I know as a district that this has been a difficult year. I was not here in October during the wildfires but heard about the challenges you overcame and the “can-do” spirit of volunteerism that characterized those difficult weeks. Like the fires, we are experiencing a disaster; but where the fires were the work of nature, this disaster is man-made. And where a natural disaster brings out the best in people, a budget crisis sometimes brings out our worst.

Some of you may have seen my Opinion piece in the San Diego Union-Tribune this past Monday about the impact of the state budget crisis on our district. There are some points I’d like to re-emphasize. The first is that our work as a school district is to provide a quality education to our students. We cannot do that without good people. The Governor’s budget cuts are unconscionable because of their impact on our people and the damage they will do to our schools and students.

The second point is that we need to work together to oppose these cuts and cooperate, just like we did during the fires, to minimize the damage to our school system. That is why I have asked our teacher’s union leadership to consider a number of different options. This includes a salary rollback that could potentially save jobs if the crisis deepens. I also asked them to consider ways to potentially lessen the impact of layoffs and seniority on some of our highest need and hardest-hit schools such as Jackson Elementary and Lincoln High. All of these are difficult choices and we do not know what will happen with the state budget; but if our people are our most valuable commodity and our students our highest priority, all of them should be fairly considered.

On a hopeful note, I believe that your efforts to reach out to our elected officials are working. I know that each of our school board members has agonized over the decisions they’ve been asked to make about the budget cuts. I know that each of them has personally raised their voices against the cuts to our state officials and called on all San Diegans to do the same. This past Monday, I visited Sacramento with County Superintendent Dr. Randy Ward to brief our entire legislative delegation, Republicans and Democrats, about the impact of the budget cuts and to appeal to them to protect Proposition 98. While I was there, I met with the Governor’s Secretary of Education, David Long, and made a personal appeal for more education funding.

These are efforts I intend to continue over the coming months in collaboration with the entire San Diego school community. Working together, I have a strong belief that we can succeed.

Theodosia Ballard, John Rick and Lili Reeves (left to right) have been named San Diego Unified School District’s 2008 Teachers of the Year. The trio was saluted at the district Day of the Teacher Celebration on Tuesday, May 6, at De Portola Middle School. More than 150 school site Teachers of the Year and the 2007 class of National Board Certified Teachers were also honored. A Teacher of the Year is selected for each school level. Ballard, a fifth grade teacher at Porter Elementary School in Lincoln Park, is the Elementary Teacher of the Year. Rick, an algebra/geometry teacher at Marshall Middle School in Scripps Ranch, is Middle School Teacher of the Year. And the Senior High School Teacher of the Year is Lili Reeves, an AVID teacher at Madison High School in Clairemont. Read full story.

The district is proud to announce that Patrick McElhaney, Point Loma High School history teacher, was selected by the John M. Ashbrook Center for Public Affairs to participate in the 2008 Presidential Academy for American History and Civics. The Presidential Academy is a prestigious and highly competitive program. Only one teacher from each state is selected to participate. From July 13 – July 31, Mr. McElhaney will spend six days in Philadelphia, six days in Gettysburg, and seven days in Washington D.C., studying the American Revolution and Founding, Civil War, and the Civil Rights movement. Learn more about the 2008 Presidential Academy for American History and Civics.

Marshall Middle School Vice Principal David Braun was named Secondary Administrator of the Year by the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) for his support of the Arts. For more information, please contact Marshall Middle School at (858) 549-5400.

Euclid and Logan Elementary schools became the seventh and eighth schools in San Diego Unified to implement the very successful Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) program thanks to funding for equipment from the offices of County Board of Supervisors Ron Roberts and Greg Cox. BIC is part of the United States Department of Agriculture National School Breakfast Program which covers the ongoing cost of the program. Breakfast meals are packaged in rolling insulated bags and taken by students into their classrooms. Breakfast takes 10 minutes at the beginning of the school day. Teachers report more active participation in class, better attendance, less tardiness and fewer trips to the school nurse. For more information, please contact Gary Petill, Director, Food Services, at (858) 627-7301.

The Unsung Heroes Project, funded through the Best Buy Teach Award and implemented at Mann Middle, Wilson Middle, Crawford High and Hoover High schools, has received an honorable mention for the Inspire Award from the Classroom of the Future Foundation. The district will be recognized at the "Honoring Our Champions" event on Thursday, May 15, at the Hall of Champions in Balboa Park. Participating project school teacher and student representatives will be attending the ceremony. Abdiweli Heibeh, who is a subject of the Unsung Heroes Project, will be a special guest of the district at the event. Officer Heibeh is a San Diego police officer who holds the honorable distinction of being the first Somali policeman in the nation. For more information, watch the Unsung Heroes videos.

• Madison Bleacher Replacement: Currently in the OPSC pipeline for review/approval. Estimated cost is $2.4M.
• Hoover Bleacher Replacement: Submission document being prepared for an estimated cost of $2.2M
• Miscellaneous Emergency Repair Projects submitted to OPSC in April totaled $323,143.

At this year’s Black Contractors Association (BCA) Summit and Conference held in San Diego, the district was recognized for outstanding leadership in the industry and received the BCA “Small Business Supporter of the Year” Award on Friday, April 18. Accepting the award on behalf of the district was Board Member Shelia Jackson. For further information, please contact Steve Bovee, Director, Construction Management, at (858) 637-6266.

Who goes above and beyond the call of duty when if comes to safety at your site? Nominate  this individual for the district’s Safety/Health Action Committee Safe Employee award. The awards program is designed to recognize district staff that go “above and beyond” to create a safe working environment for their co-workers and the student population. To date, 20 individuals have been recognized for actions ranging from public safety awareness campaigns, to implementation of new safety practices, to life-saving efforts. The Safety/Health Action Committee (S/HAC) is a joint effort of the district and the bargaining units. For more information, please contact S/HAC co-chairs Dave Burnett, Maintenance Parts Clerk, at (858) 627-7146, or Glenn Boogren, Safety Program Supervisor, at (858) 637-3698.

• Schools Have Key Role to Play in Solving Racial Inequities
  Educational inequities that lead to racial achievement gaps can be solved by ensuring that students from minority and low-income households have access to high-quality teachers, extended learning periods and opportunities for learning, and exposure to rigorous courses as well as arts and physical education, writes Susan H. Fuhrman, president of Columbia University's Teachers College. Education Week (premium article access compliments of Edweek.org)
  
  
• The What Works Clearinghouse
  The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC), a trusted source of scientific evidence for what works in education, has released the latest practice guide from the Institute of Education Sciences, Turning Around Chronically Low-Performing Schools. This guide identifies practices that can improve the performance of such schools-a process commonly referred to as creating "turnaround schools." The four recommendations in this guide work together to help failing schools make adequate yearly progress. For more information, visit http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/.
  
  
• Forging More Constructive Parent-Educator Relationships, Part I
  Anne T. Henderson and Karen L. Mapp, co-authors of "Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family-School Partnerships," offer advice to educators on improving relationships with parents in the first of a two-part Teacher Magazine series. They discuss bridging cultural gaps, dealing with problem parents and the importance of principals modeling good parent relations. Teacher Magazine
  
  
• Report: Alaska High School, College Graduation Rates Dismal
  Nineteen of 20 incoming Alaskan high school freshmen won't earn a college degree within 10 years, according to a new study released by the state's Postsecondary Education Commission. "[This] really sends the message of how immediate the need is and the gravity of the situation," said Diane Barrans, executive director of the state commission. Anchorage Daily News (Alaska) (free registration)
  
  
• Patrick Aide Backs Teacher Pay Overhaul
  The Boston Globe, May 7
  BOSTON, Mass. -- Governor Deval Patrick's top education adviser ... Paul Reville, chairman of the state's Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, is supporting higher salaries for teachers who take posts in the most challenging schools; teach hard-to-staff subjects such as math, science, and special education; or work in schools with dramatically improved performance. ... Reville made his comments during a visit to Massachusetts by US Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings ... Spellings also met with Reville and a small group of other education officials at the State House yesterday to discuss proposed changes to the federal No Child Left Behind law. Massachusetts was her 21st stop on a state-by-state tour. Read more.
  
  
• To Save Money, Some Washington D.C. Area Schools Plan Bigger Classes
  The Washington Post, May 7
  WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Under heavy pressure to contain spending, some Washington area school systems are planning to increase class size in the coming year to save money on teachers. Fairfax County, with the region's largest school system, expects to save $11 million by inching up staffing formulas half a student per classroom teacher. Loudoun County's School Board has approved giving each teacher one additional student, for a savings of $7.3 million. Montgomery and Prince George's county schools are seeking to combine smaller classes or cut support staff and teaching specialists. The changes would force schools to get by with fewer teachers. Read more.
  
  
• Yes on Teachers
  San Francisco Chronicle Editorial, May 6
  Parcel taxes can be a hard sell even in flush times. This June - with a brutal housing market and a looming recession - San Francisco residents might hesitate at a $198 annual parcel tax for the San Francisco Unified School District. But Proposition A isn't an ordinary parcel tax; it's a well-crafted, sound investment. Instead of appealing to voters to just throw more money at "the schools," the school district developed a long-term strategy to improve school performance. It decided that focusing the parcel tax money on teacher retention and training would make the greatest amount of difference in students' education, a choice that is backed up by education experts and studies. The money will boost salaries - making San Francisco more competitive with surrounding school districts - and offer additional bonuses to teachers who work in tough schools and teach much-needed subjects like math and science. But that money won't come free or easy - teachers will also have to meet new accountability standards. Previously, a teacher could receive two annual unsatisfactory reviews before being nudged into professional development training. Now, SFUSD Superintendent Carlos Garcia insists that teachers will be pushed into development after just one unsatisfactory review - and that teachers who continue to fail at meeting standards will be encouraged to go into another line of work. Schools, too, will have new incentives to shape up. The tax will provide block grant money for schools that show the most growth in student achievement. Garcia also wants to put aside $750,000 for "innovation." "Google encourages its employees to innovate and be creative," he said. "We should do so as well. It's how ideas happen." Vote yes on Proposition A. This article appeared on page B - 6 of the San Francisco Chronicle
  
  
• Teacher disparity
  The Press-Enterprise
  A decade of education reforms has failed to address a fundamental inequality in California public schools: The schools most in need of the best teachers are least likely to have them. And California needs to change that dynamic if the state wants to see poor-performing schools improve.