The leaders of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) are in lockstep heading into the 2024-25 school year, creating unified priorities to guide the district in what’s sure to be an intriguing 10 months ahead.
With students officially back on campuses Thursday, SMMUSD’s staff gathered at Samohi’s Barnum Hall Monday for an annual convocation event, gaining insight into the district’s six priorities: Reclassification, Special Education, Transformative Approaches, Maintenance, Fiscal Services and a Guaranteed Viable Curriculum.
"These approaches will support and maintain our focus on key areas that will support all of our students," SMMUSD Superintendent Dr. Antonio Shelton said of the priority list.
Reclassification deals with multilingual learners’ path to becoming proficient in English reading, writing, listening and speaking. District Director of Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Ashley Benjamin stated at a recent Board of Education retreat that 103 students were reclassified in 2023-24, and that 138 of the Class of 2024 graduates met the criteria for the State Seal of Biliteracy, achievements the district can build on in 2024-25.
"We ensure that our multilingual learners thrive academically by monitoring their progress and by providing explicit and intentional instruction in English language development," Benjamin said.
The district’s Special Education focus will continue this year as well, which includes a continuation of campus "life skills classrooms" that pilot what Director of Special Education Victoria Hurst called a "unique learning curriculum," adopted for the Alternative Diploma Pathway. In addition, elementary and middle school Specialized Academic Instruction teachers were recently provided with initial training on a "science of reading" aligned intervention plan that can be used for struggling students.
"We are focused on communication, training and compliance with all of our educational partners," Hurst said. "In addition, it’s wonderful to work in a district that focuses on inclusion and belonging for all students."
A priority of "Transformative Approaches" deals with both restorative justice practices as well as the district’s Career Technical Education (CTE) pathways, of which there are 10 currently available, seven at Samohi and three at Malibu High School. Districtwide enrollments in CTE programs increased 8% this past year, to 657 in total, and this year’s introduction of the Samohi Exploration Building was noted to enhance CTE instruction at the campus. In addition, new pathways on Health & Wellness and Law & Public Policy are set to be launched.
"Transformative approaches allow us to create conditions for curiosity, belonging and empowerment," SMMUSD Learning and Innovation Coordinator Dr. Devon Smith said. "As students come into a learning experience and they’re engaged, they really want to learn about the project. They also explore their passions, they explore and find out what they’re really interested in. Thus, learning is more personalized for them."
The priority of maintenance is a wide-ranging one, as Director of Maintenance and Operations Glen Infuso noted that the area entails "all types of repairs," from classrooms and outdoor areas to surfaces of sidewalks and driveways. The district completed 93% of its work orders this past year, 5,733 maintenance and operations orders in total, and will continue with a host of facility improvements this year. In addition to the opening of the Exploration Building and Gold Gym at Samohi, construction is proceeding at a number of campuses, such as work at Will Rogers Learning Community that has already led to a new track and field at the site.
With November’s local elections on facility improvement bonds approaching, the SMMUSD Board of Education recently put its unanimous approval behind a state measure, Prop 2, which would provide $8.5 billion to K-12 schools for modernization and new construction projects. District Chief Operations Officer Carey Upton stated that SMMUSD would have up to $73 million in fund eligibility with Prop 2, broken down into $59 million for Santa Monica schools and $14 million for Malibu schools.
The funds would come via matching grants, with state money generally covering 30-35% of projects. Upton noted that Prop 2 money could go towards modernization projects such as the Santa Monica Alternative School House Water Intrusion Project.
"While we cannot guarantee that we would get any of these funds, we do know that the school facilities across the state are in deep need," Upton added.
The final two areas, fiscal services and a guaranteed viable curriculum, were also stressed as important pieces of the SMMUSD puzzle, with Board of Education President Jennifer Smith throwing her support behind providing an "exceptional education experience" via district curriculum. Finances are entrusted to the team of Gerardo Cruz and Melody Canady, who stated that they’ll ensure that every campus "has the budget allocations they need."
"We’re always looking at the best equipment, the best things that the students can sit on, right down to the best pencil that they could possibly use out there," Assistant Superintendent of Business and Fiscal Services Canady said. "We want to make sure that (staff isn’t) having to think about those types of things, of what they’re actually needing, and it just makes for a smoother, more productive day for both students and staff."
At the August 15 Board of Education meeting, the board also finalized leadership at Malibu High School, approving the appointment of Denise Johnson as the new Assistant Principal, joining new principal Dr. Adam Almeida in Malibu’s administration. Beginning her education career as a counselor in the Simi Valley Unified School District, Johnson worked her way up to the assistant principal role in both the Las Virgenes Unified School District and the Oxnard School District, playing a vital role in daily school operations.
"I am excited to join the (SMMUSD) team … I am grateful for the opportunity to serve with innovative leadership and experienced staff to provide opportunities for our students in the classroom and beyond," Johnson said. "As a mom, I deeply understand the importance of parents entrusting us with their students and deeply value building trusting relationships with our families."
