Today’s guest is Kraig Steinhoff, superintendent of Oakes Public School and he joins Rebecca to discuss what it means to pursue continuous improvement in a school system and how important the collaboration between a school and the community really is. Continuous Improvement in Schools Episode Summary:
On the show today, Kraig Steinhoff, superintendent of Oakes Public Schools, shares a new and exciting approach to education that is being piloted with selected schools among the nation. Kraig and his team at OPS have a reputation for being innovative, and Kraig believes it’s partly due to their commitment to demonstrating continuous improvement as a school district.
We talk about how the future of education is changing because the future workplace our kids will eventually enter is changing. He shares how important he believes the collaboration between the school and community is as well as what he’d suggest all small-town residents do to take an active role in the success of the community’s education system.
About Kraig Steinhoff:
Kraig Steinhoff is in his fourth year as superintendent of the Oakes Public Schools. His previous experience included ten years as assistant director of the Southeast Region Career & Technology Center in Oakes and teaching business/computers at Milnor Public School in Milnor, ND. Kraig holds a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from Northern State University, a master’s degree in educational administration from North Dakota State University, a specialist diploma in educational administration from the University of North Dakota and plans to graduate in December with a doctor of education in educational administration from the University of South Dakota.
He is married to Nancy, and they have four children.
In this episode, we tackle...
What is personalized-learning and how does it work?
Some call it competency-based learning and this approach suggests that the traditional way of educating our students with a set curriculum that all students go through at the same pace isn’t going to serve our students well in the future. This approach offers opportunities for students to demonstrate their understanding of the content before moving on and gives several methods to show that competency outside of just standard testing.
What does continuous learning mean in a school setting?
Obviously, besides the fact that students are always learning, Kraig makes the case that this is a mindset to adopt to ensure that as a school, the staff and faculty are positioned to be adaptable, nimble, and open to learning new ways to support the students. The future will continue to change and being committed to continuous learning helps the team prepare for those changes.
Listen to this episode to hear more about:
- Why “just because it was good enough for us” doesn’t mean it’s right for our kids
- What skills/abilities are important to nurture in our kids
- How to embrace change without freaking everyone out (my words, not Mr. Steinhoff’s)
- How to encourage students (and staff) to co-create their expectations
- What is learner agency and why does it matter
Connect with Kraig:
Website for Oakes Public School:
Email: kraig.steinhoff@k12.nd.us
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Rebecca Undem learned early in her career what mattered most—people. As the author of the book, How Mommy Got Her Groove Back™ and speaker who gained her chops as a people
developer through an international talent management firm, she’s worked with hundreds of companies to improve their bottom-line results by focusing on their greatest asset: their
people.
Rebecca believes that everyone has something positive to contribute, that if you’re not growing, you’re dying, and that anything really is possible. Today, she inspires people to live BIG no matter their zip code through her speaking events, retreats, online workshops and the Small Town Big Talk Show
Her biggest champions and daily dose of reality are her 3 kids under the age of 11 along with her farmer husband, Jeremiah. They simultaneously ground her and keep her from taking herself too seriously. They call Oakes, North Dakota, home, where her roots are the deepest, and her heart belongs.
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