Superintendent's Spotlight

The process of transitioning to by-trustee area board elections has included several opportunities for discussion and feedback and we aren’t done yet! There are now a total of 10 draft maps for consideration; one of which will be selected for adoption and voted on by our Board at the December 17, 2024 public hearing. You will receive communication regarding any additional maps that may be created based on feedback.

Visit www.livermoreschools.org/areamaps to access the interactive map or to view PDFs of each map that include population details and proposed election sequencing for the 2026 and 2028 elections. After reviewing the maps, we welcome your feedback as to which map(s) you feel best create trustee areas that meet California’s districting criteria of being geographically contiguous, avoid the division of neighborhoods and “communities of interest,” and have easily identifiable boundaries*. Comments can be submitted through our online form, by email to communityengagement@lvjusd.org, or in person at the December 17, 2024 public hearing in our LVJUSD Boardroom at 7:00 p.m.

The final step in this process will be to submit the Board-adopted map to the Alameda County Committee on School District Organization which will conduct its own public hearing within 60 days of the map adoption. Notice of the county’s public hearing will be posted once our district receives that information.

The shift to the semester system this year at Granada and Livermore has brought several positive changes, including stronger student-teacher relationships, better course continuity, and improved alignment with neighboring districts for athletics and shared academic programs like ROP. However, we have also recognized areas where our bell schedule could be improved to better serve our students' needs.

To address this, I established a bell schedule committee, made up of over 30 teachers, administrators, district leaders, and union representatives, tasked with designing a new bell schedule for the 2025-26 school year. Over several weeks, the committee explored various scheduling options used by other districts, staying focused on creating a structure that prioritizes student learning and support. Their collaborative efforts resulted in a proposed schedule that received strong teacher support, with over 84% approval.

A detailed mock bell schedule will be shared with current 8th through 11th grade students and their families after the winter break, ahead of class selection for the next school year. This will provide a visual overview of the new schedule’s structure.

Key elements of the new schedule include:

• Students will have 6 periods per semester, with limited offerings for an option A period offered before the required school day, as well as a B period offered after the required school day.

• The schedule will feature a modified block structure with three anchor days and two block days. This means students will attend all periods three days a week and have two days with fewer, longer classes. Anchor and block days will be consistent each week.

• There will be designated time for intervention and support during the school day, where students can receive academic assistance, complete homework, or access campus resources such as counseling.

We are excited to share more details in the new year and are committed to ensuring a smooth transition and greater community understanding of these changes.

We are committed to providing every student with the instruction and resources they need to thrive. To better serve our special education community, we are undertaking a thorough review of our program. We began this process by visiting all of our school sites to observe classrooms and gather feedback directly from special education staff and school leaders.

In January, we will launch the Special Education Workgroup (comprised of teachers, program specialists, psychologists, behaviorists, and district and union leaders) which will focus on rebuilding and strengthening our special education programs for long-term success. The extensive knowledge and experience of this group will play a key role in shaping our path forward and I look forward to a productive and collaborative process.

Additionally, we are working to expand the professional development opportunities focused on intervention strategies and other special education topics that are most desired by both our general education and special education staff. Professional development will be critical to the fidelity and strength of our programs moving forward. We look forward to offering those after the holidays.

This spring, I look forward to forming a strategic plan team to develop a 5-year plan for our district. This team will include representatives from all educational partner groups: school board, cabinet, district leadership, principals, teachers, classified staff, parents, students, and community members. Collectively, this team will help us to create a strategic plan that will provide a long-term vision for our organization, and focus on layered processes of goal achievement, implementation, analysis, and adaptation.

More to come on this after the holidays!