Although notification has not been posted yet, the Board is scheduled to have a workshop tomorrow from 2-3 PM to discuss and determine the method of our self-evaluation. Board Bylaw 9400 requires that we conduct an annual self-evaluation "in order to demonstrate accountability to the community and ensure that district governance effectively supports student achievement and the attainment of the district's vision and goals." The evaluation can take many forms, so if you have

When I was in the classroom twenty years ago, a movement began towards student engagement to ensure that every learner can access grade-level content. However, this key pillar of Universal Design for Learning has begun to be distorted by some in the educational community so as to not relate to interests and passions, but to focus on them. Rather than building connections from student interests and passions to standards-based academic content, some encourage instruction them

Not too long ago I attended Bostonia Global's Learning Through Interest Exhibition. At that event, I was pleasantly surprised by a library table hosted by Library and Media Technician Lauren Kingsolver. Her display highlighted not only reading-focused initiatives, but also a lunch program where students could have a place to connect by playing games, doing puzzles, creating, and perusing books. I knew I had to come back and see this wonder in progress, and when I did, the

Be warned about this presented bylaw revision: "Additionally, individual Board members do not have the authority to investigate, resolve, or otherwise actively engage with community members with respect to complaints, personnel or student matters, or legal issues. Any Board member who receives a communication regarding such a topic shall forward the communication to or otherwise inform the Superintendent or Board president, as appropriate, who shall respond or otherwise follo

As one of the final items agendized for this Tuesday's regular board meeting, the Board will be discussing the annual Welcome Back Breakfast held for all District staff. If you have feedback to be considered regarding this event, please attend and share your thoughts during public comment or contact the Board. Thank you.

Notice of Acceptance of Applications for Potential Formation of Real Property Advisory Committee California school districts considering the sale, lease, and/or other asset management options for potential District-owned real property must comply with a complex set of guidelines and procedures established by the Education Code. Currently, the District owns the following sites located in El Cajon: Ballantyne/Park Parcel: o 2.57 acre lot located at the corner of Ballantyne St a

I was able to visit Vista Grande this week to see a wonderful variety of quality educational opportunities with Principal Cordero-Bautista. In the primary grades, some students were segmenting words with physical actions, while others were using transitional phrases to write their own opinion paragraphs. Students showed me their iReady data trackers, self-created graphs able to help students see and celebrate their own growth. In the upper grade classrooms, students were c

Thank you to all our staff for your hard work this school year. There are so many end-of-year demonstrations, celebrations, and ceremonies that are the culmination of the discipline and investment of our students, families, and staff. You are the heart of Cajon Valley. It is in this spirit of gratitude that I want to share about just a glimpse of some growth occurring in the District. I was invited this spring to visit Johnson Elementary with Principal Christine Sphar. We

This Tuesday our Board will be updating some policies, including Board Policy 5145.6 titled "Parental Notification." In the second paragraph, this policy references Education Code 48981, a short & easy-to-understand law: "The notice shall be provided at the time of registration for the first semester or quarter of the regular school term. The notice may be provided using any of the following methods: By regular mail. If a parent or guardian requests to receive the notice in

In the midst of a national movement covered by outlets such as Ballotpedia's Hall Pass and K-12Dive, some states and districts are restricting screen time, and others are considering legislation that would permit parents to opt their students out of being issued a school device or receiving digital instruction in the classroom. However, at CVUSD, the opposite is happening. The final technology section of CVUSD's Parent / Guardian Notifications (https://resources.finalsite.n

I recently spent a day as a facilitator at Ethics in Business, an event for high school juniors and seniors organized by the San Diego Regional East County Chamber of Commerce. This event is dear to my heart because ethics communicates two key worldview foundations that will make or break a life: 1. You matter because you have been created with intrinsic worth, and 2. Consequently, you are accountable for who you choose to be and what you choose to do. Our inherent value as

Last week our Board voted on a proposed CVUSD bond for the November ballot. To be honest, I was a little embarrassed when I discovered my lack of knowledge on the issue. I was surprised by the comments made by our advisors at the meeting regarding the differences in limitation of the two types of facilities bonds, and realized I needed to dive deeper. There are two distinct forms of (general obligation) school bonds, both unique from other types of taxes. Based on our bon

Tomorrow evening, Tuesday, April 21st, is our next LCAP Recap. In addition to an LCAP annual update, staff will gather one-time allocation ideas and provide current information on our Equity Multiplier Sites. If these evening events are of value to you, show your support by meeting me there.

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2026/03/29/its-schools-are-falling-apart-and-voters-wont-pass-a-bond-could-a-little-used-tactic-help-this-district/?_cldee=z5kwI3JBagf7LDYG8mHqdBoOl_CuUm1IhPsCX_1cCDD72ufDYVFGCEce5RdDbhKs&recipientid=contact-753585d55a5aef118161005056b02a09-5946f3378dd74941a575287523ba0014&esid=5bd10dcb-502d-f111-8164-005056b02a09

Tomorrow our Board will continue plodding along to update our overdue policies. Most of them are run-of-the-mill, but two of interest will be BP 6142.93: Science Instruction and BP 6142.94: Social Studies Instruction because both proposed policies have added liberal language in the updates. BP 6142.93 adds a blurb right in the first sentence about climate change, but removes the portion from the previously adopted policy differentiating between fact, hypothesis, and theory.

Cajon Valley trustees & LCAP members have heard a lot about Family Fridays and other parent-focused events intended to help parents support their students academically. While the District's focus has been on oral language and prioritizing family reading, many parents are asking how to strengthen their children's success even more. The issue is nuanced because CVUSD has a 1:1 technology ratio, where all students have a device that they take home on a daily basis. This pract

https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-issues-guidance-prayer-and-religious-expression-public-schools?_cldee=T47mgT7_CZJirCyLU7lKkdSGg4HnOY-TMG6ThAlWOPuAsqa722hJiRHNQIBEOzvY&recipientid=contact-753585d55a5aef118161005056b02a09-bf9a377755474d2fb15e1ec4d99de563&esid=5f7da52a-fe05-f111-8164-005056b02a09

Item 11F on Tuesday's agenda includes the required updates to CVUSD's Immigration Enforcement Policies. Recent legislation and revisions to Education Code 234.7 require that every district in California adopt these policies by March 1, 2026. Unfortunately, this means the Board will have to waive a first reading and adopt the policies on Tuesday. So...this is your only chance to participate in the public discussion of these policies before adoption. Interestingly, while we

On Tuesday (2/17/26) at our monthly regular board meeting, we will be addressing Board Member Compensation. Recent legislation authorized the District to increase our salary up to $2,000 per month. If you feel strongly one way or the other, please come speak - your voice matters!

This past Thursday was our LCAP meeting, but TONIGHT from 5- 7pm is an "LCAP recap". Even if you are not an LCAP Committee member, every stakeholder is invited to hear an LCAP goal update and learn about distribution options for federal Title I funds. Some of the LCAP updates included site-based Family Fridays, mostly focused on literacy. If you have attended any Family Friday event at your site - please reach out and give me your feedback. I'm interested in the effectiven