The first habit from Stephen Covey’s best-selling book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, is to “Be Proactive”. The recent passing of Covey prompted me to take the time to read his book and learn from this man. As I read through his first habit about being proactive, I see many examples of this habit already at work in our school district. To be proactive means to take the initiative, to exert our freedom to choose, to rise above our circumstances and make things happen. The opposite mindset is to become reactive, to be the victim of our circumstances, to wait until we are forced to take action, which is often too late.
Milpitas Unified School District is a proactive organization. It is part of the DNA of this district and it is paying off in specific, concrete, and measureable ways. We are committed to creating a 21st Century learning environment for all students within the next three years. This means we will have a wireless network covering all of our campuses by October 2012. We are providing the use of free Google tools for every staff member and student in our district. The business community is asking us to integrate the 4 C’s into our schools so we are making communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking guiding principles as we redesign our schools. This integration of the 4 C’s into our schools is taking shape in various pilot programs, especially in our elementary schools. We have launched two full K-6 blended learning schools at Randall and Weller Elementary Schools this fall. Blended learning means that students are getting the best of direct instruction from teachers and the opportunity for student-centered, self-paced learning using the best educational software on the market. Teachers are working in teams, collaborating about student learning, and students are actively engaged in their learning. With technology providing customized instruction to each student, our teachers will be able to hone in on the unique learning needs of every student. We expect to see significant gains in student achievement with this new model. All of this new technology requires funding and the passage of Measure E in June 2012 is the key. We are pleased to share with the community the results of the issuance of $55 million dollars of bonds as authorized under Measure E. As part of this issuance, the district went through a bond rating process this summer and our ratings improved with both Moody’s (A1 to Aa2) and Standard and Poor’s (A to A+). The dominant reason cited by both rating organizations was the healthy balance sheets and strength of our financial reserves. We recently closed bond sales on the market with an overall interest rate of 3.65% over the life of these bonds. Our proactive budgeting over the years is being recognized and appreciated by the financial community. We have $25 million dollars of projects in design right now. This proactive bond program is designed so that our current students reap the benefit as soon as possible and we avoid the cost of inflation down the road. You will see the beginnings of construction at Russell Middle School, Pomeroy Elementary, and Milpitas High by spring 2013. Then in the summer of 2013, we will have projects in motion at all thirteen campuses in our district. On behalf of the students and staff of our district, we appreciate the political and financial support of our community. To all our MUSD families, welcome back to school and we look forward to another outstanding year of preparing your children for the future! Cary Matsuoka Superintendent On Friday, March 2, 2012, I had the privilege of reading “Hooray for Diffendoofer Day!” to hundreds of students at Pomeroy Elementary as part of the national Dr. Seuss Reading Day. It’s been many decades since I read a Dr. Seuss book to my boys – what a treat to see the joy and wonder on the faces of so many kids. There is something magical about telling a story to your children. It’s more than literacy – it’s about inviting our children into the world of story, of knowledge, and equipping them with the ability to make sense of the information around them. As the 21st Century accelerates our lives, do pass on the tradition to the next generation of sitting down with a good book and getting lost in a great story.
I wish the story of our budget had a happy ending, but we continue to navigate the difficult middle chapters of a long saga. The state of California is an unreliable partner when it comes to education funding, and we absorbed a mid-year cut to our general fund and transportation budget. The vocabulary of “trigger cuts” is becoming familiar language and the governor has set up next year’s budget with a potential cut of $370/student to our district. This would amount to a potential mid-year cut in January 2013 of $3.7M - five months into our school year. As of this date, we are facing a $4.4M deficit for the 2012-13 school year. As I have mentioned in past letters to the community, your school board and the district have prepared for these difficult financial times. The Board of Trustees continues to be proactive when it comes to conserving cash, and we have the financial reserves to weather next year without any cuts to staffing or programs. We are making a commitment to maintain all current staffing and programs into next school year – no program reductions and no furlough days. We are working hard to live within our means without impacting the educational experience of our current students. The community support through the parcel tax passed in June 2010 continues to play an essential part in helping us maintain our quality programs. In a recent voter opinion survey conducted on behalf of the district, we learned that 65% of the residents in Milpitas felt like things were headed in the right direction in our local community. Among the parents of MUSD students, 70% felt that our local school district is doing an excellent or good job of educating the children of Milpitas. These data show the mutual support, teamwork, and collaboration between the community and our school district, which I feel greatly benefits our children and their education. Regardless of whether you have students in our schools, we appreciate the support you give to the next generation of kids. Cary Matsuoka Superintendent Technology in MUSD Here in Milpitas, we have excellent schools with students who are achieving top scores on statewide exams. But are our students truly prepared to excel in our high-tech 21st Century economy?
Our students live in an interactive world, fueled by the Internet. Our graduates will go on to careers that require skills in technology. It’s hard to imagine going to work in an office without an up-to-date computer, the latest software or an Internet connection, yet, this is the environment of a typical California classroom. We are simply behind the times when it comes to technology in our schools. To continue preparing our students for success, we must upgrade our learning resources to ensure they are prepared for the future. Our teachers’ and students’ hard work inside the classroom is paying off, but they need to catch up to the technology of the connected world around us. We are 12 years into the 21st Century, yet our classrooms and schools are 1950s designs. Transforming our classrooms to prepare students for the 21st century will require an immediate, accelerated effort. Our students cannot wait any longer for these changes – their time to learn and prepare is now. A 21st century classroom must provide students with hardware, software, and a reliable connection to the Internet. The computers in our Milpitas classrooms are outdated and most need to be replaced very soon in order to run basic software and connect to the Internet effectively. Most of our classrooms lack access to wireless networks, and this must be fixed for truly interactive and effective learning. Just as our homes and cell phones gain faster access to the Internet every year, our schools need dependable connections to the Internet. To support 12,000 students and staff, our school district will require an upgrade in our bandwidth. Today, the infrastructure needs of a school include gas, power, water, and now, data. The most important changes in our schools will involve how we use and integrate technology into teaching and learning. We are studying different instructional models in order to teach students to use technology throughout our curriculum. Just as technology has transformed so many parts of our society, we are committed to transforming our schools and classrooms. The budget challenges affecting public education have taken a toll on our technology resources over the last decade. The district is considering a general obligation bond in June 2012 to modernize our facilities and upgrade our technology infrastructure. These funds will enable us to upgrade both our physical and technological environments so that we can prepare students for the 21st Century. The future belongs to those who are innovative, collaborative, critical thinkers, and creative problem solvers. We are on the move to transform Milpitas Unified into a 21st Century school district. Cary Matsuoka Superintendent Milpitas Unified School District is a rising district! The accompanying graph shows a six year comparison of the district's API score vs. the state of California. The Academic Performance Index (API) is one measurement of the quality of a school district and Milpitas Unified is showing consistent and sustained growth. This positive, upward trend is the result of the hard work of our students and staff in our schools and the support and care of parents and families at home. This progress is all the more remarkable given the challenging financial picture for Milpitas Unified. Over the last four years we have endured the loss of 20% of our funding as compared to the 2006-07 school year. The Board of Trustees and district leadership, with the cooperation and support of our employees, have been proactive in conserving resources while protecting the academic program of our district. In spite of the state’s financial cuts to MUSD, our students are improving academically every year. This growth in student achievement is the result of many factors. We have some of finest teachers in the profession who put their heart and soul into every day and every interaction with students. We have principals who make instructional leadership their priority and actively use data to improve their school. Our classified employees keep our schools clean, safe, organized, and well run. I have learned much about MUSD in my first three months on the job, and I am impressed with the focus on teaching and learning. As we continue to raise the bar on student achievement we will focus on implementing another of our strategic goals - creating a 21st Century learning environment for our students and teachers. Over the next six months we will be creating a plan to upgrade the technology environment within our schools. We recognize that students need to be prepared for a world where learning and work will be achieved through online tools and resources. We are committed to providing creative and innovative learning experiences for our students. In these difficult economic times we want you to know that our students are thriving and we are using the resources wisely to invest in the next generation. We appreciate the support of our parents, city government, and the entire Milpitas community! Cary Matsuoka Superintendent To all of our students, parents, staff, and community members, welcome to the 2011-12 school year in Milpitas Unified School District! I am thrilled to serve as your new superintendent and look forward to getting to know you and the entire Milpitas community. By way of background, I am beginning my thirty-second year in education, with the majority of my time spent in districts in Santa Clara County. I taught for seventeen years at the middle and high school levels, teaching sciences, math, and computer science. I have been an assistant principal at Lynbrook High School, district coordinator in Fremont Union High School District, and principal of Cupertino High School. My last position was superintendent of Los Gatos – Saratoga High School District so I know and understand the importance of education in the context of Silicon Valley.
My priority as superintendent is to create the best possible learning environment for students and staff. Teaching and learning involve two key individuals – the student and the teacher. Our students are the future. They will become the workers, leaders, and members of society that we need to sustain a strong nation. Each student represents the hopes and dreams of parents, and we will do all that we can to work with parents to help each student develop their talents and dreams. As I get to know the teachers of Milpitas Unified, I am encouraged by their commitment to teach and support all students. This is a great school district, and I look forward to creating a future filled with hope and progress. The economy and state budget continue to be a challenge, but the board of trustees and management team have positioned the district to weather this extended recession. The district has made financial decisions to protect the integrity of the learning environment for students and they will continue to receive an excellent education. We are grateful for the expression of support for Milpitas Unified through the recently passed parcel tax in June 2010. Your local tax dollars make an immediate positive impact every year and help us sustain the excellent programs that our students enjoy. Finally, school opens on Monday, August 29th. You will be receiving communication from your local school as we prepare for the year. Thank you for reading, and once again, welcome to the 2011-12 school year. Cary Matsuoka Superintendent |
Cary MatsuokaOccasional thoughts on the progress of our district. Archives
May 2016
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