From the Superintendent
From the Superintendent, Dr. John J. Pedicone
District Accomplishments 2011-2012 | Superintendent Goals - 2012-2013
Letter to Staff, February 8, 2013
In years past, spring has been an active and exciting time as we near the end of the school year and bring to fruition the results of our work and commitment to serving our students. I know you feel, as I do, that this spring is enveloped with a much different atmosphere than those we have previously experienced together. More...
Letter to Staff, December 20, 2012
There is no doubt that each of us has been impacted by the tragedy that occurred last week at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. The shocking act of violence touched everyone in our nation, and it resonates so deeply with those of us who work in education. More...
Letter to Staff, November 21, 2012
As you are likely now aware, the Governing Board voted last night to initiate closure on eight of our schools. The decision was a needed one to help us work toward resolving the $17 million budget shortfall we are facing in the next school year. More...
Letter to Staff, November 16, 2012
The Governing Board unanimously approved criteria this week to move forward with considering school closures and consolidations as part of an overall budget plan to solve the $17 million deficit that will confront us in the next school year. More...
Letter to Staff, November 9, 2012
As you may know, the Proposed Unitary Status Plan (USP or "Deseg Plan") was released today. The USP is being proposed to bring an end to the longstanding school desegregation case, Fisher, et al., Mendoza, et al. v. TUSD, CV 74-90 TUC DCB. More...
Letter to Staff, September 7, 2012
I want to share my gratitude for the efforts you have made since the beginning of the school year. We should be encouraged by what has been described as an extremely smooth start, and I hope you feel a part of that success. More...
Letter to Faculty and Staff, August 10, 2012
Welcome back! We have made it to the end of the first full week of school, and most schools are reporting that it has been one of the smoothest starts in recent memory. I wanted to express my appreciation for your efforts. More...
Welcome to the new school year, July 27, 2012
The energy and excitement that accompanies the beginning of the school year is with us once again. More...
Letter to the Community, June 21, 2012
As we close the 2011-2012 school year, it is good to take a moment to reflect on the year and examine our accomplishments in the light of the challenges we faced. More...
Letter to Staff, May 23, 2012
It is hard to believe that we are at the end of another school year. As with every close, students are scrambling to complete final exams, finish those last minute projects and get ready to consider what comes next. More...
Letter to Staff, April 5, 2012
With Spring Break upon us and the end of the year quickly approaching, I wanted to express my sincere appreciation to each of you for the work you are doing and the efforts you are making on behalf of our children and families. More...
Letter to Staff, March 8, 2012
Let me begin by extending my sincere appreciation for the work each of you are doing to support the district goals and in particular the focus we must place on student achievement. More...
Letter to Staff, January 18, 2012
You may have seen news reports or Internet blogs about a book ban at TUSD. Those reports are completely false. There are no books being banned in the district. More...
Letter to Staff, January 12, 2012
As you all know, at its regularly scheduled meeting on January 10 the Governing Board approved a resolution to suspend all Mexican American Studies Classes. More...
Letter to Staff, December 16, 2011
Please let me begin by expressing my appreciation to each of you who has, through your efforts, made the community a better place for our students and our families. More...
Letter to Staff, November 7, 2011
We have spoken about the importance of unifying as an organization and the reality that what we do together, with common purpose, always results in a stronger impact. There is very little argument about that. More...
Letter to Staff, October 3, 2011
Let me begin by expressing my appreciation for the work you are doing and obvious attention to the things we all know make a difference for our children and families. More...
Letter to Staff, September 2, 2011
It has been a little over three weeks since we were together at TCC, and we are off and running. More...
Letter to Staff, June 16, 2011
As you probably know by now, the Governing Board approved language for the 2011-2012 Employee Agreements. While we were able to reach consensus with two of the employee groups, CWA and ELI, we were unable to reach consensus with AFSCME and TEA. More...
Letter to Staff, May 26, 2011
As we find the school year coming to a close, please accept my sincere appreciation for your contributions to our children and families. Last night, as a result of the effort that each of you made to the success of students, over 3,000 seniors graduated from Tucson Unified School District. As we have said before, whether you are directly engaged in the act of instruction or a part of our support and leadership teams in all aspects of the school environment, you are a significant part of the reason for last evening's celebrations in a real and authentic way. Please know that you make a difference in children's lives, and that really is the purpose for which we work. More...
Regarding the Incident at the April 26, 2011, Special Governing Board Meeting
By now, I am sure everyone is aware of the incident that occurred Tuesday evening at a time when a board meeting was scheduled at 1010 E. 10th Street. A group of students and adults planned and executed an action which resulted in the board dais being overtaken and occupied, causing the Governing Board to cancel its regularly scheduled meeting. It is the position of school administration that this was an unlawful act which interfered with the effective operation of the school district. More...
Letter to Staff, April 20, 2011
One of the benefits of being in a large school district is that you are a member of an extremely active organization which engages in a vast number of events throughout the year. You can trust, with over 53,000 students and 6,800 employees, there is never a time when something is not happening that has an impact on students, families and the community at large. More...
Letter to Staff, Feb. 28, 2011
Hopefully everyone had a restful break. I can state for the record that I was never happier that the rodeo was in town.Let me take a few moments to address the events of the past few weeks. By now you have become aware of the situations at Rincon and Palo Verde High Schools. More...
Letter to Staff, Feb. 8, 2011
Let me take a moment to apologize for what was intended to be a statement of gratitude to each and every member of our organization who helped to contribute to the amazing and positive response to last week's school closure situation. More...
Letter to Staff, Feb. 7, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011, was a day unlike any other I can remember in Tucson. I'm sure the situation caused a huge boost in the profit margins for Home Depot and Lowe's as we all ran, myself included, to purchase items to repair broken pipes and valves in our homes! Our Tucson Unified Schools came together in ways that should make each of us proud for the manner in which many went above and beyond the call of duty. More...
Letter to Staff, Jan. 31, 2011
Last week the Governing Board met with District administration to examine the condition of our district in terms of academic achievement, facilities usage and development, and a number of other topics that will help set our district direction. In the end, our conclusions were as simple as they were clear. In Tucson Unified School District, everything we do must lead to increased student achievement. More...
Letter to Staff Regarding the Events of Jan. 8, 2011
On Saturday morning a senseless and unthinkable act of violence occurred. When the news that Congresswoman Giffords was shot, I imagine you experienced, as I did, a sense of disbelief and shock. More...
Letter to Administrators and Employees, Re. Ethnic Studies, Jan. 3, 2011
TUSD administration supports its Ethnic Studies programs, and we are encouraged by the real and lasting impact that these departments provide to TUSD students. TUSD's primary charge is to educate students, please trust that TUSD will make every reasonable effort to ensure student safety, support effective programs that have relevancy to the students we serve, and protect funding. More...
Letter to Staff, Jan. 3, 2011
The New Year offers vast opportunities and challenges. As always, the roles we play in children's lives and the importance of our work to their futures and to this community is the greatest gift we give and, in another sense, we receive.More...
Letter to Staff, Dec. 13, 2010
On the first official day of my time with you I want to, once again, express my sincere appreciation for the opportunity to work with you on behalf of Tucson Unified School District. More...