Dr. Don Brann, State Trustee Dr. Don Brann, State Trustee

INGLEWOOD UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
401UNIFIED
S. Inglewood
Avenue
INGLEWOOD
SCHOOL
DISTRICT
Inglewood,
California
90301
401 S. Inglewood Avenue
(310) 419-2700
- www.iusd.net
Inglewood,
California
90301
(310) 419-2700 - www.iusd.net
SECOND QUARTERSECOND
FALL MESSAGE
FROM
DR.
DON BRANN, STATE TRUSTEE
QUARTER
FALL
MESSAGE
FROM DR. DON BRANN, STATE TRUSTEE
November 14, 2014
November 18, 2014
Dear Inglewood Unified Families and Community,
Dear Inglewood Unified Families and Community,
We mark the beginning of the new school year with optimism, challenges and exciting new developments.
We mark the beginning of the new school year with optimism, challenges and exciting new developments.
We continue to make strides every day to transform IUSD into a high-performing District that puts students’
needs
first. to
There
arestrides
manyevery
reasons
this
period
ofastability
and positive
momentum:
We
continue
make
daytotocelebrate
transform
IUSD
into
high-performing
District
that puts students’
needs first. There are many reasons to celebrate this period of stability and positive momentum:
• We have made major progress in reducing our operating budget deficit to just under $4.8
million,
and we
remain
on in
track
to completely
eliminate
funding
gapunder
by 2015-16.
• We
have made
major
progress
reducing
our operating
budgetthe
deficit
to just
$4.8 million,
Considering
Unified faced
a projected
$17 million
deficit that
and
we remainthat
on Inglewood
track to completely
eliminate
the funding
gap bystructural
2015-16.budget
Considering
over a year
ago, this
constitutes
a roughly
72 percent
reduction
the District’s
structural
Inglewood
Unified
faced
a projected
$17 million
structural
budgetindeficit
over a year
ago, this
deficit in just
15 months
under the
current leadership
team. structural deficit in just 15 months
constitutes
a roughly
72 percent
reduction
in the District’s
the current
leadership
team.
•under
We have
adopted
a Facilities
Implementation Plan to replace aging schools with new state-ofthe-art
including Implementation
a brand-new Inglewood
High School
and a replacement
campus
• We
have campuses,
adopted a Facilities
Plan to replace
aging schools
with new state-of-theOak Street
Elementary
School. Inglewood High School and a replacement campus for Oak
artfor
campuses,
including
a brand-new
•Street
The Elementary
new school School.
year opened smoothly with smaller class sizes in kindergarten, all with 22 or
fewer
• The
newstudents.
school year opened smoothly with smaller class sizes in kindergarten, all with 22 or fewer
•students.
We have added outstanding seasoned administrators to our team to help lead the change effort
– all
of added
whomoutstanding
share a commitment
of putting ‘kidstofirst.’
The to
formation
this
new team
• We
have
seasoned administrators
our team
help leadofthe
change
efforthas
– all
resulted
savings to of
theputting
District‘kids
of more
thanThe
a half
million of
dollars.
ofalso
whom
shareinacost
commitment
first.’
formation
this new team has also
in cost savings
to the District
of more than Language
a half million
dollars.at Worthington, the first
•resulted
The District’s
Spanish/English
Dual-immersion
Academy
of District’s
its kind inSpanish/English
IUSD, is flourishing.
With its enrollment
goals exceeded
and classestheoffirst
kinder
• The
Dual-immersion
Language Academy
at Worthington,
of its
gradeisstudents
learning
anenrollment
engaging dual-language
IUSDofis kinder
poisedand
to expand
andin1stIUSD,
kind
flourishing.
Withinits
goals exceededsetting,
and classes
1st grade
this popular
program
year todual-language
additional grade
levels IUSD
and IUSD
schools.
students
learning
in annext
engaging
setting,
is poised
to expand this popular
next year
additional
grade levels
and IUSD
schools.
•program
We recently
weretoawarded
a highly
competitive
$600,000
California Career Pathways grant at
Morningside
Highawarded
School.a Students
are on the $600,000
path to success
in theCareer
newlyPathways
formed STEM
• We
recently were
highly competitive
California
grant at
(Science, Technology,
Engineering
Academy.
Morningside
High School.
Studentsand
areMath)
on the
path to success in the newly formed STEM
(Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Academy.
Experts say sustainable school change takes seven years or longer to achieve. When I became superintendent
of the say
Wiseburn
Schoolschool
Districtchange
in 1993,
I encountered
withtodeclining
rundown
Experts
sustainable
takes
seven yearsa district
or longer
achieve.enrollment,
When I became
facilities, school
closures
and low
testDistrict
scores. in
Sound
When aI district
left in 2008,
every school
had been
Superintendent
of the
Wiseburn
School
1993,familiar?
I encountered
with declining
enrollment,
rebuilt, facilities,
test scoresschool
improved,
threeand
outlow
of four
elementaries
namedWhen
CA Distinguished
and the
rundown
closures
test scores.
Soundwere
familiar?
I left in 2008,Schools
every school
middle
school test
a "National
Forum Middle
Watch," and
enrollment
had
nearly doubled,
with
had
been rebuilt,
scores improved,
three outSchool
of fourtoelementaries
were
named CA
Distinguished
Schools
hundreds
of students
waiting lists
trying
to getSchool
in. This
ourenrollment
vision for IUSD
and ifdoubled,
we work
Forum
Middle
to should
Watch,"beand
had nearly
and
the middle
school on
a "National
together,
Inglewood
will follow
a similar
to to
success.
with
hundreds
of students
on waiting
lists path
trying
get in. This should be our vision for IUSD and if we
work together, Inglewood will follow a similar path to success.
Change is hard, messy, and it requires sacrifice and new ideas. Change takes people out of their comfort
Change is hard, messy, and it requires sacrifice and new ideas. Change takes people out of their comfort
zones and inevitably, resistance will happen. We must resist those who stand in front of us as obstacles and
zones and inevitably, resistance will happen. We must resist those who stand in front of us as obstacles and
impediments to bringing Inglewood the educational excellence our children richly deserve.
impediments to bringing Inglewood the educational excellence our children richly deserve.
Please join me in transforming IUSD into a ‘kids first’ district in which in every decision and action we take,
Please join me in transforming IUSD into a ‘kids first’ district in which in every decision and action we take,
we ask ourselves “Is this best for kids?”
we ask ourselves “Is this best for kids?”
Yours for Better Education,
Yours for Better Education,
Dr.Don
DonBrann,
Brann,State
StateTrustee
Trustee
Dr.