|
"Thank You!"
By M. Magdalena Carrillo Mejia, PhD
Dear
Parents, Staff, and Community Members:
This is my last column as your
Superintendent. It has been my joy and privilege to work with a great
team that includes a dedicated Board of Education, a talented Cabinet,
a committed staff of administrators, teachers and classified employees
both in our schools and in our central offices. I was also very
fortunate to enjoy the support of parents and a wide array of
community partners that demonstrated just how much Sacramento cares
about its students and families.
By working together these past
four and a half years, we have been able to make significant progress.
We have moved from the second lowest ranking among our comparable
districts to one of the top three on both the Academic Performance
Index (API) and Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) student performance
measurements. This has been the result of investing in and believing
in employees and a focus on continuous improvement.
Additionally, we can celebrate
improvements in attendance, increasing graduation rates, reducing
dropout rates and maintaining fiscal solvency during tough fiscal
times. I am most proud of our efforts to elevate the achievement of
all students and our efforts to close the achievement gap. For all
students, we have increased the percent At or Above Proficient in
English Language Arts from 33 percent to 43 percent, and in
Mathematics from 38 percent to 49 percent. At the same time, the
achievement gap between African American students and White students
(as measured by Base API) has declined by 13 points, with a similar 14
point decrease in the achievement gap for Hispanic students. Our
efforts have resulted in two National Title 1 Schools; 16
Distinguished Schools; 26 Title 1 Achieving Schools; four Programs of
Excellence in Adult Education, and 13 schools exiting Program
Improvement status.
We have improved our business and
operational practices and together we have developed positive
relationships with both internal and external partners—demonstrating
that collaboration and cooperation are necessary elements for success
in the present and in the future.
Our fiscal and business operations
are second to none among school districts in the nation. We can all be
very proud that Sac City is the first and only California district to
meet the International Standards of Quality (ISO 9001) and was
recertified for another three years.
These are remarkable
accomplishments, achieved by employees throughout the district who
arrive at work every day committed to doing their best for students
and to continually improving their skills and service.
I am confident that the forward
momentum of this district will continue because of the extraordinary
team that is in place, beginning with our Board of Education and Susan
Miller who will serve as interim superintendent. Ms. Miller is an
outstanding educator and leader who knows the district well and has
served it with dedication and passion as a teacher, principal and
associate superintendent. One of her great contributions has been to
help lead our district in crafting strategies in closing the
achievement gap and serving as chair our Blue Ribbon task force to
ensure the success of every student. She will bring that same focus in
her new role.
Finally, it with great pride and
joy that I complete 35 years of service to education. I know that I am
a better leader, educator and human being as a result of concluding my
career in Sac City. I thank each of you for making my tenure as
superintendent exciting and rewarding. I plan to retire on June 30 to
spend more time with my husband, our children and our grandchildren.
My husband and I plan to stay in this wonderful region, blessed by
diversity and talent. I will not say “goodbye,” but only “thank you”
for the many wonderful memories, opportunities, and friendships that
have come to me because you gave me the gift of allowing me to serve
four and a half years ago.
|
