Dear
LASD Parents and Community,
Welcome to the Los Altos School District (LASD)! I'm very excited about
the great promise this year holds for our district. Standardized test scores show the district
ranked #2 out of the almost 1,000 districts in the state of California. LASD has ranked #1 or
#2 statewide every year since there have been rankings. We are committed to educational
excellence in each of our schools.
We can take pride in the fact that our district has performed extremely
well on all standardized measures of achievement. However, we should take even greater
pride in knowing that it is accomplished while maintaining our dedication to the whole
education of each individual child. Students receive a balanced education including music,
art, physical education, sports, field trips, as well as development of character and social
skills. Through this, we create curious, confident, well-rounded and intelligent children.
One of the hallmarks of LASD is the fact that we don't rest on our
laurels! Over the course of 2009, the following are some of the key areas the school board
and district will focus on:
- Implementing a new mathematics curriculum with the very latest, well-articulated
teaching practices and materials, providing classes for all ranges of learners from very
highly gifted to those needing extra support
- Continuing to attract and retain outstanding teachers and principals
- Further training to incorporate digital resources into classroom
teaching, while identifying nationwide best practices
At the same time, state budget difficulties and the current harsh downturn
create immense challenges for school districts. One of the reasons for our district's
longstanding success even in difficult times has been the value our community has placed on
education.
Our ability to effectively educate our 4200+ students results from a
strong partnership between parents, teachers, students, administrators and consistently
strong support from the community-at-large. Our community attracts the type of people who
value education.
The thousands of hours parents contribute each year at all our schools,
the community parcel tax, contributions made to the Los Altos Educational Foundation
(www.laefonline.org)
and vibrant school PTA's demonstrate a collaborative partnership tapestry that is unparalleled
within most public school districts.
In the spirit of community, I welcome and encourage an ongoing dialog
between all members of the LASD community-at-large and the school board and encourage you to
contact your school board members with any comments, questions or suggestions. My fellow
board members and I are honored to be serving as trustees of our outstanding schools.
Sincerely,
David Pefley
President, Board of Trustees
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