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Thursday, November 30, 2006

School Chief Seeks a Student 'Menu'

By Raam Wong
Journal Staff Writer
    Santa Fe schools should provide opportunities for all students, not just the college-bound, district superintendent Leslie Carpenter said Wednesday during her annual "State of the Schools" address.
    Carpenter said schools need to better serve the dozens of high school students who drop out, flunk out or tune out because a traditional curriculum doesn't meet their needs.
    "There must be a complete menu of options so that students who don't learn well in the existing system have other choices," Carpenter said to a crowd of about 100 district and school officials.
    Carpenter has been at the helm of Santa Fe Public Schools for a little more than a year. In that time, she has made developing alternative programs a top priority.
    Moving forward, Carpenter said her focus would also be on improving campus security and opening a new elementary school in 2008 to relieve crowding in the city's south side schools.
    Carpenter's speech followed a breakfast meeting between district officials and three members of Santa Fe's legislative delegation.
    Carpenter outlined the district's wish list for the next legislative session. The requests included additional funding for school nurses and counselors and campus security improvements, as well as seed money for a new regional vocational center on Santa Fe High's south campus.
    The center, a joint venture between the city and Santa Fe Community College, won support from lawmakers.
    "I would strongly support having the vocational school," said Rep. Luciano "Lucky" Varela, D-Santa Fe.
    Varela also repeated his support for Santa Fe's small, downtown elementary schools, which the cash-strapped district could close in order to free up operating dollars for the new south side school.
    "There must be a way we can help smaller schools," Varela said.
    In his remarks, board member Frank Montaño said it would take a good deal more engagement from the community if Santa Fe schools are going to move from "good to great," which was a common theme for the day.
    "We are preaching to the choir," Montaño said to the roomful of school officials. The board member called on the public to show just as much interest in school matters as it does at City Council meetings.
    Carpenter pointed to several accomplishments made over the last year. They include the establishment of "small learning communities" at the high schools, art teachers at every elementary school and the hiring of a full-time director for the district's bilingual programs.
    The high schools have also started using Education 2020, an interactive, computerized teaching system that charts students' progress and allows them to learn at their own pace.
    Carpenter has promoted the software as a means by which students can quickly and efficiently recover course credit after failing a class.
    Many challenges remain. Among them, Carpenter said, are filling teacher vacancies, promoting peaceful conflict resolution among students, improving safety and closing the achievement gap.