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October 2005
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I
hope that by now you have heard the good news. On September
20th, the Board affirmed our support for the leadership that
our Superintendent, Roger Pfeuffer, has provided to TUSD by
extending his contract through June 30, 2008. Roger's strong,
varied experience in K-12 education, his collaborative and
inclusive approach to problem-solving and his enthusiasm for
student success will no doubt serve the students, parents,
and staff of TUSD well.
With the decision on our superintendent successfully resolved,
the Board has begun to focus in earnest on developing and
then implementing a strategic plan for the district. Statements
on the district's Mission, Vision, Strategic Priorities and
Values have been adopted by the Board. (See Policy
Code A). Our statement of mission expresses the purpose
for our organization's existence, and our vision describes
the ideals that we will strive to achieve.
Our mission is clear. "The mission of the Tucson Unified
School District, in partnership with parents and the greater
community, is to assure each pre-K through 12th grade student
receives an engaging, rigorous and comprehensive education."
It is our vision that "Tucson Unified School District is a
professional learning community that ensures every student
learns, exceeds all expected performance standards, graduates,
and is able to compete and succeed in a global economy." These
statements are at the heart of what TUSD must set out to accomplish.
If our mission and vision statements are to be more than
mere words on paper, it is vitally important to include all
TUSD stakeholders in the planning process. For only with everyone's
support can we hope to realize our goals. Knowing this, the
Governing Board recently met in a public, retreat-style format
with district staff to gain more information about the foundation
that has already been laid, to discuss the Focus Group process
that will ensure input from students, parents, employees,
and community members, and to identify the next steps necessary
to completing our Strategic Plan. At this preliminary stage,
no decisions have been made but many ideas were discussed.
Priority items for potential inclusion in the final plan included
class-size reduction, recruiting and retaining excellent staff,
strategies relating to the district achieving unitary status,
more effective support of school sites and special programs,
expansion of the availability and affordability of after-school
programs, creative alternatives to suspension programs, expansion
of fine arts and career and technical education programs,
broader and more effective communication strategies, and a
creative re-thinking of the district's approach to the entire
budget process--and these are just a few of the possibilities!
We are planning to begin the community input process in October
to take stock of our current situation, compile the information
during mid-November to mid-December, and then have another
public Governing Board study session in January to discuss
the results of the community's input. It is anticipated that
from that point the Governing Board and TUSD staff will develop
a district-wide plan, following which school sites and departments
will develop site and department plans. All of these elements
will then become part of the budget and strategic planning
process for the 2006-07 school year and beyond.
At the heart of what we are setting out to accomplish is
the fulfillment of a dream: to provide a welcoming and yet
challenging learning environment in which all our students
graduate with the tools and knowledge they need to succeed
in life. To accomplish our goals we will all need to be open
to dramatic modifications to our district's current structure
and organization, teaching strategies and classroom support
systems. Looking toward the future there is much to do, but
in the end much more to be gained. We are now on our way to
developing a TUSD Strategic Plan that will address strategies
for academic success for every student and provide a business
plan that will take the district into a better future. The
Board welcomes you to dream along with us.
-- Bruce Burke, Board
President
Instead
of a themed article this month I am going to attempt to answer
three of the most frequently asked questions (FAQ's) I have
heard recently. They involve student achievement, unitary
status, and strategic planning:
- How is the District (and/or my child's school) doing regarding
student achievement?
Last year, TUSD made achievement gains in all three subject
areas (Reading, Writing and Math) of the Arizona Instrument
to Measure Standards (AIMS) in grades 5, 8 and high school.
The District also made gains in reading and math at the 3rd
grade level. However, mirroring a statewide dip, the District
experienced a drop in 3rd grade writing scores. While we are
pleased with the overall positive direction of our test scores,
we are committed to further improvements this year and are
placing extra emphasis on improving 3rd grade writing achievement.
- What is unitary status, and how will it impact TUSD (and/or
my child's school)?
Unitary status is a legal term and actually a legal status
of a school district that has, according to a federal court,
achieved to the extent practicable the court's requirements
in the form of an order. In TUSD's case it was in the form
of a stipulation of settlement*. Our agreement required TUSD
to overcome the vestiges of segregation based on state laws
and District practices. TUSD feels it has done so.
A common misperception is that when TUSD is declared unitary,
the desegregation (deseg) funding will go away, wiping out
those many school-based programs such as magnet schools, additional
teachers for lower class sizes, and many enrichment programs.
People are also concerned about the elimination of central
support programs such as ethnic studies, transportation for
transfers and maintaining small schools. This concern is unfounded.
Deseg funding for TUSD and other school districts is determined
by Arizona State Law, specifically ARS 15-910. This law states
that deseg funding following unitary status can be continued
in order to maintain those programs that allowed the District
to achieve that unitary status.
We expect to maintain those programs and hope to achieve
unitary status in the near future.
*An agreement reached among the parties that is approved
by the federal judge.
- What is strategic planning? Why are you doing it? When
will it begin?
Strategic planning in TUSD is our future-based planning for
our students, schools, programs, and resources or budgets.
Staff has been involved in putting together the draft of a
planning process for several months. On September 28, the
Board studied the process. We presented the process to project
TUSD's future assets, program and financial needs for the
next 5 years. Annual reviews will be conducted. Beginning
the middle of October, the District will hold focus groups
involving our major stakeholders. The Governing Board will
then hold a January 2006 study session to analyze and use
the results of this process to finalize District strategic
goals. Then schools and departments can align their goals
and budgets so the momentum of the organization is pushing
and pulling in the same direction.
--Roger Pfeuffer, Superintendent
A
dozen who fled hurricane enroll in Tucson schools - Article
from the Tucson Citizen 9/8/05
Habitat
for Humanity Tucson turns 25 - Article from the Tucson
Citizen 9/9/05
Teacher
wants to give back - Article from the Arizona Daily Star
9/11/05
TUSD
sees dropout rates fall noticeably - Article from the
Arizona Daily Star 9/12/05
Sahuaro
girls earn golf win - Article from the Tucson Citizen
9/14/05
Tucson
High Class of '58 Reunion planned - Article from the Arizona
Daily Star 9/14/05
77
are Merit Scholar semifinalists - Article from the Tucson
Citizen 9/17/05
Adminstrators'
hands full in heading up two schools - Article from the
Arizona Daily Star 9/20/05
All
over but those 'yes' votes - Article from the Arizona
Daily Star 9/20/05
Our
opinion: Our brightest - Article from the Tucson Citizen
9/22/05
Boy
inventor wins $10,000 - Article from the Arizona Daily
Star 9/22/05
Our
opinion: Winning schools - Article from the Tucson Citizen
9/29/05
Blue
Ribbons for two local schools - Article from the Tucson
Citizen 9/27/05
TUSD
strategy is meeting topic - Article from the Tucson Citizen
9/27/05
UHS
admission deadline - Article from the Tucson Citizen 9/26/05
Students
create safe path to school - Article from the Tucson Citizen
10/4/05
TUSD
schools get math systems - Article from the Tucson Citizen
10/6/05
Grant
to equip 4 schools with math programs - Article from the
Arizona Daily Star 10/7/05
*********************UPCOMING TUSD
TV EVENT**********************
Stay tuned to TUSD-TV this month when former news anchorwoman
Patty Weiss will interview Superintendent Roger Pfeuffer about
tax credit donations for "TUSD Conversations." This
show will cover a variety of innovative educational programs
that are impacting TUSD students and schools. "TUSD Conversations"
is expected to air quarterly and will cover such topics as
Magnet school programs, tutoring, etc. The first show will
air on Thursday, Oct. 27 at 7:00 p.m. and be repeated on Sunday,
Oct. 30 at 8:00 p.m. TUSD-TV is on Channel 20 on Cox Communications
and Channel 71 on Comcast.
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ArtWorks Academy senior Brandon Kosters
won an essay contest sponsored by the Arizona Friends of Tibet.
Brandon read his essay at a 500 person luncheon on Sept. 21
and also read his essay at the Governing Board meeting on
Sept. 20. Brandon is a great example of a student achieving
excellence because of opportunities provided by TUSD. His
essay can be found at the Fine Arts website:
Brandon's Essay - in Word | Brandon's
Essay - in Adobe PDF
Rincon High students celebrated Constitution
Day by collecting hygiene items to donate to soldiers in Iraq.
The Student Counsel collected 13 boxes of items and sent them
priority mail to a hospital in Iraq where our service men
and women are recuperating. Each box included a note stating
"We appreciate all you do for your country, from your
friends at Rincon High School, Tucson Arizona."
Students in Don Robertson's English class
at Pueblo High received an appreciation letter
from Oprah Winfrey for nominating her portrait for a U.S.
coin. Students Anais Lopez, Marcella LaMadrid, Bobby
Lopez, Dominic Vatthauer, and Mario Yribe
nominated Ms. Winfrey along with other notable Americans
such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Cesar Chavez as a part
of a persuasive essay project.
On September 16, Tully 4th and 5th graders
had a Flag Raising Assembly with student drill team, and student
readings on the Bill of Rights in honor of Constitution Day.
Fifth grade students have worked for over 2 years on a quilt
that represents a student synopsis of the history and the
privilege of democracy. Students presented the quilt to Principal
Roman Soltero in honor of the Katrina victims.
Tucson's Conquistadores recognized TUSD's
Interscholastics Department on Friday, Sept. 9. with
a check for $15,000 to assist with high school student participation
fees. The presentation was made during half time at the Sahuaro/Sabino
football game. Governing Board President Bruce Burke,
Board member Joel Ireland, TUSD's Sheila Baize, Abel
Ramirez, and David Overstreet along with Conquistador
members attended.
Lyons teacher Margaret Durako was selected
one of the 2005 Arizona Reading Association's Celebrate Literacy
winners. She was honored at the Arizona Reading Association's
Conference on Saturday, Sept. 24 at Grand Canyon University
in Phoenix. Ms Durako was nominated for this honor by the
Tucson Area Reading Council.
University High School was one of about
300 schools nationwide selected to receive a prestigious Blue
Ribbon Award from the U.S. Department of Education. Given
through the No
Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools Program, the award
honors public and private schools that are either academically
superior in their states or that demonstrate dramatic gains
in student achievement.
Wright and Myers Ganoung
recently received a Math Achievement Club by Rodel Foundation
or MacRo grant to help improve mathematics achievement. The
grant will provide students and their parents a set of workbooks
giving students extra practice around standards as well as
getting parents involved. Superintendent Roger Pfeuffer
kicked off the implementation of this grant at both schools
by dressing as MacRo man Albert Einstein. Did you guess the
masked man's identity from the picture above?
Wakefield, Naylor, and Ochoa were each awarded
a 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant worth about
a half million dollars to raise reading and math scores. The
five-year grant will fund after-school programs such as ethnic
and dance club activities, tutoring, and adult classes.
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TUSD'S HURRICANE RELIEF EFFORTS
TUSD stepped up its support the hurricane relief
effort. Listed below are just some of the many TUSD schools
and their communities that reached out to the victims of Hurricane
Katrina in their time of need.
TUSD buses collected donations at all school
sites and various church sites throughout the city. The buses
delivered these donations to the TCC and other designated
donation sites. A total of four buses were "stuffed" with
donated items for the relief effort.
Pistor was the first school listed as a
drop off point for World Care donations and collected approximately
$2,500 in cash and three trailer loads of donations such as,
can food, hygiene items and clothing, donated to World Care
for the victims of hurricane Katrina.
Van Buskirk fifth-grade students sponsored
a Candy-Gram sale and donated 100% of the monies raised to
the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Staff members donated the
candy for the sale. A total of $260 was raised.
Menlo Park school personnel donated 25 cents
for each student who attended school every day from Sept.
6 through Sept. 9. A whopping total of over $500 was raised
by Menlo Park's students and staff. Way to Go!
Sahuaro students, parents and staff collected
over $2,200 for the Hurricane Relief effort. A local parent
owned business is matching the total dollars collected, which
will double the school's donation. The school also donated
to a Sahuaro graduate who evacuated from Biloxi with her twin
daughters and helped her obtain housing for her family.
Gridley students, staff and community will
present a check for $7,106.50 to the American Red Cross to
assist Hurricane Katrina victims at 2:40 p.m. on Tuesday,
Oct. 18 in front of the school. Calling themselves the "Hurricane
Helpers, a sixth-grade exploratory art class that focuses
on first aid and emergency preparedness decided put on a car
wash and bake sale for the hurricane relief effort and raised
an $2,300 in four hours. Approximately $3,000 was donated
by a student's parent employer.
Mansfeld students and staff raised over
$2,700 in the relief effort. Great job everyone!
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The Board appointed retired TUSD Administrator Betty
Ann Warfield to an Assistant Principal position at
Wright Elementary School.
They also appointed retired TUSD Administrator Joseph
Hines as Assistant Principal at Tucson High.
Superintendent Roger Pfeuffer acknowledged
staff and volunteers who spent the Labor Day holiday weekend
developing plans to accommodate students who were expected
to arrive with the 1,000 Hurricane Katrina evacuees at the
TCC. About 80 evacuees arrived and information on approximately
four potential students was collected.
Bruce Burke and Joel Ireland
accepted a check for $15,000 from the Tucson Conquistadores
for the Education Enrichment Foundation's Interscholastics
Scholarship Fund. Funds will be used to aid high school students
in paying participation fees for extracurricular activities
in TUSD.
Ray Chavez and Augustine Romero
presented Raza Studies student achievement data which revealed
significant progress in both academic studies and motivation
to learn.
The Transportation Department received funding
for one year to participate in the Arizona Department of Health
Services' Tobacco Education and Prevention School Bus Public
Service Announcement Program. The Board also approved a policy
to allow age appropriate and non-discriminatory positive message
advertising on school buses, Policy Code EEAFB (available
in MS Word | available
in Adobe PDF) and EEAFB-R (available
in MS Word | available
in Adobe PDF). Ad content will be reviewed in advance
by the Board and other parties, and the policy will be reviewed
after one year. Revenue will be used to purchase new buses
and modify existing buses to make them environmentally cleaner.
The Board approved extending Roger Pfeuffer's
contract as Superintendent for two years beyond the current
term, now set to expire in June 2008.
Policies approved included the final portion of the District
Mission, Vision, Strategic Priorities and Values.
A study session on strategic planning was held on September
28th.
At the Oct. 5 Board meeting retired TUSD administrators
Mary Jo Bart and Pat Vold were appointed
co-assistant principals at Magee. Former
Research Project Manager Lead Lisa Long was
named Assistant Director of Curriculum and Technology Integration.
The Board approved the remaining employee
group agreements.
The 2006/2007 school year calendar was approved
and will be on the TUSD website in the near future.
National Chemistry Week: The Chemistry Department
of Pima Community College and The Southern Arizona Section
of the American Chemical Society are presenting a program
called "Chemistry in the Toy Store" to mark National Chemistry
Week 2005. The program is being held from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
on Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Proscenium Theatre on the West
Campus of PCC. This program is open to the public and admission
is free. There will be free refreshments and free parking.
Families are encouraged to attend.
Calling All Soon-To-Be Retirees: The Pima
County Retired Teachers' Association is currently recruiting
retired educators to join their 400+ member organization.
PCRTA is a nonprofit organization that provides its members
with continued interaction in Arizona education through monthly
luncheons and newsletters. If you are soon-to-be retired,
or know someone who is, and would like further information
on the group please email Cookie Bowes at pcrta@comcast.net.
Attention Teachers Grades 1-5: The Nature
Conservancy offers educators a free 45-minute program appropriate
for grades one through five titled "Tucson: Our Home
in the Desert." The lesson covers Tucson's unique ecoregion,
how it is changing, and what we can do to preserve its beauty,
and includes a hands-on activity, slide show, and opportunities
for discussion. For more information, contact Dorothy Boone
at 547-3437.
Pre-Opening Celebration: Arizona State Museum
(ASM) will present a pre-opening Celebration titled
Masks of Mexico from 7-9 p.m on Friday, Oct. 21.
General admission is $5 and it is free to ASM members. For
more information go to www.statemuseum.arizona.edu
Fiesta De Las Artes featuring traditional
arts and crafts, music and folklorico dancing, will be presented
from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 22 and Sunday, Oct.
23. Admission is $3 for ASM members, $5 for the general public,
$1 for ages 13-16, and children under 12 are free. Zarco Guerrero
will perform his Face 2 Face performance art piece and sell
his masks and sculptures. Borderlands Theater will perform
a special masked drama. For more information, go to www.statemuseum.arizona.edu
Wild West Round-up: In honor of "National
Bosses" Week Tucson Educational Office Professionals (TEOP)
will present their annual dinner and silent auction for TUSD
Student Scholarships at the Holiday Inn Palo Verde at 5:30
p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 18. Donation for this event will be
$21 per person for TEOP members and guest(s) and $25 per person
for non-members and guest(s). For more information contact
Gail Hall, Employee Relations at 225-6038.
Shop Til You Drop: Tucson Educational Office
Professionals is sponsoring a shopping outing at IKEA and
AZ Mills Outlet Mall on Saturday, Nov. 19 at a cost of $20
per person. Bus leaves TUSD at 8:00 a.m. Reservation deadline
is Friday, November 4th! For more information contact Gail
Hall, Employee Relations at 225-6038.
Search for Nation's Top Youth Volunteers:
The Prudential Spirit of Community awards program, sponsored
by Prudential Financial and the National Association of Secondary
School Principals, is launching its 11th annual search for
young people, grades 5 through 12, who have shown outstanding
community service over the last year. Students must submit
completed applications to their principals by October 31.
For more information visit www.prudential.com/spirit.
Pueblo and University: Pueblo student Darryl
A. Davis-Rosas and University students Javi
J. Battle and Alexandra M. Miller
are semifinalists in the 2006 National Achievement Scholarship
program. The National Achievement Program was started in 1964
to honor academically able black youth through the nation
and provide scholarships to a large number of participants.
For more information contact Elaine Detweiler or Gloria Davis
of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation at 847-866-5100.
Photography Contest: Deadline for submission
is Friday, Oct. 28. Winning students of the 2005 Jack Peterson
Student Photography Contest will get the chance to attend
a mini-photography workshop offered by the Photography and
Photo Editor of the Arizona Highway Magazine. Winners will
also get a tour of the magazine production. Photos will be
judged in two categories; black & white and color. For
more information or entry forms, go to www.azsba.org
Zazzle Someone: The Tucson community is
invited to participate in the "1Z" event to be held
at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 19. Organized by the Beth Walkup
Change for Children Committee, this voluntary event aims to
have every child and adult in Tucson pause and think a positive
thought, or "Zazzle." For more information, please
visit: www.1zmoment.org
Free Screening: The Media Literacy Project
is offering teachers free private screenings of "Balzac
and the Little Chinese Seamstress" at 10 a.m. on Oct.
17 through Oct. 21. The Loft Theatre is located at 3233 E.
Speedway Boulevard. Contact Kathleen at mlp@loftaz.com
for reservations.
"Council Conversation" rescheduling: The
School Council Study Committee has rescheduled its Oct. 19
Council Conversation to Tuesday, Nov. 1 in the library and
classrooms at Mansfeld Middle School. For more information
go to: http://www.tusd.k12.az.us/contents/disinfo/councilpol.asp
Conference for Young Women: The League of
Women Voters, American Association of University Women, Las
Adelitas and the Pima County/Tucson Women's Commission will
be sponsoring a nonpartisan conference for young women called
"Running and Winning" on Nov. 7 at Catalina High
Magnet School, 3645 E. Pima. Students will learn about the
challenges and rewards of holding public office. The press
will also be invited to attend.
Free "Car Care Check-Up": Pima
County's Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Clean Air
Program and the Automotive Service Association are sponsoring
a free "Car Care Check-Up" from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m
on Saturday, Oct. 22 at PCC's Downtown Campus at the Auto
Technology West lot off of Speedway. In addition, there will
be a household hazardous waste collection on site. Free information
and prizes will be available to participants. For more information
contact DEQ at 740-3947.
Showcase Under the Stars: All five Utterback
sixth- and eighth-grade bands will be performing
at the Fall Showcase Under the Stars 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct.
20 on the outdoor stage located on the NW side of Utterback
Magnet Middle School, 3233 S. Pinal Vista. Admission is free.
Don't forget your lawn chair or blanket.
Be My Ghost: Utterback's
seventh- and eighth-grade Lab-Drama students, under the direction
of drama teacher Nancy Anaya, will present
two plays titled "Be My Ghost" and "Phantom
of the P-Lab" at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 27 in the
Performance Lab at Utterback Magnet Middle School, 3233 S.
Pinal Vista.
Tucson Unified School District
1010 East 10th Street, Tucson, Arizona, 85719
Governing Board
Bruce Burke, President; Adelita Grijalva, Clerk;
Joel T. Ireland; Judy Burns; Alex Rodriguez
Superintendent
Roger F. Pfeuffer
Interim Director of Public Relations
Estella Zavala
Temporary Communications Specialist/Writer
Kim Jacobs
Tucson Unified School District does not discriminate
on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual
orientation, age, religion or disability in admission or access
to, or treatment or employment, in its educational programs
or activities.
For more information contact: