Dr. Rob Leri: A rich, diverse, and comprehensive educational experience for our scholars.
Guest columnist
With the new school year starting on Tuesday, Sept. 3, Tahoe Truckee Unified School District is excited for a great year of learning ahead.
At TTUSD, we are committed to providing pathways to possibilities and student success. We achieve this in partnership with parents, teachers, staff, and our community. The high-quality and well-rounded education we offer for our students is possible because of the generosity and support of our community.
I am honored to serve as your superintendent chief learning officer for my eighth school year and couldn’t be prouder to be leading our award-winning school district. At TTUSD, we have a dedicated team of professionals who are focused on the academic and emotional success of each of our students. We do this through a rich, diverse, and comprehensive educational experience for our scholars.
We are also fortunate to have a strong and active Board of Education who embodies our district’s visions and beliefs. Our belief #1 is that students are the focus of all decisions, and our board lives by this. We are appreciative of their leadership and the fact that they always act in the best interest of our scholars. The board’s strong connection to our students and staff, as well as their presence at school and district events, is valued and integral to why they govern so effectively.
Currently, our board and leadership team are in the process of revisiting our Pathways 2020 Strategic Plan and our vision and beliefs. We want to ensure we continue to grow and improve and that we are as strategic as possible in what we do.
TTUSD students are thriving and engaged and have strong personal connections at their schools. These connections are so important and powerful, and we strive to ensure that every student has meaningful connections and relationships at their school and feel safe, comfortable, and ready for success.
We have many programs in place to ensure our students are ready for college, career, and life by the time they graduate. Here are highlights of some of our programs for this school year:
Career Technical Education Pathways
We offer a variety of high-quality Career Technical Education Pathways. Our CTE Pathways combine rigorous academics and hands-on learning experiences with real-world application. Each pathway provides opportunities for internships, job shadows, workplace visits, industry certifications, and competitions. The content of pathway courses is highly challenging while including hands-on learning from experts in the Tahoe Truckee community.
Scholars explore college options, career opportunities, and develop key competencies, such as problem-solving, innovation, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication; all are necessary skills to thrive in today’s 21st century workplace. We offer pathways in engineering, biotechnology, culinary, public safety, and more.
Advanced Placement Courses
Our scholars have access to up to 15 Advanced Placement (AP) courses at our comprehensive high schools, including Biology, Physics, Environmental Science, and Computer Science. AP classes are designed to prepare students for the rigor of college-level work and post-graduate success. We are very proud of our high number of AP offerings despite our small school sizes as it rivals high schools in large cities. AP courses are also offered through our Cold Stream Alternative School. Thank you Measure AA, for funding this outstanding program.
1:1 Technology Program
We have a very successful 1:1 technology program thanks to the support from the Excellence in Education Foundation. All students in grades five through 12 receive their own Chromebook for the school year to use in class and at home for their school work. This personal device is to support the day-to-day instruction and learning and support teachers as they integrate educational technology throughout their lesson plans. (Fourth-grade students are also part of our 1:1 program as well, but the devices do not go home with them.)
Athlete Committed
We are in our fifth year of Athlete Committed. This program supports our athletes, coaches, and parents. Athlete Committed is a community partnership designed to optimize athletic performance and health and wellness by educating athletes on the impact of nutrition, sleep, character, stress, and chemical health. Student-athlete leaders play an integral role in the implementation and promotion of this program. They promote the model, participate in training their peers, and support their fellow athletes on and off the field.
Dr. Rob Leri is superintendent chief learning officer of Tahoe Truckee Unified School District.
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