Innovate, Ignite, Inspire!
Supt. Ben Churchill, Carlsbad Unified School District
Welcome to the 2017-18 School Year!
Recently I had the pleasure of welcoming back our teachers and staff at our Back-to-School All Staff Kickoff. We were treated to a rousing performance by the Marching Lancers and Lancer Cheer and to a motivating and thought-provoking presentation by renowned education innovator George Couros. But, above all, I was moved and inspired by the spirit of collegiality, the passion for excellence, and the joyous enthusiasm of our CUSD teachers, administrators, and staff. Education is a people business, and, as the dad of two CUSD students, I am proud to say that our people are extraordinary.
As we enter the 2017-18 school year, Carlsbad Unified has many reasons to celebrate. This year we welcome 37 new teachers and certificated staff members, and 16 new classified staff. We celebrate the 123 employees who have given 20 years or more to educating students here at CUSD.
In its “2018 Best School Districts List” the well-regarded website Niche ranks Carlsbad Unified in the top 4% in California. It also ranks CUSD in the top 25 in the state (top 2%) for athletics. Five of our schools, moreover, have been named Gold Ribbon Schools in the last two years.
Carlsbad Unified has also excelled in state SBAC test scores. Our 2016-17 English Language Arts scores are at the top of the county for unified district performance, and our Math scores are in the top three of the county. Our efforts to close the achievement gap are paying off, as scores for ELL and Socioeconomically Disadvantaged students have also improved significantly.
Our Advanced Placement (AP) results, with a 83% pass rate, are some of the highest in the county. (State and global AP pass rates are 62% and 60%.) We also continue to increase the number of students who take at least one Advanced Placement course, from 827 students in 2015-16 to 930 students in 2016-17, an increase of 103 students.
In addition, Carlsbad Unified strives to meet its LCAP goals. Last year 75% of our graduating seniors met UC/CSU A through G requirements, and 80% of our seniors went on to college. CUSD’s 92% college persistence rate tells us that our students are well-prepared and successful at the college and university level.
Our sports, broadcasting, film, performing arts, and other programs have won numerous championships, awards, and accolades. Notably, Sage Creek High School Boys Volleyball won the State Championship; the Carlsbad High School Lancer Dancers won the National Championship in the Hip Hop competition; the Valley Middle School Lab Coats of the Future Robotics Team took First Place for their project in the International FLL Championship; and the Carlsbad High School and Valley Middle School Broadcasting Programs were recognized as the top programs in the nation.
As we move forward into the 2017-18 school year, we will be intentionally focused on our Mission “to provide every student an extraordinary education in an inspiring environment.”
We will relentlessly pursue our Graduate Profile goal of preparing all students to be effective communicators and collaborators, critical thinkers, ethical and responsible citizens, lifelong learners, college and career-ready scholars, and self-directed individuals.
We will embrace the use of social media to share, to learn, and to expand possibilities. As keynote presenter George Couros stated, “The smartest person in the room is the room.” We are all stronger and more effective when we work together.
We will promote open and connected learning, and crowd-accelerated innovation. Again, in Mr. Couros’ words, “Innovation is a mindset. Innovation is a way of thinking that creates something new and better.”
And we will always remember that relationships matter.
What happens in our schools today will have a long-lasting impact on our community and our society. We can’t focus simply on the needs of today. We have to be an education system that focuses on the needs of tomorrow, the careers of tomorrow, and the learners of tomorrow.
Carlsbad Unified is truly a special place, and I am excited to enter my second year as your superintendent.
