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While the January designation of Albany High
School as a “persistently lowest-achieving school” is sobering news, we
have known for several years that the high school had to undergo
important changes. That is why its future was among the most important
elements in our strategic plan, “A Vision for Tomorrow,” which the Board
of Education adopted in November 2008.
Forty years ago when the district built
Albany High it made sense to have one comprehensive public high school.
Today, we believe smaller learning communities will best serve Albany
High students. Community feedback from a December survey that drew more
than 800 responses supports this notion.
How we will structure these communities is
the focus of a district-wide committee of administrators, staff and
parents that has met every week since November. The committee will
present a basic structure of a retooled high school during a series of
March forums to be held throughout the city. The forums will give
students, families and community members an opportunity for input on the
plan that will transform the school to meet the needs of all students.
Should Albany High be one building divided
into several small schools? Should the learning communities be located
throughout the city? Should each one have a special focus? We will raise
these and other questions at the forums, and we look to you for advice
and direction as we move forward.
In addition to smaller learning
environments, restructuring Albany High also could mean changing how we
evaluate teachers and how we connect students to the services they need
in and outside school doors.
The latter subject is the focus of the
Alternative Education Think Tank, another component of our strategic
plan. The think tank began its work in November and anticipates its
first report this spring.
Should you wish to become involved with the
think tank or
the high-school restructuring committee, please contact my office at
475-6010.
There is no more “business as usual” at
Albany High. By June you will see higher pass rates on Regents exams and
lower failure rates in the classroom. By September you will see
fundamental changes in the way the school and its programs are
structured. I urge you to be an active part of decisions about these
changes.
Together we can and will help Albany High
meet its vast potential, and we look forward to working with you on this
exciting and important endeavor.
Raymond Colucciello, Ed.D.
Superintendent
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