My name is Alisa Kuniya. I was the paraprofessional for 51⁄2 years and now I am offering administrative support at Sierra Crest Academy.
I would like to offer a point of clarity that I was unable to share with you during my 3 minutes of public comment on Wednesday. It has been brought to my attention that the information Lyn Gorrindo presented was inaccurate in regards to PowerTeacher. I am taking the initiative to inform of you these discrepancies because I am afraid that no one else has or will.
After speaking with several of my staff members it was clear that they believed the audit this academic school year had not taken place yet. In previous years SCA has been audited once a year and was informed when the audit would take place. This years audit regarding curriculum is to occur May 24.
After the first semester the teachers at SCA decided to restructure the schedule based on measure of academic progress scores primarily in math and English. The staff was concerned about student performance. Also, one of our staff members that taught English and history had resigned. Unfortunately due to lack of time, training and knowledge changes in Power Teacher/School were not made. In a nutshell, Power Teacher at SCA does not adequately reflect what some of the teachers are teaching.
I would like to invite you to observe the audit on Monday (8:30 a.m.) to see for yourself what the teachers are doing (the teachers are in support of this idea). I am confident that you will see the discrepancies I have mentioned. This is the first year we have had Power Teacher up and running. With a small staff, lack of training and an unconventional model I see it as a real challenge.
I understand that you want to know that these students are getting a fair and proper education. So do I. That is why I have worked so hard at building relationships with these students. Most of them (we counted that 96 percent was at risk a week ago) are so used to failing. It's all they know how to do. You can't imagine how hard it is to build that confidence back up.
I do not feel any ill will towards the district and understand you are just trying to do what is best for the people of Douglas County. I also am not trying to discredit Lyn Gorrindo's efforts either. I know she is doing her job and probably following directives from her superior. However, I am frustrated that she didn't approach the teachers regarding the discrepancies in PowerTeacher during her unofficial audit this school year. In an effort to show some support I would hope that in future audits if our auditor saw such a huge discrepancy they would contact SCA to find out why and give the staff an opportunity to explain. Maybe even offer some support in trying to fix the problem. I do hope a positive that comes out of all of this is a more supportive and cooperative relationship between Sierra Crest and the Douglas County School District.
I know many teachers, parents and students were hurt and humiliated by having this misrepresentation of their efforts on public display.
As the SCA historian I invite you to e-mail me or call me with any questions you may have regarding Sierra Crest Academy.
Alisa Kuniya has worked at Sierra Crest Academy since it opened in 2004.
