CEO’s Message

Dear Magnolia Family,

Welcome to the 2018-19 school year! I’m honored to take the helm as CEO of Magnolia Public Schools and I’m confident the year ahead will continue the tremendous work our staff, students and families have done together.

Last year we celebrated something special: 100 percent of our seniors graduated and 94 percent were accepted to college. Magnolia schools were also recognized by U.S. News and World Report for the 11^th year in a row as among the top in California and the nation. These are just the latest achievements in our 17-year record of success and relentless commitment to innovation, connection and academic excellence.

Magnolia has always distinguished itself with its high-performing, STEAM-focused (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) schools. We provide our students with access to robotics programs, science AP courses and a rigorous STEAM curriculum. People of color and women are woefully underrepresented in STEAM careers and we are committed to ensuring our students have a leg up when they embark on these careers, which will allow them to build fulfilling lives.

This year, we will continue to raise the bar. I firmly believe that with the proper support from our entire Magnolia team, all students can and will rise to the occasion. Our goals are:

Ø 100 percent of all Magnolia students will create and demonstrate a STEAM-focused project, experiment, model or demo.

Ø All student groups will increase their performance on the state standardized test by a minimum of 3 percentage points in both math and English Language Arts.

On a personal note, my experiences in and out of school as a young boy were much like those of our students. It was my 9^th Algebra teacher and my sister who put me on the right path. They listened to me, supported me and steered me toward activities that were good for both my mind and my body. If not for them, I would not have even applied to college.

We know that a student’s success is not purely academic, it also involves emotional and physical wellbeing. Mentorship is a key component of addressing students’ needs, and our schools will ensure that students have an adult to whom they can turn for guidance and support. We will also continue to lead home visits with at least 25 percent of our students to build stronger bonds with parents and ensure that each child is getting what he or she needs at home to thrive in school. When students, teachers and families are working in harmony, that’s when students reach their full potential.

Magnolia has always prided itself on being inclusive. We serve students from all backgrounds, so we are in strong demand among families who want their children’s individual needs to be nurtured. We will continue to invest resources to make sure every single Magnolia student, including our English Learners, socioeconomically disadvantaged, foster youth, homeless and special ed students, are equipped to graduate A-G ready and prepared to excel in college.

We are excited to open the new gym at MSA-Santa Ana, which will allow our students to explore organized team sports and to start construction on a state-of-the-art campus at our flagship school in Reseda to meet the growing demand for our program. That new MSA-1 facility will feature fully-equipped chemistry, biology and technology classrooms, a rooftop recreation area and more than 20 new classrooms and staff offices to accommodate 300 additional students.

Magnolia’s mission to foster socially minded and civically engaged students has perhaps never felt more important than it does right now. Together, we will continue to graduate students who not only thrive academically, but also become engaged citizens who contribute to their communities.

I wish you a wonderful school year. As always, please reach out if I can ever help make your experience teaching, learning or working at Magnolia even more rewarding. I look forward to rolling up my sleeves and getting to work alongside each of you to make this our best year yet!

Alfredo Rubalcava

CEO and Superintendent