About Ketti Davis
Greetings Central Unified community! This first semester has flown by but has been incredibly productive for our students and staff. We witnessed students engage in many activities that inspired and motivated them, such as robotics, Unified Sports, athletic competitions, theater productions, and band and choir competitions, to name a few. We stood alongside schools, programs, and staff as they were recognized for their remarkable efforts. Some of these fall recognitions include Model Positive Behavior Schools, Special Olympic Champions, Energy Star schools, and America's Healthiest Schools.
We continue to focus on raising academic achievement in Central Unified. Teachers are working collaboratively to share instructional practices that work best so that we can help our students read at higher levels, gain English proficiency, increase math and literacy performance, and graduate on time. We are testing out new strategies in math instruction and addressing assessment and grading practices to reduce failure rates for students transitioning from middle to high school. As students experience success in these trials, we will be able to spread these new practices across the district for all to benefit.
Our facilities are also receiving attention in many areas. This work began with enhancing the outdoor spaces of our schools. Now our maintenance and operations team are turning their attention to indoor spaces. Currently, we have projects happening at every school to ensure our physical spaces are inviting, healthy, and safe for student learning.
A committee of students, parents, community members, and staff has been working to study ways of balancing enrollment at our three traditional high schools: Central High School, Central East High School, and Justin Garza High School. Information gathered through an online survey and at town hall meetings will help the committee prepare recommendations for our Board of Trustees. We look forward to the outcomes of this work. I encourage families to continue sharing with us their thoughts and ideas about what is best for their children. This upcoming semester, our community will have opportunities to continue these discussions.
I am optimistic about what is still to come this school year. Our partnership in supporting students’ needs is critical to our success. I encourage you to connect with your child’s teacher, your school’s principal, and get to know the office team, which includes knowledgeable secretaries, health staff, counseling staff, and bilingual family outreach liaisons. Our teams are ready to work alongside you to make sure our students’ needs are met and they have the necessary supports to achieve. Many thanks for a great start to this school year. Be safe over the holiday season. We will be ready for you in 2024!
