SAN YSIDRO More than 1,100 children jammed Willow Elementary School on Wednesday for the first day of classes.
The emotion was palpable in the school, just steps away from the border, though not just for the students. It was Carlos Ulloa's first day as principal.
Ulloa, 42, takes over from Ana González, who retired after 40 years with the San Ysidro School District.
His goal is clear at Willow, he said, raise its performance to the level of two other district schools, which were singled out last year as among the best in the state.
California's Department of Education named Ocean View Hills and Sunset as Distinguished Schools for their extraordinary work in improving their students' academic performance and closing the achievement gap between whites and other ethnic populations.
Those schools, in fact, reflect the improvement in the performance of the seven-school, kindergarten to eighth grade district. In the last four years, its Academic Performance Index has surged nearly 100 points, from 690 in 2007 to 782 last year.
This is significant because the majority of the 5,550 students in the district come from low-income households and nearly 85 percent are Latino, most learning English.
The district, in fact, embraces Spanish and is one of two districts in San Diego County that offers "dual immersion" instruction in all of their schools (the other is the Fallbrook Union Elementary School District).
In this program, half of the classes are taught in English and the other half in Spanish, yielding students who are bilingual at their end of their studies.
The principal said that this approach makes sense for his community. "Dual immersion is the present and future of San Ysidro."
Studies have shown that students in this kind of program tend to do better academically, he said. Learning a second language challenges the brain in different ways, he continued, which enhances learning of mathematics and other subjects.
"Students are constantly listening to what is being taught," Ulloa said, "that's why we see students who perform better."
Good academic performance is precisely the way to send the message that both languages are important in a region like San Diego, he said.
"English is not more important than Spanish, or vice versa," he said. "There should be equality in a community like San Ysidro."
The program is not just for Latino students. Black, Filipino and white students all have the opportunity to learn in both languages.
"Many parents are beginning to realize the importance of Spanish, not just in the county but across the United States."
Parents must request their children participate in the dual immersion program. It's viewed as such a success that there's a waiting list for students.
Amid the excitement of the first day of class, Ulloa reflected on what inspires him.
His aunt, Marina Valderrama, was a school principal in Tijuana and then an inspector for the Baja California school system. He recalls how his aunt would take him to school every day in Tijuana at Primaria 20 de Noviembre, where his interest in education was born.
Ironically, his aunt crossed the border regularly to learn English at Willow, which he's leading decades later.
"I never could have imagined working in the same school where she took classes for such a long time."
Superintendent Manuel Paul also was on hand on the first day of school at Willow. He, too, is focused on building on the success of the last few years.
"The recognition our two schools have received is a clear example of what we can accomplish," he said. "We have to keep working at it."
Having a majority of the students who initially do not master English should not preclude the district from meeting its goals.
"Without a doubt, that's our greatest challenge," he said. "It's always been that way. We need to perfect our strategies to offer the students the quality education they deserve."
Alexandra.mendoza@sandiegored.com
