PTA Candidate Forum Opening Statement

By Michele Ryan

SCUSD needs to do more to improve academic achievement so that our students are prepared for college and good jobs.

My name is Dr. Michele Ryan. I am a public school teacher with single-subject credentials in four core academic subjects: math, Biology, English, and Social Studies. I have experience teaching all four subjects at either the secondary or university level.

I also am eligible for my preliminary administrative credential.

I have a bachelor's degree from Johns Hopkins University and a Ph.D. in history from University of California.

My husband and I have lived in Santa Clara for 12 years, and we have three children, two of whom are students in Santa Clara Unified Schools.

But I am not running on my qualifications alone. As a parent and homeowner in the district, I know that academic achievement in the district is not where we need it to be.

For example, take Algebra 1 proficiency for 9th graders in 2012: Campbell HSD+ 23% Fremont Union [Sunnyvale, etc]+ 24% San Jose Unified + 25% Santa Clara Unified + 11%

The fact that our proficiency level is HALF that of neighboring districts is a clear sign that we need to be doing more.

Or the example of Millikin--around 800 students waiting to get in. Usually 300 on the wait list every year for kindergarten. And there are also waitlists at Washington Open, one of our other alternative programs.

The families who don't get in make different choices--every year we lose high achieving kids and their involved parents when the district does not provide the academic programs they demand.

And there is NO reason to refuse to meet this demand. Our district's average achievement would go up if we made this program available to all the families who want it. Property values would go up as people decided they WANTED to be in Santa Clara schools, instead of avoiding them as many realtors have told me they do. High property values means more money for the district that we can spend on improving our schools.

But the most important reason to make our best academic programs available to all students who want them is it is the right thing to do for our children. It is our obligation as the educational leaders in the community to prepare our students the best we can so that they can succeed in a global marketplace that rewards strong academic achievement.

Thank you.