JULY 14, 2019
CHANDLER/TEMPE EDITION
Chandler schools chief welcomes a new year BY DR. CAMILLE CASTEEL Chandler Unified School Superintendent
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s we prepare for our first day of school, July 23, I want to take this opportunity to thank the families of more than 46,000 students for entrusting Chandler Unified School District (CUSD) with their children’s education. We are honored you have chosen CUSD and believe our efforts to create a menu of personalized learning experiences to meet the varied interests and needs of students is unprecedented. Our success starts with a visionary Governing Board that is providing a road map to make Chandler Unified the top school district in the nation. Expectations are high, but our staff is up for the challenge. In 2018-19, our staff proved that by
achieving a score of 92.9 percent on our annual goals. Please visit our website at cusd80.com, where progress is carefully monitored through our 10-year strategic plan, Journey 2025. In order to meet those high standards, our teachers and staff work hard to prepare students for life and career, create diverse paths for learning, develop global understanding, provide student-centered learning and engage parents in the success of their child. With the support of our parents, our students value diversity, think critically and creatively. And, just as importantly, they become problem solvers, engaged learners and service-oriented citizens. We pride ourselves in being the premier district of choice by continuing to add programs that adapt to the needs of the future workforce and interest of students. Our newest endeavor is the development of the Institute for Cyber Operations
and Networking, which will open at Basha High this year. This cybersecurity program will provide four years of high school curriculum, offer a pipeline to higher education in partnership with Chandler-Gilbert Community College and the University of Arizona and help address concerns of a global shortage of roughly 3.5 million cybersecurity professionals projected in the immediate future. The cybersecurity curriculum is the latest among a number of choices and safe learning environments for our families to select. We pride ourselves on providing outstanding educational programs at all grade levels, including: • Free full-day kindergarten • K-8 self-contained gifted programs (Chandler Academically Talented Students) • Knox Gifted Academy
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Traditional academies Mandarin Chinese and Spanish Language immersion programs • Elite Performance Academy for our serious young student-athletes • Accelerated Middle School • STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) diploma • Nationally recognized academic, fine arts and athletic programs • College preparatory advanced placement instruction • Accelerated International Baccalaureate study • Science and biotech classes that promote critical thinking • Chandler Online program • Access to a variety of quality preschool and afterschool programming Academic achievement is among the
learning is an art. We in Kyrene are very fortunate to have many master artists in our classrooms. You only have to walk through any one of our schools to see kids working together to solve a problem, or hear a poem a student crafted on their own, to know that we are truly making a difference in the lives of children.
of a comprehensive social-emotional curriculum. If we are truly committed to making a difference in the lives of children, the addition of counselors is a key piece in achieving that goal. We know that providing support beyond academic interventions to all students is critical to their ability to perform at their full potential, as it helps them to develop resiliency and strategies for coping with risk factors and provides an additional layer of protective factors that will improve the overall social-emotional wellness of our students.
relevant teaching strategies and the development of practices for attracting job applicants from diverse backgrounds. We have already begun the work of focusing on restorative justice opportunities to close discipline gaps and ensure all students are treated fairly. In addition to our work with Corwin, we have engaged with the University of Virginia, Partnership for Leaders in Education to prioritize a set of schools who have historically had achievement, behavior and opportunity gaps. The purpose of this initiative is to empower district and school leaders to create an equitable, inclusive and just system for every student by relentlessly pursuing transformational leadership, teaching and learning in our RISE UP schools. Our commitment is that every child in Kyrene feels like they belong and can
see CASTEEL page 4
Kyrene to unveil several major initiatives, programs BY DR. JAN VESELY Kyrene Schools Superintendent
“We are born makers. We move what we’re learning from our heads to our hearts through our hands.” – Brené Brown A new year is about to begin. All Kyrene students start school on Aug. 1, and families are encouraged to join us for Meet the Teacher nights on July 29 (elementary schools) and July 30 (middle schools). Over the summer, I have been reading the works of researcher and storyteller Brené Brown, and I came across the quote above. Brown says we are born makers, moving what we learn from our heads to our hearts and, finally, through our hands. I see this in action every day in Kyrene schools. At its best, the process of teaching and
Social-emotional learning
The year ahead welcomes several exciting initiatives across Kyrene. This year, we are expanding our efforts to provide students with social-emotional learning and supports. We began this work two years ago with the middle school design, and are in the process of extending social-emotional learning into our elementary schools. This work will include the addition of school counselors to our elementary campuses, as well as the implementation
Equity impact
Equity is also a key focus this year, as we work with expert partner Corwin to build systems of support that identify and eliminate bias. This will include professional development for staff, support for culturally
see VESELY page 4
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High school students must now learn financial literacy BY DEENA LAGER Tribune Guest Writer
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s students head back to school in the coming weeks, they will be getting a new opportunity to learn the skills they need for the future. This spring, Senate Bill 1184, also known as the financial literacy bill, passed in Arizona’s Legislature and was signed by Gov. Doug Ducey. The bill, which had strong bipartisan support along with the business community, makes it mandatory for all high school students to take a financial literacy class as part of their general education requirements. The move couldn’t come at a better time for our students and the state as a whole. Indicators are found everywhere showing the struggles Americans have with their finances, and it’s clear our youth have a great deal to learn about
CASTEEL from page 1
highest priorities in the district, as evidenced by test scores that exceed state and national averages. Every year we ask the public to judge us by the graduates we produce. Our graduating class of 2019 experienced a banner year. In addition to state and national honors in academics, fine arts and sports, we experienced a record number of 43 National Merit Semifinalists. Our graduates earned more than $150 million in college scholarship offers, 22,238 dual college credits and provided 113,569 service-learning hours! Please visit our website for an extensive list of accomplishments. The commitment of our staff, students and families lead to wonderful outcomes. As you can see, I am very proud of our students and dedicated staff. If your children are not enrolled in our schools, I hope you will give us an opportunity to serve you. I am so sure that we can find the right school environment for your child that I invite you to contact my office at 480-812-7600 so that my staff and I can assist with placement for this year.
money management. By the end of 2018, American consumers were looking at $67 billion in new credit card debt, while total credit debt had grown to more than a trillion dollars. In fact, one out of every eight millennials has a debt in collections. Student loan debt is at an all-time high, more than $1.46 trillion as of 2018. There are many reasons this is occurring, but most indicators point to a lack of basic financial literacy, or the skills and knowledge needed to make informed and effective decisions with all financial resources. For example, a 2018 Harris Poll showed that only two out of every five adults has a household budget. Likewise, the same percentage of Americans do not pay their bills on time, subjecting them to late fees and other penalty charges, which will inevitably have a negative effect on their credit scores. For Arizona, the news is not all bad. The state ranks 19th nationally by a Wal-
letHub survey for financial literacy. But we can do better and that’s what this bill is all about. In my role as director of the Arizona 529 Family College Savings Plan (AZ 529), I spend a great deal of time talking to families and individuals about the importance of financial literacy. I want to help more students have the opportunity to attend college without taking on massive debt. AZ 529 plans are designed to help families put money aside while earning important tax breaks. A little savings now can make a big difference in the future. Each dollar saved today for college can prevent two dollars in student loan repayment in the future. For many families, the savings process starts with simple choices. Do I bring lunch or eat out? Can I make coffee a few times a week instead of stopping at the coffee shop? Should I put that vacation on the credit card or save for it in advance?
thrive regardless of their race, gender, income or ability.
Balanced budget
VESELY from page 1
New beginnings
2019-20 sees two long-sought efforts come to fruition in Kyrene. After two years as a candidate school, Kyrene Middle School has been named an official International Baccalaureate school. The I.B. Middle Years Programme will put a global lens on all education at KMS, to help prepare students for future career and college opportunities. We have also spent the past two years “Imagining the Possibilities,” and will be welcoming the first cohort of students to a new educational model within Kyrene de las Manitas this year. Facilities staff have been busy creating a learning studio that will include stateof-the-art technology and areas where students can build, perform and experiment with hands-on activities. The teaching team, under the direction of a certified teacher executive designer, has been working on developing experiential/project-based lessons in preparation for the first day of school. We an-
ticipate great work to emerge from this unique approach to learning.
We are starting the new school year with a balanced budget while honoring strategic initiatives and salary increases for teachers and staff, which, in today’s education landscape, is not an easy task. Kyrene has always had the support of its community for our bonds and overrides, which allow us to minimize severe budget deficits that other districts face. Even so, our margin is very small, and each year, we must identify opportunities for efficiencies, that do not impact our effectiveness, so that we may continue to fund new and innovative programs that allow us to prepare our kids for the future. This year, we invited the community to work with us in identifying budget priorities. We asked our parents, community members, teachers and site leaders to review and prioritize areas of budget reductions as well as new initiatives. This feedback informed the final budget for the 2019-20 school year.
Strategic Plan 2022
Throughout the coming year, we will continue to measure our progress against
The more tools people have for their financial lives, the easier these choices become. And that’s precisely what this bill is trying to provide – tools for soonto-be adults. Researchers working on a study for the Federal Reserve found a direct link between financial education in school with higher credit scores and lower debt. In a different study, the same authors found that students who participated in Financial Literacy classes made decisions that led to lower student loan debt by the time they graduated from college. While this may not be a solution for all of our financial concerns, it is certainly a step in the right direction – a step that is extremely important for the state and our future. - Deena Lager is director of the Arizona 529 Family College Savings Program administered by the Arizona Commission for Postsecondary Education. Information: AZ529.gov.
the goals set forth in the Kyrene Strategic Plan 2022. As I reflect on our work in recent years, I appreciate the progress we’ve made toward those goals of high-performing students, high-quality talent, collective governance, inclusive culture and creating a responsive organization. This progress can be attributed to the hard work of our amazing school leaders, teachers and staff, the leadership and support of our Governing Board, and a highly engaged parent community. We will continue to report our progress to the Governing Board and to our community so that we remain true to the vision for Kyrene, that all students achieve at their maximum potential to become problem-solvers, creators and visionaries of tomorrow. I believe that each child has his or her own special gifts and talents waiting to be discovered. I look forward to seeing those gifts emerge as we progress through another exciting year. My wish for the 2019-20 school year is that we can move learning from our students’ heads, to their hearts and through their hands, to make learning come alive for them in ways they never imagined.
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In-home EV tutoring service is family-friendly BY CECILIA CHAN Tribune Staff Writer
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ractions and long division didn’t come easy for 9-year-old Emily Hernandez. It came to a point when Diana Hernandez realized that the help she was giving her 5th-grade daughter wasn’t enough. So, she turned to Tutor Doctor East Valley. “She’s showing progress on math at home when she practices,” the Gilbert mom said. “She is enjoying math, which makes me happy.” Emily has been meeting with her tutor twice a week for nearly a month. What’s different about Tutor Doctor is the instructor will come to a person’s home and a key point is the tutor is matched to the learner based on learning style and personality. “I think the single most important element is the match,” said franchise owner Kimberly Selchan, a Gilbert resident. “Whether it’s a college student being matched with the subject or a tutor to a kid who’s lost motivation or confidence and a tutor comes in and believes in them and starts to get results. It’s amazing.” Selchan opened her franchise in January and currently employs over 40 tutors – mostly teachers or college students who are subject-specific, such as calculus. The tutors’ backgrounds and academics are vetted thoroughly. Tutor Doctor started 15 years ago and has locations serving more than 200,000 families in 15 countries across the world, according to the company’s website. Selchan’s franchise has 38 students
Tutor Doctor East Valley owner Kimberly Selchan promotes her business at family-oriented events. (Special to the Tribune)
Kimberly Selchan owns Tutor Doctor East Valley.(Special to the Tribune)
from Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa and Ahwatukee in all age ranges, from a 4-year-old to a 53-year-old Mesa mom who decided to go back to college and earn her degree in biochemistry. Tutor Doctor customizes a learning plan based on a comprehensive assessment of students’ strengths and weaknesses. Besides learning a particular subject matter, students also are taught skills such as working memory, sustained attention and performance monitoring to become better learners that serves them well after school. For instance, Selchan said, if students are missing deadlines to turn in assignments, they are taught time-management skills. “We’re not just tutoring in math without giving them the approach to tackle it,” she said. Selchan regularly meets with her tutor and so she knows them, which is important in pairing them with a student. In turn, she asks students during the assessment qualities of a teacher they’ve enjoyed and other information to get clues of the person they would respond to the best. For instance, she may have a student who thinks no one understands him or her and thus is not willing to be open to listening to anyone. She would match that student with a college student, who may have gone through that phase not too long ago. The tutor becomes more of a mentor and guide for the student, Selchan said. “If you get a tutor who inspires them, they will get over the hurdle,” she said.
“They will not progress unless they find a purpose.” Emily was matched with an older tutor named Chuck. “She thinks he’s super-nice and he is very patient with her,” Hernandez said. “She talks about him like a grandpa.” How often students meet with a tutor depends on their schedule and how far behind they are academically. “If they are in the 6th grade but the assessment is closer to 4th grade, which is really common, they’d need three to four sessions a week,” Selchan said. “If they need a little edge, the average is twice a week.” The majority of the students prefer the tutor come to their homes for instruction, according to Selchan. The big thing is the convenience factor ,and families realize their children have already tried the institutional learning model in the classroom and need something more, Selchan said. For Hernandez, she’s having the tutor meet with Emily at a library because there’s too much disruption at the home with two younger siblings. Tutor Doctor’s subject offerings include math, science, language arts and test
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preparation. Selchan said if she gets requests for a subject currently not offered she considers adding it, as in the case when she received a couple of requests for help with thermodynamics. She ended up recruiting a polytech student as a tutor. The business also provides tutors for special-needs students and for online tutoring. Math, with calculus at the college-level, is the most requested by students for tutors, according to Selchan. Another popular request is test preparation for the SAT and ACT, she added. Although Selchan comes from a sales career spanning over 20 years, Tutor Doctor was a good fit for her, she said. Her skills in building strong teams and delivering the best to clients and employees translated well into her new gig. “I want to help those who want help,” Selchan said. “For kids, their job is school. We teach kids to understand how to do their job better and find its value. And when we have families that want that service and are willing to commit to the education process, the model was a win.” Information: tutordoctor.com/gilbertnorth/contact-us/ or 480-530-8029.
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