Friday, May 10, 2013
Busy week coming up for school board, committees, schools
Area 4 Superintendent honored at recent awards dinner
Area 4 Superintendent Dr. Marian Kim-Phelps was formally recognized
recently for being named the 2013 Central Office Administrator of the
Year by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA)
Region 18. Dr. Phelps oversees the Clairemont, Kearny and Madison
clusters.
The
recognition took place at the annual "Honoring Our Own" awards dinner,
sponsored by Association of California School Administrators and San
Diego County School Boards Association. More than 20 educators in a
variety of job categories within ACSA Region 18 were honored along with
Dr. Phelps. Superintendent Bill Kowba, Superintendent Designate Cindy
Marten, Deputy Superintendent Dr. Nellie Meyer, Area 4 principals and
office staff joined in the celebration.
The mission of ACSA is to support California's educational leaders; to ensure all children have the essential skills and knowledge needed to excel; and to champion public education. Nearly 1,000 educational leaders belong to ACSA Region 18, which encompasses San Diego and Imperial Counties.
The
recognition took place at the annual "Honoring Our Own" awards dinner,
sponsored by Association of California School Administrators and San
Diego County School Boards Association. More than 20 educators in a
variety of job categories within ACSA Region 18 were honored along with
Dr. Phelps. Superintendent Bill Kowba, Superintendent Designate Cindy
Marten, Deputy Superintendent Dr. Nellie Meyer, Area 4 principals and
office staff joined in the celebration.The mission of ACSA is to support California's educational leaders; to ensure all children have the essential skills and knowledge needed to excel; and to champion public education. Nearly 1,000 educational leaders belong to ACSA Region 18, which encompasses San Diego and Imperial Counties.
‘Roadeo school’ bus drivers bring trophies back to San Diego Unified
San Diego Unified's Special Needs Roadeo team of Robelyn Watson and her attendant, Cindy Wrightcame, in third in the recent National Special Needs Team Roadeo in Frisco, Tx.
Watson, a State Certified Instructor who is an Extraboard School Bus Driver, and Wright, also a State Certified Instructor who is an Instructor for San Diego Unified, are part of the district's Transportation Department team, which transports thousands of students daily with special needs or students changing schools under the federal No Child Left Behind act. The department has a history of victory in regional Roadeos -- organized competitions between districts to show school bus drivers' skill and safety.
The
competition tests the skills and knowledge of the driver and attendant
in a variety of written and drive tests focusing on special needs
understanding.
Some of the areas of knowledge tested are
wheelchair securement, manufacturing and laws; pupil management of
special needs students; car seat knowledge and securement; safe
emergency evacuation from an imaginary fire on the bus; pre-trip of the
school bus (which is required of every bus driven every day by every
driver!); driving skills (while managing unruly passengers!) and a
written test that requires the contestants to research a variety of
disabilities, laws and special need knowledge.
The focus of the competition is to learn and improve the skills of the drivers and attendants. The competition is sponsored by the National Association of Pupil Transportation and School Transportation News.
Teams from throughout the US came to Texas to participate. Robelyn and Cindy look forward to participating again in 2014. Robelyn will be competing in the Special Needs category soon in the California Association of School Transportation Officials Southern Sectional Roadeo in Apple Valley. She will be joined by the rest of San Diego Unified's Roadeo team, who compete in the categories of Transit or Conventional and Special Needs school bus.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
San Diego Unified School District Launches Prop. Z Program with Sale of $530 Million in Bonds
San Diego Unified received $530 million on April 30 after selling a
portion of its $2.8 billion in general obligation bonds for Prop.
Z, the bond measure approved by nearly 62 percent of the San Diego
voters on Nov. 6, 2012. The bond funds will be used to continue
repairing, renovating and revitalizing neighborhood schools. Bond
projects include classroom technology, new/renovated facilities for
College, Career and Technical Education, air conditioning, safety and
security upgrades, turf fields, and other capital improvements at
traditional and charter schools throughout the district. By law, the
funds cannot be used for teacher or school administrator salaries.
The
school district took advantage of low taxable interest rates and
tax-exempt financing to pay for classroom technology. The recent bond
sales were structured so that the useful life of assets matched the
maturity of bonds. Technology projects have shorter term bonds, while
construction projects have longer term bonds.
"The school district used an innovative multiple maturity structure that allowed it to match the useful life of assets to specific needs, and get a very low cost of borrowing," according to Stan Dobbs, chief financial officer for San Diego Unified. "At 1.78 the school district's debt repayment ratio is very low, which gets the taxpayer more for their money. In fact, this was the lowest interest cost of any of the general obligation bond sales since the inception of the district's Prop. MM, the bond measure approved by San Diego voters in 1998."
Before the sale, credit ratings were requested from Moody's Investor's Service and Standard and Poor's Ratings Services for the bonds. San Diego Unified's finance team diligently pursued ratings from the rating agencies, and made its case that factors that secure the bonds are stable. As a result of Moody's and Standard and Poor's review, the bonds were assigned a rating of Aa3 (stable outlook) by Moody's and AA- by Standard and Poor's .
"Achieving such solid investment grade ratings from the rating agencies helped to generate confidence from a variety of buyers, which ultimately led to a lower cost of borrowing for the school district," said Dobbs. "The school district also used several innovative strategies to achieve the lowest cost of borrowing, which included aggressive pricing of its bonds, conservative debt structure and maintaining high credit ratings."
The district does not receive all of the $2.8 billion Prop. Z bond funds at once. It receives them incrementally based on the frequency of bond sales. Additional bond sales will be conducted during the life of the facilities bond program. The next one is slated for 2015.
At its May 14 meeting, the Board of Education will review the Prop. Z project plan that will utilize the bond proceeds.
 |
| Construction at Knox Middle School. |
"The school district used an innovative multiple maturity structure that allowed it to match the useful life of assets to specific needs, and get a very low cost of borrowing," according to Stan Dobbs, chief financial officer for San Diego Unified. "At 1.78 the school district's debt repayment ratio is very low, which gets the taxpayer more for their money. In fact, this was the lowest interest cost of any of the general obligation bond sales since the inception of the district's Prop. MM, the bond measure approved by San Diego voters in 1998."
Before the sale, credit ratings were requested from Moody's Investor's Service and Standard and Poor's Ratings Services for the bonds. San Diego Unified's finance team diligently pursued ratings from the rating agencies, and made its case that factors that secure the bonds are stable. As a result of Moody's and Standard and Poor's review, the bonds were assigned a rating of Aa3 (stable outlook) by Moody's and AA- by Standard and Poor's .
"Achieving such solid investment grade ratings from the rating agencies helped to generate confidence from a variety of buyers, which ultimately led to a lower cost of borrowing for the school district," said Dobbs. "The school district also used several innovative strategies to achieve the lowest cost of borrowing, which included aggressive pricing of its bonds, conservative debt structure and maintaining high credit ratings."
The district does not receive all of the $2.8 billion Prop. Z bond funds at once. It receives them incrementally based on the frequency of bond sales. Additional bond sales will be conducted during the life of the facilities bond program. The next one is slated for 2015.
At its May 14 meeting, the Board of Education will review the Prop. Z project plan that will utilize the bond proceeds.
Patrick Henry freshman relaxes... by writing a novel
After
a tiring day at school, there’s nothing freshman Olivia Silva enjoys
more than sitting down, turning on some Green Day, and writing a novel. Resistance, a 225-page story Olivia began writing in middle school, is on its way to becoming her first published book.
From the beginning of her second semester of sixth grade, Olivia began writing her story as an outlet from the day’s troubles.
“Resistance describes a post-nuclear war America that was taken over by Talists, an oppressive political party that most citizens hadn’t even heard of until it was too late,” Olivia said. “The bulk of the book tells the story of the struggle between the new government and a rebellious group of people, known as the Resistance. However, much of the conflict doesn’t necessarily belong to a single character and the government is not the only thing they are rebelling against.”
The Talists, the main antagonists of the story, budded out of Olivia’s earliest reflections upon her new-found understanding of politics. As the editing process continues and the reviews from peers and teachers drive her to improve her colossal work, her current viewpoints on the characters’ struggles become more apparent.
“Some of the themes in Resistance reflect what I thought in sixth grade and others reflect what I believe now,” she said. The content of her book, with a deep, controversial conflict and descriptions more richly worded than many authors three times her age could write, Olivia’s talent and intelligence are evident in the pages of the story she worked so hard to create.
“There are also moral and religious aspects in the story, and at the time, I was trying to figure out what I believed. By the time I finished and revised it, I wasn’t so confused anymore,” she said.
In order to finally reach the sweet point of publication, Olivia must deal with flaky editors and unimpressed publishers. Even with half a dozen rejected query letters behind her, she remains hopeful that her first few chapters of work will shine through to someone.
“Even though the first couple publishers I’ve sent Resistance to have not accepted it, I still have that desire to be heard and I’ll submit it to however many I have to in order to get it published,” she said. While she may never really know how an after-school idea in her head became an enormous superstory, Olivia is sure she wants the world to read it.
“I feel as though I have something important to say, only I can’t speak it. I’m kind of quiet and shy, but through writing, I don’t have to speak and I feel a lot more confident,” she said.
Writing has always been natural for Olivia, who has been drawn to the written word since she first learned to write. One of her first stories, “Butter,” told the woesome tale of a time she mistook butter for cheese and ate it plain.
“It didn’t really have a happy ending,” she recalled. Since “Butter,” Olivia has been escaping to song lyrics, short stories, poems, and even novels as a way to create a world to get away from the one she’s in.
There’s no gimmick behind Resistance, no reason to say, “this is good…for a sixth grader.” Through finding and revealing her stances on the controversial conflicts of the characters, Olivia says, “subconsciously, I wrote Resistance to discover who I was.” With teenage writing publication TeenInk featuring her works online and English teachers marveling at their new miracle student after she writes her first essay, there’s no question that Olivia Silva’s writing will end up published, the only question is when.
 |
| Olivia Silva |
“Resistance describes a post-nuclear war America that was taken over by Talists, an oppressive political party that most citizens hadn’t even heard of until it was too late,” Olivia said. “The bulk of the book tells the story of the struggle between the new government and a rebellious group of people, known as the Resistance. However, much of the conflict doesn’t necessarily belong to a single character and the government is not the only thing they are rebelling against.”
The Talists, the main antagonists of the story, budded out of Olivia’s earliest reflections upon her new-found understanding of politics. As the editing process continues and the reviews from peers and teachers drive her to improve her colossal work, her current viewpoints on the characters’ struggles become more apparent.
“Some of the themes in Resistance reflect what I thought in sixth grade and others reflect what I believe now,” she said. The content of her book, with a deep, controversial conflict and descriptions more richly worded than many authors three times her age could write, Olivia’s talent and intelligence are evident in the pages of the story she worked so hard to create.
“There are also moral and religious aspects in the story, and at the time, I was trying to figure out what I believed. By the time I finished and revised it, I wasn’t so confused anymore,” she said.
In order to finally reach the sweet point of publication, Olivia must deal with flaky editors and unimpressed publishers. Even with half a dozen rejected query letters behind her, she remains hopeful that her first few chapters of work will shine through to someone.
“Even though the first couple publishers I’ve sent Resistance to have not accepted it, I still have that desire to be heard and I’ll submit it to however many I have to in order to get it published,” she said. While she may never really know how an after-school idea in her head became an enormous superstory, Olivia is sure she wants the world to read it.
“I feel as though I have something important to say, only I can’t speak it. I’m kind of quiet and shy, but through writing, I don’t have to speak and I feel a lot more confident,” she said.
Writing has always been natural for Olivia, who has been drawn to the written word since she first learned to write. One of her first stories, “Butter,” told the woesome tale of a time she mistook butter for cheese and ate it plain.
“It didn’t really have a happy ending,” she recalled. Since “Butter,” Olivia has been escaping to song lyrics, short stories, poems, and even novels as a way to create a world to get away from the one she’s in.
There’s no gimmick behind Resistance, no reason to say, “this is good…for a sixth grader.” Through finding and revealing her stances on the controversial conflicts of the characters, Olivia says, “subconsciously, I wrote Resistance to discover who I was.” With teenage writing publication TeenInk featuring her works online and English teachers marveling at their new miracle student after she writes her first essay, there’s no question that Olivia Silva’s writing will end up published, the only question is when.
Execerpt from poem, “This is What it’s Like,” featured as an editor’s pick on TeenInk
“Buildings tower over my small figure, distorted and gray and like splotches of black ink on a parchment letter. The tarred road is cracked and torn, reeking of sweat, blood, and petroleum. I lift my head to the sky to catch the rain that is sure to fall, but it seems as though the clouds have deceived me.”
-- Brianna Pinto
Patriot Press
Patrick Henry High
Patriot Press
Patrick Henry High
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Therapy dogs help Whitman, Lafayette, CPMA and Madison deaf, hard of hearing students
All San Diego Unified students are expected to receive their high
school diplomas and degreed, four-legged visitors to four San Diego
Unified campuses are helping deaf, hard of hearing students to reach
that goal.
Specially trained collies Lana and Amos, trained by Michael Neu and his wife, Karen Meyer, have had a significant positive effect on academics for students who are deaf/ hard-of-hearing at Whitman, Lafayette, CPMA and Madison, said Jeanne Cicchetto, a San Diego Unified Resource Teacher in the deaf/hard-of-hearing program.
"Regular visits with these collies have provided students with an opportunity to learn about canine care and how hearing dogs can assist people with hearing loss both in their homes and in the community," she said. "Students return to their classwork with an increased ability to focus and an obvious feeling of well-being. Improved communication skills, independence and self-esteem are other benefits the students exhibit after their canine visits."
For more information on the program, contact Cicchetto at 858-490-8412.
Specially trained collies Lana and Amos, trained by Michael Neu and his wife, Karen Meyer, have had a significant positive effect on academics for students who are deaf/ hard-of-hearing at Whitman, Lafayette, CPMA and Madison, said Jeanne Cicchetto, a San Diego Unified Resource Teacher in the deaf/hard-of-hearing program.
"Regular visits with these collies have provided students with an opportunity to learn about canine care and how hearing dogs can assist people with hearing loss both in their homes and in the community," she said. "Students return to their classwork with an increased ability to focus and an obvious feeling of well-being. Improved communication skills, independence and self-esteem are other benefits the students exhibit after their canine visits."
For more information on the program, contact Cicchetto at 858-490-8412.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
63 schools get star treatment from California business group
The California Business for Education Excellence has named 63 San
Diego Unified School District schools and charter schools to its annual
honor roll.
The 2012 Honor Roll includes public elementary, middle and high schools recognized for demonstrating consistently high levels of student academic achievement, improvement in achievement over time, and reduction in achievement gaps. For high schools, Honor Roll recognition includes measures of college readiness.
The 2,108 Honor Roll schools statewide is a record, according to the group, and includes871 higher poverty schools that are increasing academic performance and closing the achievement gap, and 100 “STEM” schools that excel in science and mathematics.
“We have schools throughout the state that are getting it right for all students and this should not be a secret,” said Greg Jones, Chairman of California Business for Education Excellence and past member of the California State Board of Education. “To ensure more of our schools succeed, we must change the conversation from being about fixing failing schools to one that focuses on replicating the success of schools like those on the Honor Roll.”
Over time, the group has identified a common set of success factors in higher performing Honor Roll schools and districts. These include high expectations for all students; ongoing collaboration among teachers to improve practice; targeted use of data to pinpoint challenges and monitor progress; continual intervention for struggling students; and mastery of content knowledge and pedagogical practices.
“Honor Roll schools are overcoming challenges and obstacles every day for all students and are especially succeeding with kids who have been historically underserved. Our goal is to highlight their results, and provide a voice to these outstanding educators so that their success can be emulated in other places, “ said Jim Lanich, California Business for Education Excellence president.
The Honor Roll list grew from 261 schools when the program began in 2005 to the current 2,108 for 2012. The number of Honor Roll STAR (higher poverty, high achieving) schools increased from 74 in 2005 in to 871 in 2012. A full list of the Honor Roll schools and districts can be found at: www.cbee.org.
The annual Honor Roll program is made possible with support from numerous businesses and organizations including State Farm, Macy’s, Edison International, Wells Fargo, Southern California Auto Club, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, the California Business Roundtable, and several private foundations. Chevron Corporation provided specific support in the creation of the STEM Honor Roll.
The 2012 Honor Roll includes public elementary, middle and high schools recognized for demonstrating consistently high levels of student academic achievement, improvement in achievement over time, and reduction in achievement gaps. For high schools, Honor Roll recognition includes measures of college readiness.
The 2,108 Honor Roll schools statewide is a record, according to the group, and includes871 higher poverty schools that are increasing academic performance and closing the achievement gap, and 100 “STEM” schools that excel in science and mathematics.
“We have schools throughout the state that are getting it right for all students and this should not be a secret,” said Greg Jones, Chairman of California Business for Education Excellence and past member of the California State Board of Education. “To ensure more of our schools succeed, we must change the conversation from being about fixing failing schools to one that focuses on replicating the success of schools like those on the Honor Roll.”
Over time, the group has identified a common set of success factors in higher performing Honor Roll schools and districts. These include high expectations for all students; ongoing collaboration among teachers to improve practice; targeted use of data to pinpoint challenges and monitor progress; continual intervention for struggling students; and mastery of content knowledge and pedagogical practices.
“Honor Roll schools are overcoming challenges and obstacles every day for all students and are especially succeeding with kids who have been historically underserved. Our goal is to highlight their results, and provide a voice to these outstanding educators so that their success can be emulated in other places, “ said Jim Lanich, California Business for Education Excellence president.
The Honor Roll list grew from 261 schools when the program began in 2005 to the current 2,108 for 2012. The number of Honor Roll STAR (higher poverty, high achieving) schools increased from 74 in 2005 in to 871 in 2012. A full list of the Honor Roll schools and districts can be found at: www.cbee.org.
The annual Honor Roll program is made possible with support from numerous businesses and organizations including State Farm, Macy’s, Edison International, Wells Fargo, Southern California Auto Club, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, the California Business Roundtable, and several private foundations. Chevron Corporation provided specific support in the creation of the STEM Honor Roll.
2012 Star Schools
High poverty, high performing, achievement gap closing schools- Alcott Elementary
- Angier Elementary
- Baker Elementary
- Barnard Elementary
- Birney Elementary
- Challenger Middle
- Correia Middle
- Crown Point Elementary
- Edison Elementary
- Ericson Elementary
- Fletcher Elementary
- Green Elementary
- Hamilton Elementary
- Hardy Elementary
- Innovation Middle
- Jones Elementary
- Kearny Digital Media & Design
- Kimbrough Elementary
- King-Chavez Arts Academy
- King-Chavez Primary Academy
- Lewis Middle
- Loma Portal Elementary
- Mira Mesa High
- Pacific Beach Elementary
- Pacific Beach Middle
- Paradise Hills Elementary
- Perry Elementary
- Pershing Middle
- Point Loma High
- Preuss School UCSD
- San Diego International Studies
- San Diego SCPA
- Sandburg Elementary
- Tierrasanta Elementary
- Toler Elementary
- University City High
- Vista Grande Elementary
Scholar Schools
High performing schools without significant levels of low-income students- Benchley/Weinberger Elementary
- Bird Rock Elementary
- Curie Elementary
- Dailard Elementary
- Dingeman Elementary
- Doyle Elementary
- Einstein Academy
- Grant K-8
- Hearst Elementary
- Holmes Elementary
- Jerabek Elementary
- Kumeyaay Elementary
- La Jolla Elementary
- La Jolla High
- Marshall Middle
- Marvin Elementary
- Miramar Ranch Elementary
- Muirlands Middle
- Old Town Academy K-8 Charter
- Scripps Elementary
- Scripps Ranch High
- Sessions Elementary
- Silver Gate Elementary
- Standley Middle
- Sunset View Elementary
- Torrey Pines Elementary
STEM Schools
Honor Roll schools with higher poverty and higher performance in math and science- Green Elementary
- Jones Elementary
- Pacific Beach Elementary
- Sandburg Elementary
- Tierrasanta Elementary
- Vista Grande Elementary
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