Goal:
“An object or end that one strives to attain” – Webster’s New
World Dictionary of the American Language, Second College Edition.
Superintendent Carolyn McKennan attempted to set forth proposed
goals for the District at the July 19 Morgan Hill School District’s
Board meeting,. Unfortunately
, she failed to understand the definition of a goal and set
forth instead, visions for the District.
Goal: “An object or end that one strives to attain” – Webster’s New World Dictionary of the American Language, Second College Edition.
Superintendent Carolyn McKennan attempted to set forth proposed goals for the District at the July 19 Morgan Hill School District’s Board meeting,. Unfortunately, she failed to understand the definition of a goal and set forth instead, visions for the District.
Our District needs quantifiable goals – goals that can be measured with tangible facts and figures. They will help us identify very specific items that we can strive to improve, thereby providing feedback and proof that our hard work is accomplishing something. Quantifiable goals also will give the board a means of measuring the success of district staff, such as the superintendent. After so many years of refutable actions in all areas, we need concrete proof.
We recommend the following become part of the MHSD Board’s goals. This is not in any particular order of importance. There may very well be additional items that should be added to this list. For all goals, a self-assessment must be done, followed by a target goal and date set, with short- and long-term actions developed. Best practices from other districts should be assessed and utilized as appropriate. We must have open minds in order to achieve these goals and improve.
One of the most important long-term goals is academic improvement. (Live Oak’s academic performance ranks at the very bottom of similar schools in Santa Clara County. Almost all schools in our District rank in the bottom half when compared with similar schools in California.) Too frequently, we are seeing students’ work not being on-grade. Different types of schools will need to take different approaches – but first, each school must determine how it is doing academically.
In order to determine this, each elementary and middle school should do a self-assessment based upon “Distinguished School Applicant” guidelines that include standardized state test scores, curriculum, staff development, community involvement and numerous other items.
High schools should go through a similar self-assessment based upon a number of facts including California Exit Exam (CAHSEE) scores, number of students who satisfy UC entrance requirements, Academic Performance Index (API) scores (Live Oak’s scores are in the bottom 30 percent of similar schools), and SAT/ACT tests (only 38 percent of Live Oak students take the SAT, and only 10 percent of them score over 1000 out of 1600 perfect score). Targets should then be set in all areas.
Parents care passionately about the academic success of their children and they should be encouraged to participate in defining and executing actions in support of achieving this goal. These scores and number of students taking voluntary tests (SAT/ACT) and satisfying UC requirements should be increased so as to give our students an increased opportunity to make choices. After we determine where we stand, academically, goals should be set to improve these scores, methods by which to achieve these goals, and concrete deadlines.
Related to the topic of academics is keeping our students in schools. Directly impacting attendance are gross truancy and dropping-out, both of which, unfortunately, are quite rampant in this District.
First, let’s look at gross truancies. Eight or more truancies per year was mentioned at the July 19 Board meeting as being excessive. If that is the definition of gross truancy, then that is what we should set our sights on decreasing. First, however, that determination must be made. We then need to determine a percentage by which it should be decreased, a deadline by when it should be decreased, and a process by which to decrease it. Perhaps the school principals should call each parent of a truant student? The district should research what is done effectively in other districts. A decrease in the truancy rate would also raise the Average Daily Allowance (ADA), the funding we get from the state for each student in school. That is one way we can give our schools an instant raise.
Next, let’s reduce the drop-out rate at Live Oak. The high rate means we are losing our students and not giving them opportunities. Especially concerning is the disproportionate number of Hispanic students who are dropping out (9 percent of Hispanic seniors versus 2 percent of white seniors). Why is this happening? What can be done to stop this trend? We need to look at this situation and turn those numbers around, and by a specified deadline.
Community outreach to students at-risk could provide support for students who are in need of mentors or motivators. We can set a goal in terms of reducing the number of students who drop out between 10th and 12th grades, and by a specific date.
An important goal that impacts our students is the renovation of Live Oak High. This was specifically addressed when the Bond was passed six years ago, yet very little renovation has been accomplished. Improvement of the school facility will greatly improve morale throughout the entire community and school district, as well as improve student motivation. Each area that needs renovation needs to be included in a timeline which is strictly followed to ensure completion doesn’t slip and isn’t sidelined by a more glamorous project.
Over the last few years, we have experienced “student flight” to private schools. We must stop this, but it will only be possible after we improve the academic performance by our students, and improve morale throughout the District. However, in the meantime, we should try to understand the most significant reasons for this “student flight”. We could hold an exit interview with parents and students who are leaving the District. Additionally, we should try to evaluate successful, comparable schools and develop a model of how to improve our academics and success rates. We should set a timeline establishing goals of decreased student flight.
Now, let’s look at some short-term goals: First is the (lack of) response by the Board to several reports’ recommendations: FCMAT, Saylor, and Goodell, all of which have come to similar conclusions. MHUSD must determine how it is going to take steps to proactively improve those problems areas identified in the reports and a date should be set by which plans are in place to correct these items.
Another short-term goal is action regarding Coyote Valley Plan and the plan’s affect upon the MHSD. Time is running out in which our concerns can be submitted and considered by the San Jose City Council. This goal has dates set by San Jose and we must act in a timely fashion if we want to have any options in this regard.
Finally, with time running out before the end of this calendar year, we must begin a successor plan for a new administration. It is possible we will soon have not a single administrator with any time as administrator in our District, as two assistant superintendents are gone or going, the deputy superintendent’s contract is up for review in December, and the superintendent’s contract runs out in June.
This could lead to a severe lack of continuity and problems inherent with that. A new superintendent and administrators are crucial to this District’s rapid recovery from many years of poor leadership, in-fighting, fiscal problems, and community frustration.
This list is, by no means, conclusive or comprehensive. However, it provides a good starting point for our School Board. Our District and Board have had great difficulty accepting public input from the community.
Repeatedly, task forces composed of members of the community have worked long and hard, made recommendations to the Board, only to be ignored (I understand this was the case many years ago, beginning with the appointment of Dr. McKennan, and continues today with the topics of high school boundary lines). We need a District and Board that looks upon its citizens and community as an asset – a resource to draw upon when needed. The job of running a school district is too great and time consuming for the very few hours that most trustees can put into the job. There are many accomplished citizens who want to help and have great abilities to contribute. Two-way communication is good (just ask any therapist) and should be considered a valuable asset instead of being ignored and rejected.
Now, if only we could get the Board to make a decision about something instead of putting it off until another meeting, then we could see some goals accomplished.
Victoria Battison, a Morgan Hill resident, wrote this column on behalf of Community Alliance for Responsible Education, or CARE.
