Letter to Mark Warren, Cave Creek Unified Governing Board President

From: ccusdwatch@hotmail.com
To: xxxxxx@cox.net; mwarren@ccusd93.org; cperkins@ccusd93.org; xxxxxxx@cox.net; dschaefer@ccusd93.org; xxxxxxx@aol.com; jbusbee@ccusd93.org; susancavecreek@aol.com
Subject: Letter to Mark Warren, Cave Creek Governing Board President
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 2010 03:31:30 -0700

Mr. Warren,

Let us be clear. Cave Creek Unified School District 93 is the best district in the state of Arizona. This is not good enough. Individually, our schools are not the best schools in the state. They are not even the best schools north of Bell Rd.

Let's also be clear that when we compare CCUSD to other schools, we only compare them to surrounding public schools in Arizona, and almost always neighboring public schools. We fully understand the difference between AIMS and the DPA/Terranova NRT tests and how to interpret the scores. We've never expected CCUSD's NRT scores to be 100% and we have never compared them to other states.

What we have said is that:

1) AIMS is a test with low standards
2) AIMS is a poor judge of year over year performance due to the state meddling which every educator in this state knows
3) AIMS labels are meaningless ranges that show little real data about performance
4) DPA/TN isn't much better, but it is a better gauge than AIMS, especially over time

A director of Phoenix public school said this of AIMS last year:

"It is so basic we can't even use it as a benchmark of quality on a national landscape. People just laugh,...If that's where we're setting the bar, we're not a college prep."

At the 12/08 board meeting Dr. Burdick has made it clear that AIMS is the only standard that CCUSD students will be taught to. Disappointing but this was the bed that you made when you hired her and now CCUSD students have to lie it in. At least parents are lucky enough that they have open enrollment, charter, and home schooling if they are not satisfied with meeting state standards.

Bottom line, any way you score it, whether it be AIMS, DPA, AP, or SAT test scores, this district underperforms surrounding schools. We blame poor curriculum choices. If you have the data that says otherwise please pass it along and we will be happy to post it in its entirety. If you are satisfied, well than by all means continue with the status quo and put your efforts into your marketing problem. Godspeed to those under your charge.

One more thing. While you were all bedazzled by the offerings that CCUSD and Cactus Shadows have, did you stop and think that maybe every other neighboring school also has the same\similar\better offerings? Well they do.


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