by Ralph Mechur, SMMUSD School Board member
Throughout SMRR’s history, education has always been a focal of point of the membership. SMRR strives to guide the community in providing learning opportunities to residents of all ages and in having a strong Pre-K through 12th grade public school system.
Education advocates Connie Jenkins and Mary Kay Kamath were elected to the SMMUSD Board of Education in the early 1980’s and led efforts to change district policies and practices to better support equity and access for all students in our public schools.
For over 30 years SMRR has worked with leaders from across the community to pass measures providing hundreds of millions of dollars for capital improvements for new buildings and modernization and to support teachers and innovative curriculum in the classroom.
More recent school boards have created programs with SMC to prepare students who will be the first in their families to go to college and dual enrollment opportunities for all students to gain college credit while in high school.
Moving ahead, SMRR-supported boardmembers are leading the district in creating individualized learning and capstone small high school programs, expanded pre-school programs, creating ethnic studies/American cultures courses and high school graduation requirements, and a sustainability master plan – all to make our public schools meet the needs of our diverse student body in the 21st century in environmentally responsible facilities.