LOS ANGELES — Not many 6 to 18 year olds can can say they’ve been published.
But there are more than 300 in Los Angeles that can can claim the title of published writer thanks to 826LA.
Since 2005, the nonprofit has supported students throughout the Los Angeles Unified School District and around the country, helping them build confidence as creative and expository writers.
“At the heart of what we do is bring volunteers to work with students one-on-one,” said Marisa Urrutia Gedney, director of in-schools programs and college access. In many under-resourced and overpopulated classrooms, she said, it’s difficult for teachers to give their students personal attention, especially when it comes to their writing.
“Writing is difficult for anyone of any age, and we tell the students that. It takes a certain level of confidence to take what’s in your heart and in your head and write it down,” she said.
Executive Director
Joel Arquillos
The intimate support “really helps students share their ideas so they have more confidence after they finish a writing assignment.”
Through its numerous free programs, more than 9,000 economically disadvantaged students in L.A. are taught how to write everything from poems, chapbooks and short films to stories, magazines and comic books during its weekend workshops.
During the week, students can take advantage of after-school and evening tutoring at two of 826LA’s writing locations in Echo Park and Mar Vista. There, volunteers help students with writing, reading and homework in all subjects.
“Our volunteers also go to schools where they work with teachers directly in the classrooms,” Gedney said. Because it’s not always possible for students to take a field trip to one of 826LA’s sites, volunteers drop into classrooms to support teachers with projects and provide students more one-on-one attention for writing assignments.
As for the many high school students working on their college applications, volunteers offer them help with their personal statements. This college-readiness work, Gedney said, is critical to what the nonprofit does.
“Personal statements help students write about their triumphs and trials,” she said. While students’ college applications show their academic successes, they don’t offer a glimpse into the realities of their lives.
By guiding them through their essays, they’re making “college writing more equitable.”
In 2013, the organization decided to extend this idea of equitability to South L.A., where they opened the Writers Room at Manual Arts High School.
There, students have a creative space where they can explore their writing voices and get college access support. It now serves more than 700 students every year and, as a result of this added support, more seniors are getting accepted into four-year schools.
As the nonprofit steadily grows, so has students’ enthusiasm for writing.
“So many times, once we publish a book of student writing, kids often say they want to be a writer. They say they want to be keep writing and get published,” Gedney said.
Kids frequently carry their published writing in their backpacks all year and show their teachers and classmates the work they’re so proud of, she added.
And this zest for writing that 826LA sees in its students is an energy it hopes to expand to more kids.
“Our hope is to increase capacity and bring in more volunteers into all our programs and centers to support more than 9,000 students a year,” Gedney said.
“We are always excited when people take interest in the work we do because it’s rewarding, exciting and fun.”
INFORMATION BOX
Executive Director: Joel Arquillos
Years in operation: 13
Number of employees: about 24
Annual budget: $1,744,809
Location: 1714 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, 90026
SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson on Wednesday (March 28, 2018) will speak with California bilingual teachers and meet with Mexican education officials to discuss ways to work together to help “the students we share.”
These discussions, which will take place at the state’s largest bilingual education conference, continue Torlakson’s efforts to forge closer ties with Mexican educators and to promote multilingual education.
Torlakson will address the California Association for Bilingual Education, which organizes the gathering of about 2,000 educators. The conference this year is titled “Embracing Multilingualism: From Policy to Powerful Practices.”
“Embracing multilingualism is what we do, and do well in California,” Torlakson said. “We embrace different languages, we welcome different cultures. We build bridges, not walls with our fellow educators in Mexico. People in California, parents, educators, business leaders, and community leaders understand that diversity is our strength.”
For example, over 173,000 Seals of Biliteracy have been awarded to high school graduates who demonstrate proficiency in more than one language. Information is available at the California Department of Education (CDE) State Seal of Biliteracy Web page.
Torlakson will speak at an awards ceremony and open the general session where he will unveil the release of the California English Learner Roadmap Guidance document which will support districts in strengthening comprehensive policies, programs, and practices for English learners. He will also join a roundtable with Mexico officials including state of Baja California Education Secretary Miguel Ángel Mendoza.
Torlakson has visited Mexico City and Tijuana to promote cross-border education cooperation, promote teacher exchange programs between California and Mexico, and support migrant and immigrant families.
He has also worked with Mexico to better serve “the students we share,” the estimated 50,000 U.S. born students attending schools in Baja California and may eventually return, and the Mexican born students attending school in California.
California voters in 2016 overwhelmingly passed Proposition 58, which removed outdated barriers to bilingual and multilingual instruction and is increasing the demand for credentialed teachers in those specialties.
Torlakson will also discuss his Safe Havens initiative, which includes schools that reassure students, parents, and educators that everyone is welcome on school sites, regardless of immigration status. To date, 130 school districts representing 2.7 million total students have adopted Safe Haven resolutions. Information is available on the CDE’s Safe Havens Web page.
The roundtable will be at 10:30 a.m. at the Sheraton Grand Hotel Camelia Room. The award presentation and opening of the general session will be at 4:30 p.m. at the Sacramento Convention Center, Ballroom A, 1400 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. Details about the conference are on the CABE 2018 Conference Web site.
A group of nine young leaders from East Bay schools, organized and led by Regina Jackson of East Oakland Youth Development Center (EOYDC), will participate in the “March for Our Lives” demonstration for an end to gun violence Saturday in Washington, D.C.
Congresswoman Barbara Lee urged Jackson to organize the delegation so that Oakland would have a presence in the historic march. Lee contributed money to pay for part of the trip, and a micro-grant covered the rest.
“Recently we did a listening session with Oakland Lee about gun violence. She asked me to coordinate the student delegation. I will be leading the group of students, who have all been affected by gun violence, ages 13-18,” said Jackson.
Members of the EOYDC delegation: Damoni Nears, senior at Moreau Catholic High; Destiny Shabazz, senior at McClymonds High; Devlynn Nolan, senior at Castlemont High; Jada White, 8th grader at Edna Brewer Middle; Khali Walker, freshman at Castlemont High; Kia Hanson, senior at Fremont High; Nala Lazimba, 8th grader at Alliance Academy; Rasheem Haskins, sophomore at Skyline High; and Ramaj Walker, junior at Envision Academy.
Organizers of the Washington D.C. march are students from Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where 17 students and adults died.
The young Oakland leaders spoke about how gun violence has impacted their lives.
“I have first-hand experience with gun violence,” said Jada White, aged 13.
“I lost my father when I was just a baby. I am going to the march to share my experience and my hope for stronger gun education and policy.”
Seventeen-year-old Kia Hanson said, “I lost my brother to gun violence. My pain is real every day. I am going to the march to represent him and my hope that no one ever have to experience a tragedy like mine ever again.”
The young people plan to write a blog about the march after they return draft some language for bills to be considered at the state and federal level.
Over 800 rallies and marches are scheduled across the country Saturday in solidarity with the protest in Washington, D.C. In the Bay Areas, marches are planned for San Jose and San Francisco.
A rally will be held Saturday morning at 10 a.m. in front of City Hall in Oakland, and then attendees will go by BART to join forces with marchers in San Francisco.
LOS ANGELES — Not all schools in Los Angeles are created equal.
Raymond Ealy noticed that was true when it came to low-income, underrepresented students learning about science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM). So he decided to change that.
In July 2014, Ealy launched STEAM:Coders in Pasadena to provide STEAM learning opportunities for kindergarten to 12th-grade students with limited access to technology.
“We work with students in Inglewood, South L.A., Long Beach, Pasadena and others … and we collaborate with colleges and school districts … with a focus on Title 1 schools,” said Ealy, founder and executive director of the nonprofit.
Since its inception, the organization has served more than 3,000 students in its after-school, weekend and weekly summer-camp classes teaching them skills they can apply to any field they choose to go into.
“We teach students logic, critical thinking and problem solving,” Ealy said. “We have to build a pipeline for students to not only get them ready for [STEAM] fields, but to give them the opportunity to see those areas.”
Its numerous partnerships with corporate, academic and nonprofit entities has allowed STEAM:Coders’ students to visit places where they can see technology in action and get involved. Field trips include locations like Google L.A., the California Science Center, Art Center College of Design, Apple, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the California Institute of Technology.
These field trips are a way for underserved students to see that with the right skills, they can find a place for themselves in those places, Ealy said.
“When we take kids to Caltech, many of them have never been to a college campus before,” he said. “And many of their parents have never been to a college campus, either. So when we take them to a university, it plants a seed that they can go to college too, and hopefully inspires them to attend.”
Raymond Ealy
But before students get to college, the nonprofit tries to implant a different seed in them: the seed of imagination.
Many Title 1 schools don’t have a computer science curriculum, let alone a computer lab, Ealy said. Many of the same schools, he continued, no longer offer students art or music classes, which restricts their imaginations.
So STEAM:Coders tries to remedy that disadvantage by equipping them with “tools, training, teaching and coaching to get them exposed” to both the arts and classes that teach them subjects like computer science.
Offering introductory, intermediate and advanced STEAM courses, students are taught hands-on by staff and volunteers, many who are college students or professionals who teach the weekend classes.
Among the classes being taught this year are “Building Apps and Games using JavaScript” for fourth to eighth-grade students and an “Introduction to Coding” for students from second to fifth grade.
With these opportunities, Ealy believes that kids are learning invaluable skills and getting the hard-core support they need to rise above their circumstances.
And sometimes that support manifests itself into the form of a laptop. Made possible by its partnership with Warner Brothers, the nonprofit recently gave away more than 40 laptops to students. Getting equipment like that into the hands of kids who need it most was a very proud moment for the organization.
As for the next several years, Ealy hopes to support more students in places outside of California.
“We know there’s lots of talent out there, students just need the opportunity to show it,” he said.
We’ve learned from the field that excellent schools—led by leaders who focus on continuous improvement grounded in data and evidence—are what help students succeed most. Data-driven continuous improvement helps schools decide which approaches best address their biggest challenges to driving student achievement.
In this “Heroes in the Field” blog post and video, co-chair Bill Gates sits down with Sacramento Superintendent Jorge Aguilar in a one-on-one interview in which Aguilar shares his background, his experience connecting students to college options while at Fresno Unified School District, and how he is using data-driven continuous improvement in Sacramento to keep more low-income students and students of color on track to graduation.
Aguilar’s efforts in Sacramento are a great example of how district leaders are working to build a culture and mindset around using data and continuous learning to improve outcomes for Black, Latino, and low-income students. We’re excited to see how Superintendent Aguilar applies these approaches in Sacramento, and how other districts and schools use data in innovative ways to drive continuous improvement. We hope you’ll consider sharing the interview video and blog with friends and colleagues. Below are social media assets you can use. You can also look for content posted on Twitter @gatesed.
Booking for the upcoming Transformational Leadership Conference is filling up faster than Shinay Bowman expected, but she’s not complaining.
Her phone has been ringing nonstop, and it’s grabbed the attention of top academic administrators across southern California.
“It surpassed our expectations because we only opened the conference at the end of January,” she said.
The event, to be held in Indian Wells from June 26-28, will cover several topics to task educators in leadership on reaching students and parents to make sure more kids don’t fall through the cracks. Bowman said they are hosting breakout sessions, and their superintendent’s panel discussion is about as multi-cultural as it gets.
“We invited diverse superintendents from across California and five have confirmed. We have a Latino, white, Black, Asian, Pacific Islander. What race didn’t we get?” she laughs.
Not everyone asks that question, but she feels they should.
The need for equity to reach students and parents is at a critical point. She said they want to ask the hard questions and get diverse perspectives about how school leaders are dealing with these difficult times.
“How they’re overcoming their struggles with English learner students, African American students, dealing with suicides and shootings. In the face of all that’s going on, how do they maintain moving forward for kids to be successful?” she said.
Bowman, also a certified suicide intervention trainer, hosts training throughout San Bernardino. Her own tragic encounter with a local suicide spurred her to get involved with prevention. She was then a teacher when an eighth-grade student killed himself. He wasn’t in her class, but she remembers him from her sixth-grade class, and it was devastating.
Superintendents, assistant superintendents and high-level cabinet members are coming to the event from as far away as Northern California and San Diego. However, she hopes more local teachers, and community members participate to stretch the dialogue for best approaches in education.
The cost of the three-day conference is comparable to other education conferences at $450. If that’s too steep, she said 20 volunteer slots with registration waivers are open for those that want to help work the event.
The Transformational Leadership Consortium comprises teachers, principals and county administrators, that work with San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools. She said the seven-member board was established four years ago, and has site leaders and program facilitators at area high schools.
“We are women of diversity, and we felt that there was a huge leadership crisis in education,” she said.
Bowman started out as a teacher at San Bernardino Shandin Hills Middle School, later a literacy coach, an assistant principal, and also an interim principal in Fontana. She works for San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools as a program manager.
There, she oversees implementation of Positive Behavior Intervention and Support, a program in 15 school districts countywide. PBIS is credited with better alternatives to punishment, and helping reduce suspension and expulsion rates for kids of color.
TLC, a project apart from the county, is also strong on social justice and equity to meet the needs of Black and Brown kids, girls, and all students dealing with behavioral issues.
Educational leadership, youth empowerment, community engagement and creating efficient ways for organizations to work together is their main focus. She hopes the conference will remind educators of why they got into the field in the first place.
“We can’t be supermen or superwomen, but we can be a super-community,” she said. “I feel like a lot of individuals focus on their own ability to go up in education and forget that it’s really about the community and village.”
While the consortium isn’t a church, it may feel that way at times with the Master of Ceremonies, who is both an educational and spiritual leader. Derek Harris, the senior director of risk management at Rialto Unified School District, is also an ordained pastor scheduled to MC the event.
“We’re hoping that this is a weekend that rekindles spirits and hearts to do the right thing for kids,” she said.
Registration is open until May 18.
At the conference, Terrance Stone with Young Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy will be presenting on working with the youth and community building.
He hopes to get revitalized in being around like-minded nonprofits, educators and leaders that care about the kids and get great information.
“To put some fire under us for going out, working in the community, because it can be tiresome. People on the outside just don’t know how much work goes into community-saving,” he said.
Working in San Bernardino hasn’t been the easiest task, but he said community workers need to have these conversations to empower themselves and the youth.
“It’s kind of about energizing and re-educating ourselves also, so we can really work in a city such as San Bernardino,” Stone said.
For more information, call (909) 521-0790 or email http://thetlcway.com/
Schools and classrooms across the country buzzed with excitement on February, 22, 2018 as thousands of educators and students celebrated the seventh annual Digital Learning Day (DLDay).
The celebrations have come to an end for now, but here are three things we learned from another great DLDay:
1. Technology is transforming America’s classrooms.
Each year, DLDay provides a powerful venue for education leaders to highlight great teaching practice and showcase innovative teachers, leaders, and instructional technology programs that are improving student outcomes. But it wasn’t always that simple.
When the Alliance for Excellent Education created Digital Learning Day in 2012, the idea of technology in the classroom was a new, even controversial idea. The first DLDay was about creating a safe place for educators to try something new with technology, to give up a little control and see what happened.
In the years since, many schools and school districts around the country have turned every day into a digital learning day. Technology is transforming classrooms. But the DLDay message remains clear: is not just about technology, it’s about learning and enhancing the role of the teacher in America’s classrooms.
2. It’s about the student, not the device.
This year, 2,000 local celebrations decorated the official DLDay map, providing a window into how education technology is incorporated into daily student learning. The key word here is incorporated. This is an important distinction. DLDay is not about putting devices in classrooms, it’s how they are used to advance student learning.
On DLDay, there were countless examples of devices being integrated into student projects and used to expand and enhance the learning experience.
Students in one school spent DLDay exercising, and tracking their miles using QR codes and apps. Others uploaded art projects into digital portfolios, or used stop motion animation to enhance a presentation, or conducted research and engaged in peer reviews using technology.
3. There are best practices for blending teaching and technology. Blending teaching and technology requires structure, planning, and research. But when implemented effectively, schools with a blended learning approach can personalize student learning, give students greater control of their experience, and enhance interactions between students and their teachers.
On DLDay, All4Ed and Future Ready Schools ® (FRS) held a webinar highlighting a California district that is using a blended learning approach to support a performance-based system of progression. Students move through instructional content at their own pace, advancing only once they have mastered all the standards from the previous content level.
In the webinar, leadership from Lindsay Unified School District shared their experience and best practices for blended learning. The webinar also featured the release of a new report, Blending Teaching and Technology: Simple Strategies for Improved Student Learning, which offers a collection of strategies aligned to the FRS framework that school district leaders can use to implement an instructional approach supported by blended learning. Watch the webinar below.
Keith Willis, incoming 100 BMIE president, said that he and the other volunteer mentors were taking late night calls from their boys, talking up and tweaking speeches until the last minute.
“They are very involved, very excited about the showcase. I’ve been on the phone, and they’ve been practicing,” he said.
The program, in partnership with the Pomona chapter Jack and Jill of America and the 100 BMIE Education Committee, helped the youth develop their presentations around some of the most significant civil rights heroes throughout Black history.
He said that “the 100” has been focused on outreach and broadening their students’ exposure to get out of the area to social events. They have been especially excited to collaborate with the Boy Scouts of America and in December, they took the boys to a leadership camp where they participated in a team-building exercise.
It was important to give students an opportunity that they wouldn’t ordinarily get in in the Inland Empire, he said.
The boys and youth also attended a young men’s conference sponsored by Jewett Walker, Div. President and Chairman of the Board of the 100 Black Men of Los Angeles.
“There were over 500 students there. It was an opportunity for our students to meet up with Los Angeles students and discuss issues that relate to growing up in America, in the climate that we have today. It was a very good exercise,” he said.
Wherever the 100 Black Men charters exist, part of the big picture is keeping students tight with local college campuses and formal higher education environments.
The organization provides strong academic support, but they especially want the boys grounded in a sense of self, with the cultural and social support they need for college success.
“It’s very important that students not feel like college is a foreign concept,” Willis said. “We want them to feel comfortable on campus, with various campus cultures so they can examine what is a good fit for them academically.”
Prior to coming on as president, Willis chaired the education committee, where his pet project was jump-starting the pilot program for the Saturday Academy at Cal Baptist University.
Their mentoring program at Chemawa Middle School, part of the Riverside Unified School District, is now in its second successful year. This week, in partnership with CBU, they are taking the middle school students out to the ball game for another fun day with higher education strategies hidden in the mix.
“It’s for a slice of college life,” he said. “We are also looking forward to building up a collaboration with University of California, Riverside, and the Black Student Union there to work on programs together.”
Willis said that he joined “the 100” because he was seeking a way to academically impact youth, which is part of the mission of the organization. Initially, he served on the mentoring committee with Chemawa Middle School, eventually transitioning into the Saturday Academy.
“I came, and I was immediately enamored because it was exactly what I wanted to do,” said Willis, formerly a social studies teacher, and now an attorney. “We’re able to provide support, and a consistent presence of mentoring there.”
As students aged out of the middle school, the organization piloted a program with CBU, which encompasses some students from area high schools. All those attending wear their signature 100 Black Men of the Inland Empire shirt and khaki pants for their regular bi-monthly meetings. Currently, they have about 30 regular students aged 12 to 18.
In the coming weeks, the organization is also pushing community support for its April 20 Annual Gulf Tournament fundraiser to help keep the local programming strong for the kids.
Much of the energy in recent years has been in getting their bearings as a new organization, and developing programs that are a good fit for the local boys. But the students who tend to be more involved also have strong parental support, he said. They make sure the boys come out to the meetings at the CBU campus.
As they’ve grown in the program, their boys and youth have developed persistence and staying power. One student recently missed a class, and he was clearly upset about it.
“Once they go consistently, they want to keep going. It’s really been a positive experience,” he said.
For more information on the golf tournament or to get involved, email 100bmie@gmail.com
Wednesday, March 14, 2018
8:30 a.m. Pacific Time ±
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION Public Session. Public Session, adjourn to Closed Session
– IF NECESSARY.
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.
Schedule of Meeting
Location
Thursday, March 15, 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
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, et al. v. California State Board of Education and Aspire Public Schools, Inc.,Alameda County Superior Court, Case No. 07353566, CA Ct. of Appeal, 1st Dist., Case No. A122485, CA Supreme Court, Case No. S186129
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
Vergara et al. v. State of California, Governor Edmund G. Brown, Tom Torlakson, the California Department of Education, the State Board of Education, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Case No. BC484642, CA Ct. of Appeal 2nd Dist., Case No. B253282, B253310
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, Day 1
Wednesday, March 14, 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 DAY 1
PLEASE NOTE: Individual speakers will be limited to one minute each for public comment for all items on Wednesday and Thursday. For items 1 and 4 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.
Subject: Developing an Integrated Local, State, and Federal Accountability and Continuous Improvement System: Updates and Recommended Action Regarding Local Indicators; and Update on the Continuing Development Work and Revisions Under Consideration for the 2018 California School Dashboard.
Subject: Update on the Development of the California State Plan for the Every Student Succeeds Act: Approval of the Revisions to the State Plan for Resubmission to the U.S. Department of Education.
The following Public Hearings will commence no earlier than 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 14, 2018. The Public Hearings listed below will be held as close to 2:00 p.m. as the business of the State Board permits.
Subject: Petition for the Establishment of a Charter School Under the Oversight of the State Board of Education: Consideration of Knowledge Is Power Program Bayview Elementary School, which was denied by the San Francisco Unified School District.
Type of Action: Action, Information, Public Hearing
Subject: Petition for the Establishment of a Charter School Under the Oversight of the State Board of Education: Consideration of Knowledge Is Power Program East Side High School, which was denied by the East Side High School District and the Santa Clara County Board of Education.
Type of Action: Action, Information, Public Hearing
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
END OF DAY’S SESSION
CALIFORNIA STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
FULL BOARD AGENDA
Public Session, Day 2
Thursday, March 15, 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 DAY 2
PLEASE NOTE: Individual speakers will be limited to one minute each for public comment for all items on Thursday.
Subject: California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress: Update on Program Activities Related to the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress System.
Subject: English Language Proficiency Assessments for California: Approve the Revised Test Blueprints for the Initial English Language Proficiency Assessments for California.
Subject: California Education for a Global Economy Initiative: Approve Commencement of a Second 15-Day Public Comment Period for Proposed Amendments to Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations (5 CCR) sections 11300, 11301, 11309, 11310, and 11316, and Adoption of Proposed Sections 11311 and 11312.
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.
Subject: Request by Hanford Joint Union High School District to waive portions of California Education Code Section 48663(a), relating to community day school minimum instructional minutes.
Subject: Request by Thermalito Union Elementary School District to waive portions of California Education Code Section 48663(a), relating to community day school minimum instructional minutes.
Waiver Number: 16-12-2017
(Recommended for APPROVAL WITH CONDITIONS)
Principal Evaluation and Assessment (Extend Timeline of Evaluation)
Subject: Request by Lincoln Unified School District to waive California Education Code Section 44663(b) evaluation dates of June 30 and July 30 for non-instructional certificated employees so that California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress test results for the year may be included in the evaluation criteria for those management employees.
Waiver Number: 7-1-2018
(Recommended for DENIAL)
School Construction Bonds (Bond Indebtedness Limit)
Subject: Request by Franklin-McKinley Elementary School District to waive California Education Code sections 15102 and 15268 to allow the district to exceed its bonded indebtedness limit. Total bonded indebtedness may not exceed 1.25 percent of the taxable assessed valuation of property for elementary school districts. Depending on the type of bond, a tax rate levy limit to $30 per $100,000 of assessed value for elementary school districts may also apply.
Waiver Number: 32-12-2017
(Recommended for APPROVAL WITH CONDITIONS)
School District Reorganization (60 day Requirement to Fill Board Vacancy)
Subject: Request by three local educational agencies to waive portions of California Education Code Section 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 Numbers:
Central Union Elementary School District 19-11-2017
Mountain Union Elementary School District 12-12-2017
Shasta Union Elementary School District 36-12-2017
(Recommended for APPROVAL)
School District Reorganization (Election of Governing Board)
Subject: Request by 15 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:
Cajon Valley Union School District 2-1-2018
Carlsbad Unified School District 20-12-2017
Covina-Valley Unified School District 10-1-2018
Cucamonga Elementary School District 1-12-2017
Etiwanda Elementary School District 7-11-2017
Martinez Unified School District 33-12-2017
Murrieta Valley Unified School District 30-12-2017
Newport-Mesa Unified School District 23-12-2017
Oceanside Unified School District 8-12-2017
Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District 7-12-2017
Redwood City Elementary School District 29-12-2017
San Benito High School District 35-12-2017
San Dieguito Union High School District 19-12-2017
Westminster Unified School District 11-1-2018
Yucaipa-Calimesa Unified School District 9-1-2018
(Recommended for APPROVAL)
School District Reorganization (Elimination of Election Requirement)
Subject: Request by Poway Unified School District 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 Number: 28-12-2017
(Recommended for APPROVAL)
Sale or Lease of Surplus Property (Lease of Surplus Property)
Subject: Request by five school districts to waive all or portions of California Education Code sections specific to statutory provisions for the sale or lease of surplus property.
Waiver Numbers:
Capistrano Unified School District 14-12-2017
Compton Unified School District 22-12-2017
Covina-Valley Unified School District 31-12-2017
Hughson Unified School District 21-11-2017
South Pasadena Unified School District 18-12-2017
(Recommended for APPROVAL WITH CONDITIONS)
Sale or Lease of Surplus Property (Lease of Surplus Property)
Subject: Request by Pasadena Unified School District to waive all or portions of California Education Code sections specific to statutory provisions for the sale or lease of surplus property.
Waiver Number: 4-12-2017
(Recommended for APPROVAL WITH CONDITIONS)
School District Reorganization (Elimination of Election Requirement)
Subject: Request by Sequoia Union High School District 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 Number: 2-11-2017
(Recommended for APPROVAL)
School District Reorganization (Lapsation of a Small District)
Subject: Request by Desert Center Unified School District to waive California Education Code Section 35780(a), which requires lapsation of a district with an average daily attendance of less than 11 in ninth through twelfth grades.
Waiver Number: 6-1-2018
(Recommended for APPROVAL)
Schoolsite Council Statute (Number and Composition of Members)
Subject: Request by 14 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:
Auburn Union Elementary School District 18-11-2017
Baker Valley Unified School District 6-12-2017
Bishop Unified School District 17-12-2017
Butte Valley Unified School District 30-11-2017
Contra Costa County Office of Education 3-11-2017
Contra Costa County Office of Education 4-11-2017
Del Norte County Office of Education 16-11-2017
Del Norte County Unified School District 14-11-2017
Del Norte County Unified School District 15-11-2017
Subject: Request by 10 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:
Butte County Office of Education 22-11-2017
Chula Vista Elementary School District 5-11-2017
Fall River Joint Unified School District 12-11-2017
Fremont Union High School District 13-12-2017
Greenfield Union School District 8-11-2017
San Marcos Unified School District 2-12-2017
San Pasqual Valley Unified School District 28-11-2017
South Bay Union School District 11-12-2017
Tulare County Office of Education 5-12-2017
Visalia Unified School District 15-12-2017
(Recommended for APPROVAL WITH CONDITIONS)
Special Education Program (Resource Teacher Caseload)
Subject: Request by four local educational agencies, under the authority of California Education Code Section 56101 and California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 3100, to waive California 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:
Gerber Union Elementary School District 34-12-2017
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, 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.
Subject: Update on Issues Related to California’s Implementation of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and Other Federal Programs with an update on the Draft Local Control and Accountability Plan Federal Addendum Template and Proposed Approval Process.
Subject: Approval of the modifications to “California’s Strategic Workforce Development Plan: Skills Attainment for Upward Mobility; Aligned Services for Shared Prosperity: California’s Workforce Development Plan Under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) for Program Years 2016–2020.”
Subject: Consideration of a Request 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.
Subject: Consideration of Retroactive 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.
Subject: Consideration of a Retroactive Request 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.
Subject: Reconsideration of Requests for Determinations of Funding as Required for Nonclassroom-based Charter Schools Pursuant to California Education Code sections 47612.5 and 47634.2; California Code of Regulations, Title 5 Section 11963.6(g); and Associated California Code of Regulations, Title 5.
Subject: Approval of the Charter School Numbers Assigned to Newly Established Charter Schools.
Type of Action: Action, Information
PUBLIC HEARINGS (MORNING)
The following Public Hearings will commence no earlier than 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 15, 2018. The Public Hearings listed below will be held as close to 10:30 a.m. as the business of the State Board permits.
Subject: Petition for the Establishment of a Charter School under the Oversight of the State Board of Education: Consideration of the Vista Springs Charter School, which was denied by the Vista Unified School District and no action was taken by the San Diego County Board of Education.
Type of Action: Action, Information, Public Hearing
Subject: Petition for the Establishment of a Charter School Under the Oversight of the State Board of Education: Consideration of Baypoint Preparatory Academy–San Diego, which was denied by the San Marcos Unified School District and the San Diego County Board of Education.
Type of Action: Action, Information, Public Hearing
The following Public Hearings will commence no earlier than 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 15, 2018. The Public Hearings listed below will be held as close to 12:30 p.m. as the business of the State Board permits.
Subject: Petition for the Establishment of a Charter School Under the Oversight of the State Board of Education: Consideration of College Preparatory Middle School-La Mesa Spring Valley, which was denied by the La Mesa Spring Valley School District and the San Diego County Board of Education.
Type of Action: Action, Information, Public Hearing
Subject: Petition for the Establishment of a Charter School Under the Oversight of the State Board of Education: Consideration of Phoenix Charter Academy, which was denied by the Shasta Union High School District and the Shasta County Board of Education.
Type of Action: Action, Information, Public Hearing
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 DAY’S SESSION
This agenda is posted on theState 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 March 9, 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
When Tara Chklovski, an aerospace engineer from India, came to the United States to pursue her Ph.D, she noticed a lack of interest in technology.
“It was interesting to see that the same drive in technology [in India] wasn’t here,” Chklovski said. “Girls are not encouraged to go into engineering and tech.”
It soon became apparent to her that something needed to be done about that. So she decided to give young people from underserved communities, particularly girls, the opportunity to become innovative leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
And in 2006 in Los Angeles, she founded Iridescent to do just that.
Since then, about 100,000 children, parents, mentors and educators have participated in the organization’s two international programs: Technovation and Curiosity Machine.
Technovation, which is for middle and high school students, gives girls the chance to learn necessary skills to become leaders and entrepreneurs in the tech world.
Girls in the program are encouraged to find a problem in their communities and are challenged to solve them by creating a mobile application, Chklovski said. In teams and with the support of mentors and a curriculum, the girls go through several stages of introducing their own mobile app startup.
Then there is Curiosity Machine, a family science program where children and their parents participate in a weekly design challenge. In it, they explore everything from computer science to biomechanics using simple household items like popsicle sticks or cardboard.
A few weeks ago, the nonprofit launched its Artificial Intelligence Family Challenge, in which students ages 8 to 15 and their families learn the basics of artificial intelligence technology by building projects together.
Tara Chklovski
“The big challenge is that AI is changing the world in big ways,” Chklovski said, and “the education system is going to take many years to react and respond.” This challenge intends to prepare young girls for it.
Although the AI challenge is still in the developing stages at some schools, STEAM coordinator for local district east of the Los Angeles Unified School District Craig Sipes said he is seeing a lot of excitement from teachers, principals and parents.
“[The project] is really fun and engaging and thought provoking for kids,” Sipes said. “Kids love to do hands-on projects, and by introducing the engineering design process, we help students structure how to solve problems.”
The program is teaching kids that when things don’t work out, it doesn’t mean they failed; instead, it’s showing them that failure is an opportunity to grow, Sipes said.
But what makes these programs unique, Chklovski said, is their family design.
“A key part [of the success of these programs] is engaging parents; it’s a two-generational approach. It’s really important for the child and parent to learn [about STEAM],” Chklovski said.
But these programs, Chklovski has found, do more than provide children an opportunity to bond with their families and be mentored by STEM professionals; they’ve also bettered the individuals who participate in them.
“Often, kids who do well in the family challenge struggle academically. Once they find a creative and imaginative environment, they really try,” she said.
For many students, creating designs is the first time the child feels like he or she could be successful in something, Chklovski said.
But Iridescent hopes to reach beyond helping young children blossom; it hopes to help their parents and guardians, too.
“If some of these stay-at-home moms are not working because they are taking care of children, it’s a big loss of potential,” Chklovski said. But if the millions of stay-at-home mothers in the U.S., many who don’t take the academic path, take on an entrepreneurial route after the program, big things can happen.
“If you can open new horizons for 60 million [stay-at-home mothers], we can change the world.”
SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson on Wednesday (March 28, 2018) will speak with California bilingual teachers and meet with Mexican education officials to discuss ways to work together to help “the students we share.”
Web site.
By Dianne Anderson
