Monthly Archives: October 2016

O’Hara to host meet and greet fundraiser in Vallejo – Times Herald

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By Times Herald Staff

Vallejo school board candidate Chidale O’Hara will host a meet and greet fundraiser from 3 to 5 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 16, at the downtown business, A Man & His Hat, 505 Georgia St.

As a board trustee, O’Hara said she would be a voice for parents, staff members, students and the broader community. “As I speak to Vallejo citizens about my candidacy, I hear their hopes that our school district will be one of the best in the county,” she said in a campaign press release. “And I want to do everything I can that to make their hopes and dreams a reality.”

O’Hara has a student enrolled in the Vallejo City Unified School District.

Source: O’Hara to host meet and greet fundraiser in Vallejo – Times Herald

 

No one files to contest vacant Dixon Unified board posts – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

It is all over but the shouting and, apparently, the shouting is over, too, for races to fill Dixon Unified trustee seats.

The filing period for governing board contests in the rural eastern Solano district ended with three positions failing to draw a candidate, Superintendent Brian Dolan noted in a email.

Current board members Guy Garcia filed for a two-year post and Melissa Maseda filed for a four-year seat.

No other candidates filed by the deadline set by the County Registrar of Voters, so they will assume those positions when the board is reorganized in December.

A third board seat, currently occupied by Joe Di Paola, will be vacated after Election Day, Nov. 8, as the Dixon attorney has chosen not to seek re-election.

 

Source: No one files to contest vacant Dixon Unified board posts

Torlakson Kicks Off 2016 STEM Symposium – Year 2016 (CA Dept of Education)

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State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today kicked off California’s largest Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education symposium.

Torlakson, who started his public service career as a high school science teacher and coach, welcomed more than 3,000 teachers, parents, students, researchers, entrepreneurs and others to the two-day event at the Anaheim Convention Center.

“STEM education is a key pathway to success in 21st century careers and college, especially in the high-tech, international economy,” Torlakson said. “We want all of our students to get excited about STEM learning, dream big, and reach for the stars.”

The third annual event showcases the importance of STEM education. Speakers highlighted California’s Next Generation Science Standards, a revolutionary update in teaching California’s 6.2 million public school students about science.

Source: Torlakson Kicks Off 2016 STEM Symposium – Year 2016 (CA Dept of Education)

Benicia High School productions win big at Artys – Benicia Herald

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Benicia Herald Staff Report

The following is a complete list of every category that Benicia High School won in at this weekend’s Arty Awards:

High School Comedy/Drama

*Sound Design: Alina Martinez and Foxx Molinari, “Our Town”

*Lighting Design: Phil Alexander, “Our Town”

*Lead Actress: Maya Singh Sharkey, “Our Town”

Source: Benicia High School productions win big at Artys

Sprint to connect 1M students under ‘My Brother’s Keeper’ – Times Herald

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By Darlene Superville

The White House says 1 million low-income high school students will receive free internet access under President Barack Obama’s “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative for minority males.

The Sprint Corp. will provide students who can’t get on the internet at home with free tablets, smartphones and other mobile devices, and four years of service.

Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure says the goal is to complete distribution within five years.

Obama launched “My Brother’s Keeper” in 2014. The program is among the topics the president will discuss Tuesday in Greensboro, North Carolina, during a forum hosted by “The Undefeated.” The ESPN website explores the intersection of race, sports and culture. ESPN is broadcasting the forum Tuesday night.

Source:  Sprint to connect 1M students under ‘My Brother’s Keeper’ – Times Herald

Cammisa Courts open for tennis – The Reporter

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By Mack Drake

Chris Cammisa was a man who loved people. That was first and foremost.

He also was a great doctor, and boy, did he love the sport of tennis.

That was the consensus among those who knew Cammisa best as Vacaville High School opened up its brand new tennis court facility in his name Friday afternoon, which also happened to be Cammisa’s birthday.

The tennis court upgrade and relocation, in conjunction with a Vacaville High parking lot face-lift, was the first of several new projects under the Measure A bill, which is a $194 million bond passed by district voters in 2012 to upgrade the Vacaville Unified School District’s aging schools, more than half of them 50 years old or older.

TUSD trustees face light agenda tonight – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

Travis Unified leaders, when they meet tonight, face a light agenda, with one noteworthy item, a proposed off-schedule, one-time payment to district teachers.

During the September board meeting, Jamie Metcalf, the chief business official, noted an additional $1.2 million in state ADA (average daily attendance) had been found in the budget and was available for a possible payment to teachers.

“It was more than they thought they would have,” Shari Herout, president of the 280-member Travis Unified Teachers Association, said Monday. “The district got permission (from the governing board to bring it to the (negotiating) table.”

“It could be used for employee compensation and/or safety issues,” such as blacktop repairs, fire alarms and school bells, she added.

 

Source: TUSD trustees face light agenda tonight

California poll shows strong support for Common Core standards | EdSource

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By John Fensterwald

The Common Core State Standards have faced strong opposition in many states, but in California, more than three out of five registered voters support them, according to a poll commissioned by the Oakland-based nonprofit advocacy group Children Now.

In the telephone survey of 1,000 registered voters, 63 percent said they either strongly or somewhat favor the standards, while 33 percent said they somewhat or strongly oppose them, with 4 percent expressing no view.

Larger percentages of Hispanic, African-American and Asian voters said they favored the standards than white parents, who comprised 51 percent of those surveyed, according to EMC Research, the polling firm that administered the survey.

“We are not surprised to find that Common Core support remains strong in our state,” said Ted Lempert, president of Children Now, which backs the standards. “California has been a leader in implementing the updated education standards and the test results are doing what they are meant to do—shine a light on achievement gaps, which is crucial to creating a more equitable education system for California’s kids.”

Source: California poll shows strong support for Common Core standards | EdSource

School board approves change orders for Benicia High School stadium project – Benicia Herald

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By Nick Sestanovich

The Governing Board of Benicia Unified School District unanimously voted to approve change orders for Benicia High School’s stadium renovation project, allowing it to address any unforeseen circumstances.

The project, one of the largest to be funded by the 2014 Measure S initiative,received an update from Bond Director Roxanne Egan. The scope for current change orders— the amount of work added to or subtracted from the original contract which could alter the original contract amount or estimated completion date— includes sewer modifications, an increased sewer slope, two Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant parking spaces in the parking lot beneath the tennis courts, concessional and restroom building modular changes, additional soil preparation for modular buildings and the removal of unforeseen hazardous materials from the site.

Egan says the sewer modifications have caused some delays, but the construction is proceeding well and is expected to be completed in the spring.

Source: School board approves change orders for Benicia High School stadium project

Vacaville Unified leaders approve ACE, Buckingham charter revisions, with caveats – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

With unanimous votes, Vacaville Unified leaders on Thursday approved revisions to the charters of a pair of district schools, but only after annual updates from district staff and principals that indicated the two charter schools are still out of compliance with state law that requires them to achieve “racial and ethnic balance” that reflects the district to which they are aligned.

Speaking to the governing board in the Educational Services Center, Kim Forrest, director of instruction, curriculum and assessment, led the charter schools update discussion, with the participation of ACE Principal Jennifer Buzolich and Buckingham High Principal Mike Boles.

Source: Vacaville Unified leaders approve ACE, Buckingham charter revisions, with caveats

AASA Names Women in School Leadership Award Finalists for 2017 – AASA

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By James Minichello

AASA, The School Superintendents Association, is pleased toannounce the outstanding education leaders who will comprise the finalists forthe organization’s 2017 Women in School Leadership Awards. The finalistsrepresent the states of Alabama, California, Georgia, Michigan and Virginia.

The awards continue a longstanding tradition of AASAhonoring exceptional female superintendents, district level administrators andprincipals whose talent, creativity and vision are exemplary. Earlier thisyear, AASA announced a new category—the School Based Award—that recognizes theleadership skills of talented teachers, coaches and other school-basedemployees seeking leadership positions.

Co-sponsoredby the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the awards are designed torecognize exceptional leadership of active, front-line female administratorswho are making a difference in the lives of students every day and to paytribute to the talent, creativity and vision of outstanding women educationaladministrators in the nation’s public schools.

Source: AASA | The School Superintendents Association

Sex-ed textbooks get OK after letter from 6 women questioning curriculum – Daily Republic

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By Ryan McCarthy

Proposed textbooks that recognize people have different sexual orientations and that discuss same-sex relationships won approval Thursday by Fairfield-Suisun School District trustees after comments that included a letter from six mothers and grandmothers in Fairfield questioning the books.

“Children, of course, should be taught to always be kind to others who are ‘different’ sexually,” the letter states. “But they should also be taught it is wrong to act out sexually as they do.”

The Positive Prevention Plus textbook was on display at the school district offices and had generated a single comment before the letter from the women, along with separate correspondence from a former school board member.

Source: Sex-ed textbooks get OK after letter from 6 women questioning curriculum

‘Scary Clown’ Rumors Are Serious Business for Schools – Education Week

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By Evie Blad

Rumors of scary clowns waiting to harm children are anything but funny business to many school officials who have responded to floods of communication from parents concerned about the issue that has swept the nation in recent weeks.

Schools in more than a dozen states have responded to such rumors over the last two weeks, with some even deciding to close in response.

School leaders say much of the hysteria is fueled by hoax threats spread on social media, and few have reported actual clown sightings.

In some cases, those reporting clown sightings to police or school officials are sincere but mistaken in what they’ve seen. And, in others, mischievious youths have contributed to the hysteria by dressing up themselves.

Source: ‘Scary Clown’ Rumors Are Serious Business for Schools – Rules for Engagement – Education Week

EdSource symposium focuses on state’s “new vision for school success” – EdSource

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By Theresa Harrington

Several education reforms currently underway in California have the potential to result in improved student achievement, but more work is needed to ensure that they achieve their goals, speakers at EdSource’s annual symposium said Thursday.

Nearly 600 education leaders, advocates, teachers and parents attended the event, which EdSource has sponsored in one form or another since its founding in 1977. The theme of this year’s symposium was “Making It Work: Implementing California’s New Vision for School Success.”

The symposium was conducted in partnership with the Learning Policy Institute.“The real shift that’s going on in California is ultimately not a policy shift,” said David Plank, executive director of the Policy Analysis for California Education organization known as PACE. “What’s really at stake here is a culture shift.”

Source: EdSource symposium focuses on state’s “new vision for school success” | EdSource

Students tee off at 18th annual Day on the Green – The Reporter

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By Jessica Rogness

More than 100 students were putting, driving and chipping away on a course set up just for them Thursday morning at Paradise Valley Golf Course, where they gathered for the 18th annual Day on the Green.

Many of the students from Fairfield, Vacaville and Dixon were wearing Paradise Valley T-shirts made for the event, while enthusiastically greeting classmates and strangers alike.

Rick Moreno, former head pro at Paradise Valley, invited the high school students, who are in adapted physical education programs, to learn from golf professionals from the Northern California Section of the Professional Golfers Association.

Source: Students tee off at 18th annual Day on the Green

Military, professors among contributors to Fairfield-Suisun School District candidates – Daily Republic

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By Ryan McCarthy

Members of the military, along with college professors, are among contributors to candidates for Fairfield-Suisun School District board of trustees seats, which voters will decide Nov. 8.

Eight members of the U.S. Army, including one who is retired, contributed a total of $1,000 to candidate Spencer Marks, who served in the Army from 2007-14.

Marks, Bethany Smith and Mike Wright are running in Trustee Area 1 that covers most of Suisun City. Kathy Marianno decided not to run again for the school board she’s served on since 2003.

Source: Military, professors among contributors to Fairfield-Suisun School District candidates

Fairfield-Suisun school board OK’s pacts for motivational speakers, entertainment, Yosemite camp – Daily Republic

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By Ryan McCarthy

A $2,800 contract with motivational speaker Positively Mary – Mary Miscisin of Sacramento – for her Aug. 1 appearance at the Fairfield-Suisun School District was among contracts the board of trustees approved Thursday without comment.

U.S. Department of Agriculture funds are used to pay for the federally required professional development, the school district has said.

About 140 child nutrition employees for the school district attended the two-hour talk on customer service, according to the school district.

Source: Fairfield-Suisun school board OK’s pacts for motivational speakers, entertainment, Yosemite camp

Teens wanted for Vallejo Police Department’s Explorer Program – Times Herald

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By Times Herald Staff

High school students interested in learning the ropes of the Vallejo Police Department may now apply for the department’s Explorer Program.

The program is available to young adults 14 to 20 years old who have completed the 8th grade at time of appointment.

Applicants must live in Solano County, have a 2.0 GPA average in High School and be able to contribute at least 10 hours of volunteer time to the program per month.

During weekly meetings, Explorer Program participants can expect to participate in police training exercises, “ride-alongs” with patrol officers, live DUI checkpoints, holiday details, parades, local fundraisers, community events and statewide police explorer competitions.

Source: Teens wanted for Vallejo Police Department’s Explorer Program – Times Herald

Vets, WWII internees can apply for high school diplomas – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

For many veterans of American wars and many Japanese interned during World War II, their high school education was interrupted.

During the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, thousands of young men and women left high school and the comforts of home to serve in the U.S. armed forces. Additionally, during World War II many Japanese-American citizens were forced into relocation camps across the nation, often to remote areas. After these wars — World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War — many of these people were not able to finish high school and receive a high school diploma.

For anyone affected by the three wars or internment, that will change in the coming months and, if qualified, they will be granted a diploma, Lisette Estrella-Henderson, an associate superintendent with the Solano County Office of Education, said in a press release.

 

Source: Vets, WWII internees can apply for high school diplomas

Updates on charter schools, transportation, a large Measure A contract on Vacaville Unified agenda – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

Updates on ACE and Buckingham High, two charter schools, and revisions to their charters, an update on the district’s transportation department, and the likely approval of a $300,000 Measure A contract are on the agenda when Vacaville Unified leaders meet tonight.

Kim Forrest, director of instruction, curriculum and assessment, will lead the charter schools update discussion, with the participation of ACE principal Jennifer Buzolich and Buckingham Principal Mike Boles.

She will ask them a pointed question, in keeping with state charter school law and the Education Code, the ways and means for how they will achieve a racial and ethnic balance that reflects the district to which they are aligned, Vacaville Unified.

Source: Updates on charter schools, transportation, a large Measure A contract on Vacaville Unified agenda