Solano Middle School gets a shiny new makeover in Vallejo – Times Herald

By Katy St. Clair

It’s not often that a middle school is buzzing with activity on a Saturday — usually there’s only tumbleweeds. But on Saturday there were more than 100 people at Solano Middle School in Vallejo to give it what can only be called the “community HGTV” treatment.

Rebuilding Together Solano pulled together a bunch of sponsors and helping hands to completely revamp the campus, from stem to stern. Crews cleared out old brush and pruned hedges, planted water-tolerant gardens, and power-washed the outside and squeegeed windows.

Detailed cleaning of doors, chairs, and just about every other surface was also undertaken. The gymnasium was an anthill of volunteers scrubbing away at the risers. Others were on their hands and knees in the courtyard, yanking those last few weeds.

Source:  Solano Middle School gets shiny new makeover

Kairos board OKs a 3 percent pay hike for all school employees – The Reporter

By Richard Bammer

Leaders of Kairos Public School Vacaville Academy earlier this week approved a 3 percent pay hike for all employees at the Elm Street campus, it has been announced.

The vote was unanimous, Jared Austin, co-founder and executive director of the independent charter school, noted in an email to The Reporter.

“The Board is excited to be able to approve salary increases for staff and thank them for their hard work and dedication to all scholars,” he added in the written statement.

Source: Kairos board OKs a 3 percent pay hike for all school employees

Will C. Wood to induct HOF class, hold stadium grand opening – Daily Republic

By Paul Farmer

In the span of five days Will C. Wood High will celebrate its past and take a giant step into the future.

The school will induct the class of 2018 into the Will C. Wood Hall of Fame on Saturday at the Ulatis Community Center and hold a grand opening celebration for its new Wildcat Stadium at the corner of Marshall and Peabody roads on Thursday at 3:30 p.m.

Being inducted into the Thor Jensen, the only wrestling coach the school has had; Rochelle Jagdeo, M.D. (soccer, volleyball, track and field); Dathan Miller (wrestling, football); Darian Morton (football, track and field); Bob and Geri Zagata (athletic program contributors); and Marvin Brown (track, football, basketball).

Source: Will C. Wood to induct HOF class, hold stadium grand opening

Solano County school Employees of the Year to receive recognition – The Reporter

By Richard Bammer

The Solano County Office of Education on Tuesday will honor 14 school employees nominated for the 2018-19 Solano County Educators of the Year Award.

Those being recognized hail from Vacaville, Travis, Dixon, Fairfield-Suisun, Benicia, and Vallejo City unified districts and SCOE.

The event begins at 5:15 and continues to 7 p.m. in the Joseph A. Nelson Community Center, 611 Village Drive, Suisun City. The public is invited to join the celebration. To attend, R.S.V.P. at https://goo.gl/forms/fkcNsmEechg7Oy9u2.

For more information, call Rebecca Floyd at 646-7602 or email her at RFloyd@solanocoe.net.

The teachers and school-support employees “contribute to student achievement, educational innovation, and community involvement,” Lisette Estrella-Henderson, superintendent of county schools, noted in a press release.

Source: Solano County school Employees of the Year to receive recognition

What Research Tells Us About Reducing Chronic Absenteeism – M50

By Kevin Kelly

Chronic absenteeism, usually defined as missing 10 percent or more of the days in a school year, is a widespread challenge that can lead to long-term problems. Data from the Office of Civil Rights suggest that 51 percent of Pennsylvania schools have 10 percent or more of their students chronically absent. Students who are chronically absent miss out on learning and are more prone to dropping out than their peers who attend school regularly.

The School Support and Improvement Research Alliance at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Educational Laboratory (REL MA) recently held a workshop, developed in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), to provide information to educators about chronic absenteeism: what it is, how to measure it, and what research says about addressing it. The workshop met an important informational need in Pennsylvania, as the state will use chronic absenteeism as a measure of school quality and student success as a part of its approved Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Consolidated State Plan.

Source: At School, on Time, and Every Day: What Research Tells Us About Reducing Chronic Absenteeism

Student film festival features dramas, documentaries and more – Daily Republic

By Amy Maginnis-Honey

About 30 films, including music videos, dramas and documentaries, were screened in the Solano Community College Performing Arts Center during the 17th annual EYE Light Film Festival.

The contest was open to students in middle school to junior college.

Entries came in from around Northern California, organizer Lynn Larsen said.

The festival was launched at Buckingham Charter Magnet School in Vacaville. Larsen took over in 2011 with the VacaValley Youth Video Affiliation.

The VYVA Inc. is a nonprofit scholarship organization that supports visual media arts and education. The annual film festival is dedicated to highlighting independent short films from a variety of genres created by young filmmakers.

Source: Student film festival features dramas, documentaries, more

Rodriguez 1 of 50 schools in Vans Custom Culture Competition – Daily Republic

By Amy Maginnis-Honey

Two pairs of custom-designed Vans shoes could net Rodriguez High School $75,000 for its art program.

Rodriguez is one of 50 high schools across the country participating in the ninth annual Vans Custom Culture Competition. Now, it’s up to the public to determine the winner by voting at https://customculture.vans.com and searching for Angelo Rodriguez.

The contest began with 500 schools showcasing their artistic talent on two pairs of blank Vans shoes utilizing the themes of “Local Flavor” and “Off the Wall.” The Vans team selected the top 50 based on creativity, relevance to theme and overall execution.

Source: Shoe-in: Rodriguez 1 of 50 schools in Vans Custom Culture Competition

‘Generations’ screening set at Solano College – Daily Republic

By Daily Republic Staff

Solano Community College professor emeritus George Maguire will host a screening of his film, “Generations,” at 7 p.m. May 8 at the college, 4000 Suisun Valley Road. It will be screened in the performing arts theater, Building 1200.

What began as a conversation between Maguire and a family member about genetic ancestry evolved into an idea for a film inspired by his lineage.

Portions of the film were shot near the college. It also features local actress Dyan McBride.

Source: ‘Generations’ screening set at Solano College

Rodriguez thespians dive into musicals with ‘Spelling Bee’ – Daily Republic

By Daily Republic Staff

Rodriguez High School is tackling a musical with Tony winner “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”

The play is based on a book by Rachel Sheinkin and features a score from William Finn. It centers on an eclectic group of six midpubescents competing for the spelling championship of a lifetime.

They candidly disclose stories from their home lives and spell their way through a series of (potentially made-up) words.

In a high school gym, longtime hostess Rona Lisa Peretti, played by Karis Bailey and Danielle Davison, finalizes the preparations for the annual county spelling bee, reminiscing about her own spelling bee victory, many years prior.

Source: Rodriguez thespians dive into musicals with ‘Spelling Bee’

Children, teens cookoff returns to Fairfield for 6th serving – Daily Republic

By Daily Republic Staff

The 6th Annual Kids/Teen Cookoff will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Fairfield Community Center, 1000 Kentucky St.

The Heart Jr. Chef Challenge is sponsored by Kaiser Permanente and will have participants from David Weir K-8 Preparatory Academy, Laurel Creek Elementary, Suisun Valley K-8 School, Mare Island Elementary and Dan Mini Elementary in Vallejo showing off the skills they learned all year.

The winning team will take home bragging rights and prizes.

Source: Children, teens cookoff returns to Fairfield for 6th serving

March 28 Webinar Launches Attendance Awareness Campaign 2018! – Attendance Works

We are excited to join with our national partners to launch Attendance Awareness Campaign 2018! America’s Promise Alliance, Attendance Works, the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, Everyone Graduates Center, Get Schooled, Healthy Schools Campaign, the Institute for Educational Leadership, Mentor, Points of Light and United Way Worldwide invite you to join us for the sixth year of the Attendance Awareness Campaign, which designates September as Attendance Awareness Month.

This year we encourage everyone to remember that community-wide engagement matters for attendance. Under this year’s theme, Team Up for Attendance! we are emphasizing the role everyone, from educators to health professionals, to local agency and business partners can play in creating a welcoming and engaging school environment that motivates students and families to come to school every day.

Our four-part webinar series will focus on key partners and the important role they can play in addressing chronic absence. During our first webinar on March 28, Team Up for Attendance: Leadership Matters, we officially launch the campaign and pass along how to get involved!

Source: March 28 Webinar Launches Attendance Awareness Campaign 2018! – Attendance Works

Employee contract proposal on Fairfield-Suisun school agenda tonight – The Reporter

By Richard Bammer

A public hearing about a school-support employee union’s initial contract proposal for 2018-19, a review of an agreement with the state Migrant Education program, and an update to the working draft of the district’s Local Control Accountability Plan for the current year and through 2020 are on the agenda when Fairfield-Suisun Unified leaders meet tonight in Fairfield.

Chapter 302 of the California School Employees Association, which represents the district’s classified employees, submitted an initial proposal as part of the “sunshining” process related to the current contracts for the 2018-19 year. (Classified employees include bus drivers, food-service workers, maintenance crews, custodians, and the like.)

Under state law, to sunshine a contract proposal is a way to let the public know what the bargaining units will discuss during contract negotiations.

Source: Employee contract proposal on Fairfield-Suisun school agenda tonight

Rodriguez art students seek votes for Vans Customer Culture Competition – Daily Republic

By Daily Republic Staff

Rodriguez High School is one 50 schools competing in the Vans ninth annual Custom Culture Competition.

Sixteen art students designed and painted a pair of lace shoes and a pair of slip-ons for the competition.

The themes are “Local Flavor” and “Off the Wall.” The public determines the winner by voting at www.customculture.vans.com and searching for Angelo Rodriguez High School.

Source: Rodriguez art students seek votes for Vans Customer Culture Competition

2 from Dan O. Root win state, head to national invention convention – Daily Republic

By Amy Maginnis-Honey

Several fourth-graders at Dan O. Root Health & Wellness Academy took the expression “necessity is the mother of invention” to heart April 14 as they came up with ideas to compete at their school and the state’s invention convention.

Two of the students are heading off to the National Convention and Entrepreneurship Expo, May 31 through June 2 at The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.

Aiden Buffa created the Curb Hopper after watching an adult try to maneuver a wheelchair up a curb with a passenger in the seat. He saw it a second time and the fourth-grader wanted to do something about it.

Source: 2 from Dan O. Root win state, head to national invention convention

VUSD teachers to get 1.5 percent pay hike – The Reporter

By Richard Bammer

Teachers and several nonunion employee groups are expected to receive a 1.5 percent wage hike in a new three-year contract, with teachers also expected to see sizable drops in their out-of-pocket medical premiums when Vacaville Unified leaders cast votes tonight during a special governing board meeting.

Tracy Begley, president of the 685-member Vacaville Teachers Association, confirmed the pay boost, which is retroactive to July 1.

The pay increase also will apply to some nonunionized employee groups, among them certificated administrators (principals), classified management (senior school-support employees) and confidential employees (those who manage confidential employee records and similar documents).

Source: Vacaville Unified School District teachers to get 1.5 percent pay hike

2018 Classified School Employees Announced – Year 2018 (CA Dept of Education)

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today honored six outstanding classified school employees for their dedication to California’s public school students.

“In light of recent events, school climate and a nurturing environment for students are more important than ever. These outstanding employees play critical roles in creating that environment,” Torlakson said. “They are dedicated and strive for excellence. It’s the same whether they’re serving healthy meals, driving the school bus, keeping a campus safe, or checking transcripts to make sure students are on pace to graduate. I applaud their fantastic work in helping students realize their full potential.”

The annual program honors six outstanding classified school employees from the following categories: Child Nutrition; Maintenance, Operations, and Facilities; Office and Technical Support; Para-Educator and Instructional Assistance; Support Services and Security; and Transportation. This year’s recipients were chosen from more than 100 nominations statewide.

The 2018 Classified School Employees of the Year, who will be honored by Torlakson at a luncheon in Sacramento on May 24, are: (Information contained in the following biographical sketches was excerpted from their nomination forms.)

Source: 2018 Classified School Employees Announced – Year 2018 (CA Dept of Education)

Teachers Have the Nation’s Highest Retirement Costs – Education Next

By Chad Aldeman

As teachers have staged walkouts and strikes in West Virginia, Oklahoma, Kentucky, and perhaps Arizona, most of the news coverage has focused on big-picture questions about state education budgets or average teacher salaries. But this misses a large trend going on in the background — teachers, like other workers in the American economy, are forgoing base salary increases in favor of in-kind benefits.

In 2016, I wrote a paper called “The Pension Pac-Man,” attempting to raise awareness of these issues. Using national data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and other sources, I found that teacher salaries hadn’t increased, in inflation-adjusted terms, since the early 1990s. But while base teacher salaries have not risen, total teacher compensation has, driven by large increases in health care and retirement costs. That is, there’s a growing disconnect between what teachers are paid and what their employers pay for them.

This trend has accelerated rapidly over the past 10 years. Across the country, benefit costs are increasing much faster than salaries. At some level, this trend is playing out across the broader American economy as the baby boom generation begins to retire and as health care costs have soared. Over the past decade, civilian employers have paid average annual wage increases of 2.3 percent, their health care contributions have risen by 3.2 percent, and retirement costs have increased by 4.9 percent a year.

Source: Teachers Have the Nation’s Highest Retirement Costs. But They’ll Never See the Benefits – Education Next : Education Next

Solano districts nominate top teachers, school employees – Daily Republic

By Daily Republic Staff

Fourteen educators and school support employees have been nominated for the 2018-19 Solano County Educators of the Year Award.

“Solano County’s educators inspire and support our students to learn, grow and thrive. Their hard work and dedication make a profound and lasting impact on the lives of our pupils and their families. I want to extend our deepest appreciation to all the nominees, for their admirable work in education,” Solano County Superintendent of Schools Lisette Estrella-Henderson said in a statement announcing the nominations.

Source: Solano districts nominate top teachers, school employees for educator awards

Integrated learning grants available to Solano teachers, artists – Daily Republic

By Daily Republic Staff

The Solano County Office of Education is offering three courses to train educators and community artists how to make “learning visible” as part of the grant-funded Solano Integrated Learning Specialist Program.

The county office received $75,000. The funding covers the cost of $299 for each participant per course, which includes materials, a light breakfast and lunch. This is also an opportunity for people to work toward an ILSP certificate.

Source: Integrated learning grants available to Solano teachers, artists

Fairfield-Suisun school board to review new books – Daily Republic

By Daily Republic Staff

Community members are invited to sound off at the Fairfield-Suisun School District governing board meeting Thursday when trustees review proposed instructional materials.

The estimated cost for the new materials is estimated at $821,000. Lottery and Local Educational Agency Grants will be used. The new books’ topics include Photoshop, auto repair, mathematics and athletic training. The proposed materials have been on view at the Suisun City Library. The list was publicized through social media and the district website.

Board members will open the meeting at 5 p.m. followed by closed session. The meeting is at 2490 Hilborn Road.

Source: Fairfield-Suisun school board to review new books