This week we had the opportunity to interview Dr. Robinson as she went more in depth on what it means to be an “A” school, how we can continue to contribute more to school, and more.
What does it mean to be an A school?
“It means the world to me, the community, students and the staff at large. We have not been an A school in over 10 years now so it shows the hard work of the staff and students working collectively to make sure we are providing the best education to our students.”
What are the schools current improvement goals, and how can we contribute to them?
“Even though we are an “A” school there is definitely room for improvement. We hit the mark but there are some areas we can work on. I’m always a propionate of increasing our literacy scores because it’s everything, no matter what career field students decide to pursue. Also, math; we increased by 7 percentage points, but I believe we can get over the 50 percentile.”
What do you think you did differently last year that helped us become an “A” school?
“It’s not all about me as a principal, although, as a principal you have the vision, but two things I think. The students were definitely more motivated as you guys would say “locked in”. We really instituted small group instruction where the students really got an opportunity to work in groups with their teachers to address areas they were having trouble in. Another thing was this year students actually tested with their teachers rather than testing elsewhere which provided a level of comfort and I think that was really beneficial.”
How will you measure your success here beyond just test scores?
“I think our culture and our climate has a lot to do with that, making sure that we educate the whole child not just from an academic and performance standpoint, but making sure all of our students, if there are any issues, we’re able to help and resolve them. Even from our outstanding counseling team [and] mental health team, making sure the social and emotional learning of students are taken into account too because that’s what comes first. Also, our safety protocols and making sure students have engaging lessons with the emphasis of learning not just teaching.”
What advice would you give to students at Santaluces High School?
“The 4 years you spend in high school will go by really really fast. I’m starting my 12th year here as principal. I can’t even believe it. Embrace all aspects of high school. If you listen to what you’re told on a daily basis, you will graduate [and] you will meet that major milestone that’s anticipated. Also, make it an experience. Be a part of athletics. Make it memorable because when you look back you’re like “OMG what did I do?” Be involved. Make memories. You’re not just coming to school doing reading, writing, etc. all day.”
