As a proud parent, grandparent and alumna of the San Antonio Independent School District, my ties to this community run deep. And as an active participant and observer of our educational landscape, it is clear to me that change is urgently needed. Our teachers, students and administrators are navigating a sea of challenges and their resilience deserves more than admiration, they need actionable support.
We are currently in a system where crucial resources like music teachers, art teachers and librarians are stretched thin across several schools; some schools have only one teacher per grade level; and small school populations limit the availability of after-school activities like sports teams or band programs. This lack of opportunity is not just disappointing, it widens the competitive gap for our students as they look toward college admissions.
Instead of framing rightsizing as a reduction, we should view it as an opportunity for consolidation and enhancement of resources. The goal is not to cut back, but to create a network of resources that provides our students with more teachers, activities, programs and choices — all in one place.
My own view of rightsizing is shaped by a recent visit to the Cleveland Metropolitan School District in Ohio, which recently underwent a significant rightsizing process. Their model was student-centered and guided by values of transparency, dialogue, and community decision-making. Their model brought together services that were scattered across various locations, making them more accessible and efficient. In doing so, they were able to offer their students a broader range of extracurriculars and give their teachers access to the support they needed.
After years of volunteering in SAISD schools, one thing is clear: the students in our community do not know what they are missing. They do not know how good of an educational experience they could have because they have never seen anything different. Our resources are stretched too thin across too many schools to provide our students with the educational experience they deserve. With larger student populations under one roof, we could open a wealth of opportunities for diverse educational experiences and extracurricular activities. We could give our students, who are the heart of our efforts, broader horizons.
Of course, all this cannot happen without a crucial ingredient: dialogue. Just as CMSD exemplified, any successful rightsizing initiative must be rooted in transparent and continual communication between all stakeholders because our schools are at the center of our community ecosystem. This means listening to and addressing the concerns of our teachers, administrators, parents, students and community. It is about understanding our shared goals and how we can best achieve them together.
The future of our children’s education hinges on our willingness to explore innovative approaches and make tough decisions. Let us not shy away from change. Let us embrace it, learn from successful models and adapt them to our unique context in SAISD. Our students deserve no less.
