Feedback shapes high school work
November 2, 2009: Build strong programs at all of our high schools, but don’t let allow mediocrity in the name of equity. This was a key message I heard at community meetings in October about our high school redesign efforts. A summary of the meetings is now available.
The meetings gave us valuable guidance about our proposed system model.
In the coming weeks, we will hold meetings on each high school campus to gather more feedback. In December, I will announce next steps.
I hope the message is clear: Redesigning our high schools is a critical undertaking that stands to serve our community for generations by increasing graduation rates, inspiring and engaging all students, ensuring all schools are in high demand and eliminating the achievement gap. We need your involvement to do it right.
I’d also like to call out the news this week that none of our schools appeared on the latest No Child Left Behind safety watch list, and Alliance High Schools, which made the list last year, has been removed. Kudos to Alliance.
The safety watch list is intended to help identify and bring support to schools deemed unsafe by state-defined standards. You can learn more from the Oregon Department of Education’s news release.
Carole Smith
Superintendent
