January 2012

Dear Parents and TUHSD Community,

On January 4, winter break came to a close and school doors opened for a new semester in a new year. I’d like to welcome all of our students back to school and wish them a very happy and productive new year. In this season of new beginnings, let us turn the page on what is past and look to the future with hope and high expectations.

2011 was a year full of successes, celebrations, milestones, and hard work by all. The start of a new calendar year; indeed, every new beginning, is the ideal time to revisit our beliefs, renew our commitments, and rededicate ourselves to making TUHSD a better place for students, staff, and community members. It is no secret that we are living and working in challenging times. We may have less money, fewer resources, more worries, and more stress, but we have each other, a lot of good will, and a very important job to do. We willingly share a noble mission and a collective commitment to put our students first and to give them the education they deserve. In Great by Choice, Jim Collins states, “We cannot predict the future. But we can create it.” I believe that 2012 will be a year in which we take great strides in redefining and creating a brighter future for the students of our district. Together we will work to put our students first, lead by example, and make decisions that will focus on a better tomorrow.

I welcome the new year and the opportunity to work with the TUHSD community. It is my goal to continue to work with all stakeholders in finding the best ways to prepare our students for success in the future. 

Happy New Year!

Lexi Cunningham
Superintendent

Excellence in teaching and learning is taking place in all TUHSD schools. The correlates of effective schools state the importance of a clear and focused mission, safe and orderly environment, high expectations for student and staff success, opportunities to learn, positive home-school-community relations, frequent monitoring of student progress, and strong instructional leadership.

On October 12, the Arizona Department of Education released for the first time A-F letter grades for every public and charter school in the state. These school/district achievement labels are the result of legislation passed last year and are based on a state accountability system administered by the Arizona Department of Education. The accountability system is designed to show how well schools and districts do as a whole on mastering the state standards in the subject areas of reading, writing and math.

Please view the letter from Dennis Dowling, Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction, for the full letter. For more information on A-F letter grades, please visit the Arizona Department of Education website.