Jaime Rodriguez is a public education success story. He graduated from Alta Vista Continuation High School in June of 2008 with a 3.8 grade point average and over $13,000 in scholarships to attend college. The staff chose Jaime as a graduation speaker because of his dedication, strong work ethic, and academic success. However, the road to educational success was not always so bright for Jaime.
Prior to enrolling at Alta Vista, Jaime was a student at our 1,700-student Mountain View High School. He was never much of a student in middle school, and became even less of a student during his freshman and sophomore years. He began to miss classes, not hand in homework, and get into trouble. Because of not passing courses, Jaime got behind in credits and was assigned to Alta Vista his junior year.
Something happened to Jaime once he started his new continuation high school. Instead of not attending, he started to go to school regularly and focus on earning credits. The 150-student campus provided a supportive atmosphere for Jaime to thrive. He received individual attention and support from the staff, and soon was on grade level. Alta Vista Principal Bill Pierce remarked, “Jaime is one of the hardest working and most motivated students that I have encountered during my twelve years as principal. Jaime is a role model for us all.”
As part of his graduation speech, Jaime extolled the virtues of the Alta Vista staff. “Without the support of the Alta Vista staff, I would never have made it. They are responsible for who I am today.”
I invited Jaime to speak to an audience of over 300 Mountain View-Los Altos High School District (MVLA) staff members as part of our annual district kick-off event in August. He repeated his success story with dreams of college graduation and an optimistic future. Only two years before, Jaime seemed destined to the life of a high school dropout.
There is no “one best system” for every student; different students have different needs. Our job as public educators is to find the right fit so that all students can be successful. This is why MVLA offers a myriad of placement options for students, including an alternative continuation high school that is complementary to our comprehensive high schools.
In addition to Jaime’s success, Alta Vista has recently received more good news about its focus on academic achievement. With a 2008 Academic Performance Index (API) improvement of 192 to a score of 700, Alta Vista improved more than any other school in Santa Clara County. Overall, they are the second-highest API ranked continuation high school in the county. This year, Alta Vista has its sights set on creating more success stories like Jaime’s, and maybe even becoming the highest ranked academic continuation school in the county.
Barry Groves is superintendent of the Mountain View-Los Altos High School District.
