As the 2016-17 school year begins, we should all be very optimistic about what’s happening in the Compton Schools.
The turnaround which has been evident in increasing
graduation rates and increasing test scores has been accelerating. For
instance, did you know earlier this year that we reported graduation rates a
full 10 points above the year earlier? And we expect when we report results this
year, the graduation rates will increase again!
The success of our students is our top priority here in
Compton. We’ve been succeeding by developing home-grown talent to run our
schools. This year, of our 20 new principals and administrators, 17 of them
were promoted from within the Compton School District.
We have been developing this talent in our district over the
last several years. Because these leaders know our city and our schools, I
expect we will see further improved classroom results especially within the
elementary schools, Middle Schools and High Schools. We will continue to
provide coaching and training to the people in those new positions.
We believe this is a recipe for long-lasting success in our
schools that will benefit our community.
Let me discuss our emphasis on student safety. We know our
students can’t learn if they don’t feel safe. That’s why we have worked to make
our schools the safest places in Compton.
Our School Board has given our Compton Police resources to
make sure that our campuses are safe. But it doesn’t stop there. Our teachers,
administrators are staff are constantly monitoring our campuses to make sure
that our students are safe.
It’s working.
Also, we are working with the city of Compton to develop a
Joint Youth Agreement that will allow more access to our school grounds for
youth oriented activities in our city.
We believe the safety and success of our children benefits
our community not only today but for the future.
Finally, let me urge our parents to get involved in their
children’s education. For them to succeed we need parents, teachers and
students are pulling in the same direction. Get involved with your child’s
school. It will benefit all of us to have more parents involved.
Yes, it’s going to be a great year and we are glad to get it
started!
