vlog EIGHT NEWS AT SIX. OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS, DES MOINES PUBLIC SCHOOL LEADERS ARE HOPING TO CHANGE HOW KIDS LEARN. IT’S PART OF THE DISTRICT’S NEW REIMAGINING EDUCATION PLAN. vlog NICOLE TAM TALKED WITH SUPERINTENDENT IAN ROBERTS ABOUT HOW THESE IDEAS WILL BECOME REALITY. THE REIMAGINING EDUCATION PLAN IS THE RESULT OF MONTHS OF MEETINGS BETWEEN ALMOST A HUNDRED PEOPLE, INCLUDING STUDENTS, TEACHERS, STAFF AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THEY’RE HOPING THESE PLANS WILL ULTIMATELY MAKE DES MOINES A PLACE WHERE FAMILIES WANT TO SEND THEIR KIDS TO LEARN. SUPERINTENDENT IAN ROBERTS SAYS THE PATH TO SUCCESSFUL HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES STARTS IN PRESCHOOL. STUDENTS WHO ARE ABLE TO ATTEND PRESCHOOL AND ULTIMATELY DEVELOP THE KIND OF SKILLS THEY NEED, SO THEY’RE LEARNING TO READ BY THE TIME THEY’RE AGE THREE, ARE LESS LIKELY TO HAVE ANY INTERACTIONS WITH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE CHANGES WILL HAPPEN OVER THREE PHASES THAT COULD TAKE BETWEEN 8 TO 10 YEARS. PHASE ONE STARTED THIS SCHOOL YEAR BY INCREASING ACCESS TO PRESCHOOL. PRESCHOOL WILL ALWAYS BE ONE OF THOSE PRIORITIES THAT COMES UP FOR US, NOT ONLY IN TERMS OF OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY, WHERE WE INTEND TO PARTNER WITH LEGISLATORS AND THE GOVERNOR TO ENSURE THAT WE INCREASE ACCESS TO FULL DAY UNIVERSAL PRESCHOOL FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS. FOR OLDER STUDENTS, THE REIMAGINING INVOLVES MORE PROGRAMS TO GET THEM READY FOR LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL. ONCE THEY WALK ACROSS THE STAGE FROM ANY OF THE SIX DES MOINES PUBLIC SCHOOLS, HIGH SCHOOLS, THAT THEY NOT ONLY HAVE THAT HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA, BUT THEY ARE READY FOR POST-SECONDARY ENROLLMENT IN A COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY OF THEIR CHOICE. BUT THEY ARE ALSO READY FOR GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT. PHASE TWO AND THREE WOULD INCLUDE ANALYSIS OF THE DISTRICT’S FACILITIES AND TO SEE HOW TO REPURPOSE OLDER BUILDINGS. THEY ARE A LOT OF EXCITING CHANGES WITH THE PLAN, AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO THINK ABOUT IT IN PHASE ONE, SHORT TERM, PHASE TWO MEDIUM TERM AND PHASE THREE A MUCH LONGER TERM. GIVEN OURSELVES A LONGER RUNWAY TO ACTUALIZE THE PLAN IN ITS ENTIRETY. ROBERTS SAYS IT’S ABOUT GETTING ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS. THE CENTRAL IOWA COMMUNITY IS ONE OF THE PLACES WHERE I’VE SEEN THEM SO INVESTED IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS THAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE VALUING THAT INVESTMENT AND HOW INTERESTED THEY ARE IN SUPPORTING US. NICOLE TAM, vlog EIGHT NEWS IOWA’S NEWS LEADER. AND DISTRICT LEADERS WILL SHARE MORE ABOUT THEIR VISION AT THE STATE OF THE SCHOOLS EVENT IN FEBRUARY. THERE WILL BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC INPUT BEFOR
Des Moines schools reimagine education with new 10-year plan
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Updated: 9:12 PM CST Jan 22, 2025
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Over the next few years, Des Moines Public School leaders are hoping to change how kids learn; it's part of the district's new Reimagining Education plan. The plan is the result of months of meetings between almost 100 people, including students, teachers, staff and community members. District leaders hope these plans will combat falling enrollment and ultimately make Des Moines a place where families want to send their kids to learn. Superintendent Ian Roberts says the path to successful high school graduates starts in preschool. "Students who are able to attend preschool and ultimately develop the kind of skills they need. So they're learning to read by the time they're age three are less likely to have any interactions with the criminal justice system," Roberts said. The changes will happen over three phases that could take between eight to 10 years. Phase one started this school year by increasing access to preschool. "Preschool will always be one of those priorities that comes up for us, not only in terms of our legislative priority where we intend to partner with legislators and the governor to ensure that we increase access to full-day universal preschool for all of our students," Roberts said. For older students, reimagining involves more programs to get them ready for life after high school. "Once they walk across the stage from any of the six Des Moines public high schools, that they not only have that high school diploma, but they are ready for post-secondary enrollment in a college or university of their choice. But they are also ready for gainful employment," Roberts said. Phases two and three would include analysis of the districts' facilities and to see how to repurpose older buildings. "There are a lot of exciting changes with the plan, and we want to continue to think about it in phase one, short term, phase two, medium term and phase three, a much longer term, giving ourselves a longer runway to actualize the plan in its entirety," Roberts said. District leaders will share more about their vision at the State of the Schools event in February. There will be opportunities for public input before the plans are up for consideration with the school board.
DES MOINES, Iowa — Over the next few years, Des Moines Public School leaders are hoping to change how kids learn; it's part of the district's new Reimagining Education plan.
The plan is the result of months of meetings between almost 100 people, including students, teachers, staff and community members. District leaders hope these plans will combat falling enrollment and ultimately make Des Moines a place where families want to send their kids to learn. Superintendent Ian Roberts says the path to successful high school graduates starts in preschool.
"Students who are able to attend preschool and ultimately develop the kind of skills they need. So they're learning to read by the time they're age three are less likely to have any interactions with the criminal justice system," Roberts said.
The changes will happen over three phases that could take between eight to 10 years. Phase one started this school year by increasing access to preschool.
"Preschool will always be one of those priorities that comes up for us, not only in terms of our legislative priority where we intend to partner with legislators and the governor to ensure that we increase access to full-day universal preschool for all of our students," Roberts said.
For older students, reimagining involves more programs to get them ready for life after high school.
"Once they walk across the stage from any of the six Des Moines public high schools, that they not only have that high school diploma, but they are ready for post-secondary enrollment in a college or university of their choice. But they are also ready for gainful employment," Roberts said.
Phases two and three would include analysis of the districts' facilities and to see how to repurpose older buildings.
"There are a lot of exciting changes with the plan, and we want to continue to think about it in phase one, short term, phase two, medium term and phase three, a much longer term, giving ourselves a longer runway to actualize the plan in its entirety," Roberts said.
District leaders will share more about their vision at the State of the Schools event in February. There will be opportunities for public input before the plans are up for consideration with the school board.
