Revere’s State of the Schools meeting discusses district finances, district goals and instructional practices, transportation and safety, and explores the use of artificial intelligence in education.
The meeting took place on April 1, 2025, in the Revere High School (RHS) auditorium.
Dan White, Revere’s Superintendent, spoke on general attendance and the topics discussed.
“It’s open to the whole community, students, staff, community members, anybody can come and we address a number of topics. We talked about some of the professional development that our district has been going through this year, between what we refer to as our teacher-based teams, building leadership teams, and district leadership teams… and looking at some of our student achievement data. We see the importance of focusing on helping every student grow,” he said.
Also discussed at the meeting was White’s Listening and Learning Tour, where he traveled the district, speaking to students, parents, staff, and community members about what made Revere unique.
“I asked three questions: What do you love about Revere? What areas do you think we need to improve? What else do we need to know? And one of the takeaways from that was just community members sharing they want to see every child thrive,” he said.
One of White’s key takeaways from the tour and a point he highlighted in the meeting was his belief that all students must thrive, whether or not they are currently achieving at a high degree.
“Sometimes, we have parents come to it and say ‘Hey, I have three children, two of them are doing great, but one’s really strong or one’s doing great, two are really struggling.’ Or achieving students, we have these fabulous programs. What are we going to do to ensure that these programs thrive when staff members retire or leave,” White said.
One of the people spearheading this idea is curriculum coordinator Marcia Roach, whose role is to oversee the implementation of the curriculum in the Revere Local School District.
“One of the things that Mr. White spoke about that my work really touches is moving toward one large goal that everybody who works in the district is under… a goal as we go into next school year is working on our progress, our growth for every student and the phrasing that we’ve been using is intentional instructional strategies to grow every student so that we can help all students thrive regardless of how they enter into school,” Roach said.
While this work will not immediately change things on a day-to-day level, it starts with building-specific goals that all fall under this broader district umbrella. For example, Richfield Elementary focuses on early literacy and foundational math, while the high school emphasizes independence, durable skills, and organizational strategies. Rachel Walgate, a social studies teacher at the high school, shared how the high school is working to build foundational skills in students, particularly focusing on independence, organization, and emotional regulation.
“So, we’re trying to focus on, at the sophomore and younger levels especially, trying to help those skills of just how to better study, how to take in information and take notes, how to regulate yourself socially and emotionally when you’re stressed, all of those things that are life skills that we’re seeing you’re not getting as much in middle school,” Walgate said.
A key component of this growth-focused model is the use of formative assessments, which monitor student understanding and provide feedback.
“You shouldn’t be surprised by a test,” Roach said.
This renewed emphasis on student growth was largely influenced by Ohio’s state report card, which provides information about district and school performance to celebrate successes and identify areas for improvement. While Revere has consistently received three stars in the progress component, indicating expected growth, similar districts are more often seeing four and five stars.
“It doesn’t mean the district’s not doing great. It just means that we’re seeking ways to make sure that all students are thriving from the students who struggle the most academically to those who excel the most and everyone in between,” Roach said.
One key element of this initiative is its focus on adult actions that affect student outcomes. The district is investing in professional development, collaboration among staff, and innovative tools like Artificial Intelligence (AIP) to enhance instruction. Teachers are already experimenting with AI platforms that help plan lessons, differentiate instruction, and offer enrichment opportunities. These tools can support both struggling and advanced learners by helping teachers tailor materials more effectively and save time in the process.
“Those kinds of tools will help enhance opportunities because then on the flip side, they can also say what are some ideas for enrichment to make this a higher level of rigor or increased challenge without increasing the amount of work, which is making a task more complex for those who are ready for the next level of complexity,” Roach said.
The district is also building a culture of collaboration by highlighting the practices of teachers who have shown strong student growth. The district leadership team identified eight such teachers and studied their methods through classroom recordings and interviews. Common themes emerged, consistent classroom routines, strong teacher-student relationships, shared assessments, and open collaboration between staff members.
All of this work is part of a multi-year vision, which Roach notes is the first time in recent history that Revere has operated under a single academic goal of this scale. While the shift to one-to-one devices impacted instruction across the district, this new initiative unites all buildings around a shared academic mission.
