There is nothing quite like the excitement, the energy, and the promise of a fresh start that accompany the beginning of each new school year. We love seeing new students, new staff, new classes – and, as always, embracing new opportunities to learn and grow.
We may be only one month into the school year, but the steady stream of events, activities, and school visits has certainly begun. As our Board and Cabinet members visit many of our schools and departments, we are reminded what an honor it is to be part of this incredible community! Here are some highlights from the exciting first few weeks of school:
IMPROVING PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
Administrative Advance (AI in Education):
This August, our annual Administrative Advance brought together more than 200 district and site leaders to reflect, connect, and strengthen our leadership practices. The Advance focused on the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education and exploring innovative ways to integrate these tools into our work. From streamlining tasks to personalizing learning, AI presents an opportunity to amplify instruction, create new efficiencies for staff, and enable our students to take ownership of their learning.
While some districts are taking a ‘wait and see' approach, we know that, in order to prepare our students for the professions of the future, we need them to develop facility with these tools so that they can adapt to a world that is changing faster than any of us can conceive. In fact, AI is already reshaping the job market, and we have a responsibility to our students to ensure they are poised to navigate the challenges and opportunities of this paradigm-shifting technology.
As a result of our leadership and innovative work in AI, IUSD was recently recognized by as one of only five school districts in the nation leading the way in AI adoption. This recognition highlights our use of platforms such as , and to enhance teaching, learning, and student support. We selected these platforms with great intention because they safeguard student and staff data, ensuring data privacy while offering tools that create new efficiencies for staff and personalization for students.
Professional Learning Day:
Our district-wide Professional Learning Day was embraced by staff, with 89% of our more than 2,000 educators sharing that the highly differentiated content was relevant to their roles. The theme for elementary sessions was “Evidence to Impact,” and teachers engaged with our new reading screener, revisited assessment language, and explored our new AI tools. At the secondary level, the theme was “Amplifying What’s Possible, Safeguarding What Matters.” Educators explored how AI can enhance teaching while maintaining the critically important human element to ensure that we connect with our students, understand and respond to their needs, and continue to facilitate their learning. While our certificated staff met in person, our classified staff engaged in targeted on-demand learning to support their critically important roles.
We are grateful to our educators for their commitment to growth, to our classified staff and leadership who made this day possible, and to our community for supporting a vision where innovation and collaboration are the norm.
Faces and Places of IUSD
New Principals:
I recently met with our two new principals, Karen Wang at Eastshore Elementary, and Eric Keith at Northwood High School. Karen joins us from Saddleback Valley Unified School District, where she was a beloved assistant principal and instructional leader. Eric Keith, whose father, Chuck Keith, was also a beloved administrator at Woodbridge and University High 鶹Ƶ, has transitioned seamlessly into his new role. Eric was a founding member of the Northwood High School staff and a phenomenal teacher and assistant principal. Both Karen and Eric are already at home in their new roles and supported by their outstanding teams.
Principal Transitions:
Corey Pace, formerly at Bonita Canyon Elementary, has brought his considerable talent, energy and joy to Loma Ridge Elementary, and Lauren Sipelis, a revered principal and District administrator who first opened Woodbury Elementary, has joined Bonita Canyon Elementary. We are incredibly fortunate to have veteran and enormously talented leaders guiding our schools.
Partnering with our Community:
I also want to extend a thank you to the and the for inviting us to their recent celebrations and meetings. These organizations are integral to the success of our district, and I encourage you to visit these websites to learn more about their work and how you can support them.
IPSF:
The Board of Education and I had the pleasure of connecting with IPSF donors at a celebratory evening event to kick off the school year and to discuss the future of education in IUSD. As someone who grew up in this district as a student and with parents who were educators here, I know firsthand how invaluable IPSF’s support is to our mission. We like to remind our community that while we are one of the highest-performing school districts in the nation, we are also one of the lowest-funded, and we deeply appreciate that IPSF supports critical programs and services and has committed to a Mega Grant to further our AI efforts.
IUCPTA:
I also attended the two most recent IUCPTA meetings with members of our Board to share information about District priorities and to engage with our PTA Presidents. We could not achieve our mission of providing the highest quality educational experience we can envision without the strength of these partnerships, and our phenomenal PTA leaders and volunteers play a critically important role in supporting our schools and creating welcoming school communities for students and families.
Closing Thoughts
In addition to visiting schools and planning and preparing for an exciting year ahead, I’ve also attended recent football games and community events, and this year, I look forward to connecting with our community and continuing to share the important work happening in our schools.
To that end, I encourage you to explore this edition of IUSD Insights for important information, resources and good news happening around the District. This edition includes:
- Introductions to our IUSD Board Members and Student Board Members
- Attendance Awareness Month
- E-bike safety tips for parents
- Information detailing how and why joining the PTA is important to supporting students and families
- The latest student news
- Other valuable resources and updates
Thank you again to all of our staff, students, and families for helping us start the year strong. Please continue to visit for news and information about our District.