More Rigorous Curriculum &
Increased Professional Development 
Deliver Academic Performance

Edward Velasquez

Lynwood Unified School District

January 2013

Happy New Year!  As we enter 2013, we continue to celebrate the hard work, dedication and support from our staff, students, parents and community.  Lynwood Unified has seen tremendous growth and progress over the last few years – and we anticipate even greater improvement this year.

We are most excited by our recent student achievement reports that have our overall District Academic Performance Index at 711 – up 22 points from the previous year.  These dramatic gains made Lynwood Unified the most improved unified school district in Los Angeles County, and the most improved among all California unified school districts with more than 6,000 students.  

Individually,nearly every school in the Lynwood Unified School District saw an increased API.  This is a direct result of the Board calling for improved professional development work with principals and teachers, which has created a common instructional model with consistent assessments that promote teaching that is data driven.

Looking back at the past couple of years, we also take pride in the milestones we have reached as a community to bring enhanced facilities and educational opportunities to our students.  The passage in November of Measure K, the $93 million facilities improvement bond, will allow us to repair, renovate and modernize Lynwood schools.

Let me be clear:  California’s public schools have experienced a $20 billion budget reduction and the loss of 40,000 teachers since 2008. In Lynwood, we have also felt the pressure of budget reductions.  However, our austerity measures are paying off.  In early 2012, Lynwood Unified obtained a “positive certification” from the Los Angeles County Office of Education for having a balanced budget and maintaining adequate reserves.  

We have been aggressive in accessing grant funding to assist us in strengthening educational programs.   We are also offering more for our students by bringing back music and dance programs and an expanded enhanced career technical education program, with courses in engineering, television/film and a Microsoft certification.

But it has taken a District-wide and community-wide approach to make these changes.  Parents, teachers, staff and principals are working hand-in-hand to enhance our instructional programs, reminding students that they are the focus of all of our efforts.  I also want to thank our Board of Education for continuing to mandate progress and putting the resources behind this call for excellence.  From their perspective, our students deserve a world-class education – anything less is not an option.

I am extremely proud of the work we have been doing in our District, however our work is not yet done.  Let us continue to be focused and engaged in the education of our students – because only by working as a family will we continue to see the success we are currently enjoying. 

Sincerely,

Edward Velasquez
Superintendent