GILROY
– A monthly newsletter from Superintendent Edwin Diaz is the
latest improvement in Gilroy Unified School District’s avenue of
communication with its parents.
GILROY – A monthly newsletter from Superintendent Edwin Diaz is the latest improvement in Gilroy Unified School District’s avenue of communication with its parents.
Parents of GUSD students began receiving the monthly, bilingual publication, called “From the desk of Superintendent Edwin Diaz,” late last week. It is the first of its kind since Diaz took over the district three years ago.
“It’s an idea I’ve been tossing around for the last couple of months,” Diaz said. “I want it to improve communication, but I also hope it can increase parent involvement too.”
Featured prominently on the four-page, black-and-white newsletter is an e-mail link specifically for community questions and comments. Inserted in this month’s edition is an application to join the Measure I oversight committee.
Measure I is the $69 million school facilities bond passed by voters Nov. 5. The measure required that such a committee be set up to monitor all projects and expenditures covered within Measure I.
“I like the assumption that we care to be informed,” said GUSD parent Jackie Stevens. “It signals a change. I cannot recall a time when the district had that kind of correspondence.”
Diaz said he plans to keep the newsletter a concise and user-friendly document.
“I don’t want it to be too large a publication. I want it to be something that is handy and short enough for people to be able to sit down and get through it,” Diaz said.
An example of the document’s reader-friendliness is found in the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section. Diaz covers some of the most commonly asked about topics in the section by listing the question and giving a one paragraph response.
The document differs from the district’s color tabloid called “Insights.” That publication is sent out quarterly and serves as an information and publicity source for a variety of endeavors district-wide.
“This is more about current information and getting parents to directly communicate with me,” Diaz said. “But the newsletter is also a way to highlight activities of the Parent Advisory Committee.”
The committee is made up of representatives from each school site in the district and other community stakeholders. The group meets once a month with Diaz to discuss concerns and get questions answered.
The idea is for the committee members to report back to those they represent, ultimately keeping district folks better informed.
