El Segundo has a wonderful school district. There is a commitment to educating not only the mind, but also the body and soul. There are other things that the District might consider to make it even better.
Here are some of the things that make El Segundo Unified School District a great place for children to learn:
- Qualified Teachers - 93% of the teachers are fully credentialed. Teacher salaries are above the state average.
- District commitment to fine arts for all children - Fine Arts are a powerful contributor to student achievement, including adapting to change, problems solving, analytical skills, creative thinking, and communication skills.
- Well maintained school facilities - All of the schools in the district have undergone recent modernization projects to make the campuses more attractive and more functional.
- Dedicated parents - The parents of the El Segundo PTA donated the equivalent of $300,000 in volunteer hours (calculated at minimum wage rate!!)to the district last year. Parent involvement is a key component of a high quality educational experience for children.
- Commitment to professional development for teachers - The district holds their faculty to high standards and provides teachers with many professional development opportunities. For example, the district is collaborating with UCLA to improve the writing program for the students.
- Collaborations with local corporations and city departments - ESUSD is very fortunate to receive substantial monetary and in-kind donations from local corporations and the City of El Segundo which frees more of the school funds to be spent in the classroom.
Here are some ideas that the district should consider to that might make the district even better:
- Spend some significant energy to explore ways of making the school experience more meaningful and engaging for the students who are not high achievers. We need to work to prevent children from losing their enthusiasm for learning and continuing their education. All humans learn better when they have a strong connection with their teachers or mentors and are active participants in the learning process.
- Implement a full-day kindergarten program - This is more convenient for most parents and other districts have found that it allows time for academic work as well as developmental and age-appropriate exploration. LA Unified is converting all of its kindergartens to full-day, and most parochial schools have been running full day kindergarten programs for years.
- Eliminate or greatly reduce the TEDDE program - Research shows that a quality preschool experience is more effective than a year of TEDDE for later school success, and that those children whose parents refuse the extra year option perform as well as those who participated in one. The extra year also increases the age differences in the grade levels. In the past, there were children that were up to 1 year apart in age in a particular grade, now there is a 2 year range of ages in each grade level. There is also evidence that any behavioral concern that contributed to the decision to delay kindergarten entry shows up in adolescence.
- Eliminate the Drill and Practice Tests before the 4th Grade - Shift focus from speed and memorization to a deeper and more meaningful understanding of mathematical concepts.
- Get rid of or severely reduce Saturday School - If it were effective, the same children wouldn't have to return week after week and Saturday school wouldn't "sell out".
- Encourage Community Service as a graduation requirement - Colleges like to see applicants who are active in the community. It instills a value of helping those less fortunate than yourself, and gives the students exposure to real life experiences and possible career choices. It can also help students develop good work habits as they are exposed to job-related expectations.
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