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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. |  |
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As many of you know, I have accepted the superintendent’s position with the Houston Independent School District. I submitted my resignation yesterday and it has been accepted by the Board of Education. Today, the board identified Chief Special Projects Officer Bill Kowba to be the interim superintendent pending Board approval.
My last day in San Diego is scheduled to be Friday, September 18. Until that time, I will be working with the board and Bill to ensure that his transition to interim superintendent goes smoothly and that our primary focus remains on what’s most important: to provide the best education possible to every student.
Thank you again for another successful start of a new school year. Team San Diego Unified once again pulled off the smoothest first day of school that I’ve experienced in my many years as a superintendent. I am so proud of the entire team.
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Members are the Heart of PTA |
 The San Diego Unified Council of PTAs encourages parents, teachers and students to join their local school PTA during September, which is designated as Join your School PTA Month. San Diego Unified has 87 active PTAs -- 67 elementary, 11 middle, 8 high and 1 charter school. PTAs are making a positive impact on the children in these schools and for all children through the California State PTA and National PTA. As the largest volunteer child advocacy association in the nation, PTA equips parents and families with a powerful voice to speak on behalf of every child and the best tools to keep their children safe, healthy and successful – in school and in life. To find a list of all San Diego Unified PTAs, go to http://www.sdcouncilpta.org/ . For more information, please contact San Diego Unified Council of PTAs Office at sducpta@yahoo.com or (619) 297-7821.
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New Ed Center Kiosk Sheds Light on Energy Savings |
How much energy is your school not only saving but producing? A new interactive kiosk in the Eugene Brucker Education Center lobby tells all — every kilowatt hour being produced, as well as photos and other information. The kiosk provides real-time information on the 28 solar electric roofs around the district. The information is also online at http://sdusd.rem-systems.com/ .
Students regularly tour the solar array on the roof of the 57-year-old main district headquarters building, which, according to the generating system’s monitors, reduced 636,016 lbs of CO2 emissions on a recent day. At Mira Mesa High School, the reduction was 1,918,063 lbs. of CO2 emissions. The display also has graphical tutorials on photovoltaic systems and interacts with visitors to inform them on the district’s carbon footprint reduction efforts. For more information, please contact J. William Naish, supervisor, energy/utility management, at (858) 627-7217 or jnaish@sandi.net .
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Project Stabilization Agreement Orientations |
 Beginning October 27, 2009, the Project Stabilization Agreement (PSA) will affect all Proposition S work valued at $1 million and over. Contractor orientations have been scheduled to learn how the PSA will impact bidding and the day-to-day operations on school construction. Click here  see a copy of the schedule. For more information, please contact George Harris at (619) 637-6269 or gharris@sandi.net .
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- Fay Elementary Receives Grant to Combat Childhood Obesity
Mary Lanyon Fay Elementary School is one of 50 recipients of a $2,000 grant to help students combat childhood obesity. The ING Run For Something Better School Awards Program, in partnership with the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), is helping to introduce students in grades 5- 8 to the benefits of running through school-based running programs. For more information, please contact Principal Eileen Moreno at (619) 624-2600.
- Sessions Elementary School Named IB Candidate School
Kate Sessions Elementary is proud to announce that the school is in the process of becoming authorized as an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School. The International Baccalaureate offers three programmes for students aged 3 to 19 years to help develop the intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills to live, learn and work in a rapidly globalizing world. The school, located in Pacific Beach, will go through an intensive and rigorous authorization process that will take at least two years. For more information, please contact Principal Susan DeVicariis at (858) 273-3111 or sdevicariis@sandi.net .
- Mission Bay High Opens Student-Run Buck’s Café
The start of the new school year marked the unveiling of Mission Bay High School’s new, state-of-the-art student store called Buck’s Café. The new facility was built and completed this summer thanks to funding from Proposition S and Proposition 1D. The student store is the perfect place for students in the high school’s Academy of Entrepreneurship to develop the skills necessary to successfully open and manage the day-to-day operations of a real business. Buck’s Café implements Project Based Learning and will generate much-needed funds for the Associated Student Body and student scholarships. For information, please contact Dean Darley, program specialist, Office of College, Career and Technical Education, at ddarley@sandi.net or (858) 503-1752.
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- The Principal Story
Interested in public school reform? Want to engage attendees at a training or workshop? Looking for an exciting new way to get parents talking about school involvement? Check out The Principal Story on PBS’s award-winning POV nonfiction film series, on Tuesday, September 15 at 10 p.m. The documentary takes an inside look at the challenges facing America's public schools — and the great difference a dedicated principal can make. Tresa Dunbar is a second-year principal at Chicago's Nash Elementary, where 98% of students come from low-income families; in Springfield, Illinois, Kerry Purcell has led Harvard Park Elementary, with similar demographics, for six years. With funding from The Wallace Foundation, The Principal Story takes the viewer along for an emotional ride that reveals what effective educational leadership looks like in the 21st century. Watch the trailer: www.pbs.org/pov/principalstory/ and check our local listings: www.pbs.org/pov/tvschedule . You can also borrow the film and download the discussion guide, for free. To sign up, visit: www.amdoc.org/outreach/events/ . The free lending library is available for nonprofits, educational institutions, libraries, and local PBS stations.
- Stronger Understanding of Math by Teachers is Needed
- Department of Education Releases Draft Guidance on School Improvement Grants
- Top-Notch Teachers Found to Affect Peers
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