Dr. Matthews Shares His Views

By Lookout Staff

May 1 -- The nationwide search for the School District’s next superintendent is entering its second month, and the first applications should be coming in soon. But some say the district doesn’t have far to look for its next leader.

“Many, including Dr. (John E.) Deasy, Santa Monica-Malibu Classroom Teachers Association President Harry Keiley and some school board members have suggested that Dr. (Michael) Matthews will be a serious contender for the job,” wrote editor Colleen O’Beirne Brydon in the March Malibu High School PTSA bulletin.

Before working at the district offices, Matthews was the popular principal of Malibu High School.

For his part, Interim Superintendent Matthews is keeping focused on the day-to-day operations at Santa Monica-Malibu’s 17 schools as the academic year draws to a close.

Last week, Dr. Matthews took time out of his busy schedule to answer The Lookout’s questions about his leadership and the challenges the district faces.

What are your top three priorities for the district during your tenure as interim superintendent?

The primary job of an interim superintendent is to seamlessly continue the work already initiated in the District. The District has initiated several actions in terms of instruction and an intensive focus on teacher and principal evaluation which I will make sure is completed successfully.

I am also prioritizing a smooth and successful end to the 2005-06 school year, as well as planning the opening of the 2006-07 school year. Our budget process, led by Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Winston Braham, is going extremely well. I will be working with Mr. Braham and the Board to ensure that our budget continues to be in good shape.

Finally, the Board is completing our Facilities Master Plan, and I am committed to making that work successful and communicating that with our community.

What are some of the challenges district faces in the coming year?

We have already hired three new principals (Will Rogers, Cabrillo and Franklin Elementary Schools) for next year as well as a math coordinator. Our primary focus will continue to be raising student achievement while simultaneously closing the achievement gap. Although our data is quite positive in this area, it must begin improving at an accelerated rate.

I also believe that we need to do everything we can to make our campuses and our community as safe as possible. Articulating what we already do will be a goal for this year, developing goals for improving upon what we do, and continuing our outstanding relationships with community-based organizations will all contribute to making our community a safer place for all.

Some still see the district as "two-tier," offering excellent opportunities for some students, while others, particularly low-income and minority students, still lag behind. What are some of the steps you think the District can take to reduce this inequality?

Yes, I am very aware that an achievement gap still exists, particularly with low income and minority students. It is my belief that a long-term focus on instructional improvement in the classroom, along with targeted intervention efforts, is the only way that the schools can address this issue.

We have some outstanding efforts going on right now in terms of improving academic instruction. I plan to hit those even harder next year, and to do everything I can to make sure these outstanding educational ideas are fully implemented and institutionalized in every classroom.

We have invested considerable funds in improving our student-to-counselor ratios, in hiring new Student Outreach Specialists, and in improving our intervention efforts during school, after school, and in the summer. We have excellent data on some of these efforts (particularly summer school) and I am confident that continued focus will make an even bigger difference.

Dr. Deasy introduced a number of major policy changes during his tenure, including a focus on reducing the achievement gap and splitting SAMOHI into smaller houses. Do you see any large-scale changes for the district on the horizon? What might they be?

As the interim superintendent, I will be focusing on the areas described in question #1.

What personal and professional qualities do you feel you bring to the district in your role as interim superintendent?

I would describe myself as a goal-oriented people person. It has always been my leadership style to focus on two or three improvement goals, and be relentless towards the achievement of those goals.

Over 90 percent of our funds are spent on personnel. We should be expending extraordinary efforts towards maximizing the effectiveness of our employees in taking care of and educating the children of our community.

We are a small enough district (12,000+ students, 1,500 employees) that personal connections do matter. I am confident that I can work extremely well with our employees to maximize all of our efforts. I believe that high quality work should be praised, and poor quality work must be addressed.

As a resident of the District and a parent of a child in District schools, I am committed to the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District and extremely proud of the way that we educate and care for our students.

As a 13-year employee of the District, I know our strengths and needs. For a public school in California, we have spectacular advantages in terms of parent support, parcel tax support, and remarkable financial support from our cities. It is my belief that we should be a national model for excellence in public schools.

Some of your fans in Malibu would like to see you become the next superintendent. How do you feel about that?

It is always nice to hear that people appreciate my leadership and I would welcome the opportunity to lead this district.

The Board is conducting a national search, and I know that many outstanding leaders would love to be the next Superintendent. I am confident that the Board will make the choice that is best for our students and our community, and I will look forward to whatever role I have in our District's future.