In Step with Winston at Del Norte, McKinley, and District Goals Meetings

I stopped by Del Norte High the other day and let the staff there know how impressed I am by the school’s improved scores on the state-mandated Standards Based Assessment.  Principal Jo Sloan outlined a well thought-out plan for continuing the improvement, which includes focusing on teacher expectations of students. The entire school is being rebuilt – if you’ve driven through the busy intersection at Montgomery and San Mateo you’ve no doubt seen the progress. That’s a good thing, but improvement comes with challenges. I tip my hat to the DNHS teachers and students who continue working hard despite the hammering and sawing right outside their classrooms.

I also went to McKinley Mid-School where Principal Mary Cade is implementing AVID (Advancement via Individual Determination) this year.  The students are excited about it; most told me that before entering this program they hadn’t thought much about going to college. Now, their future plans include higher education. I also got to experience the energy in Ms. Laurel Farner’s eighth grade Algebra class.  Using the Promethean Board, this dynamic teacher was able to get all of her students working on equations together.

Finally, the week ended with the first of seven community meetings we’re hosting to get input on APS goals. Nearly a hundred people – including parents, teachers and students – attended the meeting at Valley High School. Their input is invaluable as I work with the APS Board of Education on developing new goals.  I strongly encourage everyone to attend one of these meetings. If you can’t make it, we’d love to get an email from you sharing your suggestions and goals for APS.