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District presents state‑of‑district report: instructional pilots, staffing gains and a new Verizon partnership
Summary
Superintendent Alderman presented the quarter‑4 state‑of‑the‑district report, highlighting a district pilot for instructional rounds, improved recruitment results, a technology procurement 'carousel' and a new partnership with Verizon Innovative Learning Schools; the board also discussed summer programs and special‑education curriculum recommendations.
Superintendent Dr. Alderman presented the district’s quarter‑four state‑of‑the‑district report, saying the presentation would cover academics, human resources, technology, student services and community engagement.
The report highlighted a pilot "instructional rounds" program in which site leadership teams from Gavlin View, John Gutierrez, New Republic and Sanorita observed classrooms, collected evidence and developed pattern statements aimed at improving instruction. "Our purpose with instructional rounds is building a system where leaders and teachers work together to improve instruction and learning from each other," the superintendent said.
Why it matters: administrators said the pilot promoted shared problems‑of‑practice, vertical articulation and teacher collaboration and will inform a larger rollout next year. The Teacher Leader Academy pilot, intended to prepare grade‑level and subject leads to run PLCs and lead data conversations, ran alongside the rounds and will be refined based on participant feedback.
Human resources reported progress on recruiting: general‑education vacancies were nearly closed, special‑education hiring remains a priority (a projected need for 23 special‑education teachers with several hires in progress) and the district is recruiting additional psychologists and speech‑language pathologists. The presentation noted that 14 classified staff have completed a 10‑week professional interpreter program to support IEP meetings.
On technology, staff described a procurement and proof‑of‑concept process that included a hands‑on "technology carousel" for teachers and a QR‑code kiosk workflow to give substitute teachers on‑site access to lesson plans without creating permanent Google accounts. The district also announced it had joined Verizon Innovative Learning Schools; presenters said Verizon collects only de‑identified usage data and that parental permission will be required for publicity or photos.
Special education staff reviewed expanded participation in Special Olympics and plans for summer ESY services, and said a committee had vetted three tier‑3 literacy curriculum options for mild‑moderate programs. "We are in need of this tier‑three curriculum," the superintendent said; the committee will present recommendations to the curriculum council and a final curriculum adoption request is expected at the June board meeting.
The report closed with community engagement highlights: five town halls drew 976 participants and 33 community partners, and summer programming will operate at Santa Rita Elementary (elementary grades) and JGMS (middle school), focusing on ELA, math, STEM and arts. Presenters said about 400 students were registered for summer programs as of the meeting.
The board did not take formal action on the informational report; several trustees thanked staff for the breadth of programs and for improved recruiting and community engagement.
