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Board of Trustees Hears Update on North Star Forward Work

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Board of Trustees Hears Update on North Star Forward Work


During a recent Redwood City School District (RCSD) Board of Trustees meeting, the School Board heard an update on the work of the North Star Forward committee, which is charged with studying the impact of North Star Academy (NSA) on other RCSD schools. Superintendent Dr. John Baker presented to the Board the Committee’s preliminary ideas before bringing back formal recommendations in June. 

The purpose of the North Star Forward committee is to minimize the sense of division between NSA and other schools in the district by addressing and recommending solutions for specific areas where NSA is having an impact on other schools’ enrollment, academic performance and school culture, and building understanding for the mission and purpose of the school.

Specifically, the committee was charged to focus on the following areas:

  • The exodus of rising third grade students from other schools. 

  • Admissions testing that leads to a sense of elitism and the social-emotional impact on students who attend as well as those who do not meet the qualifications.

  • Lack of access from students attending Bayside schools.

 Members of the RCSD community interested in the work of North Star Forward can watch the full Board discussion here:

 

 

In early 2020, Superintendent Baker formally recommended and the Board of Trustees approved the formation of the North Star Forward committee to thoroughly study the impact of North Star Academy (NSA) on other schools in the District. The study came to be due to questions that were raised during the Planning for Our Future process of fall of 2018 when the community submitted many comments, both positive and negative, about the impact of NSA. The study was approved on November 28, 2018, as one of the recommendations brought forth to the School Board as part of the Planning for Our Future process.