Melanie Paliotti

National University
EDA 611

Local School Community

In order for a school, and a school leader, to be successful it is imperative to know, understand and
appreciate the school community. So much of leadership is about building relationships and in order to build
relationships and connect with the students and families in the school community, it is important to get to know
them. Every community is diverse and different and leaders must be sensitive to the unique needs of the people
they serve. If leaders strive to create and maintain positive school culture and climate, they must listen – listen –
listen and involve all stakeholders in the community.
This year, I am serving as the assistant principal of a different school than last year. Our district is facing
huge budget cuts and a declining enrollment. Over the summer it was decided that every elementary school with
less than 750 students would no longer have an assistant principal. Vista Academy has 600 students so I was
moved to Empresa Elementary with close to 850 students. It has been important for me to get to know my new
school community as quickly as possible and it is very different from the population I served at my prior school.
The district serves a diverse population of students including approximately 3,000 students in special education
programs and more than 4,000 English Language Learners. Enrollment has declined from about 26,000 in 2000 to
just fewer than 22,000 in 2017 and now has 28 schools including 15 elementary (one was closed over the summer.)
Overall the district demographics include many special populations. Of the students served by the district
58% qualify for free lunch and 10% of students are homeless. 86.4% of students at my previous school, Vista
Academy, were socioeconomically disadvantaged as compared to 29% of students at my new school, Empresa
Elementary. Vista Academy qualified for Title 1 funds and additional funding as a magnet school. Empresa has a
very small operating budget and does not qualify for additional monies. While Vista Academy is a Visual and
Performing Arts IB Magnet school, Empresa is also known for its music program. Empresa, however, pays for its
music teacher and music program through its own Performing Arts Foundation and parents raise all of the money
on their own.
Vista Unified School District has a diverse student population as can be seen in the following chart:
Ethnicity / Race Vista Unified Vista Academy Empresa
School District of Visual and Elementary
Performing Arts
Black or African 4% 1.0% 2.3%
American
Asian 3% 0.2% 4.0%
Filipino 1% 1.0% 2.8%
 Hispanic or Latino 60% 90.2% 36%
Pacific Islander 1% 0.2% 1.1%
White 28% 6.6% 44.6%
Two or More Races 3% 0.8% 9.1%
The district, as a whole, is very diverse. My new school is very different than the school population I served the
last few years. In some cases, Asian, Filipino, White, and students of two or more races, Empresa is higher than
the overall district average. Hispanic or Latino students make up 60% of the overall district, over 90% of my
previous school and only 36% of my current school.
This diversity also impacts the languages students speak. In VUSD, 24% of students are English Language
Learners. At Empresa only 6.5% of students are identified as ELL while 51% are designated as ELL at Vista
Academy. Vista Academy had a very active ELAC and this year, unlike last year, Empresa was able to find enough
parents who were willing to serve as leaders on our ELAC board to enable the school to have an English Language
Advisory Committee. At Vista Academy the majority of parents spoke Spanish which meant it was necessary to
translate everything (website, phone blasts, permission slips, parent presentations, newsletters, conferences, IEP
meetings, etc.) which was a challenge. It was difficult to make parent phone calls as a non-Spanish speaker. At
Empresa, the vast majority of parents speak English (along with other languages) and it is more the exception than
the rule that things must be translated. Empresa does, however, have a relatively large population of Newcomers
who have just arrived in the US educational system and who do not speak English. Empresa has newcomers this
year who speak Portuguese and have just arrived from Brazil, Arabic speakers, Vietnamese newcomers – in
addition to those who have recently arrived to the country and only speak Spanish. I am working closely with our
district’s English Language Learner Coordinators to support the teachers at Empresa as they work with our
newcomer students. Our director of ELL and our Superintendent have come to our campus already this year to
walk the campus and visit classrooms with ELL/newcomer students to provide feedback. We have provided an
opportunity for teachers of newcomers to meet with the Coordinators to ask questions and to receive additional
materials and support. We will be piloting at Empresa a new software program for the district that will help
supplement the instruction in the classroom. We will work to apply and qualify for Title 3 additional funds so that
we may offer additional after school tutoring and support for our newcomer students.
As a district and school site, we offer both designated and integrated English Language Development
teaching and support. Both are required and as a district, VUSD has determined that ELL students must receive a
minimum of 45 minutes of designated ELD instruction. Empresa implements the district’s Strategic Plan for English
Learners with a focus on accelerating the rate at which our EL students gain fluency in English. The best teaching
comes from the students’ teacher because they know them the best. All students are language learners and all
benefit from the same best teaching practices that support English Language Learners. Use of visuals, front-
loading of vocabulary, building of background knowledge, a language rich environment, sentence frames,
opportunities for conversation and writing – all should be in place in all classrooms for all students. Teachers are
Empresa work to meet the needs of all students. Language supports are in place in all classrooms and teachers
integrate language learning into all subject areas. Teachers also pull small groups or individual students, as
needed, after lessons to ensure that language was not a barrier to understanding content and participating in the
lessons, activities and meeting of content area standards. We also have a bilingual community liaison one day a
week on our campus and a bilingual secretary to help build and maintain relationships and communication with
our Spanish Speaking parents and families.
Technology is also a tool that supports learning at Empresa. All students, transitional kindergarten
through fifth grade have access to their own device (iPad or Chromebook) 1:1. Teachers use many data analysis
programs to review student data and monitor student progress. Teachers use iReady Math and ELA, Lexia, ESGI,
Accelerated Reader and the Google Suite of applications to support learning. The district has also provided
additional materials (photo cards, etc.) to aid the acquisition of English.
It is also important to recognize and appreciate differences in cultures and religious backgrounds. It is
difficult to gather data about the religious affiliation of students and families. We have a diverse population -
Christians (Catholic, Presbyterian, Non-Denominational), Jewish, Latter-day Saints, Atheist, Seventh-Day
Adventists, Hindu, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Islam/Muslim among others. It is important to consider these
backgrounds as people of various faiths and beliefs celebrate holidays differently or do not participate in
celebrations such as Halloween and birthday parties (both impact students on an elementary school campus.) It is
important to ensure that all students and families feel included and part of the school community and to plan
events accordingly. Sometimes teachers must be mindful to provide alternative opportunities for students who do
not or cannot participate in an event at school. It is important to build relationships with all families and for
teachers to get to know the backgrounds and needs of the students and families and to be sensitive to all in their
care.
At Empresa, we work hard to include parents, families and our school community and to involve parents
as much as possible in our school program. Our PTA, School Site Council (SSC), and the new English Language
Advisory Council (ELAC) are very active groups of parents and staff who work together to support and guide the
school. The PTA is alive and thriving at Empresa with most families joining as members yearly (over 500 members)
and a fully functioning executive board. PTA sponsors events such as the annual Daddy Daughter Dance and a
Mother Son Bowling Event. PTA also funds grade level assemblies and study/field trips to augment the educational
program and also purchases playground equipment and outdoor furniture (tables, umbrellas, benches, chairs) and
indoor flexible seating. Parents on the SSC approve the school’s Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) and
the Comprehensive School Safety Plan (CSSP) each year. ELAC provides input on the most effective ways to
support participation of English Learners in all aspects of our school. Empresa also has a Performing Arts
Foundation (EPAF) who raise money to fund our school’s music program. Many amazing events are held
throughout the year to build community and to raise money for our programs including two weeks of APEX
(leadership lessons culminating in a jog-a-thon), dine-out nights at local restaurants, annual music festival and
auction, spring sock hop, etc.
I am also responsible for coordinating our school’s “Watch DOGS” – Dads of Great Students. Dads of our
Empresa students volunteer as a DOG for a day at school. They receive a special t-shirt and help to welcome and
high-five students as they arrive and at dismissal at the end of the day. They help in their own child/children’s
classrooms and are out on the playground playing during recess and eat lunch with the students. They love it and
the students benefit from having the positive male role models on campus! In the 19 school days in September we
had 27 Watch Dogs on campus! We also have Bookworms. Grandparents and other retired members of the
community come for 1-2 hours each week to volunteer to read with our Kindergarten, 1 st and 2nd grade students
who need extra practice and attention. The grandparents, the children and our entire school community benefits
from this program tremendously. I also have the wonderful opportunity to make many positive connections with
our students and families. Teachers recommend their students as P.O.P.P. Stars (Pupils of Positive Praise) and the
students come to the office to be celebrated and a special phone call home to brag about how wonderful they are.
All of these things help to build excitement, love, involvement, and commitment to our school and enable us to
support all of our students and their families.
As a school leader, it is important to know and understand the diverse and unique community you serve.
Attending school functions is not enough – it is the time spent giving high-fives every morning and every
afternoon, the conversations with parents in person and on the phone, and time spent with students in the
classroom and at lunch and recess – that make a difference in supporting all in the school community. It is about
“walking the talk” every day – in words and actions. Understanding, respecting and appreciating the diverse
population allows school leaders to be sensitive in meeting the needs of all he/she serves so that all feel valued
and included in the school community.