RANCHO SANTA FE — While Rancho Santa Fe superintendent David Jaffe provided a school year update, he wanted to share his personal experiences during the first week of school at R. Roger Rowe.
As the new person coming in from outside the district, he had plenty of opportunities in his career to visit all sorts of different schools, which offered a fresh perspective.
“When I walked room to room on this campus, I saw the enthusiasm of the teachers and their excitement,” said Jaffe, noting how happy the staff was. “This is really a testament to the leadership of this district.”
Jaffe then went on to acknowledge outgoing superintendent Lindy Delaney for her work, the current school board, and past boards.
“So I feel very fortunate to be in this position and continuing to lead this district,” he said.
Jaffe said he has visited as many classrooms as he could during the first week and is looking forward to visiting the others. However, one of the things he has found on campus that has been quite impressive is the sophistication of the children — even the younger students.
“They shake my hand and say, ‘Hello, Mr. Jaffe,’” he said, noting how articulate the students are. “And that’s something that I think is significant.”
Jaffe believed this “sophistication” represented the community, the parents of the community, and the philosophy of the school.
He said that being at the Rancho Santa Fe School District was a great place to be.
“All that being said, every organization has the obligation to continue to improve, continue to assess its current state, and look for ways to make improvements,” he said. Jaffe continued, “It’s our job, especially, that we’re responsible for making improvements to ensure that these young kids have the best opportunity at an education and we’re prepared to do our best.”
According to Jaffe, total student enrollment was at 643 and the only staffing positions still needed were supervisors for recess and lunch.
“Other than that, we’re at full staff,” Jaffe said.
