each grade level and our teacher on special assignment. I consider this team a Profes- sional Learning Community since we often conduct data analysis together, set goals, and learn about new instructional strategies to share with staff. This team is invaluable in assisting me with our school-wide plan as well as developing our strategic staff devel- opment plan.
3.
What challenges do you think are unique to your school and how are
you dealing with them? Minerva Gandara: The greatest challenge
we face at my school is the poverty level of most of our families. We are in the second highest poverty pocket in Orange County, which brings many other issues that need to be addressed. We have many similar prob- lems to other schools in California, includ- ing generational gangs, second language learners, poverty, limited literacy of parents and students. Creating partnerships is the best way to help the students deal with the basics so we can get to the business of aca- demics.
Kim Hendricks: We had a few challenges.
We have the district’s severe elementary pro- gram – the K-5 special education program. Two years ago when the district closed the lowest performing school, we received about 170 students. Almost every student grew – several over 100 points – but we missed our AYP last year by four percentage points. I believe we work really hard to make a dif- ference in our community. We have high expectations and believe that our students should leave elementary school proficient and able to compete in middle school.
Teresa López Alonzo: We are not unlike
many schools that find themselves in Pro- gram Improvement, despite the positive gains made in student achievement. Keeping the momentum and morale of the school in a positive trajectory can be a challenge, es- pecially with the limited amount of person- nel to support the instructional program. Because our school and district are very client-focused, I often find it challenging to fulfill various requests for my time and at- tention from parents, students and teachers,
10 Leadership
while tending to the very important work of classroom visitations and instructional im- provement. I think like many other administra-
tors around the state and country, my job is around the clock. I find myself working late, taking work home, and occasionally opening the school on the weekend just to get work done. The work is challenging, but extremely rewarding!
4.
What are you most proud of, and what would you do differently?
Minerva Gandara: I am very proud of our staff because they help each other out. They
demic achievement award for two years, the California Distinguished School Award, and last year we were nominated for a Na- tional Blue Ribbon Award.
Teresa López Alonzo:Our school commu-
nity gathers in a morning assembly, which has become a ritual at our school. I begin every day by greeting our parents, students and staff. We recite the flag salute and a school pledge I wrote that embodies the val- ues of our namesake, César E. Chávez, the great Latino civil rights leader: “We, the students and staff of César E.
Chávez Elementary School, Promise to respect people and property, To value the learning opportunities pre-
sented today, To strive for excellence and to do our per-
sonal best, ¡Sí, Se Puede! Yes, it can be done!”
After reciting these pledges, I often draw
lift each other up and support each other to find innovative solutions to whatever they are working on. They function as a family that really cares about the well-being of all members. They are an inclusive staff; teach- ers, clerical, custodial, classified all working together to create the best learning environ- ment possible for the students. I am also very proud of our efforts in
preparing our students for college, the pro- fessional world and beyond through a com- bination of rigorous academic curriculum, comprehensive life-skills courses, and wide- ranging enrichment opportunities. I am proud that our school offers an all-encom- passing education that engages all facets of student development.
Kim Hendricks: I was really proud of the
relationships at my school. My staff believes we are in this together – we sail together or we sink together. Student achievement is another source of pride, not just for ac- countability, but because my students will go on to middle school and we need them to maintain proficiency. We are closing the achievement gap between the significant subgroups. We have received the Title I aca-
names for a raffle and award students prizes for various things such as wearing spirit wear, doing a great job lining up at the as- sembly, being good citizens, or mastering grade-level concepts. I also use the morning assembly as an opportunity to speak with the children about what I expect of them each day. This very public forum is an excellent
opportunity for me to be a visible leader, as parents know that they can find me every morning welcoming them and their chil- dren to school. We have gotten so efficient with our ritual that students and teachers are dismissed to class within three to five min- utes of the start bell. The morning assembly ritual also has many other benefits for stu- dents and staff. It is now a tradition that we cannot imagine living without, one that has drawn positive comments from parents and other visitors to our school campus. n
Minerva Gandara is principal of Valadez Middle School Academy, Placentia-Yorba Linda USD.
Kim Hendricks, former principal of Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary, is now principal of Sun- nymeadows Elementary School, Moreno Valley
USD. Teresa López Alonzo is principal of César E. Chávez Elementary School, Montebello USD.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40