"Back To Basics" Plan

1. SAFETY FIRST

“The first step in solving a problem is to recognize that it does exist.” ~ Zig Ziglar

All students, faculty and staff have the right to a safe and healthy learning environment.

ENFORCEMENT OF DISCIPLINE WILL BE PRIORITY!

Zero tolerance of drug use. Any individual being caught with drugs, or under the influence of drugs will be turned over to law enforcement and face a minimum 1 year expulsion and will be required to submit to regular drug testing as a condition to returning. Any individual selling, or trafficking in drugs will be turned over to law enforcement and permanently expelled.

Zero tolerance of gang activity. Any individual involved with gang activity will be turned over to law enforcement and face a minimum 1 year expulsion.

Zero tolerance of disrespect to staff and faculty. Individuals who are allowed to violate the rules, without consequence, send the message that the District is not serious about safety or discipline.

District Policy 5112.5 Open/Closed Campus will be fully enforced. "Students shall not leave the school grounds at any time during the school day without written permission of their parents/guardians and school authorities. Students who leave school without authorization shall be classified truant and subject to disciplinary action."

District Regulation 5132 Dress and Grooming will be fully enforced. Current policy states "Student dress must promote a healthy, safe, wholesome environment and not cause a distraction that would interfere with the educational process." Strict, definable standards will be established and enforced.

Parents MUST be kept aware of all drug, gang and major disciplinary issues in the district.

We should not wait for a tragedy to occur in order to have the courage to act. We must be proactive.

2. IMPROVING ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

Learning starts with the individual. You can have the most beautiful school in the world, with the highest paid teachers in the world, but if the student isn't motivated, the student won't learn. We need to instill in our students a life long love of learning!

If the student knows that they will advance regardless of whether they meet standards, or not, they will not take learning seriously, because they see that the school doesn't take learning seriously. The United States ranks behind such developing nations as Vietnam, South Korea and Taiwan in mathematics. Why?

Eliminate "social promotion." Students around the world are held to standards. Students in Europe, Asia, who perform better than our students, know that they will not advance if they do not meet standards. WE MUST END "social promotion" in Paso Robles schools. It must be phased out over several years, starting in K-4, and eventually being eliminated throughout the system. Never again should we get to a point where only one out of four graduates is proficient in math.

Train students for life. Getting a great education does not mean having to sit in a classroom all day. Paso Robles has excellent vocational programs under the Career Technical Education (CTE) umbrella. Years ago the program was much more robust, but funding cuts forced reductions. It's time to build on the success of CTE and explore options for expanding vocational programs and re-establishing it as a model for other's to envy. It's time to expand apprenticeship programs that allow students to begin a path towards a life of success.

Courses such as personal finance, should again be a requirement for graduation. The goal should be provide an individual graduate with the skills to live independently and credentials necessary to immediately step into a career the day after they finish high school, vice having to attend Community College or Tech School.

Increase school choice. Studies show that individuals are more likely to succeed in any endeavor when they feel that they have a choice. Personal choice in one's future fosters a sense of ownership and pride. On average, charter schools operate at about 60% of the costs of regular school, while academic performance is usually 15% points higher. Fostering competition between schools by allowing more charter schools, and creating different education models for parents to choose from, most importantly by establishing a charter high school, will help incentivize students while encouraging more families to keep their children in the district.

3. CITIZENSHIP

“An educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people.” ~ Thomas Jefferson

The Founders' vision for a public education system was to provide skilled labor, educated in basic academic disciplines of reading, writing and arithmetic, in order to create a common citizenry. We are failing in these goals.

Parental Rights. Parents are preeminent in their children's lives. At no time should the district, or its employees, ever keep from parents matters that impact the health, safety, or welfare of their children. At no time should the district ever damage the relationship between parent and child by encouraging children to withhold information from their parents. The nuclear family is the basic building block of our society and will not be infringed upon by the district. Policy 5020: Parent Rights and Responsibilities lays out parental rights and will be expanded. WE MUST HAVE A PARENTAL BILL OF RIGHTS.

Transparency. All curriculum should be posted on line prior to the beginning of the school year. Furthermore, parents and students should be able to easily access the material and opt their children out from any classes that parents deem unacceptable, or contradictory to their beliefs or values, without fear of retribution.

Community Oversight. The Board of Trustees is responsible to the community to provide direction and oversight of the district. However, to execute this duty properly, more than 7 individuals is needed. Therefore, the Board of Trustees should establish standing committees with appointees that report only to them. Parents and citizens have a right to participate in curriculum development, as well as textbook and library book selection. This should be the first committee established. Additional committees could include fiscal oversight, facilities oversight, and budget planning. These committees will give more voice to the community and give board members a better sense of issues affecting the district.

Community Involvement. Schools exist for the community. Feedback from parents, businesses, industry and community colleges should be constant to determine whether the district is providing the quality graduate that meets our local needs. The board should initiate town hall style meetings one Saturday per month to JUST listen to public comment. Until we learn from the public where the shortfalls are, we won't be able to improve educational outcomes.

Citizenship. Since 1782, the Latin motto "E pluribus unum" has graced the "Great Seal of the United States." "Out of many, one." Since our founding, one of the primary goals of universal education has been to create a common citizenry. Now more than ever, we should be instilling in our children a common respect and love for our country and founding, regardless of whether their family has been here for 100 years or one year. Building bonds, vice sowing division, should be non controversial. Establishing English/Spanish bi-lingual/immersion education throughout the district is one way to building those bonds.

Vote Kenney Enney for PRJUSD Trustee

Vote Kenney Enney for PRJUSD Trustee

1. SAFETY FIRST

“The first step in solving a problem is to recognize that it does exist.” ~ Zig Ziglar

2. IMPROVING ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

3. CITIZENSHIP

“An educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people.” ~ Thomas Jefferson

Vote Kenney Enney for PRJUSD Trustee

Vote Kenney Enney for PRJUSD Trustee

1. SAFETY FIRST

“The first step in solving a problem is to recognize that it does exist.” ~ Zig Ziglar

2. IMPROVING ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

3. CITIZENSHIP

“An educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people.” ~ Thomas Jefferson

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