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Superintendent unveils new plan for GUHSD
By Lori Bledsoe
The Alpine Sun
EL CAJON — Change could be on the
horizon for the Grossmont Union High School District as new
Superintendent, Robert Collins, reveals his strategic plan.
Collins was hired this year to lead GUHSD through tough times as
they encounter budget cuts, bond and revitalization issues, and
continues to strive for invaluable educational achievement. His
strategic plan prioritizes and confronts issues facing the aging
district.
Collins, in his presentation to the board, places
student achievement as the top priority in his plan. Next, he
provides for appropriate and affordable employee compensation,
and then he maintains a 3 percent or higher reserve for economic
uncertainties, as well as maintaining a restricted maintenance
account at 3 percent or more. Lastly, Collins’ plan is to avoid
deficit spending.
The superintendent’s strong motivation to keep students
in the forefront is laced throughout his plan. He has a 39-year
career in the Los Angeles Unified School District, and values
the “can do” attitude, especially in the face of upcoming budget
cuts mandated from the state.
In the spring of 2007, the GUHSD board set forth a
vision and goals that served as the foundation of Collins’
strategic plan. The vision stated, “The Grossmont Union High
School District is dedicated to providing a safe and
collaborative learning environment which supports academic
achievement and social success for all students. The Grossmont
District operates on the premise that success for every student
is dependent upon all groups in the organization including
teachers, administrators, parents staff, students and the
community working together to support all students in their
development as life-long learners thinkers and successful
contributors to the community.”
With this vision in mind, Collins has set goals for
higher quality learning for all students, access to a higher
quality supportive educational experience for all students,
collaborative contributions from staff in a supportive and
trusting environment, as well as collaborative relationships
with the community.
He plans to close the achievement gap for all students,
including those students with disabilities, English language
learners, and any students who are struggling with their
academic careers. To do this he plans on developing a culture of
collaboration not only with is staff, but with parents as well
as professional learning communities.
Teachers will be encouraged to set goals for their
students that are specific, measurable, results oriented and
time-bound. Parents will be encouraged to take an active role in
their children’s education through existing family resources
centers that will be expanded in the future.
Communication will be enhanced to engage teachers and
staff with parents on an ongoing basis. “Customer service” is
imperative in a high school, and a higher level of this
service-minded approach to community relationships is in store
for the district.
Teacher web sites will be cultivated to expand
communication efforts, as well as bi-weekly newsletters, an
“Alert Now” notification, letters home to parents, annual
counselor conferences and expanded college and career
information.
The district is facing the further faceting of
secondary education through the growing challenge of
home-schooling facilities and charter-schools. To keep up with
the competitive arena, Collins wants to expand the districts
home schooling facilities as well as develop new career tech
education programs for East County such as academies in the
district that teach Arts and Media, Engineering and Design as
well as Technology.
Each existing campus has the potential for one or two
of these academies that will hopefully attract and cement
students to furthering their own education. These academies will
sidle along side the business communities’ invitation to
continue its active role in the development of career-tech
education through business mentorships, job shadowing and work
based learning experience programs.
Every one of the developmental programs that Collins
promotes coincides with a structured and strong standards
program that will target all students in their academic
achievement. This means that the district plans to establish a
mathematics and science focus, as well as literacy support in
conjunction with a Library Literacy Program that brings the
current books-to-student ratio to the National Library
Association standards.
This strategic plan includes aggressive plans to target
student’s needs, with human possibilities. Collins is taking on
an adventure in higher education and bringing it to the GUHSD.
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