Students and staff at St Paul schools in rural Madison County have gone from being under State scrutiny with school improvement measures mandated in math and literacy, to being designated a top 10% school in the state, and winning national awards. St Paul Principal Daisy Dyer Duerr says the secret to their success is no secret at all. From the moment she was hired, she and her team worked toward two key goals:
- Building real relationships between students and faculty
- Infusing the school with technology
Students at St Paul schools are not only allowed to bring their handheld devices (smartphones, tablets) into school, they are encouraged to do so. The school has been teaching computer coding for a couple of years now, students use apps in class, and spend an hour per week discussing “digital citizenship”.
Principal Duerr says it’s all about trusting students, and staff. And putting the technology they need in the palms of their hands.
