'Vision 900' is a worthwhile goal - Marin Voice - Marin IJ June 26, 2006 By George Stratigos

Article Launched: 06/26/2006 04:14:39 AM PDT
Vision 900 is a Worthwhile Goal
Monday Marin Voice
By George Stratigos
President, Sausalito Marin City School District



ALBERT EINSTEIN said that the definition of insanity was "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
Keenly aware of our history and steadfast in our determination not to see past mistakes repeated, today's school board believes that much needed change is beginning to occur. A lot of work is still ahead of us, but there is definitive evidence that we are moving in the right direction.

We know that the inertia of decades of disappointing results, like the forward motion of a supertanker, is not quickly reversed. But, as the IJ's special three-day series reported, there are reasons to believe that this long-awaited reversal has actually begun.

Certainly, the fact that test scores have doubled in recent years, that our district now employs a number of educators who are receiving county and state recognition for their work, the fact that this past school year saw a 10 percent increase in enrollment and, the approval by district voters of a first-ever bond measure to build a new middle school and a new kindergarten and first-grade pod, are all encouraging signs.

I have learned, along with my fellow board members, that problems faced by school trustees that came before us are not easily overcome. Our approach, however, is different and we are confident that in time it will continue to produce positive change.

The community has invested into this positive change. From tutoring to biking programs, from Rotary events to a reinvigorated PTA, the community is sharing in our belief that better days are ahead, and in many ways they have already arrived.

Our goal of "Vision 900," dismissed by some as a mere "slogan," is in reality an affirmation of our belief that in order to succeed we must do everything right. What that means is recognizing the simple fact that there is nothing more essential than a staff committed to educational excellence.

This school board has chosen to invest in institutions, not in quick solutions.

That means investing in staff because that kind of investment in time will make real change.

We began with test scores in the mid-300 range. This past year, our student average was in the low 700s.

At a 900 average, we will have test scores above that of any other school district in Marin County: that includes Ross Elementary, Tiburon's Reed and Del Mar schools and Kentfield's Bacich Elementary.

To be successful, however, lasting change cannot be incremental - it must be complete. We continue to search the nation for the most-qualified educators.

Our new district superintendent, who comes to us from Los Angeles Unified School District, is recognized for her ability, as the IJ reported, for turning underperforming schools into successful schools.

We know that we have had, and will continue to have, our doubters. There are many who believe that children from financially disadvantaged homes simply cannot achieve.

These views bring to mind another of Einstein's quotes: "Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen."

We don't subscribe to the "common sense" that says our children can't succeed. Access to a quality public education is the right of every child in our community.

Our citizens affirmed that belief when a super majority voted in support of a $15.9 million bond measure. We know that the road to Vision 900 is not an easy one. It is, however, the only road that is worthy of our efforts.