ABOUT THE LA JOLLA CLUSTER
LJCA Mission Statement
The La Jolla Cluster Association is to promote and support excellence in education in all La Jolla public schools by:
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Working collaboratively to meet the needs of our diverse student population through the K-12 school experience.
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Preparing our students for college, careers and life by providing a rigorous, comprehensive, standards-based curriculum that includes technology, the visual and performing arts, physical education, and character education.
LJCA is an organization that serves the five La Jolla public schools: La Jolla High, Muirlands Middle, and Birdrock, La Jolla and Torrey Pines elementaries. The executive board consists of 10 parents (2 from each school), 10 teachers (2 from each school), and five principals. The board held its first meeting on April 6, 2010.
In creating the cluster association, the founders cited the following goals:
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to share ideas and resources.
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to identify common goals for K through 12.
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to build bridges between schools to ease transitions.
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to determine spending priorities.
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to have a unified voice when working with the district.
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to create an environment of unity instead of competition in our community.
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to help shape how clusters are formed and utilized throughout the district.
To volunteer, please visit the Contact Us page.
LJCA's PLACE IN THE DISTRICT
San Diego Unified is supportive of cluster organizations. In its "2020 Vision for Educational Excellence" statement, district leaders declared that in the year 2020 "schools and clusters will have increased authority to establish instructional strategies designed to assure the success of each student, and will be accountable for the results of those decisions." They also promised that "schools will offer opportunities that increase the capacity of the communities to meet their own needs." And they declared that by the year 2020 "The primary role of central administration will be one of support for school sites." The district board announced an administrative restructuring in April 2010 that was designed in part to enable the district to better support clusters.
2021/21 La Jolla Cluster Representatives:
School Board Member: Michael McQuary
Area Superintendent: Mitzi Merino
Bird Rock Elementary:
Principal: Andi Frost
Teacher Reps: Alisson Tomasulo, Ali Nieblas
Parent Reps: Jenn Beverage, Kimberly Robbins (shared position), Kelsey Martin (shared position)
La Jolla Elementary:
Principal: Stephanie Hasselbrink
Teacher Reps: Nancy Rice, Aimee Lansky
Parent Reps: Megan DeMott, Julie Hom
Torrey Pines Elementary:
Principal:, Nona Richard
Teacher Reps: Keri Riney, Amy Harp
Parent Reps: Katherine Williams, Thien-Thanh Genovese
Muirlands Middle School:
Principal: Jeff Luna
Teacher Reps: Lori Trombley, Rob Tindall
Parent Reps: Tracey Arminio, Neha Bahadur
La Jolla High School:
Principal: Chuck Podhorsky
Teacher Reps: Kerry Dill
Parent Reps: Adam Keller, Sharon Miller (shared position), Christy Littlemore (shared position)
Officers:
Nona Richard, Co-Chair
Neha Bahadur, Co-Chair
Adam Keller, Treasurer
Lori Trombley, Secretary
SEL/Community Education Chairs: Tracey Arminio, Jenn Beverage
GATE/Seminar Committee Chair: Laura Preisman, MMS teacher