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MISSION STATEMENT
All San Diego students will Graduate with the Skills, Motivation, Curiosity and Resilience to Succeed in their choice of College and Career in order to Lead and Participate in the society of Tomorrow. |  |
How to Influence Others (Students) and Make Change Happen |
 I recently finished reading Influencer , a new book by Patterson, Grenney, Maxfield, McMillan, and Switzer, that focuses on how people influence others to make change happen. Part of the book highlights Salt Lake City educator Dr. Ethna Reid, who has spent decades conducting research on how to identify ‘vital behaviors’ exhibited by teachers who get outstanding student academic results. Dr. Reid and her researchers identified certain behaviors that separate top teacher performers from everyone else.
The authors report that Reid’s group found one of these vital behaviors is the use of praise vs. the use of punishment. Top performers reward positive performance far more frequently than their counterparts. Bottom performers quickly become discouraged and mutter things such as, “Didn’t I just teach you that two minutes ago?” The best teachers consistently reinforce even moderately good performance, and learning flourishes. Another vital behavior is that top performers rapidly alternate between teaching and questioning or otherwise testing.
The book states: “Many teachers believe that tests are painful experiences that should be given as infrequently as possible so as not to discourage students. Research reveals that the opposite is true. Reid taught us that one of the vital behaviors for effective teachers is extremely short intervals between teaching and testing. When testing comes frequently, it becomes familiar. It’s no longer a dreaded, major event. It provides the chance for people to see how well they are doing against the standard.”
Some of us who are ‘more seasoned’ educators can relate this finding to one of California’s most famous educators, Dr. Madeline Hunter. Dr. Hunter’s research highlighted the importance of teachers frequently monitoring student performance and adjusting their instruction to meet student need. “Influencer” is an interesting read and provides numerous strategies for changing both thoughts and actions. Please call me at (619) 725-5506 should you have questions.
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SDUSD Manager Named State Administrator of the Year |
 Congratulations to Pam Hosmer on her selection as the 2009 California Administrator of the Year (Pupil Personnel) by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA). Pam is the program manager of the district’s Services for Students with Emotional Disturbance, Licensed Children’s Institutions and Homeless Foster Youth. She was recognized for her commitment to educational quality, student achievement and professional growth. For more information, please contact Johnene Smith at (619) 725-7054. |
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Six Schools Honored as 2009 California Distinguished Schools |
On April 1, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell announced the list of 261 middle and high schools that were selected as “2009 California Distinguished Schools.” The list includes SDUSD’s Challenger Middle School, John Muir High School, Kearny School of Digital, Media and Design, Kearny School of International Business, The MET and Scripps Ranch High School. Schools must go through a rigorous selection process and successfully prove that they have increased academic achievement for all students and provide evidence that they are closing the achievement gap. Congratulations to the exemplary principals and staffs at each of these schools. Please call me at (619) 725-5506 should you have questions. |
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EdCast – Visit to Biz Town |
 This week I had the pleasure of visiting the Junior Achievement Biz Town, a program that gives fifth-grade students real-world experiences in business and financial literacy. Bernie Rhinerson, chief district relations officer, and I were guests of Junior Achievement Executive Director Joanne Pastula and Board Member Wendy Gillespie. During our tour, we had the opportunity to watch more than 100 students from Boone Elementary School learn first-hand about how to run a business. I encourage all of our elementary school principals to consider offering this excellent educational experience to their students next year. Click here to watch a short video of the Boone students visit to Biztown. To learn more about Junior Achievement, please visit http://www.jasandiego.org/. |
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AB 351 Approved by the Assembly Committee on Education |
Assembly member Mary Salas (with sousaphone) takes lesson from SDUSD students. |
Thanks to the hard work and passion of Board Member Katherine Nakamura, our board’s efforts to secure state approval of physical education credit for our marching band and JROTC students took a giant step forward this week. AB 351, introduced by Assembly member Mary Salas, was approved by the Assembly Committee on Education on April 1. Read more.
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Where Does San Diego Unified Stand |
This week, our staff generated a report using data from the Ed-Data website, comparing SDUSD to the other 63 California school districts that have 20,000+ students. As compared to these large districts, SDUSD ranks:
- 2nd in Student enrollment
- 2nd in Certificated salary expense per student
- 2nd in Classified salary expense per student
- 2nd in Employee benefit expense per student
- 2nd in Full-time equivalent teachers
- 2nd in Instructional expense per student
- 1st Among these districts when combining certificated, classified, and employee benefit expense per student
- 12th in Administrative expense per student
These numbers come from 2007-08 state data and represent the most up-to-date information available. SDSUD staff received a 4.7% raise last year, which may increase our ranking in Salary Expense per Student to first in the state.
Last year, 204 positions were cut from our central office (approximately $16.5M) and to date, another 65+ positions have been identified to be reduced next year. These reductions, when added to our 2008-09 calculations, will further our goal to lower our Administrative Expense per Student from 12th. Our number of small elementary schools and our four large high schools with multiple principal/vice principal configurations drive up our Administrative Expense per Student cost. We are continuing to identify central office positions that can be eliminated next year.
Please call Mark Bresee, general counsel, at (619) 725-5630, or me should you have questions.
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Support the Union-Tribune Race for Literacy |
 San Diego Unified School District is once again supporting the Union-Tribune Race for Literacy to benefit the San Diego Council on Literacy. This two-day event takes place in Balboa Park and starts with the Union-Tribune Kids Magic Mile on Saturday, May 2, followed by the Race for Literacy 8K on Sunday, May 3. This year, a new Team Incentive Program  has been created to provide cash awards to schools and school districts that participate in the annual event. Team participants can be teachers, administrators, staff, parents and others. SDUSD could win $2,000 and one of our schools could also win for the largest 8K team and the largest Magic Mile Team. For information and to register, log on to www.utraceforliteracy.com, or call Contact In Motion at (760) 692-2900. |
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Students Discuss Climate Change with Nobel Laureate |
Nearly 150 science and social studies students got a rare opportunity on March 27 to talk with a real-life science hero. Dr. Mario Molina won the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1995 for his work demonstrating the harmful effects of chlorofluorocarbons on the ozone layer and the resultant ban on certain aerosol sprays and refrigerants. He is now a science advisor to the Obama administration. At a special Superintendent’s Speaker Series event at Lincoln High School, Dr. Molina gave a brief presentation on climate change, and students questioned him on topics ranging from whether the ozone can heal to how he thinks schools can excite students about science. The event was also part of the San Diego Science Festival. Watch the video. For more information, please contact Joan McRobbie, interim chief of staff, at (619) 725-7388. |
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Chef Jeff Comes Home to Serve Up Some Good Advice |
 Students from the Hospitality and Tourism classes at the San Diego High School of International Studies hosted an appearance by Chef Jeff, the best-selling author and host of the Food Network’s award-winning The Chef Jeff Project. He was the keynote speaker at a Regional Occupational Program (ROP) internship program seminar held Saturday, March 21. Chef Jeff captivated the students with his life story. A one-time San Diego Unified student, Chef Jeff spent nearly a decade in prison for selling drugs. While incarcerated, Jeff discovered a passion for cooking and the drive to turn his life around. In 2001, Jeff made history in Las Vegas when he became the first African-American named "Chef de Cuisine" at a major hotel. Chef Jeff encouraged the students to make the most of internships and mentorships during their high school years and beyond.
Following his presentation, Chef Jeff signed copies of his books and posed for photographs. Students in the school’s culinary arts class treated Chef Jeff, his wife, staff and invited guests to a brunch featuring Chef’s favorite foods: Friendly's Fried Chicken and waffles. For more information, please contact teacher Charos Maull at cmaull@sandi.net .
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Order Your Discounted Padres Tickets Now |
Don’t forget to order your discounted Padres tickets and support our Visual and Performing Arts programs. Click here to see the schedule of games, ticket prices and instructions on how to purchase tickets. For more information, please contact Aly Evans at (619) 725-5582 or aevans2@sandi.net . |
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I want to call your attention to a truly remarkable New York Times series, Remade in America. In addition to the lead article, Where Education and Assimilation Collide, there is a blog, and two amazing features, an interactive database and an interactive data map. If you have any interest in immigration or student demographics please don't miss exploring these sources. |
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- Lincoln High Fire Protection Classes Get Hands-on Experience
Lincoln High School’s Center for Public Safety had their Fire Protection Technology classes take tours of the San Diego Lifeguard Headquarters and San Diego Fire Department’s FCC and Dispatch Center on March 25-26. Read more.
- Crawford Students Inducted into Math Honor Society
On Friday, March 27, sponsor Jonathan Winn recognized 106 Crawford CHAMPS students as new inductees into Mu Alpha Theta . Mu Alpha Theta is the National High School and Two-Year College Mathematics Honor Society that is dedicated to inspiring keen interest in mathematics, developing strong scholarship in the subject, and promoting the enjoyment of mathematics in high school. For additional information, please contact Jeff Olivero at jolivero@sandi.net .
- Henry High Student Wins Regional Speech Contest
Drew Spence from Patrick Henry High School recently won the Regional Level of the Lions Club Speech Contest, earning $250 in scholarship money. He will now compete at the next level on April 19 at Grossmont College, where the winner will earn $4,500. For additional information, please contact Pat Crowder at (619) 286-7700.
- UC Berkeley bridges Students Present at Kearny SCT
Students from UC Berkeley’s bridges Multicultural and Resource Center gave up time during their spring break to visit 17 different classes of students at the Kearny Complex School of Science, Connections & Technology on Thursday, March 23. They presented students with a booklet created by their organization entitled, “What’s next? A guide for what to do after high school,” and discussed what every student needs to know to apply and get into college. For more information, please contact Lisa McDonnell at (858) 496-8370, ext. 2507 or lmcdonnell@sandi.net . |
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