From the September 2007 Connection Newspaper "Leadership critical to student success"
By M. Magdalena Carrillo Mejia, PhD

(Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpt from the Superintendent’s remarks at the 2007-2008 Leadership Symposium, a meeting of principals and district management held on Aug. 27. Board members and leaders from parent and bargaining units also attended.)

I would like to share three expectations for the year. First and foremost, as an educational organization whose mission it is to educate all students to higher levels, I ask that we each commit to the Success of Every Student by Name, and make aggressive strides to close the achievement gap in Sac City. This gap has persisted far too long and our student achievement data is evidence that we cannot ignore.

 So my first challenge to all of us is to make a personal commitment to do everything we can to close this gap. Secondly, that we continue our efforts to align all resources to our goals for raising the levels of student achievement and that we ensure that all supports for learning are aligned for equity, access and achievement for every student by name. Finally, that we dedicate ourselves to engaging all our partners in the courageous work needed to address and impact this very serious issue.

The gap in Sac City is a linguistic and racial gap. Closing it requires the commitment of all stakeholders both internal and external. It requires more than reform; it mandates transformation. It mandates that we examine our attitudes and beliefs toward children of color. It mandates that we deepen our practice, and it mandates instructional strategies that value and embrace the culture and language of our students. I know that we can do it.

We have the knowledge and skills, and we owe it to our children to educate to equip them with the knowledge and skills needed to achieve success in the global economy of the new millennium.

In the words of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, “In our personal ambitions we are individualists. But in our pursuit of economic and political progress as a nation, we all go up or else all go down as one people.”  And I am of the belief that the education of all our children is required to thrive and survive as a nation. Let’s be steadfast in our efforts to educate all our children in order to ensure that we all go up as one people. I thank you for providing the leadership needed to achieve Success for Every Student by Name in Sac City.

Superintendent's Prior Messages