Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "schools"

Making the Impossible Possible

2012-02-01T03:14:26Z

In the Mayor’s “State of the City” address he focused on two important and interconnected areas: jobs and education. The Mayor also spoke about making the impossible possible, a message that resonates with many citizens today. With unemployment at record highs (8.5% in the U.S., 11.3% in California and 11.1% in Sacramento) and prevalent low academic performance in the U.S. (compared internationally) and in California (compared to other states), the impossibility of the “American dream” is all too real for far too many people today. Still, all hope is not lost. There is a sense of urgency sweeping the nation and jobs and education are two very hot topics swirling in the media. There is a feeling that the will of the people is present; they simply need to know what to do to help usher in the change we all know is needed.

What is still lacking and hindering progress is a shared belief that education is the underlying issue of our economic woes.

In 2011, American manufacturing could not fill 600,000 skilled positions due to a lack of qualified candidates . Among a national sample of 1,123 executives, 67% experienced a moderate to severe shortage of qualified workers and 56% anticipate the shortage to increase over the next three to five years. These executives complained that the education system is not producing workers with the basic skills they need. A 2011 talent shortage survey of diverse companies across the globe cited the evermore specific skill sets employers are looking for and their frustration with finding people with both the technical competencies and business knowledge needed to be successful . Employers in the U.S. reported a 38 percentage point increase (from 14% to 52%) in difficulty filling jobs and 73% of all employers cited a lack of experience, skills or knowledge as the reason for this difficulty.

In the midst of economic crisis and record unemployment, many jobs are available. These jobs have the potential to fuel families’ personal economies which we know fuels spending, home ownership, and the like. So, what’s the disconnect?

Education is the missing connection and underlies the structural unemployment we are facing. While we have many people looking for jobs, the jobs that are open require skills our citizens don’t have. This is referred to as the middle-skill gap – skills in science, technology, math and engineering that will fuel our increasingly technological and global society are sorely lacking. It is estimated that the number of jobs for Californians with postsecondary education will grow 50% faster than jobs for high school drop outs between 2008 and 2018. By 2018, 60% of California jobs will require an education beyond high school and by 2025, there is a predicted workforce shortage of 1 million college graduates . Here in Sacramento, 57% of health care employers reported difficulty in finding registered nurses and 78% cannot fill medical imaging positions. Sacramento employers in the energy efficiency field, a booming field in the area as noted by Mayor Johnson, reported difficulty hiring workers in eight critical areas to clean energy.

There is a shortage of qualified employees, not just a lack of jobs.

Our education system is at the heart of this crisis. The U.S. ranks 15th in reading, 23rd in science, 31st in math, and 26th in overall educational quality among 65 countries . California is below average in academic performance compared to other states and schools in the Sacramento region boast similarly poor results with only half of the students being proficient in any subject . Those who make it to college are often still undereducated. Over 70% of California community college students required remediation in math and Englishiv. Similar results are seen in our state’s CSUs. With these types of results, achieving the American dream is becoming increasingly impossible – more a fantasy than a dream.

Amidst these bleak statistics, there are places to look for solutions. A recent Global Public Square special on CNN entitled “Restoring the American Dream: Fixing Education” profiled South Korea and Finland as two diverse examples of nations with very high student performance using very different approaches. South Korea relies heavily on testing and students spend an immense amount of time studying, in school and after school. Finland is a complete contrast spending less time in school with no standardized testing, but focusing instead on creativity and critical thinking. Both nations rank among the top three in reading, math and science. The special goes on to ask American industrialists what we can learn from South Korea and Finland and what is needed to transform public education in the U.S. The common message among the presenters and the common denominator between South Korea and Finland was teacher effectiveness. Among these commentators – national presidents, industry tycoons, and education reformers – there was agreement that effective teaching is a key ingredient in a strong educational system. In Finland it is more competitive to get into a teacher education program than medical school. Their teacher education system is rigorous and systematic, with layers of professional development and requirements for proof of ability to effectively shape young minds. By contrast, in the U.S. almost half of our teachers graduate in the bottom third of their college graduating class .

Two research reports were released this January on this very topic, one by the National Bureau of Economic Research and the other by The Education Trust–West (ETW). Both reports discussed the ways in which teacher effectiveness can be reasonably assessed and the impact a teacher can have on their students’ life outcomes. The economists found that students assigned to a more effective teacher were more likely to attend college, earn higher salaries, live in better neighborhoods, save more for retirement, and were less likely to become teenage parents. They also report that an increase in teacher effectiveness (replacing the bottom 5% of teachers) would add $250,000 of lifetime earnings per classroom into our economy. Researchers at The Education Trust–West found that effective teaching greatly impacts student learning, with an effective teacher adding half a year more learning in English-language arts (ELA) and four months more learning in math for their students. The ETW also reports that low-income students and students of color are systematically less likely to be taught by an effective teacher and more highly impacted by quality-blind layoffs. It is clear why we have such persistent achievement gaps.

These are not the first reports of their kind. There have been others before them discussing the importance of teacher effectiveness as well as other topics in education reform like fiscal responsibility and parent choice. Clear sets of solutions have been proposed. So, we are again left asking, what is the disconnect? Why do we not act on some of these suggestions and try something radically different?

You are the missing connection.

Your outcry is what we are missing – the voice of the people standing up and demanding a different course of action. In a democratic society, systems are transformed by the will of the people. No one can pretend to have the answer. There is no one magic bullet that will alter the course of education in this country. But we do know more of the same is not the answer. That is, after all, the definition of insanity. Democracy requires an educated citizenry. Our economy demands a quality education based in the future of science and technology we are all heading towards. Your future necessitates our children are prepared to run our nation, our state, and frankly, your affairs. Systems cannot reform themselves. You must require them to change, to become better, to meet your needs.

STAND UP for education Sacramento! With our state legislators in our backyard, what better place to begin than here. We can fix education. We can restore the American dream. Let us lead the way for the rest of the state to follow in making the impossible possible.

Sources:

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for November 2011; presented on Google.com
“Boiling point: The Skills Gap in U.S. Manufacturing” sponsored by Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute
The “2011 Talent Shortage Survey Results” sponsored by the Manpower Group, surveying nearly 40,000 employers across 39 countries and territories.
“Can California Compete?: Reducing the Skills Gap and Creating a skilled workforce through Linked Learning” sponsored by America’s Edge
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/
http://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/
A special edition of Fareed Zakaria’s GPS program, Restoring the American Dream: Fixing Education (November 6, 2011)

Disclosure: Aisha Lowe is Deputy Director of STAND UP, a local non-profit working to inform and mobilize the community for education reform, working to ensure every child in Sacramento has the opportunity to attend an excellent public school.

Education Coalition warns of Impact of further budget cuts

2011-10-19T19:48:20Z

Like schools around the state, Sacramento public schools continue to suffer from the impact of budget cuts and must get more funding to provide our students with the quality education they deserve, local Education Coalition stakeholders stressed in a news conference here today.

Speakers explained how California’s K-12 schools have been decimated by more than $18 billion in cuts in the last three years alone, and how this affects a generation of students. They discussed the new California Budget Project report ranking the state 46th in both per-pupil spending and the number of students per administrator (301), and worst in the U.S., in the number of students per teacher (20.5) and per school librarian (5,489).

The news conference was held at Washington Elementary School in Sacramento, which is struggling to maintain support services including school nurses and teachers’ aides in the face of budget cuts. Despite strong community partnerships in place, the entire staff at the school has agreed to minimize school supplies to fund basic educational programs.

“This school remains a great place for kids to learn and prepare for the future because the teachers, staff, parents and community partners work hard to provide students with the best educational experience we can. But maintaining our commitment to our students has become more and more difficult because every year we are faced with more and more budget cuts due to the state's underfunding of education,” said Principal Marilyn Garcia Collins.

Although Washington Elementary School is bolstered by a strong PTA and several community partnerships, students there are feeling the impact of budget cuts, like so many students across the state. Funding is only available for the school nurse to visit one day a week, while Collins takes on some of the work that would have been done by teachers’ aides or resource teachers. She worries that class sizes will further increase next year and that other vital staff will be cut, further impacting students.

“Our students cannot be the canary in the coal mine when it comes to the future of this state,” said Scott Smith, president of the Sacramento City Teachers Association. “Educators in Sacramento and throughout California are struggling to do more with less. Lawmakers must commit to reversing this downward spiral and find the ongoing, stable revenues needed to invest in our schools and provide our students a quality public education,” Smith said.

“As PTA members, we see firsthand the effects of budget cuts. And we are stepping up as never before to help in our children’s schools,” Lily Williams, president of the Sacramento Council of PTAS said. “We are also stepping up to make sure our elected leaders understand that we must make an investment in all our children. If we don’t, we will shortchange an entire generation and jeopardize California’s chances for a prosperous future.”

Priscilla Cox, CSBA Region 6 Director and Elk Grove Unified School District board member said, "The cuts we've been forced to make in recent years to school programs and services have been painful and devastating. It's very difficult to continue providing the high-quality education our students need today and on which our future depends. The state must stop shortchanging the future and provide sufficient revenues to support our students and ensure their success in school and in life."

"By perpetually underfunding public education, the state is putting California's future at risk,” said Jonathan P. Raymond, superintendent of the Sacramento City Unified School District. “The 6.3 million children who rely on public schools to ready them for careers and college deserve much better than this. Without strong, well-supported schools, California will not continue to shine as the Golden State."

Disclosure: Dina Martin is a communications consultant with the California Teachers Association, a member of the Education Coalition.

Education Coalition Addresses Impact of School Cuts in Sacramento on Wednesday

2011-10-18T21:53:55Z

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 18, 2011

Contact: Dina Martin, CTA
650-552-5491
415-710-6794 (cell)
dmartin@cta.org

Sacramento Teachers, Parents, School Leaders
to Highlight Continuing Impact of Budget Cuts on Education Wednesday, 10 a.m. at Washington School

SACRAMENTO – Along with the enthusiasm and promise of a new school year, California continues to faces serious challenges to delivering a quality public education after year upon year of budget cuts to our schools – and it is true for schools in Sacramento as well.

On Wednesday, Oct. 19, teachers, school and district officials and parents from the Sacramento area will call attention to the impact of these cuts and the need to prevent the further erosion of funding to education.

Educators will explain how schools have been decimated by more than $18 billion in cuts in the last three years alone, and how this affects a generation of students.

WHAT: California Education Coalition news conference calling attention to the ongoing impact of budget cuts on our schools. Tour of a classroom will follow.

WHEN: Wednesday, Oct. 19 at 10 a.m.

WHERE: Washington School, 520 18th St., Sacramento, CA 95811.

SPEAKERS: Marilyn Garcia Collins, principal, Washington Elementary School;
Jonathan P. Raymond, superintendent, Sacramento City Unified School District;
Scott Smith, president of the Sacramento City Teachers Association;
Lily Williams, 2011-12 president, Sacramento Council of PTAs;
Priscilla Cox, CSBA Region 6 Director and Elk Grove USD board member.

Disclosure: The Education Coalition represents more than 2.5 million parents, teachers, school board members, school employees and administrators. Dina Martin is employed by the California Teachers Association.

University of Phoenix Supports Childhood Literacy with $5,000 Donation to Sacramento Boys & Girls Club

2011-07-13T23:49:53Z

University of Phoenix, the nation’s largest private university, announced that it has donated $100,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs across the country. Twenty local Boys & Girls Clubs have been recognized with a $5,000 grant to support projects that make a meaningful contribution to literacy. Sacramento Boys & Girls Club received $5,000.

According to research from the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2003, 22 percent of Americans aged 16 and older ranked as having below basic literacy, meaning they possessed the most simple literacy skills. Thirteen percent were categorized as above proficient, meaning they had the skills to perform complex and challenging literacy activities. The funds from University of Phoenix are aimed to help the next generation achieve higher literacy proficiency.

“Childhood literacy is an important step on the road to a life of education and achievement,” said University of Phoenix Sacramento Valley Campus Director, Scott Lewis. “We’re thrilled to support the Boys & Girls Club with their efforts to increase literacy in Sacramento’s children.”

“University of Phoenix has been an important partner of the Boys & Girls Club for years,” said Maureen Price, CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Sacramento. "We’re excited that they share our passion for expanding childhood literacy and we look forward to seeing the results this donation will have for our children.”

The grant in Sacramento was used in two parts. The first portion of the grant was used to buy school supplies for the Club’s literacy day. At this event, 30 volunteers from the University of Phoenix Sacramento Campus led kids through a variety of reading and language arts activities. The remainder of the grant went toward updating the Club’s reading rooms with wall art and rugs in order to create a more inviting environment for the children to read in.

This effort is a continuation of University of Phoenix’s ongoing commitment to the Boys & Girls Clubs. Since September 2010, University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix Foundation, together, have donated more than $700,000 and awarded 22 full-tuition scholarships to Boys & Girls Clubs, in addition to the $100,000 designated for this literacy initiative.

Disclosure: Justin Dyke is a public relations professional working for University of Phoenix.

Big names draw a large crowd at education forum

2011-05-21T05:40:24Z

The Guild Theater in Oak Park was host to a forum attended by some of the biggest and most controversial names in education reform Friday evening.

The event was organized by Stand Up Sacramento, a non-profit group chaired by Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, and featured speakers such as Michelle Rhee, former chancellor of public schools in Washington, DC, her boss in that position, former Washington DC mayor Adrian Fenty, and Richard Whitmire, former editorial writer at USA Today and author of “The Bee Eater,” a book which chronicles Rhee’s time as chancellor.

The speakers focused on the need to change teacher retention polices nationwide, and in particular the abolishment of the “LIFO,” or last-in-first-out practice of layoffs that most public school districts currently follow.

One after another, the speakers emphasized to the standing room only crowd that this policy does not encourage teacher retention based on student achievement, but rather it protects ineffective teachers with seniority from consequences and termination.

A brief video which preceded the speakers laid the tone for the discussion with its three main points.

Research shows that when teachers are laid off by seniority, some of the best teachers in the district are let go.

Because junior teachers are paid the least, more teachers have to be laid off to close budget deficits.

Low performing schools get hit the hardest, because typically they have the most junior teachers.

Dr. Kadhir Raja, a teacher at Grant High School, told the crowd that last year he was given a pick slip because he had only four years of experience. He recalled the success he was having with algebra students, and said that if replaced with an inefficient teacher with seniority, that would be tantamount to a crime.

“The greatest tragedy is when a great teacher who’s getting results is replaced by a bad teacher, a bad teacher who may be killing kids. Hiring and firing based on seniority is a crime. It’s homicide,” Raja said.

Mayor Johnson asked attendees to get evolved with Students First, a group founded by Rhee that seeks to change education policy by “protecting exceptional teachers, empowering parents with real information and quality school options, and insisting on effective governance in public school systems," according to the Stand Up website.

“There are many states that are farther along (with education reform) than we are. I’m not satisfied with that,” Johnson told the audience. “You guys know I’m competitive. We want to make Sacramento ground zero to real education reform.”

When stating her desires to change the system, Rhee pulled few punches.

“We need to recognize, value and reward the best teachers,“ she said. “We should do everything to keep them in the classroom. If you are not effective, we need to either quickly get you there, or you need to leave the profession. I have not met a parent who disagrees with that notion.”

She added, “I don’t think that teachers are the problem. I actually think that teachers are the solution to the problems that we have. Teachers are the most important factor that we can influence that determines whether or not children are successful.”

Former DC Mayor Fenty wasn’t shy in admitting that this method of education reform can be divisive. He repeatedly eluded that his efforts in DC with Rhee probably partially cost him his re-election.

“I swear the first thing Michelle said (when we first met) was ‘Mayor, you don’t want to hire me. I’m the type of person who causes politicians headaches,’” he said.

“I told her that as long as every decision you make is in the best interest of the kids in this city, I’m going to support you 100 percent.”

Nonetheless, Fenty expressed his continuing endorsement to Rhee’s style of reform and teacher evaluation. He listed statistics which he claimed proved what they had accomplished was effective, and pointed out that his successor was still using the policies his administration had put in place despite running a campaign which promised to dismantle them.

First grade teacher Chandra Irvine, who attended the forum, said afterwards that she left feeling “empowered and inspired.”

“I was laid off from Natomas via pink slip as a new teacher,” Irvine said. “There are a lot of first year, second year teachers that are being laid off due to last-in-first-out.”

“They are the innovative, dedicated, passionate teachers that are making a difference and helping our children succeed. Something is really wrong with the system and we all need to step up and do something about it or it’s never going to change and we’re going to keep failing our kids,” she added.

Even though this debate can be polarizing, Irvine stressed that it’s not a black or white issue.

“There are definitely veteran and senior teachers that are making a difference. It’s not about whether you’re teaching for one year or 20 years. It’s about ‘Are you getting producible results? Are you making a difference? Are you making children successful? Are you educating them?’ That’s the bottom line.”

For more information visit http://www.studentsfirst.org/

High school students participate in peace week

2011-03-19T02:43:43Z

Hundreds of teens from several regional high schools staged a “Peace Rally” on Friday inside the City Council Chambers to bring attention to rising gang violence and an increase in teen crime victims. Hosted by the Sacramento Youth Commission, the rally culminated a week of peace-related activities on various campuses throughout Sacramento.

Some of the schools had assemblies and some held a “Challenge Day” where students tried to make new friends between various cliques on campus, explained Lyndsy Gholson, staff assistant with the Sacramento Youth Commission.

“Students thought it was time for change … There's a lot going on in terms of gang-affiliated violence. There's youth violence. There's fighting. They thought there needs to be peace at their schools, so they established a peace week. They don't want no more of their fellow students to die,” Gholson said.

During the rally students heard from an array of supporters: Sacramento City Councilman Jay Schenirer, City Councilwoman Sandy Sheedy, Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna, the E-Legal Tag Team (spoken word duo), nuclear weapons disarmament activist Matt Taylor and peer Adrian Gutierrez.

Sheedy said she was impressed with the turnout. “You all came together for one cause. Well, I am right there with you.” She said that while she doesn't have a singing voice, like that of E-Legal, she has her own tag-team, the eight members of the city council.

She said she is sick of the violence and sick of mothers losing their children. “We don't need that in our community. We need peace. We need friendship. We need coming together.”

Echoing her support, Schenirer said while he's only been on the council for four months, Friday's event was the best thing to happen inside that room.

Taylor said he first heard about Peace Week about a month ago and he didn't know how to take it. He said he works with “some of the best peace makers” in the world: Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, doctors, children. “But when I came here today,” he said, “I am speechless. I am amazed.”

Before the rally, William Schmidt, 14, said he has seen gang fights at Luther Burbank High School, and after witnessing those he wanted to become involved in Peace Week. Schmidt said he's been made fun of because of the way he looks.

“It hurts but you have to know how to take care of it and get past it.” He said he doesn't think students visit counselors enough. “We have counselors but some people are just afraid. They find it embarrassing, so they hide. That's when stuff goes wrong,” he said.

Evelyn Ramos, Luther Burbank High School Leadership Advisor, said she is available to students who are bullied and that students tend come to approach her more than other teachers she works with. She wants other teachers to commit to stopping youth violence.

“We (as teachers) need to make it a point at the beginning and say, 'This is not OK.' ”

Ramos said cyber-bullying and phone harassment have been problems that have come to her attention. She's heard of burn pages, where students devote entire web pages that are meant to insult or hurt someone. While they get disabled fairly quickly, Ramos said, they happen.

She said the whole concept of peace works for her since there is a range of issues stemming from minor heckling to gang violence.

Schmidt added, “I know (Peace Week) is not going stop violence and fighting all together. But I know at least it will raise awareness until gradually violence will go down.”

University of Phoenix Awards Thirty Full-Tuition Scholarships

2011-02-08T00:58:28Z

Sacramento, Jan. 31, 2011 – University of Phoenix, the largest private University in North America, today announced that it has awarded 30 full-tuition scholarships to be used in pursuit of an undergraduate degree at University of Phoenix. This marks the fifth year of the University’s Paying It Forward® Scholarship program which, to date, has awarded 150 full-tuition scholarships.

“Americans are struggling to make ends meet, ending the dream of a college education for many,” said Dr. William Pepicello, University of Phoenix President. “University of Phoenix has proudly set aside millions of dollars in scholarships to help give more students access to the quality education they could not otherwise afford.”

In 2006, in celebration of its 30th anniversary, the University launched the Paying It Forward® Scholarship program where thirty University alumni identified thirty deserving individuals who could change their lives and the lives of others through a college education. The University awards select recipients a full-tuition scholarship to pursue one degree in a program of their choosing at University of Phoenix.

In Northern California, San Diego Campus alumnus Thelma Harris nominated Paying it Forward® Scholarship recipient Edward Simmons, who resides in the Sacramento suburb Natomas. Harris met Simmons online, becoming close friends as he supported her through a difficult time in her life. Sharing a common faith and commitment to helping others in their community, they soon fell in love. Now as a couple, Harris jumped at the opportunity to nominate her best friend and soul mate, who has always put the needs of others before himself.

“The education I received at University of Phoenix helped me grow personally and professionally,” said Harris. “Obtaining the bachelor’s of nursing and master’s of nursing degrees opened doors and opportunities I never knew existed. I truly believe paying forward this scholarship is the greatest gift I could ever bestow upon someone else.”

Simmons completed two years of college before joining the United States Army and serving his country. Upon return, he entered the workforce and now is a security officer, who in his free time mentors young people struggling in his community. Now with the scholarship opportunity, Simmons plans to explore a degree in Human Services and fulfill his dream of a career in social service.

“I am so grateful to Thelma and University of Phoenix for this amazing opportunity,” said Simmons. “I have wanted to return to college for years, but finances and life circumstances have stood in the way. I am truly excited to begin this journey and dedicate my career to working to support young people and our community.”

“We are thrilled to congratulate Edward on this new opportunity,” said Scott Lewis, campus director for University of Phoenix Sacramento Campus. “The Paying it Forward® Scholarship program allows deserving individuals an access to quality, higher education that may not have been available to them before.”

Scholarship recipients were nominated by alumni from University of Phoenix bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree programs and selected by the Paying It Forward® Scholarship committee consisting of representatives from University of Phoenix, including alumni.

For more information about University of Phoenix’s scholarship initiatives, please visit:
phoenix.edu/scholarships.

For more information about educational opportunities in the Sacramento area, please visit:
http://www.phoenix.edu/campus-locations/ca/sacramento-valley-campus/sacramento-valley-campus.html

About University of Phoenix
University of Phoenix is constantly innovating to help students balance education and life in a rapidly changing world. Through flexible schedules, challenging courses and interactive learning, students achieve personal and career aspirations without putting their lives on hold. University of Phoenix serves a diverse student population, offering associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs from campuses and learning centers across the U.S. as well as online throughout the world. For more information, visit www.phoenix.edu.

Disclosure: Justin Dyke is a Public Relations professional working at Randle Communications

Mayor Johnson speaks at Oak Park Neighborhood Association Meeting

2011-02-05T01:27:51Z

The Sacramento Food Bank was filled with about 50 people Thursday night as Mayor Kevin Johnson spoke at the Oak Park Neighborhood Association meeting.

Johnson spoke about the green economy, downtown development, the state of Sacramento’s schools, volunteering in the city and homelessness.

He emphasized the need for a strong and vibrant downtown and a growing green economy.

“You kill two birds with one stone,” he said. “No. 1, you improve the environment, and No. 2, you can create jobs.”

Johnson said he is a proponent for building the sports arena downtown.

“Our community deserves a world-class facility, and I’d like to see that downtown because it creates jobs, and all the other businesses benefit from 20,000 people coming to that place 50 or 100 times a year,” he said.

The city has hired a business recruiter to find businesses to fill up the empty spaces on K Street, he said. He added that the pedestrian malls around the country haven’t worked, so cars are coming back to K street in 2011.

He also brought up the problems with Sacramento’s schools, especially the reading levels.

“In terms of third graders in the city of Sacramento, only 39 percent are reading at grade level citywide,” Johnson said. “That should be alarming. That means 61 percent are not.”

He proposed a citywide initiative to get 70 percent of third graders reading at grade level. The proposal would involve a tutoring and mentoring program utilizing seniors and recent college graduates.

Johnson said the initiative could begin in March.

People are moving away from the city for their children's education to places like Roseville, El Dorado, Folsom or Elk Grove that have better schools, he said.

One community member voiced concerned about Sacramento High School.

“Is there a threat to Sac High?” she asked. “How do we fight this idea that because student population has dropped we close the school?”

Johnson explained that the school district had prevented Sacramento High from recruiting students from the Oak Park area.

“What the school district did for the last five years was they would not allow Sac High to recruit kids from the normal middle schools that would go to Sac High,” he said. “They would not even send information to the middle school families to say that this is an option that you have.”

“That just doesn’t make sense,” said Johnson.

He expressed confidence that the community would fight to keep the school open.

An Oak Park Neighborhood Association board member wondered how people in Oak Park could work with the city volunteering effort.

Johnson suggested she contact Keith Hart, chief service officer, who is coordinating the city’s volunteer effort.

He said he set a goal of 500,000 volunteering hours in 2009, and the city got 1.7 million. In 2010, his goal was 3 million, and the city got 3.1 million hours. This year, his goal remains 3 million, with the addition of raising the number of Sacramentans who volunteer from 24 to 35 percent.

The mayor’s top four issues for volunteers to get involved with are education, homelessness, environmental issues and emergency preparedness.

“What are we doing about the homeless?” one attendee asked.

Johnson responded that the city set a goal of building 3,000 permanent housing units over three years and built 1,500 of them last year.

“In the first year we’re 500 ahead of schedule,” he said.

He mentioned an effort by the faith community called Winter Sanctuary, where churches bring in up to 100 homeless, the effort has saved the city a couple hundred thousand dollars, he said.

Sacramento had the opportunity to get $1.6 million from the federal Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program but had to raise $400,000 to receive the funds.

The city raised matching funds with the help of area churches who asked their congregations to contribute at least one day’s worth of their rent.

After the mayor finished, the OPNA held an election for seven board positions. Only seven people were on the ballot. One community member, Cory Cliff, attempted to put himself on the ballot but was ineligible because he hadn’t attended three OPNA meetings in the last 12 months.

The new board members are: Bill Knowlton, Terre Johnson, Micheal Luna, Charles Mason, Rev. Ashiya Edeye, Julian Slee and Joany Titherington.

The next Oak Park Neighborhood Association meeting will be held on March 3 at the Sacramento Food Bank, 3333 Third Avenue.

Our children are just numbers to them

2011-01-25T20:10:35Z

“I don't understand why they placed him like they did, when he is clearly not what they say he is.”

At 18 months old, my child was diagnosed as autistic. Like any concerned and loving parent, I immediately began learning about his developmental delay as I gathered all the resources I could to help him. I learned of a frightening statistic; One child in every 166 births will be diagnosed with autism. He began receiving speech and occupational therapy from the Alta Regional Center.

As I watched and participated in his hours of therapy per week, I saw my non-verbal but happy child make progress very slowly. Sometimes the constant mental prodding was just too much, and he would melt down. We would stop for the day, knowing we could try again during the next appointment. No matter the stress he and I underwent, he was still happy, and I was still determined. He would get his chance to receive a proper education; I thought I had done my best by getting him the services he deserved.

At the age of 3, my toddler was set to attend diagnostic preschool in the San Juan Unified School District. I cried the tears of a reluctant yet eager mother as I placed my tyke on the bus for the first time. I saw it as a milestone, and I was relieved because I had helped prepare him for this situation. I trusted in the school and the teachers to help me help my son progress. I asked questions, gave input and collaborated with the school's staff for his Individualized Education Plan (IEP). The staff would test him, bring me the results, and we would discuss what our goals were going to be that year. Anyone with a special needs child can tell you a good amount of thought and time goes into the IEP process.

Fast forward five years. Different school district, same label and same education process. We had continued over the years to ask the questions and develop my son's IEP based on his path and progression. My son was now attending school in the Sacramento City Unified School District, and we had had nothing but good experiences with the district and his teachers. His recent IEP, however, brought something to light that none of us had ever imagined could happen.

“I don't understand why they marked him like they did,” said the school psychologist. “He tested low average, not where they put him.”

I sat across from the psychologist as she explained to me that all this time, he was in the wrong classes. I looked at her as though she had just told me she was Napoleon. Her passion shone through, and my heart sank. During my son's attendance in the San Juan school district, they had mislabeled him. He had tested in the low/average percentile, and they marked him lower with a label of “Intellectual Disability.” Before 2006, this label was known as “MR” or “Mental Retardation.”

Someone in the San Juan district had studied the test results and signed off on the wrong classification.

For the past five years, his classes have been based on this mislabeling. He learned mostly living skills and speech, while academics took somewhat of a backseat. Both of his teachers over the past few years had recognized his intelligence. It was because of this recognition that the most recent IEP had new information. They had retested him, and the scores proved him to be in need of challenges. With this news, we plotted a new course: a new school with a new class – one with the correct curriculum for his current stage of learning.

My son is behind five years in his education because someone in the San Juan school district marked him lower than his test scores. The impersonal nature of the educational system made it easy for whomever marked him, because he or she saw a number for the bottom line – not a child.

He has gone from finger-painting and preschool math to multiplication he has never seen. These jumps occurred in the span of a week. His frustration has meant increased meltdowns and desperation on our part to just help him overcome these hurdles. As a baby, I pushed him gently but firmly to endure the therapy and education placed before him. He took it on as best as he could, and even though it hurt my heart, I knew I was pushing him toward a better future. I lost a lot of sleep making sure he had all the help we could access, but I didn't mind because I knew it would pay off for him. Now, I have to do it again to catch up on everything he has lost due to the person responsible for marking him as something he was not.

I tend to wonder how many other children in this type of situation have fallen through the cracks due to ineptitude. I worry about the carelessness on the part of school officials who depend on mere numbers to place children in special programs. These children have enough challenges as it is without being cheated of a “free appropriate public education.” I know my son is not the first child this has happened to, and unless there is an outcry, he won't be the last.

Any parent with a child in school needs to learn a lesson from our family. If you suspect for even a moment that your child may have special needs, take the reins. Get all the help you can, do all the research, access all the resources. Don't trust the school to tell you what your child is without asking for explanations for every term they use.

When you get that booklet of parent rights, you get to decide what happens. Even if you are overwhelmed, you need to keep asking questions. There is no such thing as too many questions. You will know a school is not for you if your questions annoy the school staff. You need to find a school that is willing and capable of helping the special needs of your family. Find ways to access private testing. There are plenty of programs in your area that have this information. Never assume that the school district possesses the same agenda you do. Request the numbers and e-mail addresses of the staff involved with your child closely, and keep in contact with them often to see to it that your child is making the proper progress.

Take our story to heart and take part in your child's future. Our goal is to help families avoid the situation we are in at this time. The resources we have found in Sacramento and in the state of California are plentiful, even with budget cuts. If this hits as close to home as I believe it will for many of you, find out what is available in your area and contact someone today. Our situation is unfortunate, and our story is not over.

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.

Natomas school district, teachers 'hopeful'

2010-12-10T04:02:48Z

Natomas school administrators and teachers' union officials both expressed hope Thursday they can head off a state takeover of the district.

Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools David Gordon initiated the possibility of the state taking over Natomas Unified School District last week when he began the process to get the district an emergency state loan.

The two sides voiced optimism following a meeting early this week, which was the latest in a string of bargaining sessions. More negotiations are set for next week.

Talks between leaders from the district and Natomas Teachers' Association have become "very collaborative," District Superintendent Bobbie Plough said.

"We're not going to go through a state takeover," Plough said. "I'm very positive we're going to work through this with our employee associations."

Both sides have worked hard and made progress to solve an $8.9 million cash shortfall expected by the end of fiscal year 2012/2013, said Natomas Teachers' Association President Cynthia Connell, whose union represents about 440 teachers.

"The bottom line for the district is they need $9 million," Connell said. "What we want is the best deal possible for our teachers, but that actually helps to solve the district's budget woes."

The teachers' union and district officials will meet again Thursday, Dec. 16. School officials will hold another bargaining session Wednesday, Dec. 15 with negotiators from the California School Employee Association, which represents the district's 362 classified employees. Natomas Unified has 45 unrepresented staff, which includes management and others.

Natomas Unified School District falls under the supervision of the Sacramento County Office of Education. Gordon began efforts to get the district an emergency loan, as required by law, after the district projected it would run out of money this spring or summer. But that could be sooner, if the state makes budget cuts that impact the district, Gordon said.

Plough and Gordon have scheduled two community meetings on the matter at 3:30 and 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 14 at Natomas High School, 3301 Fong Ranch Road.

They will provide updates and explain the process involved in a state takeover, with help from the county's Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Tammy Sanchez and, at 6 p.m., from a representative of the state's Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team.

The district's $60 million budget this year is balanced. But the district is spending more money than it's taking in, Gordon said.

The school district initially proposed saving $8.9 million by asking all staff to agree to 7.9 percent in total cuts and the teachers' union countered with 4.86 percent. The two sides have moved closer together on numbers but didn't wish to discuss it further during ongoing negotiations.

The areas where spending would be cut has been part of the negotiations. Those could come in the form of pay cuts, health benefits, retirement plans, salary freezes, furlough days, teacher preparation time and fees for teaching oversized classes, according to both sides.

Arranging the loan can take four to six months. Gordon will need to find a local state legislator to sponsor a bill authorizing the loan, but he hasn't begun that process.

He has met with the state's Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team to discuss the terms of the loan. Those terms include the state schools superintendent assigning a trustee administrator, usually a former school district superintendent, to oversee the district until its financial problems are resolved and the loan is paid back.

"Their first priority is to try to balance the budget and then to pay back the loan," Gordon said. "That's the first priority of the district for years to come. So, often, little else is talked about."

As many as 9,810 students attend three high schools, four charter schools, a middle school, a preschool and eight elementary schools. The district has had financial problems for three to four years.

Plough was brought in as the new superintendent in July. If the state takes over, Plough would lose her job and the school board would serve only in an advisory capacity.

The administrator would work with the district to help it bring five areas of governance back up to state standards and to solve its financial problems, said Tina Jung, spokeswoman for the California Department of Education.

Teachers represent nearly half of the district’s budget. Classified employees are mostly part-time cafeteria workers, playground assistants, library technicians and instructional aides paid just above minimum wage. Their costs take up about 17 percent of the budget.

California School Employee Association Chapter No. 745 members have concerns about more cuts after being the first group to agree to concessions two years ago. They agreed to take 24 furlough days, then discovered the district paid some teachers far more for special education needs on those days, Chapter President Omega Brewer said.

At his weekly press conference Tuesday, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson encouraged the teachers' union to come to an agreement with the school district.

“I just want to say loudly and clearly, I hope to goodness the teachers' union leadership is willing to give concessions. Other districts have done it. Other collective bargaining groups have done it," he said. "If you don’t do it, and your school gets taken over by the state of California, then you lose your superintendent. You lose your school board.... All the decision-making is made at the state level, which means there really (is) no democratic process for the community in Natomas.”

It's difficult to say whether the two sides can hammer out an agreement by Christmas, Plough said.

"We're going to make it through this," she said.

Photo of Bobbie Plough provided by Natomas Unified School District. Mayor Kevin Johnson quotes provided by reporter Kathleen Haley.

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @SuzanneHurt.

Metro PAC endorses SCUSD candidates with vision for change

2010-10-13T20:04:08Z

Metro PAC, the Sacramento Metro Chamber political action committee, was joined by Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson on Oct . 13 to announce the PAC’s support for candidates in the November 2 General Election for Sacramento City Unified School District Board seats.

Metro PAC is endorsing Paige Powell (Area 1), Andie Curso (Area 2) and Shalend Singh (Area 6).

“The Sacramento Metro Chamber has long held an interest in reforming SCUSD schools,” said Metro PAC Vice Chair Frank Washington of Crossings KBTV - Comcast Channel 238. “Our local businesses need qualified, skilled employees for the many jobs available to students after graduation from high school. And we need to send more of our local students on to community colleges and universities for training in the emerging technical fields to supply innovation industries.”

In particular, Washington said school reform is critically needed in grade schools because California school test scores show only 39 percent of third-grade students are reading at grade level in SCUSD schools.

“Compare that to Roseville, where 66 percent of their third-graders are reading at or above their grade level,” he said. “We have a desperate situation here in Sacramento. The candidates who Metro PAC has endorsed—Paige Powell, Andie Curso and Shalend Singh—we believe will provide the quality guidance the SCUSD school board needs right to help our children succeed in school now and in the workplace years later.”

For more information on Metro PAC, click here.

Disclosure: Hal Silliman is the Communictions Director for Sacramento Metro Chamber.

Slow Food Sacramento Brings “Lunch Line” to Big Screen

2010-09-24T00:56:33Z

Slow Food Sacramento and Movies On a Big Screen will present the documentary film Lunch Line at the Guild Theater Sunday, September 26th at 7:00 PM. Admission is $6, and tickets are available at the door. The Guild Theater is located at 2828 35th Street, Sacramento.

Lunch Line begins by telling the story of a group of Chicago high school students who have just won a contest to cook up a healthier school lunch. The students get to travel to Washington, D.C. and prepare their winning menu for policy makers. The film goes on to document the history of America’s 64-year-old school lunch program and to examine the difficulties in making substantive changes to it.

Following the film, there will be a panel discussion featuring Julie Raymond of Sacramento Unified School District’s Healthy Foods Task Force, Bill Maynard of the Sacramento Area Community Garden Coalition, Fatima Malik of the Health Education Council, and Paul S. Towers of The California Food Project. The panel is expected to speak about local advocacy efforts for improving school lunches and child nutrition.

At 5:30 PM, before the film, a reception with appetizers will be held at Old Soul at 40 Acres Café, 3434 Broadway, Sacramento.

Annual Village Feast gathers community for local cause

2010-08-30T03:25:16Z

Fresh baguettes, roasted lamb, local wines and aioli were the ingredients for a savory Village Feast last Saturday in Central Park in downtown Davis.

Nearly 300 people assembled for the sixth annual Grand Aioli-style meal served to aid the Davis Farmers Market project, Davis Farm to School Connection — an organization aimed at bringing farm-fresh local fruits and vegetables to all 13 Davis public schools.

At noon, members of the community entered the Village Feast area with their own silverware, plates and cups, beneath the sycamore trees in Central Park. Guests enjoyed wine, olives and almonds while strolling through the feast area, socializing and taking a look at the silent auction items up for bid.

First-time Village Feast-goers Ann and Charles Filmar from Davis said they looked forward to the good food and good fundraising.

“I’m enjoying myself and looking forward to all the good food and meeting new people,” said Ann, a Davis Farmers Market board member. “I don’t recognize many people here,” said Ann, also a member of the Davis Farmers Market Board.

The meal ticket — $55 for Slow Food Yolo members and $65 for others — gave guests a full four-course meal, which began at 1 and lasted until around 3 p.m.

The sold-out event featured a traditional French-style menu with ingredients from local farmers who sell their produce at the Davis Farmers’ Market.

Catered by Buckhorn Grill, all courses were served family-style in large platters. First up was a heirloom tomato salad with basil and olive oil.

The main course, which included Yolo County wines, featured platters of green beans, beets, peppers, and eggplants served with, of course, a garlic aioli. Traditional to the Grand Aioli style, hard boiled eggs were served and baguettes were passed around the table and torn off with one’s own hands.

The pièce-de-résistance dish was a grilled and herbed leg of lamb, with sides of bean salad and potatoes. Just in case anyone had room for dessert, a summer fruit tart with fresh-brewed coffee was served.

North Davis Elementary School science teacher Kathy Forman said she attended the feast for the second time to support the Davis Farm to School program. The organization pays for field trips to farms for second graders.

“Our community definitely is an upscale community, but it’s surprising how many have never been to a farm and have no idea where their food comes from,” Forman said.

Most schools in Davis have an interactive garden for children, which Davis Farm to School helps with. Forman said it is up to each individual teacher if and when they integrate the garden into their curriculum. Forman takes her classes out once a week.

Davis Joint Unified School District board of education member Sheila Allen said the Village Feast is the major fundraiser for the non-profit Davis Farm to School organization.

“Not only is it fabulous food and a great opportunity for the community to come together, but it helps support all these programs,” Allen said.

Sacramento's Harvey Milk Day Student Essay/Art Contest

2010-04-03T15:16:23Z

Equality Action Now and Contest Sponsor, Barnes & Noble at Arden Fair is hosting an essay and art contest to commemorate California’s first Harvey Milk Day, Saturday May 22, 2010.

Harvey Milk Day was enacted and signed into law last October by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Under the measure, May 22 is officially Harvey Milk Day in California, coinciding with Milk's birthday. While it is not a state holiday, schools are encouraged to hold lessons "remembering the life of Harvey Milk, recognizing his accomplishments and familiarizing pupils with the contributions he made to this state".

Equality Action Now is a local grassroots civil rights organization and is leading the way in organizing Sacramento’s Harvey Milk Day events. Note: Equality Action Now is working on forming a curriculum for school-aged children and teens. For more information check out http://www.EqualityActionNow.

Harvey Milk Day Student Essay/Art Contest Rules:

1. The Harvey Milk Day Student Essay/Art contest is open to the following age-groups (as of May 22, 2010):
a. 6 and under (Art Contest)
b. 7 – 12 yrs old (Art Contest)
c. 13 – 14 yrs old (Essay contest)
d. 15 – 18 yrs old (Essay contest)

2. The Harvey Milk Day Student Essay/Art Contest is open to students in the Sacramento Capitol Region, which includes those who reside in El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba Counties.

3. Limit one entry per person.

4. Essay and artwork must be the original, unpublished work of the student.

5. Essays are limited to 250-300 words and written in English. Artwork is limited to 8 ½ x 11. Artwork may be in crayon, pencil, color pencil, ink, or charcoal mediums.

6. Entries will become the property of the Sponsor (Equality Action Now), so be sure to keep a copy for your records.

7. All entries must include a title page as the first page of the submitted document or artwork. This title page must contain the writer/artist name, email address, home phone or cell, address (street, city, state, zip), county of residence, school name and parents name and signature if writer/artist is under the age of 18. Be certain that no name or identifying information appears on the essay or artwork itself.

8. The contest deadline for getting in all submissions is May 10, 2010.

9. All submissions along with the title page must be submitted by Postal mail. Mail entries to: Harvey Milk Essay/Art Contest – 410 Alhambra Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95816.

10. Winners will be selected from eligible entries received. Entries that do not meet submission guidelines will be automatically disqualified. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any person it believes has intentionally violated these official rules.

11. Essays will be judged by individuals chosen by the Sponsor, whose decisions are final. In the event of a tie, the Harvey Milk Day Organizing Committee Chairperson will cast the deciding vote.

12. All prizes will be awarded.

13. Winners will be notified by email or phone.

14. Entry and acceptance of prize constitutes permission to use each winner’s name, prizes won, hometown and likeness for advertising and promotional purposes without further notice or compensation, except where prohibited by law.

15. Winners will be publicly announced Wednesday May 19, 2010 at the Crest Theater just before the showing of “MILK”. Winners will also be invited to personally present their winning essay or artwork during the Harvey Milk Day Rally at the State Capitol Saturday, May 22, 2010. Winning essays and artwork will be published in Outword Magazine and posted on the Harvey Milk Day web site. All submitted essays and artwork may be chosen for display at the Sacramento Gay and Lesbian Center.

16. Students in families of the judges are not eligible to participate in this contest.

17. Sponsor is not responsible for any typographical or other error in the printing of the offer, administration of the contest or in the announcement of the prizes.

18. Entries must meet all contest requirements. Consideration will be given to presentation, content, structure, grammar, spelling, clarity and originality of response.

19. Prizes: There will be one package of prizes for each age group awarded. (Note: Additional prizes may be awarded as new sponsors sign on.)

a. Age 6 and under: Prize package from Barnes & Noble Booksellers at Arden Fair - Illustrated book The Harvey Milk Story by Kari Krakow - Free tickets to all Harvey Milk Day events.
b. Age 7-12: Prize package from Barnes & Noble Booksellers at Arden Fair - Illustrated book The Harvey Milk Story by Kari Krakow - Free tickets to all Harvey Milk Day events.
c. Age 13-14: Prize package from Barnes & Noble Booksellers at Arden Fair - Book The Mayor of Castro Street: the Life and Times of Harvey Milk by Randy Shilts - Free tickets to all Harvey Milk Day events.
d. Age 15-18: Prize package from Barnes & Noble Booksellers at Arden Fair - Book The Mayor of Castro Street: the Life and Times of Harvey Milk by Randy Shilts - Free tickets to all Harvey Milk Day events.

20. By entering, entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decision of the judges and the Sponsor, which will be binding and final in all respects.

Essay statement: Many people consider Harvey Milk a hero. People consider him a hero for several reasons, but not for as much as who he was but what he did for so many people he helped during the time he was alive. After learning about Harvey Milk…

If Harvey Milk was alive today, whom would he be helping, what would he be doing and why would he have chosen this person or persons to help? Artwork should also reflect on this question.

California Masons Team up with Sacramento Catholic School

2010-02-04T20:49:37Z

The Freemasons of Eureka Lodge No 16 of Auburn attended St Philomene Catholic School in Sacramento on Parents Day and provided FREE Kids ID thumbprinting and photo identification for all the children. The lodge also donated free stuffed animal toys for the appreciative students, while parents received an identification sheet that includes space to record child's height, weight, eye, hair color and space for a DNA sample. This sheet will be extremely valuable to authorities if a child ever becomes missing or abducted.

The California Mason's Kids ID Program gives parents the peace of mind that they are prepared for the unthinkable. Each year approximately 725,000 children are reported missing in the United States. Since the Masons started this program, more than 800,000 California children have received this important documentation. Freemasons provide this free service in communities throughout the state.

St. Philomene School serves students from pre-Kindergarten to 8th Grade and boasts a qualified faculty located in Sacramento that is dedicated to develop students spiritually, academically, morally, physically, and emotionally. The vision is for every graduating student to continue to be successful in area high schools and a credit to their community.

Masonry is the world's first and largest fraternal organization. They lead by example, give back to our communities, and support numerous Masonic philanthropies, investing in children, our neighborhoods, and our future. The Masons in Auburn have been serving the community since 1851.

To find how you can have free Kids ID Program at your events, contact Bill Butrica @ (916)204-2928, or more information about Freemasonry can be found on website www.freemason.org.

Grandmother fights for students' safety

2009-11-14T01:12:45Z

Located between a low-income housing project and an old industrial zone south of Broadway, Jedediah Smith Elementary and Arthur A. Benjamin Health Professions High School, both on McClatchy Way, attract few passers-by. Before and after school, however, a swarm of students descend upon the street, which badly strains the neighborhood's infrastructure and places the children's lives at risk.

Jean Caruthers has frequently witnessed the street's poor condition. For over two years she has walked her three grandchildren to school along McClatchy Way, and has watched children jaywalk and cars drive by unsafely. "Kids walk out, looking at their shoes, and cars go by very fast," she said.

After a severe accident at the elementary school parking lot, Caruthers decided to try to force officials to make the area safer. "A kid got hit and dragged by a car in the parking lot of the elementary school," she said.

Caruthers began contacting neighborhood organizations, property management groups, the city council — anyone who would listen.

Some organizations and people ignored her, and others told her that she was "nothing but a troublemaker," she said. But she finally found success with sympathetic city officials at Council-member Robert Fong's office and with the management of the adjacent low-income housing units.

"The housing authority ripped out the cyclone fencing and installed a beautiful wrought iron fence with two openings that lead directly to new crosswalks," Caruthers said. In turn, the city added the crosswalks and other pedestrian improvements.

Caruthers said the officials recognized the problem once they visited the area before and after school time. "When safety is violated, people get hurt or killed," she said. "They could have a hell of a lawsuit."

According to Sacramento city representative Linda Tucker, the city has installed roughly $25,000 of pedestrian access improvements along Fifth Street and McClatchy Way as a result of Caruthers's advocacy.

"I'm quite pleased with what everyone has done, but they're not done yet," Caruthers said. "I know it is going to be an ongoing process."

Caruthers is most concerned about continuing problems with the elementary school parking lot. "The school has added crossing guards, but it's not enough. It's still an issue," she said. According to Caruthers, the underlying problem with the school's parking lot involves its poor design. "The school was built in 1953, and its time for it to be updated," she said.

Another lingering issue concerns the lack of sufficient sidewalk along Fifth Street, which intersects McClatchy Way and is often used by students walking to and from Broadway. When it rains the students are forced to walk in the mud. "It's a heck of a mess," Caruthers said.

Despite this, Caruthers remains optimistic and thankful for all that has been done to improve McClatchy Way. "It's much safer for everyone - not just the kids," she said.

Photo credit: anthonybento.com

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."

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.

What's happening at the Capitol: June 22, 23

2009-06-22T01:16:45Z

Monday, June 22

11:30 a.m.- 2 p.m. 100 people from Californians for Disability Rights will rally on the north steps of the Capitol for health issues in the budget.

Tuesday, June 23

10 a.m.- 1 p.m. 500 children and their parents will convene at the west steps of the Capitol for the California Children's Rally, a celebratory, kid-friendly rally.

Here is the group's schedule of events:

10 a.m.: Kids ring school bell and get things started at the Annual California Children’s Rally Kazoo Parade
“Students First: Children Speak About the Mission of Public Education,” a dialogue to define the mission of public education in California
10:30 a.m.: Informational hearing on SB604 [which elicits public input to determine the core values and mission of public education in California] in room 4202 with State Senator Gloria Romero
Parents for Public Schools (San Francisco), Parents Revolution/Parents Union (Lost Angeles), The Lemonade Initiative (Lost Angeles), other parents TBA
Ben Austin, Lemonade Initiative; Parents
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell
Assemblywoman Julia Brownley introduces AB8, a bill to simplify the mysterious money-spewing “Dr. Seuss Rube Goldberg Machine”* that is California public school funding
- * a giant contraption to be built live on the Capitol steps by the children, with Trash for Teaching‘s Beth Elliott
Noon – 1 p.m. POTLUCK Picnic Lunch/Celebration
The Burning Moms Hammer Pants Dance
A final toast by Sandra Tsing Loh to ALL PUBLIC SCHOOL MOTHERS
The Angry Tired Teachers’ Rock ’n’ Roll Dance Finish!
1 – 4 p.m. Families may use this time to visit their legislators. No appointments are needed (you don’t even need to knock!), but a bit of preparation will help you learn about your legislators. You can expect to at least meet with their staff. Here’s a helpful link.

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.

Save our school

2009-01-18T19:42:51Z

I recieved this article by email from Martha Damjanovic:

On Wednesday January 21, 2009 there will be a meeting at the Washington Elementary School located at: 520 18th street from 6pm to 8pm

This school has been placed on a hit list to be closed.

The down/midtown neighbourhoods cannot afford for this to happen. How can we become a 24hr family city if we do not have schools for our children to attend. We need to really take stock and find out why the enrollment is down at this school and why at other schools parents are standing in 30 degree weather to get their children enrolled? This school has received several academic awards. The new principal at the school Marilyn Collins has reached out to the community for help. I fear we are dealing with a 30 year old mentality.

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