Monthly Archives: August 2015

Ticket Involving a School Bus Could Cost You $695 | Dixon, CA Patch

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By Bea Karnes

School started in many California communities last week, while kids in other districts are enjoying their last few days of freedom.

Back-to-school comes with an important reminder from local police departments–drivers need to be extra careful around children and school buses.

And if you need added incentive to be cautious, there’s this–a ticket involving a school bus could set you back $695 or more.

Here’s a refresher on California Vehicle Code 22454(a):

  • Motorists must always stop when they are traveling behind a bus with flashing red lights. When vehicles are approaching a stopped bus with flashing lights from the opposite direction, drivers must stop if they are on a two lane roadway.

via Ticket Involving a School Bus Could Cost You $695 | Dixon, CA Patch.

What Vaccines Your Child Needs to Start School | Benicia, CA Patch

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By Alexander Nguyen

As the school year starts, public health officials are reminding parents to get their children vaccinated before starting school.

Under California law, children must be vaccinated against a host of diseases, such as polio and chicken pox, before starting school. The requirement differs depending on the age and grade of the child.

August is National Vaccination Month, and public health officials are using that to remind people about the importance of vaccination.

via What Vaccines Your Child Needs to Start School | Benicia, CA Patch.

Vacaville 10-year-old already a nationally-ranked athlete, businessman and philanthropist – The Reporter

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By Kimberly Fu

He’s a nationally-ranked runner, a designer/entrepreneur and a budding philanthropist.

Kendall Allen of Vacaville is also just 10 years old.

He’s no prodigy, mom Monique said, just a natural athlete with the ability to explore opportunities and to help others.

“It’s a part of teaching him about giving back,” she explained. “He understands that not everyone is as blessed as he is.”

Athletically, Allen is apparently quite gifted.

The Foxboro Elementary School sixth-grader has been running track for about 3-4 years and consistently rates good times.

via Vacaville 10-year-old already a nationally-ranked athlete, businessman and philanthropist.

Cultivating Creativity in Standards-Based Classrooms | Edutopia

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By Marilyn Price-Mitchell, PhD

How do students learn to challenge ideas and think beyond the status quo? Can creativity be fostered in classrooms that follow Common Core standards and test for conformity? At first glance, these questions may seem at odds. And, in fact, many educators believe that todays schools have abandoned the concept of creativity. Yet teachers can and do foster creativity in standards-based classrooms every day.

In the past decade, a new science of creativity has emerged. Neuroscientists are turning previously-held notions of creativity on their heads, including the fact that creativity does not involve just a single side of the brain. Most scientists agree that creativity must be defined by more than the sum of its parts, which include but are not limited to originality, self-expression, risk taking, intelligence, autonomy, collaboration, and imagination.

via Cultivating Creativity in Standards-Based Classrooms | Edutopia.

Teachers gearing up for new approach to science | EdSource

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By Susan Frey

A group of teachers recently spent a summer morning observing a slug dangling from its slime and pill bugs rolling up into defensive balls as part of a training session on how to teach science to California’s youngest students.

The teachers were engaged in an “open-inquiry,” or student-driven, experiment appropriate for pre-K-2 students at a three-day workshop at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. Under the Next Generation Science Standards, which have been adopted by California, teachers will soon be expected to offer even the youngest students a chance to pose their own questions and develop their own experiments to find the answers.

Although the full rollout of the K-12 standards, including tests for students in grades 3 and higher, is not likely to happen before 2019, educators across the state have been attending dozens of workshops this year on how to implement them.

via Teachers gearing up for new approach to science | EdSource.

Vaca school leaders mark eventful first day of classes – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

His voice booming through a loudspeaker system, the leader of the Markham Avenue campus greeted 880 students sharply at 8:40 a.m. Thursday.

In English and Spanish, he said “Welcome,” and “Bienvenidos,” with the words ringing over a sunny playground where teachers, parents and the children gathered.

His use of the two languages was no surprise, as Markham, a school with a majority of Spanish-speaking and low-income students, is widely known locally for having a popular dual-language immersion program, SPICE (for Spanish Peer Immersion Cultural Education). Twenty of the school’s 34 teachers participate in the program, in grades K-6, which requires students to speak, read and write mostly Spanish in the lower elementary grades and with English-Spanish instruction split evenly in the upper grades.

via Vaca school leaders mark eventful first day of classes.

1st day of school brings smiles, nervousness to Vaca students – Daily Republic

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By Susan Hiland

The first day of school was full of smiles and jitters Thursday in Vacaville.

Emmanuel Robles, 11, was looking forward to getting together with his friends at Fairmont Charter Elementary School.

“I’m kind of happy to be going back to school, because I get to see my friends,” he said.

He stayed in touch by email and telephone over the summer, but he said it’s not the same as being with your friends.

“There are so many ways to stay connected like the Internet,” he said. “We have been talking all summer.”

via 1st day of school brings smiles, nervousness to Vaca students.

Solano College board to review several items on search for new president – Times Herald

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By John Glidden

The Solano Community College Governing Board is slated to review several items Thursday regarding the search for a new district superintendent/president.

During the 5 p.m. special meeting, trustees will be asked to appoint Yashica Crawford as the chair of the superintendent/president screening committee.

Crawford serves as chief of staff to the president’s office.

The board will also review the committee membership, which includes several trustees and representatives from the various campus constituent groups.

Notable members of the committee include Vacaville trustee Sarah Chapman and board president A. Marie Young, who represents Vallejo.

Suisun City Mayor Pro Tem (Vice-Mayor) Lori Wilson has been selected to serve on the committee as a community member.

via Solano College board to review several items on search for new president.

Vallejo school trustee to hold town hall meeting regarding school safety – Times Herald

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By John Glidden

Vallejo school board trustee Burky Worel announced at a recent meeting that he will be holding a town hall meeting on Aug. 24 to address safety concerns with the city’s schools.

Worel expressed disappointment with the district’s listening session scheduled for 6 p.m. on Thursday.

“I don’t need a listening session,” Worel said during the Aug. 5 meeting. “Quite frankly, I’ve heard a lot, I’ve listened, I do not know why we need to have a listening session, unless some people are sitting up here and not listening.

“I have listened and I have heard you,” he added, directing his comments to the public.

In response, Worel said that he reserved The Joseph Room at the John F. Kennedy Library to allow the public to direct the school board and Vallejo City Council on what they would like to see done about violence in the schools.

via Vallejo school trustee to hold town hall meeting regarding school safety.

Rejection of charter bus services bid, tech update on school board agenda – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

Rejection of a single bid for charter bus services, a presentation about academic progress of English language learners during the 2014-15 year, and a technology update are up for discussion by the Fairfield-Suisun Unified leaders.

District staff members tonight will tell the seven-member governing board that only one bid was received for charter bus services. The purchasing department determined there was not enough competitive response and, therefore, will reject the bid, with the intention of re-opening the bidding process.

The assistant superintendent of educational services, Rona Portalupi, will note that the district “made significant growth,” according to agenda documents, on the California English Language Development Test (CELDT) during the 2014-15 year. Some 56 percent of English learners met state criteria that year compared to 50 percent in the previous year.

via Rejection of charter bus services bid, tech update on school board agenda.

Students, new and returning, flock to classes in Dixon – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

Something like an annual rite of passage, Dixon Unified classes resumed Wednesday with teachers introducing themselves to students, from shy kindergarteners to seasoned seniors, explaining classroom do’s and don’t’s, and assigning, in some cases, the first homework of the 2015-16 school year.

By 8 a.m. at Tremont Elementary School, new Principal Donna Marshall greeted students outside of more than 20 classrooms, extending her hand and asking their names while standing under shade-giving Chinese pistache and honey locust trees.

They were among the 610 students, 80 of them recently registered from new Dixon housing areas, said Marshall, one of the rural school district’s four new principals.

via Students, new and returning, flock to classes in Dixon.

Vanden High celebrates new library – Daily Republic

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By Bill Hicks

After a long period of figuring out services to cut due to budget constraints, the Travis School District did something different Wednesday afternoon: The district opened something.

More specifically, district officials gathered at the Vanden High School campus for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the $5 million, state-of-the-art library, just in time for the start of school next week.

“It’s been 10 years in the making,” said Superintendent Kate Wren Gavlak. “Everyone that’s worked on this knows it’s been a project of love.”

via Vanden High celebrates new library.

1st day at Fairfield High ‘felt like we had been in session for months’ – Daily Republic

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By Ryan McCarthy

Lunch for almost 1,630 people was part of the first day of school at Fairfield High School, where students from Sem Yeto are now in portable classrooms at the campus.

“We had a phenomenal, wonderful first day at school,” said Kristen Witt, principal of Fairfield High. “It felt like we had been in session for months.”

Students moved quickly to class, she said.

“They were happy to be here, sharing their stories from the summer,” Witt said. “Everyone was dressed to the nines.”

Enrollment is about 1,430 students, up from last year’s 1,350 – plus the 200 at Sem Yeto.

via 1st day at Fairfield High ‘felt like we had been in session for months’.

State delays releasing Common Core-aligned test scores until September | EdSource

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By Sarah Tully

As educators eagerly await the results of the new standardized assessments aligned with the Common Core standards that more than 3 million students took in the spring, state officials now say they plan to release the scores in early September, later than originally projected.

Parents can expect to start receiving their children’s scores about the same time.

As early as last month at the State Board of Education’s most recent meeting, California Department of Education officials anticipated that results of the Smarter Balanced Assessments would be released to the public sometime in August.

Officials say that because this is the first time results on the new assessments will be released, they want to take extra care to make sure everything is accurate and complete before the official release in September. A date has yet to be announced.

via State delays releasing Common Core-aligned test scores until September | EdSource.

Travis Unified leaders OK assistant superintendent’s contract – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

With little discussion, Travis Unified leaders on Tuesday unanimously approved a two-year contract for the district’s new assistant superintendent, accepted a Defense Department grant, and approved the 2015-16 revised budget.

Meeting in the Travis Education Center in Fairfield, the five-member governing board approved the salary package for Sue Brothers, the newly named assistant superintendent and formerly the district’s director of curriculum, instruction and assessment. She replaced Jim Bryan, who retired June 30.

Brothers will earn $127,515 in annual base salary through June 30, 2017, and she may receive a salary adjustment at any time if board members agree. She will receive the standard manager’s benefits package, be compensated for job-related travel expenses, and earn 22 paid vacation days each year.

via Travis Unified leaders OK assistant superintendent’s contract.

Police employ full-time school resource officer – The Reporter

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by Jessica Rogness

Suisun City children head back to school today for a new year of lessons.

Meanwhile, one police officer will be learning to work with those students.

Suisun City Police Officer Jordan Warren, 27, will now serve as the city’s full-time School Resource Officer (SRO).

Warren has spent the past two years at the Suisun City Police Department as a regular patrol officer.

Becoming an SRO was one assignment Warren knew he always wanted to have.

“When I was in high school and middle school, we had school resource officers in Benicia,” he said. “That helped me get where I needed to go, in the right direction.”

via Police employ full-time school resource officer.

Putting the shine on for the new school year – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

For them, it is back to school to ready their classrooms and school grounds for more than 12,300 students.

At Browns Valley Elementary on Tuesday, the 2015-16 academic year was unofficially underway, with teachers in their classrooms, at least one already neat and in the trim, another in a state of organized chaos exemplified by stacks out-of-date textbooks headed for the recycler and stacks of new books that will land on desktops.

via Putting the shine on for the new school year.

Textbook Prices Have Risen 1000% Since 1977 – Education News

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By Jace Harr

The price of a college education has skyrocketed in recent decades, but it’s not only tuition that contributes to student loan debt. Textbook prices have increased more than 1000% since the 1970s, according to a recent NBC documentary.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) found that between January 1977 and June 2015, the price of textbooks increased 1041%, which is three times the rate of inflation in the same period. A student at a public college is estimated to need $1,225 for textbooks this year.

Mark Perry, a professor of economics at the University of Michigan who has tracked textbook prices for years, said:

  • College textbook prices are increasing way more than parents’ ability to pay for them.

via Textbook Prices Have Risen 1000% Since 1977.

Vallejo school board to hold listening session about security concerns – Times Herald

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By John Glidden

Community members will have an opportunity to share their concerns about school safety on Wednesday.

The Vallejo City Unified School District Board of Education is holding a special listening session to hear citizens’ comments regarding school safety and how recent violence in Vallejo impacts the city’s schools.

Time is also reserved for board members and VCUSD Superintendent Ramona Bishop to offer comments about safety, according to the agenda.

The district has come under fire recently from parents and board members who have wished to discuss the issue of safety after the slaying of a Jesse Bethel High School student in May.

Kenneth Maxwell “Max” Rusk, 17, was killed on a trail that runs along the side of the school.

Weeks after Rusk’s death, Vallejo police responded to a report of a large fight at Vallejo High School.

via Vallejo school board to hold listening session about security concerns.

Assistant supe contract, a DoD grant, revised 2015-16 budget on TUSD agenda – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

A two-year contract for the district’s new assistant superintendent, acceptance of a Department of Defense grant, and approval of the 2015-16 revised budget are on the agenda when Travis Unified leaders meet tonight in Fairfield.

The five-member governing board is expected to approve the salary package for Sue Brothers, the newly named assistant superintendent and formerly the district’s director of curriculum, instruction and assessment. She replaced Jim Bryan, who retired June 30.

Brothers will earn $127,515 in base salary through June 30, 2017, and she may receive a salary adjustment at any time if board members agree. She will receive the standard manager’s benefits package, be compensated for job-related travel expenses, and earn 22 paid vacation days each year.

via Assistant supe contract, a DoD grant, revised 2015-16 budget on TUSD agenda.