Throughout Albany USD, April told a story about belonging — and about what happens when students discover it for themselves.
Happy May 1st and Principal Appreciation Day!
April in Albany Unified offered a powerful reflection of what it means to be in community. From Drag Story Hour to the API Speakers Series, from our spring choir festival to the Albany High screening of Among Neighbors, which opened a difficult but necessary conversation about antisemitism.
Over Spring Break, fourteen Albany High School juniors and seniors traveled to Virginia to visit a range of colleges and universities, including several Historically Black Colleges and Universities. This experience is one of many ways we work to ensure that each and every student can see themselves in their future and feel a sense of belonging in the spaces they are exploring. One student shared, “Staying in Virginia and visiting the HBCUs was one of the first times I felt normal being Black.”
The trip, organized by AHS and AMS staff, was designed to expand awareness of postsecondary pathways. Students not only explored campuses and histories, but also engaged directly with opportunities—several receiving on-the-spot admissions to Virginia Union University. A parent put it plainly: "He came home inspired, excited, and full of stories about what he learned. Experiences like this make a real difference."
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At Community Connections, our Adult Transition students ran their coffee cart with professionalism, warmth, and pride, offering a powerful example of what inclusion looks like in practice. Their presence reflected "rightful presence" in action—students fully seen, valued, and contributing at the center of the community.
This moment connects directly to Autism Awareness Month’s reminder that inclusion is not a destination, but something we continually choose and build through our actions, systems, and commitments.
Experiences like this matter. They help students connect their aspirations to real possibilities and reinforce our commitment to expanding access, fostering belonging, and supporting each and every student in finding a meaningful path forward.
You can find more upcoming events and opportunities to engage with our schools and our community on the AUSD website under Event Announcements:
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Awareness months can be easy to move past, well-intentioned, familiar, and often absorbed into the background of a busy spring. But the three Albany Unified marks this May ask something more of us.
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Jewish American Heritage Month. Mental Health Awareness Month. On the surface, they name distinct histories and experiences. Taken together, they invite us to pay closer attention to who our students are and to the stories, identities, and experiences they carry.
AAPI Heritage Month invites us to tell a fuller story of this country—one that recognizes communities too often treated as peripheral, acknowledges the diversity within AAPI identities, and confronts both the contributions and the challenges that have shaped these communities across generations.
Jewish American Heritage Month asks for a similar depth, an engagement with history, identity, and contribution that resists simplification, and an openness to conversations that are, at times, uncomfortable but necessary. Both challenge us to move beyond acknowledgment toward understanding.
Mental Health Awareness Month brings the focus inward. Belonging is not an abstract ideal; it is something students feel, or do not feel, every day. And that experience has real consequences for how they learn, engage, and see themselves.
Three observances, but one underlying question: how are we coming together to support one another in ways that truly matter for our students?
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Responses came in multiple languages from across the community. They pointed in the same direction.
Albany Unified asked families, staff, and community members to help define what a graduate of this district should look like. Not aspirationally, but concretely. The answers were consistent: strong academic foundations paired with real-world readiness. Critical thinking. Self-advocacy. The ability to navigate a world that will not stop changing.
One community member put it plainly: "la palabra 'no puedo' no existe" — the words "I can't" do not exist. Others said students should "feel heard no matter who they are" and leave AUSD with "effective communication skills, independent thinking, and the confidence to face challenges in a diverse and changing world." Civic awareness and real-world learning came up repeatedly.
Notably, there was coherence. From different voices and vantage points, people described excellence and belonging not as competing priorities but as inseparable. That's a meaningful finding.
Student voices are next. Their feedback will be gathered and integrated before a Portrait of a Graduate goes to the Board this fall, where it will anchor the district's next Local Control Accountability Plan and Strategic Plan, connecting community vision to institutional priorities.
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We continue to make steady progress in improving safety and infrastructure through three connected efforts: our Facilities Master Plan, Technology Master Plan, and Deferred Maintenance Plan. Together, these efforts help ensure our schools are safe, well-maintained, and supportive places for students to learn and grow.
Facilities Master Plan
Our team has made tremendous progress in developing a comprehensive Facilities Master Plan. While the District completed an updated Facilities Assessment in 2024, this marks the first time since 2014 that the District will have a fully updated Facilities Master Plan in place. We are excited to have partnered with students, families, staff, and community members throughout this process to help shape and share a long-term vision for the future of our school district. We will share our draft plans with the Board at the May 26, 2026, Study Session, gather feedback, and incorporate that input into a final plan for presentation at the June 9 meeting.
Safety
As part of our ongoing commitment to the safety and security of our students, staff, and school facilities, we are making steady progress in selecting a qualified vendor to support this effort. Albany Middle School and Albany High School are currently included in the security camera upgrade project.
While progress may not be at the pace some may have anticipated, it is important that we take the time to secure a high-quality, reliable system that also aligns with our budgetary guidelines. We will continue to keep the community informed as this work moves forward.
Technology Master Plan
Our team is also advancing development of a comprehensive Technology Master Plan (TMP) to guide how technology supports teaching, learning, and operations across our schools. As technology continues to evolve, this plan helps define its role and value in the classroom, while also establishing clear expectations for responsible use and long-term stewardship.
The TMP is organized around four key areas: Classroom Technology, Digital Wellness, Infrastructure, and Safety & Security. Together, these focus areas ensure that our approach to technology is thoughtful, balanced, and aligned with the needs of students, staff, and the broader school community.
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This will take three minutes. Maybe five.
Albany Unified is asking students, staff, families, and community members to weigh in on how the district leadership is doing — on instruction, on belonging, on whether the trust we talk about building is actually being felt. These are not small questions, and a survey cannot fully answer them. But it is a start, and your response will directly shape what comes next.
All answers are confidential. Your name is not the point. Your experience is.
Thank you for being a partner in this work and for helping us continue to grow as a community in support of each and every student.
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May 5: Board Policy Committee Meeting, 5pm at District Main Office
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May 12: Board of Education Meeting, 7pm at Albany City Hall
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May 14: Elementary School Open Houses (Cornell, Marin, Ocean View), 6pm
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May 22: Latino/x 8th Grade Promotion, 6pm
- May 25: Memorial Day, All Schools and Offices Closed
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May 26: Board of Education Study Session, 7pm at Albany City Hall
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May 28: Citizens' Bond Oversight Committee Meeting, 5:30pm at District Main Office
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May 28: AMS Black Alliance 8th Grade Promotion & AHS Black Student Union Graduation, 5pm at AHS Little Theatre
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May 29: Latino/x Class of 2026 Student Graduation, 5:30pm
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May 30: Latino/x 5th Grade Promotion, 1pm
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June 4: Albany Middle School 8th Grade Promotion, 5pm
- June 5: Last Day of School!
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June 5: Fifth Grade Promotions: Cornell: 12:30pm; Marin: 10am; Ocean View: 1pm
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June 5: Albany High Class of 2026 Commencement Ceremony, 5pm
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June 9: Board of Education Meeting, 7pm at Albany City Hall
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June 15: Extended School Year and Summer School Begins
📌 Additional events and updates are posted regularly on the AUSD website, school site webpages, Events Calendar, and ParentSquare. Also visit our AUSD Event Announcements page for upcoming events and opportunities to engage with our schools and community:
🌐 For the latest updates, visit www.ausdk12.org and check ParentSquare regularly.
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Thank you to our students, staff, families, and community partners for helping create schools that are vibrant, inclusive, and focused on learning. Your partnership makes a difference every day. |
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