BY DR. KURT STEINHAUS
Superintendent, Los Alamos Public Schools

Congratulations on working together to complete your 338-page application. It is clear that you have worked very hard on what may seem like a dissertation without the associated degree. Your grassroots work is to be commended. In reading the proposed Polaris plan, I can see many good ideas and educational approaches. I resonate with the idea of using formative assessments to develop a growth mindset for student learning.

This letter is to send an open invitation to meet and work together. After all, Los Alamos is a small town and we want what is best for every child in our community. Whether the Charter is approved or not, it would be great to open a line of communication, share approaches, and maximize the very limited education resources available in our community. We may even want to hold a community meeting to seek additional input from students and parents.

I know and respect every member of the proposed Polaris Governing Board and it seems like we could work together on creative and innovative approaches.  For example, since Polaris does not have a school counselor, we can schedule joint workshops through our Healthy Schools Initiative. Let’s talk. If helpful, I can contact Liz Martineau to find a time to “roll up our sleeves” and get to work for students.