Richmond school on state's 'low performing' list set for shake-up
Life at Richmond's Lincoln Elementary might look and feel quite different next year as West Contra Costa educators move forward with a staff shake-up.
After the state placed Lincoln on its list of "persistently lowest-achieving schools" in March, district staff chose one of four available action plans, which includes evaluation of school staff and rehiring no more than 50 percent of them.
This week, district officials finished interviewing Lincoln's staff, and the school board approved the guidelines the district will use to evaluate teachers and determine whom to hire back.
"We needed to do something urgent that involved parents, staff and changing the culture and making sure everybody's working toward the same goal," said Nia Rashidchi, the district's assistant superintendent for educational services.
The changes are part of the "turnaround" plan, one of four choices the district had under new federal legislation. States were required to identify their lowest-achieving schools, then ensure the lowest 5 percent of those implement one of four intervention models next year.
West Contra Costa's chosen "turnaround" model includes the staff evaluation process and replacement of the principal. In Lincoln's case, Principal Mimi Melodia will not be replaced because she joined the school less than two years ago.
Under this plan, district staff this week finished interviewing Lincoln's staff, and teachers from other schools interested
Rashidchi would not say how many of Lincoln's current teachers requested to stay at the school. Teachers will be notified by the end of the school year whether they will stay at Lincoln or move to another site in the district.
The other improvement models included turning Lincoln into a charter school, closing it or "transformation," which
