Our Vision
Let’s take a simple idea and start a revolution.
Let’s pledge that children come first in the Sacramento City Unified School District. Let’s promise to put a child’s best interest at the heart of every decision we make. Let’s stand up together.
What would happen?
SCUSD
Dear Board Members:
For your consideration tonight and this coming school year I would like to offer an alternative vision from my home town. I have many nieces and nephews in San Diego so I continue to follow education where I began public school teaching. This was during the Bersin era of top down change. This era is featured by Diane Ratvich in her recent book which I hope you are pondering. Here are some excerpts from an interview with her on SDUSD's experience with the pilot project of the change model that SCUSD is adopting in many ways, even if it is dressed in a gentler style.
Why San Diego? What is it about the battles here that proved important for you in illustrating a larger point about school reform?
San Diego was a very important district in the current reform narrative because it was the first big district to apply the top-down approach. The leadership knew exactly what teachers should be doing, and they required compliance. Its "take-no-prisoners" approach was subsequently copied by Joel Klein in New York City and Michelle Rhee in Washington, D.C.
...
Conflict is a sign of failed leadership in education. When one is running a prison system, it is important to have a tough, top-down style, because you can't take chances. But in education, the leadership must rely on the teachers to do the daily work. If the leadership does not win their willing, even enthusiastic, support, then the reforms will stall. Teachers are educated adults; they have experience with students. They don't like to be treated like children. They need to feel respected.
There are plenty of problems in San Diego but I do think that the board majority there (which also operates with a policy governance model) can provide examples that are worth your consideration.
Attached is an excerpt from the March annual State of the District speech by the board president. I urge you to consider placing the vision of community driven change ahead of chief driven change:
"The competing vision for reform comes from what I would characterize as the community model. This vision sees change as fundamentally coming from those closest to kids - teachers, parents, principals, support staff at the school such as paraeducators, counselors, librarians and office staff, community volunteers and even students themselves. The community model puts its faith in strong relationships built between people within a school community, striving for what University of Chicago professors Anthony Bryk and Barbara Schneider term 'Trust in Schools.' " (SCUSD President))
Thanks for your dedication to our children,
Leo
Dear School Board members:
In regards to the FUA for PS 7, it seems to me that all of the PS 7 students should be on one campus per Prop 39 regulations. As a step in this direction I urge you to consider keeping this agenda item as a conference item. This would allow time to have staff negotiate a transition plan with PS 7 to achieve this goal.
An option to consider is to keep the incoming 6th graders at the neighborhood school site that they have been attending. The previously stated reason for moving the 6th graders based on increased enrollment no longer applies. There has been decreasing numbers of in district students at PS 7's excellent but specialized program.
PS 7 had 344 total students enrolled at CBEDS 2006 (K-7) the last year they were wholly at Strawberry Lane. In June their in-district students totaled 144 plus 131 out of district students for a total of 275 K-6. There is plenty of room for a unified K-6 program with the historic Muir site having a district listed capacity of 406.
There is even the possibility of making PS 7 whole this year given June's total enrollment of 365; however such a rapid transition may not be desirable even though there is the capacity listed at John Muir.
It is unfortunate that adults are challenged to resolve these issues in a timely manner. At the same time the injustices and mistakes of the past should not become the practice of the present due to inertia.
What do you think?
Peace,
Leo