Supts eNews - Nov. 4, 2022

 

In this edition ...

  • MVWSD test scores are not immune to pandemic’s effects
  • District officially breaks ground on staff housing
  • Board Meeting Review: Enrollment, safety audit and one-time staff payment
  • Monta Loma teacher honored among County Teachers of the Year
  • No more Twitter: #UnitedAgainstHate
 
MVWSD test scores are not immune to pandemic’s effects

state testing infpState tests show a few bright spots for MVWSD students, but also areas of concern for groups of students hardest hit by the pandemic. MVWSD’s scores from the May administration of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) show overall declines, as is the state and national trend, since students last took the test in 2019.

While CAASPP tests are an important data point, comparing results to 2019 is difficult for several reasons. Time spent in distance learning, families worried about loss of income, social-emotional skills of younger students who missed traditional school experience, the two-year gap between state tests and the changes in the 2022 test format are all factors in test performance. MVWSD continues to assess students three times a year with i-Ready, in addition to other data points.

Overall, MVWSD students had a 5 point decline in scores, but continue to outperform the county and state average for both English Language Arts and Math. Overall, 66% of students are on or above grade level in English Language Arts. Overall, 59% of students are on or above grade level in Math. Students with Disabilities continue to demonstrate growth and outperformed the County, however, English Language Learners show a decline from 2019.

MVWSD is already hard at work focusing on the strategies that brought success in 2019, such as Response to Instruction to help students with their individual needs, targeted language support for English Learners, and professional development for teachers. The District is developing its MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Support) that will further help schools use data to inform instructional decisions for the benefit of individual learners. The district is currently implementing its social-emotional learning strategies to help students feel and do better in the classroom. MVWSD is supporting Castro Elementary with two instructional coaches instead of one, Instructional Assistants in grades K-2 and additional SCEF and At-Risk staff to support families.

You may view your student’s CAASPP report in the PowerSchool Parent Portal under “Score Reports” on the left hand column. To see more specifics about MVWSD CAASPP scores, please see the data report here. 

 

District officially breaks ground on staff housing

groundbreaking picsYesterday, the District officially celebrated the start of construction on the city's first affordable housing development created specifically for teachers and school staff members. When it opens in 2024, almost all teachers and school staff members (based on one-person household income) will qualify for one of the facility's 123 units.

groundbreaking video thumb

Click here for a video of what the housing will look like from the celebration with partners real estate developer Miramar and the City of Mountain View.

 

Board Meeting Review: Enrollment, safety audit and one-time staff payment

The Board of Trustees met last night and discussed several topics:

Enrollment: Likely a residual effect of the pandemic, enrollment has continued to decline in most non-choice elementary schools, with the exception of Vargas and Theuerkauf, which has seen an increase due to the expansion of transitional kindergarten. Middle School enrollment increased this year. MVWSD has seen an increase in McKinney Vento (unhoused) families. For the summary, please click here.

Safety: Staff returned to report the progress on safety initiatives this year. In addition to its ongoing programs, MVWSD has called a Safety Advisory Task Force with parents and staff representatives. The group will work with security consultant, Joffe Emergency Services, on a safety audit to seek areas of improvement. Look for Joffe to be on campuses starting in January to review safety procedures and talk with parent groups, teachers, students, and staff. For details, please see the presentation.

One-time staff payment: MVWSD deeply values our teachers and staff members and has worked extremely hard over the past eight years to improve its working conditions; specifically compensation and benefits. Our conservative approach has created the strong financial position MVWSD is in now. As an organization, and as a community, we want to continue to be a destination point for parents, students and employees. MVWSD continues to adjust to the impact of the pandemic, and now inflation. To help address the impact of inflation, MVWSD’s Board of Trustees authorized a one-time payment for employees in excess of what was negotiated for 2022-2023. Before the holidays, all employees will get a one-time, off schedule payment of three percent (3%) of their current salary. We hope that this small gesture will go a long way in helping our staff, and ultimately our students, by helping retain our high-quality teachers and staff.

 

Monta Loma teacher honored among County Teachers of the Year

Jessica RodriguezOur very own Jessica Rodriguez, teacher at Monta Loma, was honored last week as one of the 2022 County Teachers of the Year by the Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE). She is known for being a champion for all students, and strives to make her classroom inclusive and the curriculum accessible to all.

Ms. Rodriguez was also named Teacher of the Year for MVWSD in May. Ms. Rodriguez was honored at the 52nd annual Santa Clara County Teacher Recognition Celebration on October 24. 

No more Twitter: #UnitedAgainstHate

United Against Hate banner

Starting now, MVWSD will be suspending its use of Twitter indefinitely.

No More. #UnitedAgainstHate.

- Dr. Ayindé Rudolph, Superintendent 

As you know, MVWSD values diversity of race, thought and expression. As a community, and as an organization, we encourage and welcome civil discourse at all levels. However, our continued use of a platform that refuses to address hate speech is not only incongruent with our Districts values, but also violates the social mores of our wonderful community.

To be clear, I do appreciate Mr. Musk’s desire to promulgate a new Twitter that embraces our right to free speech. I do agree with his stated purpose of removing bots and turning Twitter into a platform that encourages positive change. Until that change comes, I cannot allow our organization to sit idly by while he tries to figure out how to decrease the precipitous rise of hate speech. Our use of this platform is tantamount to tacit acceptance and agreement with such vile and abhorrent language.

In the coming weeks our students, staff, and community partners will be participating in United Against Hate Week, which is a series of activities centered around educating our students to embrace, accept and appreciate the amazing diversity within our community. We strive to create inclusivity as opposed to spawning divisiveness. It is our goal to not only teach our students the importance of diversity, but also to model it in our actions. 

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