Samo undergoes WASC accreditation renewal process

The Samo staff breathed a collective sigh of relief Wednesday afternoon as the WASC visiting committee presentation summarizing the school's strengths and targets for growth was finally over. Though the visiting committee for WASC (Western Association for Schools and Colleges) was on campus for only four days, the visit itself capped two years of preparation in which the Samo faculty collaborated in assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the school and made a plan to improve those weaknesses.  The visit committee then spent time visiting all classrooms on campus and interviewing teachers, students and parents in order to confirm the findings of the self-study. “They call WASC a self study because as much as possible they try to validate what we say are our strengths and our areas of growth [in the report]. It’s a chance for the school to be reflective on what direction we want to grow in,” S House Teacher Leader Meredith Louria said. WASC visits began on Sunday, Jan. 26, when they were given their first glimpse of the Samo campus. They met with Samo’s leadership team, talked to different parent and student groups, and were given a tour of the campus by ASB students. When classes were in session of Monday and Tuesday, the WASC officials observed every classroom on campus, where they were met with student ambassadors and pre-prepared folders to give them insight as to what goes on academically in the classroom. Along with this, they talked to the individual houses, faculty and varying members of the student body.  After they were able to get a comprehensive look at the academics and student life at Samo, WASC wrote their report on what they saw at Samo and shared it with Samo’s leadership team and the entire school. This report helps guide them for the next visit. The committee’s recommendation report will be submitted to WASC on Feb. 14 and the results will later be announced. After the visit, Samo Principal Dr. Antonio Shelton congratulated M-House principal Lissette Bravo, who coordinated the self-study and the staff in an email. “Thank you for your time and support as our WASC visit was conducted. Your patience and professionalism made it a successful visit. As always, please keep up the great work that you are doing to make Samohi the best secondary educational environment possible,” Shelton said.