Measure of Success/Educational Philosophy

Our philosophy of education is simple, ancient and taken directly from the third century BC Chinese sage Lao Tzu:  “If the teacher is not respected, and the student not cared for, confusion will arise, however clever one is.”  We understand the value of standards-based practice and sound pedagogy and that these need to be paired with an authentic environment of care and respect.

There is a sacred moment that happens between a teacher and a student where learning occurs. We believe learning best occurs in an environment where this moment is continually and systemically cultivated, encouraged and manifested.

Guiding Principles

At King-Chavez we believe we are part of something bigger than ourselves and that our lives are full of purpose and meaning.  We believe that together we can create the society in which we want to live.

School Spirit is Primary   -  We believe that school spirit is the primary driver of tangible success.  We believe spirit is primary to programs, plans and pedagogies.  We also recognize the importance of practical skills; we hold that true success is founded in 100% spirit and 100% skill.

Service Centered  -  King-Chavez is based on service to others.  The main role of the Board is to serve and empower the CEO, in turn the CEO’s main role is to serve and empower the Principals. The Principals serve and empower the Teachers. The Teachers serve the Students. 

AAA’s – Academics, Arts and Athletics   -  King-Chavez embraces service and the education to the whole person.  We recognize that Arts and Athletics reinforce basic literacy and numeracy and that emotional development precedes cognitive intelligence.  Integrating Academics, Arts and Athletics into our programs exposes our students, staff and community  to a rich world of meaningful learning experiences. 

Simplicity and Alignment   -  We keep systems and processes simple and aligned with the outcome of student academic achievement.  Great progress is made through consistently meeting simple and obtainable goals.

Opportunity for Local People  -  Leadership is cultivated from within.  We are committed to providing living wages for local people.  We support local businesses.

Adaptability   -   We understand that relevance is founded in being sensitive and adaptable to needs and opportunity.  We are committed to solving tomorrow’s challenges.

Moral Obligation to Share    -  We as individuals and collectively as an organization have a moral obligation to share our successes with others committed to serving their communities.

Our Measures

Tangible results are where the rubber meets the road.    Clear objectives and deliverables provide a clear target and help aligned efforts, energies and initiatives.   Our organizational measures are as follows:

Academic Excellence  -  How is the school performing relative to State (Academic Performance Index) and Federal Standards (Adequate yearly progress)?  How is the school performing compared to local, demographically similar schools?

Fiscal Responsibility  -  How strong are the schools finances as demonstrated through fund balance and reserve levels?  How well are reserves balanced with programs being delivered that address real community need?

Retention of Quality Staff  -  The staff is the lifeblood of the organization.  This is measured through the retention rates of quality employees (see measures below).  How unsentimental is the leader in “trimming the tree” when staff does not embody quality or has a poisonous effect on culture and climate?

Community Engagement  -  We believe we are only effective when we work “with” the community as opposed to “for” the community.  We measure community engagement through parent advisory council participation, parent night attendance, parent teacher conferences, volunteerism and other local site-appropriate measures.

Leadership Development – We believe that leadership development is the epicenter of systemic change.  Leadership development is measured by the advancement of people under your care.  This can include the number of people that  1)get four-day work weeks, 2) become Principals,  3) further their education and successfully complete relevant courses of study, 4) initiate and complete projects furthering the mission of the schools and their personal bliss or 5) other local site-appropriate measures.