As Washington’s third largest school district, Tacoma Public Schools serves 28,000+ students and includes 35 elementary schools, 9 middle schools, and 8 high schools. Tacoma Public Schools is doing incredible work for the students and families in our city, and 2016 brought some MAJOR wins!
National Leadership Award
1. Tacoma Public Schools’ Superintendent Carla Santorno is the winner of the American Association of School Administrator’s 2016 Women in School Leadership Award! Carla was recognized for many achievements, including initiating valuable partnerships with the Tacoma Housing Authority, three local colleges and universities, and more—all to serve Tacoma’s young minds! Many of the programs initiated by Carla especially benefit Tacoma’s low-income students.
Stay tuned for our podcast interview with Carla on the Move to Tacoma Podcast later this month!
Teacher of the Year
2. Tacoma Public Schools’ very own Nate Gibbs-Bowling was named as Washington’s 2016 Teacher of the Year! As a geography and government teacher at Lincoln High School, Nate Gibbs-Bowling was also considered for the National Teacher of the Year Award. You can visit Nate Gibbs-Bowling’s website to learn more about him here.
Top-Notch Schools
3. Tacoma’s Jason Lee Middle School was the recipient of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)’s Vision in Action: The ASCD Whole Child Award. This award recognizes schools that have “changed the conversation about education from a focus on narrowly defined academic achievement to one that promotes the development of the whole child.” Read more about the amazing programs and services that Jason Lee offers here.
Graduation Rates On the Rise!
4. In 2015, graduations rates reached a high of 82.6% for the first time. The number is a 27.3% increase since 2010, and Tacoma Public Schools is working hard to keep these number up.
NEW Science & Math Institute (SAMI)
5. Construction on Tacoma Public Schools’ Science and Math Institute (SAMI) begins THIS SUMMER! The Environmental Learning Center is a 30,000-square foot building that includes eight learning settings for both SAMI and the community. This video offers a look at what we can expect:
