Taft has been a recognized part of the Serra Mesa community since its inception in 1962. The Serra Mesa area comprises an ethnically diverse mix of working-class and middle-class families, ranging from professionals and military personnel to retired citizens.
Our student population mirrors the demographics of this area and of all San Diego. More than half of our students reside in Serra Mesa. Another one-third live in East San Diego and attend Taft through the voluntary enrollment program (VEEP). Others attend via the School Choice program. Approximately 20 percent of our students are English Learners; 40 percent live in homes where a language other than English is spoken. Spanish and Vietnamese are highly represented languages.
We are in the midst of a five-year vision to create a school in which students compute, read and write at grade level by the time they are promoted from 8th grade. To accomplish this, we are applying innovative, effective, fundamental teaching methods. These methods involve making meaning of text through reading and writing, and teaching problem-solving and higher-order thinking and questioning skills. All content-area teachers are improving their literacy instruction through the San Diego Literacy Framework.
To support our teachers in their quest to improve student achievement, we provide ongoing training opportunities. We involve parents on many levels, from volunteering with school activities, chaperoning school events and assisting with our popular Taft newsletter.
We invite you to come see Taft Middle School in action.