Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "school"

How Registered Sex Offenders can Challenge “Jessica’s Law” Residency Restrictions

2011-12-22T17:30:03Z

Q. My brother is going to get out of jail soon, and we were planning on him moving in with me, but his parole officer told him he couldn’t because he has to register as a sex offender and I live too close to an elementary school, which is against “Megan’s Law” or “Jessica’s Law” or something like that. Isn’t there anything we can do? I’m afraid if he doesn’t live with me he will be homeless.

Jerri

A. California’s Megan’s Law requires anyone convicted of a wide range of crimes, including forcible sex crimes involving non-consenting adults and most sex crimes involving children, prostitution, and child pornography, to register as a sex offender upon release on parole or probation or discharge from custody. California Penal Code § 290. Proposition 83, the Sexual Predator Punishment and Control Act, or “Jessica’s Law,” which amended Megan’s Law on November 8, 2006, forbids any registered sex offender from living within 2,000 feet of a school or park where children regularly gather. California Penal Code § 3003.5(b).

Your brother is not alone in facing a very bleak prospect. According to the Prison Law Office, a nonprofit public interest law firm which engages in class action and other impact litigation on behalf of prisoners, these residency restrictions have forced many parolees to become homeless because they are unable to find affordable, compliant housing.

Jessica's law has been challenged in courts as being too restrictive. Your brother may wish to ask a court to review his case. The Prison Law Office, which has been involved in many of these challenges, has produced a packet of forms and instructions that parolees can use to ask for an immediate stay of the restrictions while their individual cases are being heard by the courts. The packet is available for free on the web at http://www.prisonlaw.com/pdfs/ModelHabeasFull,Dec10.pdf. An additional fill-in-the-blank form, required by all California state courts in this type of case, can be downloaded from the California Courts’ website at http://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/mc275.pdf.

You should be aware that local cities, towns and counties are permitted to adopt ordinances which impose further restrictions on where you can live. If you are not in Sacramento and are unsure whether your residence is in compliance with local law, check with someone who is familiar with your community’s laws.

Good luck!

Do you have a question for the County Law Librarian? Just email sacpress@saclaw.org. If your question is selected your answer will appear in next Thursday's column. Even if your question isn't selected, though, I will still respond within two weeks.

Coral Henning, Director
@coralh & @saclawlibrarian
www.saclaw.org

Waldorf School Fair Celebrates 23rd Anniversary

2011-12-12T05:04:48Z

Two years ago, Camellia Waldorf School’s Winter Faire was hit by something unexpected: rain. It flooded the parking lots, turned a dry creek into a creek and threatened the good spirits of the day. Participants shifted into the school for cover, while vendors put up their canopies and served hot chocolate and soup. Despite the rain, it was one of the busiest fairs that school has hosted, with reportedly 1,000 visitors.

“It didn’t seem to dampen anyone’s feelings,” event co-chair Sarah Rucker said. “It’s a reflection of the norm at Waldorf School. If it were snowing, we’d still have a blast.”

This year, the Winter Faire began under a cloudless sky on Saturday, December 10th, on the school grounds. Despite microphone trouble, the fair opened with the Southern Brothers Drum and Dance group, which had children to teens to adults performing dances of Native American origin. As they had for the past four years, they set the stage for the significance behind the event, with dances like “The Caterpillar Dance” involving transformation and change.

“It’s a blessing when they come,” co-chair Marisa Cheung said. “It sets the tone for the event. I always feel truly awakened when they perform.”

This year was the Winter Faire’s 23rd anniversary, which isn’t much younger than the school itself. When the fair was first created, Camellia Waldorf School was only a kindergarten and had yet to form its additional eight grades.The co-chairs shared the two main purposes for the fair: having a good time and public outreach.

The fair has always had an education room available, organized by school admissions director Deirdre Johnson, where families can see the schoolwork and artwork of the students and ask any questions they might have about the curriculum.

Aside from this, the fair is oriented to family fun. Children run around playgrounds with painted faces, older kids meet up by the vendors and artisans, and parents encourage their little ones to make candles or find the arts-and-crafts table.

A newer addition to the fair is the gingerbread house exhibit. Run by Nancy Ciraulo, the exhibit displays over 30 gingerbread houses for silent auction, donated by many nonprofit organizations. This year, houses were donated by the Asian Community Center, McKinley Library, My Sister's House, One Village, Sacramento/Yolo Mutual Housing Association, Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services, Sharing Parents, and Short Center South. Ciraulo described it as a “community collaboration.”

Inspired children can also make their own gingerbread homes for $3. The small cost goes into school funds, as does the silent auction. The 40 vendors and artisans nearby also donate 20 percent of their revenue, making the Winter Faire a fundraising opportunity as well.

The vendors sell everything from toys and books to clothes and jewelry, and a few even have fresh treats. The school has a cafe offering fresh soup meant for the Golden Ladle Soup Competition, with soups from Capitol Garage, Taylor’s Kitchen and Cafe Bernardo. By the outdoor seating of the cafe, students and parents play music, the Christmas-themed tunes falling into the hum of hundreds of voices.

Even kids lend a helping hand at the fair. At The Children’s Store, no adult is allowed entry, only children with tickets for purchasing items. For those a bit too young to read or count, the store has fifth graders from the school ready to guide them. There was also a circus performed this year by sixth, seventh and eighth graders, with kids walking on stilts, riding unicycles, balancing plates and wearing goofy hats.

Other performances this year included puppet shows and a magician. A “pocket person,” or a clown covered in pockets, roams the fairgrounds. Children can give the pocket person a ticket in order to take a pre-wrapped gift out of one of these pockets.

“(Winter is) traditionally a time that people want to hibernate,” Rucker said. “But not here. They get into the spirit of the season.”

Camellia Waldorf School began small, as did the Winter Faire. Now, both the school and the fair have grown to something greater than first intended. The future looks bright for them, even in the depths of winter.

Editorial Note: Spelling corrections have been made to Deirdre Johnson's name and Sarah Rucker's name after this article was published.

Real Relationships: Broken by a Bully

2011-10-17T15:59:10Z

Q: My 7-year-old daughter is dealing with a bully at school. She comes home almost daily and relates stories about how another girl in her class makes fun of her. Apparently she is making fun of her clothes, the words she uses, her school work... anything she can think of.

I have always thought my little girl was pretty outgoing and strong, but lately she seems to be breaking under the weight of the bullying. I have given her all the pep talks I can think of (kill her with kindness, avoid her at all costs, and compliment her when she bullies you). Nothing has changed and I feel like I need to step in on a more parental level, but I don't know where to start.

A: I am sorry for the troubles your daughter is facing at school each day. I don't know why it happens, but it breaks my heart, and it seems to happen at every grade level. That said, I feel there are a few steps you can take without being too aggressive or invasive.

I would suggest you set up a meeting with your daughter's teacher. Find out what she knows about the classroom dynamics and if he/she is aware what is happening between your daughter and her bully. Find out if other children are being treated the same way. The purpose of this is not to validate your daughter’s claims as much as to determine what your next move is.
When you meet with the other parent/parents, make sure you do not attack their little girl with accusations and insults. Simply lay out what appears to be going on, ask the teacher to provide input on what she has observed and ask what you, as parents, can do to correct this situation.

It is possible that they will be hostile regardless of how you approach the situation, but committing to resolve it together instead of taking a "what are you going to do about your problem child?" stance may keep the situation peaceful.

If you find the other parents to be agreeable with your plan, then meet with the other parents, their little girl, your daughter and their teacher.
Reinforce that insults and bullying is not acceptable, that the teacher will not allow it and that both sets of parents are now aware of the situation and will be keeping a close eye on it.

If the other parents are not agreeable with the situation and refuse to participate in the resolution, then you and the teacher can work together to try to control the situation. If the teacher is aware of the issue, he/she should intervene when possible.

Worst case scenario is that you may need to request your daughter to be placed in another classroom away from this girl. It isn't ideal or the best resolution, but it may become necessary to protect your daughter.

Good luck, I hope you find an agreeable set of parents on the other side.

Have a relationship question? Email sacpress@live.com. Questions will be featured every Monday in "Real Relationships."

Students rally to confront harsh school discipline

2011-10-06T04:55:53Z

Students and advisers from five Sacramento area high schools joined in a virtual rally Wednesday – with kids from Los Angeles, Fresno and Oakland schools – as part of the National Week of Action to raise awareness about the overuse of extreme school discipline.

The rally connected more than 100 students, parents and community activists via live video feed to discuss recent trends in suspensions, expulsions and other harsh punishments in California schools.

According to data from the California Department of Education, there were 235,033 students enrolled in public schools in Sacramento county in the 2010-11 school year.

There were 47,678 suspensions and expulsions issued that same year – a 20.2 percent suspension/expulsion rate by enrollment, which is about a third higher than the state average of 11.7 percent.

Students from Grant High School, Sacramento High School and New Tech High School also attended the rally to share experiences of harsh discipline at their schools with other students and parents who have had similar experiences.

“It’s time to stop the criminalization of students and start looking at ways to help students,” said Lea Luellen, a senior at Inderkum High School in Natomas.

Luellen is the president of the Black Student Union at Inderkum, a student organization that encourages students to take leadership roles in their school and in their community.

“I was expelled for getting in a fight at school,” said Darrell Brown, a 19-year-old former Sacramento High School student.

Brown said he was defending his sister against another boy who was touching her inappropriately – but no one in the school administration took that into consideration before expelling him from school.

By the time he returned to classes after his expulsion, he was so far behind that his grades plummeted. Brown ended up dropping out of school.

The greatest impact of such harsh discipline policies has been on African American students, Darryl White, Black Parallel School Board Chairman, said Wednesday.

According to Carl Pinkston, secretary for the Black Parallel School Board, data for Sacramento City Unified School District schools shows that 38 percent of all suspensions in the district in the 2010-11 school year were African American students. The second highest percentage was Latino students at 35 percent. White students make up 11 percent of the total.

“This is a nationwide trend, and it is the same trend we are seeing here in Sacramento,” White said.

The school shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado in 1999 made the nation look at school kids in a new way, White said.

The response to the Columbine tragedy was a new policy aimed at preventing any weapon from ever reaching a school campus.

At the time, schools were reluctant to change the way they did things, White said, so the government found a way to encourage schools to go to a zero tolerance policy: they sent money to support new zero tolerance policies in the schools.

A zero tolerance policy gives school administrators and teachers authority to set strict discipline policies for infractions related to weapons, drugs or disruptive school behavior that creates a danger to others.

White said that, although the zero tolerance policy program was well-intended, the implementation was inconsistent. Each school district handled the policy in a different way – some more strictly than others, White said.

Schools took the new zero tolerance policy to new levels and started suspending students for a variety of reasons, most of them unrelated to guns.

White, a former high school principal, said his administration experience is full of examples of overuse and even abuse of the policy.

“Some of the incidents that we hear about are amazing,” White said. “Some teachers would suspend a kid for drawing a picture of a gun in class, or for not turning in medicine to the office that they brought to school.”

White recalled one student who had been suspended for pointing a fish stick at a teacher and saying “bang.”

“Zero tolerance has gotten crazy,” White said. “It’s gotten stupid. Zero tolerance policies take all the gray area of what’s best for students, or giving any thought to what kind of student the kid is overall.”

According to The California Endowment, a private, statewide health foundation, California schools average more than 720,000 suspensions and expulsions each year – an amount nearly double the rate in Texas, which has recently come under fire for it’s suspension rate statistics.

Recent data shows that extreme discipline policies are common even for nonviolent offenses like tardiness, which historically would have warranted little more than a trip to the principal’s office.

“Twenty years later,” White said, “we discovered that suspensions had doubled. More than that, we found that only 2 percent of those suspensions were related to weapons.”

White said there is a perception among teachers that African American students will be more difficult, so to ensure they don’t have to deal with behavior problems in the classroom, teachers are a little more heavy-handed with those students.

“I don’t think a lot people realize its an issue,” said Spenser Bradley, a senior at Inderkum High School. “People just think that this is the way school is.”

“I was walking down the hall one time and a teacher stopped me, saying she thought I smelled like weed,” said Jonathan Harvey, a senior at Inderkum. “She smelled my hands and took me to the principal’s office and I was expelled. It was ridiculous – who gets expelled for smelling bad?”

Once a student is expelled, it’s almost impossible to overturn the decision.

“The school has almost absolute authority,” White said. “There is generally nothing a parent can do short of going to court, and a lot of parents can’t afford to do that.”

Gabriel Brower, a senior at Grant High School, said stereotypes can be misleading. Characterizing individual students based on a broader stereotype is not only unfair but – more often than not – it’s going to be a mistake.

“People say that, because my uncles were in jail or my cousins were in gangs that I’ll end up that way too,” Brower said. “But I’m my own person. I can rise above my environment. If no one looks at me as an individual, they aren’t seeing the real me, they’re seeing what they expect me to be.”

Brower said that, after two years in high school making 3.5 to 4.0 grade point average, teachers finally started to realize his potential.

Brower gives credit for his success to “powerful programs” at his school that encourage kids to excel.

Pinkston recommends a “proactive” approach to school discipline, including a “restorative process” aimed at reintegrating kids into schools instead of leaving them outside of the walls of education.

“In Sacramento, this effort is about starting a conversation about the issue,” White said. “Hopefully we can start getting adults involved in the conversation.”

Pinkston said he hopes events like Wednesday’s rally will encourage a major movement to change government policies to help schools address the issue of zero tolerance.

White and Pinkston are compiling a full report on suspension and expulsion trends specific to Sacramento school districts, White said, and the report will be available later in the year.

Suspension and expulsion rates by school district and by individual school can be looked up at the California Dept of Education website here.

Melissa Corker is a Staff Reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelisaCorker.

Real Relationships: Special needs child

2011-09-12T15:26:55Z

Q: My son is 7 years old and currently attending a public school in the first grade. It has been obvious to my husband and I for some time that he has some kind of learning disability and some behavioral issues, but he has never been diagnosed with anything, and we aren't really sure what to do.

His teacher tells us that he isn't reading at a first -grade level and that his actions in class not only prevent him for learning but disrupt the entire classroom environment. We don't really know what to do or where to begin.

I haven't received any support from the school in this situation, so right now I am just frustrated. I don't want my son to fall behind, but I think he needs help. His disruptive behavior spills over from school into our home, and my husband and I are frustrated and scared. What do I do?

A: There are many children who do not learn at the same pace or in the same manner as their peers. There is no shame in that, but there is shame in the fact that your son's teacher and school has not offered you any resources or options for your son. As a learning institution and the primary source of your son's education, they should be working with you in this process, not against you.

There are many schools, doctors and programs that you can take advantage of in the Sacramento area to give you a better understanding of what you may be dealing with and facing in years to come.

You are not alone in this. There are hundreds of other parents who have children struggling to learn just like your son. I encourage you to connect with other parents while you seek out help. Hearing from parents who have walked the road that you are about to travel will be invaluable for you.

Here are some resources in the Sacramento area that you can take advantage of:

California Association of Private Special Education Schools (CAPSES) : CAPSES is a statewide professional association of nonpublic schools, agencies, organizations and individuals who specialize in the delivery of quality special education programs to students with special education needs.

Applied Behavior Consultants: Applied Behavior Consultants, Inc. (ABC) is a human services agency that is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for people with developmental disabilities and learning disorders.

Support group for parents of children with ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): This group is to support parents of ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) children--to provide emotional support, dispel the myths, answer questions and provide information on local resources.

California Department of Education Special Needs: Information and resources to serve the unique needs of persons with disabilities so that each person will meet or exceed high standards of achievement in academic and nonacademic skills.

Warmline Family Rescource Center: A resource and support service for families of infants and young children with special needs including a phone number staffed with trained parents of other special needs children ready to answer your questions.

Do you have a relationship question? Email sacpress@live.com. Questions will be answered every Monday in Real Relationships.

Rebirth of Marshall School in Midtown

2011-05-10T19:14:41Z

“Well you roll on roads over fresh green grass. For your lorry loads pumping petrol gas. And you make them long, and you make them tough. But they just go on and on, and it seems that you can’t get off…

Well you’ve cracked the sky, scrapers fill the air. But will you keep on building higher til there’s no more room up there? …

I know we’ve come a long way, Were changing day to day, But tell me, where do the children play?”

Cat Stevens

In the rush to make Sacramento a big city we seem to concentrate on the expanding bars, restaurants, basketball arena, high rises, and other superficial aspects of a big city. We forget that key components to a successful revitalized city are the children and good schools.

A major step to bringing good schools back to downtown occurred last Saturday at Old Marshall School at 28th and G Streets. The California Montessori Project, Capitol Campus, a public charter grade school, had a ceremonial march of over 250 students, parents and neighbors from their old leased space at Pioneer Congregational Church at 28th and L Streets to their new home at Historic Marshall School at 28th and G Streets.

Marshall School, built in 1903 and designed by Rudolph Harold, a locally prominent architect who designed City Hall, was used as a grade school until 1976. In the 1960s and 70s, the great exodus of families from the central city led to the conversion of Marshall School into an adult school. Gradually, as pioneer restoration people began to return to the central city in the 1980s with their families, changing attitudes about living in Midtown, Metro Square and other housing developments began to set the foundation for bringing the school back to Midtown.

On August 17, Old Marshall Adult School will be reborn again into a quality grade school, renamed to California Montessori Project, Capitol Campus at Historic Marshall. This historic moment is brought into perspective if we consider that the establishment of a public grade school in the central city is the first in 70 years.

Let’s take this opportunity in the economic recession to reestablish our priorities and make sure we make room for children in our city’s growth. If we ignore this critical element we will fail.

Editor's note: This article was temporarily removed and reposted again. All reposted articles appear at the top of the story feed.

Teaching with a Purpose

2011-04-14T18:09:47Z

Many school and district administrators relate that they lack the specific skills and knowledge to help teachers with English Language Development (ELD).

I interviewed Kevin Clark (Clark Consulting) about the ELD Program.

Kevin Clark, Clark Consulting says, "Those assigned to ELD coaching roles tell us over and over again that they took the assignment with little guidance and no clear goals."

Check out my video!

Sac schools to get help going green

2011-02-09T06:17:02Z

Sacramento City Unified School District is getting some national help to renovate and make some of its more than 80 campuses more eco-friendly.

A full-time sustainability officer will help schools meet LEED standards as part of a program through the U.S. Green Building Council, said Rachel Gutter, director of the Center for Green Schools, which is based in Washington, D.C.

“(We) were impressed by your community’s enormous undertaking to become the greenest region in the country,” Gutter said, adding that beginning districtwide sustainability measures takes a large amount of time and money.

The Green Schools Fellowship Program aims to help improve school sites to make them more environment-friendly.

“Over a three-year period, this fellow will help your city make tremendous strides,” she said.

The fellow will be chosen in the coming months and will start a three-year term in the district over the summer. The position will be fully funded by the USGBC, and Gutter said it is the equivalent of bringing in $300,000.

The announcement came at the final meeting of Mayor Kevin Johnson’s Greenwise initiative Tuesday, which calls for the retrofitting of 15 million square feet of school space in the next 10 years and reducing water usage by 20 percent.

The meeting was held at the Guild Theater in Oak Park.

Gutter said the fellow’s efforts will set the groundwork for continuing green development of school sites after the three-year period.

The fellowship’s pilot program was in New Orleans following the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Katrina, and the result was to build more than 15 school sites that are LEED-certified and build a “world-class green school,” Gutter said.

“Schools are the center of our community,” Gutter said. “They represent our hopes, our dreams, our investment in the community.”

Gutter said that when schools are fully “green,” they become teaching tools to educate students about climate and environment issues.

In addition to having less of an impact on the environment, Gutter said green schools save the districts money, which can then be spent on teacher salaries and classroom supplies.

During her remarks, she highlighted schools in Colorado that have already seen six-figure savings due to their facilities being green, as well as mentioning the first “net-zero” school, which was erected in Turkey Foot, Ky.

A “net-zero” building is one that creates as much energy as it uses.

Johnson said in a press release that “a large part of this (Greenwise) commitment is to green our schools and to provide our students with a safe, healthy and welcoming environment.”

Gutter said those goals can only be realized by making sustainability someone’s full-time job.

The district’s superintendent, Jonathan Raymond, said there’s “no question” that Sacramento has been given an opportunity.

“The opportunity to truly prepare our kids for careers and for college in the 21st century – it does make a difference where they go to school,” he said.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Nonprofit brings arts program to schools

2011-01-20T00:34:57Z

Local artist Kim Grace faces a unique challenge each week: how to teach visual arts to the visually impaired.

Grace is one of 75 artists who work with students in the Sacramento City Unified School District through the Very Special Arts program, teaching art to both students in special education and students in general education.

“It’s been a real experience for me,” she said. “Most of these students don’t get a lot of opportunity for art in schools, so when you walk in with a box of paint, it’s like you’re the biggest rock star around.”

When it came to working with blind and visually impaired students, Grace said she had to rethink her teaching process, focusing on how the artistic media feel in her hands and how she can relate her knowledge to students who can’t see.

Very Special Arts is an international nonprofit network affiliated with The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

Alice Parente founded the local chapter of the organization, called “I Can Do That!,” 25 years ago, and it now serves 3,000 students in 60 schools in the district.

“This is my heart’s passion,” she said. “I’ve seen some of these students grow up going through the program, and it’s rewarding to see how much they’ve grown.”

Parente works with the special education teachers at the school sites, who then partner with general education teachers so art classes mix the students together.

“What’s amazing is, when you look at a class, you can’t tell who is a student in special education and who isn’t,” Parente said. “They’re all artists.”

The program is largely funded by the nonprofit, with the school district paying for 10 percent of supply costs, half of Parente’s salary and transportation to performances and art shows.

“And they provide a lot of support,” Parente said. “They really believe in this program.”

The students’ academic performance is measured before and after they start the program, and Parente said there are noticeable improvements in math, reading and language arts, but the biggest improvement comes in self esteem.

“The arts are success-oriented and non-threatening,” she said. “They get told they can do whatever they want instead of being told they can’t do something.”

Sherron McCarthy is a special education substitute teacher in the district with a personal connection to the program.

“My son is 28 years old, and he went through the program,” she said. “He enjoyed art. He was never very artistic, but it was good training for him.”

Her son, who has Down Syndrome, currently works at a golf course and lives independently.

“(Leonardo Da Vinci Elementary School) gave him a good start,” she said.

Students in the program learn to work in clay, sculpture, painting, drawing and performing arts such as music and various forms of dance.

The students’ work is shown in art shows held in winter and spring. The next one is the sixth annual Winter Very Special Arts Festival, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Jan. 27 at the Sam Pannell Meadowview Community Center, 2450 Meadowview Road.

It is free and open to the public, and performances including dancing and singing will start at 10 a.m.

One of the more than 500 students whose art will be shown or performed at the show is 14-year-old Austin Benavidez, who is visually impaired.

“Artwork is fun,” he said. “Usually I love doing clay. Clay makes things easier. The painting is messier, but I’m good at making pinch pots and rolling pots (out of clay).”

Last year, Austin was in the program’s blues band playing tambourine, but he said he prefers sculpting from clay.

Billy Lei is a 13-year-old visually impaired student who immigrated from China last year.

“I like to make bowls and put handprints in it,” he said. “I made a clay box with handles. This is my first year doing art. I like this.”

Shelby Haines is a special education teacher at Leonardo Da Vinci who specializes in working with visually impaired students, including Austin and Billy.

“It’s really exciting,” she said. “Having a professional artist gives them another experience that I wouldn’t be able to offer them.”

Haines said private programs are available, but they are very costly, and having the Very Special Arts program come directly to the school is a benefit to all the students.

Parents who want their children involved in the program should go through their school’s special education teacher, Parente said.

“In 25 years, we’ve never turned away anybody,” she said.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Black Parallel School Board meets to discuss SCUSD problems

2011-01-11T20:14:46Z

The Black Parallel School Board discussed its plans for 2011, including addressing problems with the quality of teachers and underachievement of black students in the Sacramento City Unified School District.

The meeting was held Saturday at the Oak Park United Methodist Church.

The BPSB’s mission is to ensure quality education for African American students in the SCUSD. The board observes and critiques SCUSD performance and advocates for African American students.

The BPSB was created in Jan. 2008. It was born of the frustration of Sacramento State professor Otis Scott with the SCUSD at a Sacramento Area Black Caucus meeting in 2006.

According to Carl Pinkston, secretary of the BPSB executive council, Scott was angry that the SCUSD failed to follow up on issues concerning the black community.

Scott wanted to call attention to a crisis in education and to reframe the discussion as a new civil rights struggle. The community needs to be proactive rather than reactive toward the crisis, he said.

After the BPSB was formed, the members studied state of education for black students in the SCUSD and created a report from their findings. The report shows an achievement gap between black and other students that steeply rises after second grade.

The report showed only eight out of 644 black students were enrolled in eighth grade geometry and that they have an 84 percent failure rate for geometry in the 10th grade.

At Saturday’s meeting, Executive Council Chairman Darryl White brought up one of the major problems the BPSB has with the SCUSD: the constant influx of new teachers to already underachieving schools.

White said schools with a history of underachievement tend to be where new teachers are hired. It takes three to five years for teachers to gain the experience to be effective, and once they have it, they move on to “better” schools, he said.

This means that some students never learn from an experienced teacher. Perpetually in class with new, bad or substitute teachers, students have a difficult time progressing at a rate commensurate with being taught by experienced and effective teachers, White added.

He pointed out that it’s not one person or group that’s the problem, it’s teachers’ career paths within the SCUSD that prevent underachieving schools from providing a quality education. Teacher quality makes or breaks a school, he said.

SCUSD President Gustavo Arroyo was also at the meeting. He outlined his goals for solving issues within the SCUSD, saying he is reaching out to communities to hear their issues, and his main goal is creating space for people to voice their issues with the current system.

“I’m trying to open the door for dialogue,” he said.

Sacramento is one of the most diverse urban education systems in the country, according to SCUSD’s education technology plan. The district is 32 percent Hispanic, 21 percent White, 21 percent African American, 20 percent Asian, 2 percent Pacific Islander, 1 percent Filipino and 1 percent American Indian.

The system teaches more than 48,000 students in Kindergarten though 12th grade among 88 schools. SCUSD is governed by seven elected members and a student member.

Some of the other goals of the BPSB are “to assure that classrooms with high African Descended student populations start and end the school year with qualified and experienced teachers that possess the ability to relate to students of color; to assure that teacher/student ratios are between 20-25 students per teacher (less for K-3) in all grade levels to promote the academic success of all students; to assure that schools with high numbers of African Descended students are properly funded,” according to the report.

Anyone of African-descent who regularly attends BPSB meetings can become a board member.

The executive council is in charge of implementing decisions that the board passes.

“Everyone has to participate,” Pinkston said. “It’s a culture and place to develop new leadership.”

White added, “The Black Parallel School Board is a watchdog group. We are here to observe and find out about negative impacts on the students we support.”

The next meeting will be at 10 a.m. Feb. 5 at the Oak Park United Methodist Church at 36th Street and Broadway.

The first photo is of Gustavo Arroyo. The second is of the Oak Park United Methodist Church.

Port, Chocolate and Cheese

2010-11-08T06:04:31Z

Marni Rubin took her guests on a journey through the tastes, textures and pairings of specialty cheeses, chocolates, ports and dessert wines Saturday. C’est le Cheese owner Jody Lagorio and her husband, Dan Hague, hosted the event at the Lofts on L street.

Rubin is a wine educator by trade, teaching class through Wine One One, but she said this class is her favorite to teach, especially around the holidays. She is self educated and she is also a certified wine specialist by the Society of Wine Educators. ~~Before teaching she worked as sommelier.~~

“I enjoy bringing people together to enjoy and share food and elevate their knowledge of all aspects of food,” Lagorio said.

The guests are greeted when they arrive and brought to the third floor for a reception before the class starts. He said that an Italian cheese is always paired with an Italian wine, and a Spanish cheese with Spanish wine.

“We started at the lofts at the Marriott, but we couldn't get as many people in,” Hague said.

He said the Marriott had room for only19 participants, and now at the Lofts they are able to seat 27. C’est le Cheese has been hosting classes at the Lofts for about a year now.

The class served five wines with chocolate and cheese to accompany each one. Rubin said there are five S’s in wine tasting: see, sniff, sip, spit/swallow, and savor. Rubin talked about the production of wine, cheese and chocolate. She said she hopes this class will help the guest appreciate their wines a little bit more.

C’est le Cheese is located at 1818 L street. The next class, Easy Entertaining, is on November 17th. Roxanne O’brien will give tips on cheese presentations and appetizer recipes. Prices for classes range from $50 to $55. Registration can be done online at cestlecheese.com.

Photos by Christopher Daniels

Voyage Home Loans Donates School Supplies to Freeport Elementary School

2010-09-15T21:59:23Z

Sacramento, Calif.— Voyage Home Loans donated $480 worth of school supplies to 60 third grade students of Freeport Elementary School of Sacramento on Friday, September 10.

Each student received a binder and a goody bag full of school supplies, which included scissors, colored pencils, crayons, watercolor sets, a highlighter, a glue stick, a ruler, four pencils and four erasers. They also provided each of the three third grade classrooms with notebook paper, copy paper, colored paper, tissues, and alcohol-free hand sanitizer.

“It was wonderful! The students were very surprised when they were given their very own bag of supplies,” said Freeport Elementary Principal Amy Whitten. “They were thrilled. We thank Voyage so much for coming by the school with the donation.”

Voyage’s Team Goodness wanted to donate to Freeport Elementary when they learned in August that 100 percent of the enrolled students receive free breakfast and lunch; student achievement is historically low and the school has not met its academic targets for the past five years; and many students are from low-income homes and cannot afford to buy the school supplies they need.

By September, Voyage employees had contributed $300 toward the school supplies, some employees had donated supplies they had purchased for the students themselves, and the company added an additional $180.

“We are happy to have an opportunity to donate to a great event,” said Josh Harmatz, CEO of Voyage. “This is our first time working with Freeport Elementary and we look forward to continuing our relationship with them.”

For more information contact info@voyagemtg.com

About Voyage:

Voyage Home Loans is a progressive mortgage company that specializes in American mortgages, Sacramento Home Mortgages, and California Home Loans. Voyage is an organization that cares deeply for the welfare of its clients, employees, community, and the environment. The company strives to increase its participation, involvement, and partnerships with various non profits, not-for-profits, and individual causes, as well as environmentally friendly programs.

www.voyagehomeloans.com

Editor's Note: Katrina Silberstein is the Marketing and Public Relations Administrator for Voyage Home Loans.

It's Not About the Boobies

2010-09-06T20:14:42Z

A local high school student, Hunter Cooper, 15, is getting more than his allotted 15 minutes of fame. It happens sometimes when the planets align just so and the event, the social climate and decisions made by certain authorities combine into the perfect public relations storm. And Cooper has found himself in the eye of it. His claim to fame? He wore a rubber bracelet to school emblazoned with a slogan deemed offensive by administrators at Rocklin High School in Rocklin, Calif. The bracelet is part of Keep A Breast foundation’s breast cancer awareness campaign. The slogan, “i [heart] boobies,” is aimed at raising awareness among young people and if the current media bonfire is any indication, it has done that and more. The uproar in this case, however, has less to do with a school’s right to limit certain freedoms of expression and more to do with the reasoning behind the disciplinary action taken against Cooper by school administrators.

According to a Sacramento Bee story that ran today, Cooper complied with his physical education teacher’s demand that he take the bracelet off, but when the teacher asked him to turn it over, Cooper started to ask questions regarding his teacher’s reasoning. He was told the slogan was demeaning to women and that there had been complaints. According to the Bee, Cooper responded, “If girls feel that way, then why are so many wearing the bracelets as well?” The response he received was a one-day suspension for being defiant. Other news sources tell essentially the same story, including quotes from Rocklin High School Principal Mike Garrison that establish the school’s rationale for the policy and the authority behind it. Schools do, in fact, have a great deal of authority regarding disruptive or offensive expression that would otherwise be protected under the First Amendment. This is not about that; this is about the so-called defiance.

Cooper raised a legitimate question – one in that could have easily been answered in a dialogue that would have taught him far more than blind adherence to authority. Granted, this case could well have occurred in such a way that Cooper’s attitude was in fact defiant, that he was not legitimately seeking clarity and he was inviting a confrontation, but as reported none of that is apparent. Cooper is, by most standards, still a kid. But he is at an age when he is beginning to think critically and that should be encouraged. The answer to his question is simple and if it had been provided in a mature manner, he would have learned how thinking critically is applied in one of a lifetime's worth of real-time situations. They could have pointed out his glaring logical fallacy; that just because some women do not find it offensive, that does not make it inoffensive to all women. They might have followed up by citing case law that gives schools authority to limit certain First Amendment rights – or at least the rationale behind those limitations. If Cooper then refused to remove the bracelet (which, by all accounts he already had), they could have concluded the lesson for the day and issued the appropriate disciplinary action. To a young adult, the answer, “Because I said so,” should no longer be sufficient. They should be asking “why.”

Cooper engaged in a losing argument, but the way in which it transpired he could never know it. Indeed, he never got to lose his argument; it ended by force before it began. And force should only and always be a last resort. The school played its trump card way before it was necessary and lost out on an educational experience that could not easily be simulated in the classroom. In the classroom of life the consequences are real - the very foundation of our nation was represented by this single exchange. At some point kids need to be treated as real, thinking adults and when adults in authority squash their questions in an egotistical application of power, what does that teach them? Cooper may well have been motivated by an opportunity to be defiant – to exert his power justified by the righteousness of his cause. Or he may have legitimately wanted to know why he was told to remove what he believed to be nothing more than a sign of support. Either way, the school missed a golden opportunity to do what it is supposed to do – teach.

New school will see fewer students with enormous backpacks

2010-08-25T01:16:43Z

A new, bookless public school is opening in West Sacramento Sept. 7. Instead of the usual stack of textbooks, each student at the California College, Career & Technical Education Center will receive an Apple iPad.

The school will initially serve only ninth- and 10th-grade students, but plans to expand to serve adult-aged students within one year and kindergarten through eighth-grade students within two years.

“As a charter school, we have some freedom to try things like this,” Executive Director of CCCTEC Paul Preston said. Preston said he wouldn’t be surprised to see devices like iPads begin replacing books in classrooms across America soon, citing the high price of text books and broad utility of devices like the iPad.

“I think it has the capability to really take off in the next two to three years,” Preston said.

As for concerns that students would play games on their devices instead of work, Preston said it’s a matter of teachers being able to control students and pointed out that it’s just as easy for students to play Tic-Tac-Toe on a piece of paper.

Teachers have the option to create their own supplemental learning materials and electronic devices could facilitate the distribution, said Tim Herrera, spokesman for the Sacramento County Office of Education.

“Anything technologically that can encourage students to learn and get them excited about their schoolwork we encourage,” he said.

As for teachers creating something wacky or incorrect, Herrera said distributed materials must adhere to state standards; the materials must be vetted, credible, and accurate.

“It’s a great idea,” said 10th and 11th grade English teacher Christin O’Cuddehy, who works at Arthur A. Benjamin Health Professions High School. “The problem then becomes the maintenance. What happens when a student drops it in the bathtub?”

Despite these types of problems, O’Cuddehy said the advantages of a bookless classroom make the whole endeavor worth it.

“We just had a big meeting about this,” O’Cuddehy said. “It’s something we’re hoping to roll out in the next five years.”

One commonly cited advantage of a bookless system is the sheer amount of free textbooks, novels and other learning materials that can be readily found on the Internet and stored.

Print publications are slowly being taken over by the proliferation of the Internet, but many people remain adamant that the printed word will never disappear completely.

The principal of Merryhill Elementary School, Lezli Warburton, said she was uncertain whether a program like the one CCCTEC is trying would work well with her students because of their young age. She said she doesn’t see electronic devices replacing pencils and paper at her school anytime soon.

Sacramento Press reporter Brandon Darnell contributed to this story.

First day of School brings out local dignitaries

2010-08-16T17:48:40Z

Today marks the first day of school for many kids in the greater Sacramento area. Some districts, like Folsom Cordova, are already in their second week of school, but for a majority of the districts today is the end of a hopefully fun filled summer and back to building of a foundation that will help them succeed into the future.

For most kids the school they are attending will be the same as last year or one that has seen many kids through the years. With the downturn of the economy and housing market we have not seen many new schools built in recent years. Many districts have even started to consolidate and close schools. That is not the case for this year’s students attending Cosumnes River Elementary School in Sloughhouse. Students at Cosumnes River Elementary School, or as most of the local residents call it CRES, are attending a brand new school today.

CRES is located in the eastern portion of the Elk Grove School District in Sacramento County. The CRES name is the same as the old school which was built in 1948. The old CRES was too small to support the growing student population. The former facility also lacked many of the core facilities, such as a multipurpose room, needed to offer important programs and resources. Even with less than ideal facilities, CRES has consistently been a top ranked elementary school in the state.

For almost 10 years the district as been searching for a site to rebuild the school. There have been several locations under consideration, but none of them worked out for various reasons. The topic of a new school has many threads on the popular Rancho Murieta discussion forum Rancho Murieta Online. Many had given up on an updated school until the Mosher and Ledbetter family agreed to sell their land that happen to be right next to the the old school site.

Construction began the day after school let out in June of 2009 and continues even today. While the new school is technically built and kids are in session there is a lot of work to be done. The old school is in the process of being torn down and will be covered by dirt. The old school site will be the ball fields of the new school. The new school has been needed for a long time and now the staff, teachers, and students have a top of the line facility.

Today was the official ribbon cutting which brought out not only parents and staff, but local dignitaries and the media. The campus this morning was a buzz with newspaper photographers and TV crews. On hand were officials from the Elk Grove School Board as well as Elk Grove District staff. Sacramento County supervisor Don Nottoli was also on site to participate in the day's festivities. Opening day at CRES was great day for everyone involved and the new facility will be around to support our kids for many years to come.

In a program handed out by students, Principal Mike Gulden wrote; "I want to offer my personal thanks to the entire Mosher/Ledbetter family for allowing us to build this beautiful new school, our version of the Italian villa on the hill and a legacy in which I hope your family will take pride for generations to come."

Unique elementary school in South Sacramento to celebrate the winter season

2009-12-01T11:55:48Z

One of the best kept secrets of the South Sacramento area is a small, private school tucked away in the Lanai Shopping Center on Freeport Boulevard, neighboring the Sacramento Executive Airport, where it has existed in rented space for 21 years.

Over the years, most of the shopping center tenants have moved away. Meanwhile, countless hours of parent, teacher and student work have gone into transforming a run-down property into a school with colorful classrooms and playgrounds.

It has an understated entrance, but Camellia Waldorf School is an oasis for children.

The kindergarten yard is home to Mr. Mountain, a big pile of dirt, and Ms. Sandy, a big pile of sand. There are climbing structures in trees, hay bales, a water pump, chickens and a garden of oak and fruit trees, flowers and vegetables.

Young children run, jump, play and are close to the elements. Walking down the central corridor, a visitor may hear music, singing or poetry being recited. Watercolor paintings line office windows.

The community at Camellia Waldorf School is a diverse group, including families from Sacramento, West Sacramento, Elk Grove, Carmichael and Rancho Cordova. Parents are engineers, pastors, attorneys, health practitioners and public school teachers.

Many parents work for the government (federal, state and local), and in a variety of occupations. Families are from a wide range of social, economic, cultural and spiritual backgrounds.

With regard to racial/ethnic diversity, 8 percent of students are African American, 8 percent are Asian American, 17 percent are Hispanic American, 10 percent are from other racial/minority groups and 57 percent are Caucasian.

Families are Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim. Camellia is one of the most diverse Waldorf schools in Northern California. Diversity is important, but what bring families together are deeply shared values regarding how children should be raised and educated.

The school and its values, in many ways, resist the tide of mainstream society. Public schools emphasize academics at younger ages; preschool children are being taught phonics. Camellia remains steadfast to its protection of childhood – encouraging preschool children to play outside, rain or shine.

Rooted in the tenet that a child learns through movement in his or her first seven years, the early child curriculum encourages movement through creative free play and in structured activities. Woodworking and finger knitting, learned in kindergarten, develop fine motor skills for writing in later years.

Storytelling and song stimulate creativity and nonlinear thought, vital to the development of critical thinking skills and problem-solving. Gardening teaches children about the life cycle and our environment, while keeping in tune with the seasons and harvesting healthy foods to be eaten at snack time.

In this digital age, media and technology are central to our lives. Camellia encourages keeping both from young children until they are developmentally able to handle the intense sensory input.

The interdisciplinary curriculum for the grades balances the sciences, humanities, and the arts. Subjects include math, science and history, as well as music, art and woodworking.

According to a standardized test used at Camellia, 8th graders' average scores over the past 3 years were higher than the expected Grade Equivalent for all 9 academic subjects tested. Scores for 8 of 9 such subjects were at 10th grade level and higher.

Some Camellia graduates continue their education at the Sacramento Waldorf School in Fair Oaks, while others transition to public schools or private schools such as Christian Brothers and St. Francis High School.

According to a study of Waldorf graduates in North America, 94 percent attend college and nearly 80 percent intend to attend graduate school.

The same study reported that 47 percent of undergraduates majored in arts and humanities, 43 percent in math and science, and the remaining 10 percent in a variety of other fields.

Camellia Waldorf School’s annual tuition is $8,675. Considered low for a Waldorf school, it is expensive for the average family.

What most people do not know is that, perhaps unlike other local private schools, Camellia provides more than $170,000 in tuition assistance to an unprecedented 42 percent of its student population.

Contrary to public perception, 10 percent of Camellia students would qualify for free or reduced lunch in a public school. This Waldorf School is committed to providing its integrated curriculum to a socio-economically diverse population. Parents of all backgrounds make sacrifices to send their children to this school.

The school's mission is to educate by “honoring childhood, appreciating the individuality of each student and nurturing a sense of moral and ethical responsibility while building capacities for learning and encouraging clear and creative thinking.”

Camellia Waldorf School is more than a school. It is an educational community of committed staff, faculty and parents that strives to achieve and live a shared mission.

On Dec. 12, the school will host its 21st Annual Winter Faire, open to the public. This event offers a variety of activities for children such as puppet shows, storytelling, craft activities, and a store just for children to select gifts for family and friends.

Over 40 local artisans and craft vendors will be selling handcrafted items and unique gifts for holiday shopping.

This year the Faire will offer free demonstrations on beekeeping, hand-blown glass ornaments, and blacksmithing.

Festive and culturally diverse music and dance performances will also be free and include Kalpulli Xihuacoatl - Danza Azteka, the Southern Brothers Drum Group, Val Shadowhawk, the Nada Brahma Music Ensemble, Agua de Beber Capoeira, The Benny’s and the Ntshiab Li Nag Hmong dancers.

A “Gingerbread Creations” exhibit will feature the "work" of local architects and housing developers. The public, too, will be invited to build gingerbread structures.

The “Golden Ladle Soup Competition” will serve gourmet soups from local restaurants including Ella Dining Room and Bar and Magpie Café to be judged by local celebrities, such as Mai Pham from Lemongrass Restaurant, Sonney Chong from CAPITAL, Paulette Bruce of The Dining Divas, and Councilmembers Rob Fong and Kevin McCarty.

This event is open to the public and free. Some activities require nominal fees. Celebrate the winter season at this exciting event! CWS, 5701 Freeport Blvd., Sacramento, (916) 427-5022. See www.camelliawaldorf.org for more information.

This article was submitted by Marisa Cheung, Camellia Waldorf School Parent, and Meredith Johanson, Camellia Waldorf School Administrator.

School moving from old Marshall School to Thomas Jefferson Elementary

2009-11-05T03:04:47Z

It was confirmed last week California Montessori Project's Capitol Campus will move from the Marshall School to Thomas Jefferson Elementary School in the College Glen neighborhood.

Since August, CMP leased the Marshall School building from the Sacramento City Unified School District, which also oversees its charter. Next Thursday and Friday, the school will be closed for the move and will resume at the new campus on Nov. 16.

SCUSD superintendent Jonathan Raymond met with CMP board members, students and parents Tuesday night at the campus' new location. After stating reasons for the move, he answered questions from parents.

"The old Marshall School, although a very beautiful facility and by all appearances structurally sound, does not comply with two very important requirements," Raymond said. "No. 1, the Field Act, (which) simply relates to the ability of a building to withstand a seismic event; the other important component is this building does not meet state building codes - it is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act."

He stated that charter schools are required by Prop 39, which passed in 2005, to comply with either one of these codes, and the Marshall School does not. Raymond also took responsibility for the error, and said he looks forward to helping CMP move to the Jefferson campus, which is Field Act and ADA compliant.

"We're going to do it expeditiously, with (the) least disruption to the children and to the families of California Montessori Project, first and foremost," Raymond said to the crowd of nearly 200 gathered in the multi-purpose/lunch room.

This includes providing bus transportation to the new school site throughout the remainder of the school year. Details on the bus routes will be given in the next week, Raymond said.

Thomas Jefferson Elementary School closed at the end of the 2008-09 school year after suffering from low enrollment and loss of revenue. Although CMP Capitol Campus' enrollment is also low, in the low 200s, moving to this location is an opportunity for the school to expand and use the facility the way it should be used, Raymond said.

The school also has a new rooftop ventilation system with furnaces and thermostats added last year, said Mellissa Truitt, SCUSD Associate Superintendent of Capital Asset Management Services.

Some parents said they were still upset about leaving the downtown location so quickly in the middle of a school year. They were notified in late October about a possible move.

"The move is disappointing because we lived in the (Marshall) neighborhood," said Rachelle Barbour, parent of a first-grade student at CMP. "If it wasn't for the liability reasons [if a seismic event did occur, the district and the CMP board would be liable for any injury], it wouldn't have happened so fast."

However, Barbour said she felt "reassured" that the superintendent met with parents and will use the buses provided by the school district. She also noted that there are too few schools in the grid, and said she would like for another school to open in the downtown area.

Darrin Greer, another parent of a first-grade student, thought that the meeting was informative and answered questions.

"The superintendent was open and it helps (that) the district is committed to transportation," he said. "Moving is difficult to do in the middle of the year."

Greer said it would be interesting to see how many people will stay at CMP and how many will leave, but he expects most will stay for at least the rest of this year. He also wanted to know if any other schools in the SCUSD have ADA or Field Act compliance issues.

"This was the only one," Raymond said in an interview after the meeting. "We want to see it thrive. We want to provide whatever support we can to ensure that they do, it's important for the community."

He also said that creating downtown-area schools is a priority.

"We have people living and moving in there, and we need to provide school facilities for those children too and those families," Raymond said. "I've told the community and others in the neighborhood that's something I want to work toward."

Sacramento: A City That Works For Everyone: How Does Central Sacramento Work For Families?

2009-10-29T19:22:29Z

On Monday, October 19th, parents of the charter school California Montessori Project (CMP)-Capitol Campus where surprised to learn through a letter from CMP Director, Gary Bowman, that Mr. Raymond, the new Superintendent of the Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD), was requesting that the Capitol Campus be relocated from the Old Marshall School (2718 G Street), a facility the school had moved into only 3 months prior, because the building was now deemed unsafe. The Capitol Campus is to be relocated in the Thomas Jefferson Elementary School (in the College Glen area) far from the current location forcing hundreds of families on the roads. Moreover the campus has to leave the premises in a hurry, in the middle of the school year -the move has already been planned for November 11th- even though parents learned through a subsequent letter from Gary Bowman (dated Thursday October 22nd) that there is "no imminent danger" and even though no one has yet seen the full report on which the SCUSD based its decision. Parents were not consulted, either about the time frame or by the choice of the new location. There is a perception among the parents community that the SCUSD is forcing a hasty decision in order to facilitate some ulterior plan. Read more here

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson's slogan for Sacramento is "A City That Works For Everyone". How can the central city work for families if school are disappearing? CMP- Capitol Campus is the only Charter School offering a free-tuition Montessori education in the downtown/midtown area, attracting an extremely diverse community of families. The rightly named “Capitol Campus” has been in existence for eight years (first in the Pioneer Church on L Street, then since August 2009, in the Old Marshall School, where it was able to receive more students and extend its offering to 7th and 8th graders). Many families have made the choice to live in the downtown area because they believe in minimizing their environmental impact and improving the quality of life by living close to work and school. Last August, the Old Marshall School neighborhood community welcomed the school with open arms and big smiles, it was viewed as an important moment in the life of our city. Read more here. Parents are worried that their vision to make midtown more friendly and welcoming to families will never materialize if there are no schools to support families.

Open letter to Susan Miller, Associate Superintendent Sacramento City Unified

Dear Susan Miller,

Thank you for your message, even though it is a form letter that all parents received as a reply; and even though it came when everything had already been decided without any real input from us, the parents. This doesn't reflect a real concern for our situation! Only SCUSD Board member Jerry Houseman has shown a real interest in our problem by engaging into individual and thoughtful conversations, not only with me but with all the parents from whom he had received a letter.

We are forced to move but we still haven't seen the famous report from the architects and engineers hired by the District that claim that the Old Marshall School is not in compliance with the California Building Codes. We, as parents, are very curious to learn what the real problem with the school is: how exactly is the Old Marshall Building not in compliance? When are we going to be able to see and review the full report?

I was looking forward to meeting Superintendent Jonathan Raymond on November 3rd but now I am worried that he will give us the same kind of general, non-specific answers.

It is indeed "most unfortunate" -to quote your words- that our whole school Community has to be uprooted to the College Glen area, nice in itself but not what I signed up for when I enrolled my kids into the "CAPITOL" Campus of CMP. I will now have to spend 20 to 30 minutes on the freeway to take my kids to school every day (which is almost 2 hours in the car each day) when our commute to school is right now only 7 minutes (less than 30 minutes per day in the car).

If I had wanted to drive so far just so that my children would have a soccer field near their school or a real multi-purpose room, I could have signed up for another CMP Campus. What is now the choice of the parents who have chosen the environmentally conscious lifestyle of living, working, shopping, entertaining, and taking their kids to school in downtown Sacramento?

How is it more safe for our family to drive so long to go to school? There is more chance that my children would get injured in a car accident than there is that the Old Marshall School would ever fall on their heads!

We had a nice location at the Pioneer Church that we were outgrowing, so yes we were looking for another location in the downtown area, but we could have stayed there another year or two, till we find the perfect place... Now we have no choice but to take our kids to a distant school or leave CMP in the middle of the school year, which as you know very well is an almost impossible task, not only because the schools are full but because of the hardship it would impose on our children.

The only real support from the District that I would have been grateful for would have been if you had helped us find a location in the downtown area (even if it was only a temporary solution), by working in collaboration with the state or even commercial building owners, so that our families could have remained where we have chosen to be by enrolling our kids into the CMP Capitol Campus.

Sincerely,
Cecile Downs, a distressed and frustrated parent of two CMP students.

Parents split over possible Montessori school move

2009-10-28T04:56:49Z

A five-hour board meeting on the fate of California Montessori Project's Capitol Campus ended around 10:45 p.m. Monday night with a resolution: If an assessment says the Marshall School building in which the school resides is not compliant with state building codes, the school must move "expeditiously."

If the assessment, which has still not been made public, says the building does meet minimum state codes, the board will reconvene to decide if the school will move or not.

Nearly 100 people - parents, elementary school students and the California Montessori Project's nine board members, superintendent and a legal advisor - filled a multipurpose room at the Marshall School in Midtown to see if the school would need to move. They voiced a range of concerns, asked questions and offered suggestions to the board and its director.

The public charter grade school opened at its current location, 2700 G St., on Aug. 17, after eight years of being located in the Pioneer Congregational Church, 2700 L St.

California Montessori Project leases the Marshall School building from the Sacramento City Unified School District, which also oversees its charter.

Last week, parents received a letter from CMP superintendent Gary Bowman saying new SCUSD superintendent Jonathan Raymond had recently performed a study, deeming the building unsafe.

"I don't think (previous) staff did a thorough job, and that was something that I uncovered when I started," Raymond said to KCRA 3 last Tuesday. "(Students) were already in there, and we started to ask questions (like) 'Why were they in before we did a thorough review?'"

California public schools are required to pass strict earthquake standards designated in the 1933 Field Act, but since the Marshall School was built in 1903, it does not meet them.

"We know we don't have Field Act compliance, (because) we predated the Act by a number of years," said Bowman.

As a charter school, however, CMP only needs to meet minimum building requirements and not the Field Act. Their previous location, Pioneer Congregational Church, was not Field Act-compliant.

Bowman told those gathered Monday night that Raymond told him last week, "it's not your mistake, it's the city's mistake." He also said Raymond told him that "we will do everything we can to make it whole," and that he wants to meet again next Tuesday.

A CMP facilities team proposed Jefferson Elementary School, in the College Glen neighborhood, as the best fit for the school to lease. Several parents praised Jefferson's newer facilities, which include a larger grassy area for children to play, a more modern kitchen and a multipurpose room with a stage.

"In terms of the move itself, SCUSD is going to bring in packers, movers, they're going to go full tilt to support this move," Bowman added.

However, others felt skeptical of SCUSD's motives, shocked and betrayed at the sudden news.

"We felt that the building was safe enough," said Cécile Downs, the parent of a kindergartner and a second grader. "To my knowledge the school still has not received any written instructions to move."

Many parents voiced their concern that moving would disrupt students' education and take parent volunteer hours. Others alleged that the district wanted to rent out the Marshall School, which Bowman denied.

A number of parents demanded transportation to the new school it moves. Some said they would not be able to transport their children because it takes too long.

"This building is over a century old, and I don't believe there have been any problems related to earthquakes in this building," said Rich, a parent of a first grader who did not give his last name. "There is far more risk to our children driving on the freeway for two hours a day to get to a new location."

The Sacramento Press contacted SCUSD's public relations office manager Maria Lopez and asked if the Marshall School building violates any codes. She said the code is not the issue.

"Our superintendent said that no students should be in any structures not compliant with the Field Act," Lopez said. "There's a little bit of a grey area on whether independent charters (should) go into non-Field Act-compliant structures. Some think that they can, some think that they cannot."

High school close to moving into vacant Newton Booth School

2009-10-09T05:31:50Z

Sacramento Country Day School soon could become the only high school in the grid. School officials are close to signing a lease for the Newton Booth School, 2600 V St., according to Stephen Repsher, Country Day headmaster.

It also would mark the first time since 1976 that the Newton Booth School is being used as a school. Since closing because of earthquake concerns, it has been home to a medical insurance group and an environmental consulting group.

"It could be in the next few weeks," Repsher said. "However, we still have to go to the city's planning commission and raise $1.7 million. We've moved a long way forward, but we're probably coming up in the next two to three weeks on some sort of final determination."

As mentioned earlier in this storyline, school officials looked at more than 100 locations over the last twenty years, before locking their sights on the old Newton Booth School location. According to an article in the Octagon, the school's newspaper, fulfilling a "dual-campus vision" has been a priority since 1989, when it was brought up by then-Headmaster Dan White.

Currently, Sacramento Country Day School serves 14 grades, pre-K through high school. If the school is able to lease the site, it will move its high school students to the new location to give them more room.

A move to the Newton Booth School would increase Country Day's building size from 13,000 square feet to 50,000 square feet. Its current location, 2636 Latham Drive, holds more than 500 students.

"One major hurdle is the special use permit. Because it was used as an office, even though it was a school through 1976, it's considered a 'change of use' today," Repsher said. "Of course there are a myriad of hurdles you need to go through to be ADA compliant, there are fire department requirements, there are additional city requests for repairing sidewalks -- none of those are necessarily insurmountable."

A second major hurdle is raising $1.7 million, he said. "Funding will really depend upon the ability of our community to support this cause. We have a community that is very supportive of education, but this economy is a real challenge for folks. We usually don't get support from other entities, it's usually the parents."

Fortunately for the school, there is no lack of community support.

"It will improve the quality of life in that area of the neighborhood because of (the school's) commitment to working with the neighbors," said Richard (Bud) Halliday, president of the Newton Booth Neighborhood Association. "My understanding is that when they have events, neighbors are invited to participate and there is no cost involved. It will bring a sense of togetherness (and) add some class to that area of the neighborhood."

In an interview with The Sacramento Press nearly six months ago, Halliday said that there was no opposition to Country Day moving in. He said Thursday morning that he still has heard "nothing" from opponents of the move.

"Everything is very positive," he said. "It's a win win situation really."

The school will not increase traffic, Halliday said, citing the last two tenants as an example. "Basically, the traffic pattern is people come off Highway 50 at 26th Street and go into the parking lot. They (also should) encourage people to take light rail, and there are two light rail stations convenient to the school."

An ideal move-in date would be the beginning of the next school year, late August, 2010. But that's an ideal date, Repsher said. "There are hurdles. It's hard to imagine how many there are, a tall order. It's a twenty-year dream that the school has had."

Mayor Kevin Johnson announces travel plans

2009-09-09T22:25:38Z

Mayor Kevin Johnson announced he would be travelling everywhere from Sacramento Elementary Schools to New York City in a press conference Tuesday. Johnson made it clear that education is on his long term agenda.

Johnson visited Oak Ridge and Sequoia elementary schools for their first day of school Tuesday to participate in back-to-school rallies. He also announced his desire to take a more active role in schools, perhaps even creating an "education liaison" position.

The position would help work on five issues of reform for city's schools announced in his recent White Paper Document: improving school accountability, increasing school choices, supporting educators, engaging and empowering parents and leveraging external resources.

He also announced his travel plans for the next week.

Johnson will be traveling to New York on Thursday to meet with Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He will meet with 15 other mayors from around the country and speak about a national service day on Sept. 11. It will be the first national service day around the country in memory of the Sept. 11 attacks.

Sacramento will be holding its own Sept. 11th Day of Service and Remembrance ceremony at noon in Northgate Park, located at 2825 Mendell Way.

Next Monday, Sept. 15, Johnson will be traveling to San Diego to spend time with Mayor Jerry Sanders and tour the Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego's shopping, entertainment, dining and business district. He wants to look at some of the successes of the district to find out what he can bring back when looking at developing Sacramento's J, K and L street corridors.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan hosts town hall forum

2009-09-04T03:20:16Z

Upon Mayor Kevin Johnson's invitation, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan came to Sacramento Thursday to discuss his views on charter schools and education reform. He also met with Sacramento legislators, students and teachers, before answering questions in a town hall forum.

A little after 5 p.m., Johnson introduced Duncan to a public audience who gathered inside Sacramento's Central Library. In a five-minute speech, he outlined Duncan's resume as a Harvard graduate and superintendent of Chicago's Public Schools.

"I'm more excited about the state and the potential of what we can do in this country with the leadership of President Obama and U.S. Secretary Arne Duncan," Johnson said. "They are talking about some bold reform ideas that I think we all know make good sense."

Duncan took the microphone to a round of applause and gave a 10-minute speech. He also posed questions such as, "How do we as a country get dramatically better (in education)?" and, "How do we educate our way to a better economy?"

"California is a big deal, hold(ing) one eighth of the United States' students," Duncan said, adding, "How California goes, the country goes."

"We want to invest north of $10 billion. We've never had this kind of discretionary money to invest in states, districts and nonprofits to help close the achievement gap. It's a time of tremendous opportunity," he explained.

Then he opened up the floor for 30 minutes of questions.

When asked about his opinion on charter schools, Duncan said, "I'm not a fan of charter schools. I'm a fan of good charter schools."

"What we need in our country is more good schools, and a number of things have to happen; charters are a piece of the solution - never the solution," he added.

Another community member asked what Duncan thought about promoting arts in schools.

"It's always the arts that get cut when money gets tight, (but) it's often band, choir, musicals, being on a sports team, being on a debate team that keep children in school," he said. "We cannot afford to narrow the curriculum, and (teaching the arts) is one the best underutilized strategies for keeping children in school."

Duncan also addressed a question on how to engage parents to be a part of the learning process. "Parents are always going to be kids' first teachers, and they're always going to be their most important teachers," he said. "When parent's aren't engaged or they're fighting the teachers, they're part of the problem."

"We need to do as much as we can to challenge parents to meet us more than halfway," he added.

The Wall Youth Center Opens Doors at Ribbon Cutting in New Location

2009-08-04T16:44:34Z

Reborn from the defunct North Area Teen Center, the after-school youth center serving young people across the area is now known as The Wall. With a new location at 5933 Sutter Ave. just off Fair Oaks Blvd, services will be expanding to include cooking classes, financial and insurance management, music and art programs.

The celebration and Grand Opening Saturday August 1, 2009 brought supporters and friends to share the excitement at the new after-school youth service center. As parent’s thoughts turn to ‘back to school’ The Wall will be there to provide a safe, supervised place for kids in the ‘latch key’ hours between school’s end and parents coming home from work.

NASCAR Star of Tomorrow Jonathon Mawhinney, racing this season at Roseville’s All American Raceway, is a peer role model and inspiration for the “Pennies From Heaven” coin fundraising drive.

Got Pennies?
Come visit the center, talk with parents and kids or just come by to donate to The Wall’s “Pennies from Heaven” fundraiser. Drop off your jar of coins, dish of coppers or clean out the car seats and the couch to donate those pennies to the youth center, a half block east of Fair Oaks and Sutter. The Wall is challenging the kids and the community to donate enough change to stack pennies a hundred miles high! A virtual goal celebrating Carmichael’s 100th Anniversary this Fall.

Learn more about donating your pennies, The Wall Youth Foundation and its programs by visiting, www.thewallcarmichael.com, or call 916-482-2088.

Local groups and businesses can sponsor a Penny Stacking Team to see who sets the World Record for stacking penny coins as part of the festivities for Carmichael’s 100th Founder’s Day Anniversary celebration in September. Call Executive Director Jim Vargas at 916-335-0804.

Car Wash

2009-06-27T22:06:00Z

There is a Car Wash for the Woodcreek High School Marching Band and Color Guard! (In Roseville)

Price: Donation (Normally $5-$10) But it is up to you!

Location: Raley's Parking lot (Woodcreek Oaks BLVD and Pleasant Grove BLVD)

NO CAR WASH WEEKEND OF 4TH OF JULY

Day/Time: Every Saturday from 10:30a-2:00p

Date: June 13, 2009 - August 7, 2009

ALL PROCEEDS: Go towards the Woodcreek High School Marching Band and Guard!

SCUSD Board of Education approves drastic reduction of summer school

2009-06-12T15:09:40Z

The SCUSD Board of Education voted 5 – 1, with 1 abstention, to drastically reduce summer school programs for the next two years - effective immediately. The decision eliminates all programs for elementary and middle school students, and reduces summer school for high school students. In addition, special education programs will be reduced and adult school programs will either be reduced or converted to a fee based system. The decision will also impact almost 300 district employees, some of whom planned to report to work as early as today.

In her opening statements, Interim Superintendent Susan Miller stressed that the budget for this and next fiscal year was balanced as of May 14th, but then “the bottom fell out” and the district was forced to use stimulus funds. She added that they were leaving “no stone unturned” but that after years of “cutting to the core of instruction” vital services including employee contracts, support staff and transportation were being considered for cuts.

Ellyne Bell (Area 1), the only member to vote against the decision, asked what resources the district would provide to schools who will now be charged with the difficult task of bringing students up to grade level without summer school programs. Miller had no clear solutions to offer and stated only that it would be “reasonable to expect that (schools) will have to lead the charge to work (extra instruction) into the school year” and that the district would make “assisting them a high priority.”

Bell expressed deep reservations regarding the suggestion and reminded the board that they “made a commitment to keep cuts as far away from kids as possible.”

Board Member Diana Rodriguez (Area 5) raised questions regarding alternative options, such as charging a small fee for summer school. While SCUSD counsel suggested this might violate the K-12 constitution for California, district staff admitted the matter had not been researched. No other alternative options were presented to the board. The proposal also contained no information on the long-term impact of eliminating summer school programs for below grade level students.

With most summer schools slated to begin on June 22 and some beginning as early as today, the board had little time to consider researching other options.

Nine members of the community spoke publicly against further reduction of summer school programs, urging the board to “just say no, for a change” and expressing frustrations about the lateness of the proposal.

Supt. Miller addressed the crowd directly, urging them to understand that there were no ulterior motives behind the lateness of the special meeting. Current budget conditions left the district with no choice but to take immediate action.

Donald Terry (Area 3) also spoke frankly to the audience. He applauded his colleagues for making tough decisions in a difficult budget year and encouraged attendees to “pick up a newspaper and look at what other districts are doing.”

Jerry Houseman (Area 2) was the last to address the crowd. He admitted making the suggestion to Supt. Miller after he discovered that the Los Angeles Unified School District, which “represents ¼ of the students in the state,” was forced to cut summer school. “We need to join them,” he added. Houseman also stressed the importance or renegotiating union contracts and pointed out that salaries comprised 88% of the existing budget.

Roy Grimes (Area 6), Patrick Kennedy (Area 7), Houseman and Terry voted for the reductions. Gustavo Arroyo (Area 4) abstained from voting and Bell was the only “no” vote.

Program Reductions Defined (taken from the SCUSD proposal)

Eliminate Summer School Programs

Elementary and Middle Schools (for 2 years)
Adult Education (ESL, GEB, ABE, Distance Learning, Older Adults)

Convert Adult Education CTE Classes to Fee Based

Shift Cost of PACE/HISP/IB to Site & Grant Funds

Maintain Special Populations Programs to Close the Achievement Gap

Culturally & Linguistically Reponsive Pedagogy Programs
Hmong, Mien, Lao Program
Refugee Student Assistance Program
CSUS Math/ELA Academy

Maintain High School Programs with Modifications

Eliminate On-line Credit Recovery
Concurrent Enrollment with Adult Ed.

Our aquatic environment and you.

2009-06-02T17:00:52Z

Here in Sacramento, we are fortunate enough to have access to many, many parks, lakes and rivers. We are minutes from the Sierras and a couple of hours from the Pacific Ocean. Living and playing in this area affords us the unique opportunity to discover and play locally in our aquatic environment. To date, there are more than 17 Parks and Recreation centers that have a pool for our neighborhoods. Activities that are often overlooked in these environments are snorkeling and scuba diving.

For me, scuba diving and snorkeling uniquely offers the ability to transform a person in four ways: immersion, active participation, environmental relationships and emotional well-being.

Immersion is a three-dimensional realm. The three dimensions are the physical dimension, sensory dimension and experience dimension. These three combined make a total experience for the snorkeler, skin diver or scuba diver.

Active participation provides a range of experiences from relaxing to high adventure. If you are looking to relax, a dive in Lake Tahoe, a local quarry or a Mexican Cenote could be more to your liking. If you are looking for high adventure, then the real possibility of meeting a shark outside of San Pedro in Los Angeles could be in your future.

Environmental relationships go hand in hand with scuba diving. You can help clean rivers or protect coral. Fish counting offers interaction with other people and life forms such as fishes, turtles, dolphins or mantas. Discovering how we can help keep our environment clean may be in your plans for your next vacation, or you can check on the website of Project Aware (http://www.projectaware.org) for a local cleanup. Think about helping locally in our rivers before, during and after the holidays.

Emotional well-being/self-esteem. Diving and snorkeling can enrich a person’s sense of purpose and self. Again, doing something to help the environment or volunteering to assist a class of disabled students could be something that helps. There are also the physical aspects of just getting out and moving. It’s nice to see the Discovery Channel, but actually taking a picture while snorkeling can be something you cherish and show to your peers.

Our 17 parks and recreation departments help prepare us for swimming, snorkeling, life guarding and boating safety. There are many other dive shops, private pools and professionals in the area who are there to demonstrate how much fun snorkeling and diving can be. We live in an area that is full of adventure begging for active participation. Helping keep our environment safe builds up our sense of self and is a great cause. Take a look and deciding to stop by and discover diving or snorkeling can lead to an exciting vacation, “staycation” or simply enriching oneself at a local resort. You are never too old to learn or too young to experience our aquatic environment. Ask your local shop professional or myself if you need assistance with getting started. Check your localparks and recreation department for classes starting in your neighborhood.

Here are the parks departments links:
http://www.msa2.saccounty.net/parks/Pages/OtherParkDistricts.aspx

CSU Sacramento’s Upcoming Facility Promotes Wellness

2009-05-23T02:21:08Z

Come Fall 2010, Sacramento State University’s student, staff, faculty and alumni will enjoy a wealth of recreational activities and health services from one facility: The Well.

The Well, originally called Recreation and Wellness Center, will combine a multitude of departments in Sacramento State to deliver a healthy lifestyle to those in the campus.
The Well will join the University Union, the Riverfront Center and the Hornet Bookstore as the main facilities at Sacramento State that give the students of the support they need.

The Well is Environmentally Friendly

Norma Sanchez, the Public Information and Leisure Service Manager at the University Union says The Well “will be a state of the art building with top of the line equipment. It’s collaborative effort with many different departments here at Sac State such as the Union, Peak Adventures, etc. The Well will offer a little of everything for everyone.”

The Well will be a 150,000 sq. ft. building and is expected to received LEED silver certification from the United States Green Building Council. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and measures how environmentally friendly a building is in energy and water efficiency, carbon dioxide emissions reduction, indoor environmental quality among others. A silver certification is a high mark.

What will be Available in the Well?
The Well will include the following health centers and services:
• Primary & Urgent Care Clinics
• Preventative Health Services
• Retail Optometry
• Pharmacy
• Nutrition Center
• Laboratory Services
• Imaging Services
• FitHELP
• Psychological Services

The Well will also include the following recreational resources:
• Retail, Cafe, Therapeutic massage
• Peak Adventures (outdoor recreation & bike shop)
• Cardio/weight space--13,860 sq ft
• 3 fitness studios
• Indoor running track
• Multi activities court
• 4 basketball court complex
• Rock climbing wall--39’6” x 56’
• Bouldering wall--13’ x 15’
• 4 racquetball courts

Reactions from Students
Ashley Tapia, a senior at Sacramento State majoring in Communications, is particularly ecstatic seeing The Well develop.

“Starting here in 2004 as a freshman and promoting the Wellness Center to be built and now seeing it happen makes me happy to know that a multipurpose building will be built. This helps make Sac State become that much more unified and offer more recreational options to our growing campus,” Tapia said.

Although Tapia will be graduating before the opening of The Well, she would still be able to use the facility as an alumna.

Curtis Fugate, a junior majoring in Mathematics, will still be enrolled when The Well opens. He said, “When the new Well opens, I’ll be looking forward to the 24 hour gym.”

Where to Look for More Information
There are two ways to catch a glimpse of what The Well will offer. Visit The Well’s main website. The site also includes a live webcast of the construction site of The Well to check on the progress of its construction.

There is also the preview room located in the University Union. The preview room will have available exercise machines and furniture that people can expect to see in The Well when it opens. Both the website and preview room will have diagrams, maps and three dimensional images of what the Well will look like.

Wild Turkey in Newton Booth

2009-03-12T16:42:09Z

On Wednesday a wild turkey was spotted in the Newton Booth neighborhood...and not the sort you find at the Round Corner, but the feathered kind, at the corner of 27th and V in the field across from the old Newton Booth school. According to neighborhood resident Morris Lum:

"a turkey was spotted at the vacant lot at 27th Vst
it flew up the tree
and walked across the freeway ramp and back
he's peck'n around the grass
watch out for the big claws

wed 6pm

I put out a plate of mashed potaoes and cranberries
for it to eat . . . : )"

Wildlife isn't unknown in Midtown, mostly creatures like opossums, skunks, and the occasional raccoon. A wild turkey is something kind of unusual around here, and maybe a bit special. Ben Franklin once argued the idea that the wild turkey would make a better national bird for the United States than the bald eagle:

"I am on this account not displeased that the Figure is not known as a Bald Eagle, but looks more like a Turkey. For the Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America . . . He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on."

Photos by Morris Lum

Community members discuss budget, possible school closure

2009-01-23T07:42:50Z

About 150 worried parents crowded into the Washington Elementary School auditorium Wednesday night to voice their concerns to the school board over the possible closure of their children's school.

The meeting was held by the Sacramento City Unified School District and was open to the community to discuss options for the usage of the school, as funds dry up and the State Legislature looks to make deep cuts into schools.

Superintendent Tom Barrenston and Assistant Superintendent Nancy Purcell addressed the crowd and explained that they were there to gather input and suggestions on not only facility use, but revenue generation.

The meeting started with the grandfather of a student asking about whether or not the school's budget crisis was Gov. Schwarzenegger's fault. He also suggested that the school district could not afford to pay for so many superintendents.

"The budget crisis is due to the fact that there is more unemployment and less taxes," Barrenston said.

Many parents and one of Washington's own teachers were concerned over rumors that 18 months ago a dance company toured the school with the intention of closing down the school. This was denied by Barrenston, who explained that although a dance company did tour the site, it was only to hold an after-school and summer program, which would bring in revenue.

Matt Mitchell, president of the River Park Neighborhood Association, stood up and explained that closing down a school like Washington elementary that was built in the 1950's would destroy community. Mitchell also said he had to worry about his own neighborhood school, Caleb Greenwood, being closed down.

The responses that were given all night mostly consisted of a "Thank you" for the concern and a redirection to the district's website for a better answer. Purcell had a list of vague possible short- and long-term lease/rent opportunities, such as colleges, government agencies and private sector. A parent quickly questioned this information, wondering how the university she attended could afford to rent out space from the district when its administrators, too, announced they had a budget crisis.

Before the meeting was over, unhappy parents started to slowly leave as Purcell reminded everyone that if they didn't get to ask their question, they could fill out a suggestion card.

Parent Vanessa Bautista was not satisfied with the outcome of the meeting.

"It just seemed like the answers they gave me were very bureaucratic," Bautista said. "I just hope they don't close down the school after open enrollment ends. Then where will my daughter go?"

Bautista lives two blocks from Washington elementary. The school closing will not only affect how far she will have to travel to another school, but her 5-year-old daughter as well.

"She has already made friends here that live close by, and I would like her to build lasting friendships with [them]," Bautista said.

The school district's next meeting will be held Monday, Jan. 26 at Alice Birney Elementary, 6251 14th Street in Sacramento.

Meetings will continue until Feb. 11 and go from 6-8 p.m.

Sacramento City Schools Facing Major Budget Crisis

2009-01-13T02:02:08Z

SCUSD to Meet with Residents In Lincoln Village

Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD), which includes the schools of Abe Lincoln, AM Winn, Einstein, and Rosemont, has been facing serious budget problems this year. The district has already cut over $20 million from this year's budget and may be looking at mid-year cuts of up to $30 million more. The district is even looking at closing some school sites in an extreme effort to cut costs.

A special community meeting is being held by SCUSD officials on Tuesday, January 13th, at AM Winn Elementary School located at 3351 Explorer Drive. This meeting is being held to inform the public about options the district is considering and to seek community input. The meeting is scheduled to last from 6 pm to 8 pm. Although the district has scheduled meetings at other schools in other parts of the district, this will be the only meeting in the Lincoln Village, Countryside or Rosemont areas.

Even if you do not have children currently enrolled in SCUSD schools, this is an important meeting to attend. The quality of local schools are an important factor in the value of nearby homes and in the ability of the next generation of young people to gain the skills they will need to be productive members of our communities.

This article brought to you by the Rancho Cordova Post

How Did Sacramento High Become a Charter School?

2008-12-01T22:32:31Z

The first article in this series discussed the mixed reactions from community members regarding the decision to turn Sacramento High School into a charter school. You can read this story by clicking here or by clicking on the green storyline tab to the right.

For those of you who don't know, Sacramento High School became a charter school in 2003.

This surprised me, because I had always thought, "Once a charter, always a charter.” But, in learning more about the current Sacramento High School, there is a unique story.

The current school is a collaborative project put together by Kevin Johnson and St. Hope. Concerned with low academic performance, Johnson returned to his former Oak Park neighborhood and wanted to make a change.

The school was at risk for state takeover, or maybe even foreclosure, so the Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD) superintendent Jim Sweeney offered to transform the high school into a charter.

California's charter law allows for a school to run as a charter school and be governed by a specific contract, which is known as a "charter." This contract serves as the school's mission.

In the case of Sacramento High, this means that instead of being bound by the school district's rules, Sacramento High is operated by St. Hope.

This allowed for drastic changes to Sacramento High. For one, the school was divided into four separate entities.

To find out more about each, you can visit their Web sites:

School of the Arts
School of Business & Communications
School of Law & Public Service
School of Math Engineering & Health Sciences

Other changes included more focus on college and student achievement, tutoring, encouraging more student and parent participation, community service and an overall focus on scholastic achievement.

They also require students to wear uniforms and have more stringent rules while on campus in regard to things like wearing hats or using cell phones.

To find out more about Sac High, you can visit the school Web site here, or visit them at 2315 34th St
You can also call (916) 277-6200

Many parents, students and community members have expressed dissatisfaction about Sac High's transformation into a charter school. What are your feelings about Charter Schools in general? Do you know students who attend Sac High? Are they satisfied with the education they are receiving? Have you noticed improvements, overall, since this decision was made? Is there a better solution?

Where's My High School?

2008-10-14T02:44:50Z

Don't Take Your High School for Granted

If having an adequately equipped high school in the nearby vicinity is something that's always been available to you and your children, perhaps you should consider yourself lucky -- for students in the downtown Sacramento area, the push for a comprehensive high school continues. Community members from downtown and extending through East Sacramento, McKinley Park, Tahoe Park, College Greens, Oak Park and River Park are not taking no for an answer: their children need a school nearby, with all the music, sports, arts and other goodies that every high school student is entitled to.

A Multi-Layered Problem

The story behind the debate goes as follows: Sacramento High School, located nearest to the Oak Park neighborhood, existed as a public high school for over 150 years. In 2003, it was closed by the SCUSD Board of Education. The Board hoped to improve the school's low performance by re-opening it as a charter school associated with St. Hope Public Schools. Following this action, a lawsuit was opened by parents and teachers. The court ruled that the creation of the charter school was not in compliance with the law, and a court-ordered settlement required that the SCUSD create a new public high school by September 2008, which would encompass at least 500 students. The school would be called the Consent Decree High School.

The Board's solution to this? Community leaders and the SCUSD board recently proposed the opening of a new high school at Marian Anderson Elementary School, a 6 acre site that currently holds a preschool and an elementary school for emotionally handicapped students. Many parents and community members feel that this location and proposal is inadequate. While the former Sacramento High School could accommodate up to 2800 students and had amenities such as a gymnasium, theater, swimming pool and sports facilities, the new high school would only be able to encompass 500 students, with very few extracurricular activities -- students would have to go to Hiram Johnson for sports.

Many Parents Want a Different Solution

At this point, no comprehensive public high school has been created, or even proposed, to serve the neighborhoods of Midtown, Oak Park, East Sac, River Park, College Greens and Tahoe Park. The former Sacramento High School site now houses St. Hope's charter high school, with about 1100 students enrolled -- even though the site has space for 2800 students. Less than half of these students are former Sacramento High students. With the cry of "Where's my high school?", students, parents and teachers are insisting that a new public high school, with the same enrollment capacity and variety of amenities, be opened to replace Sacramento High School. In addition, parents are upset that although all the former amenities still exist at St. Hope, students from neighboring public schools aren't allowed to use them -- even though this school and all the amenities were paid for by taxpayer money, by families living in the surrounding areas. Even if the students were allowed to use these amenities, what parent has the time to cart his or her children around from one school to the next?

Is the Current Solution Working?How has the closing of Sacramento High School affected your children? What other options has your family explored in response? If your child has attended or does attend St. Hope, what was his or her experience like? Should the students be allowed to use the amenities at St. Hope, or is there a better option? What should parents do in the meantime, before a new high school is created? What do you think is a good compromise to this situation, if there is one?

Get Involved! Interested in signing the petition for a new comprehensive public high school? Sign the petition here: www.ipetitions.com/petition/newhighschool/ To find out more about this issue, visit the "New SCUSD High School" issue online: http://newhighschool.wordpress.com/To learn more about the current Sacramento High School, which is part of the St. Hope charters, visit their site here: http://www.sachigh.org/