Keeping the focus on our commitment to high student achievement

Feb. 23, 2004

Dear West Contra Costa Unified School District community members:

I'm sure all of you are as deeply concerned as I am about the fiscal crisis facing California, and the impact it will have on the programs and services we will be able to offer our students. Even in the face of such challenges, we remain committed to continuing to make the deep changes necessary to ensure that all our students succeed. At the same time we work to improve our financial situation, we press forward to build on the gains we've made in student achievement.

We continue to put the greatest emphasis on literacy because we know students must be competent readers and writers to succeed in any field. We have worked to get textbooks to our students that are based on the state standards, to train our teachers on the latest techniques and research, and to regularly assess student learning to guide our teaching and ensure we are reaching all children.

We are also strengthening our focus in other areas such as mathematics. Starting in 2006, our students will need to demonstrate proficiency in both language arts and math on a state-mandated test in order to graduate from high school.

We remain committed to talking and learning about the impact that institutionalized racism has had on education. We must close the achievement gap and ensure all children, regardless of race or culture, excel. With the support of outside experts, our principals meet monthly to learn about the best classroom practices to use with students who have traditionally been underserved by schools.

Our efforts are paying off. We're seeing improvements in the performance of our students on state and district measures. But we need to continue to build on these gains. How do we continue to move forward in the face of today's challenges?

We do it because the needs of our children demand it, and the way we do it is by making the most of our resources and building on our strengths.

To the families of our students, we need you to continue the hard work you do every day with your children, sharing with them the importance of education, making sure they have a place to study, and getting them to school on time. Reading to students for at least 20 minutes every day can make a significant impact on student achievement.

Thank you to those of you who are able to do even more, such as volunteering in a classroom or serving on a school site council or other committee. We have many instances of parents, community members and employees in our district working together to support our children's learning. We need to encourage schools with particularly effective parent and community outreach programs to share what they've learned with other schools.

I am excited about the gains we have made in this district and the initiatives we have begun, and look forward to continuing to work with you to strengthen our community through education.

Sincerely,

Gloria L. Johnston, Superintendent of Schools