JAMS Principal Aims to Close Achievement Gap

Hannah Heineman
Mirror staff writer

   In a recent Mirror interview, Lisa Reilly, John Adams Middle School’s new principal, said she wanted the school “to become a true, inclusive, collaborative learning community where there will be one focus: student achievement.”
   To that end, she is stressing “intense professional development for teachers and administrators,” and says, under her leadership, “students will experience a more personalized approach to their education.”
   Specifically, Reilly has introduced the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program, which is designed to “increase school-wide learning and performance,” with particular emphasis on “ensuring that all students, and most especially the least served students in the middle are capable of completing a college path,” as mandated by the District’s Strategic Plan.
   Reilly is also forging partnerships with Santa Monica businesses such as Volvo — which is providing support for the AVID program — and working with the PTSA on means by which parents can “become involved with the educational process … and be really true partners to help their children succeed.”
   Maria Rodriguez, school/community liaison for John Adams Middle School (JAMS), is currently devising a curriculum that will enable the Bilingual Advisory Committee to play a more active role in educating parents.
   In order to “personalize the educational programming as much as possible,” Reilly has added a counselor to her staff — so that each grade now has its own counselor — and has created an elective “service” course with the City, which gives students the opportunity to work on community projects.
   Reilly is continuing specialized programs that were in place when she became Principal, such as the Language Academy, the Science Magnet, Peer Mediation, and tutoring by the Black Collegians. She has added a new drama class, and plans on introducing a mentoring program in conjunction with the Pico Youth and Family Center.
   She’s a member of the School District’s recently formed 25-member Task Force on Racism and Discipline, which is investigating allegations by Mothers for Justice (MFJ) that District officials routinely discipline Latino and African American youth more harshly than Anglo students, and recently met personally with members of MFJ.
   Characterizing the meeting as “very productive and positive,” she said she will implement all the new District directives as well examining current John Adams policies and procedures and, where necessary, will develop new ones.
   To ensure that her staff is “knowledgeable about the unique needs of adolescent learners and about the research on effective instructional strategies and its application to practice,” she is working with them on “developing norms for working together, focusing meetings on student achievement, using data to inform the instructional program, using protocols to examine student work and our educational practices.” She also plans to have administrators in classrooms to support learning and teachers.
   Reilly decided to become a teacher when she was a young girl growing up in suburban Chicago. She received a bachelor’s and master’s degrees at USC and is currently a doctoral candidate in UCLA’s Education Leadership program.
   After beginning her teaching career in Santa Monica, Reilly went back east, and returned to the District 10 years ago. She has been a classroom teacher at both elementary and secondary schools, was an Assistant Principal at Grant Elementary, and, before becoming JAMS’ Principal, was the District’s Interim Assistant Superintendent for Educational Services for one year.
   She says she “loves working with with students, parents and families,” and is very excited about being the JAMS principal because, “it’s a unique and special place” and she expects a lot of challenges, but says she is up to them.
   Reilly also enjoys being outdoors and “reflects” during walks on the beach. Her other extracurricular pleasures are traveling, museums, the theater and movies.
   She and her son, who attends a District school, live in Santa Monica, which she calls a “diverse, progressive community…a wonderful place to live and work.”