Mission Statement: All San Diego students will graduate with the skills, motivation, curiosity and resilience to succeed in their choice of college and career in order to lead and participate in the society of tomorrow.

I know that all San Diego Unified employees, like all Americans, are deeply concerned about the current financial crisis gripping our national economy.

Fortunately, the San Diego Unified School District has a balanced budget for FY 2008-09 and a comprehensive financial planning system that will help us weather this current financial storm. Furthermore, we have a strong partnership with our County Office of Education and are in frequent communication with them about budget issues. In times like these, rumors and fears often get ahead of the facts. One of the rumors we have heard is that the district may be unable to meet payroll if the state is unable to meet its financial obligations to the district. Let me assure you that this rumor is false and urge you to contact me or our Chief Financial Officer James Masias directly with your questions about any other rumors you may hear about our budget situation.

Here are the facts. SDUSD carefully manages our finances to ensure we have adequate cash to meet all of our financial obligations throughout the year. For several years now, the district uses Tax and Revenue Anticipation Notes (TRANs) to stabilize our cash flow as we await payments from the state and county. We currently have access to $300 million in TRANs funds that are sufficient to meet our financial obligations well into next year. This in conjunction with the on-going revenue received from the state and local level throughout the year.

And, there is some good news. The revised state budget, approved earlier this month, will provide $13.5 million in additional funds for the district, $9.8 million for categorical programs and $3.7 million in unrestricted funds. While these funds are helpful in the short term, we are also aware that the state may need to impose midyear budget cuts that could impact education funding. And, our overall budget challenges still remain, as we face added costs resulting from an inflation rate of 5.4%, increased salary costs, healthcare costs, and utility rate increases.

Our Financial Operations Division will continue to closely monitor our budget status and the impacts of any state budget changes. During this difficult time, it is imperative that we manage all of our budgets closely and avoid unplanned or unnecessary expenditures. I want to thank all of our employees for their cooperation and support as we manage our organization through these difficult financial times.

We will be keeping you all informed about any new budget facts. For more information, click here  to read a detailed State Budget Update from James Masias.

In less that one month, San Diego voters will decide whether or not our district gets $2.1 billion to repair, renovate and revitalize our schools. Repairs will include upgrading fire alarms, security systems and public address systems. Other repair categories include code requirements, seismic retrofits, safety and major systems upgrades. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility improvements and repairs/upgrades to heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems will be the major renovation components. We will "revitalize" our schools by providing new/upgraded facilities for Career Technical Education as well as virtual and innovative schools. The revitalization efforts also include smart classrooms with multimedia capability and campus-wide wireless connectivity.

In an effort to provide district employees with the facts they need to answer questions from parents and community members, a series of briefings are being held for central office staff. Principals were updated last month on what would be accomplished at their specific school site if Proposition “S” passes. For copies of the presentations, Frequently Asked Questions, a fact sheet, and school project lists, please visit www.sandi.net/PropS. For more information, please call the Facilities Communications Unit at (858) 637-3603.

With all the transitions that take place at the start of a new school year, one thing remains constant: the essential need to foster a highly ethical culture. In support of these efforts, an Ethics Awareness Campaign is being launched to help make sure that all district employees understand the laws, regulations and policies that govern us. During the campaign, every district employee will have the opportunity to review the district Ethics Code and then sign a statement saying that they have read, understood and will abide by the code.

The 10-point Ethics Code is a concise statement of “do’s and don’ts” in areas such as conflicts of interest, gifts, maintaining public trust, and reporting fraud, waste, or abuse. The code embodies the values that drive the culture of trust, openness, innovation and teamwork necessary to meet our goals for excellence in student achievement and organizational performance. Building a culture of integrity is everyone’s job.

Over the next several weeks, executive leadership, principals and central office managers will be meeting with their staff members to facilitate a discussion on ethics and the Ethics Code. In addition, the Ethics Office will facilitate presentations in the Ed Center auditorium on Oct. 17, 10:30-11 a.m.; Oct. 21, 8:30-9 a.m.; Oct. 23, 4-4:30 p.m.; Oct. 27, 4-4:30 p.m.; and Nov. 4, 9-9:30 a.m.

In the meantime, employees can begin on their own by visiting the Ethics Program website at http://www.sandi.net/depts/ethics to view a brief video, read the Ethics Code and take advantage of the many other useful tools posted. For more information, please contact the Ethics Office at (619) 725-7388.

This year, approximately 300 high school teachers successfully completed College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Course Authorization requirements necessary to designate a course as AP. To receive authorization, teachers submit a course syllabus to a university professor for approval and sign a subject-specific AP Course Audit form that specifies curricular and resource requirements. This annual process culminates in an AP Course Ledger, a public registry by school site of all courses authorized to use the AP label on students’ transcripts for the current school year. College and universities use this ledger when interpreting student transcripts. Thanks to the efforts of our teachers, district high schools collectively offer more than 260 Advanced Placement (AP) courses for 2008-09. For further information, visit https://apcourseaudit.epiconline.org or contact Rhonda Zawadzki, Gifted and Talented Education Office at (858) 573-5987 or rzawadzki@sandi.net.

The week of October 13 – 17, 2008, is National School Lunch Week. All students in elementary schools will celebrate by having the chance to vote for the ‘President of School Lunch.’ Candidates include Pete Pizza, Heddi Spaghetti, Sally Salad, Gloria Grilled Cheese and Biff Burger. Their candidate statements are printed in the October 2008 issue of the Food Services KC News . Ballots will be available in every cafeteria and the results will be revealed next month. For more information, please contact Sally Spero, food services food management supervisor, at (858) 627-7306, or Gary Petill, food services department director, at (858) 627-7301.

The biography of Armando Rodriguez, “From the Barrio to Washington: An Educator’s Journey,” has been placed in each middle and high school in the district. Rodriguez’s inspiring story stretches from his birth in Mexico, to growing up in Logan Heights, graduating from San Diego High School, and earning Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at San Diego State University. He was a site administrator in our schools, was the first Latino president of a community college in California and served in Washington, D.C., during the administrations of Presidents Johnson, Nixon, and Carter. Dr. Rodriguez spoke at the recent meeting of the District English Learner Advisory Committee (DELAC). For more information, please contact Barbara Baron at (619) 725-7334 or bbaron@sandi.net.

The final Williams Cohort 2 inspections were completed by the San Diego County Office of Education on Tuesday, September 30. The purpose of the visits was to verify the sufficiency of instructional materials, condition of facilities and information reported on the School Accountability Report Card (SARC), as required by the Williams Settlement Legislation. Sites that were visited included 21 elementary, four K-8, five middle and 17 senior high schools. All 47 sites were found compliant in the areas of sufficiency of instructional materials, clean and safe facilities, teacher vacancies and/or misassignments, and required classroom notices. For additional information, please contact Denise Hankins, Williams Coordinator, at (858) 627-7564.

On Monday, October 6, Benchley-Weinberger Elementary, Achievement through Communications Magnet School, welcomed a delegation of Russian educators. The Russian visitors were interested in how a high-performing school is managed. Principal Marian Jacobs presented information on operations, budget, equipment and educational methods and approaches. The school library will display the delegation’s gifts which represent the country of Russia. As a result of this visit, Benchley-Weinberger and Russian students will become pen pals. For more information, please contact principal Marian Jacobs at (619) 463-9271.

“Green Up Your Act – Earth Friendly Cooking without Spending a Bundle” was the lead article in the Food section of the San Diego Union Tribune on Wednesday, September 17. The article was written by Arlyn Hackett, culinary arts instructor in the Regional Occupation Program at Garfield High School. The article along with an accompanying study guide may be downloaded from the College, Career and Technical Education website. For information, please contact Arlyn Hackett at (619) 525-2059, or Virginia Eves at (858) 496-1838 in the Office of College, Career and Technical Education.

Hoover High School students in Arturo Gonzalez’s Regional Occupational Program (ROP) cabinet-making class got a lesson in the construction of book cases using reclaimed Philippine mahogany leftover from the Instructional Media Center remodel. Some of the student-constructed bookcases are available for purchase. A sample bookcase is on display near the elevator outside Room 2038 at the Eugene Brucker Education Center. Proceeds will benefit Hoover High Regional Occupational Program (ROP) Cabinetmaking program and provide students with real-world learning experiences. In addition to Hoover, the recovered wood was distributed to La Jolla High, Scripps Ranch High, Marston Middle and Wangenheim Middle schools for use in construction technology classes. This project is an example of how the district is incorporating "green sustainable projects" into the classroom while educating students on the importance of sustainability and recycling. For more information, please contact Greg Quirin at (858) 496-1777, or Virginia Eves at (858) 496-1838, in the Office of College, Career and Technical Education.

October 15 will be a special college preparatory minimum day for all Madison High School students. While students in Grades 9-11 are taking the PSAT, seniors and their parents will participate in the College Bound Symposium. The symposium will provide important admissions information from San Diego State, UCSD and Mesa Community College. Counselors have organized “breakout” seminars regarding online applications to UC and CSU, finding money for college through the Cal Grant Program and scholarship searches, and writing effective resume and scholarship essays. Seniors will receive a personalized portfolio with the tools and documents, including a current transcript, which they will need to begin the application process now. “This is only one facet of an all-out ‘College Bound, College Ready’ emphasis throughout the school year,” said Principal Carol Whaley. For more information, contact Carol Sobek, head counselor, at (858) 496-8410 ext. 2210, or Nellie Meyer, chief high school improvement officer, at (619) 725-7237.

Crawford High School’s Invention & Design Educational Academy (IDEA) will be sponsoring the first annual "Operation Doorstep” on Saturday, October 11, from 8 a.m. to noon. More than 40 school and district staff and community/business partners will visit more than 80 student homes to share report cards, attendance records, school support programs (Advanced Placement, tutorial services, attendance, etc.) as well as answer questions and address any concerns parents have regarding the school. Feel free to join this great school out-reach effort in support of students, parents and community. For more information, please contact Principal Don Mitchell at (619) 583-2502, ext. 2880, or Nellie Meyer, chief high school improvement officer, at (619) 725-7237.

Patrick Henry engineering students participate in Architecture, Construction, and Engineering (ACE) Mentoring, a program where local businessmen and women mentor students at least once every two weeks. Together, the mentor and student work on a project that is entered in a county competition for scholarships and awards. For more information, contact Principal Pat Crowder at (619) 286-7700, or Nellie Meyer, chief high school improvement officer, at (619) 725-7237.

The Mission Bay High School Vietnam Memorial was refurbished and re-dedicated on October 3. The memorial located east of the auditorium was re-mounted on a pedestal and the surrounding area was completely re-landscaped. The 30-minute ceremony honored the six Mission Bay graduates who died in the Vietnam War. Students from the Class of 1958 were in attendance, some of whom knew these young men personally. Lt.Col Brian Josten, 1SGT Mark Harrell and members of the MBHS JROTC also participated in the ceremony. For more information, contact Principal Cheryl Seelos at (858) 273-1313, or Nellie Meyer, chief high school improvement officer, at (619) 725-7237.

Discover all the exciting events happening around the district. A complete list of San Diego Unified School District Upcoming Events is posted on www.sandi.net.

• Addressing Chronic Absenteeism in the Early Grades
  At the core of school improvement and education reform is an assumption so widely understood that it is rarely invoked: students have to be present and engaged in order to learn. That is why the discovery that thousands of our youngest students are at academically at-risk because of extended absences when they first embark upon their school careers is as remarkable as it is consequential. Schools and communities have a choice: we can work together early on to ensure families get their children to class consistently or we can pay later for failing to intervene before problems are more difficult and costly to ameliorate. Read more.
  
  
• Online Teacher's Influence is Far-Reaching
  Sitting on the sofa in her parents' Hutchinson home, balancing a laptop on her knees, Kathy Brinez might appear to be checking her e-mail. At times, that's certainly what she's doing. But she also might be reading one of her students' papers or grading a test. Though she recently moved home to Hutchinson, she continues to teach for Pierce College in Fort Lewis, Wash. — primarily to students in the military who are stationed in Iraq, Africa and Germany. Read more.
  
  
• Teachers to Be Measured Based on Students' Standardized Test Scores
  New York City is beginning to measure the performance of thousands of elementary school teachers based on how much their students improve on math and reading tests. New York Times (10/02)
  
  
• Boston Superintendent Plans Sweeping Changes
  Carol R. Johnson, Boston's superintendent, has responded to budget shortfalls and academic challenges by suggesting the closure of five schools and the creation of more K-8 schools as well as campuses accommodating students from sixth grade up through their senior year in high school. Johnson says these changes and others are in response to parent requests, but the head of the teachers union worries the proposals are premature. The Boston Globe (10/3)
  
  
• Manage Mountains of E-Mail with Six Simple Techniques
  Teachers and administrators are not the only ones being overwhelmed by e-mail messages -- the average U.S. employee is bombarded with 200 e-mail messages daily, with responses to this correspondence and other interruptions creating a drag on workplace productivity to the tune of more than $650 billion per year, according to a recent report. Productivity experts recommend sending fewer, shorter messages to limit the number of replies and checking e-mail just several times a day and only after more important tasks have been completed. eSchool News (10/2)
  
  
• Amid Foreclosures, a Rise in Homeless Students
  As the economy continues to worsen, school districts nationwide are seeing significant increases of up to 40% in student homelessness. Yet one advocate reports that some homeless high school students are being denied enrollment—despite schools' legal obligations under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act—because those schools fear the students may drag down test scores, making it more difficult to meet the mandates of No Child Left Behind. NPR (9/30)
  Related Item: Teenagers Report High Anxiety in Unstable Economy
  
  
• Montgomery's Weast Wants New Negotiations
  ROCKVILLE, Md. -- Montgomery County School Superintendent Jerry Weast has told principals that labor contracts will have to be renegotiated because the school system can't afford scheduled pay raises in the next fiscal year. Board of Education President Nancy Navarro said Monday that planned 5.3 percent raises for teachers are probably unrealistic. The county is facing a projected $250 million shortfall for fiscal 2010. Weast's chief of staff, Brian Edwards, says Weast is telling staff, union leaders and parents that next year's budget situation is dire. Read more.
  
  
• Needy Students Closing Test Gap under NCLB
  WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Since enactment of the No Child Left Behind law, students from poor families in the Washington area have made major gains on reading and math tests and are starting to catch up with those from middle-class and affluent backgrounds, a Washington Post analysis shows. The Washington Post (10/2)
  
  
• Proposal Would Shutter 5 Schools
  BOSTON, Mass. -- School Superintendent Carol R. Johnson unveiled a long-awaited reorganization plan last night that would shut down five elementary school buildings and lead to the reshuffling of many other locations and programs, as the district copes with tight finances and new academic priorities. The Boston Globe (10/2)
  
  
• More Minorities Attending College, But Progress Still Needed
  A report released Thursday reveals significant increases in the number of minority students pursuing college degrees, but points out that further gains are still needed. Research showed wide achievement gaps between minority groups in 2006, with Asian Americans pursuing considerably more advanced degrees than Hispanic Americans. Yahoo!/The Associated Press (10/9)