Hello Kaiser Families,
It has come to my attention that some in the community are worried about the effect the closing schools will have on Kaiser. Others are concerned that because Kaiser was on the initial closure list that families would not choose Kaiser. Please allow me to address both of these issues.
As of December 21, 2011, Kaiser will be receiving a total of five students from the five closing schools (Lakeview, Lazear, Maxwell Park, Santa Fe and Marshall). The distribution of the five students will be two (2) in the first grade and one (1) in the 2nd, 3rd and 5th grades.
We had three tours and one open house and attendance was good. We had 19 families at the November tour, 20 at the December tour and 28 at the January tour. I also conducted close to 11 private tours during the options process. Feedback from the tours has been positive, and I included two letters from prospective parents in regards to the tours. Also, I would like to give a special thanks to Cherisse Gash, Margret Hunter, Monica Lannon, Renee Sanchez, Monte McClain, Christopher Jones, Jennise Mendoza, and Greg Merrill (also the countless others parents who, although had not conducted a tour, answered questions) for doing an outstanding job conducting tours.
The following are two letters I received in regards to the tours (names and schools have been removed to protect the innocent):
Hi Darren,
We met last week at the Kaiser tour and open house. I turned in my options form at the OUSD office today and thought you'd appreciate knowing why, after many long discussions and visiting several schools more than once, I listed Kaiser first. Fingers crossed!
My husband (Blank) and I have visited a dozen schools - in OUSD, charter, private. Our son (Blank) is a high-energy kid who attends a preschool where he can choose among activities, and he usually chooses to be outside. So the shift to kindergarten will be a big one for him and for us, regardless of where we attend. (Blank) is our local school.
A few things stuck out, besides the obvious of great staff/involved parents/diverse student body/arts integration/a lot of differentiated instruction and small collaborative group work in the classes I observed.
When you talked about the Roots of Empathy program and children self-referring themselves to mediation, I got tears in my eyes. So did (husband) It's the first time either of us have had an emotional reaction on any school tour, and we try to listen to our hearts.
Male teachers - much less principals! - are rare at the elementary level, and I appreciate that Kaiser has both.
Kaiser has the best recess schedule of any OUSD school - 1/2 hour in morning PLUS parent provided snack. That is amazing.
The Wheel: also amazing. Kids love choice and they love to move.
Much thanks,
Dear Principal Avent,
I just wanted to, once again, thank you for the time you took to answer questions last night and for the positive vision you offer for urban education today. I was the parent who asked a million questions and continues to wrestle with the issues of social justice for all children vs. prioritizing what's best for my own son.
I hate driving. I walked to school my whole life and always imagined that elementary education, at least, meant a neighborhood school and by extension playmates within walking distance. So, when I turned in my options form today, I surprised myself by listing Kaiser first. This is a testament to what you've helped foster at Kaiser and, of course, the incredible educators and parents I've met at the school.
All this to say, congratulations on your incredible work and thank you for making a small dent in my cynicism of teach-to-the-test, soul sucking, American education. Obviously, I'd like to say I will look forward to being a partner with you in my son's education alongside that of his Kaiser peers. But that, I'm afraid, is in the hands of the OUSD lottery gods.
This is just two of five similar letters I received about Kaiser. Let’s continue to let parents know we are here and continue to improve.
Darren Avent
Principal
