“ We consider it a privilege to help children reach their potential and we believe that all children deserve an opportunity to do their best .”
— Peggy Preuss , in support of The Preuss School UC San Diego ' s founding , 1998
I saw Preuss ’ commitment to getting us to the starting line .” Now at the Center for Health Equity in New York ’ s Department of Health , she honors that commitment by working to help underserved communities have a better shot at the starting line in health care .
Likewise , in her service learning class , teacher Jan Gabay asks her students to think about how they will give back to their neighborhoods and to the students who come after them . When they finish college , will they come back to live where they grew up ? How will they pay forward what they ’ ve been given ?
Indira Hood-Esparza , Preuss 2011 , UCSD ’ 15 , M . Ed . ’ 16 has been thinking about these questions since she was a student . She says ,“ Preuss made me want to give back . There was such a sense of community . Our teachers said , ‘ We ’ re in it to win it . We ’ re in this together .’ Preuss was one of the biggest impacts in my life .” At High Tech High in Chula Vista , where she now teaches , she says , “ I build community into everything I do .”
When she started at UC San Diego she found she could handle the work . “ I ’ d learned how to work like that at Preuss .” She wants more students to have the academic preparation and the opportunities she had at Preuss . Ultimately , she ’ d like to see a second school , located south of I-8 and better athletic facilities for current students , like a full-size soccer field . Sahar Abdulla , Preuss class of 2018 , starts at Cal Poly Pomona this fall , where she ’ ll have to decide whether to major in
What makes Preuss work
With 20 years experience at Preuss , Principal Scott Barton outlines the school ' s essential elements :
College-going culture From sixth grade on , students are immersed in a strong and influential college-going culture . Their teachers , tutors and older peers assume that they ’ ll be going to college , and they come to believe it .
Increased instructional time The day runs 8:55 a . m . to 4 p . m . and our school year is 18 days longer than conventional public schools . In seven years , Preuss students receive over a year more instructional time .
Advisory class Every student belongs to an advisory class , which stays together with the same teacher from sixth grade through graduation . Students build study skills , get extra help where it ' s needed , and the college experience is demystified . Teachers get to know students and their families well ; it ’ s an extended family and strong support for students .
Parent engagement We have monthly meetings where parents learn how the school works : Who ’ s the office staff ? What does a counselor do ? How do you read a report card ? What do we expect of your student , and how can you support him or her ? We encourage parents to volunteer at the school as a way to get to know it .
Teacher development Our faculty members design their own professional development . They meet Friday mornings to plan and produce the educational experiences they want to have . We learn with and from one other . Our job is to identify the things that work and keep improving them .
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