Message from Superintendent Skelly
Dealing with Debt

As a parent or guardian, the potential sources of worry about your children are limitless. Besides the ones around our progeny's social/emotional health, our biggest source of worry may be whether or not our children will be financially independent one day.

When I query our recent hires about topics such as potential home ownership and student loan debt, I get concerned. It seems that every young employee in our district has loans that are in the five or six figures. While there are few better investments than education in terms of lifting one's future economic fortune, it is alarming how much personal debt nationally is in the form of student loans ($1.56 trillion and rising inexorably).

We are exploring ways we can educate new employees about how to deal with this challenge and possibilities to help teachers and others pay their loans back. I do worry about the emotional toll this big debt can have on staff.

These conversations with staff have adjusted my thinking quite a bit on my messages and thinking about the best post-secondary options for students. Over my career, I have celebrated with students and families when the student got into an expensive post-secondary option and have given too little thought to the big financial sacrifices associated with attending many colleges. I now believe that we need to do even more to help families understand the cost of college and create opportunities to help them reduce these costs.

One option for district graduates is the Promise Scholars Program which provides incoming full-time students to the College of San Mateo, Skyline College, or Cañada College a full scholarship for two to three years, textbook assistance, transportation vouchers and academic and professional support. 

The program is open to first-time college students who can commit to a full-time schedule or 12 units per semester, though taking 15 units is highly encouraged. The intention of the Promise Scholars Program is to accelerate a student's path toward achieving their educational goals, whether they hope to earn a certificate or an associate degree. Parents and students interested in this program should visit the  College of San Mateo , Skyline College or Cañada College  websites to learn more about the application process.   

Those of us involved in preparing young people for post-secondary options need to be as clear eyed and informative about these issues as we can. I look forward to helping our students navigate the path to post secondary education.
Promoting Equity and Access in our District


Here is an abridged version of my comments to staff during our February 4 Professional Learning Day:

"Our world is increasingly unequal. There are an astonishing array of forces that conspire to keep economic, educational, judicial, and social inequities in place, and it seems that differences in wealth, power, and educational opportunity and achievement continue to grow despite our best efforts.

But I see my colleagues in our District fight for equity every day. Some serve on the special education task force or participate in the co-teaching professional development that takes place. They want to see special education students have the same access as every other student. Others are champions for LGBTQ+ students who struggle to feel safe and accepted on our campuses. Many have participated in language training this year so they can better meet students where they are as opposed to where we would perhaps like them to be.
I see members of our Wellness Team organizing eye exams and visits for our students to the mobile teen health van to provide access to healthcare for students who may not have it otherwise.

This year, at the Board's urging, we have created an access committee. This committee is poised to make some concrete recommendations to the Board about ways we can reduce the impact of the economic differences among the families and students we serve so students can have more equal access to all aspects of school life.

As I sit in on meetings involving the topics above, I hear stories about students and their situations that nearly break my heart. But then I hear about the heroic things individual teachers and counselors, departments, grade level teams, academic houses, and our schools are doing and I'm both inspired and brought nearly to tears by the size of your hearts and your commitment to the young people we serve.

We want to engage in this work from a place that embraces two, seemingly monumental tasks. First, we are doing some heroic work here and we are making a difference in kids' lives.

At the same time, however, there is still so much to be done and we need to do more.
I believe that educators and schools are the most powerful leavening force on the lives of kids.

All the injustice of the world calls out to us as educators to do more, to do better and to think
differently.

When I look at the big picture, I often get discouraged. That said, the San Mateo Union High School District is the one place in the universe where I know, because of what our team does and who they are, we can create and are creating more access and equity for our students.

I have asked our teams to be open, to have conversations that may feel uncomfortable, to dig deep and work hard always having our students' best interest at heart, to be gentle and positive with themselves and others."

I ask this of our teams, and I ask this of our parents. I also ask for your candid feedback. Do you see inequity or problems with access at any level? If so, I am an email away, and I encourage you to reach out. We are stronger when we work together, and I look forward to the progress we will make for all of our students.
A Wonderful Way our Students Support Each Other

Much of my life in education has had a gypsy feel. Some of my colleagues have only worked in our district - this is my eighth educational setting. And while there are similarities across schools and districts, one of the things that stands out for me about SMUHSD is the enthusiasm and energy with which students cheer for and attend each other's events. 

Whether it is plays, football contests, dance performances, or Friday basketball quads between our students, I have never seen a district with such enthusiastic student "fans." 

This is healthy for all concerned.


Housing

One of the greatest challenges faced by residents in our region is the high cost of housing. I speak with our teachers and other staff members daily about the strain of high rental costs, long commutes, and what this means to their longevity with the District. Our high staff turnover costs time and resources that could be better used to serve students. Staff continuity is one piece to the bigger picture of a healthy school where all students can achieve to their full potential

As part of our 2018-19 goals, we will e nsure the District's long-term fiscal health and overall stewardship of resources by exploring staff housing at the Crestmoor property or on the Mills High School campus. Through this initiative, we aim to continue to attract and retain the highest quality teachers and staff.

We view affordable housing as being necessary for a good quality of life, and we are uniquely positioned to face this challenge head on.

Now is the time for the district to begin to explore these options with the help of experts in the workforce housing field and input from our staff and community members. We will host a special study session at 6 p.m. on March 19 at our District Office (650 North Delaware in San Mateo) to further explore and discuss the Crestmoor site and the possibility of selling part or all of this property to use the proceeds to build staff housing.

To join our Housing Stakeholders List and receive periodic updates please email [email protected] .
Peninsula High School

Construction is scheduled to begin this summer on a new Peninsula High School, which will be located on Hinckley Road in a light industrial area of Burlingame. The new facility will serve 200+ students and boast over 6,700 square feet of classroom space in addition to a science and culinary classroom. The site also will include a wellness center and outdoor sports court.

Peninsula's new central location will be situated on one acre and places students closer to public transportation and job and internship opportunities. The new school will be closer to comprehensive high school sites allowing students easier access to athletics and program opportunities.

The new Peninsula High School is scheduled to open in the fall of 2020. Construction would not be possible without the generous support of voters who approved Measure O in 2010. We thank you for your support of our District and our community's greatest resource - our students.
Dress Code

Our Board of Trustees recently examined the issue of our student dress code and adopted new policy and practices.  The policy is based on the Board's belief that appropriate student dress contributes to a productive learning environment. 

We sought input from students, parents and administrators to update and refine the policy in which language that unfairly targeted female clothing as being "suggestive" or "disruptive" was eliminated. 

The new policy places an emphasis on fairness and consistency in the way it is implemented, meaning students will not be reprimanded based on body type or gender identity. The associated administrative regulations call for staff training too, so the dress code is enforced consistently, learning time is maximized, and disruptions to learning time are minimized. On we go - dressed for success!
Enroll Now in College Courses for Summer School

During our recent survey of SMUHSD graduates we learned that many of our alums wished they could have taken college courses during high school. Many asked for courses during summer school; courses on a high school campus; or transportation to the community college. For the first time our district is poised to offer all three!   

This summer, all SMUHSD students have the opportunity to take free courses through the College of San Mateo during summer school. The District will offer eight courses including: Intro to Film, Intro to Library Research, Intro to Business, Intro to Public Speaking, Intro to Kinesiology, Fundamentals of Music, College Planning and College and Academic Success. Students earn community college credits with the successful completion of courses, and most are UC/CSU transferable. Courses will be offered from June 10-July 12 at either San Mateo High or on the College of San Mateo Campus depending on enrollment. If courses are offered at the College, the district will bus students there from San Mateo High.

Taking college courses during high school is a win-win for students allowing them to save thousands of dollars in tuition and possibly complete a two-or four-year degree faster.

Visit our website for more information about courses or enrollment.  

I also encourage parents and students to reach out to school site career coordinators to learn more about summer opportunities including volunteering, internships, and jobs and to learn more about summer opportunity job fairs coming to schools in spring.
Vaping - What You Need to Know

The San Mateo Union High School District Mental Health and Wellness Team, with the Youth Leadership Institute and the County of San Mateo Health System will present: Vaping - What You Need to Know on Thursday, April 11 at Burlingame High School at 6 p.m.  The educational, evidence-based presentation will cover: what is vaping; what do products look like; what are the health impacts of this trend; information about marijuana and vaping and what parents can do. 

This is a free event which is open to the entire San Mateo Union High School District community, but  registration is requested. Spanish and Chinese interpretation will be provided, and free childcare will be available for younger children. 

By the Numbers!



9,002: C urrent number of students enrolled in the San Mateo Union High School District

9,165: Projected enrollment for 2019-2020 school year

8,500: Projected enrollment for 2026-2027 school year



District Energy Savings -- YTD:

8% in water usage

6% in gas usage

9% in electricity usage



18% - decrease in amount of garbage sent to landfills as a result of District-wide sustainability efforts.

Our sustainability taskforce is committed to reducing water, gas, garbage sent to landfills, paper usage and postage by 10%.



8 - Number of College Courses offered FREE of charge to our students through summer school in 2019.

$180 approximate amount saved per college course by taking these free courses in Summer School.


 


2 million - the number of children in the US who do not have the eyeglasses they need to see the board, read a book or participate in class.

In February, Vision to Learn provided 73 students at Peninsula High School with free eye exams and two pairs of glasses if they were needed
Closing Thoughts - 

Many years ago my youngest son was playing 3-on-3 basketball with his older sisters against some neighborhood kids. He got pushed to the ground by the local tough kid and started to cry. I rushed on the court to console him. He cried grievously until his sister yelled, "get up, we need you." Up he jumped, and on they played. This feeling of being needed was repeated often in our family whenever we wanted to play cards, organize a board game, or get out the door to an event on time. We needed our children to help our family run smoothly.

We have lots of needs in life, but after you get past the basics of food, water, sleep, and physical safety, a sense of being needed is about the most important and satisfying. In this realm I think the life of this generation of high school students can be tough. There are few chores to be done, fewer younger siblings to mind, and jobs after school seem to be more of a thing of the past. Many families today can function in almost every dimension with nary a physical contribution from its younger members. While some kids thrive with independence and a focus on pursuing one's own dreams, this journey can often feel pretty empty when it's rooted just in oneself.

I've seen many students over the years who lacked a sense of purpose until they were offered an opportunity that was bigger than themselves. It may have been a job or volunteer experience, or perhaps their family fell on hard times and they needed to work to contribute to the family's income. These life experiences, even those that were perceived as setbacks, became a catalyst for a young person to feel genuine meaning and purpose in life.

I'm not sure why this generation of young people seems less happy across multiple dimensions (sadly the uptick in the number of teens reporting feeling sad and disconnected is a world-wide trend in rich countries). Perhaps our society needs to think a bit less about its young people's accomplishments and more about how they are woven into our families, our schools, and our communities. Because that's where their strength - and ours, will come from.

We are at our best when we tell our kids that they matter - that we enjoy their company, that we relish time with them. They need to know that their family's collective health and happiness depends upon their membership and participation. Above almost everything else, it may be that the most important thing we can say to a family member is "I need you."   


Dr. Kevin Skelly
Superintendent, San Mateo Union High School District