Dear MTUESD Community,
Sometimes when we’re making the sausage, we forget to stop and reflect on how tasty it is. Last week, we had some visitors who have a breadth of education experience including high-level district and state positions come to interview us as part of a county-wide review. The first thing out of their mouths was something to the effect of– What the heck is your team doing here? Because your gains in test scores last year were remarkable. Truly folks, what your kids and our staff did in one year is truly remarkable. As I was basking in how good that felt, I decided we have a new motto at MTUESD it’s-Achievement Has Got a Hold on Me. We have switched a mindset of expectations. We have A LONG WAY TO GO, but the achievement train has left the station!
As I explained to the consultants, we started with a level of expectation. That started with the staff and the Board that we weren’t just going to do it (testing), we were going to do it well. It started with meticulous scheduling. It started with a team effort to make sure kids had the support and time they needed to log on during testing sessions. It started with parents, not opting their kids out as a protest to the state, but understanding that their kid was contributing to the public face of our school district and that test scores affect property values because nobody wants to buy a house in a district with terrible scores. It was a miraculous turnaround in one year with students achieving 33 points in Language Arts and 19 points in Math. The state expects 3-point gains annually. Folks were entering the testing season again, and I tell you achievement has got a hold on me. It’s the motto of every single breath we take.
I am so proud of your kids. We are entering a season of uncertainty with the state budget. With decreasing enrollment, we are going to make some difficult decisions in classroom configurations. That’s just a part of being a school district with declining enrollment. If we continue to get those test scores up, our enrollment will go up as we will be “the” school, not “that” school. As always, if you have any questions, reach out to me.
I’m also super delighted at those parents doing the Attendance Recovery tutoring time for their kids. Your kids are getting smarter with that after school support, and the district is getting some money back. That’s a win-win across the board.
Also, we’re gearing up with our cool partnership between WeDeliver Wheels (no space between We and Deliver!) and Murphys-Angels Rotary for our 100-bike giveaway this year. It’s March 14 and 15. I need community members to sign up in advance if your student needs a bike. No other district does this. People partner with us because we have needs. We are grateful for this opportunity and look forward to serving our kids. If you need a bike, email me at lsimson@mtwain.k12.ca.us.
Join us in partnership as we continue to create the expectation that achievement has a hold on kids.
Sincerely yours,
Louise Simson
Superintendent