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As your school superintendent, I want to improve your access to news that goes beyond a particular school. I know that our schools do a great job of letting parents know what is going on, but news across MBUSD is limited. My goal is to send you quarterly newsletters you can scan in less than a minute, or explore in depth through our website. For those of you who want more regular information, we now have a strong presence on both Facebook and Twitter. So with that, I welcome you to our first of many quarterly newsletters.
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Construction at Mira Costa Ahead of Schedule
The Measure BB Bond is enabling more improvements at Mira Costa than we thought possible. Check out the video to the left to see our plans- I think you'll love it. More information regarding timelines, progress and photos, is available here. Rick Bagley, MBUSD's Deputy Superintendent, is leading the project and doing great work. The Board and I are grateful for the support of the Manhattan Beach community, and we will make our community proud with this project.
Key Objectives: The Four Cs of 21st Century Education
To be successful in the 21st century, our students must develop strong skills in Communication, Critical Thinking, Collaboration and Creativity.
We have two key 21st Century initiatives:
Writing:
Teaching writing is one of our most critical responsibilities. This summer, 1/3 of our K-8 staff will participate in a one-week training in the Writers' Workshop method of teaching writing. Our teachers and this program were featured in local papers.
Student iPads:
Based on findings from the iPad Pilot in each of our schools, I have recommended to the Board that we expand the pilot in the elementary schools, give each student at MBMS access to an individual iPad, and continue to explore expansion at the high school. Please find full pilot findings, testimonials and photos here.
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Budgeting and Negotiations are Underway
Since 2008, our funding from the state has decreased by almost 25%. The state is threatening even more cuts next year, but we still are planning for no layoffs and no furlough days. I am thankful for our Board of Trustees, our employees, our generous community and the work of MBEF, the PTAs and MBAF. You can find our latest budget update presentation here.
Our employees have not had a raise in 5 years and are asking for a cost of living adjustment. I am a big believer in sitting down at the table and seeing what can be worked out. Negotiations are progressing. Our priority is always what's best for the students. Find updates and information on negotiations here.
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If you have 12 minutes, check out the State of the Schools Address that I gave recently, touting the District successes and initiatives we are working on in our district. It covers some of the content I've mentioned here including our MBUSD Writing Initiative, iPad Program, Budget, and the Mira Costa Construction Project, but it also highlights our other successes including our Mandarin Chinese Program, Grand View's selection as one of the first ever National Green Ribbon Schools, and the Safe School Ambassadors Program - designed to prevent bullying.
I am so proud of what we have accomplished together to help our students maximize their potential. I brag about our teachers, our staff, our parents, our leaders and our community to anyone who will listen. I hope that you like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, email or even write a letter with a stamp on it if you have questions, ideas or concerns. I always welcome your feedback, and I thank you for your support.
Dr. Michael D. Matthews
Superintendent of Schools
Manhattan Beach Unified School District
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