The district should begin measuring its effectiveness with specific exit interviews and questionnaires to respond to changes.  Many changes are driven by catalysts, or things that should be corrected and aren't because people fear reprisal or have no interest in the environment once they are separated from it.  People may have very specific reasons for changing schools, busing, etc. that the district should be aware of to better meet students parents and teachers needs and correct inappropriate behavior.  But that information may not be shared unless asked.

Whenever teachers, staff, and students make a major change the district should ask the staff/parent to fill out an exit interview.  When teachers transfer schools, get promoted, or leave the district to another teaching environment, or leave the profession the district should request they fill out an exit survey that includeds a comment section and one question should be why did you decide to make this change.   The same for when parents choose to open enroll their students in a different school within the district, or have their student educated outside the district, begin busing, quit busing, quit an athletic team or extra curricular activity,  or drops out or switch a classes.  I believe adding exit surveys would help the district better meet students parents and teachers needs and expectations, and would also catch problems early instead of allowing them to fester over the years.  They could also be used as a measure of health for that portion of the district.  Teachers promoted or transferred out of a school have good insight into how well that school functions and how affective the administration is, similarly parents whose students graduate from a school have insight into how effective the schools staff informs and interacts with parents and students. 

links to Q & As form various groups that asked for a response of SUSD candidates

http://www.schools.pima.gov/.../governing-board-candidates

http://www.sahuaritasun.com/.../article_bbd6c860-518f...

http://azvoterguide.com/.../sahuarita-unified-school.../

http://tucson.com/.../article_958b29c4-0196-587a-a5c9...



http://www.voicesforeducation.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=131&Itemid=108

To meet our districts stated goals of more individualized education and efforts to excel, the district should adopt the Move on when Ready program established by the state almost 5 years ago.  The program allows students to take prescribed course their freshmen and sophomore years, and after passing assessment tests graduate with a Grand Canyon Diploma.  Once graduated their path is less prescribed, if desired they can stay in highschool and focus on improving JTED (vocational) experience and knowledge, take AP and concurrent enrollment classes in high school, or attend community college.  Adding this option would allow students to demonstrate they meet district requirements in a breadth of topics after 2 year.  This would free up choices for those that pass, allowing them to peruse their own educational interests and skills.   

http://www.amphi.com/media/2756344/cambridge%20brochure%206-10-12.pdf
http://tucson.com/news/local/education/precollegiate/high-school-graduation-in-half-the-time-possible-at-amphi/article_e34a6d60-577f-5952-bab6-b6145edf4e8b.html
http://www.arizonafuture.org/mowr/
http://www.arizonafuture.org/mowr/grand-canyon-diploma.html

Some ideas that I think should be considered by upcoming boards:

• Recently the board voted to replace math requirements with the Engineering 102 course and Computer Science classes.  We shouldn't be substituting math credits with non math classes.  For every year of math a student progresses in school that is at least one fewer semesters students will need in college to graduate, especially in STEM degrees (Science Technology Engineering and Math).  One reason the district was willing to allow substituting math credits is because only 6 subjects are offered per semester.  It seems like offering 7 periods a day would increase opportunities to learn different subjects, increase electives, and not do it by eliminating the requirement for math every year.  Adding one period to the schedule adds 8 new possible classes in high school.  Splitting classes every other day, limits number of breaks and can make room for another class (4 on even days, 4 on odd days), that is 16 electives slots currently not available.

• Every year there is student knowledge regression due to the long summer gap that require reteaching material.  If we switched to a reduced summer break model (like Vail School District), students would forget less over the break.  Other benefits include opportunities to be out of school longer when the weather is better for outdoor play.  In Southern Arizona it is regularly too hot for extended outdoor play during the summer, last summer Rancho Sahuarita, the town of Sahuarita, and SUSD#30 partnered to provide indoor activities for students at Anza Trail School because it is known that the summer heat prevents healthy outdoor play.  But if there were extended breaks in fall and spring they would be more amiable for children to participate in out door activities.

• Emphasis replacing HVAC and upgrading buildings to be more efficient.  Also consider alternate energy plans to reduce our dependents on high priced utilities for many district schools.  Currently SUSD#30 spends over 15.5% of is budget maintaining its buildings and grounds, if the school invested in programs that reduced utility costs and maintenance, the saved money could go be shifted into the classroom.

• Consider monitor programs, or parent volunteer programs to help monitor students riding the buses.  Bus drivers are responsible for driving students safely on the road, they have limited capabilities to monitor or intervene with inappropriate behavior on the buses.  Organizing parent volunteers or monitors to ride buses occasionally would reduce the number of negative incidents that occur on our buses and would allow the driver to focus on safely navigating the streets.

• Expanding the dress code to include red shirts and any shade of blue shirt was so well received, but many parents requested teals, and pinks.  Because the community embraced the new dress code and desired even less restrictive color choices, I believe the district should accommodate the community and continue to broaden what colors a collared solid shirt could be and still be acceptable.

• To better accommodate the increased demands on high school students because of their extra curricular activities and opportunities, the district should consider starting high school first, then middle school, then elementary.  That way students aren't on buses headed home after six pm in Sahuarita - much later for students who live in Arivaca. 

Today was endorsed by Wake Up Tucson, when they listed who to vote for on their radio show.  http://kvoi.com/podcast-window/?yourKey=54116 10/9/14 7-8 hour

Enjoyed taking about education in Sahuarita with Robin Hiller on her show "State Of Education" this Saturday (9/20)
http://kvoi.com/podcast-window/?yourKey=9849

SUSD30 priorities do not put proper emphasis in the classroom.  SUSD30 in-class spending efficiency peaked in 2011 with 57.7% in-class spending 9.8% administration costs and average teacher salary at $39,685 (still $6000 less than the state average but $700 more than our peer average) with 4,915 students.  Since 2011 that last available State Audit (2013) shows the district performance degraded in every category listed even with enrollment increasing to 5,198.  In class spending dropped to 53.2%, in-class spending was $3,409 per student, below our peers at $3,779 and below state averages of $4,031 per student (our students have $350 less than their peers and $600 less spent on them in the classroom than the the average state student), administration costs increased to 11.1%, and average teacher salaries dropped to $38,469 paying our teachers $1,500 less than our peers, and $7,000 less than the state.  In 2013 SUSD30 had the second lowest paid teachers in the county, only Altra Valley (Threepoints) paid worse at $37,166.  Significantly underpaying teachers negatively effects retention, recruitment, and morale.  According to the Assistant Superintended over HR, this year our average teacher salary dropped further to $36,253.61 putting SUSD30 in contention for the worst paid teachers in Pima County and the region.  While our teachers pay continued to drop district administration has grown.  On top of bloating administration, comparatively high operational costs have demanded a greater portion of SUSD30 budget, growing form 14.3% to 15.5%.  SUSD30's high square footage costs are more than its peer group, the state average, and are and above what the state auditors deem acceptable.  
http://azauditor.gov/Reports/School_Districts/Districts/Sahuarita_USD/2014/Sahuarita_USD.pdf

For this district to be sound and excel at producing exemplary students it needs more fiscal focus:

• Pay teachers at least a regionally competitive wage
• Pay beginning teachers a living wage (starting salaries in the $20s does not properly value the new professionals entering SUSD30)
• Increases in-classroom spending percentages at least back to the 57.7% that we had in 2011 and find ways to increase it to the 60-62% that is typically the national average in-class spending
•  Decrease administration costs, SUSD30 cannot continue to have an administration grow at a faster rate than the district.  The district should not be allowed to spend more than 10% in administration overhead.
• Improve efficiencies in plant operations to at least bring its percentage costs in line with peer districts.
• Prevent district from spending money on low return investments like kindergarten I-pads, smart boards, full day kindergarten, etc.