It's fitting that this month we will take a day to commemorate the birthday of someone who gave his life in the pursuit of equality and opportunity for all, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

This holiday honors a man who faced down howling mobs and who eventually sacrificed his life to ensure that the American principles of equality and fairness, despite race, sex, color or creed applied to all. Thus, the observance of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday aptly supports our creed: All children can learn.

Today, as we work with an increasingly diverse student population, we must be vigilant to ensure that the principles of equality and fairness permeate our interactions with students.

We must hold high expectations of all students. Our commitment must be to providing a quality education and reducing the gap in achievement between minority and Anglo students.

Last year, the district implemented many initiatives to help faculty and administrators carry out this mission.

Workshops and conference were held focusing on diversity competence, effective monitoring, and the implementation of CORE Competencies and innovative exceptional education techniques.

Significant progress has been made by TUSD in reducing the dropout rate and increasing graduation rates for all of our students.

Improving student achievement will continue to be our priority and our focus this spring. As we work with students to prepare them for the Stanford 9, AIMS test and other assessments, let us acknowledge the strengths all children bring to school and teach them the academic skills necessary to be successful learners.

The increase from a $55 to $75-a-day will also affect retiring certificated personnel and teachers participating in TUSD's Certificated Attendance Pay Incentive Plan.