultural learning experiences that could include equipping students with fluency in multiple languages, international partnerships and global exchanges that expand learning for students
- Rigorous academic courses that develop critical thinking and problem solving skills in students, including Advanced Placement and college/university prep courses
- Access to world-class career and technical education through hands-on training, internships, apprenticeships and industry collaborations using state-of-the-art facilities
- Programs and support for whole-child development for students of all ages, including expanded preschool educational opportunities, guidance counselors to help students guide academic paths, along with extracurricular activities, athletics and clubs to complement academic programs.
In the weeks ahead, please watch for regular updates about the Reimagining Education initiative and the Facility Planning Committee as we share more about the reasons for this effort and benefits it may bring to education in Des Moines.
To read an introduction about the Reimagining Education initiative at DMPS, click here.
