Dear Educators,
As we continue to build on the foundations laid this year, I want to emphasize that our core priorities remain unchanged looking ahead to 2025-26. What's evolving is how the system strengthens to bridge operational efficiencies and accelerate capacity building for each school community to strengthen implementation of the core ideologies within the instructional framework. These systems improvement and/or commitments are based on valuable feedback from our Principals specific to year 1 implementation of the instructional framework.
Our four key priorities continue to be: High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM), Assessment, Professional Learning (PL) and a Safe and Welcoming Environment. While these pillars remain constant, we're fine-tuning our strategies to better serve our schools and streamline our efforts.
For High-Quality Instructional Materials, we're honing in on clarity and efficiency. Our focus is on identifying the most impactful actions for each school role to ensure more effective curriculum utilization. We're also considering ways to maximize teacher preparation with minimal planning time, recognizing the value of their time and the importance of thorough preparation.
We're leveraging our new Assessment Management System to simplify the process of administering curriculum-embedded assessments and accessing timely data. We understand the importance of planning, so we're working to stabilize our unified measurement calendar and release it earlier, to support leaders with being able to maximize very finite time during the school year.
We're working on enhancing alignment between central and school-based Professional Learning experiences, centered on actionable development that builds our collective instructional capacity. Additionally, we'll provide clearer communication about the scope and sequence of centrally provided PL, in addition to evidence-based training on how to strengthen professional learning across the system.
For our Safe and Welcoming priority, we're focused on integrating culture, social-emotional learning, mental health, and proactive support into a cohesive vision for school culture. To support implementation, we'll offer actionable guidance on developing school-based universal culture systems that promote a positive and inclusive environment for all.
We've heard your calls for greater efficiency and support from central teams, and we're working diligently to streamline communication and expectations across all priorities. Our goal is to provide more targeted, actionable guidance to support implementation at the school level. We're also improving the timing and coordination of central initiatives to reduce overlap and maximize impact.
These refinements represent our ongoing commitment to supporting you effectively while maintaining focus on our core priorities. We value your input and will continue to seek your feedback as we move forward together.
Thank you for your dedication to our students and your engagement in this important work. We look forward to partnering with you in the coming year to bring these enhanced strategies to life in our schools.
Respectfully,
Dr. Tony Smith, Deputy Superintendent
Dr. Simone Wright, Chief of Academics
Cesar Cedillo, Chief of Schools
