School earns top grade in the District
Española Public Schools’ Superintendent Bobbie Gutierrez and the District Board honored Chimayó Elementary at its Sept. 5 regular board meeting, for being the only school in the District to receive an A on the annual school report card released by the New Mexico Public Education Department.
The Board unanimously declared Sept. 5 to be Chimayó Elementary A School Day in the District. Chimayó Principal Janet Malcom sat with her school community and shared in their excitement at the public recognition of her community’s tireless efforts to reach such a momentous milestone for the small school.
“I have been super excited about it, because I think we have been working hard, and that is what we have been working towards all of these years,” Malcom said. “We’ve been taking it one step at a time, and I think it’s even more exciting that we were the only school with an A.”
The School has had its trials over the past four school years, but has managed to claw its way up to an A grade. According to the Department’s website, Chimayó Elementary received a C grade for 2015 and fell the following year (2016) to a D. In 2017, the school began its meteoric ascent and jumped to a B, no small feat, and finally landed an A according to the 2018 report card released by the Department on Aug. 17.
“It was the dedication of the staff, and everyone working together,” she said.”Because no one person can do it alone. It takes custodians, it takes cooks, it takes a whole village. Parents, support from parents, a dedicated staff, everyone working together towards the same goal.”
Malcom’s words resonated as parents, students and staff of the School filled the Board room to capacity to hear Gutierrez’s public declaration and revel in their academic victory with Gutierrez and the Board.
The Resolution
Gutierrez stood in front of those in attendance, and read from the resolution. She began by congratulating the Chimayó community for their success and thanked them for joining herself and the Board to celebrate .
“In your honor, the Board would like to present you with a resolution,” Gutierrez said. “Whereas, the nation’s future and well being relies on a high quality public education system that prepares all students for college, careers, democracy and life long learning and whereas Chimayó Elementary School in Española Public Schools was the only school in the District to receive a school grade of A for the 17-18 school year, and acknowledges that faculty and staff possess the common characteristics of high- performing schools across the nation.”
In reading the tenets of the resolution, Gutierrez and the Board praised the faculty, staff and community for maintaining avenues of positive communication for the betterment of the School’s students and the faculty and staff for accepting their roles and responsibilities in making students successful and embracing the diversity and culture of their school community.
Each member of the Board praised the parents, staff and faculty community of the School for their hard work and support of the district’s students. District 1 representative and Board Vice President Yolanda Salazar was proud of the success of one of her District’s schools.
“I’m really proud of the school and the principal, the staff and the students, we have had a lot of parents that have been very supportive of the kids and the programs that have been integrated over the past few years that I have been involved with the Board,” Salazar said. “I am very proud to be a part of this district. It’s not often that we give the credit due in public for these things, even if you don’t have the A, any improvement needs to be recognized for the hard work that the staff and administrators have done to improve their schools and the lives of their students.”
Parent excited
After the Board gave its praise, there was a break in the meeting for the Chimayó community and the Board to have cake and take a brief moment to celebrate the momentous occasion.
Melissa Sandoval head of PAC (Parent Advisory Council) and a speech therapist at the School shared in the excitement of her community.
“I currently have a student there, and I have two other daughters, one is in college and one is in eighth grade,” Sandoval said. “And they both went there (Chimayó Elementary) and they have all been prepared for their higher learning. I am excited that we finally have proof that things are working over there.”
She said it’s a small school, with a small staff, but they try to do what they can to help and support the School.
Malcolm, while excited by the school’s success, broke down the realities of having such a grade at the School’s open house, according to Gutierrez.
“I was really struck by in the presentation that Mrs. Janet presented,” Gutierrez said. “She (Malcom) really gave a break down to the community of areas where they improved, and where they still had work to do. They aren’t just sitting back on their heels and saying, ‘We made an A, that’s it,’ They are already acknowledging that they did better in certain areas, but we still have a ways to go. I just wanted to tell you, Janet, how great as an educator I think that is because there is always room for improvement.”