Q & A With Banning Schools Superintendent Kennedy

The Banning Unified School District is like many others in the state - working hard to ensure quality education despite budget cuts and high expectations from the state. Superintendent Dr. Lynne B. Kennedy shared recently with Patch the challenges her district is facing, the concerns of parents, students and teachers, and the new programs that will bring Banning students into the technological forefront. 

What are the challenges the Banning Unified School District is facing?

Public education, in general and specifically in California, faces a wide range of social and political challenges. The greatest challenge at this time, however, is the ability to maintain programs and services to students without stable funding. Education funding needs to be reliable, predictable, and not tied to the transient whims of public opinion and political ambitions.

 What is some good news coming out of the district?

The good news is that despite economic woes and poor funding, Banning Unified School District has a professional and dedicated workforce. As a result, our students continue to make academic gains and we, as a district, continue to offer instructional programs to ensure students graduate prepared to pursue post-secondary career and or educational goals.

What is the main concern you hear from parents?

Parents want to make sure their children have equal access to a strong, rigorous curriculum and receive the instructional support when needed. Additionally, parents want their children to have an opportunity to participate in enrichment programs, such as art, music and other electives that contribute to a comprehensive education. 

What is the main concern you hear from teachers?

Our teachers want more time - time to plan, time to teach the vast state curriculum, time to collaborate with other teachers, time to intensely review student data, time to talk about student work and student learning, time to hone their professional skills, time to reflect on practices that increase student learning, time to meet with parents. The list goes on and on.

What is the main concern you hear from students?

Students want rigor, relevance and curriculum that include the use of digital media. Our students are very sophisticated in the use of technology, therefore it is important to integrate this highly versatile medium in ways that engage our students.  

What is in store for the district in the future?

There are so many exciting activities; it’s hard to know where to begin. Here are a few:

Instructional improvement using data - that is, using data that is connected to our goals to ensure we are accurately assessing student instructional needs and modifying instruction and instructional support.

Monthly teacher collaborations - as mentioned earlier, teachers need time to work together to discuss curriculum, teaching strategies, student work and student learning.

Curriculum upgrading - examining our current courses for rigor, relevance and digital media. Our goal is to ensure the class of 2023 (today’s Kindergarteners) are ready for the work place. 

Professional development - provide all staff with opportunities to improve their knowledge and skills, and

What has been your biggest accomplishment so far this year?

So far this year, my work has centered on the activities just mentioned. Specifically, we are refining the practice of using data through the training of principals and teachers.  Our teacher collaborations have expanded from K-6 to grades 7-12. Curriculum upgrading, this year, includes online learning, new English, reading and writing curriculum, new electives in journalism and art at grades 7 and 8, a new Geographic Information Systems career pathway, and MSJC [Mt. San Jacinto College] dual enrollment math college courses at Banning High School. Finally, we have ongoing professional development and  teacher training.   

What else would you like people to know about the district?

After 35 years in education I can still say I love this profession, and Banning Unified School District is a great place to learn and work.