Focus on TUSD - April/May 2008

Superintendent's Column
Call to Action: Influencing legislative decisions would help TUSD achieve more
TUSD must stay focused on the changes and challenges coming our way.

This monthly publication, Focus, is intended to illuminate issues, events, people and places in Tucson Unified School District. This month I suggest that our focus extend, expand and become District-wide foci because there are several areas involving the future of this District that need everyone's attention.

First, we should focus on aiding the informed transition of our new superintendent, Dr. Elizabeth Celania-Fagen, who is scheduled to start on July 1. She brings fresh eyes and new approaches to TUSD that hold promise for positive changes. As she has said, she cannot bring those changes about alone. She will need input and involvement from all corners of the TUSD community.

Second, we need to collectively focus on the challenges that face this District next year. Arizona is struggling with a state budget that shows a $2 billion deficit for school year 2008-09. Clearly, that means it is a dangerous time for educational funding, and Arizona's funding per student is already one of the lowest in the nation. We need to focus on defeating legislation or budget agreements that would:

1. reduce our soft capital from today's $225 per student to a suggested $125 per student For TUSD that represents a $5 million cut in the budget for textbooks, student computers, software and other instructional materials;
2. allow the Department of Education to withhold funding from any district that does not adhere to state laws or administrative rulings;
3. require our English language learner students to be segregated from the regular classroom for four hours per day for language development;
4. eliminate funding for all-day kindergarten. This one is unlikely to pass the Governor without a veto but its passage could cause real problems.
5. hamper our efforts to either introduce new programs to our students or even to maintain those that already exist.

Finally, while we celebrate our successes this year, and there are many to celebrate, we must intensify our foci on the many political and economic challenges that confront us and act on behalf of supporting public education and the bright future we all want for Tucson.

Call, write or e-mail your state legislators. We will be holding a meeting within the next two weeks for parents and community members interested in finding out more about these and other issues that you can get involved in by staying FOCUSED.

--Roger F. Pfeuffer
Superintendent

Photos in the April issue by Jes Ruvalcaba of Communications & Media Relations, unless otherwise noted.

The deadline to submit material for the May Focus is Friday, May 16. The Focus will be published Tuesday, May 27. Email submissions to Chyrl Hill Lander or Sharon Dunham in the Communications & Media Relations Department or use the online Tip Sheet.