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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. |  |
Congratulations Class of 2009 |
More than 6,000 San Diego Unified students received their high school diplomas this past week. We are proud of their accomplishments and wish them all the best in their future endeavors. Congratulations to the parents, guardians, family members and friends, along with the teachers, counselors and administrators, who made endless contributions to the success of our graduates.
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SDUSD High School Ranks Among America’s Top 10 |
The Preuss School UCSD charter is among the top 10 high schools in the United States according to Newsweek magazine. San Diego High School of International Studies ranks among the top 100, coming in at number 60. A total of twelve district schools were included in the magazine’s annual Top High Schools list. The rankings are based on students' success with Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) tests. High school students passing these tests can receive college credit as a result. Newsweek's scores are determined by dividing the number of tests taken at a school by the number of graduating seniors. The magazine ranked the top 1,478 public high schools.
The 2009 Newsweek rankings include the following schools from the district:
| Ranking
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School |
| 10 |
The Preuss School UCSD |
| 60 |
San Diego High School of International Studies |
| 243 |
La Jolla High School |
| 298 |
University City High School |
| 305 |
Serra High School |
| 345 |
Mira Mesa High School |
| 411 |
Scripps Ranch High School |
| 486 |
Patrick Henry High School |
| 513 |
Pt. Loma High School |
| 587 |
San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA) |
| 1215 |
Clairemont High School |
1311 |
Madison High School |
Congratulations to all twelve SDUSD high schools for this tremendous achievement. For more information, go to http://www.newsweek.com/id/201160 .
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FCMAT Tracks Board Budget Numbers |
Representatives from the Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) have been in the district for the last several weeks, reviewing the assumptions and multi-year projections that our finance department used to prepare the upcoming school district budgets. FCMAT serves as a third party to verify the district’s current financial situation and ensure that our budgeting forecasting process is accurate and transparent.
At the June 16 board meeting, FCMAT representative Debbie Deal reported that the team's findings tracked closely with the assumptions and 'numbers' our staff used in its budget preparation. Ms. Deal talked about the projected $80M shortfall the district is facing in 2009-10; our projected $77.5M shortfall in 2010-11; and our projected $187M shortfall in 2011-12.
The loss of state revenue is having a devastating impact on the district. Both the 2009-10 and 2010-11 budgets contain dramatic cuts to district programs, supplies, materials, etc. The board will vote to adopt these budgets at the June 23 board meeting.
FCMAT will continue to work with our financial department throughout the coming months as we address our budget crisis. Please call Chief Financial Officer James Masias at (619) 725-7562, should you have questions.
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SDEA / SDUSD Special Education Certification Program |
The district and the San Diego Education Association (SDEA) are pleased to announce an agreement to implement a new educational opportunity for district teachers who are interested in earning a Special Education Credential. This new Special Education Certification Program  is available for probationary and permanent SDEA bargaining unit members currently assigned in K-12, general education assignments, with priority consideration given to K-6 bargaining unit members. The entire cost of tuition, fees and books for obtaining the Master’s degree in Special Education will be paid by the district. There are 40 spaces available. The application deadline is Wednesday, July 1. Participation is strictly voluntary.
Teachers who are interested in learning more about the program should plan to attend one of two informational sessions: Mondays, June 22 or June 29, at 4 p.m., at the SDEA office located at 10393 San Diego Mission Road, Suite 100, San Diego, (92108). For more information, contact Steve Johnson or Marc Capitelli at (619) 283-4411.
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School Site Role Expands in New Principal Selection Process |
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As part of an ongoing effort initiated by the superintendent to encourage “bottom-up” decision-making, school communities are being given an expanded role in the selection process for new school principals. With 29 principals participating in the early retirement program, San Diego Unified will be selecting more new principals this summer than ever before. To encourage greater involvement and input from school communities, the superintendent has implemented a new process that seeks input from teachers, classified employees, parent leaders and students in the selection process.
The new principal selection process begins with the school improvement officer (SIO) working with school site staff and parents to develop a profile of desired traits and priority skills for the principal. For high school vacancies, the SIO also seeks input and suggestions from the school’s student leaders. The profile is then used to help screen prospective candidates for each position. Candidates participate in a standardized interview which explores their value systems, leadership skills and experience. The top candidates are then selected who are most qualified and who best match the profile traits identified by the school site.
The top candidates are then interviewed by the School Community Interview Panel made up of at least two teachers, one classified employee, two parents and a principal from a similar school. The school community has the option to add members to the panel. Based on the interviews, the panel presents its recommendation for the principal selection.
As the final step, the superintendent presents the school site’s recommended candidate to the school board for approval. So far, this process has successfully led to the selection of 18 highly qualified principals who will begin work at their new schools this fall. For more information, please contact Dr. Grenita Lathan, chief elementary school improvement officer, at (619) 725-5502, or Sid Salazar, chief secondary school improvement officer, at (619) 725-7772.
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The following schools currently have principal vacancies:
Elementary: Bay Park, Cadman, Encanto, Green, Longfellow, Marshall, Porter, Rolando Park, Rosa Parks, and Vista Grande
Secondary: Bethune, Crawford CHAMPS, Crawford MVAS, Crawford Law & Business, Mission Bay, Morse, Mt. Everest/iHigh Academy and San Diego High School of Media, Visual and Performing Arts
Eligible district employees, including current principals, are encouraged to apply for these principal vacancies. Current principals do not need to be Haberman qualified. Vice principals who are in the VP-only eligibility pool will have the opportunity to participate in the Haberman process if it has been at least one year since being interviewed. If interested in a principal position at any of the above schools, e-mail your resume and school(s) of interest to rjones2@sandi.net by 4 p.m., Wednesday, June 24. For more information, please call Ruth Jones at (619) 725-7170.
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Moving Ahead with 21st Century Classrooms |
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More than ever, schools across the country turn to the web to access online materials to supplement and enhance instruction. San Diego Unified schools will soon be able to access online resources much faster. All elementary schools are scheduled to receive a much-needed boost in internet speed by the end of June. This is part of a district-wide fiber optic network centralization that will be 400% faster and will eliminate out-dated T1 lines (copper wire networks). The network is mostly paid for through the Federal e-rate program, offering more than a 70% discount.
The Board of Education has placed a priority on digital learning that will provide teachers and students with essential skills to succeed in the 21st century. As teachers take advantage of access to web-based resources, more students can take control of their learning and extend learning opportunities beyond the traditional school day. For more information, please contact Darryl LeGace, chief information and technology officer, at (619) 260-5474.
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San Diego Unified Bus Drivers Captures 2nd Place in State Roadeo |
On Memorial Day weekend, 46 school bus drivers across the state gathered in Galt, CA to compete in the 2009 Championship Roadeo, sponsored by the California Association of School Transportation Officials. Six San Diego Unified bus drivers participated in the annual event. SDUSD’s David Lancaster won second place in the individual category. SDUSD’s team also won the second place team prize, missing first place by only three points. The school bus Roadeo provides invaluable training and camaraderie in a volunteer setting. For more information, please contact Alex Robinson, director of transportation, at arobinson@sandi.net or (858) 496-8701.
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- SCPA Star Student Heads for New York
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Chauncey Matthews with The Old Globe CEO/Executive Producer Louis Spisto
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Chauncey Matthews, from San Diego School for the Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA), is one of two San Diego County students selected to receive Globe Honors , by the Old Globe Theatre. The program for high school students rewards excellence in theatre performance. Students from more than 30 schools competed for the honor to represent San Diego in New York City for the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, June 25-29. Chauncey, who played the “King” in The King and I at SCPA, will travel on an all expenses paid trip to New York City for the national competition. For more information, please visit www.oldglobe.org .
- Mann Middle School Receives Generous Grant Support
Horace Mann Middle School recently received a $40,000 grant from the VH1 Music Foundation. VH1 Program Manager Jaclyn D. Shea traveled from New York to visit the middle school and play with students. In addition, Taylor Guitar, a local music company recently donated guitars worth $40,000. Mann students and faculty are appreciative of these generous donations. For more information, please call Vice Principal Courtney Young at (619) 582-8990.
- Marshall Middle School Teacher Provides Summer Learning Ideas
John Rick, math teacher at Marshall Middle School, provides summer learning ideas for parents and kids on the “Such a Smart Mom” website at www.suchasmartmom.com . Read John’s recommendations.
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