Friday, August 6, 2010

COMMUNICATION!! A summer newsletter from MDUSD

Mt. Diablo USD News Update

Where Kids Come First

As the summer months turn toward a new school year, we are pleased to share with you the accomplishments that have been achieved in the Mt. Diablo USD. During the past couple of months, we have been quite busy working to further strengthen educational programs for all students in the District.


Shared Vision/Common Goals

To begin, we are initiating an effort to improve District communication with our parent community. Twice monthly we will publish an e-newsletter to provide updates on District and school activities and events. Additionally, Board of Education and other District meetings’ agenda items will be shared. The e-newsletter will also be posted on our web page, and a hard copy will be available at all school sites.


Summer Highlights

A new Student Achievement and School Support Department has been created. The restructuring of the former Curriculum and Instruction Department allowed us to bring in several of our successful elementary and secondary principals, who will be responsible for working directly with and supporting our school sites. This restructuring both maximizes talent and generated over $50,000 in savings.


This new administrative team will bring increased focus to student achievement, which is the District’s first and foremost goal.


Additionally, we have new principal assignments in place effective this fall. A list of newly appointed principals and their assignments is included at the end of this e-newsletter.


A Community’s Vote of Support for Its Public Schools

Building 21st Century Schools to Deliver 21st Century Education

Measure C

Once again, our community stepped up and offered its support for public education through the successful passage of a facilities bond campaign.


This is a tremendous compliment and vote of confidence in our District and the work being done by hundreds of dedicated education professionals and support personnel.


We offer the sincerest thanks to the Community United for Excellent Schools’ (CUES) committee members and numerous parent and community volunteers who helped to pass Measure C with more than a 61 percent approval. We are gratified and humbled by the support the community has shown in us to provide facilities and technology upgrades, efficient green technology, and general fund relief.


At this Tuesday’s meeting, the Board will consider the following items related to Measure C. You are encouraged to attend this meeting and future Board meetings to stay informed on District progress:


  • Committee meets quarterly
  • All meetings are posted in advance. Public participation is encouraged

  • Authorizing the Issuance and Sale of $110 million in General Obligation Bonds

  • Use Tier 3 flexibility as allowed by legislation to utilize the Deferred Maintenance Savings account to reinstate 24.5 laid off Resource Specialist teachers

Building upon the success of the 2002 Measure C Program, the District will maintain and expand the collaboration and communication strategies used in the 2002 program for implementation in the 2010 Measure C Facilities Improvement Program.


Hearing from School Communities

A Program Management Plan (PMP) will be created based on meetings with individual school site leaders, including parents. This plan will be reviewed with the Bond Oversight Committee and presented to the Board of Education for review and approval.


As was the case with the 2002 Measure C Program, we will also work with the sites to schedule bilingual presentations in the evenings to involve parents and community.


Facilities that Enhance Excellent Education

The 2010 Measure C Facilities Improvement Program will allow the District to complete and enhance the improvements implemented through the 2002 initiative including:

  • Technology improvements
  • Continued installation of heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems in all schools to ensure comfort and equity
  • Replace old portable buildings and upgrade classrooms to provide students and staff with new, safe and comfortable state of the art classrooms
  • The installation of solar facilities

Shedding the Light on Solar

The installation of solar facilities will provide millions of dollars of funding for students and student programs that are presently being spent on electricity bills.

Three keys to a successful solar installation goal:

  1. To build a long term quality system with a 20 year guarantee on the production rate.
  2. To select a reliable company, that will be in business in 20 years, and knows how to work with schools while in session to quickly erect solar shade structures to generate electricity and save money.
  3. To negotiate a competitive financial contract given the first two goals.

To review the solar project Request For Proposals (RFP) go to: http://www.mdusd.org/NewsRoom/Pages/PhotovoltaicInstallRFP.aspx .

We are excited to embark on a new school year. Translating our vision for excellent education and state of the art facilities into action is both invigorating and encouraging. On behalf of the entire District and the 34,000 students we serve, we look forward to working closely with you to make the vision of excellence for MDUSD a reality. If you have questions about any of the previous information, please reply to this email.


Principal Appointments

Dedicated to Excellence

Elementary Schools /Principal Name

Ayers: Spoogmai Habibi

Bel Air: Nancy Klinkner

Delta View: Nancy Baum

Hidden Valley: Sandy Bruketta

Highlands: Vickie Eversole

Monte Gardens: Susan Peters

Mt. Diablo: Irene Keenan

Shore Acres: Elizabeth Block

Silverwood: Nancy Villa

Valle Verde: Rhys Miller

Wren Avenue : Cynthia Goin


Middle School/ Principal Name

Glenbrook: April Bush

Riverview : Christine Huajardo

Sequoia: Connie Cirimeli

Valley View TBA


High Schools/ Principal Name

Mt. Diablo: Kate McClatchy

Olympic: Cheryl LeBeouf

Ygnacio: Valley Bill Morones


(Great news so far! I hope they continue this. Sorry for the formatting here, this newsletter was really not pretty on email and I did the best I could with a cut and paste. I don't see it on the www.mdusd.org site yet or I would have linked you, but check back...)

6 comments:

  1. I received this twice, once because I attend the PAC meetings and the second Email showed my students name and then our Email.

    If it was not received, maybe your school site has not updated their Emails?

    This is great news regarding the twice a month updates and that it will be on the MDUSD web site.

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  2. This is more like it MDUSD. Why the F could they not have done this for the last year? I suspect it would have headed off many of the naysayers.

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  3. Hey, better late than never... At least it is a step in the right direction.

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  4. Ok, I agree, a small step in the right direction. But what does it really say ? Under "Shared Vision/Common Goals" I am sorry but I have yet to see vision. And the only common goal is a bi-monthly publication. Please take a look at the seattleschools.org site to see Vision and a real Strategic Plan.
    I am thinking the Star test results are not so pretty. I think they will cry out for a Real Strategic Plan, instead of just a principal shuffle.
    Doctor J

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  5. OMG Doctor J! Why don't you run for school board and show us all how to do it right?!

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  6. Dr. J is a coward and he can't run for the Board because he is an employee of the district. You can't be an employee and be on the Board. No, Dr. J will just continue to yell and scream to hear himself. The empty can rattles the most.

    ReplyDelete