Category Archives: Alternative education

Golden Hills sees dozen grads pick up diplomas – Daily Republic

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By Peter Fournier

Golden Hills Community School’s graduating seniors from across the county came to the school Thursday in Fairfield to pick up their high school diplomas and take the next step in their lives.

The school’s 12 graduates participated in a drive-thru ceremony at the Solano County Office of Education’s campus, which serves seventh to 12th grades. Staff cheered them on and congratulated them as they cruised by in vehicles and also took part in a cap-and-gown photo shoot.

School director Amy Chavez said staff knew graduation would be different when Covid-19 forced schools to close in March.

Source: Golden Hills sees dozen grads pick up diplomas

200 Students Take Part In Napa-Solano Trades Tour | Napa Valley, CA Patch

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By Maggie Fusek

More than 200 high school students from Solano and Napa counties took a trades tour last week during which they visited local training centers for trade workers in Napa, Fairfield, Benicia and Vacaville. The tour has taken place for the last several years and is sponsored by Napa-Solano Central Labor Council, Solano County Office of Education (SCOE), North Bay Apprenticeship Coordinators Association, and Napa-Solano Building Trades.

During this year’s tour, which took place from 8:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14, the high-schoolers received information on the opportunities a union construction career can offer.

Source: 200 Students Take Part In Napa-Solano Trades Tour | Napa Valley, CA Patch

Solano, Napa students see futures in the trades – Daily Republic

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By Todd R. Hansen

More than 200 students got a firsthand look Thursday at what work in the trades could mean for their futures.

The groups from Solano and Napa counties took a tour of training centers that included sheet metal workers in Fairfield, plumbers and steamfitters in Vacaville, iron workers in Benicia and electrical workers in Napa.

The students also visited carpenter trade centers in Fairfield and Napa.

The tour is an annual event sponsored by the Napa-Solano Central Labor Council, the North Bay Apprenticeship Coordinators Association, the Napa-Solano Building Trades and the Solano County Office of Education.

Source: Solano, Napa students see futures in the trades

VUSD to consider new proposal for Country High School – The Reporter

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By Nick Sestanovich

Vacaville Unified School District has decided not to move forward with a plan to create two smaller credit recovery campuses at the Will C. Wood and Vacaville high school campuses.

Instead, the school board will be considering a new proposal to move Country High School to the Buckingham Charter Magnet High School campus, move Buckingham to the current Country High campus and merge Country High with the Ernest Kimme Charter Academy for Independent Learning, which will move into the building across the way, the district announced in a Facebook post.

The goal is for both programs to work together to bring more resources to students.

In September, the district announced that it was considering establishing smaller continuation campuses on the general education high school campuses for Country High students to take classes in self-contained classrooms. However, Country High students, parents and staff expressed concerns about this proposal — namely that Country High students benefited from being in a smaller campus away from the larger comprehensive campuses — at the Sept. 28 school board meeting and on social media.

Source: VUSD to consider new proposal for Country High School – The Reporter

Attendance Awareness poster winners announced – Daily Republic

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By Daily Republic Staff

The Solano County Office of Education this week announced the winners of the 2019 Solano Countywide Attendance Awareness Poster Contest, according to a press release.

September was Attendance Awareness Month and SCOE hosted the contest to provide school districts the opportunity to engage students in conversations about the critical role that school attendance has on student achievement. 72 students from school districts across Solano County submitted posters for consideration in the contest.

There were three categories in the contest with 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in each category. These students will be recognized at their respective district school board meetings.

Source: Attendance Awareness poster winners announced

Country High School community urges school board to not move campus operations – The Reporter

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By Nick Sestanovich

A discussion on a proposal to move Country High School’s operations to the comprehensive high school campuses may not have been on the agenda for Thursday’s school board meeting, as it was previously scheduled, but parents, teachers and students still took time to express their concerns.

On Sept. 16, Vacaville Unified School District Superintendent Jane Shamieh issued a letter to families announcing that the district was considering establishing two smaller continuation school campuses on the Vacaville and Will C. Wood high school campuses. Country High students would be assigned to a campus based on their area of residence and take classes in self-contained classrooms.

The district’s goals were to provide easier access to Career Technical Education courses for Country High students, allow CHS students to participate in lunch and extracurricular activities with their comprehensive high school peers and make it easier for them to transition back to their home campus if they finish up their credits.

Source: Country High School community urges school board to not move campus operations – The Reporter

School board to discuss changes to Country High School – The Reporter

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By Nick Sestanovich

Major changes could be coming to Country High School, Vacaville Unified School District’s continuation school, in the 2020-21 school year. The VUSD Governing Board will be discussing a proposal to establish two smaller continuation campuses on the Vacaville and Will C. Wood High School properties at its Sept. 26 meeting.

According to a letter to families sent by Superintendent Jane Shamieh, major goals of the proposed change include providing Country High students with access to Career Technical Education (CTE) courses and making it easier for students who have caught up on their Country High credits transition back to their home school to finish the credits needed to graduate.

The core classes would be taught in self-contained classrooms on the comprehensive school sites by Country High staff. Students would be placed on campuses determined by their residence, Shamieh wrote.

Source: School board to discuss changes to Country High School – The Reporter

Slow journey of TEC grads has not yet stopped – Daily Republic

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By Todd R. Hansen

With blue robes and blue mortarboards – some wearing leis, and at least one weighed down with an assortment of neck ware – the graduates of the Travis Education Center on Friday afternoon were greeted by a packed house with cheers and loud hoots as they gamboled down the center aisles of the Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre.

Sixty-one graduates – most from TEC, but some from the Community Day School and others from the Independent Studies program – assembled on the theater stage. Thirteen of the students were juniors graduating a full year early. Others actually need to finish their studies over the summer.

Source: Slow journey of TEC grads has not yet stopped

Solano College to launch SOAR program – Daily Republic

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By Daily Republic Staff

Solano Community College will launch its Students Overcoming Adversity and Recidivism program with an open house from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday at the Vallejo Center, according to a press release.

The program is designed to support formerly incarcerated students as they transform their lives through education.

“We believe no student should be left behind, regardless of what they’ve experienced and challenges they’ve faced,” Superintendent-President Celia Esposito-Noy said in a press release.

Source: Solano College to launch SOAR program

2019 Juvenile Court Teacher of the Year Named – Year 2019 (CA Dept of Education)

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State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond today congratulated Greg Barragan of the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools for being named the 2019 Juvenile Court, Community, and Alternative Schools Administrators of California (JCCASAC) Teacher of the Year.

Barragan or Mr. B as his students call him, started as a Career Technical Instructor at the Fresno County Court School in 2015 and launched the school’s welding program. His instruction and expertise has enabled countless students to earn welding certifications and embark on the pathway to solid careers.

Source: 2019 Juvenile Court Teacher of the Year Named – Year 2019 (CA Dept of Education)

Solano County office of education hosting transition fair on March 20 – Times-Herald

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By Vallejo Times Herald

Parents, guardians, and students are invited to attend the Solano County Office of Education’s Workforce Development Department’s 24 annual Transition Information Fair on March 20.

“If you have a student enrolled in a middle school, high school, or an adult/transition program who has a disability and/or is in a special education program, it is time to discover the possibilities for their future,” according to a press release from the county’s office of education.

Over 40 agencies from Solano County and surrounding areas will have representatives available to offer guidance and information about their services as attendees will receive valuable information about various programs and agencies in th community that can assist with higher education, training, employment, adult day programs, and independent living, officials said.

Source: Solano County office of education hosting transition fair on March 20 – Times-Herald

24th Transition Fair is scheduled for March 20 in Fairfield – Daily Republic

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By Daily Republic Staff

The 24th annual Transition Information Fair for students in middle school, high school or an adult/transition program who has a disability and/or in a special education program will be held March 20.

The fair will occur from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Solano County Office of Education, 5100 Business Center Drive.

More than 40 agencies from Solano and surrounding counties will be on hand to provide information about programs and agencies that can assist with higher education, training, employment, adult day programs and independent living.

Source: 24th Transition Fair is scheduled for March 20 in Fairfield

2019 Model Continuation High Schools Announced – Year 2019 (CA Dept of Education)

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State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond announced today that 31 schools were newly designated as Model Continuation High Schools for 2019. These schools are recognized for their innovative approach to instruction and helping students who have faced many challenges—including behavior issues, chronic absenteeism, and truancy—get back on the pathway to learning.

“These schools have created exemplary programs and strategies that provide students with a second chance at academic success,” said Thurmond. “The commitment demonstrated by the teachers and administrative staff, combined with a culture of caring that focuses on the emotional and education needs of the unique populations they serve, are what make these continuation high schools the best examples of how to help kids strive and reach their full potential.”

Source: 2019 Model Continuation High Schools Announced – Year 2019 (CA Dept of Education)

Liberty High rolling out new internship program – Benicia Herald

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By Nick Sestanovich

Liberty High School is in the process of implementing a new internship program for its students. New Principal Kimberly Lewis provided an update on the process at Thursday’s school board meeting.

Lewis’ presentation was introduced by Dr. Leslie Beatson, assistant superintendent of educational services, who said the district has been exploring new opportunities for students at Benicia’s alternative high school.

“A couple of years ago, we started thinking about, ‘How do we continue to provide amazing experiences for our students over at Liberty?’” Beatson said. “‘What is it that our students at Liberty really need from us, beyond getting across the stage at graduation?’”

Source: Liberty High rolling out new internship program

Area high school graduations, the pomp and circumstance, are set – The Reporter

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The 2018 graduation season in central and eastern Solano County is underway, with most of the ceremonies, pomp and circumstance occurring next week.

Solano Community College minted new graduates earlier this week in Hollister Stadium at main Fairfield campus.

Source: Area high school graduations, the pomp and circumstance, are set

Solano Co. Juvenile Detention Inmates Earn High School Diplomas | Dixon, CA Patch

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The Solano County Office of Education (SCOE) proudly announces students from the Solano County Juvenile Detention Facility (JDF) School will receive their high school diploma at a Graduation Ceremony on Tuesday, June 5, 2018. The JDF School, operated by SCOE, serves minors that have been remanded to the Solano County Juvenile Probation Department’s Juvenile Detention Center. “Our students demonstrate their resiliency daily while prevailing above their current circumstances. They are receiving a valuable education, through our SCOE programs, that will make a difference in their lives and help them become contributing members to our community,” says Solano County Superintendent of Schools Lisette Estrella-Henderson.

Students at JDF receive a rigorous course of study that provides an opportunity for them to earn course credit toward meeting their home district’s graduation requirements. Students receiving their high school diploma on June 5th have completed all graduation requirements outlined by the California Department of Education. After graduation, students can enroll in Solano Community College courses online and earn units toward an associate degree or complete general education requirements before transferring to a four-year college. Students at JDF also receive career technical education instruction and earn Work-Ready Certification which prepares them as they seek employment by developing the skills local businesses consider essential when hiring.

Source: Solano Co. Juvenile Detention Inmates Earn High School Diplomas | Dixon, CA Patch

SCOE honors classified employee, teacher of the year – Daily Republic

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By Amy Maginnis-Honey

A school bus driver convinced by her cousin to give the job a try and a high school science teacher who taught three of her four children were named Tuesday as Solano County’s Classified School Employee of the Year and Teacher of the Year.

Samantha Bradshaw, lead trainer and bus driver for the Vallejo City School District, was nominated for her can-do attitude and getting grants to retrofit the buses.

“Samantha has gone over and beyond the call of duty to help out the Transportation Department,” her nomination read.

Source: Solano office of education honors classified employee, teacher of the year

Announcing 2018 Model Continuation High Schools – Year 2018 (CA Dept of Education)

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State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced that 32 schools were newly designated as Model Continuation High Schools for 2018. These schools are recognized for creating innovative programs that focus on academics and social and emotional learning and helping students who have faced many challenges, including chronic absenteeism and truancy, get back on the path to realizing their full academic potential.

“These model continuation high schools provide a space where students can feel a sense of accomplishment and increased confidence and receive strong educational support,” said Torlakson. ”Creating an academically challenging yet encouraging school climate can help turn an at-risk student on the verge of dropping out into a high school graduate prepared for a future career or college.”

Source: Announcing 2018 Model Continuation High Schools – Year 2018 (CA Dept of Education)

Solano County Office of Education board holds special meeting – Times Herald

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By Richard Bammer

Solano County Office of Education leaders, when they meet tonight in Fairfield, will face a relatively light agenda, followed by a special meeting and a closed hearing.

Nicola Parr, director of student and program support, will update the seven-member board on the SCOE’s Local Control Accountability Plan, a key part of Gov. Jerry Brown’s Local Control Funding Formula. LCAPs are annual documents that guide virtually all of a school district’s spending, especially for English learners, low-income students and foster youth.

Parr will note the stakeholders “engagement process,” to include the frequency of meetings with parents, students, staff and foster youth advocates.

Additionally, she will note a pending Career Technical Education advisory meeting, to include a guest speaker who will offer an update on the economic climate for the North Bay; input from local businesses about the skills they want in graduates, among other things.

Source: Solano County Office of Education board holds special meeting

SCOE to discuss achievement plans for Juvenile Court, Detention Facility students – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

A Local Control Accountability Plan update, a state and federal legislative update, and achievement plans for students in the Juvenile Court and Community School program, Juvenile Detention Facility, and Division of Unaccompanied Children’s Services are on the agenda when the Solano County Office of Education leaders meet tonight in Fairfield.

Nicola Parr, director of student and program support, will offer the seven-member governing board a brief update on the county school’s LCAP, the document that guides virtually all of the agency’s spending, especially for poor, English language learners and foster youth programs.

Superintendent Lisette Estrella-Henderson will provide an update on state and federal legislation.

Victor Romualdi, associate superintendent for student programs and educational services, and Gricelda Rodriguez, program administrator of education options, will lead the reports on Single Plans for Student Achievement at the Golden Hills Juvenile Court and Community School, at the Juvenile Detention Facility, and the Division of Unaccompanied Children’s Services.

Source: Solano County Office of Education to discuss achievement plans for Juvenile Court, Detention Facility students