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Parents Debate the Budget!

Round 6

Introducing…budget snapshots

Sportsmanship, not brinkmanship

By George McAdow

This article was published on 09.12.02, in SN&R.

a native Sacramentan and longtime activist for social and economic justice

As someone who grew up in Sacramento in the 1950s, I remember that our passion was spending endless hours playing team sports. Like many people, I did not think about the meaning of sports or society.

By the time the 1960s rolled around, those athletes possessing a social consciousness impressed me. I remember the extended fist of Olympian John Carlos in 1968 when he supported the civil-rights movement at the time. I remember Muhammad Ali uniting with the anti-Vietnam War movement by refusing military induction while stating, “No Vietnamese ever called me nigger.” I remember the struggles of Billie Jean King in pursuit of equity in women’s sports, and the humanity and dignity of Arthur Ashe. I even remember a pre-pompous Bill Walton being arrested at an anti-war protest at the University of California at Los Angeles. I concluded that the very nature of the fair play and equality found in sporting events caused athletes to transfer those ideas to society in general.

Well, a lot has changed, including the integrity of sports. Today, we witness Michael Jordan refusing to comment on his mammoth payoffs from Nike, a company that profits from sweatshop labor in the Third World.

Today, many fans seem to relate to sporting events as if the fans themselves were participants with the responsibility of affecting outcomes of games. In 1965, I attended a basketball game in Hornet Gym at Sac State (CSUS). Fans sitting under a basket began to wave their arms to distract free-throw shooters from the visiting team. The home-team coach, old Ev Shelton, went to the microphone to announce that if home fans did not stop this behavior, he would pull his team from the floor and forfeit the game. It worked, and my faith in the fairness of society was reinforced.

Today, our society is seriously considering the pursuit of an unfair contest on the world stage: an attack upon the sovereign country of Iraq. The Gulf War may have cost 100,000 to 200,000 lives. The U.S. sanctions against Iraq since 1991 supposedly have cost the lives of 1.5 million people, a disproportionate number being children. An attack violates all rules of fairness, called international law, as well as all civility between nations. It is akin to a 250-pound, 20-year-old weight lifter getting away with invading his 80-year-old neighbor’s house and stealing from her whatever she possesses.

Let us not embark on an invasion of Iraq that will benefit only EXXON, Mobil, Texaco, Chase and Citibank. Let us return to a time when we had some modicum of social consciousness and tried to achieve fairness.

Parents Debate the Budget!

Round 5

Dear School Board members

Attached please find two charts which represent the cabinet at its previous restructuring (the start of this school year) and its proposed restructuring (presumed to be during the summer). A doubling from 6 to 12 at this high level of salary ranges has to require considerable cuts in lower positions to be cost neutral. I urge you to postpone this discussion to a regular meeting with a request for additional information.

Though I am pleased that this item is no longer being presented as a consent item like at the previous meeting, in my opinion it does not meet the standards for transparency and - ironically - for accountability. Reviewing the leadership structure of SCUSD is a significant policy item which merits regular session with its video coverage. That is the way to increase engagement with the public, not moving items to special meetings when time is not of the essence. If it is of the essence, then these job descriptions should not have been pulled from the last regular meeting.

In my training in public administration it is standard to present such new positions in the context of the entire organization chart. In addition to the positions whose funds will be cut to support this increase in high level offices, I urge you to request the entire proposed organization chart so that the big picture is clear to the public and yourselves during the discussion.

The duties listed in the descriptions are indeed important. Most of the duties are included in existing job descriptions. Perhaps the current expanded level of cabinet level positions (10) represents a sufficient increase in high cost support and these duties could be included in a redistribution of duties within the cabinet's teamwork. The superintendent certainly has demonstrated a skill set well suited to both of these proposed jobs.

Finally, I notice that a portion of the proposed funding is categorical. Again additional information would be helpful. Most categoricals have a parent consultation component. What was the advice?

The sweeping of categoricals is the reason given for the decrease in so many services such as counselors, librarians, social workers and others providing direct services to students. Wouldn't these positions represent "children first" along the lines of the teachers' contribution. Categoricals also have been significantly underestimated in the budget, so putting additional demand on the limited resources seems ill advised at this time.

Thank you for your consideration,

Leo

SCUSD expanding cabinet

Leo Bennett-Cauchon

Click Here to continue reading Parents Debate the Budget!

Line by line accountability

Dear School Board members,

I am writing you again to urge a line by line review of our 2010-11 budget. For me the current discussion about accountability (officer) provides yet another reason for such a review.

Part of the claimed reason for the large number of cuts is the need to replace ARRA money. This need exists only if the 2009-10 use was for ongoing expenses. The recent news that Mariners received a $52,000 dollar contract added to the $135,000 contract to K12 Insights indicates to me that there are undoubtedly many one time uses that have been included in the shortfall projections.

In addition, the projected 34 M spending on books and supplies for 2009-10 when only 11 M was spent in 2008-09, the 23 M projected restricted ending balance for 2010-11 when only 50 K was projected in 2008-09 and the projected 1.6 M unrestricted ending balance for 2010-11 when a 2% reserve is the standard; all provide additional indications for the need of a line by line review.

As our elected accountability trustees, I urge you establish a committee which would provide the higher level of oversight these challenging times require. The dedicated staff who are not being recalled and the students they served deserve this level of commitment. I know many community members who would appreciate the opportunity to participate in a transparent and accountable review. Such a review could be crucial to the success of the parcel tax recommendation.

I would appreciate a rebuttal of my reading of the documents if you have a different interpretation.

Sincerely,

Leo Bennett-Cauchon

Parents Debate the Budget!

Parents Debate III

Parents Debate II

Parents

Debate I

Good morning all,

Please bear with me one last time concerning the budget and its priorities :)

I have attached a corrected handout. The one I gave the board had an extra item (it did not change the totals). I have also attached a bit more of a review of district powerpoints (reasoning), another format to try to explain the restricted reserve (4390) and an unrestricted major funds table. I keep hoping to find a way to shed light on less than transparent process.

The last attachment compares this year and next to 2005 in the unrestricted funds. Management chooses to not include considerable unrestricted funds in their budget proposal which makes comparisons difficult. (Other districts do not do this.) Since the 2005-06 unrestricted income is close to the 2010-11 unrestricted I found it noteworthy that the funds for staff (salaries and benefits) are about 6 M less in 2010-11.

I have dealt with five budget directors during my involvement with public education. I found one of them to truly understand their district budget. The rest prudently conserved funds by limiting expenditures, underestimating income and delivering categorical resources to sites only as they arrived. At the end of the year, when things were quieter, they cleaned up the budget by moving funds to where they belonged.

In normal times most of the budget repeats from year to year and the categorical carryover provides a comfortable reserve that carries the cash flow until the end of the year when the accounts are settled. Everyone gets what they are use to and the status quo is maintained.

During a challenge the status quo is not maintained and unnecessary or unwise cuts are made. In my experience a simplified narrative is created to justify cuts to staff since that is the area that can most put a budget at risk when it is not understood.

The current district narrative that has been presented to the board is that we need to cut 22 M based on the use of ARRA money to balance the 2009-2010 budget. This money replaced a decrease in revenue limit funds. The fact that there were increases in other state revenue and local revenue is not mentioned (about 10 M). Nor is the fact that we still have not spent down the restricted reserves (23 M) that are held in 4390 highlighted.

For me the challenge is to get the board to consider a different narrative. We could project that state and local revenue will continue average amounts and we could use our categorical reserves to replaced Tier III funds.

The 15 M they are cutting in staff is not necessary for next year. Yes we need to go over the budget line by line, consider carefully our use of consultants and other nonclassroom expenditures and identify staff savings for 2011-12. But we do not need to slow the local recovery by adding more layoffs to the challenge.

Not to mention what we are doing to morale, again, in our learning communities.

Peace,

Leo

916 307-8525

Hi all,

It is my understanding that the district has submitted interim reports indicating a qualified status (which means it will not have the required reserves projected two years out). A negative status means the reserves are not available in the current or next year.

The current adopted budget for 2010-11 has a positive certification. I would not be surprised if the county changes this to qualified due to the various unspecified cuts assumed in the last two years of the projections.

In my opinion much of this is a game played by administration and the county to keep the pressure on the bargaining units. Otherwise they would take the changes from adopted to actual budgets much more seriously. A lot of the pain is caused by manipulation by some staff and a lack of sophisticated fiscal management by other staff. Though I can't figure out who is who :(

Attached are the reserve projections from last year's and this year's budget. As I hope you can see, the amounts vary and are always above the standard. Though the million or so unrestricted dollars represented by the few percentage points above standard are not that much in a 400 million dollar budget, it is a lot to the student who lost a librarian or counselor.

I continue to look for the aspect and presentation of this complex process that might hook the wider community and the alternative media into questioning the budget assumptions (having given up on the Bee after I dropped off all the research last year and never even got an e-mail in response :(.

Could the reserves by a possibility. The restricted reserves (4390 site carryover) remain another - though more complex - possibility due to their size at more than 20 M and the possibility of being swept back to the district budget.

Thanks again for helping with the search,

L'eo

Good morning,

My thanks to everyone for their helpful comments and support in many different ways. Lori especially provided a wonderful letter which she graciously allowed me to read during public comment (perhaps, Lori, you could consider having Mariellen post it at scusdobserver). I have attached the revised handout I provided to the board and community.

The board passed the budget for 2010-2011 with minimal review. Once again a staff powerpoint, not shared until the meeting, was the main focus. The actual budget was not made available to the public at the meeting. It is posted so all it would have taken is a click or two and it could have been on the public screens and available on the Serna Center wireless (which has guest access if one earns the password :). FCMAT has a free software program which makes the SACS budget

searchable. A real review would not be all that hard.

Instead the board continues to accept last minute powerpoints to inform their decisions. I have attached an annotated summary of staff powerpoints in an effort to understand their budget process. Research indicates that complex challenges often result in erroneous oversimplification of our responses. Perhaps this is the board's collective comfort zone. Staff certainly reinforces this by stating that the state format is very difficult to understand. So are many aspects of what is taught and mastered each day in our classrooms. The board needs to find its collective learning zone.

I will be making an agenda request to the board for a discussion of the line by line review workshop and the reestablishment of the budget committee for ongoing budget monitoring.

However, given the deeply wounding nature of these cuts, I think that the community needs to create its own budget committee to start the line by line. We could do this through a combination of meetings and the Internet. Maybe even a website :). We could publicly report our findings during public comment at board meetings. Regulations require public access to the electronic version of the actual budget but I and others have not been able to achieve this goal. We are stuck with the labor intensive paper route (Thanks Karen). Perhaps someone has thoughts on how to accomplish these foundational steps.

Perhaps a starting point in a line by line could be the 1.6 M in extra unrestricted reserves the board approved last night. The state has discussed allowing reserves to drop to 1% as a response to its diminished funding. Why are we making a reserve higher than the required 2% a priority over student need?.

The purpose of reserves is to provide a safety net for a crisis. At the meeting moving stories where again shared concerning the impact of the budget cuts. A librarian and a psychologist added to what counselors and classified staff shared at the previous meeting I attended. I think we are there in terms of the crisis for our students and teachers

Take care,

L'eo

916 307-8525

SCUSD 4390 Shuffle

Parent Budget Debate L'eo Bennett-Cauchon 6-19-10

SCUSD More Budget Reasoning

Parent Budget Debate L'eo Bennett-Cauchon 6-19-10

SCUSD 10-11 Budget Handout 2[1]

Parent Budget Debate L'eo Bennett-Cauchon 6-19-10

SCUSD Unrestricted

Parent Budget Debate L'eo Bennett-Cauchon 6-19-10

Parent Budget Debate:

SCUSD reserves 6-18-10 Leo Bennett-Cauchon

SCUSD General Fund Spending Trends 12 years

SCUSD 10-11 Budget Handout 2.

SCUSD Budget Reasoning 6-17-10

Board of Education Meeting June 17, 2010

Budget Debate

Hi all,

I hope folks are able to attend the board meeting tomorrow night. Participation in the public hearing on the budget is once again needed. So perhaps you could invite your friends and others. The budget documents were posted Tuesday morning so I am sorry that there will not be an exhaustive analysis this year. This makes my wife happy :)

I have attached a two page handout which has some information and a budget format with which to dream. In my opinion the current budget proposal does not reflect reality. A 20 million dollar increase in books and supplies is once again budgeted for this year even though there is no time left to spend it and the auditor moves this into our reserves year after year (but it does make our starting balance for next year 20 million dollars lower :(

SCUSD district is also budgeting for a decrease in local revenue and in non stimulus federal revenue for next year; as well an increase to15 M in transfers out of the general fund. To me this looks like the "hide the money" approach continues.

I remember a quote from my first SSC training here in Sacramento: “Don’t tell me where your priorities are. Show me where you spend your money and I’ll tell you what they are.” (James W. Fitzpatrick of Notre Dame University at SCUSD SPSA training)

I will continue to urge the board to follow up tomorrow's budget adoption with a line by line review workshop as was done in San Diego last year. They also have Coherent Governance there so perhaps such a review could be a good next step in the Board's desire to focus on priority concerns. In the context of the much lower actual spending cuts (see attached) there are many other options besides staff cuts.

Peace,

Leo
916 307-8525

SCUSD 10-11 Budget Handout

SCUSD General Fund Spending Trends 12 years

SCUSD Summer of Service

SCUSD Summer of Service
For: Space for 500 incoming 9th Graders
Contact:
Zenae Scott, Youth Development Support Services 643-9430
youthdevelopment@sac-city.k12.ca.us

Teachers get schooled

Sacramento city superintendent gives the union a hard lesson in media management

By Cosmo Garvin
cosmog@newsreview.com
More stories by this author...

This article was published on 06.10.10.

New Superintendent Jonathan Raymond (right) was lauded by the Sacramento County grand jury. But the jury didn’t contact anyone from the SCTA for the union’s side of the story.

PHOTO BY LILLY FUENTES-JOY

Full disclosure: The author of this story is married to a Sacramento city school teacher.

Note to Sacramento labor leaders: If you want to badly lose a public-relations battle, just follow the Sacramento City Teachers Association’s example. The teachers union has been hammered by local media for refusing to give up pay and benefits in order to save teacher jobs.

Sacramento City Unified School District’s Jonathan Raymond, in his first job as school superintendent, has worked press and public opinion like a pro. He says that 250 district teachers will lose their jobs if the union doesn’t make concessions. He’s hired a new “chief communications officer” to help get his point across, to the media and to district employees. And the local press, The Sacramento Bee in particular, has helped Raymond amplify the message that any layoffs will be laid at SCTA’s feet. One Bee cartoon even portrayed a union official driving a bus over a group of young teachers. Ouch.

The SCTA’s rep was further damaged when a Sacramento County grand jury last month blasted the union and praised Raymond. “Superintendent Raymond has an excellent plan to resolve longstanding educational problems in the district and needs the support of the community to accomplish his goals,” the report reads. It goes on to say, “It is time for unions to become more of an advocate for children.”

Meanwhile, SCTA President Linda Tuttle is rarely quoted in stories, either because she couldn’t be reached or didn’t return calls. Perhaps she’d forgotten PR rule No. 1: If you want to look really bad in the press, don’t talk to the press.

She did agree to talk to SN&R however, perhaps feeling that the local alternative-weekly would be more labor-friendly. And it turns out that the SCTA actually does have an alternative plan—which the union claims will save $4.3 million and help prevent teacher layoffs.

State budget cuts, along with declining enrollment in the district, have produced a $31 million budget shortfall this year. The SCUSD board of trustees is expected to vote on its budget June 17; as things stand now, about 243 Sacramento city teachers and counselors won’t be returning next year.

The union representing classified employees—bus drivers, office staff and teacher assistants, among many others—have agreed to make concessions, including several furlough days. And Raymond says he plans to cut administrator costs by $6 million. Now, the district is asking for $3 million to $5 million worth of concessions from the teachers union.

One proposal is for three unpaid furlough days for teachers, something the SCTA is bitterly opposed to. The district also wants teachers to pay higher co-pays for doctor visits and prescription; the typical co-pay is just $5.

But the union points out that Sacramento city teachers make less money than teachers in surrounding districts. They’ve opted instead for better benefits during contract negotiations over the years.

City teachers already rank low compared to those in 20 similar-sized California districts. For teachers with 10 years on the job, Sacramento teachers ranked last in pay and benefits. Fresno, Elk Grove and Stockton teachers all did better.

SCTA President Tuttle says the district could save jobs by diverting funds used for extra-duty pay—stipends for coaching sports or managing the school yearbook—back into salaries. Teachers who perform extra duty would receive credit toward the annually required 18 hours of “professional development.”

Tuttle says the district could also save money by cutting back the number of meetings and trainings held during school hours. Teachers are required to report to weekly meetings, called “common planning time,” and the district often pays substitutes to fill in during those hours.

Linda Tuttle, president of the Sacramento City Teachers Association, has been losing the PR battle against new Superintendent Jonathan Raymond.

PHOTO BY LILLY FUENTES-JOY

“Why is it that the only option is furloughs and co-pays? We’ve got a lot of other ideas before we go there,” Tuttle said. “But there’s been no willingness even to consider any of these options.”

Instead, earlier this year, Raymond tried to get the state Public Employment Relation Board to declare an “impasse” in labor negotiations, even though the teacher’s contract technically isn’t up for renegotiation until next year. But PERB rejected the district’s request, leaving both sides stuck.

“As much as they think we’re entrenched, we think they’re entrenched,” Tuttle explained.

Still, Tuttle and Raymond were due to meet informally earlier this week. And Raymond told SN&R he’ll listen to the union’s proposals. “I think looking at the common-planning time is viable. But so are three furlough days. We can look at those things, but it’s going to take working together to find some common ground,” Raymond said.

It seems unlikely the union and district will find enough common ground to save every job, though. “Probably, some jobs will be gone,” Tuttle explained, noting that district enrollment is down to 43,000 students, from a high of 52,000 a few years ago. “Sure we could say furloughs for everyone, and try to keep the maximum number of jobs, and keep those union dues coming in. But we’ll just be back in the same place next year.”

Teachers certainly aren’t unanimous on the issues of furloughs or co-pays. One teacher, who asked her name not be used in this story, explained it this way: “I’ve heard a lot of teachers say, ‘Yeah, I’ll do furloughs if it will save young teachers’ jobs.’ But when those young teachers are old crusty teachers like me, I want them to have good pay and benefits, too.”

High-school teacher Lori Jablonski, recently elected to serve on the SCTA board of representatives, said she would be happy to donate some of her pay to help save jobs, something else that has been discussed within the union. But she said it would be a mistake to start imposing furloughs now.

“Honestly, we think it’s bad for kids. Shaving off three days this year, and maybe three days next year. It’s a race to the bottom,” said Jablonski.

Jablonski was elected to the union board as part of a slate of candidates calling themselves REAL teachers—Responsive Experienced Accountable Leadership. She said they ran partly because they felt the union was not being effective in communicating with the public. “I think we were getting frustrated with a union that was acting a little overwhelmed and reactive,” she said.

That’s in contrast to superintendent Raymond, who’s been much better at the PR game. One of the first things he did was to hire a $100,000 salary chief of staff. Then, he beefed up the district’s public-relations department and created the position of “chief communications officer,” a $114,000 a year job. (Raymond is quick to point out that those positions were funded by eliminating other high-paid positions, such as chief financial officer.)

Raymond is a former Republican congressional candidate from Massachusetts but has a fairly brief work history in public schools. From 2006 to 2008, he was “chief accountability officer” in the Charlotte Mecklenburg school district in North Carolina. But he never dealt with labor issues there. And North Carolina is a “right to work” state with a teachers association that has considerably less clout than California teacher unions.

Raymond got his training as a superintendent from the Broad Superintendents Academy, funded by The Broad Foundation, a proponent of the charter-schools movement, and that’s put some teachers on their guard.

Teachers were certainly suspicious after the release of a report by a Sacramento County grand jury, which was largely laudatory of Raymond and highly critical of the SCTA. The report, “Last Chance to Put Children First,” got a lot of play in the press. And many teachers noted the title was quite similar to Raymond’s own vision statement, “Putting Children First,” which he released last September.

School district officials said no one in the district’s central office initiated the grand-jury complaint, and that Raymond had not been in contact with the grand jury. Tuttle said the grand jury didn’t contact her or anyone else in union leadership to get their side of the story, either.

This has been par for the course for Tuttle and the SCTA, still trying to catch up in the public-relations game.

A Message from

Joe Sison

DAC Vice Chair

Dear DAC Parents. (for feedback, please respond directly to Joe Sison at: sison.joseph@gmail.com)

Thank you so much for forwarding my email to your classroom parents regarding possible recommendations for changes to the district's calendar for the next 3 years. I received over 70 responses and I forwarded everyone's comments to the Calendar Committee. Overall there was near-unanimous agreement from those who gave me feedback for a Thanksgiving Week off. The other options were overall split in half. There is a meeting scheduled with collective bargaining in the district and the issues you responded to will also be part of the discussion. Once I hear more of the results, I will email everyone.

I am also on another committee that convened today per the request of the superintendent: Fingerprinting Committee. This committee is looking at the fingerprinting process in the district. There are at least three issues related to parents and below are some comments that came up during the meeting:

Many parents feel that the cost of fingerprinting ($59.00/fingerprinting) is cost-prohibitive and may be a hurdle for some to volunteer and engage at the school-site level.

a. Consider fully subsidizing some parents. One criteria would be to make it free for parents whose children meet criteria for the "Free and Reduced Lunch Program."

b. For those parents who don't meet criteria for the "Free and Reduced Lunch Programs," but who may still be having financial hardship to afford the fingerprinting fee, they may apply for some sort of "fee waiver/scholarship." -- process will be "to be determined." Any comments regarding this "to be determined process" will be helpful.

c. Decreasing the fee from $59.00 to $47.00 for parent volunteers (which is the actual cost to the district for the FBI and DOJ checks).

2. Many parents would like to have a more convenient way to be fingerprinted. Currently, fingerprinting is only at the Serna Center and on certain hours as the machine involved is stationary.

a. Allow fingerprinting during district-wide events, such as Passport to Success, Open Enrollment events, etc.

b. Consider purchasing a "mobile unit" so the fingerprinting staff can go to individual school sites.

3. Currently there are 3 tiers of volunteers: 1st tier are for parents who volunteer off campus (i.e. baking cookies for "cookie sales," correcting papers at home, typing up reports at home, etc.); A 2nd tier exists where parents volunteer "onsite"/on campus and work with students in the classroom, "supervised" by the teacher, though are free to work individually with the students with the teacher present in the classroom. The 3rd tier are parents who are also on campus volunteers and go on field trips, etc. and who may have "alone" time with students during outings, school events, etc. This also applies to volunteers who may be providing individual or group tutoring for kids.

a. Currently only tier 3 is required fingerprinting. Tier 1 clearly does not need fingerprinting as there is no contact with students at all. Tier 3 requires fingerprinting because of the possibility that the parent volunteer may be alone with students at some point during the event involved. The "grey area" appears to be "Tier 2" where the parent volunteer has direct contact with the students while the teacher is present in the classroom. Some parents have expressed concerns that the "Tier 2" parents should also be fingerprinted.

The committee will meet again next week. I would like to get as many feedback as I can related to these issues. In particular, comment on whether you as a parent would become more active in the school-site if the fingerprinting cost was less, more convenient, etc. Also, please comment on your thoughts regarding whether Tier 2 should be fingerprint required or not.

Thanks again for your help. I will bring everyone's comments to the committee next week.

Joe Sison

DAC Vice Chair

Superintendent Jonathan P. Raymond

Invites you to attend the

Grand Opening of the Parent Resource Center

The flier is available below in Chinese, Hmong, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese

Chinese

Sacramento City Unified School District Parent Resource Center Grand Opening 中。

Hmong

Sacramento City Unified School District Parent Resource Center Grand Opening Hmong

Russian

Sacramento City Unified School District Parent Resource Center Grand Opening Русский

Spanish

Sacramento City Unified School District Parent Resource Center Grand Opening Española.

Vietnamese

Sacramento City Unified School District Parent Resource Center Grand Opening Việt Nam.

Manuel Guillot

Director, Parent & Community Engagement Office

Wanda Yañez, DAC Chair

Dear Colleague:

Please join Superintendent Jonathan Raymond for the Grand Opening of the District's Parent Resource Center (PRC) on Tuesday, May 25th. The PRC is designed to provide families with resources, and information to help support their children's education and become effective partners with our schools.

Among the services PRC provides includes meeting room facilities, computer stations, a lending library, workshops, training, and presentations on parenting, parent-child learning, and other topics, walk-in health counseling, and links to city, state and community resources. The PRC also houses the Parent-Teacher Home Visit Project.

The event will start promptly at 3:30 p.m. with a special program (press-conference) and a ribbon cutting ceremony. This will be followed by an Open House Celebration starting at 4:00 p.m. Food, soft drinks, health and education materials will be provided.

We have already informed all the schools, but it would be greatly appreciated if you can assist us in getting the word out to the families you serve. The flier is available in English, Chinese, Hmong, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese.

If you have any questions, please call Pat La Marr at 643-9260.

Thank you,

Manuel Guillot

Director, Parent & Community Engagement Office

Hello DAC Membership & interested parties:

You are invited to come to the

Parent Resource Center’s Open House on Tuesday, May 25^th from 3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. for the

Special Program and Ribbon Cutting and from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Open House Celebration.

A few workshops and services that the Parent Resource Center plans to offer are:

-Information and Referral Services

- Health Education and Assessment

- Workshop Presentations (sign language, Foster Parenting Training, Parenting Skills, Job opportunities).

- Discussion Groups and Support groups

- Story hour for children

- Literacy assistance for adults

- Volunteer opportunities

Wanda Yañez, DAC Chair

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Parent Conference - The Healthy Family

~ THE HEALTHY FAMILY ~
15 Things that Makes a Family Healthy!
Wednesday May 19, 2010
8:30am Registration/Breakfast, 9:30am-2:30pm Workshop/Lunch
Click here for more information

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Raley's Reach: Nomination Golden Empire Elem. School Students & Families

Vote for Golden Empire @ Raley's Reach: Nomination

We Want to Eat Healthy With Our Improved “Healthy Eating Garden.”

Who will Benefit?

Golden Empire Elem. School Students & Families

How will the $7,500 be used?

Golden Empire School is a large elementary school with 600 students. We currently have a small school garden, but our vision is to increase the size & scope of the garden to create a “Healthy Eating Garden.” As we are an urban school with many needs, many of our students do not have the opportunity to enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables. They do not always get the chance to make healthy eating choices. With the help of the Raley’s Reach program it is our hope to increase the size of our garden, add new planting areas & plant fruits, vegetables & fruit trees to make our Healthy Eating Garden a reality. Our school garden has become a gathering place for students & parents to foster community involvement. It is rewarding to hear students talk about healthy eating & trying a new vegetable they have never tasted before. With the ability to enlarge & develop our garden, teachers will instruct students on how a garden develops & help beautify their concrete neighborhood.

Submitted By:
ieister, Sacramento

Raley's Reach: Nomination

Other SCUSD Nominations

A mentoring education program meeting physical, mental, & emotional needs. Who will Benefit? Oak Ridge Elementary School & partner Equal Start How will the $7,500 be used? Equal Start is divided into 4 major categories. Extra Mile Run Hundreds of runners at the California International Marathon raise awareness and funding for health care by running on behalf of a child. Health care enrollment increased from 12% to 82% in the 08/09 school year. Be Change Run Club Be Change is an after-school fitness and nutrition program for Oak Ridge children. More than 60 children participated last year, with 20 elites traveling to University of Oregon and Nike on the annual “I Never” trip. Excel Literacy Programs Knowing that reading is the foundation of all academic success, EXCEL targets children who are currently below the California standard. With one-on-one mentors, the student’s STAR test scores continue to rise. UACF: Mental Health Our partnership with United Advocates for Children and Families, provides on-campus acute counseling. Our goal is to provide every child with a mental health assessment and on-going acute care. Submitted By: equalstart,	After-School Enrichment Program Who will Benefit? students at Phoebe Hearst Elementary School How will the $7,500 be used? The "media broadcast/Journalism class" is proposed as an after-school enrichment program to students at Phoebe Hearst Elem. School where students will learn the fundamental elements of journalism (who, what, where, when and why); familiarize them with various forms of broadcast equipment that will include computers, printers, video cameras, audio/video mixers as well as lighting techniques and software programs; and introduce them to typical broadcast terminology. As part of the class students will create and publish a school newspaper, broadcast videos, documentaries on school/current events and curriculum projects. The current budget cut reductions for public schools does not allow for this type of purchase. The class will begin in September 2010 and provide students an opportunity to enhance their reading, writing and oral language skills and more specifically teach students to identify, research and report facts in a variety of ways. This project will benefit the entire school. Submitted By: juliedelagua, sacramento
Bringing the Renaissance arts alive Who will Benefit? K-8 students of Leonardo da Vinci K-8 school How will the $7,500 be used? In celebration of the time of Leonardo da Vinci, the students step back into time and experience the science and art of the renaissance. Under the eyes of the queen and her court, students study: painting; the science of flight; handwriting with quill pens; using a camera obscura; as well as the historical arts of blacksmithery; weaving; pot throwing; candlemaking and sword fighting. Middle school students take on the persona of an historical figure from their studies and share their knowledge with other students. This event broadens the learning experience of students kindergarten through eighth grade taking learning outside of books and paper. Heightened understanding of the dawning of arts and science and the application to our present day encourages students to wonder what if...and dream as Leonardo did. Submitted By: dianes, sacramento	Celebrate Cultural Diversity: Using Literacy & the Arts at Family Fun Night Who will Benefit? Students and families of Mark Twain School How will the $7,500 be used? Understanding & sensitivity to the uniqueness of cultures in communities just doesn’t happen, it has to be planned. The overarching goal of this Raley’s Reach project is to develop positive beliefs & attitudes about culture & community life. This project will serve students/families of Mark Twain School. This project will use $7,500: 1) to plan & coordinate (4) Family Fun Nights highlighting 10-15 cultures through hands-on art activities, customs, stories/oral history, stage performances, make & take projects, cultural displays & live dance & music. The project will seek a diversity of local cultural groups/artists & professional talent; 2) to purchase multi-cultural books & videos for Youth & Family Resource Center w/ on-going Culture Club to create foundational learning about culture. Guest speakers will be invited; 3) A multi-cultural dinner will be held to celebrate those who embraced diversity. A Photo Voice project will be on display at dinner & will capture reflections & memorie Submitted By: Fun Cater, Sacramento
I would like to help those with disabilities. Who will Benefit? John F. Kennedy School How will the $7,500 be used? J.F.K. School is a school that is a segregated school for children w/ developmental disablities that are aggressive. I know that California's education system is facing some serious cuts and this would be a way to make up for some of those cuts. The school is getting ready to get a makeover and I know that they are hoping to get enough money for some of the different therapies they offer the children,such as sensory rooms,regional special olympics are held there, adaptive P.E. and many, many other services that theses children and young adults need to become a productive part of society and they need all the help and support they can get. Construction is supposed to start this spring/summer and hopeful only take about a year and this money would help make-up for any short falls. Submitted By: aj, Modesto	School Cuts = Less School Supplies, Fewer Assemblies & Programs, and 0 Fun! Who will Benefit? The 440 students at Pony Express Elementary School How will the $7,500 be used? PTA at Pony Express is a small but dedicated group devoted to bringing enrichment to our school at which 50% of the students live at or below the poverty line. Our goal is to help enrich the lives of our students by exposing them to events that promote cultural, environmental, and academic understanding–events ranging from bringing a dairy cow to campus, inviting a poet to come and teach kids how to create their own poetry, and bringing African musicians and dancers to perform and talk about the origins of their art. Due to the economy, our PTA fell short of our fundraising goals this year, which will severely limit the amount of assemblies we will be able to bring to our school next year. Also, with the school budget cuts ahead, PTA will surely be called upon to help with necessary school supplies and program cut assistance for the next school year. If our PTA were to receive the $7,500, we would be able to continue providing quality enrichment for our school. Dates 9/2010-6/2011 Submitted By: seid,

Editors Note: Golden Empire is my neighborhood school. I love the teachers and the Principal. Principal Irene Eister sent me the info for this article. I know you love your school... so vote, we need the money.

Sacramento superintendent to meet with Hmong, Mien, Lao families

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By Stephen Magagnini
smagagnini@sacbee.com
Published: Friday, May. 14, 2010 - 3:45 pm
Sacramento's Hmong, Mien, and Lao communities will have a chance Tuesday to talk to Sacramento City Unified School District Superintendent Jonathan Raymond.
The superintendent will discuss how the district plans to support their children's education for the next several years. Interpreters and free food will be provided.
The discussion is put on by the Hmong, Mien, and Lao Community Action Network (HMLCAN) General Meeting and will take place from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the George Sims Community Center, 6207 Logan Street, Sacramento.
For more information, email France Vu at info@hmongwomenheritage.org or call 916/394-1405.

Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/05/14/2751786/sacramento-superintendent-to-meet.html#ixzz0nwsM1w00

SCUSD Observer

Well, that’s one way to take care of staffing at the Priority Schools…

The following email went out to selected staff at SCUSD on Friday April 9, 2010:

Congratulations! On behalf of SCUSD, we are pleased to inform you that you are one of a select few outstanding teachers eligible for an exciting new district program – the Talent Transfer Initiative (TTI).
The Talent Transfer Initiative is a highly selective, federally funded initiative that recognizes current SCUSD teachers who have a track record of contributing to student achievement gains by offering them the opportunity to take on a new challenge by using their skills in high-needs schools – where they are needed most and can have the most profound impact. If you choose to transfer to a participating SCUSD school, you will be eligible to receive $20,000 over a two-year period in recognition of the adjustment that comes with taking on a new position, as well as for the potential tremendous impact you can take at your new school. This research study is funded by the U.S. Department of Education; participation requires no expenditure whatsoever of district funds.
For more information about the Talent Transfer Initiative, including an overview of the program, benefits, and frequently asked question, visit www.talenttransferintiative.org. To access available information about SCUSD, use this password information:
Username: xxxxxx
Password: xxxxx
Coral A. Jenrette, Program Manager for the Talent Transfer Initiative, will contact you directly to invite you to the reception being held in your honor on April 19. She will also send you the unique username and password you will need to complete the online application (deadline is April 27). Please feel free to reach out to her with any questions at coral@talenttransferinitiative.org or (800) 688-6983 ext 3.
SCUSD is looking forward to working with you to help our students succeed.
Sincerely,

Mary Shelton
Acting Chief Academic Officer
Sacramento City Unified School District

Go to the All New SCUSD Observer Web Site

Wells Fargo donates books to elementary schools

By Melody Gutierrez
mgutierrez@sacbee.com
Published: Wednesday, Apr. 14, 2010 - 9:44 am
Wells Fargo is donating 1,000 books to elementary school students in the Sacramento City Unified School District this morning as part of the Reading First program.
The books are being delivered to the Sequoia Elementary School Library, where Wells Fargo employees will read to kindergarten and second-grade students.
The donated books include "Llama Llama Red Pajama" and "I Will Never Not Eat a Tomato." The Wells Fargo reading program has donated more than one million books to classrooms.
"We want our kids to love books and love reading because early literacy is a key to high academic achievement," said Raymond in a press release. "I commend Wells Fargo for its support of the district and interest in the literacy of our children. These books help us toward our goal of preparing every child for college or a career."

Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/04/14/2678261/wells-fargo-donates-books-to-elementary.html#mi_rss=Education#ixzz0l61yxpP7

Sac City's contract move surprises teachers union

By Melody Gutierrez
mgutierrez@sacbee.com
Published: Thursday, Apr. 8, 2010 - 10:14 pm
Sacramento City Teachers Association officials said they were caught off guard Thursday by the Sacramento City Unified School District's decision to make its concessions proposal public.
The district presented a list of concessions -- including three furlough days -- for the teachers union at Thursday's board meeting, which trustees approved unanimously. Making the proposal public -- or "sunshining" it -- is the first step toward declaring an impasse. Should that happen, a state mediator would be assigned to help resolve issues.
The union contends that its contract does not expire until the summer of 2011. District lawyers say they found language that allows them to open it early.
Many teachers at the board meeting were dismayed when the district did not discuss the proposals specifically, instead relying on a memo sent out the previous day.

Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/04/08/2666251/sac-citys-contract-move-surprises.html#ixzz0kc839Udq

 lorijab wrote on 04/09/2010 06:49:01 AM:

Thanks to JoeBarnett and Gordon1 ...obviously, what's going on is the district's attempt at hardball negotiating; but none of us should lose sight of the fact that the issues are the result of irresponsible policies at every governmental level--yes, including years of short-sighted decisionmaking made by this school district--that teachers and frontline school staff have been forced to suck up for years. SCTA and its members are committed to finding significant cost-savings solutions. But because these issues involve our kids, their education and the need to look out for long-term integrity of the teaching profession they are difficult...and why should they be otherwise? Easy solutions got us into this mess. Kicking teachers has become the favorite sport of hack politicians, Dem and Rep alike...and teachers and allies of public education are beginning to step up and defend themselves from this cheap political onslaught. This Superintendent and the board need to be very mindful that they don't succumb to the easy lure of such lazy politics...too much is at stake and increasingly its clear that the people of Sacramento won't stand for it.

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

ryanrenee wrote on 04/08/2010 11:57:35 PM:

progressiveD - you must be living in another state. CA spends just over $8000 per student each year. We are ranked 46th out of 50 in per pupil expenditures. Nice to know 4 other states are doing worse than we are...

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

gordon1 wrote on 04/08/2010 11:37:22 PM:

What kind of labor relations is this? Request a contract opener and then immediately announce that the intention is to seek a declaration of impasse on the same day? I had always understood that negotiations required an effort on both sides to proceed in good faith.

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

bbbbmer5th wrote on 04/08/2010 11:13:34 PM:

Replying to progressiveD (04/08/2010 11:07:17 PM):
"Nice to see the teacher's union work so hard for the kids. The second highest payroll for teachers in the nation and no cuts in pay. They act like they are helping when they give up a raise. Sorry, that's just not enough for the taxpayers that have had their pay cut or lost their jobs.

It is time to use the $12.000 a student we are paying for education and invoke a voucher system.. Let every student choose from traditional, charter and private schools and see which one draws the most...":

You antiunion jerks just make up bull**** to suit your point of view. Sacramento's teacher pay is above, oh, say, Beverly Hills??? or Greenwich, Connecticut??? or Short Hills, New Jersey??? or anyone of THOUSANDS of districts around the nation??? You union busters are just plain old LIARS, and apparently you aren't all that good at statistical comparisons either -- or supporting your ridiculousness w

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

JoeBarnett wrote on 04/08/2010 11:11:46 PM:

The district still has not identified what language they think allows them to void the existing provisions of the contract. The problem with the three furlough days is the district keeps hiring six figure administrative employees. If 150 teachers went on a three day furlough, that would only cover one of the recent administrative hires. A non teacher union representative also complained about the district acting unfairly and decietfully in getting them to concede on their contract.

It is as if the district forgot the rules in California...and started acting like we were without legal protections.. This could prove to be a very expensive mistake on the districts part.

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

progressiveD wrote on 04/08/2010 11:07:17 PM:

Nice to see the teacher's union work so hard for the kids. The second highest payroll for teachers in the nation and no cuts in pay. They act like they are helping when they give up a raise. Sorry, that's just not enough for the taxpayers that have had their pay cut or lost their jobs.

It is time to use the $12.000 a student we are paying for education and invoke a voucher system.. Let every student choose from traditional, charter and private schools and see which one draws the most students. If we just made the vouchers $9,000 a piece we could save $3,000 a student and get them a better education.

THE STATE OF BLACK STUDENTS' EDUCATION

In the Sacramento City Unified School District Black Parallel School Board’s “Call to Action”

Research Report

2008-2009

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California State Action Plan for

School, Family,and Community Partnerships

Draft Revision November 17, 2009

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American Indian Education Program

Parent & Youth Leadership Conference

SCUSD PARENT INFORMATION EXCHANGE

(PIE) 2009/2010

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Sacramento City Educational Foundation (SCEF)

Fund Raising

Donations

Plus+Grants

Program Goals & Results

Staffing & Organization

Donating & getting funds for classrooms!

http://www.donorschoose.org/

New Money for Teachers!

Ms. Roberts teaches at Woodbine Elementary School in Sacramento, where 92% of the students qualify for free and reduced price lunches. Despite the challenges, she is determined to bring the best educational experience possible to her second graders, including teaching these eager young minds about the importance of taking care of the environment. So, Ms. Roberts turned to DonorsChoose.org and requested a worm farm to help foster the students’ love of gardening, science and helping the earth.

Donors pitched in and funded her project and, if you are a public school teacher, they can help fund your project too. By submitting projects on DonorsChoose.org, Ms. Roberts has since been able to add whiteboards and math manipulatives to her classroom, thanks to the individuals who chose to bring these projects to life for her students! The teacher noted that the donors “have given [her students] an opportunity to actively participate in lessons and be creative. These materials will be used for many years in my classroom.”

Now is the perfect time to request resources for your classroom, as DonorsChoose.org is working with the Sacramento City Educational Foundation (SCEF) to support teachers and students in the Sacramento City Unified School District. Just in time for the back to school season, SCEF will match donations from the public for selected classroom projects in the district, meaning that your classroom needs are that much more likely to be met!

SCEF is a volunteer-led, nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing resources for students in the Sacramento City Unified School District. The purpose of these grants is to enhance student achievement and educational opportunities in innovative ways. If you are a public school teacher, visitwww.donorschoose.org/teachers to get started!

It’s easy to support your local schools!

DonorsChoose.org makes it really simple and fun to help classrooms right in your own backyard. Through this person to person philanthropy website, individuals can check out teachers’ wish lists – from calculators to classic novels – and choose which classroom project they want to support. Donors can contribute as little as $1 to help bring dedicated and innovative teachers’ ideas to life. After completing a project, you will hear back from the classroom you supported with photographs and thank you notes.

This back to school season, DonorsChoose.org is partnering with the Sacramento City Educational Foundation (SCEF) to support schools right in your neighborhood. SCEF will provide 50% of the funding for selected classroom projects in SCUSD, making it even easier for you to make a difference in your community. The support of the SCEF comes at a critical time, when Sacramento teachers and students are lacking essential classroom supplies due to severe budget constraints. You can make a huge difference for teachers and students without having to break your own budget.

To date, over 100,000 public and charter school teachers have used the site to secure funding for more than $35 million in books, supplies, technology, and other resources that their students need to learn. Through www.DonorsChoose.org, individuals from all walks of life have helped over 2 million students from low-income families. To support teachers and students in the Sacramento City Unified School District, visitwww.donorschoose.org.

DonorsChoose.org contact: Candice Chesson, West Region Associate Director, candice@donorschoose.org

Sacramento City Educational Foundation contact: Alice Levine, harroun53@aol.com -or- Larkin Penrose, LJPenrose@att.net

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A Look at Community Schools

Community Schools

By Saba Bireda | October 28, 2009

Read the full report (pdf)

Download the executive summary (pdf)

Interactive Map: Profiles of Community Schools

Video: A Primer on Community Schools

Event: With Tony Blair, Sec. Arne Duncan, Rep. Steny Hoyer, and others

Children living in poverty face many obstacles outside the classroom that can hinder their success in the classroom. Unaddressed health care needs interfere with learning and cause low attendance. Inadequate and inconsistent housing may deprive students of a safe and quiet place to study. A lack of affordable and accessible child care forces many young adults to sacrifice learning opportunities to care for younger family members. And poverty’s economic stress may cause students to be less engaged and parents to be less involved in their children’s education.

The advent of accountability-based school reform has pushed many high-poverty schools to focus on providing effective instruction and meeting high academic standards. Numerous schools have made progress in these areas but few have been adequately equipped with the tools needed to confront external learning obstacles related to poverty.

A small but growing number of “community schools” have bridged the gap between the provision of antipoverty services and an excellent academic program. They capitalize on the school’s physical space and access to students and families in order to deliver much-needed services in a central, accessible location. Community schools partner with nonprofits and local agencies to provide students with health care, academic enrichment, mental and behavioral health services, and other youth development activities without burdening school staff.

Community school partnerships can complement proven school improvement strategies—effective teachers, challenging curriculum, and expanded learning time. These partnerships also allow teachers, principals, and staff to concentrate on what’s happening in the classroom with the knowledge that students’ “outside” needs are being addressed.

And community schools involve adults through adult education classes and onsite social services. By extending school hours and enlarging the school’s role in the surrounding community, community schools can become a hub for community-building activity while continually providing students with a strong academic program.

Recent evaluations of community schools throughout the country demonstrate that schools that integrate student services and a high-quality educational experience have a positive effect on students and their families in a variety of areas including student achieve- ment, school attendance, and parent involvement. Yet community schools differ greatly in the type of services they provide and how much those services are integrated with academic instruction. Additional research can determine which aspects of community school models most effectively improve student achievement.

The success of current community school initiatives, the urgent needs of students living in poverty, and the potential of community schools to increase student achievement point toward stronger federal support for the community school strategy. We need not look far for examples of national community school policy—England has committed to transform all of its 23,000 schools into extended schools (the term for community schools in England) by 2010.

This report will provide an overview of community school strategies in the United States and how community schools can decrease poverty’s detrimental effect on students. There are many examples of community school initiatives—from national models to local school district initiatives. This report highlights the examples where research shows community schools have had the most success. It will also review England’s extended school model and suggest how the United States can expand community schools based on England’s experience.

Although community schools in the United States are limited in number, lessons can be gleaned from some successful initiatives throughout the country.

Each community school needs a strong academic program at its center, no matter how comprehensive the nonacademic services are. Afterschool and all other extracurricular programming should complement the school’s central academic mission.

Principals, teachers, and other staff must be trained and willing to collaborate with outside organizations in order to maximize learning.
Partnering nonprofits or agencies should dedicate an onsite employee of their organization as a full-time resource coordinator to operate as a contact point between the school and organization, students, parents, and other community members.
Parents, school staff, community members, and other stakeholders play an integral role in determining the services that are most in need at a community school. Parent and community involvement in planning a community school can ensure that services are utilized improve student outcomes.
Consistent, quality evaluations can help community schools determine the strengths and weaknesses of their services and programs and prevent schools from becoming stuck in nonproductive partnerships.

Read the full report (pdf)

Download the executive summary (pdf)

Interactive Map: Profiles of Community Schools

Video: A Primer on Community Schools

Event: With Tony Blair, Sec. Arne Duncan, Rep. Steny Hoyer, and others
To speak with our experts on this topic, please contact:
Print: Suzi Emmerling (foreign policy and security, energy, education, immigration)
semmerling@americanprogress.org

Print: Jason Rahlan (health care, economy, civil rights, poverty)
jrahlan@americanprogress.org

Radio: John Neurohr
jneurohr@americanprogress.org

TV: Andrea Purse
apurse@americanprogress.org

Web: Erin Lindsay
elindsay@americanprogress.org

Center for American Progress

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Family Engagement as a Shared Responsibility

Family involvement is a shared responsibility, consisting of three major dimensions: the opportunities that schools and communities offer parents and other family members to support and enrich their children's learning; mutually agreed upon, or co-constructed, roles; and learning from personal experiences, peers, research, and other resources about how to engage families in children's learning. In this issue, we apply our new, broader definition of family engagement to the ways in which families, communities, and schools work together to share responsibility for student learning.

Two new articles illustrate how co-constructed roles can work in practice: Voices from the field recounts the story of a parent, school principal, and family advocate sharing responsibility for creating a solution to a school problem, and our featured teaching case describes how a mother enlisted the help of a community organization to communicate with a school principal after her son was suspended. In addition, we introduce a tool to help school districts and other organizations think through the development of systemic family engagement policies and programs.
We also introduce a newly developed section of our website that houses all of Harvard Family Research Project's policy-related work in one convenient location. And, as always, we provide a listing of new family involvement articles, news, and resources.

Read the complete FINE Newsletter online.

Family Engagement: A Shared Responsibility
Seeing is Believing: Promising Practices for How School Districts Promote Family Engagement
How to Develop a Logic Model for Districtwide Family Engagement Strategies
Family Engagement Policy Resources
Featured Teaching Case: Suspension at Aurora Middle School Engagement
Co-Constructing Family Engagement Roles in Federal Way, Washington
Family Involvement News

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Dear School and Community Leaders:

You are invited to join Superintendent Raymond's at a news conference to highlight parent engagement in our district and its importance in furthering student success. Superintendent Raymond will also announce that starting this year the district will annually celebrate Parent Engagement Week: Schools Partnering with Parents, and Communities for Student Success, on the third week of November to thank parents for their involvement and to underscore the importance they make in student achievement. The week also coincides with parent-teacher conferences taking place in most schools.

Please join us at this very important press-conference. If you have any questions, please call me at 643-7924

Manuel Guillot
Director
Parent Engagement Office

WHAT: Press-Conference on Parent Engagement
WHEN: Thursday, Nov. 19, 10:00 a.m.

Earl Warren Elementary School
5420 Lowell St.
Sacramento CA
Driving Directions

http://www.scusd.edu/Pages/default.aspx

Californai Montessori Project

California Montessori Project Move from Old Marshall to Thomas Jefferson-FAQs

Old Marshall School Facility Assessment

Montessori Building Deemed Unfit
Sacramento Superintendent: Old Marshall School Doesn't Meet Standards

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Safety concerns will force students from the Capitol Campus of the California Montessori Project in Sacramento. Students moved into the Old Marshall School in August from a smaller church space. California Montessori Project leases the building from the Sacramento City Unified School District, which also oversees the charter school.

A top-to-bottom review found the midtown Sacramento building doesn't meet current state building codes or earthquake specifications for building safety, new Sacramento City Unified Superintendent Jonathan Raymond said.

Parents found that out Monday.

"They deemed the building unsafe enough for them to move. I don't understand why they didn't know that before the kids started school back in August," parent Michelle Dipinto said.

Raymond said the district failed to do a thorough review of the building before moving students.

"I don't think staff did a thorough job, and that was something that I uncovered when I started," Raymond said. "They were already in there, and it became apparent when we started to ask questions -- 'Why were they in before we did a thorough review?'"

He said there's no imminent danger to students; the building, Raymond said, is structurally sound. But it doesn't meet the higher standards set by California for buildings used for educational purposes.

"Irrespective of whether they're charter school children or Sacramento City Unified school children, they should be in a safe facility. All of our children should be safe," Raymond said.

California Montessori Project executive director Gary Bowman said the school will work with parents, teachers and the district to minimize any negative affect on students.

"We're going to make lemonade out of lemons here. Nobody likes a midyear relocation, but that's the hand that we've been dealt, and we truly believe we can help facilitate a remarkable outcome to this," Bowman said.

Several empty schools are being considered for the relocation, with Thomas Jefferson Elementary appearing to be the frontrunner. The move is expected to take place in December, over the winter break.

See full story and video on KCRA.com

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Parents split over possible Montessori school move
by Jonathan Mendick

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."

Sacramento Press

More information on the Field Act

Field Act Findings

Field Act History and Issues for California Schools

The Field Act and Public School Construction:A 2007 Perspective

Sacramento: A City That Works For Everyone:

How Does Central Sacramento Work For Families?

by cecile downs, published on October 29, 2009

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.

Have you been reminding others to "Think B4 You Speak" at school or in your community? Tell Us Your Story.

Or come up with a video to tell people it's not ok to say "that's so gay", and it could end up right here. It's easy... Upload Your Video.

The rate at which students use and hear negative language about lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) people is huge. Over half of all students report hearing homophobic remarks often at school.

The common use of anti-LGBT language is directly related to an even bigger problem – the bullying and harassment of LGBT students.

9 out of 10 LGBT students report being harassed at school in the last year. Over one-third of LGBT students have been physically assaulted at school because of their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.

Such frequent harassment results in LGBT students being more likely than others to:

Feel unsafe
Miss school
Receive lower grades
Not attend college

Creating a safe environment for all students - LGBT and straight alike - begins with one simple act: thinking before you speak.

A lot of anti-LGBT language is said carelessly, and isn’t intended as negative or hurtful. Understand what you’re saying, and think about the potential consequences of the words you choose.

Think B4 You Speak.com

Welcome to Parents for Public Schools — San Francisco

www.ppssf.org

Our Mission
Parents for Public Schools -- San Francisco (PPS-SF) is a network of parents working together to build and ensure quality schools for all San Francisco children.
We do this by providing parent-to-parent information, news and networking and by developing parent leaders at the school and district level.

Why I Love My Public School

www.ppssf.org

Get the Hookup at FLU.GOV

Watch The Principal Story Online

The Principal Story is a documentary film and media outreach project. Its purpose is to raise the visibility of leadership as a lever for school improvement, especially in our nation's most challenging schools.

Watch online now, until December 14, 2009.

Check your local listings: http://www.pbs.org/pov/tvschedule/

The Principal Story tells two stories, painting a dramatic portrait of the challenges facing America's public schools - and of the great difference a dedicated principal can make. Tresa Dunbar is a second-year principal at Chicago's Nash Elementary, where 98% of students come from low-income families; in Springfield, Illinois, Kerry Purcell has led Harvard Park Elementary, with similar demographics, for six years. Tod Lending ( Omar & Pete, POV 2005) and David Mrazek followed both women over the course of a school year, discovering each one's unique styles yet similar passions. The Principal Story takes the viewer along for an emotional ride that reveals what effective educational leadership looks like in the 21st century.
Visit the POV website ( http://www.pbs.org/pov/principalstory/) to watch an interview with the filmmakers, download free educational materials, sign up to host a screening of the film and access other special features!

You can find images, The Principal Story web banner and logos in the POV Pressroom: http://www.amdoc.org/pressroom_pov2009.php

For more information on this POV production, please contact Amanda Nguyen at: anguyen@pov.org

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Kennedy Center for Performing Arts aids local schools

rlillis@sacbee.com

Published Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009

Kids learn math every year, but the arts? Well, that often depends on whether their teachers find the subject interesting or their schools have the money.

With that in mind, the nationally recognized John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will help two Sacramento school districts develop long-term arts education programs.

Sacramento City Unified and Twin Rivers Unified are the first districts in the nation to be included in the Any Given Child program for students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

Kennedy Center officials were in Sacramento on Friday to announce the start of a study expected to last between six months and a year that will examine what arts education programs exist in city schools and what arts groups in the city have to offer.

From that study, long-term arts curricula will be designed for schools in the Sacramento City and Twin Rivers systems by partnering local arts organizations with city and school officials. Also, the Kennedy Center will provide teacher training programs, in-class programs and other resources, all at no cost to the schools.

"It will be a coordinated approach so that the children will actually go through a progression as they do in any other subject," said Michael Kaiser, president of the Kennedy Center. "Over the K-to-eight period, they will develop a solid knowledge of the arts, an ability to express themselves and a knowledge of a history of the arts."

Kaiser said the program was designed to fill gaps in the way young students are exposed to the arts.

"We would never accept it if our children came home and said, 'We're not doing mathematics this year because my teacher doesn't like it,' " he said. "But that's how we've always taught the arts."

According to a study released in March by SRI International and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, 89 percent of California schools do not offer standards-based courses in dance, music, theater and visual arts. The study also found state school districts lack coordinated arts plans.

Kennedy Center officials said they chose Sacramento out of 27 interested cities from around the country in part because of the city's For Art's Sake initiative, started by Mayor Kevin Johnson. That initiative has worked to coordinate local arts organizations and has formed committees working on arts education, funding, facilities, marketing and film.

Local school officials applauded the Kennedy Center program.

"What arts and music and literature and poetry do for us and our children is that they build confidence, they build curiosity and most importantly, they build that ability to be creative," said Jonathan Raymond, superintendent of Sacramento City Unified. "And that's something that all of our children need today. Not randomly or because of a dedicated teacher or principal, but because we have a plan and the community supports it."

"It will change the climate of arts education in Sacramento," said Dr. Ziggy Robeson, assistant superintendent of Twin Rivers.

This story is taken from Sacbee / Our Region / Top Stories

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latimes.com

Blowback

Dear Richard Riordan

An open letter to the former L.A. mayor on making parenting education part of public school reform.

By Esther A. Jantzen

October 15, 2009

Mayor Richard Riordan, your disappointment in the progress of educational reform in the Los Angeles Unified School District, after all you've done as mayor and secretary of education under Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, was palpable in your Oct. 12 Times Op-Ed article, "Course outline for the LAUSD." This lack of progress breaks my heart too.

At the risk of seeming presumptuous, may I make a suggestion to you and to educational reformers everywhere -- a suggestion that is based on experience, common sense and research?

I was an urban public high school English teacher for many years. I tried hard: I took courses in teaching reading and writing; I prepared for classes; I graded research papers on vacations; I won grants for my schools; I won teacher of the year awards; I got advanced degrees; I supported reform.

None of this made much difference. And the six recommendations you made, Mr. Riordan, aren't going to either, though I wish they would because they're definitely implementable.

There's a more significant place where I recommend you put your money and efforts. But it doesn't seem cutting-edge or profoundly innovative.

What's needed -- the sine qua non of improved learning -- is parenting education. Honestly and truly, in terms of real literacy, the home is more important than the school.

You know you can't build a good house without a good foundation. Similarly, family literacy is all the activity in the home that provides kids with the foundational experiences on which comprehending the written word is based.

What parents need to be taught specifically is how to support the linguistic, cognitive, social and emotional development of their children. That means no-cost activities such as conversing with kids, asking thoughtful questions, reading aloud, modeling reading and writing, exposing them to the larger world, showing them how to find and use resources, loving them, hugging them and speaking kindly to them.

I believe young parents can be shown, taught, encouraged and supported in learning to do these things. They love their kids deeply. They want success for them. Often they just don't know the best ways to help them, and that goes for wealthy parents as well as poor ones.

What I'm suggesting goes beyond First Five, Head Start and No Child Left Behind. How about a federal and state Office of Parenting Education and a massive marketing campaign about best parenting practices that reaches as deeply into the home as soft-drink ads do?

Mr. Riordan, I implore you to consider throwing your political weight, insights and resources toward parenting education. You've raised children. You would agree that "parenting literacy" is a missing ingredient in many homes, wouldn't you?

Yet as the Chinese proverb says, "To know and not to do is yet not to know."

Please, Mr. Riordan.

Esther A. Jantzen is a writer and children's literacy advocate living in Pomona.

latimes.com

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State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Offers Education Agencies a New Tool to Combat the Achievement Gap

Closing the Achievement Gap Partnerships Resource Kit Web Site

SACRAMENTO - State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell today announced that a key recommendation by his CaliforniaP-16 Council is being implemented with the release of a new online tool called the Resource Kit for Developing Partnerships to Close the Achievement Gap (Resource Kit).

"Family and community partners are powerful and critical allies for schools working to improve student success and close the achievement gap," said O'Connell. "The success of our students is directly connected to the success of our state and national economy. That’s why I urge businesses, faith-based organizations, parents, community groups, and others to get involved in their local schools. We all have a stake in preparing all students to compete in the hypercompetitive global economy, and schools need our support and assistance to reach that goal."

The Resource Kit may be used by families, communities, and organizations to develop partnerships with schools that can help narrow the academic achievement gap that exists between higher-performing and lower-performing students. This online tool can help anyone understand the importance of partnerships, how to create them, and help existing partnerships improve. Users may access links to information on different types of partnerships with families, faith-based organizations, community-based organizations, business, government agencies, institutions of higher learning, and youth service organizations. The Resource Kit also offers examples of real-life successful partnerships.

The Resource Kit is a result of one of the recommendations made in January by O'Connell's California P-16 Council. The P-16 Council was formed in 2004 to examine ways to improve student achievement and create a comprehensive, integrated system of student learning from preschool through higher education. The Council researched factors that inhibit successful student learning and grouped them into four themes called ACES:

1. Access: Do students have equal access to good teachers and rigorous curriculum?

2. Culture and Climate: Are students' learning environment safe and promote a sense of belonging?

3. Expectations: Does a culture of excellence exist for students and adults alike, so that a common, high standard is the norm for all students?

4. Strategies: Are proven teaching practices being used?

One of the ACES recommendations is to develop partnerships to close the achievement gap. The P-16 Council found that connecting schools with educational organizations, city and county agencies, faith-based organizations, parent groups, and businesses is necessary to foster partnerships that will support a well-defined student support system. Such partnerships recognize that students have needs outside the classroom that, if unmet, can significantly and adversely affect their ability to learn. Breaking down barriers and creating partnerships throughout California is an important step toward implementing a consistent approach to a high-quality and inclusive educational program.

"Too often in government, when recommendations are made by task forces or blue ribbon commissions on complex issues, they are forgotten as soon as the group disbands," added O'Connell. "The Resource Kit is one of 14 recommendations by the P-16 Council to narrow the achievement gap that we are engaged in implementing. I fully intend to implement all 14 recommendations before my term in office expires so that we can improve conditions at the state level that help close the gap. We must ensure that every child has a chance to succeed academically and in life."

The Coordinated School Health Work Group Steering Committee worked with the statewide P-16 Council to create the Resource Kit. The Committee represents education and community health partners, and other state-level stakeholders.

The Resource Kit is available online through the California Department of Education's Closing the Achievement Gap Web site at www.closingtheachievementgap.org/partnerships. For more information on the P-16 Council, please visit http://www.cde.ca.gov/eo/in/pc/.

The California Department of Education is a state agency led by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell. The core purpose of CDE is to lead and support the continuous improvement of student achievement, with a specific focus on closing achievement gaps. For more information, please visit http://www.cde.ca.gov or by mobile device at http://m.cde.ca.gov/. You may also follow Superintendent O'Connell (@SSPIJack) on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/sspijack.

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California and the Race to the Top

This weekend, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed three pieces of legislation that he says will make California more competitive for "Race to the Top" funds under the federal government's stimulus package for education.

But while this signals the administration's desire to compete for the Race to the Top grants, California still needs to grapple with significant questions and hurdles related to the reforms the federal government is asking for.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, also known as the federal stimulus bill, was signed into law in February 2009.

The legislation is designed to stimulate the U.S. economy and provides close to $100 billion for education nationwide. The investment represents about $8 billion in education funding for California, according to the California Department of Education (CDE). The amount of could grow if the state successfully secures some additional competitive grants included in the ARRA.

Much of the $8 billion is for augmentations to existing programs—e.g., Title I for disadvantaged students and IDEA for students with disabilities. Over $3 billion is coming through the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund, which provides largely discretionary monies and requires states to report on specific indicators in four reform areas:

Increasing teacher and principal effectiveness;
Establishing data systems and using data for improvement;
Adopting rigorous college- and career-ready standards and high-quality assessments;
Turning around the lowest-performing schools.

The largest of the competitive grant programs is Race to the Top, which will provide a total of about $4.35 billion to a small group of states with bold plans for action in the four reform areas listed above. Up to $350 million of the Race to the Top fund is set aside for states to develop new assessments. Other competitive grants will provide incentives to enhance teacher recruitment and retention, create alternative pay structures for teachers, and develop longitudinal data systems. In addition, Invest in Innovation ("i3") provides funding for local entities to explore promising ideas and expand proven programs.

October 12, 2009 Update:
Gov. Schwarzenegger has signed three bills that he says will increase California’s chances of securing a Race to the Top grant:

Senate Bill 19: Among other things, this bill removes the prohibition against using data from the burgeoning California Education Information System for purposes of pay, promotion, sanction, or evaluation of teachers. The bill thereby removes the “firewall” that federal Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said existed between California’s personnel evaluations and student achievement data and thus addresses one of two eligibility criteria of the Race to the Top.
Senate Bill 680: This bill extends and expands the School District of Choice program, which allows districts to accept inter-district transfers according to specified criteria.
Assembly Bill 1130: The current Academic Performance Index (API) system compares annual snapshots of test scores, with different students' test scores represented in each snapshot because of the entry and exit of students from schools each year. AB 1130 asks that the committee advising the Superintendent of Public Instruction on the Academic Performance Index recommend to the Superintendent and the State Board of Education a method of holding schools and districts accountable for the academic growth of the same students over time.

Meanwhile, the California Legislature continues to consider additional legislation related to competing for a Race to the Top grant in a special legislative session.

EdSource

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Sac City Unified hopes hand washing twice a day keeps flu away

atong@sacbee.com

Published Friday, Oct. 02, 2009

Starting Monday, students at Sacramento City Unified schools will have a new subject to master: hand washing.

On Thursday new district Superintendent Jonathan Raymond announced that a hand-washing campaign will kick off next week. District schools are now required to designate two times a day when all students will get up, go to the nearest sink and wash their hands.

Hand washing is one of the best ways to prevent H1N1 flu transmission, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, something Raymond is taking seriously.

"Our most important responsibility is to make sure our kids are well," he said.

The novel flu strain H1N1, which emerged this year and has spread worldwide, has been particularly concerning to school officials because school-age children and young adults are especially susceptible to it, unlike with the seasonal flu.

While the CDC reported nationwide spikes in H1N1, commonly known as swine flu, coinciding with school openings, Sacramento City has not had an unusual number of students out ill, said Paulette Meeks, the district's health services director.

There have been 96 confirmed cases of H1N1 in students, she said.

In addition to the twice-a-day hand washing, the district has purchased extra soap and antibacterial hand sanitizer, and is hanging up oversized posters reading "Have U Washed Your Hands 2Day?" Teachers are being asked to incorporate the message into lesson plans, for example assigning hand-washing themed crossword puzzles and word scrambles.

Raymond said schools will make their own decisions about how to implement the hand-washing campaign.

At Caroline Wenzel Elementary, all students will wash their hands after recess and before lunch in their classrooms. Social worker interns will come into each class to teach hand-washing technique, such as singing "Happy Birthday" twice to make sure students wash their hands for 20 seconds.

The district's hand-washing campaign is part of larger effort to keep H1N1 at bay. On Thursday, state Superintendent Jack O'Connell spoke about the importance of hand washing at press conferences in San Jose and San Diego, and unveiled the Pandemic Influenza Planning Manual for California public schools.

Sacramento Superintendent Raymond also announced several new district safety initiatives, including creation of a "Security Council." The council will review schools' security methods and make recommendations for improvement before year's end, Raymond said.

This story is taken from Sacbee / Our Region

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SCUSD Vice President Patrick Kennedy

Gains Support in Bid for Sacramento’s 5th City Council District

Sacramento City Council Member Bonnie Pannell and Council Member Sandy Sheedy Endorse Patrick Kennedy for City Council

Sacramento City Council Member Bonnie Pannell and Council Member Sandy Sheedy have endorsed Patrick Kennedy’s campaign for Sacramento City Council, District 5.

“I am proud to have the support of Council Members Pannell and Sheedy. I have had the great privilege of working with them over the years and look forward to continuing that relationship when I am on the City Council,” said Patrick upon the announcement.

Pannell represents District 8 in South Sacramento and Sheedy represents District 2 in North Sacramento. They join their colleagues, Council Members Ray Tretheway (District 1) and Steve Cohn (District 3) in endorsing Patrick Kennedy for Sacramento City Council.

DonorsChoose.org

Sacramento City Educational Foundation's Giving

DonorsChoose.org

Sacramento City Educational Foundation's Giving

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan

to Visit Sacramento

SCUSD will be hosting a First Day of School press event on September 3rd, at 10:30 a.m. at David Lubin Elementary.David Lubin Elementary School
3535 M St
Sacramento, CA 95816-5499
Driving Directions

Invited guests include the New Superintendent, Mayor Kevin Johnson, the SCUSD School Board, and SSPI Jack O'Connell. Parents and members of the community are welcome to attend.

THIS THURSDAY, September 3rd at 10:30, join us at David Lubin Elementary for the

"Sacramento Goes Back to School" celebration,

featuring the new SCUSD Superintendent Jonathan Raymond, Mayor Kevin Johnson and other guests - including the River Cats mascot (for the kids, of course!)

United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan

Date: Thursday, September 3, 2009

Time: 5:00pm - 6:00pm

Location: Tsakopoulos Library

Street: 828 I Street

City/Town: Sacramento, CA

Tsakopoulos Library
828 I St
Sacramento, CA 95814
Driving Directions

Click the map to open an interactive map in a new window.

On Thursday, September 3rd United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is coming to Sacramento. I admired Arne Duncan’s leadership before he was appointed Secretary of Education. A former Chicago superintendent, Duncan’s district was one of the first to push mutual consent in teacher hiring, ensuring that every school was staffed with high quality teachers. His Renaissance 2010 initiative closed down vacant schools to reopen them with strong options for young people.

Secretary Duncan is now bringing those same ideals and strategies to schools and districts across the nation. He wants to make sure that we are a country that has a common set of rigorous standards, strong data systems linking student and teacher performance, performance and merit pay, and intervention for failing schools.
What does this mean for Sacramento? I firmly believe that if you have great schools, you will have a great city. As Mayor, my commitment is to make sure that the City of Sacramento, our county and our region are known for great public schools.

Sacramento can be one of the leaders in education reform. As the capitol of California, we should be the hotbed of reform and innovation.

We have created an education “white paper” for Sacramento that aligns with Secretary of Education Duncan’s plan for national reform. I encourage you to read the "white paper" and learn more about Secretary of Education Duncan’s visit to Sacramento.

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Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education Speaks Out

Our new superintendent, plus the County Superintendent Dave Gordon, and Elk Grove Superintendent Steve Ladd were all at this press conference which took place at a school that isn't part of SCUSD. I was shocked when SCUSD Superintendent Raymond said that he was excited to be part of Mayor Johnson's team. When you use the link you need to click on part three. That is the part that contains SCUSD Superintendent Raymond's statement.

If you think it is noteworthy, please forward to as many parents and teachers as you know. It is important to tell our new superintendent that he works for SCUSD not for Kevin Johnson. Have SCUSD parents and students who attend our schools told him that he should join with Kevin Johnson 2 days after he starts working for us? That wasn't the message at CK McClatchy from parents, students, and teachers. We need to let Superintendent Raymond know that KJ barely won Oak Park when he was elected and did not do well in the other parts of SCUSD. He won Natomas and the areas not part of SCUSD. Supt. Raymond needs to focus on the opening of district schools, the transition process for the students from closed schools, and on making sure that our students have teachers in the classrooms on the first day of school. We should also let our Board of Education know that we don't want our Superintendent attending Kevin Johnson press conferences or events. We want him learning about our district from the ground up.

How will he be able to fairly evaluate Sacramento Charter High School when he is already a part of the Mayor's team?

Heidi McLean, chairperson
Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education

SCUSD Observer

From the SCUSD Observer

Thursday, August 27, 2009

White paper or wall paper?

In March of this year, Sacramento Mayor, Kevin Johnson, held an education summit to purportedly address educational options for Sacramento schools, accountability for results and the utilization of...Continue reading this story at the SCUSD Observer

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Transcript of Jonathan Raymond's remarks at Kevin Johnson's press conference

At Monday's press conference with state and local education leaders at Valley High School (Elk Grove Unified), Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson introduced Jonathan Raymond as a rookie member, apparently, of his ...Continue reading this story at the SCUSD Observer

Look Who is Blogging

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Mayor's education report praises charter schools
by Kathleen Haley

Mayor Kevin Johnson issued numerous draft recommendations Monday for improvements to Sacramento’s education system. They included evaluating schools with letter grades and setting up new educational programs and schools.

The recommendations come out of the Mayor’s Education Summit, which was held in Sacramento in March and featured education figures such as New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein and Michelle Rhee, chancellor of public schools in Washington, D.C. The ideas expressed in the draft white paper also include input from local educators, parents and citizens.

“What we wanted to do with the white paper is to create a dialogue,” Johnson told reporters at a press conference with state and local education leaders at Valley High School in Sacramento. He said he did not have a set timeline for implementing the recommendations.

The draft white paper includes an idea to stress accountability by rating schools with A-F letter grades. The idea comes from the grading program being used at New York City schools. “These report cards provide a mechanism through which parents and community members can make decisions and determinations for their children based on consistent, clear and objective data,” the white paper notes.

The paper points out that the community would need to analyze the idea in order to figure out how a grading system could work in Sacramento schools. The recommendation would in part start a “community conversation to develop the components of a school and district report card.”

The recommendations also address charter schools, as well as other specialized programs at schools. One of the recommendations states that the city could contact “educational management organizations that have seen success across the state and nation to open schools in Sacramento or partner in turning around low-performing schools.”

Johnson also announced at the Monday press conference that U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will make a presentation on education in Sacramento on Sept. 3. The city will hold a town hall meeting at which Duncan will speak. Also on Sept. 3, Duncan will meet with state leaders during his trip to Sacramento, Johnson said.

Click here go to the

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Community Partnership Meetings &

Neighborhood Advisory Group

Neighborhood Services hosts or helps coordinate monthly meetings in each area to facilitate communication between the City and community on issues, policies, and priorities. Each month, guest speakers from various City departments and other agencies provide information on current community initiatives and opportunities for public participation.

Come to our next meeting to learn what is going on in your neighborhood! The Neighborhood Services Department serves the City using four geographic areas.

View this map to see which area your neighborhood is in.

AREA 1 Neighborhood Advisory Group

Next Meeting: August 17 @ 6:30pm

Hart Senior Center

915 27th Street

Click Here to view Meeting Calendar

AREA 2 Community Partnership Meeting

Next Meeting: September 9 @ 7pm

Pannell Meadowview Community Center

2450 Meadowview Road

Click here to view Meeting Calendar

AREA 3 Community Partnership Meeting

Next Meeting: September 24 @ 7pm

Coloma Community Center

4623 T Street

Click here to view Meeting Calendar

AREA 4 Community Partnership Meeting

Next Meeting: September 14 @ 7pm

Robertson Community Center

3525 Norwood Ave.

Click here to view Meeting Calendar

City of Sacramento > Neighborhood Services > Get Involved! >

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NEW! The Community Resource Directory

The Community Resource Directory was created to help site administrators and staff more easily connect parents and students to community services. It was specifically designed with SCUSD in mind, focusing only on those resources that are local, relevant and easy to access.

Click Here to go to the Online Resource Directory

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SCUSD Vice President Patrick Kennedy

Announces Bid for Sacramento’s 5th City Council District

Thank you for visiting the website for my campaign for Sacramento’s 5th City Council District. It has been my honor to serve our community for the past 20 years, first as a neighborhood activist and City Planning Commissioner, and currently as an elected member of the Sacramento City School Board. I look forward to continuing this commitment to the public on the City Council as we face tomorrow’s challenges together.

Please use this site to gather information about this campaign and me. I hope you share with me your thoughts and ideas by phone or email. I look forward to hearing from you and would love to have your support.

Sincerely,

Patrick Kennedy

Sacramento City School Board Member
Candidate, Sacramento City Council

www.patrick-kennedy.com

Click Here Go to Patrick Kennedy for Sacramento’s 5th City Council District Web Site

About Patrick

Patrick Kennedy is a fourth generation Sacramentan who serves on the Sacramento City School Board, representing the Oak Park, South Curtis Park, Hollywood Park and the Med Center neighborhoods. Patrick has announced his candidacy for Sacramento City Council to continue to serve his community and Sacramento.

In addition to his service on the Sacramento City School Board, Patrick is a private practice attorney.

In 1993 Sacramento Mayor Joe Serna, Jr. appointed Patrick to the Sacramento City Planning Commission where he served until 2004, under both Mayors Serna and Yee. Mayor Serna also named him to the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency, Oak Park Project Committee Area.

Patrick’s long record of involvement in his neighborhoods also includes service as President of the Oak Park Neighborhood Improvement Association, founding president of the Hollywood Park Neighborhood Association, member of the Sacramento RT District South Sacramento Citizens’ Advisory Committee, member of the UCD Med Center Expansion Advisory Board, member of the McClellan AFB Reuse Planning Team, Board Member of Sacramento Self Help Housing and the Health Project.

As the Associate Director for Statewide Initiatives for the president of the University of California, Patrick advocated for improved technology access for California’s K-12 students bridging the “digital divide” in order to serve those children with the greatest needs. Patrick also worked for the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) where he managed a statewide infrastructure construction, distribution, and installation business aimed at developing and growing access to clean air technologies.

It was during his tenure at SMUD that he began attending law school at night while raising a young family. Patrick received his law degree from Lincoln Law School of Sacramento and his B.A. degree in government from Sacramento State. While attending college Patrick worked for former State Treasurer Phil Angelides, the late U.S. Representative Robert Matsui and his mentor, Mayor Serna.

Patrick grew up not far from his current home in Hollywood Park. Raised by a single mother who lost her life to drug and alcohol addiction when he was a young boy, Patrick understands many of the difficulties families face every day, particularly in these economically difficult times.

Patrick and his wife Judy, an artist and teacher, share their Hollywood Park home with the youngest of their four daughters, Sinead (18) and Chelsea (16), as well as Fiona (a miniature Dachshund), Clancy (an Irish Setter) and Etcetera (an ornery Siamese cat).

Click Here Go to Patrick Kennedy for Sacramento’s 5th City Council District Web Site

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15 may seek seats on Sacramento City Council

rlillis@sacbee.com

Published Monday, Jul. 20, 2009

All of a sudden, a seat on the Sacramento City Council is a hot ticket.

As many as 15 candidates have lined up for or are considering runs in next year's four council races, the most in two decades. It's in stark contrast to 2008, when all four incumbents up for election ran without opposition.

There seem to be as many theories behind the renewed interest as there are candidates.

Many say it's a result of last November's elections, when the word "change" became a political catchphrase and Mayor Kevin Johnson defeated incumbent Mayor Heather Fargo, who had served in City Hall for 19 years.

Others say the city's dire economic situation is inspiring people to get involved. For others, running for City Council is part of the natural progression of their careers.

The candidates range from neighborhood activists and political rookies in their 20s to school board veterans. Three incumbents are seeking re-election. A former mayoral candidate has expressed interest, and a former state legislator is said to be interested.

"There's a new energy in Sacramento, politically speaking," said local political analyst Gary Dietrich. "There was a long-established, kind of old guard that worked alongside Heather Fargo, and Kevin Johnson kind of shook up the bag of nuts (when he defeated her). I think he's sparked somewhat of a political renaissance."

Last year was the first time all four council members up for re-election ran unopposed, going back to at least 1971, according to city election records.

From the SCUSD Observer

Kennedy to run for city council?

In today's Sacramento Bee, Ryan Lillis reports that Mayor Kevin Johnson is backing former SCUSD Board Member Jay Schenirer to run for Sacramento City Council District Seat 5.

Political insiders say he also has the inside track on garnering Johnson's support because as vice president of the Sacramento City Unified School District board, Schenirer voted in favor of turning Sacramento High School into a charter school run by Johnson's nonprofit St. HOPE.

"Endorsements are important for what they show, that there are leaders in the community who believe in me," Schenirer said. "But at the end of the day, it's about connecting with the people who live in this district."

Current SCUSD Board Member Patrick Kennedy has also apparently thrown his hat into the ring for ...Continue reading this story at the SCUSD Observer

Incumbents have done particularly well even when faced with opposition: The last time a challenger upended a sitting council member (not inc luding the mayor) was 1992, and it's only happened eight times since 1975.

Three incumbents – Steve Cohn, Ray Tretheway and Robbie Waters – are running for re-election in 2010.

Council races divide families, political loyalties

Published Wednesday, Jul. 22, 2009

There are some interesting conflicts in the list of those getting behind rival candidates in the District 5 council race.

On Monday, The Bee reported that candidate Jay Schenirer had lined up some big names for an August fundraiser. Later that day, one of his challengers – Patrick Kennedy – sent along a list of his supporters.

Schenirer, a former Sac City Unified school board member and a consultant for high-powered foundations, and Kennedy, a sitting school board member, are battling three others to take over the seat being vacated in 2010 by Councilwoman Lauren Hammond. Hammond, who has held the seat since 1997, is running for Assembly.

According to a flier announcing Schenirer's Aug. 6 fundraiser, West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon is a supporter.

Kennedy's list of backers includes three West Sacramento council members: Mark Johannessen, who opposed Cabaldon in the November election, and William Kristoff and Oscar Villegas, who in the past aligned themselves with Cabaldon.

Developer Mark Friedman is backing Schenirer. Developer Angelo G. Tsakopoulos is backing Kennedy.

Reuben Serna, brother of the late Mayor Joe Serna Jr., is behind Kennedy. Phil Serna, son of the late mayor, is behind Schenirer.

With so many candidates running for four council seats next year, expect more divisions to emerge.

This story is taken from Sacbee / Our Region

Councilwoman Lauren Hammond is vacating the District 5 seat she's held since 1997 to run for the state Assembly.

Hammond's jump into the Assembly race has resulted in a packed field in District 5, where five candidates are running for the seat that covers neighborhoods such as Curtis Park, Oak Park and Hollywood Park in the city's south central side.

The size of the field vying for Hammond's seat isn't surprising, given the rarity of having an incumbent give up a council slot.

Candidates who have filed paperwork with the city announcing their intentions to run include: Kasey Cotulla, a partner in a local printing company; Terrence Johnson, a small-business owner and executive director for the Oak Park Business Association and Stockton Boulevard Partnership; Sacramento City Unified School District board member Patrick Kennedy; Jay Schenirer, a consultant for various nonprofit foundations and former city school board member; and Jameel Pugh, a mentoring specialist with the city school district and former standout basketball player at Sacramento State.

The District 5 race highlights the range of political exposure of next year's candidates. Kennedy and Schenirer have both held elected positions; the other three have never run a campaign.

Schenirer has already lined up big names for an August fundraiser, including state Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon and developer Mark Friedman.

Political insiders say he also has the inside track on garnering Johnson's support because as vice president of the Sacramento City Unified School District board, Schenirer voted in favor of turning Sacramento High School into a charter school run by Johnson's nonprofit St. HOPE.

"Endorsements are important for what they show, that there are leaders in the community who believe in me," Schenirer said. "But at the end of the day, it's about connecting with the people who live in this district."

At the other end of the political spectrum is Cotulla, one of at least seven candidates trying to break into the city's elected circles for the first time.

"Sacramento has been run with a kind of tiered system in how council members come up," he said. "They stand in line and the next person who's been tapped is ready to be queued up. I don't like that system."

The fields forming in opposition to Cohn and Waters, the longest-tenured council members, are smaller.

Cohn, whose District 3 covers neighborhoods in east Sacramento, has no opposition as of yet, but there are rumblings he could have in the form of some familiar names.

Former state Sen. Deborah Ortiz – who also was a councilwoman in the 1990s – has been mentioned as a potential candidate. Ortiz did not return phone messages last week.

Former mayoral candidate and midtown business owner Shawn Eldredge is considering running but said he will not raise funds.

"I expect I'm going to be in," he said. "I won't, however, if a 20-something with a Ph.D. and a good head who's not a politician joins the race."

District 7 Councilman Waters is opposed by Ryan Chin, the director of strategic communications at California State University, Sacramento, and a former Sacramento County planning commissioner. Another candidate, John Puente, recently dropped out.

The district covers the Pocket and Valley Hi neighborhoods of south Sacramento.

Tretheway is opposed by three candidates for the District 1 seat that covers North and South Natomas: Angelique Ashby, a consultant and neighborhood activist from North Natomas; John Dahilig, a 27-year-old who was a combat medic with the Marines and is now in the Navy Reserve; and Lisa Kaplan, a Natomas Unified School District board member.

For Natomas, which has had significant growth in the past decade, this is the largest field of candidates since 1989.

Before next year's election, other candidates are expected to surface. At least one other person is considering running for the council but told The Bee he hasn't reached a decision.

"I think (local politics) has become an insider's game in many people's minds," Dietrich said. "But now a lot of people are saying they can get inside that circle."

This story is taken from Sacbee / Our Region / Top Stories

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