From inside the classroom...

I was asked to write an article for the Sanger Herald regarding our visit by the State Superintendent. I don't know what they will publish (this is my second appearance in the local paper since the beginning of the school year), but here is the final draft:

My name is _____ and I am a fifth grade teacher at Fairmont Elementary School. Although I have only been teaching for four years in Sanger Unified, I have indeed experienced the pressure and politics that schools are facing across the nation. In a time of fiscal crisis and unpredictable funding, California schools are struggling to measure up to the high expectations of the No Child Left Behind Act. When I first started teaching, this new federal school accountability system seemed rigid and unreasonable. It was easy to assume that this piece of legislation was formulated by policy makers who were out of touch with the unique circumstances and difficult demands of today's classrooms. Personally, I had never seen a politician set foot in a classroom during my twenty-year experience in the pubic education system. That is, until the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jack O'Connell, came to visit our small, rural community on October 1, 2008.

My students and I were in the middle of a lesson about folktales when Jack O'Connell walked in. His larger-than-life reputation mirrored the exaggerated characters that we had been studying. Although he was indeed tall, his friendly smile melted away our anxiety and authenticated his sincere message. He told us that he was very proud of the accomplishments that we have made not only as a school, but as a district. He fielded a few questions, took pictures, and told us to keep up the great work before he left to visit another classroom. My class was very excited because we knew we had been one of six classes selected to represent the entire school district during Mr. O'Connell's visit. It was definitely a memorable experience for my students and me. I was humbled and honored to represent all of my colleagues in Sanger Unified.

I believe that Superintendent O'Connell's visit to Fairmont Elementary validated the hard work and accomplishments that Sanger Unified has made over the past few years. At the beginning of my career, Fairmont was one of many schools in the district that had entered Program Improvement (PI) status due to low test scores. The magnitude of "No Child Left Behind" really hit home when data showed that our English Learners and low socioeconomic students were two of the lowest performing subgroups in the district. With an appropriate motto that pledged to help "every child, every day," Sanger Unified provided their employees with district-wide professional development opportunities, professional learning communities (PLCs), standards-based materials, extra accountability, and a renewed focus on the state standards. Under great instructional leadership, Sanger Unified has exited PI status and is now a home to numerous California Distinguished Schools, Title 1 Academic Achievement Award winners, Character Education Award winners, and over 10,000 hardworking students who are consistently being held accountable for their learning and behavior. It is wonderful to know that all of our hard work has not gone unnoticed. I hope someday we can give the State Superintendent a reason to return to our exemplary district.