By Joseph A. Curtatone

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

This week, Somerville students are returning to a district that is accelerating education. Last year, Somerville Public Schools led all Massachusetts urban school districts in student growth on the Spring 2013 MCAS, putting our schools on par with some of the highest-performing districts in Massachusetts. That means Somerville is helping each and every student continually improve, regardless of where they start academically. Somerville High School made a two-level leap on the state’s accountability rating scale to the highest rating, Level 1, and was named as one of the state’s top 15 “dream schools” by the Boston Globe. The Kennedy School also earned a Level 1 designation last year.

This year we look to continue that success. Last year, we had the largest year-over-year budget increase for Somerville Public Schools in city history. That funding provided more students than ever before with hands-on learning in science and technology. It expanded our foreign language program with Spanish offered beginning in sixth grade and the opening of the state-of-the-art Somerville High School Language Lab. More students had the opportunity to take music classes and participate in intramural sports—programs that other districts have scaled back on to save costs even though they are proven to improve a student’s academic success. Those initiatives will continue as our schools stay committed to supporting the whole child, not only their academic performance but their physical, social and emotional well-being.

That means supporting our students and families before they even start kindergarten. Somerville Schools are taking a monumental step this year in implementing a universal kindergarten readiness program. While many districts are taking the laudable step of examining how to provide universal preschool to students, Somerville is going a step further by working with community partners to establish an innovative early childhood network with a single point of entry for both public and private providers. Through this program, we aim to ensure that every student and their families receive the support and services they need from diapers to day one of kindergarten, so that students enter kindergarten with the skill they need to reach their full potential. High-quality preschool education narrows the achievement gap by as much as half, and Somerville Public Schools are moving to make sure every student in our city has this advantage.

Another innovative new initiative is the STELLAR program, a district-wide collaboration between Somerville Schools and Tufts University. STELLAR will bring together veteran and student teachers both in Somerville classrooms and seminars at Tufts to jointly develop best practices for teaching children in preschool through second grade.

These are only a few of the initiatives Somerville Schools will undertake this school year as our educators continue to refine how our students are taught and prepared for life’s challenges. Meanwhile, day for day, parents and guardians will be providing that critical foundation and support in the home—helping with homework, inspiring curiosity and giving our kids the healthy home environments that enable them best to learn. I hope too to see some of you at PTA meetings, school events and parent-teacher nights. As we strive to provide our students the best possible learning opportunities, engaged parents and guardians will undergird our success.

Our schools are the foundation of our community. Every success of our city, from our stunning drop in crime to the thriving local economy, starts with how highly we value education. In Somerville, we’ve shown that no matter where you start academically, you can achieve your full potential if we value education, put in the work and seek continuous improvement, both in our students and our educators. The 2014-2015 school year is shaping up to be an exciting year in Somerville, and I’m looking forward to what we achieve together next.