Monthly Archives: January 2015

BUSD OKs 2015-16 calendar – Benicia Herald

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by Keri Luiz

Benicia Unified School District trustees last week approved the school year calendar for 2015-16 as well as a proposed contract for confidential and management employees, a group mostly comprised of principals, vice principals, directors, counselors and some support staff.

Superintendent of Benicia Schools Janice Adams said Thursday that a calendar committee originally proposed that the school year begin earlier this fall, but backed off that plan after gathering input and staff recommendations.

“We did surveys of our classified workers, our teachers, our parent committee and our administrators, and you can see that with every group, not by big margins but by a margin, a later start date was recommended,” Adams said.

via BUSD OKs 2015-16 calendar.

Arne Duncan Asked Failing Schools to Add Instructional Time; Did It Help? – Education Week

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By Alyson Klein

Extended learning time has been at the heart of many of the Obama administration’s school turnaround strategies. Schools that get money through the School Improvement Grant program have to extend the school day, or year. And states with waivers from the No Child Left Behind Act have to add extra learning time for “priority” schools (those that are among the worst in the state) .

But adding extra time to the day or year is a lot easier said than done, according to a report released Tuesday by the Center on Education Policy, a research organization in Washington. And it’s far too early to say whether adding time really has done much to move the needle on student achievement, in part because it’s early going and in part because extended learning time is usually paired with a lot of other strategies.

via Arne Duncan Asked Failing Schools to Add Instructional Time; Did It Help? – Politics K-12 – Education Week.

School district looks to move all Sem Yeto students to satellite campuses – Daily Republic

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By Susan Winlow

School district staff is looking for approval Thursday in moving the bulk of Sem Yeto High School students to Fairfield High School this coming year in a move that will mirror the Sem Yeto satellite campus currently serving Armijo High School.

Approximately 200 students to be moved were originally Fairfield High School students. A similar move is in the works for Rodriguez High School students at Sem Yeto but the need is not as great so the concept will differ, said Sheila McCabe, the district’s executive director of administrative services and community engagement.

via School district looks to move all Sem Yeto students to satellite campuses Daily Republic.

Travis trustees take a pass, for now, on student tracking plan – Daily Republic

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By Bill Hicks

Travis School District trustees agreed Tuesday to postpone a vote on a new program the district is considering that would allow the district to track student progress after graduation from high school.

The program, California Partnership for Achieving Student Success, or Cal PASS, is a way for school districts to use measurable data submitted from participating colleges, including nearly all California colleges and community colleges, as well as select out-of-state universities, to ensure students are indeed being properly prepared for post-high school academics.

via Travis trustees take a pass, for now, on student tracking plan Daily Republic.

Preschool advocates seek more funding | EdSource

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By Susan Frey

Advocates for expanding preschool to low-income 4-year-olds were disappointed with the 4,000 additional enrollment slots proposed by Gov. Jerry Brown in his 2015-16 budget released Friday.

The new slots are for the 2015-16 school year, but Brown had already agreed in the last legislative session to provide those slots, said Ted Lempert, president of the advocacy group Children Now. During that same session, an agreement was reached to eventually provide preschool slots for all the state’s low-income children. Another 31,500 slots at a cost of about $300 million would be needed. But the agreement was not specific on how many years it would take to reach that goal.

H.D. Palmer, a spokesman for the Department of Finance, said the agreement addressed not only the number of slots, but also reimbursement rates for preschool providers, incentives to providers to improve the quality of preschool, and funding for a full day of care in addition to three hours of preschool, removing one of the barriers to working families enrolling their children in the program.

via Preschool advocates seek more funding | EdSource#.VLVSNmctHGg#.VLVSNmctHGg.

Reaction to Governor’s Budget – Year 2015 (CA Dept of Education)

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SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson issued the following statement today on Governor Brown’s proposed budget for the 2015-16 fiscal year:

“This budget gets an ‘A’ for K-14 education. Governor Jerry Brown clearly did his homework researching the needs and priorities of schools and proposing to allocate money to meet many of those needs.

“The extra money under Proposition 98 is good news for schools across the state. I am also very pleased with the additional funds to help maintain and expand career technical education programs; implement the Local Control Funding Formula and the rigorous new California state standards in mathematics, English language arts, and science; upgrade technology and connect schools to the Internet; and maintain adult education programs across the state.

via Reaction to Governor’s Budget – Year 2015 (CA Dept of Education).

Vallejo school board to interview applicants Wednesday to fill vacancy – Times Herald

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By John Glidden

The long running mini-series on who will fill the vacant seat on the Vallejo school board continues Wednesday during a special Vallejo City Unified School District Board of Education meeting.

The trustees are expected to create a uniform set of interview questions during the meeting and then interview the eligible candidates before making a final selection at the regular board meeting on Jan. 21.

During its recent meeting, the board announced that local citizens Brenda Crawford, Ruscal Cayangyang, Hazel Wilson, Blance Groves Vaughn, Shelee Loughmiller, and Julian Vaughn each submitted an application to fill the vacancy.

Trustees Burky Worel and Ward “Ace” Stewart have been tasked to check whether the applicants meet the various criteria to fill the vacancy, including being a resident of the school district, be at least 18 years of age or older, a citizen of California, a registered voter, and is not disqualified from holding office.

via Vallejo school board to craft questions and interview applicants Wednesday to fill vacancy.

The Leaven welcomes new board appointments – Daily Republic

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By Susan Winlow

The nonprofit after-school program The Leaven welcomes three new directors effective this month.

The new appointees include Chick-fil-A operator Annette Forney; in-service operations director at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom David Zellner; and Mat Fratus, the city of Rialto’s fire chief. The Leaven, which is based in Fairfield, has an active program in Southern California and Fratus is the first board appointment from that area.

Peter Gaudet and Kris Williams will leave the board due to term expiration.

via The Leaven welcomes new board appointments Daily Republic.

‘Sunshine’ wage proposals, a trustee appointment on Travis USD agenda tonight – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

Initial union wage increase proposals, the district’s counter proposals, and a timeline to appoint a new governing board member are on the agenda when Travis Unified leaders meet tonight in open session in Fairfield.

Sure to note a recent 10.7 percent salary increase accorded to Superintendent Kate Wren Gavlak, the president of the Travis Unified Teachers Association, Jeanette Wylie, will tell the four district trustees that the rank and file want a 10 percent hike on all rates and schedules, as she wrote in a “Conceptual Sunshine Proposals” document presented to the board on Dec. 9.

“This does not represent an actual increase in light of the five years we suffered 2 percent cuts from 2009-2014 through furlough days,” she wrote.

via ‘Sunshine’ wage proposals, a trustee appointment on Travis Unified School District agenda tonight.

4-H youths impress with projects, cooking, poise, confidence – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

The cool January air carried the smell of freshly made chili, not too far from Blake Boban’s exhibit about the Polish breed of chicken and Alexis Taliaferro’s exhibit about dog communication.

Between the chili and the exhibits, there was much more to tell about the annual Solano County 4-H Project Skills Day and Chili Cook-off Saturday at C.A. Jacobs Intermediate School in Dixon.

Probably the single most important thing was the nature of 4-H itself in 2015, said Valerie Williams, development representative for youth organization in the county.

via 4-H youths impress with projects, cooking, poise, confidence.

Officials: Community colleges look good in proposed state budget – Daily Republic

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By Susan Winlow

Positive is a word that doesn’t come up often after the release of the state budget from the governor’s office.

But for the local community college district, things are looking up with the proposed budget that offers $800 million in ongoing funding and $300 million in one-time money.

Funding components include $200 million for student success programs and equity plans; $125 million to increase base allocation funding in order to ease constrained discretionary funding, which can help colleges address increased employee retirement rates; $106.9 million earmarked to increase access to about 45,000 students; and $92.4 million in a cost-of-living adjustment that translates to 1.58 percent, compared to 0.85 percent last year.

via Officials: Community colleges look good in proposed state budget Daily Republic.

Weir students put their running skills to work for charity – Daily Republic

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By Susan Hiland

Cheers echoed across the David Weir K-8 Preparatory Academy campus on Friday as the entire school ran for a charitable cause.

“The students helped raise money for Friends of Jaclyn Foundation as part of helping them become aware that there are people out there who are suffering,” said Larissa Sherrod, special education resource and transitional kindergarten teacher.

David Weir students have been doing a Hoopla Charity Run as a fundraiser for the last three years. This year the students raised $700 for the foundation and with money donated from the principal, Martha Lacy, and staff it will be about $1,000 for the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation.

via Weir students put their running skills to work for charity Daily Republic.

FSUSD hire event gets jump on next school year – Daily Republic

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By Bill Hicks

The Fairfield-Suisun School District on Saturday morning hosted a recruitment fair in hopes of getting ahead of the curve for the 2015-16 school year.

Nearly 500 applicants turned out for the event, seeking both credentialed and classified positions within the district. This was the second recruitment event of its kind the district has hosted this school year. The district hopes events like these can help them prepare for a more prosperous future.

“It’s been a real success for what we’re trying to accomplish,” said Assistant Superintendent Robert Martinez.

Part of what the district is trying to accomplish is to be on the leading edge of an anticipated rebound for school districts statewide. In previous school years, many districts across the state faced difficult choices in light of budget shortages, including the elimination of extracurricular programs, teacher layoffs and even school closures. These constraints forced many new teachers and teaching candidates to seek alternative professional fields. As a result, while there might now be a need or desire to replace many of these lost resources%

via FSUSD hire event gets jump on next school year Daily Republic.

Some Fairfield-Suisun schools see shift to K-8 format – Daily Republic

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By Susan Winlow

Michael Cerin had attended David Weir K-8 Preparatory Academy since he was in the third grade. When he started it was simply called David Weir Elementary School and was a traditional elementary school.

The 13-year-old was eager for a taste of a traditional sixth- through eighth-grade middle school when he ended his seventh-grade year last year, and, he said, his mother wanted to ensure he would be prepared for high school. He went off to B. Gale Wilson School with no thought of returning to David Weir.

But there were some problems, along with some grade slippage this year in a couple of classes he previously excelled at and that concerned Melisa Johnson, his mother. Michael said his mother allowed him to make the decision as to whether to stay at B. Gale Wilson or return to David Weir.

via Some Fairfield-Suisun schools see shift to K-8 format Daily Republic.

What Students Can Learn From Taking Financial Risks in Class | MindShift

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By Katrina Schwartz

It’s not unusual for school programs to be cut — even successful and popular ones. Often the program disappears into memory. But sometimes school supporters can rally to keep it going. At Willard Middle School in Berkeley, California, parents and the community mobilized to raise money to keep alive a cooking and gardening program at the school after its budget was cut. But the school didn’t stop there — its teachers have tasked students with turning the program into a successful small business, generating revenues to support the program. Students are learning by doing, even when that means making mistakes that cost the program money, all for the purposes of learning.

Two years ago, the Berkeley Unified School District learned that the federal funding stream it used to pay for a nationally recognized cooking and gardening program in its K-12 schools would disappear. With more than a decade to build on lessons learned, the program was adept at teaching nutrition, along with academic concepts like plant botany, cooking math and journal reflections embedded in hands-on learning. Students learned about the vegetables they grew and shared tips on preparation with their parents when they went home. Other classroom teachers even incorporated elements of gardening into their instruction.

via What Students Can Learn From Taking Financial Risks in Class | MindShift.

Obama proposes free community college | EdSource

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By Michelle Maitre

President Barack Obama has unveiled a proposal to make the first two years of community college free for students who are diligent about working toward a degree.

“What I’d like to do is see the first two years of community college free for everybody who is willing to work for it,” Obama said Thursday in a Facebook video announcing the plan. “It’s something that we can accomplish and something that’ll train our workforce so that we can compete with anybody in the world.”

Under the plan, the federal government would contribute three-quarters of the average cost of community college, while participating states would contribute the rest, according to information on a White House blog. To qualify, students must maintain at least a 2.5 grade point average, attend college at least half-time and “make steady progress toward completing their degree.” States would have to opt-in to participate in the program.

via Obama proposes free community college | EdSource#.VLAL6WctHGg#.VLAL6WctHGg.

Vacaville USD bond refunding measures save taxpayer dollars – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

But just how much the average taxpayer will save in the coming months remains unclear, said Chief Business Officer Jane Shamieh, referring to recent refunding of Measure V, the $101 million school bond measure approved by voters in 2001.

District officials refunded outstanding general obligation bonds in 2014, first in May, then again in December, after interest rates tumbled further as a result of reduced municipal bond supply, strong bond fund cash flows and signs of a global economic slowdown, she noted in a statement sent to The Reporter on Thursday.

 

The action will save the property owners more than $9.2 million in taxes, Shamieh said.

via Vacaville Unified School District bond refunding measures save taxpayer dollars.

Scholarships available for student teachers – Daily Republic

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By Susan Hiland

Scholarships are available for student teachers through the California Retired Teachers Association.

Each year, C. Shirley Michel Scholarships, administered by Division No. 24 of the California Retired Teachers Association, are available to residents of Solano County who are seeking their graduate California teaching credential. They must have bachelor degrees and be studying at accredited universities.

via Scholarships available for student teachers Daily Republic.

New laws to improve student health supports | EdSource

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By Jane Meredith Adams

A slew of new laws affecting students’ physical, emotional and behavioral well-being will change how schools operate this year, in ways large and small. The laws regulate basic needs grants for truant students, pesticide use and expulsions for “willfully defiant” behavior, among other issues.

As of Jan. 1:

CalWORKS benefits restored for truants

Families that receive CalWORKS basic needs grants will no longer have their grants reduced if their child is truant.

While all parents of children who fail to attend school regularly are subject to fines and even jail time, families who receive CalWORKS assistance from the state had been additionally penalized for truancy by a reduction in grant funds. Assembly Bill 2382, written by Assemblyman Steven Bradford, D-Gardena, eliminates the “double truancy penalty” on low-income children and families. Families will no longer have to send their child’s attendance data to county CalWORKS offices.

via New laws to improve student health supports | EdSource#.VK62Ap3TnGg#.VK62Ap3TnGg.

Five submit applications to fill Vallejo school board vacancy – Times Herald

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By John Glidden

The atmosphere was thick with tension during the Vallejo City Unified School District Board of Education meeting Wednesday night as the board decided, defined and attempted to set the parameters to fill a vacancy on the board.

The board eventually disclosed the names of six candidates who applied for the vacancy – Brenda Crawford, Ruscal Cayangyang, Hazel Wilson, Blance Groves Vaughn, Shelee Loughmiller, and Julian Vaughn – and set a date of Jan. 21 for filling the vacancy, but not before much debate ensued.

The vacancy occurred when trustee-elect Richard Porter failed to take the oath of office during the board’s organizational meeting on Dec. 14.

Porter — who filed candidacy papers in August — suspended his campaign in early September to teach mathematics and science at the Mare Island Health & Fitness Academy. Despite halting his campaign, more than 7,000 Vallejo voters placed him second out of three available seats.

via Five submit applications to fill Vallejo school board vacancy.