Monthly Archives: September 2015

Fairfield-Suisun superintendent plans trip to China – Daily Republic

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By Ryan McCarthy

Kris Corey, superintendent of the Fairfield-Suisun School District, plans a weeklong trip to China to deepen her understanding of the country and build partnerships with Chinese schools.

Delegates to the Chinese Bridge Delegation pay a $900 registration fee.

The Confucius Institute, a nonprofit connected to the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, pays travel costs to and within China.

Fairfield-Suisun School District trustees take up the out-of-state travel at their meeting Thursday.

via Fairfield-Suisun superintendent plans trip to China.

Library offers tutoring assistance for students – Daily Republic

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By Kevin W. Green

Struggles with homework have returned for many children now that schools are back in session, but the Solano County Library offers several options to help students keep up with their studies, according to a library press release.

“We have wonderful volunteers who kids are happy to see each week at library branches for help with their homework,” Bonnie Katz, Solano County Library’s director of library services, said in the release. “We back that up with online tutors that can help students anytime, anywhere. It’s all free.”

Live Homework Help is a service powered by Tutor.com that provides online, on-demand tutoring from 1 to 10 p.m. every day, according to the release. Tutors cover all subjects, from elementary writing assignments to work in calculus, statistics and physics, the release said.

via Library offers tutoring assistance for students.

Fairfield-Suisun Adult School opens doors to community – Daily Republic

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By Glen Faison

The Fairfield-Suisun Adult School will host an open house Tuesday to mark International Literacy Day.

Guests are invited to the school’s multipurpose room where they will have an opportunity to hear about various programs at the school.

Snacks and activities for children will be available, to include a story circle activity, according to an announcement about the open house. All preschool children who are present will receive a free book.

Staff at the adult school, established 52 years ago, work to provide educational opportunities that support students in their pursuit of diverse educational and personal goals.

via Fairfield-Suisun Adult School opens doors to community.

Fairfield-Suisun school board subcommittee to review policies, bylaws, protocols – Daily Republic

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By Glen Faison

A subcommittee of the Fairfield-Suisun School District governing board will meet Tuesday to review various board policies, bylaws and protocols.

Board policies on tap for review include those for education of homeless children, general obligation bonds and naming of facilities, to name a few. Discussion is also scheduled for a board protocol on the role of the board president, and board bylaws related to the board president and the district’s attorney.

Members of the Governing Board Governance Subcommittee will also review parent handbook language.

via Fairfield-Suisun school board subcommittee to review policies, bylaws, protocols.

Jim Simons: A rare interview with the mathematician who cracked Wall Street | TED Talk

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Jim Simons was a mathematician and cryptographer who realized: the complex math he used to break codes could help explain patterns in the world of finance. Billions later, he’s working to support the next generation of math teachers and scholars. TED’s Chris Anderson sits down with Simons to talk about his extraordinary life in numbers.

via Jim Simons: A rare interview with the mathematician who cracked Wall Street | TED Talk | TED.com.

Online Teacher Book Clubs: Promoting a Culture of Professional Development | Edutopia

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By Cheryl Boes

Creating a culture of sharing and professional dialogue is an essential element for school success. Teachers who read, discuss, and implement current educational research are more engaged and ready to take on the challenges in their classroom. But the reality is that teachers lead busy lives, making it difficult to find time for these valuable discussions. Learn how creating an online book club for sharing ideas can invigorate teachers and encourage professional reading and conversations. One advantage is that a blog is always available anywhere that a teacher has web access.

Getting Started

There are a number of things to consider before you start your online book club. What book or article would you like to discuss? Will you involve the entire staff or a small group of teachers? What site will you utilize to host your online conversation? Who will be the moderator? Setting up a book club is quite simple. Just follow these basic guidelines and make adjustments to best meet the needs of your school community.

via Online Teacher Book Clubs: Promoting a Culture of Professional Development | Edutopia.

New approach to teaching science gets test run | EdSource

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By Matt Levin

Ten school districts across California are riding another wave of education reform that could significantly change how a core subject is taught throughout the state – the Next Generation Science Standards.

Over the next three years the districts will lead the “California K-8 NGSS Early Implementation Initiative,” which will try out lesson plans, instructional materials and professional development programs aligned with the new science standards. Often compared with the Common Core standards for math and English language arts, the new science standards stress the deeper learning of broad scientific concepts over the memorization of facts, and place a greater emphasis on introducing students to the workplace practices of scientists and engineers.

via New approach to teaching science gets test run | EdSource.

How Long Do Waiver States Have to Get Teacher-Evaluation Systems in Place? – Education Week

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By Alyson Klein

How long do states with No Child Left Behind Act waivers have to get teacher-evaluation systems up and running? Maybe longer than you think.

It’s no secret that teacher evaluation has been the toughest area of NCLB waiver implementation, from the get-go. And its also no secret that the Obama administration has slowly shifted from taking a super hard line in this area to being much more flexible. (Or lax, depending on your viewpoint.)

And now the administration has quietly allowed more than a dozen waiver states until the 2016-17 school year—Obamas very last year in office—to fully put in place teacher-evaluation systems that take student test scores into account.

via How Long Do Waiver States Have to Get Teacher-Evaluation Systems in Place? – Politics K-12 – Education Week.

Why We Desperately Need To Bring Back Vocational Training In Schools – Forbes

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By Nicolas Wyman

Throughout most of U.S. history, American high school students were routinely taught vocational and job-ready skills along with the 3s: reading, writing and arithmetic. Indeed readers of a certain age are likely to have fond memories of huddling over wooden workbenches learning a craft such as woodwork or maybe metal work, or any one of the hands-on projects that characterized the once-ubiquitous shop class.

But in the 1950s, a different philosophy emerged: the theory that students should follow separate educational tracks according to ability. The idea was that the college-bound would take traditional academic courses (Latin, creative writing, science, math) and received no vocational training. Those students not headed for college would take basic academic courses, along with vocational training, or “shop.”

via Why We Desperately Need To Bring Back Vocational Training In Schools – Forbes.

Path of children’s author that of a butterfly’s – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

Back To School Night tonight at Alamo Elementary in Vacaville will be slightly out of the ordinary, in a literary way with a scientific aspect.

When groups of parents file past informational tables outside the multipurpose room on the South Orchard Avenue campus, they will not only meet librarian Lucy Thomas and learn how the library works but also they will meet volunteer library assistant Dalene Sovine and learn about her new children’s book, “The Path of the Butterfly,” which was illustrated by the school’s custodian, Karl Van Loo.

If they wish, the parents can also buy the 24-page book, a work based on a true account out of now-retired Alamo kindergarten teacher Val Gardner’s class. It costs $15, with $3 of every sale donated to the library.

via Path of children’s author that of a butterfly’s.

CDC Says School Lunches Getting Healthier – Education News

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By Polymnia Hadjipanayiotou

In line with several government initiatives, school lunches are becoming healthier, federal officials have revealed in a new report.

Meals now include whole grains and more fruit and vegetables and are more likely to have less salt, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey reveals. About 97% of schools offered a whole grain option for breakfast and 94% had a similar option for lunch in 2014.

CDC officials analyzed school surveys from 2000, 2006 and 2014 to see how the 2012 policies mandated by the Department of Agriculture affected the meal choices offered at school cafeterias, and their findings conclude that overall, lunches are getting healthier.

  • “The standards require serving more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and gradually reducing sodium content over 10 years,” the CDC officials wrote, something many schools are implementing already.
  • “Almost all schools offered whole grain foods each day for breakfast and lunch, and most offered two or more vegetables and two or more fruits each day for lunch,”

The report says that almost eight in ten schools served two or more vegetables for lunch every day, while 78% percent of schools served two or more fruits.

via CDC Says School Lunches Getting Healthier.

Vallejo school board to receive update on possible new bond measure – Times Herald

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By John Glidden

The Vallejo school board is set receive an update on Wednesday regarding the feasibility of Vallejo voters supporting a new district bond.

The board in July couldn’t agree on authorizing district staff to negotiate a contract with a firm for polling services. The $25,000 to $60,000 price tag for the services would have been paid from the facilities general fund budget.

In the same July meeting, Vallejo school board trustee Burky Worel claimed that when the board voted 2-1 in February ­— with two members absent from the meeting — to approve advertising for polling services, it violated board policy.

Thus, the board — divided 2-2, with trustee Raymond Mommsen absent — failed to approve a contract with Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates to provide polling services.

via Vallejo school board to receive update on possible new bond measure.

Benicia new school supervisor looks into innovation – Times Herald

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By Irma Widjojo

The city’s newest school superintendent said he looks forward to expanding and continuing the district’s vision for a 21st century learning environment.

“I’ve been so impressed,” Benicia Unified School District Superintendent Charles Young said. “Benicia already has a lot of strengths and is known for its good programs.”

Young took over the superintendent position beginning July, replacing Janice Adams who retired after leading the district for eight years.

Before moving to Benicia, he was an associate superintendent of educational services for the Palo Alto Unified School District for four years.

“One of the many draws (of Benicia school district) is the size of it,” Young said. “It’s important for me to meet with the teachers and parents. When it’s seven schools, it’s more doable.”

via Benicia new school supervisor looks into innovation.

Solano Youth Coalition Accepting Applications for New Members | Benicia, CA Patch

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The Solano Youth Coalition (SYC) advocatesfor safe and healthy choices in their communities through awareness, openconversations, participation, and collaboration among a new generation of advocates.

SYC is now accepting applications from high schoolyouth residing in Solano County. Students interested in joining must submit an onlineapplication at http://tiny.cc/SYC2015 no later than Monday, September 14, 2015 at 5:00PM.

via Solano Youth Coalition Accepting Applications for New Members | Benicia, CA Patch.