From the Superintendent

April Greetings to Parents, Community and Visitors to Our Website,

I do hope everyone is enjoying the delightful spring weather. With spring break just around the corner, the end of the school year is on the horizon which seems amazing as the year truly is flying by quickly. But before the year concludes we still have much to accomplish as we prepare for STAR testing and AP exams, as well as all the wonderful activities thattend to fill the final months of the school year.

 

As has been the case all year, we continue to be confronted with serious financial challenges as it was announced that the adopted state budget was out of balance before the ink dried on the documents. Of course, locally the results of Measure C will be known the evening of May 5th, so this year brings heighted interest in our Cinco de Mayo evening activities!

 

For me personally this marks the start of my tenth month as your superintendent. I have been asked twice recently at public events about my impressions of the district at this point. My response comes fairly easily as I clearly see why this is a district of choice for so many families. I also recognize that there are areas that should be addressed in the near future.

 

Basically I see this school district as delivering the core elements of what a community should expect of a quality public school district. These elements include:

 

1. Academic Excellence:

By just about every measure available, our schools and students excel academically. Just yesterday we received word that every one of our eligible middle schools and high schools was selected as a California Distinguished School! This is the largest number of selected schools from anyone school district in Northern California. Only one school district in Southern California, Los Angeles Unified, had more schools selected and there is no comparison between their size and ours. Our average API scores are the highest of any large unified school district, the vast majority of our students graduate and go to college, and our schools year after year do exceedingly well in academic competitions. Parents who expect a rigorous, academic environment for their children receive just that in our schools 

 

2. Superior Facilities:

The new schools that have been built and the schools that have been modernized add to the quality of the community, whereas in many areas, run down facilities detract from the community. It has been my experience that the quality and appearance of schools matter. I want students and staff to feel good about where they learn and work.  Attractive schools, such as we have in our district, are a message to and from the community that the education of young people is a high priority.

 

3. Classroom Priority:

According to the California Department of Education the San Ramon Valley Unified School District has the lowest administrator to student ratio in the East Bay, and one of the lowest in the state. We have attempted to direct our resources to the schools and classrooms, while limiting administrative services to only the most essential.

 

4. Community Partnerships:

One of my first observations I noted when I visited the district was the obvious partnerships that exist between the school district and other governmental agencies. Specifically, I saw parks, pools and teen centers that are shared with other public entities. The wonderful shared use we enjoy with the City of San Ramon and the Town of Danville is an outstanding example of tax dollars being used wisely. These types of joint-use agreements do not happen everywhere, although it is the way public agencies should come together to better serve the communities we share. 

 

A truly excellent organization never rests on its laurels. Instead, it openly addresses areas where improvement is needed and the San Ramon Valley USD is committed to doing just that.  It should come as no surprise that even given the incredible examples of excellence listed above, we do, in my opinion, still have challenges that need to be addressed. These include:

 

1.    Achievement Gap:

Like almost every school district in the nation, we continue to have an achievement gap for students of color, poverty, and special needs. The school district cannot afford to ignore this reality, and in fact we have not, as we continue to work hard to close this gap. We have made good progress, but there is more work to be done.

 

2.    Facilities:

While I recognized the quality facilities in comments above, the work is not finished. Measure A was never intended to modernize all schools, even though the district has actually delivered more than Measure A promised. Modernization and quality upkeep must be continuous as schools represent a huge public investment. I sometimes compare this to the Golden GateBridge; once they are through painting the bridge they need to start back where they first painted in order to preserve the appearance and quality of the structure.

 

3.    Technology Infusion:

We are not where we need to be in regard to true technology infusion into teaching and learning. The infrastructure has been inadequate and a clear vision and plan for expansion into classrooms has not been consistent throughout the district. The challenge is not simply about “adding” technology, but rather to educate students in a manner which truly prepares them not only for college, but for the very competitive, global environment in which they will live and work. The good news is that staff and parents seem very open to this message, and some very exciting initiatives are being formulated at various schools around the district.

 

4.    Economic Concerns:

One of the great ironies of this district is that we actually are a low wealth district in terms of funding. We receive below the state average in per pupil funding at a time the state is reducing support for all public school districts. In addition, we qualify for relatively few Federal dollars, and of course, we face the possible loss of the limited parcel tax revenue should Measure C not be approved by the voters. I am aware that the public gets tired of hearing about the challenge of funding for schools, but we are a “ward of the state”, and California is now right near the bottom of all states in funding public education.

 

I do appreciate that so many of parents contribute money to the schools to help fund even some basic programs. It does, however, create some equity issues as not all schools are able to generate the same contribution levels. This is why I often state that this is not how we should do business, but absent adequate state funding, the contributions are deeply appreciated.

 

Even with these challenges, we do have a magnificent school district. Our teachers and staff work hard to serve all students and to prepare them so they can graduate from high school with viable options for the 21st Century.   We are blessed with parents and a community that care deeply about our schools and the district. Please know that your interest and support is never taken for granted and is always appreciated.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read my letter and forcaring about the students we serve.

 

Sincerely,

 

Steven Enoch (senoch@srvusd.net)

Superintendent of Schools

 

Ten SRVUSD Schools Labelled "Distinguished" - Most in Northern California

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell announced that 261California middle and high schools have been selected as 2009 California Distinguished Schools, an annual award that recognizes some of the state's most exemplary public schools. Of the 18 selected in Contra Costa County, ten belong to the San Ramon Valley Unified School District:

• California High School
• Monte Vista High School
• San Ramon Valley High School
• Charlotte Wood Middle School
• Diablo Vista Middle School
• Iron Horse Middle School
• Los Cerros Middle School
• Pine Valley Middle School
• Stone Valley Middle School
• Windemere Ranch Middle School

*Dougherty Valley High School and Gale Ranch Middle School did not qualify because they are new schools and do not yet have all grade levels represented.

“This is an incredible honorfor our entire community,” said Joe Ianora, Principal at San Ramon Valley HighSchool. “It affirms the hard work of our staff and student body, and theincredible support we receive from our parents and community.”

The only school district in California with more 2009 Distinguished Schools than SRVUSD is Los Angeles Unified (11 schools selected), home to nearly 400 secondary schools. Since the program’s inception, schools in the SRVUSD have received Distinguished School honors 60 times, more than any other school district in northern California.

“This is just one more piece ofevidence that SRVUSD delivers what the public expects from a high performing school district,” said Superintendent StevenEnoch. “Accolades like this one symbolize why so many people choose to raise their children and purchase a home in the San Ramon Valley.”

The prestigious award is considered the state's predominant recognition of a school's total educational program, including high expectations for all its students, the implementation of state-adopted standards, and visionary and collaborative leadership. The schools were evaluated by teams of local educators under the direction of the California Department of Education, and those schools judged to be exemplary were visited by an outside review team to validate the application information.

"California Distinguished Schools must meet the challenge of providing all their students with a rigorous education and to fully prepare today's students for success in post secondary education or the workforce," said State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jack O'Connell. "In an increasingly competitive global economy, it is important that the academic success of all of today's studentsis directly linked to the effectiveness, competitiveness, and resiliency of our not-too-distant future workforce.

The selected middle and high schools represent about 10.9 percent of California's nearly 2,400 middle and high schools. Of those, only 341 schools met the eligibility criteria based on their student achievement and were chosen from 170 school districts in 46 counties. An awards ceremony honoring the Distinguished Schools will be held Friday, May 29 at the Disneyland Hotel inAnaheim.

 

100 students honored at Awards Breakfast for Work in SRV Student Recognition Project

100 high school students were honored on April 3rd as "Winners" of the Annual San Ramon Valley Student Recognition Project.

 

Music Departments Celebrate "Music In Our Schools Month" with Area Music Festivals

Each year the San Ramon Valley Unified School District celebrates Music In Our Schools Month by hosting a variety of District Music Festivals.  This past month we hosted five festivals:  a Middle School Vocal Festival which included guest conducting appearances by all four high school vocal directors, and four Area Band Festivals - one hosted by each high school.

 

Each festival is a collaborative process where our music teachers come together to choose one set of music that will be perfected district-wide, then work together to coordinate rehearsals at one another’sschools.  The celebration is in the final performance, where hundreds of students meet, share and work together to present their outstanding efforts. Please visit our District Music Program website at http://www.srvusd.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=54106&type=d&rn=4980652 to see pictures from our festivals.  If you were unable to attend our March Festivals, we have the District StringFestival on May 20th at 7pm at Dougherty Valley High School.

 

5th Grade Science Fair

District Science Alliance Program

Nearly 300 SRVUSD 5th graders will be presenting the projects they have been working on from November through March with their high school Science Alliance Club mentors. The public is invited to view the projects between 1:30 and 4:00. The projects will be set up in the large gym at Monte Vista High School.