In 2005, the UCDS Board produced a five-year strategic plan that established "Investing in Teachers" as its runaway top priority. The three primary sub-points:
- Increase Teacher Compensation. The data indicates that we trail local peer schools by roughly $5,000 per teacher per year, a gap explained primarily by the expense of our unique Resident Program.
- Sustain the Teaching Culture. The Board remains committed to team teaching and to the Resident Program which anchors our 8:1 student-teacher ratios and individualized education.
- Access. The Board remains committed to need blind admissions and our Financial Aid program.
UCDS Forever will address the "Investing in Teachers" goal head-on by increasing the UCDS Endowment Fund to $10 million by 2010. Proceeds from the Endowment—once generated—will; elevate teacher salaries to market levels without persistent upward pressure on tuition; preserve the Resident Program; and ensure access to our teachers' unique curriculum via Financial Aid
Until then, proceeds from the Surfin' Safari and Viva UCDS! auctions will fund annual pay increases.
What does success look like? Easy answer: If we hit our $10 million target, our generation will have closed the pay gap and preserved the very core essence of UCDS:
- 8:1 ratios—individualized education!
- Innovation and outreach—expanding the reach of our methods
- Access via need-blind admissions
We can literally influence the minds and characters of our children and thousands of future students. How powerful to rise up as a community and meet the challenge.
