Dear Canutillo community,
As per the Texas Education Agency (TEA), the safety zones plan is set to expire on January 31, 2021, marking a return to in-person instruction. if you have decided for your students to return to school in-person on Monday, please remember to complete a Student Screening Checklist found on our website each morning before your child leaves for school.
Parents will continue to have the choice to keep their children learning remotely at home for the remainder of the school year.
We have worked closely with local and state authorities since the onset of the pandemic, which has been vital during these unprecedented times. I can attest to the fact that our local health officials have been an important source for guidance. While the health authority serves as a guide for operating our schools safely, the Texas Education Agency and the Governor of Texas are the ultimate authority for determining the open status of schools.
It is quite normal to experience fear during a crisis. But I think the best way to alleviate this natural anxiety is to look and trust our experts. However, fear should not paralyze us from moving forward. Let us embrace our roles and responsibilities and do our part in serving our students and community.
With all that our students and staff endured at the onset of the global pandemic last year, we received some encouraging news about their academic performance. The CCMR rate for CISD increased from 69.5% in 2019 to 75.9% in 2020. This 6-pt. increase indicates that our students are not only "college ready" but rather "college, career, and military ready". This data is highlighted in the annual Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR). Theoretically, if we had sustained the same academic results from 2019 and with the increase in our CCMR scores, we would have been the only district in the region with a triple A rating for 2020.
Each year, students in the Canutillo Independent School District participate in STAAR testing, which includes assessments in grades 3-8. This year, the assessments will be administered online during the Spring and must be taken at the school, per TEA.
Test results give us an idea of how our schools are progressing in view of our academic goals and objectives, which is especially important as we have departed from in-class, physical instruction to remote platforms. Therefore, we strongly encourage parents to fully comply with testing requirements. Just as medical doctors rely on tests to diagnose and treat health concerns, we depend on assessments to diagnose and treat academic concerns.
We look forward to seeing some of our students back in-person on campuses Monday. But as always, we will continue to strongly support the many others who will continue with remote learning. Our goal remains that no student goes backward.
CISD will take every measure, in consultation with our health experts, to ensure everyone’s safety. Stay healthy and safe.
Dr. Pedro Galaviz
Superintendent of Schools