150th Anniversary :: San Diego City Schools

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Celebrating 150 Years
The New Millennium

The beginning of the 21st century is characterized by reform and legislation aimed at raising academic standards in schools and at increasing the academic achievement of students. Funding through bond measures and grants has helped the district progress through the modernization of schools and improvements to educational strategies.

Tragedy and change have also marked the last four years. The terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers and the devastating firestorm in San Diego brought people together to reaffirm a strong sense of community nationally and locally. The conflict in Iraq continues to bring a heightened awareness of homeland security and global unity, as well as recognition of the importance of education and democracy in creating a more peaceful world.

2000	The Blueprint for Student Success, approved by the Board of Education in March 2000, is implemented, mandating consistent instructional techniques and professional development.
	The U.S. Secretary of Education releases the Teacher Preparation School Technology and Readiness Chart, designed to help teachers improve their technological skills for the digital age of education.
2001	Terrorists hijack four airplanes and attack the World Trade Center buildings in New York and the Pentagon in Washington on 9/11.
	Parent Congress is established in San Diego City Schools (SDCS) to provide parents with timely information about district reform efforts, academic achievement of students and other educational issues.
	The No Child Left Behind Act is passed, establishing a strong standards-based education program designed to improve student achievement. Districts are given greater accountability for results, increased flexibility for spending federal money, expanded options for parents and an increased emphasis on teaching methods.
2002	Election brings Katherine Nakamura to the Board of Education and re-elects John de Beck for a fourth term.
2003	The Cedar Fire, destroying over two-thousand homes and killing 14 people, forces closure of all San Diego City Schools for five days.
	The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation awards an $11 million grant to SDCS and New American Schools to transform three large district high schools into 18 high-performing small learning communities.
2004	The 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, the historic Supreme Court ruling that ended official segregation in public schools, is celebrated in districts across the nation.
	The Supreme Court rules to keep the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance, reversing a lower-court ruling that called recitation in schools unconstitutional.