Superintendent

Welcome to the 2017-18 School Year!

I recently had the pleasure of joining our Board of Education for the ribbon-cutting of our newest school, Saburo Muraoka Elementary.  The Japanese word “kaizen” came to mind, which roughly means continuous improvement.  I cannot think of a more fitting description for our school and our District.

Continuous improvement is part of the DNA of our educational system.  It is not enough to rest on our laurels, even though there is much to celebrate.  For example, our schools are known for outstanding student achievement; thriving Visual and Performing Arts; and innovative partnerships with aerospace, healthcare, and technology companies.  We offer world-class Dual Language Immersion programs, which are currently in nearly half of our 46 schools.

In addition, 11 of our schools were honored as “Spotlight Schools” by GreatSchools, a national nonprofit organization.  GreatSchools recognizes campuses that provide exemplary opportunities and results for African-American or Hispanic students.  GreatSchools’ analysis included data on student outcomes as well as measures of educational opportunity and school resources.

This was the latest in a string of awards.  One-third of our campuses were recognized as 2016 California Honor Roll schools by the Educational Results Partnership and the Campaign for Business and Education Excellence.  The Honor Roll is part of a national effort to identify higher-performing schools and highlight successful practices that improve student outcomes.

While we celebrate our accomplishments, we continuously strive to improve teaching and learning.  It is one reason why we issued more than 7,000 free library cards to all kindergarten and first grade students for the 2017-18 school year.  The library card initiative is part of a broader partnership with the Chula Vista Public Library to get more children to achieve reading proficiency by third grade.  Obtaining a library card is an important contributor to student academic achievement and lifelong learning.

We take great pride in developing the whole child.  Our theme for this school year is “Enlighten the Human Spirit through Relationships.”  Relationships matter.  How we treat one another is more important than ever. 

I invite you to learn more about our schools by visiting our website at: https://www.cvesd.org or our social media sites, Chula Vista Elementary on Facebook or @cvesdnews on Twitter.

Have a great 2017-18!

Warmest regards,

Francisco Escobedo, Ed.D.
Superintendent