Monthly Archives: December 2012

The Reporter: Solano County joins program to fight truancy

Posted on by

By Richard Bammer/ RBammer@TheReporter.com

In an effort to improve graduation rates, Solano County educators continue to call on students, parents and communities to boost school attendance by focusing on chronic absenteeism.

In October, educators signed on to a comprehensive effort, “School Attendance — Every Minute Matters: From Awareness to Action,” in hopes of stemming the problem. California has a graduation rate of 71 percent, ranking 42nd out of 50 states, based on the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education.

Chronic absences occur when a student misses 10 percent or more of classroom instruction days, or about 18 days in a year, for any reason, including excused absences, noted Jay Speck, Solano County superintendent of schools.

via Solano County joins program to fight truancy.

The Reporter: Career Technical Education focus of meeting at Solano County Office of Education

Posted on by

The Solano County Office of Education on Tuesday will sponsor a countywide meeting on how Career Technical Education (CTE) affects area high school students.

The meeting, called by the CTE Advisory Committee, will be from 5 to 7 p.m. in Vacaville High School’s Little Theater, 100 W. Monte Vista Ave.

via Career Technical Education focus of meeting at Solano County Office of Education.

KTVU-TV: Parent of bullying victim upset over VCUSD district response to problem

Posted on by

VALLEJO, Calif. —

Parents in a Vallejo school district are accusing officials of not doing enough for the victims of two bullies.

One of the parents told KTVU her daughter wrote a suicide note because she’s so upset over being bullied at Cooper Elementary School and she said district intervention has only made the matter worse.

via Parent of bullying victim upset over district response to problem.

EdSource Today: Darling-Hammond elected new chair of Credentialing Commission

Posted on by

By 

The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing has elected Linda Darling-Hammond as its chair, placing one of the nation’s foremost authorities on education in a position to shape the state’s policies affecting the recruitment and training of teachers and principals in a year where major changes are in the works.

Darling-Hammond is a professor at the Stanford University School of Education and author of 300 publications. Appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown to the Commission last year, she has been the vice chair and was in line to succeed English teacher Charles Gahagan. The only question was whether she would have time for the job.

via Darling-Hammond elected new chair of Credentialing Commission – by John Fensterwald.

EdSource Today: Credentialing commission imposes tougher test to become school administrator

Posted on by

By 

Alone among states, California has permitted passing a primarily multiple-choice exam as one path to become a school or district administrator.

That will change. The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) on Friday voted to require aspiring administrators to pass a more challenging “performance-based assessment,” showing how they’d handle complex situations that administrators face on the job, like designing a school improvement plan and evaluating teachers. The new test will replace the current exam, the California Preliminary Administrative Credential Examination, when the contract for administering it expires in October 2014.

via Credentialing commission imposes tougher test to become school administrator – by John Fensterwald.

Daily Republic Letter: Bad move for SCOE’s Delta program

Posted on by

The school district wants to take over the Solano County Office of Eduction Delta program, a program designed to help special needs children with behavior problems

They say it’s not a financial reason, but yet they give no logical reason. These children do not handle change well, as many are autistic. With the change, there will be new teachers and staff. If teachers want to switch to the district, they will have to apply and interview and take a pay cut. Also, the district has a smaller budget to work with than the county.

I ask, how is this in the best interest of our children?

Rosalinda McLaughlin

Suisun City

via Bad move for the Delta program.

Benicia Patch: Robert Semple Elementary Embraces VOENA

Posted on by

by Sheri Hoffmann

Since October, students in the first through fifth grades at Robert Semple Elementary have been treated to the magic of singing.  Annabelle Marie, Founder and Director of VOENA has been meeting two full days a month with each grade level, to reveal the world of vocal music to young students.  This will continue on through the entire school year.

via Robert Semple Elementary Embraces VOENA.

Benicia Herald: BUSD Board bolsters field trip security

Posted on by

By Keri Luiz
Assistant Editor

 

Benicia school trustees on Thursday approved requiring fingerprinting of parents who volunteer to drive students to different off-campus school functions.

“The board requested that staff add a line to the board policy that required that all drivers on field trips be fingerprinted. That has been added to the policy and I am bringing it forth for your approval,” Superintendent Janice Adams said.

via Board bolsters field trip security.

The Educated Guess: Survey finds high superintendent turnover in large California districts

Posted on by

by Susan Frey

During a period of eroding financial stability, many of the state’s largest districts also faced leadership instability.

Between 2006 and 2009, 71 percent of superintendents in California’s largest districts and 45 percent of all superintendents left their jobs, according to a survey of 215 districts randomly selected from the state’s approximately 1,000 districts. The survey covers well more than half of the state’s largest districts – those with more than 29,000 students in 2005–06.

The survey data speak only to turnover during a three-year period, not longevity, and do not include interim superintendents who were leading districts during that time.

via Survey finds high superintendent turnover in large California districts – by Susan Frey.

SCOE’s Facebook Wall: The Northern CA Literacy Consortium Meeting on January 23 will feature Timothy Shanahan, Ph.D.

Posted on by

Solano County Office of Education’s Facebook Wall

The Northern CA Literacy Consortium Meeting on January 23 will feature Timothy Shanahan, Ph.D., speaking about Teaching with the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.

Shanahan is Director of the Center for Literacy at the University of Illinois at Chicago and chair of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. He was on the development team for the English Language Arts Common Core State Standards and is an author of California Treasures. Register by January 10.

http://www.solanocoe.net/apps/events/2013/1/23/1223275/?id=0

via The Northern CA Literacy Consortium Meeting on January 23 will feature Timothy S….

KQED MindShift: SmartBoard, Make Way for Educreations

Posted on by
By

One of the biggest, fastest shifts in ed tech the last couple years has been the evolution from the use of large interactive whiteboards to the use of mobile, agile multi-purpose apps. Currently, there are at least six products, all competing to become teachers’ favorite. Replay Note, ScreenChomp, ShowMe, DoodleCast Pro, Knowmia, Explain Everything and Educreations all offer teachers the ability to record the visual and audio components of a “whiteboard” lesson on their iPads, and share it online.

via SmartBoard, Make Way for Educreations.

CBS 5 TV: Vallejo Students Accuse School Of Ignoring Bullying Complaints

Posted on by

VALLEJO (CBS 5) — If you have ever been bullied in school or have children that have been targeted, you know how traumatic it can be. That’s why there are strict laws to prevent it, and to investigate complaints.

Two fifth graders at a Bay Area school told CBS 5 they are suffering from constant bullying. They accuse the school of sweeping their complaints under the rug.

via Vallejo Students Accuse School Of Ignoring Bullying Complaints.

The Reporter: Geography bee to test Cooper Elementary School students in Vacaville

Posted on by

Some studies show American students lack comprehensive geography knowledge compared to other students around the world.

But Cooper Elementary students hope to put that notion to rest on Jan. 8, when they compete in the first round of the National Geographic Bee.

via Geography bee to test Cooper Elementary School students in Vacaville.

Vallejo Times-Herald: Police investigate bullying at Vallejo elementary school

Posted on by

By Lanz Christian Bañes

It started last year with some stolen snacks and some shoving.

But by November, the bullying had gotten so bad that a 10-year-old girl at Cooper Elementary School in Vallejo thought there was only one way to end it.

“The night before last, I found a suicide note in her bedroom because of what’s going on at school,” said the mother of “Jane,” a Cooper fifth-grader.

via Police investigate bullying at Vallejo elementary school.

Edutopia: Building Social and Emotional Skills in Elementary Students: Passion and Strengths

Posted on by

Randy Taran Filmmaker, Project Happiness

In this nine-part series, we will look at important factors that influence the happiness and social and emotional learning of elementary school age children. These are very useful in helping students learn, manage emotions better and increase empathy. Each blog features one letter of the acronym HAPPINESS:

via Building Social and Emotional Skills in Elementary Students: Passion and Strengths.

Education Week: Fiscal Cliff: How Are Advocates Fighting the Education Cuts?

Posted on by

by Alyson Klein

If you happen to be an education advocate, you are probably having trouble finding time to do your Christmas shopping, because of all the time you’re spending organizing call-ins, visiting the Hill, signing onto coalition letters, and waiting for the next proposals from House Speaker John Boehner and the Obama administration.

Organizations around Washington are taking different tacks in trying to persuade lawmakers to spare K-12 from a possible 8.2 percent across-the-board cut come January—most school districts wouldn’t feel the impact until next school year. (Everything you ever wanted to know about those cuts and more here.)

via Fiscal Cliff: How Are Advocates Fighting the Education Cuts?.

California Watch: K–12: State considers shorter service for under-prepared teachers

Posted on by

Joanna Lin

Under proposals the state’s teacher credentialing agency is set to consider today, school districts would need to show on a case-by-case basis that no fully credentialed teachers are available before they resort to less-qualified educators, and under-prepared teachers could serve a maximum of three years instead of five.

The Commission on Teacher Credentialing is weighing the changes after expressing concern that under-prepared teachers disproportionately serve students who are living in poverty and learning English.

“Until that changes, we need to tighten up our process a little bit,” Commissioner Kathleen Harris said at a September commission meeting, where possible regulatory changes for under-prepared teachers were first discussed.

via State considers shorter service for under-prepared teachers.

Benicia Herald: Joint panel told of BHS drug suspension program

Posted on by

By Keri Luiz
Assistant Editor

Benicia City Council/School Board Liaison Committee met Thursday for the first time since September and heard a presentation on a program to overhaul how students guilty of drug offenses serve their suspensions.

The panel also saw a presentation on the ongoing study into whether to close the Benicia High School campus at lunch time.

Benicia police Chief Andrew Bidou began the presentation on the School Suspension Drug Diversion Program, saying Superintendent Janice Adams hosted a meeting last month on the statewide Healthy Kids Survey, which includes questions about drug use in certain grades.

via Joint panel told of BHS drug suspension program.