A Message from the Board President
Welcome to the new 2001-2002 academic year! It is gratifying to greet colleagues and
old friends as we face another school year with excitement and enthusiasm.
Before we begin to consider what lies ahead, I would like to briefly glance backwards
and recognize the contributions of those district employees who recently retired and
extend a personal invitation to join one of TUSD's ongoing volunteer efforts on behalf of
our students.
Volunteers such as Habitat for Humanity's Steve Meyers (see article on this page), who
offers extraordinary service to the district above and beyond expectations, play an
invaluable role in our schools. It is an important part of an optimistic and healthy
environment to recognize and applaud noteworthy people on a regular basis.
To that end, I encourage each of you to drop me a note whenever you hear about a member
of our community including our students who deserves special recognition.
One student worthy of praise this year is Joshua Lederman, a junior at University High
School who has stepped into the role of Student Advisory Council (SAC) Student Liaison to
the Governing Board. Josh was so anxious to assume his new responsibilities that he
attended the August Board meeting before the first day of school! We welcome his
participation and look forward to the contributions he will make as this year's SAC
leader.
I also want to shine the spotlight on the many dedicated employees within the district
who write grants to fund special programs for the benefit of TUSD students.
In this issue of the Board Report, I am happy to highlight several new grant proposals
that have been approved for submission (see article on page 2). As budget restrictions
continue to present funding challenges to the district, it becomes increasingly important
to develop external resources and engage in collaborative efforts with others.
Such efforts have resulted in development and strengthening of intergovernmental
agreements that extend our resources and create new opportunities (for example, see
article, page 2).
We hope that TUSD's involvement in the community will encourage increased community
involvement in our schools. Strong parental participation and Shared Decision Making have
been identified by Dr. Stan Paz with encouragement from the Governing Board as critical
aspects of the BOLD! Game for 2001-2002.
I am pleased that we are able to kick off this new year having successfully negotiated
contracts for all our employee groups. As new challenges and opportunities present
themselves, I encourage all members of our educational community to attend and participate
in Board meetings throughout the year.
I look forward to celebrating our achievements and encouraging ongoing efforts in
support of our students' success.
Carolyn Kemmeries
Board Report
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