SAN ANTONIO – On the job less than a year, Superintendent Pedro Martinez said he’s ready to lay out a “Blueprint of Excellence: Target 2020” for the San Antonio Independent School District.
He said the programs and strategies he will outline during the a series of community meetings over the next month are the result of feedback over the past six months from throughout the community.
“We want to be aggressive and we want to make sure families know that we are listening to them,” Martinez said.
The first meeting is set for Monday evening at Sam Houston High School. All of sessions begin at 6 p.m.
“Currently, even though we’re graduating 80 percent of our children, only 3 percent are college-ready,” Martinez said. “The majority who go to college are taking remedial courses, so they’re starting behind.”
He said some have questioned whether turning that around in the next four years, is possible.
“My response is, let’s at least try, because if we can get close to our goals, this district is going to be significantly better than it is now,” Martinez said.
For instance, the superintendent wants to see all students literate by third grade.
“We have significant challenges in the early grades where the majority of our children are below grade level,” Martinez said.
He also said another priority are those who are having trouble learning English.
“They get behind and by the time they get to middle school, they become the highest at risk for dropping out,” Martinez said.
The superintendent said parents also can expect to see more magnet schools and dual credit programs to better prepare students for college courses.
He said the district also is looking at different ways to attract and keep new teachers and principals, such as offering them on-the-job mentors.
“Our schools have a 93 percent poverty rate. Most of our children are at risk or below grade level,” Martinez said. “It takes a different type of individual to come into our schools and be successful.”
He said the goal by 2020 is for 70 percent of SAISD schools to earn an A or B rating under the state’s accountability system.