District Focus for Remaining School Year

From Superintendent Banda's Office:

As we head into the winter break, I want to take a moment to thank you all for your hard work and dedication. In the six months since I’ve been here, I’ve been proud to work alongside you. We have much to be thankful for at Seattle Public Schools – our enrollment is growing, our graduation rate has increased and our students are showing improved academic achievement.

I’m grateful for the time staff has spent helping me get to know this wonderful community, including the many evening meetings with our families, community members, staff and students.

In the New Year, I look forward to meeting with more of you. Our principals, teachers and staff are the heart of Seattle Public Schools, and I am eager to hear your ideas for ensuring that we are meeting the needs of every student.

In light of the tragedy in Connecticut last week, we are strengthening our focus on school safety. Our security team will be meeting with principals in the New Year to review safety plans and ensure each building is equipped to handle potential incidents. As more information is available from Connecticut in the weeks to come, we will review recommendations from the Department of Education and law enforcement. We will work together and follow best practices to improve the safety in our schools

Earlier this month I held an all-day retreat with the members of the Superintendent’s Cabinet, which includes the Assistant Superintendents of Teaching and Learning, Business and Finance, Operations and Human Resources, and the leadership in communications, policy and facilities operations. Setting aside time to step back, plan and think about the big picture is so important for all of us. We used this valuable day to outline our work for the next six months.

We highlighted 12 key items to focus on for the remainder of the 2012-13 school year.

These include:

·         Closing the achievement gap (including a focus on Multi-Tiered Systems of Support and English Language Learners)

·         Employee evaluations and professional growth,

·         Implementation of the Common Core standards

·         Implementation of the race and equity policy

·         Capital facilities

·         Budget development

·         Program placement

·         Filling key leadership positions

·         Labor relations

·         A refresh of our Strategic Plan

·         A professional development plan

·         Building relationships with the School Board, families, staff and community.

We have a lot of work to do. But with a dedicated staff, engaged families and a community that cares, I am confident we can continue to move our District forward.  I want to wish you all a wonderful New Year. I hope you enjoy some time off with loved ones during the next two weeks, and I look forward to seeing everyone back at school on Jan. 7.

Sincerely,

José Banda

Note:  (And I missed this first read-thru - this is for the remainder of THIS school year.)

Note nothing about Advanced Learning or Special Ed.  Disappointing.  I note two places for labor (evaluations and relations).   

Also, in reading an account of the shootings in Conn., two teachers reported they could not lock their doors.  There's a good first start - make sure every teacher knows how and can lock their classroom door.