Monthly Archives: May 2022

Fairfield-Suisun board to consider multiple-school sports agreement – Daily Republic

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By Susan Hiland

The Fairfield-Suisun school board will hear a presentation Thursday on the California Interscholastic Federation Multi-School Agreement that could allow students at private and charter schools to compete on public school athletic teams.

A CIF agreement such as this is between two schools and allows students from a school that does not have an athletic program to participate in their “resident school’s” athletic program.

Source: Fairfield-Suisun board to consider multiple-school sports agreement

Solano College plans ‘Car-Mencement’ ceremony for graduates – Daily Republic

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Solano Community College will host “Car-Mencement 2022” at 10 a.m. May 26, a vehicular graduation parade at the rural Fairfield campus.

Candidates from the Class of 2022, as well as graduates from the Class of 2021 and Class of 2020, are invited to join the celebration. Graduates who wish to participate must register online and select a one-hour time frame when they will be in their vehicle and circling the campus to cheering faculty and staff before receiving a diploma cover while remaining in their vehicle.

Source: Solano College plans ‘Car-Mencement’ ceremony for graduates

Travis board moves ahead with plans to improve college-prep success among students – Daily Republic

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By Susan Hiland

Travis School District trustees gave the go-ahead Tuesday to move forward with plans to secure grant money to provide college-prep coursework support to students who may otherwise not be able to further their educations.

The district through its A-G Completion Improvement Grant Plan seeks $123,131 for the A-G Access portion of the grant and $46,161 for the Learning Loss Mitigation portion of the grant.

The plan will be submitted for adoption at the board meeting in June.

Source: Travis board moves ahead with plans to improve college-prep success among students

SPI Announces 2022 Civic Learning Award Recipients – Year 2022 (CA Dept of Education)

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State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond announced today that 25 schools will receive the 2022 Civic Learning Award, which honor public schools’ efforts to engage students in civic learning. The awards celebrate programs, projects, classes, and individuals engaging students in civics, particularly during the pandemic. Now in its 10th year, the awards program is co-sponsored by State Superintendent Thurmond and Chief Justice of California Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye and is part of the Chief Justice’s Civic Learning Initiative.

“These schools have deftly kept students engaged in civic learning through another tough year,” said State Superintendent Thurmond. “Through these programs, now more important than ever, students are encouraged to have an open dialogue about the social issues that inspire them to learn about our democratic system. During my time as a State Legislator, I authored the bill that became the law that provides student school board members the ability to vote on a school board. My office door continues to be open to students; I believe that their voices are key to transforming our education system.”

Source: SPI Announces 2022 Civic Learning Award Recipients – Year 2022 (CA Dept of Education)

Travis board eyes A-G grant planning to boost student success – Daily Republic

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The A-G Completion Improvement Grant Plan will be presented for discussion at 5 p.m. Tuesday during the Travis School District board meeting.

Estimated funding from this grant is $123,131 for the A-G Access portion of the grant and $46,161 for the Learning Loss Mitigation portion of the grant.The plan will be submitted for adoption at the board meeting in June.

Source: Travis board eyes A-G grant planning to boost student success

Pre-kindergarten program expanding for 2022-23 school year – Daily Republic

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Transitional kindergarten programs are expanding for the next school year.

“Attending a high-quality early education program helps children develop critical social-emotional, cognitive and early academic skills to prepare them for kindergarten and future educational endeavors,” the Solano County Office of Education announced.

Source: Pre-kindergarten program expanding for 2022-23 school year

Celebrate grads in Vacaville, Fairfield, Dixon – The Vacaville Reporter

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Graduation season is here, which means it’s time to mark your calendars and gather some goodies in readiness for that special milestone day for your graduate-to-be.

Following is a list of high school graduations in Vacaville, Fairfield and Dixon.

Source: Celebrate grads in Vacaville, Fairfield, Dixon – The Vacaville Reporter

Vallejo Unified’s Jeanette Starring named top educator in Solano County – Times-Herald

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By Richard Bammer

A Vallejo City Unified teacher and a Solano County Office of Education (SCOE) employee bested a field of their peers and were named top educator and top school-support employee for 2022 during SCOE’s annual Educator of the Year Awards celebration.

At celebration’s end, a blue-ribbon committee of past honorees named Jeanette Starring, a third-grade teacher in Vallejo City Unified, and Dave Candelo, a facilities and maintenance coordinator for SCOE, as top educator and classified employee, respectively.

In a press release, a spokeswoman for SCOE, Jennifer Leonard, said Starring, a teacher at Dan Mini Elementary, where she teaches multiple subjects, has been teaching for 30 years, 10 in her current job.

Source: Vallejo Unified’s Jeanette Starring named top educator in Solano County – Times-Herald

Work-Ready! students receive program certificates – Daily Republic

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Area high school students who completed the Work-Ready! program received their certificates at a ceremony Wednesday at the Solano County Events Center.

The Solano County Office of Education recognized 100 local students.

The program is coordinated by the Solano County Office of Education’s College and Career Readiness Department in partnership with the Fairfield-Suisun, Vacaville, Vallejo, Dixon and Black chambers of commerce, as well as the Solano County Workforce Development Board and Travis Credit Union.

Source: Work-Ready! students receive program certificates

Vallejo teacher, SCOE maintenance coordinator top educators of year – Daily Republic

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A Dan Mini Elementary School teacher and a county Office of Education facilities maintenance coordinator have been selected as the Educators of Year.

Jeanette Starring teaches multiple subjects to third-graders at the Vallejo City School District campus.

“She has been teaching for 30 years, 10 in her current position. The level of ongoing support Jeannette provides not only to her students, but also their families, is what stands out. She utilizes all resources and continues to encourage attendance, engagement and positive self-worth. She provides individualized intervention support and incentives for her students that continue to build a positive relationship between home and school. It is evident that she understands the importance of addressing the social-emotional needs of our students in addition to their academic needs. She creates a balance between the two that does not diminish one or the other,” according to information from the Office of Education.

Source: Vallejo teacher, SCOE maintenance coordinator top educators of year

Armijo senior, Vallejo teen take Solano titles in national art competition – Daily Republic

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Armijo High School senior Fayola Fasuyi and Jesse Bethel High School’s Alex A. Palma Martinez have been selected as the Solano County winners in the Congressional High School Art Competition.

Fasuyi’s work is titled, “Gaze of a Black Experience.”

“Every year, I’m always amazed by the incredible talent and quality of art we receive for the Congressional High School Art Competition,” Rep. John Garamendi, D-Walnut Grove, said in the announcement of the winners from his district.

Source: Armijo senior, Vallejo teen take Solano titles in national art competition

County’s top educator, school-support employee celebrated at Yin Ranch – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

A Vallejo City Unified teacher and a Solano County Office of Education employee bested a field of their peers and were named top educator and top school-support employee for 2022 during SCOE’s annual Educator of the Year Awards celebration.

Held Tuesday at the Yin Ranch in rural Vacaville, the event honored the top classified employees and teachers and other credentialed staff of the year from Vacaville, Vallejo City, Dixon, Travis, Benicia and Fairfield-Suisun unified school districts and SCOE, sometimes referred to as “county schools.”

At celebration’s end, a blue-ribbon committee of past honorees named Jeanette Starring, a third-grade teacher in Vallejo City Unified, and Dave Candelo, a facilities and maintenance coordinator for SCOE, as top educator and classified employee, respectively.

Source: County’s top educator, school-support employee celebrated at Yin Ranch – The Vacaville Reporter

Vallejo school board tells charter schools to fix issues or risk losing status – Vallejo Sun

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The Vallejo school board took its first steps toward potentially stripping Griffin Technology Academies (GTA) of its four school charters over concerns that the organization has mismanaged finances, failed to protect students from mold infestations, and violated state open meeting law.

The five-person school board unanimously approved sending notice of violations to the GTA board of directors on Thursday, giving them until June 6 to remedy or refute the alleged violations. If the school board believes the organization hasn’t shown enough improvement, the board could continue the process of revoking the charters.

Source: Vallejo school board tells charter schools to fix issues or risk losing status

Vallejo youth inspired at empowerment event at Six Flags – Times-Herald

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By Thomas Gase

Life is kind of similar to rides at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo — it’s full of twists and turns, ups and downs and many screams.

On Tuesday morning, the park was also the scene for inspiration.

Sponsored by Kaiser Permanente, the Empower Youth Summit was a day of education and inspiration for Vallejo eighth graders. This was the third time Kaiser Permanente in Napa Solano has put on the Empower Youth Summit in the Vallejo City Unified School District, with the inaugural event starting in 2019 and reaching more than 700 students.

Source: Vallejo youth inspired at empowerment event at Six Flags – Times-Herald

Rotary honors Fairfield-Suisun students for their ‘good character’ – Daily Republic

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Twenty students were recently honored at the annual Good Character Youth Awards.

The Fairfield-Suisun Rotary Club sponsored the event, which was held April 27 at The Salvation Army Kroc Center in Suisun City.

“It was great to once again be able to recognize and honor these exceptional young adults in-person again,” Fairfield-Suisun Rotary President Cathy Ritch said in a statement. “They have been through so much the last two years, but yet have risen above and shown their strength and resiliency. We are all so proud of them.”

Source: Rotary honors Fairfield-Suisun students for their ‘good character’

SPI-Sponsored Bills Progress to Becoming Law – Year 2022 (CA Dept of Education)

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State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond today celebrated several new pieces of legislation he is sponsoring making it one step closer to becoming law, thus improving the lives of California students and their road to success in the classroom.

One of those key pieces of legislation is Senate Bill (SB) 1229, authored by Senator Mike McGuire (D-North Coast). On Wednesday, Thurmond testified at the Senate Education Committee in support of the bill, which will add 10,000 mental health professionals to support schools and youth throughout the state.

“Given the struggles students have faced during the pandemic, I believe that this could be one of the most important bills that we act on this year. At this time, addressing the social–emotional needs of our students is job number one,” said Thurmond.

Source: SPI-Sponsored Bills Progress to Becoming Law – Year 2022 (CA Dept of Education)

Fairfield-Suisun board hears report on high cost to reduce class sizes – Daily Republic

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By Susan Hiland

Trustees in the Fairfield-Suisun School District last week were walked through the costs of reducing class sizes across all grade levels and were hit with a harsh reality.

The district has about $50 million a year that’s not already committed to staff costs, according to district staff. The cost to cut class sizes comes with a cost of more than $52 million just in staff costs and another $331 million to $445 million in one-time costs for new facilities. And those are just baseline costs that do not include such costs as utilities and maintenance.

California Education Code Sections 41376 and 41378 in 1964 prescribe the maximum class sizes and penalties for districts with any classes that exceed the limits.

Source: Fairfield-Suisun board hears report on high cost to reduce class sizes

Bermudez returns as principal of Markham Elementary – Daily Republic

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The Vacaville School District’s Board of Education this week named Jose Bermudez as Edwin Markham Elementary School’s new principal.

“It is so very exciting” to rejoin the Vacaville district “after a year of working in the furtherance of education with the state of California,” Bermudez, who started his career in Solano County as a kindergarten teacher, said in a press release.

Source: Bermudez returns as principal of Markham Elementary

New Markham Elementary principal named – The Vacaville Reporter

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The Vacaville Unified School District Board of Education has named Jose Bermudez the principal of Edwin Markham Elementary School — once again.

Bermudez started his career in Solano County as a Kindergarten teacher. He later spent three years as principal at Markham before going to work for the state.

“It is so very exciting to rejoin the Vacaville Unified School District after a year of working in the furtherance of education with the State of California,” he said in a press statement. “I am honored to have the opportunity to come back home and lead a school with such a rich tradition of education. I can’t wait to reconnect with familiar faces and meet all of the new people who are part of the Markham community.”

Source: New Markham Elementary principal named – The Vacaville Reporter

Runners return to “Loop the Lagoon” – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Corey Kirk

Early on a comfortable Saturday morning at Lagoon Valley Park, Dijon Walker of Vacaville stood at the starting line of a familiar race. Having run in the Vacaville Public Education Foundation and Fleet Feet’s Loop the Lagoon Fun Run race years ago, he knew was about to come his way on the trail.

Except this time, pushing a two-person jogging stroller, Walker was excited to bring his 5-year-old daughter Selina and 2-year-old son Donovan along for the ride.

“It was just to have fun,” he said about running with his kids, “Just take them out, a nice way to get out in the morning. Make sure I’m loaded up on snacks for them because they need their snacks. Come out and have fun and support a good a cause.”

Source: Runners return to “Loop the Lagoon” – The Vacaville Reporter