Superintendent Letter October 2009

I hope you are enjoying the fall. The school year is fully underway, and we already have lots of important activities and accomplishments to be proud of!

68% of Alameda Students Surpass API State Target Score of 800 and Exceed 2008 Test Results!
The California Department of Education 2009 Academic Performance Index (API) ranking showed marked improvement for Alameda schools district wide, exceeding 2008 API scores in almost every grade level.

Overall, AUSD schools received from 740 to 933 out of a 1,000 possible maximum score, with 13 out of 19 AUSD schools – or 68% - exceeding the state’s overall API target score of 800. AUSD improved overall from 810 to 823, a growth of 13 API points.

Further underscoring the district’s commitment to continually improve on the already quality education AUSD schools provide, 10 schools showed double digit growth over 2008 levels in their scores.

I want to recognize two schools for significant improvement above and beyond typical growth. Amelia Earhart Elementary grew by 23 points over its 2008 base and Encinal High School improved by 36 points over its 2008 base!

Every teacher and student should be proud of what they have accomplished. Our API scores demonstrate AUSD’s commitment to excellence in our classrooms and the hard work we will all continue to pursue until every student achieves his or her academic potential.

If you would like to see each school’s API score, visit the California Department of Education website at www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/ar .

Please Attend the Final Master Plan Workshop
The Board of Education and I are working hard, continuing to solicit public input on all proposed strategies around the Master Plan.

To date, we have held six community workshops, at which strategies have been presented and public comment has been taken. The schedule of Community Workshops has changed somewhat. The remaining Master Plan dates follow:

November 17
• Final Public Education Volunteers report
• Parcel Tax
• Maximizing fundraising efforts, including grant systems and collaboration with community partnerships
• Inventory of programs district-wide and/or site-specific

December 8 (Regular Board of Education meeting)
• Presentation of DRAFT Master Plan

January 12 (Regular Board of Education meeting)
• Board discussion of proposed Master Plan

January 26 (Regular Board of Education meeting)
• Board action on proposed Master Plan

Please remember if you aren’t able to make any of these public meetings, proposed strategies are available for review and comment on the district’s website, www.alameda.k12.ca.us . You can also view video recordings of previous workshops on the district’s website, by clicking on the “live stream” button at the bottom of our homepage.

I can’t emphasize enough how important your feedback is on this critical process that will result in a roadmap to guide the decisions of our district for several years to come. Please take the time to join us at the remaining Community Workshop on November 17 and/or the December and January regular Board of Education meetings.

Selection of Measure H Parcel Tax Advisory Group
As you are aware, AUSD and John Beery, litigant in one of the lawsuits seeking to overturn Measure H, are working toward a possible resolution of the suit. We have selected 10 community members to serve on the advisory group that will work collaboratively in an effort to develop a new parcel tax to replace Measures A and H.

The first meeting of the Parcel Tax Advisory Group was held on Thursday, October 29, with the goal of concluding the group’s work by December 17th, at which time both parties will go back before the judge with a status report on the proceedings and possible resolution.

Assuming sufficient progress has been made, by January 12, 2010, the Advisory Group will recommend to the Board of Education a proposed new parcel tax to replace existing Measures A and H.
The Committee members are:
John Beery
Kathy Moehring
Rob Bonta
Andy Currid
Dave Hart
Jim Oddie
Dennis Pagones
Mike Robles-Wong
Christine Strena
Seamus Wilmot

I am hopeful that through the Resolution Plan agreed upon by the district and Mr. Beery, the district can achieve a solution – in the form of a replacement parcel tax – that serves the needs of every Alamedan. However, the fiscal and educational needs of the district and our students will always be my guide in moving forward with any potential resolution.

I will continue to keep you updated on the progress of the Advisory Group work.

Update on Caring Schools Curriculum
To ensure we have the best possible curriculum that effectively addresses and prevents potential bullying of any Alameda student, we have brought together a diverse committee of concerned community members to move the district forward in identifying a new anti-bullying curriculum.

Ruben Zepeda, Interim Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services, convened the first of three meetings of the 26-member group on Saturday, October 3, 2009. The second was held October 31st and there will be a concluding meeting mid-November. The committee’s charge is to develop criteria by which to review the anti-bullying and anti-harassment curricula that is available to schools and districts.

The criteria the community advisory committee develops will then be provided to a teachers’ committee that will use it to review available curricula and make a recommendation to the community advisory committee on which curricula and materials are best for AUSD.

As Superintendent, I will review the community advisory committee recommendations and send the proposed new curriculum to the Board of Education for review at the end of November and formal adoption in December.

I will keep you updated on the progress of the committee’s work and look forward to adopting improved curricula that ensures a safe school environment for every Alameda student.

H1N1 Update
We have had 3 confirmed cases, one at Franklin, Wood and Encinal. As a reminder to parents, if your child is experiencing flu-like systems, the student should stay home for 24 hours after the fever has gone. The best prevention continues to be hand washing and covering coughs and sneezes. We continue to follow county protocol and will keep you updated as more information becomes available.

If you would like detailed information about H1N1, you can find out more at the County’s Public Health Department website, http://www.acphd.org/H1N1/index.htm .

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please call me at 337-7060 or e-mail me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Sincerely,

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Kirsten Vital
Superintendent of Schools