BOOK CORNER: ‘Claretta Street’ offers a tale of Black America

BOOK CORNER: ‘Claretta Street’ offers a tale of Black America

By Marissa Wells Contributing Writer

“Claretta Street” follows the lives of four young African-American girls living in Pacoima as they navigate the turbulent change of the 1960s, coming of age in the decadent and destructive 1980s.

Through the lenses of the young women, the sound and textures of life unfold as the devoted friends provide vivid accounts of one of America’s greatest periods of social change.

This work of historical fiction is the first novel by Pacoima native Colette Barris, who was inspired to write her debut book as a testimony to the struggle and triumph of Africans in America.

“Much is written about the African-American experience, most of which purposely spins black achievements as not much more than snippets of missteps, one depicted (often) as simple and jovial,” Barris said. “While in actuality, the black experience is one of unbelievable intelligence and courage.”

In “Claretta Street,” Barris explores America’s black past without marginalization. The author hopes readers gain “knowledge and appreciation of black female sisterhood and comradery” and “depth and insight of the African-American experience in the development of America further dismantling the mythology of American development.”

 

Colette Barris

Colette Barris

“I wanted to bring up the element of sisterhood for young African-American women because they need to know that they have it within them,” Barris said. “It’s in their DNA and they can reach out to one another for support.”The author’s favorite character is Denise, the protagonist, because of her love and appreciation for family and sisterhood.

“Claretta Street” is the first installment of Barris’ trilogy. The second book is set to debut in early 2019.

In addition to being an author, Barris is a science teacher in Los Angeles. She lives in the San Fernando Valley.

“Claretta Street” is available for $19.99 (paperback) and $4.99 (kindle) at bookstores and online on Amazon.com.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Friends of the Children offers mentor program for foster kids

MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Friends of the Children offers mentor program for foster kids

Childhood and adolescence were anything but easy for Duncan Campbell.

He was neglected by his alcoholic parents from a young age, and his father spent years in and out of jail.

Knowing he couldn’t rely on them, Campbell worked several jobs to get through school. In his 20s, he worked in a juvenile court in Oregon as a child care worker, where he built strong bonds with the children in his unit.

After a stint as a successful businessman, Campbell sold his timber firm to focus on helping at-risk children break out of generational poverty. That’s when he started Friends of the Children, a nonprofit that soon grew nationally.

But the nonprofit’s recent presence in Los Angeles is particularly apt, said Thomas G. Lee, executive director of the organization’s local branch. And that’s because Los Angeles has the largest child welfare system in the country.

“[Friends of the Children L.A.] is about building strong networks with children,” Lee said. “Networks matter. As children form networks with families, it’s important if we’re going to break cycles of poverty and get them out of the welfare system. We have to connect children with families and individuals in a meaningful way and with depth.”

And that’s what the organization does: connect at-risk children with caring adult mentors.

The nonprofit identifies kindergarten children living in poverty and matches them with an adult mentor –– or friend –– until the child graduates from high school.

Mentors spend two hours a week in the children’s classroom and two hours one-on-one, totaling 16 hours a month together.

“Our focus is making sure the child is meeting educational outcomes, social and emotional outcomes, and to expose and get them connected to the array of sources [available to them] in L.A. County,” Lee said.

Thomas Lee

Although L.A. has countless resources for foster children, they are often underused because individuals don’t know about them, Lee said.

“Our mentors become a bridge to those resources,” getting families and children connected to a larger network of support.

But it’s not just foster youth that Friends L.A. advocates for. It’s also youth exiting the foster care system that are parenting.

Lee said the local organization wants to focus on enrolling the 128 children of foster youth into their program. By doing so, it hopes to serve “that population in a real and intentionally meaningful way.”

And their program seems to be working. The organization’s website reports that 83 percent of its children graduate from high school; 93 percent stay out of the the juvenile justice system; and 98 percent avoid parenting, even though 85 percent were born to a teenage parent.

While Friends L.A. is just planting its feet in the county –– particularly in East and South L.A. –– communities and organizations have warmly received it, Lee said, and already it is looking to extend a broader hand to more children in need.

“Foster youth have much skepticism about adults in their life, and for good reason,” Lee said. “But developing a deep level of trust between us and them was really important. … It requires a level of humility, thoughtfulness and care, especially for kids who have been failed by a lot of people.”

But Friends of the Children L.A. is changing that, one friend and one child at a time.

INFORMATION BOX

L.A. Executive Director: Thomas G. Lee

Years in operation: national: 25; L.A.: 7 months

Annual budget: $3 million

Number of employees: 7

Location: 672 S. Lafayette Park Place, Suite 33, L.A. 90057

The post MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Friends of the Children offers mentor program for foster kids appeared first on Wave Newspapers.

Betsy DeVos Approves ESSA Plans for Alaska and Iowa

Betsy DeVos Approves ESSA Plans for Alaska and Iowa

Education Week logoU.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has given the thumbs up to two more state Every Student Succeeds Act plans: Alaska and Iowa.

That brings the total number of states with approved plans to 44, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Still waiting for the OK: California, Florida, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Utah.

Alaska is working local interim tests into its accountability system, as a measure of school quality or student success for elementary schools. The state will also consider chronic absenteeism and literacy by 3rd grade. High schools will be measured on chronic absenteeism, “on track” freshmen, and how many students are eligible for “Alaska Performance Scholarships,” which are based on GPA, completion of a certain curriculum, and achieving a certain score on tests such as the ACT. The state also makes it clear it can’t ‘”coerce” a parent to make a child take standardized tests…

Read the full article here: May require an Education Week subscription.

Source: Education Week Politics K-12

CALIFORNIA: SBE Agenda for May 2018

CALIFORNIA: SBE Agenda for May 2018

Agenda for the California State Board of Education (SBE) meeting on May 9, 2018.

State Board Members

  • Michael W. Kirst, President
  • Ilene W. Straus, Vice President
  • Sue Burr
  • Bruce Holaday
  • Feliza I. Ortiz-Licon
  • Patricia A. Rucker
  • Niki Sandoval
  • Ting L. Sun
  • Karen Valdes
  • Trish Williams
  • Jaden Gray, Student Member

Secretary & Executive Officer

  • Hon. Tom Torlakson

Executive Director

  • Karen Stapf Walters
Schedule of Meeting Location
Wednesday, May 9, 2018
8:30 a.m. Pacific Time ±STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
The Closed Session will take place at approximately 8:30 a.m.. (The Public may not attend.)
California Department of Education
1430 N Street, Room 1101
Sacramento, California 95814
916-319-0827

Please see the detailed agenda for more information about the items to be considered and acted upon. The public is welcome.

The Closed Session (1) may commence earlier than 8:30 a.m.; (2) may begin at 8:30 a.m., be recessed, and then be reconvened later in the day; or (3) may commence later than 8:30 a.m.

CLOSED SESSION AGENDA

Conference with Legal Counsel – Existing Litigation: Under Government Code sections 11126(e)(1) and (e)(2)(A), the State Board of Education hereby provides public notice that some or all of the pending litigation follows will be considered and acted upon in closed session:

  • California Parents for the Equalization of Educational Materials, et. al v. Tom Torlakson in his official capacity and members of the State Board of Education, in their official capacity, et. al, United States District Court (No. Dist. CA), Case No. 4:17-cv-00635
  • California School Boards Association, San Jose Unified School District v. California State Board of Education, State Department of Education, Promise Academy, Real Party in Interest, Sacramento County Superior Court, Case No. 34-2018-80002834
  • Cruz et al. v. State of California, State Board of Education, State Department of Education, Tom Torlakson et al., Alameda County Superior Court, Case No. RG14727139
  • Devon Torrey-Love v. State of California, Department of Education, State Board of Education, Tom Torlakson, Department of Public Health, Dr. Karen Smith, Director of the Department of Public Health, Placer County Superior Court, Case No. CV-0039311
  • D.J. et al. v. State of California, California Department of Education, Tom Torlakson, the State Board of Education, Los Angeles Superior Court, Case No. BS142775,CA Ct. of Appeal, 2nd Dist., Case No. B260075 and related complaint from the U.S. Department of Justice
  • Ella T et al. v. State of California, State Board of Education, State Department of Education, Tom Torlakson et al., Los Angeles County Superior Court, Case No. BC685730.
  • Emma C.et al. v. Delaine Eastin, et al., United States District Court (No.Dist.CA), Case No. C-96-4179
  • Options for Youth, Burbank, Inc., San Gabriel, Inc. Upland, Inc. and Victor Valley, Notice of Appeal Before the Education Audit Appeals Panel, EAAP Case Nos. 06-18, 06-19- 07-07, 07-08 OAH Nos. L2006100966, L2006110025, L20070706022, L2007060728, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Case No. BC 347454
  • Reed v. State of California, Los Angeles Unified School District, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jack O’Connell, California Department of Education, and State Board of Education, et al., Los Angeles County Superior Court, Case No. BC432420, CA Ct. of Appeal, 2nd Dist., Case No. B230817, CA Supreme Ct., Case No. 5191256

ALL TIMES ARE APPROXIMATE AND ARE PROVIDED FOR CONVENIENCE ONLY

ALL ITEMS MAY BE HEARD IN A DIFFERENT ORDER THAN HOW THEY ARE LISTED ON THE AGENDA ON ANY DAY OF THE NOTICED MEETING

THE ORDER OF BUSINESS MAY BE CHANGED WITHOUT NOTICE

Time is set aside for individuals desiring to speak on any topic not otherwise on the agenda. Please see the detailed agenda for the Public Session. In all cases, the presiding officer reserves the right to impose time limits on presentations as may be necessary to ensure that the agenda is completed.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION FOR ANY INDIVIDUAL WITH A DISABILITY

Pursuant to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, any individual with a disability or any other individual who requires reasonable accommodation to attend or participate in a meeting or function of the California State Board of Education (SBE), may request assistance by contacting the SBE office at 1430 N Street, Room 5111, Sacramento, CA 95814; by telephone at 916-319-0827; or by facsimile at 916-319-0175.

CALIFORNIA STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION

FULL BOARD AGENDA

Public Session

Wednesday, May 9, 2018 – 8:30 a.m. Pacific Time ±

California Department of Education
1430 N Street, Room 1101
Sacramento, California 95814

  • Call to Order
  • Salute to the Flag
  • Communications
  • Announcements
  • Report of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction
  • Special Presentations
    Public notice is hereby given that special presentations for informational purposes may take place during this session.
  • Agenda Items
  • Adjournment

AGENDA ITEMS

PLEASE NOTE: Individual speakers will be limited to one minute each for public comment for all items on Wednesday. For item 2 only, a group of five speakers may sign up together and designate one speaker who will be allocated a total of three minutes for the group.

Item 01 (DOCX)

Subject: Update on the Development of California’s System of Support for Local Educational Agencies and Schools.

Type of Action: Action, Information


Item 02 (DOCX)

Subject: Developing an Integrated Local, State, and Federal Accountability and Continuous Improvement System: Approval of a Student Growth Model and the One-Year Graduation Rate for Schools with Dashboard Alternative School Status, and Update on the California School Dashboard.

Type of Action: Action, Information


Item 03 (DOCX)

Subject: California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress: Update on Program Activities Related to the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress System.

Type of Action: Information


Item 04 (DOCX)

Subject: English Language Proficiency Assessments for California: Approval of the Operational Initial Assessment Preliminary Threshold Scores and Composite Weights for the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California.

Type of Action: Action, Information


WAIVERS / ACTION AND CONSENT ITEMS

The following agenda items include waivers that are proposed for consent and those waivers scheduled for separate action because CDE staff has identified possible opposition, recommended denial, or determined that they may present new or unusual issues that should be considered by the State Board. Waivers proposed for consent are so indicated on each waiver’s agenda item; however, any board member may remove a waiver from proposed consent and the item may be heard individually. Action different from that recommended by CDE staff may be taken.

Charter School Program (Geographic Limitations – Non-classroom Based)

Item W-01 (DOCX)

Subject: Request by four local educational agencies to waive portions of California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 11963.6(c), relating to the submission and action on determination of funding requests regarding nonclassroom-based instruction.

Waiver Numbers:

  • Acton-Agua Dulce Unified School District 22-2-2018
  • Acton-Agua Dulce Unified School District 23-2-2018
  • Enterprise Elementary School District 14-2-2018
  • Evergreen Union School District 12-1-2018
  • New Jerusalem Elementary School District 13-1-2018
  • New Jerusalem Elementary School District 14-1-2018

(Recommended for APPROVAL)


CHARTER SCHOOL PROGRAM (Other Waiver)

Item W-02 (DOCX)

Subject: Request by San Diego Unified School District to waive portions of California Education Code Section 47652, relating to the grade level expansion requirement for continuing charter schools and the capping of average daily attendance in the special advance apportionment.

Waiver Number: 6-2-2018

(Recommended for DENIAL)


COMMUNITY DAY SCHOOLS (CDS) (Minimum School Day)

Item W-03 (DOCX)

Subject: Request by Manteca Unified School District to waive portions of California Education Code Section 48663(a), relating to community day school minimum instructional minutes.

Waiver Number: 27-1-2018

(Recommended for APPROVAL WITH CONDITIONS)


INSTRUCTIONAL TIME REQUIREMENT AUDIT PENALTY (Charter – Minimum Instructional Time)

Item W-04 (DOCX)

Subject: Request by Encore High School for the Arts – Riverside under the authority of the California Education CodeSection 47612.6(a), to waive Education Code Section 47612.5(c), the audit penalty for offering less instructional time in the 2015–16 school year for students in grades nine and ten (shortfall of 5,400 minutes) at the charter school.

Waiver Number: 20-1-2018

(Recommended for APPROVAL WITH CONDITIONS)


SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BONDS (Bond Indebtedness Limit)

Item W-05 (DOCX)

Subject: Request by the Albany City Unified School District to waive a portion of California Education Code sections 15106 and 15270(a) to allow the District to exceed its bonded indebtedness limit. Total bonded indebtedness may not exceed 2.5 percent of the taxable assessed valuation of property for unified school districts. Depending on the type of bond, a tax rate levy limit to $60 per $100,000 of assessed value for unified school districts may also apply.

Waiver Number: 13-2-2018

(Recommended for APPROVAL WITH CONDITIONS)


SCHOOL DISTRICT REORGANIZATION (60 day Requirement to Fill Board Vacancy)

Item W-06 (DOCX)

Subject: Request by Happy Camp Union Elementary School District to waive portions of California Education CodeSection 5091, which will allow the board of trustees to make a provisional appointment to a vacant board position past the 60-day statutory deadline.

Waiver Number: 12-3-2018

(Recommended for APPROVAL)


SCHOOL DISTRICT REORGANIZATION (Elimination of Election Requirement)

Item W-07 (DOCX)

Subject: Request by thirteen local educational agencies to waive California Education Code Section 5020, and portions of sections 5019, 5021, and 5030, that require a districtwide election to establish a by-trustee-area method of election.

Waiver Numbers:

  • Apple Valley Unified School District 21-2-2018
  • Barstow Unified School District 17-1-2018
  • Central Elementary School District 5-2-2018
  • Chaffey Joint Union High School District 12-2-2018
  • Hesperia Unified School District 2-3-2018
  • Inglewood Unified School District 26-2-2018
  • Irvine Unified School District 18-3-2018
  • Lowell Joint School District 15-2-2018
  • Morongo Unified School District 9-3-2018
  • Santa Rosa City Schools 38-3-2018
  • Ventura Unified School District 22-1-2018
  • Victor Elementary School District 21-1-2018
  • Victor Valley Union High School District 42-3-2018

(Recommended for APPROVAL)


SCHOOLSITE COUNCIL STATUTE (Number and Composition of Members)

Item W-08 (DOCX)

Subject: Request by five local educational agencies under the authority of California Education Code Section 52863 for waivers of Education Code Section 52852, relating to schoolsite councils regarding changes in shared, composition, or shared and composition members.

Waiver Numbers:

  • Barstow Unified School District 25-1-2018
  • Barstow Unified School District 26-1-2018
  • Maple Creek Elementary School District 8-1-2018
  • Salinas Union High School District 3-2-2018
  • San Joaquin County Office of Education 18-2-2018
  • Tahoe-Truckee Unified School District 18-1-2018
  • Tahoe-Truckee Unified School District 19-1-2018

(Recommended for APPROVAL WITH CONDITIONS)


SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM (Educational Interpreter for Deaf and Hard of Hearing)

Item W-09 (DOCX)

Subject: Requests by two County Offices of Education to waive California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 3051.16(b)(3), the requirement that educational interpreters for deaf and hard of hearing pupils meet minimum qualifications as of July 1, 2009, to allow Amie Denner and Heather Pedraza to continue to provide services to students until June 30, 2019, under a remediation plan to complete those minimum requirements.

Waiver Numbers:

  • San Joaquin County Office of Education 10-2-2018
  • Siskiyou County Office of Education 27-2-2018

(Recommended for APPROVAL WITH CONDITIONS)


SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM (Extended School Year)

Item W-10 (DOCX)

Subject: Request by six local educational agencies to waive California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 3043(d), which requires a minimum of 20 school days for an extended school year (summer school) for students with disabilities.

Waiver Numbers:

  • Hanford Elementary School 23-1-2018
  • Hesperia Unified School District 7-2-2018
  • Monterey County Office of Education 24-1-2018
  • Oceanside Unified School District 1-2-2018
  • Oroville City Elementary School District 16-1-2018
  • Paradise Unified School District 3-1-2018

(Recommended for APPROVAL WITH CONDITIONS)


SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM (Resource Teacher Caseload)

Item W-11 (DOCX)

Subject: Request by two local educational agencies, under the authority of California Education Code Section 56101 and California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 3100, to waive Education Code Section 56362(c). Approval of this waiver will allow the resource specialists to exceed the maximum caseload of 28 students by no more than four students (32 maximum).

Waiver Numbers:

  • King City Union School District 5-1-2018
  • Newman-Crows Landing Unified School District 19-2-2018
  • Newman-Crows Landing Unified School District 20-2-2018

(Recommended for APPROVAL WITH CONDITIONS)


STATE MEAL MANDATE (Summer School Session)

Item W-12 (DOCX)

Subject: Request by three school districts under the authority of California Education Code Section 49548 to waive Education Code Section 49550, the State Meal Mandate during the summer school session.

Waiver Numbers:

  • Eastern Sierra Unified School District 5-3-2018
  • Mark West Union Elementary School District 25-2-2018
  • Wiseburn Unified School District 28-1-2018

(Recommended for APPROVAL)


State Testing Apportionment Report (CAASPP and CELDT)

Item W-13 (DOCX)

Subject: Request by two local educational agencies to waive the State Testing Apportionment Information Report deadline as stipulated in the California Code of Regulations, Title 5 (5 CCR), Section 11517.5(b)(1)(A), regarding the California English Language Development Test, or Title 5, Section 862(b)(2)(A), regarding the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress System.

Waiver Numbers:

  • Cottonwood Union Elementary School District 1-3-2018
  • Keppel Union Elementary School District 24-2-2018

(Recommended for APPROVAL)

END OF WAIVERS


Item 05 (DOCX)

Subject: Approval of 2017–18 Consolidated Applications.

Type of Action: Action, Information


Item 06 (DOCX)

Subject: 2018 Science Instructional Materials Adoption: Approval of Additional Facilitators.

Type of Action: Action, Information


Item 07 (DOCX)

Subject: Consideration of Requests for Determination of Funding as Required for Nonclassroom-based Charter Schools Pursuant to California Education Code sections 47612.5 and 47634.2, and Associated California Code of Regulations, Title 5.

Type of Action: Action, Information


Item 08 (DOCX)

Subject: Consideration of Requests for Determination of Funding with “Reasonable Basis”/Mitigating Circumstances as Required for a Nonclassroom-based Charter School Pursuant to California Education Code sections 47612.5 and 47634.2, and Associated California Code of Regulations, Title 5.

Type of Action: Action, Information


Item 09 (DOCX)

Subject: Approval of the Charter School Numbers Assigned to Newly Established Charter Schools.

Type of Action: Action, Information


Item 10 (DOCX)

Subject: STATE BOARD PROJECTS AND PRIORITIES.

Including, but not limited to, future meeting plans; agenda items; and officer nominations and/or elections; State Board appointments and direction to staff; declaratory and commendatory resolutions; Bylaw review and revision; Board policy; approval of minutes; Board liaison reports; training of Board members; and other matters of interest.

Type of Action: Action, Information


PUBLIC HEARINGS

The following Public Hearings will commence no earlier than 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 9, 2018. The Public Hearings listed below will be held as close to 8:30 a.m. as the business of the State Board permits.

Item 11 (DOCX)

Subject: Petition for the Establishment of a Charter School Under the Oversight of the State Board of Education: Consideration of International Studies Language Academy, which was denied by the Los Angeles Unified School District and the Los Angeles County Board of Education.

Type of Action: Action, Information, Public Hearing


Item 12 (DOCX)

Subject: Renewal Petition for the Establishment of a Charter School Under the Oversight of the State Board of Education: Consideration of Spark Charter School, which was denied by the Santa Clara County Office of Education.

Type of Action: Action, Information, Public Hearing

END OF PUBLIC HEARINGS


Item 13 (DOCX)

Subject: GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT.

Public Comment is invited on any matter not included on the printed agenda. Depending on the number of individuals wishing to address the State Board, the presiding officer may establish specific time limits on presentations.

Type of Action: Information

ADJOURNMENT OF MEETING


This agenda is posted on the State Board of Education’s Web site. For more information concerning this agenda, please contact the State Board of Education at 1430 N Street, Room 5111, Sacramento, CA, 95814; telephone 916-319-0827; and facsimile 916-319-0175. Members of the public wishing to send written comments about an agenda item to the board are encouraged to send an electronic copy to SBE@cde.ca.gov, with the item number clearly marked in the subject line. In order to ensure that comments are received by board members in advance of the meeting, please submit these and any related materials to our office by 12:00 Noon on May 4, 2018, the Friday prior to the meeting. If you do not meet the deadline, please provide 25 copies to distribute at the meeting.

Questions: State Board of Education | sbe@cde.ca.gov | 916-319-0827
Last Reviewed: Friday, April 27, 2018
Scholarships for Education

Scholarships for Education

On Saturday, May 12, 2018, the Pasadena Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. is sponsoring its 30th Annual Fashionetta Salute to Mothers and Scholarship Luncheon & Fashion Show at the Glendale Hilton from 10 AM – 3 PM. This annual fundraising event will award 10 Scholarships and 5 Book Awards to college bound students from the Pasadena/ Altadena/ San Gabriel Valley area.

The Pasadena Chapter of AKA recently hosted a State of Black Pasadena Community Meeting that highlighted the importance of education in lifelong success. While the importance of an education only continues to be more important, the ability to attain this education is becoming harder. According to the College Board’s “Trends in College Pricing 2017” report, the cost of public school tuition has increased by 213% ($3190 in 1987-1988 to $9970 in 2017-2018). Per the same source, the cost of tuition at a private nonprofit was $15,160 in the 1987-1988 school year, but is now $34,740 in the 2017-2018 school year for an increase of 129%.

At the same time tuition has been increasing, the cost of room and board continues to increase along with the cost of books where a student could easily spend $400 on a single text book. The increase in the cost of textbooks has lead savvy students to take advantage of the opportunity to rent their books and/or leverage a $2500 IRS textbook tax credit.

In order to help college bound students handle these rising costs, the Pasadena Chapter of AKA has awarded scholarships to college bound students since it was chartered in 1960. They are proud to highlight that through the years they have awarded over $250,000 in Scholarships and Book Awards. Students have used these monies to help offset costs so they can attain a much needed education that puts them on the road to lifelong success.

Scholarships will be awarded in the areas of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math), Social Justice/ Economic Development, Special Needs, Most Improved GPA and Young African American Male. Each of the awardees is impressive and come from schools in the San Gabriel Valley. If you want your heart to be fi lled with joy as you hear the amazing stories of our young adults, come out to the 30th Annual Fashionetta Scholarship and Salute to Mothers Luncheon.

You can become a Scholarship Patron and directly increase the amount of the awards that will be given to the 2018 recipients by donating $250 or more. We will give you special recognition at the event, in our Souvenir Journal and on our website. You can make your donation at ‘thepaif. org’. Please call 626.475.7710 with any questions on becoming a Scholarship Patron.

If you cannot join us at Fashionetta, but want to make a difference that is less than becoming a Scholarship Patron, you can go to ‘thepaif.org’ to make a tax deductible donation. Designate it for Scholarship and the monies will make a direct difference in the amount awarded to this year’s scholarship winners.

During Fashionetta, we will also honor the Mother of the Year, have unique vendors available for shopping, enjoy a beautiful luncheon and a Fashion Show. If you want to attend Fashionetta and support our youth, you can go to ‘thepaif.org’ to purchase a ticket. Your support is needed and appreciated. Let’s make a difference together.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Create Now provides eight programs for at-risk youth

MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Create Now provides eight programs for at-risk youth

by 

By the time Tasha was 14, she had been in and out of nine detention centers. She started running away from her abusive home in South Los Angeles two years before and it was clear she didn’t want to go back.

Inside a detention center one day, Tasha was matched with a writer who bonded with her and taught her how to write a “Moesha” television script. Tasha loved it so much that she decided she wanted to pursue a career in the film and television industry.

With the help of mentors years later, including the writer who first taught her how to write a script, Tasha received a scholarship from Warner Brothers. With that money, she went on to attend the University of Southern California’s Film School Program and later completed a year of law school in Chicago .

From her early years as a troubled kid, Tasha has gone from being a runaway teenager to a college graduate, an author of three books, a licensed real-estate agent, a paid script writer, a traveling standup comedian and a documentary filmmaker.

Create Now CEO, Jill Gurr

Create Now CEO, Jill Gurr

And it’s all thanks to Create Now, the nonprofit that helped Tasha find positive outlets through writing and the arts during a dark time in her life.

And since 1994, Create Now has transformed the lives of other at-risk youth like Tasha through arts education.

“We offer eight programs to at-risk youth throughout Los Angeles and Orange County,” said Jill Gurr, the nonprofit’s founder and chief executive director.

The organization offers programs in music, fashion design and digital media, and the visual, performing, culinary and literary arts.

Its most unique program, called Cultural Journeys, organizes outings for youth to concerts, plays, museums, sporting events and much more. Often, those cultural expeditions are the first time a child has attended a live performance or event, Gurr said, which is really exciting for them.

The art programs are offered to thousands of children all over the city who face life challenges, be it poverty, abuse or homelessness. And Create Now reaches children in need in several ways.

The first matches one of its 110 volunteers to a child in need.

“We have networks with 165 youth agencies like shelters, schools, rehab and detention centers, where we set up different types of arts programs and life skills programs,” Gurr said.

The second is inside the classroom. Nonprofit volunteers go into schools with a high percentage of low-income families, where they offer anything from one-hour workshops to more long-term ones that last from 12 to 16 weeks. These Title 1 schools, as they are called, often don’t have the financial resources to offer students arts education, Gurr said.

The third is inside communities. “We organize arts festivals and community events in disadvantaged neighborhoods,” Gurr said.

In August, the organization will host an arts festival at Venice Hope Park in downtown L.A. that will feature “an open mic and prizes, arts and crafts and face painting.”

And in the historically underserved South L.A., Create Now is working on instituting a writing program in the fall at John Muir Middle School.

It is also in that neighborhood where Gurr envisions the future of the organization. She said that she and everyone at Create Now dreams of opening an art center in South L.A., where they hope to continue transforming the lives of more at-risk children like Tasha once was.

INFORMATION BOX

CEO: Jill Gurr

Years in operation: 22

Number of employees: 4 full-time, 1 part-time

Annual budget: about $400,000

Location: 1611 S. Hope St., Los Angeles, 90015

The post MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Create Now provides eight programs for at-risk youth appeared first on Wave Newspapers.

Tim White Rehired to Lead Facilities Dept.  at Oakland Unified School District

Tim White Rehired to Lead Facilities Dept. at Oakland Unified School District

The Oakland Unified School District has rehired widely respected administrator Tim White as Deputy Chief of Facilities to oversee construction and renovation projects on numerous major facilities projects that are underway.

“I am excited to come back to the place where I spent 14 years, supporting young people with outstanding educational facilities,” said White.

White worked for OUSD from 2001 to 2015 as Assistant Superintendent of Facilities and later as Deputy Chief of Facilities before being forced out his position in 2015 during the administration of former Supt. Antwan Wilson.

After leaving Oakland, White served as Executive Director of Facilities for Berkeley schools, working closely with the superintendent, Construction Bond Oversight Committee, and school board to determine long-term planning for the expenditure of facility construction bonds approved by voters.

He was also responsible for the expenditure of the district’s school maintenance tax ($5 million annually) used to keep schools safe and well-maintained. White previously worked in the Compton Unified School District.

“Tim brings extensive experience, an accomplished track record and a deep commitment to Oakland and communities. We are excited about Tim’s leadership and the new team that will be assembled in our Business and Operations division,” said OUSD Supt. Kyla Johnson-Trammell.

“My previous time in OUSD will help me transition into this new role, enabling me to hit the ground running. There are many exciting projects well underway, including the rebuilding of Glenview Elementary and the new school building at Madison Park Academy, plus many in the early stages such as the new Central Kitchen,” said White. “I look forward to completing all of them as soon as possible, while ensuring that we are effective stewards of taxpayer dollars for the voters of Oakland.”

The post Tim White Rehired to Lead Facilities Dept. at Oakland Unified School District appeared first on Oakland Post.

COMMENTARY: When It Comes to ‘Dreamers,’ Schools Have a Trump Problem – Education Week

COMMENTARY: When It Comes to ‘Dreamers,’ Schools Have a Trump Problem – Education Week

Education Week logoBruce Fuller, a sociologist at the University of California, Berkeley, works on how schools and civic activists push to advance pluralistic communities. He is a regular opinion contributor to edweek.org where he trades views with Lance Izumi, on the other side of the political aisle.

America’s high schools rarely offer a warm cocoon for our youths, secluded from pressing social ills. Neighborhood disparities deepen wide gaps in learning. The cowardice of pro-gun politicians leads to bloodshed inside classrooms.

President Donald Trump chose Easter Sunday to again vilify the children of immigrants, falsely claiming that dangerous “caravans” of immigrants are crossing the border to take advantage of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. This follows the president’s implications earlier this year that young immigrants were fording the Rio Grande River simply to join the cross-border gang MS-13 and infiltrate our schools.

The future of DACA, which covers less than a quarter of the 3.6 million undocumented residents who arrived before their 18th birthday, remains uncertain. Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal on the Trump administration’s attempt to unilaterally end the program, leaving DACA recipients in limbo as the legal battle works its way through the lower appeals courts. That didn’t stop Attorney General Jeff Sessions from traveling to California to warn city officials they cannot provide safe sanctuary for these youths…

But students are pushing back against Trump’s efforts to inject fear and prejudice into the nation’s high schools. Hundreds walked out of Stephen F. Austin High School in Houston last month, after Dennis Rivera-Sarmiento, a senior, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.

Read the full article here: May require an Education Week subscription.

Kamala Harris helps get millions for HBCUs

Kamala Harris helps get millions for HBCUs

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California Democratic Senator Kamala Harris knows that higher learning at the nation’s historically Black colleges and universities requires higher funding. Harris has been a longtime advocate for HBCUs, helping to push through a funding increase that would put millions into these schools.

A 14 percent increase in federal funding was included in the Senate’s omnibus spending bill, elevating the amount for HBCUs from $244.7 million in fiscal year 2017 to $279.6 million in fiscal year 2018, the LA Sentinel reported Wednesday.

“HBCUs are critical to the foundation of our higher education system, and provide opportunities for some of the nation’s most promising and deserving students”, Harris, an HBCU alumnus of Howard University, said. “I am pleased funds in this bipartisan budget agreement will be invested in the future of these young people. Ensuring HBCUs have the federal support and resources they need to thrive for generations to come is one of my top priorities as a proud HBCU graduate.”

As part of the Senate bill, historically Black graduate institutions will also receive a 14-percent funding increase, from $63.3 million to $72.3 million. Also, other majority-Black institutions will receive a raise from $9.9 million to $11.4 million. Bag secured!

Harris, along with Alabama Democratic Senator Doug Jones, requested the HBCU funding increase in a letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies. Twelve of their Senate colleagues supported their letter, according to the Sentinel.

HBCU presidents and other officials have been fighting for more funding to keep the doors open to their campuses. Several historically Black colleges and universities have had to operate under the threats of low funding, decrease enrollment, lacking academic programs and even closure. Therefore, the funding increase spurred by Harris and other senators is a great step forward for helping HBCUs.

These schools also contribute billions to states through their economic impact and by helping to generate jobs, two more reasons for the government to keep HBCUs strong.

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