Innovative local school districts host leaders from throughout country

Middletown City Schools and Lakota Local Schools

Journal-News writer Michael Clark and photographer Nick Graham put together an informative and visual article on the recent Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools spring convening in our district and neighboring Lakota Local Schools. Nick Graham visited Amanda Elementary and documented educational leaders from across the country learning about (and playing with) our Lu Interactive Playground. 

The tours took our many visitors to Amanda Elementary, Rosa Parks Elementary, Creekview Elementary, Highview 6th Grade Center, Middletown Middle School, Middletown High School, and the Middletown Municipal Airport where they learned about everything from Executive Functioning in Math, Challenge Based Learning, hydroponics to the Hope Squads, aviation program, and the Passport to Tomorrow ABRE platform.  

The Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools was launched at the White House under President Barack Obama within the United States Department of Education in 2011. League members represent 125 districts in 34 states serving more than 3 million students. Their diverse experiences reflect the advancements, challenges and vital work of public education in the United States.

To read the full article, click here.

Innovative Local School Districts Host Leaders From Throughout Country
March 11, 2022
By Michael D. Clark, Journal-News Staff Writer

“Two of Butler County’s most aggressively innovative school districts played hosts…to hundreds of school leaders and teachers visiting from around the nation, showing off their digitally focused learning programs… 

“Middletown and Lakota school officials led tours of their various high-tech learning programs — including interacting with the students involved — as part of a national convention in Cincinnati of members from the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools… 

“For school leaders from Ohio and out of state touring Middletown’s Amanda Elementary…[Middletown] District officials wanted to show off their “Lu” interactive math projection video game designed to grow both math skills and student athleticism… 

“The virtual reality immersion game projected onto Amanda’s gym wall, saw the guest educators scrambling like kids to throw the balls at the proper math answers and raking up a winning score as energetic music pumped through speakers… 

“Keith Konyk, assistant superintendent from a Pittsburgh-area school system, said these on-site visits to cutting-edge school systems ‘is the most powerful part of the League of Innovative Schools is to come and see what other folks are doing.’...

“...The Lu is really amazing and I loved how it keeps kids active,” he said… 

“Rebekah Kim, executive director from a Seattle-area school system, said the Middletown schools tour showed her ‘a lot of student pride in the schools and it’s exciting to see that at a young age.’... 

“‘There is a really evident culture of engagement for the teachers and so you see that show up in the classroom,’ said Kim… 

“Kim recalled how in recent years Middletown Superintendent Marlon Styles Jr. toured her Seattle-area district’s student aviation career program and now she got a chance to visit Middletown’s version recently created - in partnership with Butler Tech – at the city’s airport…

“Elizabeth Beadle, spokeswoman for the 6,300-student Middletown district, said “hosting the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools members is an exciting moment … especially for our teachers and staff… 

“Not only will our schools showcase their students and share their innovative approaches to teaching with our hundred-plus guests from across the nation, but they will also get to celebrate the hard work of their profession with other educators,” said Beadle…”

To read the full article, click here.