Pasco School District: Maximizing student success
We are Pasco, Pasco Pride, Proud of Pasco… These are not just tag lines or T-shirt slogans. For us, it is a way of being that represents our collective commitment.
In Pasco, we are committed to breaking the cycle of circumstances that keep any of us from reaching our full potential. We are committed to changing the future and to making the world better for the generations that come after us. We live this commitment every day by learning and growing, and then teaching.
If I had to use one word to sum up these first months of serving as superintendent of the Pasco School District, it would be grateful. It is an honor and a privilege every day to work on behalf of Pasco’s students, families and community members. It is a joy to visit our schools to see our students engaged and learning thanks to our dedicated teachers and employees.
This is an exciting time in Pasco. Every classroom in the district has new language arts and math curriculum. Teams of educators and parents are working on the next phase of our curriculum adoption which will include new art, leadership, music, physical education, science, social studies, technology and world languages curriculum. We have come a long way in a short time and are grateful to the teams that have worked so hard to chart the course for the future of Pasco schools. This intensive curriculum initiative will literally retool the entire system by defining a foundation instructional experience for all Pasco students.
Last year, the board identified measureable outcomes for the district’s Strategic Improvement Plan. This year, in the first weeks of school, our board approved Results Policies, more commonly known as our Outrageous Outcomes. They are:
• 100 percent of students are engaged in extracurricular activities
• 100 percent of all 3rd graders will read on grade level in their language of instruction
• 100 percent of students will pass Algebra by the end of 9th grade
• 100 percent of 9th graders will end the school year on track for graduation
• 100 percent of students will graduate with a career path
Work is underway at every level to identify specific action steps and strategies to make these goals a reality. These Outrageous Outcomes will also shape and inform the work we do in the coming years. This year, our budgeting process will be focused on achieving these academic goals. With the help of a stakeholder group we will determine where resources and public funds should be focused to maximize student success. Pasco residents who are interested in being a part of this exciting new process can contact the district office to sign up or gain more information.
Our test scores have increased across the grades and our graduation rates continue to climb. I am proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with all Pasco School District employees to support them in the legacy they create every day.
The beneficiaries of this employee dedication are our future doctors, engineers, scientists and visionaries who are sitting in classrooms right now soaking up the knowledge they will need to become the leaders of tomorrow. This is why I believe that the work we are doing is critical to the future success of not only our community, but our world.
This story was originally published March 23, 2017 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Pasco School District: Maximizing student success."