September 5, 2014

$1.7 million in cuts or increased revenue needed


School Board Deliberates Over Balancing the Budget in 2015-16


School Board members discussed budget matters in a casual workshop setting last night at the district office board room.  About 10 people attended the meeting that featured a free-flowing conversation among board members about instructional philosophy, graduation requirements, prioritizing a list of cuts, personalized education versus auditorium style delivery, and the structure of meetings for future dialog.  Possible cuts or reductions the members reviewed included:

  • Coronado School of the Arts (CoSA )
  • Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC)
  • Adult Education & Regional Occupational Program (ROP)
  • Interscholastic Athletic Programs
  • District office personnel or programs
  • Certain Arts or Music programs
  • Closing Silver Strand Elementary School
  • Closing Village Elementary School's ECDC
  • Closing Palm Academy

The next regular meeting of the Governing Board is set for September 11th at 4:30.  The next Board Workshop for discussion of the direction of the district finances is scheduled for
October 2
nd at 4:30 at the district office. 

Silver Strand Elementary and Learning/Instruction  Department Report Good News for the First Week of School
Students salute the flag on the first day of school at the Silver Strand
Last week the Communique reported on how the first week of school turned out for schools and departments.  Here is a summary of the happenings from two more district leaders:

 

Silver Strand Elementary

New Family Orientation meetings, tours, and related PTO activities have helped welcome the largest number of families and students brand new to the site in the past eight years.  Included therein was a PTO coffee and photograph session for parents after entry on the first day of school.  Teachers shared important information re: CCSS, new assessment systems, classroom expectations and the like at Back to School Night this past Thursday, with a PTO Spaghetti Dinner and Book Fair following classroom presentations, and recess games for students supervised throughout the evening by staff member, Tammie Warlick, and a large group of CHS JROTC volunteers.  Weekly Specials/PLC's have begun for all grades, as have small group instruction in many academic areas. The school celebrated its first Friday Flagpole assembly this past week with new spirit wear worn by many students, staff, and parents.  New staff members include Amy Hurley (Speech/Language Pathologist) and John Cox (English Language Teacher).

 

 

Learning & Instruction Department

In the absence of most state achievement data during this era of transition, local achievement data, such as Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), Developmental Reading Assessment 2, high school writing assessments, and elementary engineering performance tasks were scrutinized to determine student's strengths and needs, and set next steps for instruction for the 2014-15 school year. Performance of English Learners, military-connected students, and all below proficient students were specific populations that were examined closely. A team of teachers and administrator representing the entire district attended the MAP Fusion Conference in June funded by Project STEPS, a Department of Defense grant which also provides funding for CUSD's MAP assessment, an essential component of personalized education plans. Attendees included Sean Castillo (CHS Math), Melissa Miller (CHS Math), Rise' Cooley (Village grade 3), Karin Mellina (CMS Assistant Principal), and Claudia Gallant, Sr. Director of Learning & Instruction. A summary of the MAP conference along with student progress will be reported to in October. 

 

Updates were accomplished to the District Strategic Plan as well the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP). The LCAP revisions were based on feedback from the San Diego County Office of Education, which approved of CUSD's LCAP. Various instructional materials for all schools were ordered, including a new AP World History text and new Common Core math materials for all elementary grades. A team of CUSD elementary teachers were brought together early in the summer to approve of them which ensured that these materials were in students' hands on the first day of school. Voluntary professional development opportunities were offered for teachers at all levels mostly in science and mathematics, including attendance for middle school mathematics teachers at a national mathematics conference held in San Diego, and two 3-day math workshops for elementary teachers. 

 

Feedback from teachers who chose to attend these professional development opportunities was overwhelmingly positive. CMS math teachers Bonnie Carpenter and Melissa Miller were provided specific support to design CCSS units of instruction for the new CCSS courses of Math 6 and 6A, a process which will occur all year. In addition, drafts of new report cards for all elementary grades were created, along with academic and assessment calendars, a new elementary CCSS English Language Arts Handbook, information about "Late Start Thursdays", and plans for the Back-to-School Kick Off/Professional Development Day on August 18.  The Principals' Professional Learning Community met several times during the summer to establish specific instructional focus areas for the 2014-15 school year for all grades, levels, and content areas, which include:

  • A shift for teachers and administrators to examine evidence of student learning in classrooms activities and in written work
  • Writing across the curriculum and use of performance tasks for assessment
  • Making sense of problem solving and perseverance in solving them
  • Reasoning abstractly and quantitatively
  • Constructing viable arguments and critiquing the reasoning of others
  • Modeling with mathematics

It was indeed a very busy summer preparing for the best educational program for CUSD students!

 


Donate Now to Bridge the Ever-Widening Financial Gap
In light of the significant funding challenges our school district is now facing, Coronado Schools Foundation (CSF) is stepping up to accept the challenge. Many concerned parents have flooded us with calls asking how they can help. 

  Although CSF has already provided our schools with their fiscal-year end program amounts, additional funds will definitely provide much needed financial support.  Principals have planned for the next school year and have made heart-wrenching decisions due to the current budget shortfall and the rejection by voters of Proposition E.  There is now no doubt the current funding crisis will have a more devastating impact on school programs our children have come to depend on.

 

As the details of these cuts emerge, one thing is certain- we will ALL need to rise up collectively to financially support our schools.  Your donations today will help fund the experiences and opportunities CUSD students and families desperately need and have come to expect.  CSF will continue to request your participation in support of our schools as planning for the uncertain future continues in our district. 

 

Please help us Bridge the Gap and donate generously today at www.csfkids.org.  You can also mail your check (made payable to CSF) to 201 Sixth Street, Coronado, CA 92118 or call 619-437-8059, extension 1 or 3.  Donations of stocks and bonds are also welcome and can be accepted through our Vanguard Account.  All donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the law (Tax ID #94-2745484).

A weekly publication produced for the staff of Coronado Unified School District and the Community of Coronado by Jeffrey P. Felix, Ed. D., Superintendent of Schools
201 Sixth Street, Coronado, CA 92118 | 619.522.8900 | www.coronadousd.net
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Dates to Remember

 


Regular Board Meeting

Thursday, September 11

4:30 PM

District Office

Board Room

 . . . . . . . . . . .

Late Start Thursday

September 18

All Schools Begin at 10:00

 

 

. . . . . . . . . . . 

Special Board Meeting

Thursday, October 2

4:30 PM

District Office

Board Room 

 . . . . . . . . . . .

Regular Board Meeting

Thursday, October 16

4:30 PM

District Office

Board Room

 

100 year anniversary


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