Goals for the District

By Mary P. Wells

Public schools face many issues, some within our control and some that are not. As a board member, I will focus on those issues we can manage and work to minimize any negative impacts of those we cannot.

• Work toward continued high quality education and academic achievement for all students at their highest potential.
• Strive to meet the continued high expectations by legislators and the public for public school cost effectiveness, high academic performance, safety of pupils and personnel, and adequate facilities
• Budget stability and adequate resources resulting from declining enrollment, rising energy costs, fewer discretionary dollars available to districts
• Maintain, develop and support high caliber staff, administration and other district personnel.
• Continue open communication and teamwork within district.
• Continue to monitor, review and evaluate current educational and administrative practices and explore new ideas and trends.

• Declining enrollment means less revenue to operate schools and the risk of potential layoffs and program cuts.
• Adequate budget: The law requires balanced budgets. Many programs we expect our schools to have are not considered essential by the State and are vulnerable to cutbacks. They include: music, libraries, transportation, classroom aides, grounds, technology, foreign language instruction, visual and performing arts, before and after school programs, and others. These are very important programs for enriching the educational experience and development of our children.
• Increasing costs: energy, insurance, equipment and supplies, personnel.
• Standardized testing, rankings: Parents, educators, businesses, and real estate agents use the API (Academic Performance Index) to judge the academic quality of local schools. Politicians and education officials rely on it to determine which schools, principals and teachers merit financial rewards for making academic gains, and which measures to take if schools are failing.
• Consolidation/unification/partnerships: Consolidations occur when two or more adjoining districts of the same kind, i.e, two elementary districts, form a single school district; unification occur when a high school district joins with one or more of its feeder elementary districts to form one district. It is important to look at options, including partnerships, if it means greater benefit to the children in the district. Advantages of various arrangements can include: combined resources to help fund programs which might not be provided individually; curriculum development and instruction; resource maximization, economies of scale, facility utilization, less duplication (administration, business services, personnel, maintenance/transportation, food services); grade level articulation; articulation of family and community life; and elimination of problems and difficulties associated with inter-district transfers. Some community members are concerned about the potential loss of control, but local support and control can continue through school site councils, advisory boards, parent/teacher committees and organizations. Many steps are involved and it is a lengthy and complex process.
• School safety: We can't teach kids if they don't feel safe and the Arcata School District has many measures in place to assure our children's safety. As a parent, I have always felt that our children were safe in our schools. We must be vigilant to constantly review and revise our school safety policies and procedures. Components of an effective school safety program include: emergency information for each child, school site safety plans, transportation safety, public health vigilance, policies and procedures, and other activities and mechanisms that safeguard our schools and children. Schools also play a role in teaching kids how to get along, communicate in respectful ways, deal with conflict, and take preventive measures to maintain their safety. Specific activities in ASD include a school safety grant, partnerships with local law enforcement, locked gates and doors in the schools, safeguards against unauthorized people on the school sites, walkie-talkies, programs to prevent bullying, and volunteer supervision. In addition, the district has engaged the services of professionals to provide workshops (Parent Project) and hands-on training to develop parenting skills.
• Technology: District and school technology plans and adequate resources are essential. The school board should support the development of technology which includes Internet access, teacher training, and instruction in technology to support the curricula.