Tuesday - January 20, 2009
Good morning!  I hope you had a good three-day weekend and enjoyed the Martin Luther King holiday.  Being the age that I am I remember so many things about the civil rights movement in the 60's and the leadership by Dr. King in bringing an end to segregation and promoting the understanding and importance of equality of all mankind.  Today we inaugurate a new President of our country who is the first African American elected to this position.  It is an historic day for our nation and we should all stand with pride yet humility that our country continues to erase and remove the barriers brought about by racism.  No doubt Dr. Martin Luther King would look down on America today with a lot of pride as Barack Obama becomes the 44th President of the United States of America.  Thomas Jefferson said, "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, it expects what never was and never will be."  America is the great country we are because of public education and the belief that all people should have free access to education.  An educated citizenry is vital to the success of our democracy.  On this very special day in our history, let us not forget the important role that we play as educators in ensuring the preservation of our democracy.

Last week I had the opportunity to speak with many parents of Gifted and Talented students in Northside and our Gifted and Talented Advisory Committee.  I want to thank Priscilla Lurz, Coordinator of GT Programs, and all of our teachers in the Gifted and Talented program for the great job they do in this program.  It was evident speaking to the parents that they are pleased with the programs offered in Northside.  No doubt some of them would like to see us do more and that is understandable.  Yet when I look at the Alpha program at elementary, middle, and high schools, I see many programs and activities that serve our students so well.

At the high school level one of the things we are doing is trying to increase the enrollment in, successful completion of, and achievement of higher scores in Advanced Placement courses.  Recently Dr. Sara McAndrew, Executive Director of Secondary Instruction, reported on the success we are having in this area.  Since 2005-06 through 2007-08 we increased the student enrollment in AP courses from 6465 students to 9412 students.  Students completing the AP courses have also increased.  Of particular significance is that the number of AP tests taken has increased 99.87% over the last three years.  Since 2006-07 the participation by our students in AP classes has increased 24.3% compared to a 9.1% increase in Texas, and a 5.7% increase across the nation.  In percentage of tests taken Northside has increased 34.25% compared to Texas with a 10.1% increase, and an 8.7% increase nationally.  As we look at our increases in the Advanced Placement Program we see more students participating in this rigorous coursework as well as earning college credit by exceeding the score required on the AP test to receive the college credit.

More students are being served in our GT programs across all levels, expanded offerings in mathematics at the middle school has occurred, and more students are taking advantage of our advanced placement and dual credit offerings.  The multi-disciplinary studies, Nature Venture, Mentathlon, special seminars, leadership programs, and independent study mentorship are just some of the ways we serve our gifted and talented children.  Through our fine arts program many students receive special instruction and advanced instruction in their area of interest and talent.  I am amazed at what our students do in these programs, and I am committed to us doing our best to serve a very special population of students in our district.  Thanks again to all of you who help our GT students experience these programs and have such great success.

Recently the Academy of Medicine, Engineering, and Science of Texas released a report emphasizing the need for more emphasis and focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.  They state in the report that, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, of the 20 fastest-growing occupations projected through 2010, fifteen will require substantial science or math preparation.  Over the next decade, the American demand for scientists and engineers is expected to grow four times faster than all other professions.  In addition, they reported that in China 42% of college undergraduates earn degrees in science and engineering, compared with 5% of U.S. students.  Thirty years ago, one-third of the students attending college worldwide were Americans.  Today, our college students account for 14% of the total.  There is no emphasis on the fact that our students need to be college-ready upon graduation from high school.  As I read reports, listen to business leaders, and serve on the P-16 Council of San Antonio, I hear more and more about the fact that quality jobs of the future will require post-secondary study.

This year I have talked about the importance of our instructional focus being on improving student achievement in the area of mathematics.  Creating a climate that represents a college-going culture at every campus, even elementary, is important.  Even though realism tells us that not every student will go or be able to go on to college or post-secondary education, we still must be relentless in our task of preparing all students to be prepared to be successful and ready to further pursue their education upon graduation from high school.  Practically all jobs require or will require licensure, certification, or a degree level to qualify and perform a particular job or enter a career.  Only quality K-12 education will accomplish this task by meeting the educational needs of all of our students.  Improving student performance in mathematics and science is integral to our success in achieving the readiness of all students for post-secondary education.

I get excited about the programs and curriculum we offer in Northside to help our students accomplish this goal.  I get excited about the challenges we face with the changes occurring in our student populations, the demand for more rigor and quality in all areas of instruction, and the funding of our schools.  I believe in our schools and I know that everyone is doing their best to prepare our students to be successful as they move through our system and out into the world.  Thanks for all you do!

Have a great week and remember "We Believe!"