STEAM

Dear Ruby Community,

On Monday many of you received a flyer about Ruby Bridges’ STEAM instructor and program. The flyer included some inaccuracies, and I want to be sure the Ruby Bridges school community understands what is happening and why.  

Some background: Student achievement at Ruby Bridges has long been low compared to other AUSD elementary schools and reading and math scores for African-American/Black and low-income students are significantly low. Because of this, the state has mandated that AUSD develop specific goals to improve student outcomes.  

As early as January this year, Superintendent Scuderi began noting publicly that Ruby Bridges could keep its innovative funds. But, given the persistently stagnant outcomes at our site, the funds would likely need to be spent on different initiatives.  

Throughout this spring, AUSD staff and I have collaborated with the instructional leadership team to: a) review and analyze data from the last decade; and b) identify actions to support their struggling students. Performance data has also been shared with staff and African-American/Black families. Based on feedback, the resulting consensus is that: 

• Literacy instruction should be prioritized at Ruby Bridges 
• Additional targeted interventions are needed 

As such, the innovative program dollars that had been invested in the STEAM position for the past five years will now be used to hire an additional teacher and staff to support direct services to students (Ruby had this staff up until a few years ago, and teachers have indicated that cutting this position resulted in a crucial loss of intervention support for students). With this shift in funding, I will also be able to increase the hours for our reading specialist and student support provider. On top of that, AUSD is adding a full-time advisor/mentor for African-American students at Ruby Bridges in the 2023-24 school year. 

I would like to emphasize that the current STEAM instructor has a guaranteed teaching position at Ruby Bridges (i.e., she is not losing her job). Students and teachers will also continue to have access to the STEAM lab. This was the original intention of Ruby’s innovative program: to support the teaching staff in implementing New Generation Science Standards. Now that the STEAM lab has been up and running for five years and student outcomes have not improved, it’s time to release STEAM implementation back to the classroom teachers. Ruby teachers have been coached on how best to use the lab and lessons are available for them. I have confidence that like other AUSD elementary teachers, they are prepared to continue the implementation of STEAM.  

I do realize that the STEAM lab has provided an engaging, hands-on approach to science instruction, and I look forward to that instruction continuing. However, there is a moral imperative and state mandate to disrupt the persistent pattern of opportunity and achievement gaps for our students.  

Thank you for your partnership, 

Danielle Pharr-Matthews, Principal