Jon Laffoon is the principal of Pea Ridge High School in Arkansas, where they are using a dynamic schedule called the flex mod schedule to allow time to serve students, rather than students serving time. It is pretty remarkable and impressive.

• Save $10,000 on paper because of 1:1
• Don’t hire substitutes
• Expectation is that teachers post everything to Google Classroom when they are absent.
• Subs are just babysitters
• Time serving students rather than students serving time.
• Redesign cafeteria to make it a modern space like a starbucks.
• Supervision of students.
• 3 Core Values: Leave no trace, be responsible, use time wisely
• Teach them personal responsibility.
• You have to take on a growth mindset to make changes.
• Students skipping a class still happens, but it has not increased, though the way to work with kids has helped.
• Phase Balance - can’t have every class meet 3 days (Phase 3) a week or every class meet 4 (Phase 4) days a week.
• Schools can come learn from PRHS. Conference in the summer.
• Office of Innovation for Education Summit
• 1:1 school, is that a requirement? No.
• No more textbooks.
• Google Classroom
• Schoology
• How to be a transformative Principal: Be student centered. Constantly assessing how we are doing. Build a team around you. Take ownership and pride in everything you do. Become connected. Find balance. jlaffoon@prhs.k12.ak.us @laffoon_jon

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