EE explains: What changes have come with the new school year?
Photo courtesy Akins Commercial Photography
Interim Principal Tina Salazar describes some of the changes for the 2018-2019 school year, including a new required ID badge policy for students.
October 11, 2018
During the first six weeks of the 2018-19 school year, students experienced many changes affecting their day-to-day life on campus. Changes to faculty, security and class time has created some confusion for students in the new school year.
The Eagle’s Eye spoke with interim principal Tina Salazar, to gain clarity about the changes of the new school year.
The Eagle’s Eye: This issue, we are doing our Eagle’s Explains about changes that have come with the new school year. What do you think the major changes this year have been?
Tina Salazar: The timeline for the new principal has already started. Interviews are going to start happening and then a decision will be made at the end of September. Oct. 22 is when the board votes to approve someone. Oct. 23 is when the new principal starts here. Set. Done. End of story. That’s going to be the person who knows the answers. I can tell you what I would do, but that could be turned over on Oct. 23. I’m not saying that I’m not trying to be that person. I’m trying very hard to be that person, but I still have to get the job. At the moment what we’re doing is IDs for the safety of everyone. we are moving to [Flexible Instruction Time (FIT)]. Monday and Friday will be advisory days and Tuesday through Thursday will be student choice. Finally, Standards-Based Grading for all core classes
EE: What has the student reaction to the ID policy been?
TS: Really good. Usually when I (ask where a student’s ID is) they’re like, “Oh yes, in my backpack.” This year we need to see it. Honestly, out of about 100 I spoke to today, only one kid told me he didn’t want to wear it. But everyone will have to conform because that’s what’s best for everyone.
EE: What happens if you aren’t wearing your ID?
TS: Either your parent brings it and you sit in ISS while you wait for them bring it, or you’re going to pay five dollars for a new one. What the district eventually wants is for students to swipe when they get on the bus. It all comes back to (the lock-down that) happened to us in February. at’s the endgame. e endgame is safety and making sure that all enrolled students are here.
EE: Attendance was a lot of the reason student FIT choice had not happened last year. What efforts are going to be in place this year to improve FIT attendance?
TS: It was a compromise. (Student choice would be) Tuesday through Thursday and then we could make sure they went when they were supposed to go on Friday. The reason admin is so against it is because of the attendance issue and because of the (lockdown) that happened just last year. Our concern was that if something occurred during that 35 minutes of the day, how would we know who was supposed to be where? It’s going to be incumbent upon the advisory teacher to engage to make sure that all of their students have signed up for FIT sessions Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. At that point, we could go into the portal and see where students are supposed to be. The other thing is what happened the first time when you first got to experience FIT was that some teachers were capping classes at five people and students didn’t have anywhere to go. e rules now are department chairs make sure that their students have FITs, and advisory teachers need to check that students are signed up on Monday and Friday. Maybe we can get to a point where we check in on Monday and Tuesday through Friday we have student choice. Wouldn’t that be great? it’s the end- game. at’s where we want to go, but baby steps. I think we can eventually get there. We want to trust you.
EE: All non-AP or OnRamps courses are moving to Standards-Based Grading this year. Will there be a push for electives to move to that as well?
TS: Next year. I don’t know what a new principal would do, but I think it’s best for students. I think students should be judged by what they know and not what’s in the bottom of their backpack or in their house under their bed. The completion of something is not an assessment. True assessment is what a child knows. I think students should get credit for what they know even though if they’re struggling. If a teacher can have a conversation with you and assess that you know something, but there is something happening in the transition to the piece of paper or the computer, that’s on the teacher to help that student. It’s not a lack of knowledge, the problem’s in that application. it’s why we have jobs.
EE: ID’s seem to be the major security change on campus. Are there any additional changes?
TS: There are things that are secret that we’re trying not to publicize. We try not to publicize maps of our school. The big thing is making sure that (administrators and security guards) are very visible and out and about so that (people) are less likely to want to do something. at’s the key. here are some other things that we want to get done, but they all come down to money.
EE: Those are all of our questions. Is there anything you’d like to add?
TS: We have a great community and amazing teachers and students and it’s just been a joy. is the time it’s been a joy. It really has. I love this campus so much, and I put my whole heart into it. We have a great team here.
