Superindendent Mario Contini The very best doing their best

Educational research has consistently found that student achievement in school is highly dependent on several factors. At the top of the list is the effectiveness of the teachers a student has over any three consecutive years.

Other factors that correlate with academic achievement include parent support, student motivation, life experiences, language proficiency, socioeconomic status and curriculum design.

I’d like to focus on the teachers at this time and may address other factors and members of the school community in a future column.

On Aug. 27, about 21,500 students in Conejo Valley Unified School District began another year in our schools. When they entered their classrooms, they were greeted by highly competent, dedicated and caring teachers. Students and teachers quickly got acquainted with one another and, in some cases, reacquainted. They approached their first day together in a spirit of enthusiasm, eager to teach and learn.

Together they embarked on a rigorous and relevant curriculum that will prepare our students for success in school and in life after graduation. They began to develop caring and productive relationships, and in a matter of only a few days they were well into the instructional objectives for the year.

In fact, after visiting classrooms, two of our school board members said they were amazed that students and teachers had already made so much progress so early in the school year.

Why did all this happen? It happened in large part because our teachers are the very best and care deeply about what’s best for their students. They’ve refused to let the stressors brought on by the statewide budget crisis, which put the jobs of many of them in jeopardy, distract them from their primary mission to serve kids.

They have an uncanny ability, almost a parental instinct, to put the welfare of their students above their own and to do their very best for the students they serve.

Conejo Valley Unified School District has been extremely fortunate to be able to recruit and retain the finest teachers anywhere. As good as they are, our teachers have a passion for continuous improvement.

During the summer months, many took classes or participated in training to enhance their teaching skills. Some worked on advanced degrees. As the summer drew to a close, they shifted their emphasis to trying to open school even better than in the past. Now that the school year has begun, they’re actively involved in ongoing professional learning activities, continuing to grow both individually and collectively.

As parents and a community, we have every reason to feel extremely fortunate to have these fine professionals in our midst. They are the very best doing their very best for our kids.

Mario Contini is superinten dent of Conejo Valley Unified School District.