August 21, 2015 - Glendale Unified School District

Transcription

GleDdale V.ified School District
Superi.te.de.tJs Office
BOARD LETTER
08/21/2015
COPIES TO:
Boa:.-d of Education
Supt. G:.-oup
BOARD / SUPERINTENDENT CALENDARS
Au ust 2015
24
3:30 m
24
5:30 pm
LOCATION
BOARD
MEMBER
FASO
Gharpetian
Freemon
I Student Advisor Council
SFAC Meeting
11:30 am
GYA Employees of Tomorrow Brandview Ballroom, 109 E.
Luncheon
Harvard
Glendale
27
All Day
Supt's Conference Room
Special Board Meeting
Final Interview
Wilson
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27
5:30-6:30 Back-to-School Night
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1's Conference Room
BoardRoom
Leaders Supt's Conf. Room
11 :30 am
9am
Hilton Universal
Teacher ofthe Year Luncheon
Glendale
Council
PTA First United Methodist Church
Administrators Luncheon
La Canada USD
I Five Star Ed Coalition
Walters
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Board Letter 08/21/2015
Page 2
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Five Star Ed Coalition
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Ethics
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GEF Annual
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Page 5
SUPERINTENDENT/BOARD COMMUNICATIONS
--~----~------.--
------,
--
Draft-Special Board Meeting No.5: Attached is a draft of the special meeting on
August 27, 2015. The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. in the Supt's Conference
Room.
8
Contract Extension for Interim Superintendent: As the search for a new
superintendent is being extended beyond the timeframe the district had originally
planned, we will be placing on the September 1, 2015 agenda an extension to the
employment contract for Dr. Empey. Please let us know if you have any questions.
10
- --------------------"-
.
----
. Update on Teacher of the Year Recognition from LACOE: As the Board is
j aware, Ms. Andrea Reuter from Edison Elementary was selected as GUSD's
I Teacher of the Year. Ms. Reuter represented the district at the County level
I competition, but was not selected as one of LACOE's 16 finalists. Since she was
t not selected as a finalist, she has chosen not to attend the luncheon on September 18.
i Mrs. Reuter feels that her presence in the classroom is more beneficial to her
I students, especially during the early month in the school year.
I
r SFAC Meeti.igoii-Au-gusti4~-2015: The SFACmeeiIng is scheduled
for Monday,
13
14
I August 24, 2015, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., at FASO. Attached is a copy of the
i agenda for that meeting.
I-Written--a;d
Oral Language Translation--Co-;Uparisons:
GUS]5uannually
I monitors the completion of written and oral translations across all school sites and
! departments. There was a noticeable decrease in requests for Spanish written
I translations from 2013-2014 to 2014-2015. Records show that the decrease was
I mainly due to lack of need for translations services for SWUM Math materials in
I 2014-2015. Translation requests for Armenian, Spanish, Korean and Arabic
I remained consistent during both school years, both in written and oral formats. A
I comparison chart is attached.
16
I
I 21 st Century-Homework Policy at-l\1arshaiiElementa~y:-PrindpalCarla Walker
I shared that teachers at Marshall focused their presentations around homework at
: Back-to-School Night (BTSN) on August 19. Teachers at Marshall are no longer
I sending homework papers/packets home with students and having them returned.
i Instead of paper homework, teachers encourage students to use technology by
i visiting websites, such as i-Ready, but do not mandate it. Information on Marshall's
21 st Century Homework Policy" is attached.
18
!
Page 6
iA-Iiiendment to Charter-School Board Policies: ReviSionstoBo-arcfPolicy0420A
I - Charter School Authorization were approved by the Board on August 18, 2015.
I To align the administrative regulations (AR) with the Board Policy, revisions have
I been made to AR 0420.4, as well. Please review the attachment and let us know if
I you have any questions.
i-crescenta Valley High-SchO~i---=-K~re~~ Educational Development Institute
54
I Visit: A delegation of 24 from the Korean Educational Development Institute
I (KEDI) will be visiting Crescent Valley High on October 27, 2015. The purpose of
I their visit is for KEDI to learn and benchmark overall educational system of CV
: High so they can improve and/or update their system, if necessary. KED I was
i founded in 1972 by the Korean Education Department in order to develop and
! research overall educational policy as well as textbooks for Korean public school
!, (grades 1-12).
~----~ ----------------
!
------------------
--
Crescenta Valley Alliance - Orange Fest 2015: On August 12, 2015, the CV
Alliance sponsored the first orange Fest which was held at Crescenta Valley Park.
Teens went through the Expo in the County building.
Student Support
Services/Healthy Start had a booth at the carnival for the parents. Informational
sheets were provided about the services offered through Healthy Start and free drug
testing kits were available for those parents requesting one.
-- --
-
-------
55,
Agreement with 24 Hour Fitness: To continue in its efforts to encourage
employee wellness, the district has entered into a one-year corporate partnership
with 24 Hour Fitness. This agreement provides GUSD employees and their family
members with free initiation fees and reduced enrollment rates. This program is
being offered at no cost to the district.
- ---- - -_. - -------------
- ---------- ----------------- -
_.-
-
---
Hoover High School Pilots Cell Phones as Responders: Hoover High School will
be piloting the use of pre-owned cell phones as student responding devices in one of
their classes. The devices, commonly referred to as Responders, enable students to
digitally submit independent answers to questions in real time, thereby providing
teachers with important feedback. Responders for a single classroom set cost
approximately $2000. With the new network infrastructure and reliable districtwide
wireless access, using donated cell phones as Responders can be an economic
solution. The cell phones will be wiped clean of any data with the help of ETIS
prior to use.
Bob Hope Airport Student Art Tower Banner Contest: The GUSD will
participate in the 2015-2016 Bob Hope AirpOli Student Art Tower Banner Contest.
Student submissions are due January 8, 2016. Judging will take place on January
13,2016. Attached are the guidelines of the contest. A $3,000 award will be given
to each school district in honor of the winning entry, and that award will serve as a
license fee for the Airport Authority's exclusive use of the winning art for a twoyear license period.
58
!
Page 7
-
"--------------_.---._---'.--
~-
-----------------
Flyers: The attached flyers are being placed on vehicles parked at or near District
property. One flyer is being distributed by Rescue YourChild.com and encourages
parents to remove their children from public school. The other is being distributed
by ConcernedParentsofCalifornia.com and gives parents information on how to opt
out of allowing their student to take Common Core or other standardized tests.
57
RAND Corporation Research Study: On March 15,2015, the RAND Corporation
contacted the district to request a number of site visits. They explained that they
were conducting research on schools that used technology to improve student safety.
It was decided that GUSD would be pmi of the study. Attached is a summary of
their research based on their site visits in April 2015 .
65
. -.
-
Speech Theraov: We have successfully staffed the maJonty of our open
Speech/Language Pathologist (SLP) and Speech/Language Pathology Assistant
(SLP A) positions for the new school year. However, some gaps in coverage have
occurred due to some last minute changes in both district and agency-contracted
speech therapists. Edwards Speech Pathology Center was contacted, but was unable
to provide a SLP. Therefore, we have provisionally contracted with another Los
Angeles based agency, Comprehensive Therapy Associates (CTA). Their director,
Niki Daduryan, is also an SLP and will be providing support for Fremont. The
contract for CTA will be placed on the September 4, 2105 agenda for Board
approval.
70
Middle School Back-To-School-night and Common Core State Standards
(CCSS) Messaging: PD Coordinator Jill Firstman received some feedback from a
middle school parent at Back-To-School-Night (BTSN), who expressed that he felt
that the CCSS messaging has improved and is more consistent.
71
-
--_._.
--
-----------~------~-------~-------
----
--~------
GUSD News: Attached is the press release sent to the media from our Public
Information office.
-
73
EVENTS
2015 Glendale Fire Department Awards Luncheon: the 2015 Glendale Fire
Department Awards luncheon hosted by the Glendale Sunrise Rotary Club takes
place on Wednesday, October 7, 2015, 11 :30 a.m., at the Glendale Hilton Hotel.
Please contact Phyllis you wish to attend this event.
75
INFORMATION
Newspaper Articles:
76
GLENDALE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
223 North Jackson Street
Glendale, California 91206
(818) 241-3111
BOARD OF EDUCATION SPECIAL MEETING NO.5
Administration Center
August 27, 2015
8:30A.M.
In compliance with Education Code 35144, the presiding officer of the Board of Education is calling a
Special meeting on Thursday, August 27,2015 at 8:30 A.M. in room 402 at the Administration Center,
223 North Jackson Street, Glendale.
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) the District will provide accommodations, with reasonable
advanced notice, for any individual with a disability needing to access the information herein. Please contact the Glendale
Unified School District Public Information Office to request such accommodations.
AGENDA
ITEM
A.
OPENING - 8:30 A.M.
1.
Call to Order and Roll Call
2.
Pledge of Allegiance
3.
Certification of Compliance
To accommodate the requirement of Government Code Section 54954.2 in accordance with the
Brown Act revisions; the agenda for the meeting was posted on the bulletin board in the
Administration Center and the Glendale Unified School District website 24 hours prior to this
meeting.
4.
B.
Approval of Agenda Order
COMMUNICATIONS FROM PUBLIC (on closed session items only)
1.
Public Communications
ADDRESSING THE BOARD OF EDUCATION-An individual or group representative may
address the Board of Education on any agenda item or subject within its jurisdiction by
completing a request card. Speakers are requested to state their name and address prior to
speaking to the Board. Not more than five minutes may be allotted to each speaker and no more
than twenty minutes to each subject, except by unanimous consent of the Board of Education.
Board Members may question the speaker but there will be no debate or decision. The
Superintendent may refer the matter to the proper department for review.
C.
CLOSED SESSION
1.
PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT/APPOINTMENT pursuant to Government
Code §54957.
Title: 1. Superintendent
2. Interim Superintendent
D.
RETURN TO REGULAR MEETING
E.
ADJOURNMENT
9
September 1, 2015
ACTION REPORT No.1
TO:
Board of Education
FROM:
Dr. Donald Empey, Interim Superintendent
PREPARED IN:
Office of the Superintendent
SUBJECT:
Contract Extension for Interim Superintendent
The Board of Education recommends an extension to the
employment contract for Dr. Donald W. Empey, Interim
Superintendent.
On June 16,2015, the Board of Education approved a contract for Dr. Donald W.
Empey to serve as Interim Superintendent, effective July 7, 2015 and ending
September 15,2015, with a total amount of the contract not to exceed $40,000.
As the search for a superintendent is being extended beyond the timeframe the
district had originally planned, the Board of Education is requesting amendments
to Sections 2 and 3 of the contract as follows:
2. Terms of Employment
The Board hereby employs the Interim Superintendent beginning on
the 7th day of July 2015 and shall conclude on or before September
15, 2015 the maximum CalSTRS postretirement earning limit of
$40,000 is reached; however, this Contract contains no promise of
any kind regarding the length of employment of the Interim
Superintendent. This is an at-will employment contract. Therefore,
either party may terminate this contract.
3. Salary
The Interim Superintendent shall be compensated at the rate of $800
per work day beginning July 7, 2015 and ending September 15,2015.
The total amount of the contract shall not exceed $40,000. The
contract will conclude on or before the maximum CalSTRS
postretirement earning limit of $40,000 is reached.
10
September 1, 2015
Action Report No.1
Page 2
The Interim Superintendent is a certificated management employee
who is exempt from overtime.
The attached amendment to the employment contract for Dr. Donald W. Empey is
being presented for approval by the Board of Education.
11
September 1, 2015
Action Report No.1
Page 3
FIRST AMENDMENT TO EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT BETWEEN
GLENDALE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT AND DR. DONALD W. EMPEY
September 1, 2015
This amends the agreement made and entered into on the i h day of July
2015 by and between the Board of Education ("Board") of the Glendale Unified
School District ("District") and Dr. Donald W. Empey, Interim Superintendent.
Section 2, "Terms of Employment," is amended to read as follows:
The Board hereby employs the Interim Superintendent beginning
on the i h day of July 2015 and shall conclude on or before the
maximum CalSTRS postretirement earning limit of $40,000 is
reached; however, this Contract contains no promise of any kind
regarding the length of employment of the Interim Superintendent.
This is an at-will employment contract. Therefore, either party
may terminate this contract
Section 3, "Salary," is amended to read as follows:
The Interim Superintendent shall be compensated at the rate of
$800 per work day beginning July 7, 2015. The contract will end
on or before the maximum CalSTRS postretirement earning limit of
$40,000 is reached.
The Interim Superintendent is a certificated management employee
who is exempt from overtime.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have duly approved and
executed this first amendment to the employment contract of Dr. Donald W.
Empey on the day and year above written.
Christine Walters
President, Board of Education
Donald W. Empey, Ed.D.
Interim Superintendent of Schools
12
Educational Services
MEMORANDUM
TO:
FROM:
~~. Kelly King, Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services
DATE:
August 19, 2015
SUBJECT:
Update on Teacher of the Year Recognition from LACOE
This memorandum is a follow up to previously submitted memo dated July 15, 2015,
where Glendale Unified School District's (GUS D) Teacher of the Year (TOY), Ms.
Andrea Reuter, was invited to participate in Los Angeles County Office of
Education's (LACOE) competition for TOY. On Tuesday, August 18, 2015, Dr. Kelly
King, Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services, received an email from Mrs.
Carmen Labrecque, Principal, Edison Elementary, notifying that Ms. Reuter was
not chosen as one of LACOE's 16 finalists. Dr. King shares that GUSD is incredibly
proud of Ms. Reuter and applaud all of her hard work on the application and video
submission. Most importantly, Dr. King is thankful for all that Ms. Reuter has done
and continues to do every day for her students.
LACOE will host a banquet luncheon on September 18, 2015, to honor the
competition's winning and participating teachers. Since Ms. Reuter was not selected
as a finalist, she has chosen not to attend the luncheon. Ms. Reuter feels that her
presence in the classroom is more beneficial to her students especially during the
early months in the school-year.
KKaa
fi :\rnk \ I 5- I 6\rnernos \king\kk-033. doc
13
Business Services
August 21,2015
TO:
Dr. Donald W. Empey, Interim Superintendent
FROM:
Robert McEntire, Chief Business and Financial Officer
PREPARED BY: Alan Reising, Administrator, Facilities Planning, Development & Support
Operations
SUBJECT:
SFAC Meeting on August 24, 2015
The Superintendent's Facility Advisory Committee meeting is scheduled for Monday, August
24,2015 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Attached is the agenda.
RM:ks
Attachment
C: Alan Reising
14
Superintendent's Facility Advisory Committee (SFAC) Meeting
Monday, August 24, 2015
5:30 p.m.
Facility & Support Operations
333 W. Magnolia Avenue
Glendale, CA 91204
FASO Conference Bungalow
I
AGENDA
I.
Call to Order
II.
Roll Call and Establishment of Quorum
III.
Approval of Minutes from August 10, 2015
IV.
Action Items
I
1. Approval of Notice of Completion with Convergint Technologies for Installation of
Security Surveillance System at Glendale High School
V.
Other Business
•
•
VI.
Recognition of outgoing members
Next Meeting is scheduled for Monday, September 8, 2015 at 6:30 p.m. in the Board
Room at the Administration Building, 223 North Jackson Street, Glendale, CA 91206
Adjourn
15
MEMORANDUM
TO:
~ Dr. Kelly King, Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services
FROM:
DATE:
August 18, 2015
SUBJECT:
Written and Oral Language Translation Comparisons
Glendale Unified School District's Intercultural Department annually monitors the
completion of written and oral translations across all school sites and departments.
The following charts show the comparison of written and oral translations completed
in 2013-2014 and 2014-2015.
9000
8000
7000
~
.,----------==-=-=---::------==------,;;;-'---::----+--------~~~~==~~========~~
-j---------
6000
lsooo
+----------'
2013 - 2014
Written
Translations
~ 4000
{3. 3000 +-----2000
1000
2014 - 2015
Written
Translations
o
School Years
2013-2014
Written
Translations
2014-2015
Written
Translations
Armenian Spanish Korean Vietnamese Arabic Other Totals
2272
7690
1455
0
267
125
11,809
2287
3735
1134
0
142
332
7,630
16
Written and Oral Language Translation Comparisons
Page 2
1400
1200
- r - - - - - - - - : : ::-----;--=---;--=------
O
ODS
+----------------.-------------------------.--
1000
'is
800
o
E-
2013 - 2014
Oral
Translations
600
400
2014 - 2015
Oral
Translations
200
0
':-.'b-<:>
e,<:>
~~
School Years
2013-2014
Oral
Translations
2014-2015
Oral
Translations
.($'
§
,-::>,<'If
'b-<:>
e,
4?"
.~(,
~e,
e,<'
~
~e,
!'.,<:>'If
..:;.,....e,
,§$'
~
Armenian Spanish Korean Vietnamese Arabic Other Totals
855
931
283
4
46
51
2,170
1147
1100
372
0
38
34
2,691
There was a noticeable decrease in requests for Spanish written translations from
2013-2014 to 2014-2015. Records show that the decrease was mainly due to lack of
need for translation services for SWUN Math materials in 2014-2015. Translation
requests for Armenian, Spanish, Korean and Arabic remained consistent during
both school years, both in written and oral formats.
6:\mk\ 15-16\memos\king\kk·03I.doc
17
MEMORANDUM
TO:
FROM:
~Ynn B. Marso, Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services
DATE:
August 20, 2015
SUBJECT:
21 st Century Homework Policy at Marshall Elementary
Ms. Carla Walker, Principal, Marshall Elementary, shared with Mrs. Lynn Marso,
Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services, that teachers at Marshall focused
their presentations around homework at Back-to-School-Night (BTSN) on August
19, 2015. In June 2015, school staff mailed the attached letters and reference
materials to parents explaining the concept of 21st Century homework and a list of
web sites that provide further information. In addition, there are four pages in the
Parent Handbook devoted to homework that were also shared with families. The
Handbook is currently only available in English but is in process of being translated
in other languages, as well as the homework handouts.
Teachers at Marshall are no longer sending homework papers/packets home with
students and having them returned. Students will not be benched for not
completing homework or classwork. Marshall's main endeavor is to have students in
school on a daily basis. Instead of paper homework, teachers encourage students to
use technology by visiting websites, such as i-Ready, but do not mandate it.
Teachers require students to read each night (from a book or reading source of their
choice). Teachers are not sending home reading logs to have students write down
what they read (most logs are never returned to teachers). Students will be applying
their reading skills in class. Some grade levels will be required to do book reports in
class (based on the books read at home).
Ms. Walker informed Mrs. Marso of the information that was shared with parents at
BTSN in the event she receives parent calls with claims that Marshall teachers are
not giving homework. Most parents are accustomed to having their students receive
homework on paper, so this transition might be challenging for some at first.
Mrs. Marso fully supports Marshall's plan of implementing 21St Century learning
homework practices.
LBM:aa
Attachments
fi:\mk\ 15-16\memos\marso\lm -029.doc
18
JOHN MARSHALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
California Distinguished School
Title I Academic Achieving School
1201 E. BROADWAY GLENDALE, CA 91206
Phone: 818.242.6834
Fax: 818.242.1761
Mrs. Carla Walker
Principal
21 st Century Homework
John Marshall Elementary School
Glendale Unified School District, along with many others across the nation, has been implementing
Common Core State Standards (CCSS). These standards require new methods of learning for students
as well as revised teaching strategies for educators. The primary goal of Common Core State Standards
is to ensure that our students are ready for College and Career. As such, these standards focus on
students becoming creative, collaborative, and critical communicators and thinkers. Teachers have had
extensive training with CCSS and will be implementing them in all classrooms. Additionally, our staff
has worked together to adapt our homework policy to support these learning goals.
Students will not be assigned a nightly traditional pen and paper assignments. The following will be
implemented instead:
•
•
•
•
•
•
It is suggested that students read nightly. This can include students reading on their own or
being read to. Students can read any type of reading material on any topic they enjoy.
Suggested minimum minutes:
Kindergarten Up to 10 minutes daily
Grades 1-3 10 to 40 minutes daily
Grades 4-6 30 to 60 minutes daily
Our district wide online iReady learning program is available for students to use at home.
Teachers will send home information regarding iReady, including log in and password.
Teachers may also provide suggested activities for skill practice or family activities that support
learning.
On occasion, students may be asked to work on parts of projects at home.
Teachers may send home items such as: study guides, word rings, math rings, spelling lists,
vocabulary lists, etc. These items will serve as guides and resources for home use and will not
be required to be returned. Accountability for using these resources will be based on how
students perform on assessments and other classroom activities.
Unfinished classwork will not be sent home as homework.
A list of suggested resources available for parents who wish to provide additional practice for their
child is attached.
19
Why 21 st Century Homework?
Common Core State Standards
The primary goal of Common Core State Standards is to ensure that our students are ready for
College and Career. These standards require a new kind of learning for students as well as a new
kind of teaching for educators. As such, these standards focus on students becoming creative,
collaborative, and critical communicators and thinkers. Reading is at the center of the CCSS in all
subject areas. We need to provide plenty of opportunity and encouragement for our students to
read and to think.
Preparing for the future
Colleges rarely expect students to turn in daily assignments. However, they DO expect students to
be able to read vast amounts and to be able to study and prepare for tests. We need to focus on
helping students to be experts at these skills.
Time to Read
Research shows that the best way to become a better reader is to READ, READ, READ! When we
assign traditional homework, students are less likely to read for pleasure. Better readers are
better thinkers!
Homework Research
The abundance of research shows that homework provides has no positive effect on student
achievement, especially in the elementary grades. We should not continue with ineffective
practices just because of tradition.
Brain Research
If a child practices a concept incorrectly, it can take 50 repetitions to unlearn the incorrect
procedure and relearn the correct procedure. This means that we must be 100% sure that every
child completely understands a concept before being asked to practice on his/her own.
Attitude Towards Learning
Homework teaches children that learning is a chore. It discourages natural curiosity and causes
them to have a negative attitude towards learning.
No Time to Play
Students work hard all day and need to go home and have the opportunity to pursue other
interests that enrich their lives. One of the reasons why there has been a rise in childhood obesity
rates is because children don't go out and play. This is partly because they often have too much
homework. Their childhoods fly by so quickly. Do we want them to look back and see a childhood
filled with homework or a childhood filled with broad experiences? Students who have hours of
homework nightly, either miss out on kid-oriented activities, get inadequate sleep in order to
finish homework, or are penalized by teachers for not completing homework.
Family Dynamics
Homework can create discord in families. One study that looked at interactions between parents
and children found that the first words out of most parents' mouths when seeing their children
after school are "do you have homework". There are constant battles at home about getting
homework done. We are creating discord. Families often have to forgo activities or adjust plans to
accommodate homework. This is detrimental to the development of the well-rounded child.
20
HOMEWORK/RESOURCE WEBSITES
INFORMATION WEBSITES FOR PARENTS:
www.corestandards.org/ - National Common Core Standards Website
www.smarterbalanced.org/ - Website for the new assessment students will take in California in
Grades 3-11
www.cde.ca.gov/re/cc/ccssresourcesparents.asp - California Department of Education Website
Parent Resources web page
www.engageny.org/resource/shifts-for-students-and-parents - Understanding Common Core
www.GUSD.net - Glendale Unified School District Website
www.johnmarshallschool.com - John Marshall webpage.
GENERAL:
www.starfall.com - Phonics and Mathematics for K-2nd
www.abcya.com - Math and Reading for K_5 th
www.abcmouse.com - Language arts and Math ages 2-7
www.e-Iearningforkids.org - All core academic areas K-12
www.softschools.com- Provides free math worksheets, math games, grammar quizzes, phonics
worksheets and online games. Organized by grade and topic. Lots of printables. Kindergarten to
High School. Great site!!
MATHEMATICS:
www.khanacademy.org - Includes leveled math videos provides feedback/tracking and practice
problems. You need to create a user account (you can use Gmail or Facebook to login). It's free.
www.FunBrain.com - In the math arcade, K_8 th math calculation activities.
www.superkids.com/aweb/tools/math/ - Super Kids Math Worksheet Creator - create a
practice worksheet in a variety of math topics
21
www.mathbits.com- A fun site for secondary and college level students. Includes tutorials on
how to use a scientific calculator, downloadable graph paper, games to practice pre-algebra,
algebra, and geometry.
READING ACCESS:
www.Bookshare.org - This is a digital library for students with print disabilities. It will read
aloud textbooks/novels on the computer. You must have an account (it's free) and your child's
disability must be verified. You can also download the app for Android tablets (Go Read) or for
the iPad (Read2Go app). No pictures/text only.
www.wegivebooks.org - More digital picture books if you are not able to go to the library (it
does not read books aloud).
SPELLING AND VOCABULARY PRACTICE:
www.AAASpell.com- This site lets you enter vocabulary and spelling words and provides practice
activities. You can create an account and it will save your progress, or you can use it without an
account.
www.scholastic.com/parents/resources/game/tools/flash-card-maker -Scholastic.com has an
online flashcard maker for spelling and vocabulary words
www.kitzkikz.com/flashcards/ - Make and cut your own flashcards
COMMUNICATION SUPPORT:
www.speakingofspeech.com/SociaISkillsPragmatics.html- Social Stories- This website has
great social stories with visuals for all kinds of activities.
TYPING/KEYBOARDING SKILLS:
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/ - Dance Mat Typing
www.funtotype.com/
HOW TO FIND APPS:
www.Momswithapp.com
www.teacherswithapps.com/-Usewebsitessuchastofindrecommendedapps.Fridays are
Free app days!
22
Homework vs. No Homework Is the Wrong Question
March 17,2015
The real question we should be asking is, "What do we believe should happen after the end of the school day to help
ensure that students retain what they have learned and are primed to learn more?" Any answer with the word,
"work" in its name, as in "homework," is not typically going to be met with eagerness or enthusiasm by students.
Ideally, we want children to understand that they are always learners. In school, we refer to them as "students" but
outside of school, as children, they are still learners. So it makes no sense to even advertise a "no homework" policy
in a school. It sends the wrong message. The policy should be, "No time-wasting, rote, repetitive tasks will be
assigned that lack clear instructional or learning purposes."
A realistic homework strategy should be a key topic of back-to-school night and the first parent-teacher conferences
of the school year. But it should also reflect a considered school policy and not simply be up to each individual
teacher to carry out according to his or own theory of student learning. Another advantage of this approach is to
ensure that individual children are not inadvertently overloaded with demands from teachers who may not know
what other teachers are asking of the same student. This is a particular concern in secondary schools.
Home Activities That Matter the Most
Children should be encouraged to read, write, perform arithmetic, better understand the world around them in terms
of civics, science, and the arts, and, of course, develop their people skills -- their emotional intelligence. This
encouragement should be part of everyday family interactions outside of school, and the school should provide
developmental guidance to all parents, in the appropriate languages, to help them do this. For some children,
specialized guidance will be needed, and this, too, should be provided proactively to parents.
Some parents will select focused programs or after-school experiences to help foster their children's learning in one
or more of the aforementioned areas. To promote equity within and across schools, communities should think about
how to make these kinds of experiences available to all children in high-quality ways -- without undue or unrealistic
expense to families.
Of course, some teachers will have specific, creative ideas about how learning can be enhanced at home, in the
context of particular units of study in school. Maybe what we need is a new word for all this. Instead of
"homework," how about "continued learning" or "ongoing growth activities?"
Parents Playing Their Part
Finally, students' learning would be greatly enhanced by schools taking a clear stance about supporting good
parenting. My colleague Yoni Schwab and I have written about the importance of parents focusing on parenting as a
priority, and secondarily working on assisting schools with educational issues (Elias, M. J., and Schwab, Y., 2004).
Aspects of good parenting that could be encouraged by schools include workshops, family nights, and discussion
series on ways to promote:
•
•
•
•
•
Children's social-emotional and character development
Parents spending more time directly interacting with their kids in enjoyable ways
Parents visibly showing how much they value the importance of education and effort
Parents monitoring their children's use of and exposure to electronic media
Children's "continued learning" in as many possible opportunities during everyday household routines.
Above all, schools should remind parents to never lose sight of modeling for their children the value of close
relationships, support, caring, and fun. That is the most important home work of all.
Reference
Elias, M. 1., and Schwab, Y. (2004). What About Parental Involvement in Parenting? The Case for Home-Focused School-Parent
Partnerships. Education Week, 24 (8), 39,41.
23
iREADY
iReady is a web-based, 100% Common Core program in Reading (ELA) and Math. An iReady adaptive diagnostic assessment is taken by all GUSD
students three times a year to determine their current abilities in reading and math, and identifying their challenges. The iReady program then helps
each student with a path of learning to meet their specific needs. All students in grades K-5 will complete iReady lessons on a weekly basis. In order
for students to make learning progress, two hours per week is the recommended time is for students to spend - one hour per week for ELA and one
hour per week for Math. Students will work on iReady during school Computer Lab or Chromebook Lab visits, and may complete iReady lessons at
home to meet their 2 hour goal. At certain times, after school Intervention on iReady will also be offered. iReady is differentiated instruction that
works! Remember that iReady may be assigned as homework to meet this goal as well.
HOMEWORK
•
•
N
..t::>
•
•
•
We believe homework helps establish study habits that are essential, and is a cooperative effort between home
and school.
In addition to daily reading, homework may be assigned for a variety of reasons: to strengthen basic skills,
extend classroom learning, develop initiative, responsibility and self-direction, and stimulate independent
thinking.
Homework assignments are a part of each student's grade.
An important aspect of our homework policy is to keep parents informed of the school's curriculum and their children's progress. It would be
helpful if you would take a few minutes each night to review concepts taught during the classroom.
If a child is absent, classwork pickup requests must be called in before 9:30 a.m. Classwork will then be available at the counter after 3:00
p.m.
21 ST CENTURY HOMEWORK
JOHN MARSHALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Glendale Unified School District, along with many others across the nation, implements Common Core State Standards. These standards require a
new kind of learning for students as well as a new kind of teaching for educators. The primary goal of Common Core State Standards is to ensure that
our students are ready for College and Career. As such, these standards focus on students becoming creative, collaborative, and critical
communicators and thinkers. Teachers will be working on this in the classroom. Additionally, our staff has worked together to adapt our homework
policy to support these learning goals.
18
21 ST CENTURY HOMEWORK
JOHN MARSHALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (continued)
Students will not be asked to do nightly traditional pen and paper assignments. Instead:
• Students will be required to read a minimum of 20 minutes nightly. This can include students reading on their own or being read to. Students
•
•
•
•
•
can read any type of reading material on any topic they enjoy.
Our district wide online iReady learning program will available for students to use at home. Teachers will send home information regarding
iReady log in and passwords.
Teachers may also provide suggested activities for skill practice or family activities that support learning.
On occasion, students may be asked to work on parts of projects at home.
Teachers may send home items such as: study guides, word rings, math rings, spelling lists, vocabulary lists, etc. These items will serve as
guides and resources for home use and will not be required to be returned. Accountability for using these resources will be based on how
students perform on assessments and other classroom activities.
Unfinished classwork will not be sent home as homework.
Here is a list of resources that are available for parents who wish to provide extra work for their child.
N
U1
WEBSITES
GENERAL:
www.starfall.com - phonics and mathematics for K-2nd
www.abcya.com - math and reading for K_5 th
abcmouse.com - language arts and math ages 2-7
e-Iearningforkids.org - all core academic areas K-12
www.softschools.com- provides free math worksheets, math games, grammar quizzes, phonics worksheets and online games. Organized by grade
and topic. Lots of printables. Kindergarten to High School. Great site!!
19
WEBSITES (continued)
MATHEMATICS:
* www.khanacademy.org - includes leveled math videos provides feedback/tracking and practice problems. You need to create a user account
(you can use gmail or facebook to login). It's free.
* www.FunBrain.com - In the math arcade, K_sth math calculation activities.
* www.superkids.comlaweb/tools/mathJ - Super Kids Math Worksheet Creator - create a practice worksheet in a variety of math topics
* www.mathbits.com- a fun site for secondary and college level students. Includes tutorials on how to use a scientific calculator, downloadable
graph paper, games to practice pre-algebra, algebra, and geometry.
READING ACCESS:
* www.Bookshare.org - This is a digital library for students with print disabilities. It will read aloud textbooks/novels on the computer. You
must have an account (it's free) and your child's disability must be verified. You can also download the app for Android tablets (Go Read) or
for the iPad (Read2Go app). No pictures/text only.
* www.wegivebooks.org - More digital picture books if you can't get to the library (it does not read books aloud)
N
(J)
SPELLING AND VOCABULARY PRACTICE:
* www.AAASpeU.com - This site lets you enter vocabulary and spelling words and provides practice activities. You can create an account and
it will save your progress, or you can use it without an account
* http://www.scholastic.comlparents/resources/game/tools/flash-card-maker - Scholastic.com has an online flashcard maker for spelling and
vocabulary words
* http://www.kitzkik:z.comlflashcards/ - Make and cut your own flashcards
COMMUNICATION SUPPORT:
* http://www.speakingofspeech.comlSocial Skills Pragmatics.html Social Stories - This website has great social stories with visuals for all
kinds of activities.
TYPING:
* http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/ - Dance Mat Typing
* http://www.funtotype.coml
HOW TO FIND APPS:
* www.Momswithapp.com
* http://teacherswithapps.coml-Usewebsitessuchastofindrecommendedapps.Fridays are Free app days!
20
MARSHALL HOMEWORK POLICY
The focus of homework is to provide independent practice directly related to standards presented in class, prepare for assessments and extend or
apply learning. Parental involvement is encouraged!
Homework includes out-of-class tasks assigned to students as a follow-up or extension of classroom work. There are different types of homework
assignments. Practice assignments help to reinforce newly acquired or developing skills. Extension assignments allow students to apply what they
have learned in new ways; these assignments may include long-term projects, which may require additional time. Homework may also involve
studying for tests or preparing for upcoming classroom activities. Each of these assignments is designed to develop life-long study habits and to help
your child get the most out of his or her education.
Teachers make sure that homework assignments are explained clearly, and that students have had necessary classroom instruction to do the work
successfully. Students are expected to take home books and other needed supplies, as needed. Students are also expected to complete homework
assignments according to teacher directions. Accommodations or modifications may be made for differentiation and/or Individualized Educational
Plans. Students are held accountable for classwork assignments within a reasonable amount of time after excused absences.
Marshall Elementary School has established suggested time limits for homework according to District policy (BP 6154). Children who cannot read
independently should be read to for 20 minutes and/or be given an opportunity to look at beginning reading books. The following time limits are
suggested as average number of minutes per day. There may be variations from time to time:
N
-.:]
TKlKindergarten
Grades 1-3
Grades 4-5
Up to 10 minutes daily
10 to 40 minutes daily
30 to 60 minutes daily
HOW CAN PARENTS GET INVOLVED?
Parents are encouraged to support your child's homework efforts in the following ways:
• Become familiar with the classroom procedures of wherelhow the homework is assigned and organized for each of your children's teachers at the
beginning of the school year.
• Provide a consistent specific study area and the necessary materials to complete assignments.
• Establish a specific homework time and monitor after school activities to allow sufficient time for homework completion.
• Praise your child's efforts and express an interest in their assignments.
• If questions arise about the assignments, and your child asks for help, ask himlher questions, or work through an example, rather than providing
the answers.
• Review assignments and encourage your child to correct mistakes.
21
MEMORANDUM
TO:
FROM:
J:.l~~ King, Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services
DATE:
August 19, 2015
SUBJECT:
Amendment to Charter School Board Policies
Revisions to Board Policy (BP) 0420.4 - Charter School Authorization were approved
by the Board of Education at its meeting on August 18, 2015. To align the
Administrative Regulations (AR) with the BP, revisions have been made to update
the existing AR 0420.4 - Charter School Authorization, which is attached to this
memorandum. This AR was last updated in the Glendale Unified School District
(GUSD) in 2010. Both the updates to the BP and the AR align much of GUSD's
policies and regulations to the California School Boards Association (CSBA)
suggested language.
Many of the deletions made in the GUSD BP and AR 0420.4 are due to the fact that
they overlap with existing CSBA Board Policy 0420.41-Charter School Oversight, BP
0420.42-Charter School Renewal, and BP-0420.43 Charter School Revocation. At
this time, GUSD does not have these Board Policies. These policies are optional and
will be considered in future GUSD Board Policy updates should a charter school be
authorized by the Board of Education.
KK:mk
Attachment
fi:\mk\ 15-16\memos\king\kk-036_doc
28
Glendale Unified School District
Administrative Regulation
AR 0420.4
Page 1 of25
Philosophy - Goals - Objectives and Comprehensive Plans
Charter Schools Charter School Authorization
It is the intent of the Board of Education ("Board") to fully comply with the Charter Schools Act
of 1992 as amended and other applicable state and federal law by providing opportunities for the
establishment of independent charter schools. In order to implement state law while providing
guidance to petitioners and direction to staff, the District establishes the following regulations.
Components of Charter Petition:
To be considered by the Board, a charter school petition for the establishment of a charter school
within the District must, at minimum, include the following: (Education Code 47605)
A.
Petition Signatures
1.
A completed signature page pursuant to Education Code section 47605 that
includes signatures from either:
a.
A number of parents/guardians equivalent to at least one-half of the
number of students that the charter school estimates will enroll in the
charter school for its first year of operation;
b.
A number of teachers equivalent to at least one-half of the number of
teachers that the charter school will be employed at the school during its
first year of operation; or
c.
At least 50 percent of the permanent status teachers currently employed at
the public school to be converted if the charter petition calls for an
existing school to be converted.
2.
In circulating a petition, the petitioners shall include a prominent statement
explaining that a signature on the petition means that the parent/guardian is
meaningfully interested in having his/her child(ren) attend the proposed charter
school, or in the case of a teacher's signature, that the teacher is meaningfully
interested in teaching at the proposed charter school, and holds a valid California
teaching credential. Interested parents shall also print their names, addresses,
phone numbers, children's names, current grade, school, and district of residence.
Interested teachers shall also print their names, addresses, phone numbers, and
credentials held.
3.
The proposed charter shall be attached to the petition.
29
AR 0420.4
Page 2 of25
B.
Charter Provisions
1.
A. charter petition shall include reasonably comprehensive descriptions of all of
the following required elements: The charter petition shall include affirmations of
the conditions described in Education Code 47605(d) as well as reasonably
comprehensive descriptions of: (Education Code 47605, 47611.5)
a.
The educational program of the school designed, among other things, to
identify those whom the school is attempting to educate, what it means for
a student to be an "educated person" in the 21st century and how learning
best occurs. The goals identified in that program shall include the
objective of enabling students to become self-motivated, competent and
lifelong learners.
The petition shall include a description of annual goals for all students and
for each numerically significant subgroup of students identified pursuant
to Education Code 52052, including ethnic subgroups, socioeconomically
disadvantaged students, English learners, students with disabilities, and
foster youth. These goals shall be aligned with the state priorities listed in
Education Code 52060 that apply to the grade levels served or the nature
of the program operated by the charter school. The petition also shall
describe specific annual actions to achieve those goals. The petition may
identify additional priorities established by the charter school, goals
aligned with those priorities, and specific annual actions to achieve those
goals.
If the proposed school will serve high school students, the petition shall
describe the manner in which the charter school will inform
parents/guardians about the transferability of courses/course credits to
other public high schools and the eligibility of courses to meet college
entrance requirements. Courses offered by the charter school that are
accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges may be
considered transferable, and courses approved by the University of
California or the California State University as creditable under the "A-G"
admissions criteria may be considered to meet college entrance
requirements.
b.
The measurable student outcomes identified for use by the charter school.
"Student outcomes" means the extent to which all students of the school
30
AR 0420.4
Page 3 of25
demonstrate that they have attained the skills, knowledge and attitudes
specified as goals in the charter school's educational program, including
outcomes that address increases in student academic achievement both
schoolwide and for each numerically significant subgroup of students
served by the charter school. The student outcomes shall align with the
state priorities identified in Education Code 52060 that apply for the grade
levels served or the nature of the program operated by the charter school.
c.
The method by which student progress toward in meeting the outcomes
identified in the charter will be measured, as well as a discussion of how
the charter school shall meet all statewide standards and conduct the pupil
assessments required pursuant to Education Code Section 60605 and any
other statewide standards authorized in statute or pupil assessments to
pupils in non-charter public schools, including passage of the High School
Exit Examination for graduation, as required. To the extent practicable,
the method for measuring student outcomes for state priorities shall be
consistent with the way information is reported on a school accountability
report card.
d.
The governance structure of the school, including but not limited to, a
detailed discussion of:
•
The process to be followed by the school to ensure parent/guardian
involvement and the role of parents, students, staff and community
in the governance structure.
•
The status of the school as a non-profit public benefit corporation or
a public school, including copies of the Articles of Incorporation
and Bylaws. Notwithstanding other laws to the contrary, all records
of the non-profit public benefit corporation shall be pUblic.
•
Assurance of compliance with the Brown Act.
•
Assurance of compliance with the Political Reform Act,
Government Code 1090, and other laws on conflict of interest, and
demonstration of understanding of the impact of compliance with
those laws on the proposed governance structure.
e.
The qualifications to be met by individuals to be employed by the school.
f.
The procedures that the school will follow to ensure the health and safety
of students and staff. These procedures shall include the requirement that
each school employee furnish the school with a criminal record summary
31
AR 0420.4
Page 4 of25
as described in Education Code 44237, as well as verification of
tuberculosis testing and clearance.
g.
The means by which the school will achieve a racial and ethnic balance
among its students that is reflective of the general population residing
within the District's territorial jurisdiction.
h.
Admission requirements if applicable.
1.
The manner in which annual independent financial audits shall be
conducted, which shall employ generally accepted accounting principles,
and the manner in which audit exceptions and deficiencies shall be
resolved to the satisfaction of the Board.
J.
The procedures by which students can be suspended or expelled.
k.
The manner by which staff members of the charter schools will be covered
by the State Teachers' Retirement System, the Public Employee's
Retirement System or federal social security.
1.
The public school attendance alternatives for students residing within the
District who choose not to attend charter schools.
m.
A description of the rights of any District employee upon leaving District
employment to work in a charter school, and of any rights of return to the
District after employment at a charter school, subject to District policies,
regulations and any applicable collective bargaining agreements.
n.
The proposed school facilities, together with drawings, photographs, site
location maps, copies of leases, purchase agreements or other documents
which provide reasonable evidence that the charter school facility is or
will be safe, habitable, well-suited for its educational purpose, and that
applicant has secured or has reasonable assurance of securing the facility
for use by the charter school.
o.
A detailed, complete, and fully annotated operational budget with
estimates of charter school revenues and expenditures, cash-flow, and
reserve positions, for the first three years of operation, including startup
32
AR 0420.4
Page 5 of25
costs and the precise salary and benefits paid and to be paid to charter
school employees.
p.
A_summary of the administrative structure and organization of the school.
The summary should specifically include school District liaison, special
education and other basic elements of school operation, as well as a
discussion of how the charter school intends to meet the needs of students
with disabilities. This discussion shall include descriptions of the means
of providing services and ensuring compliance with state and federal law
and complying with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Unless the charter school
has been accepted as a local education agency member of another Special
Education Local Plan Area, this shall include assurances and a description
of how the charter school shall comply with the requirements contained in
the Local Plan of the Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA).
q.
The education, work experience, credentials, degrees and certifications of
the individual persons comprising, or proposed to comprise, the directors,
administrators and managers of the proposed charter school.
r.
The By-laws, articles of incorporation and other management documents,
as applicable, governing, or proposed to govern, the charter school.
s.
A list of committed parents and students for the first year of charter school
operation.
t.
The procedures to be followed by the charter school and the Board to
resolve disputes relating to charter provisions, which do not include any
additional procedures to revoke a charter nor limit the Board's authority to
revoke a charter.
u.
A declaration regarding whether or not the charter school shall be deemed
the exclusive public school employer of the employees at the charter
school for the purposes of collective bargaining pursuant to the
Educational Employment Relations Act, Government Code Sections 3540
et seq. 3549.3.
v.
The procedures to be used if the charter school closes, including, but not
limited to: (5 CCR 11962)
33
AR0420A
Page 6 of25
1.
Designation of a responsible entity to conduct closure-related
activities
11.
Notification to parents/guardians, the Board, the county office of
education, the special education local plan area in which the school
participates, the retirement systems in which the school's
employees participate, and the California Department of
Education, providing at least the following information:
(1)
The effective date of the closure
(2)
The name(s) and contact information of the person(s) to
whom reasonable inquiries may be made regarding the
closure
(3)
The students' districts of residence
(4)
The manner in which parents/guardians may obtain copies
of student records, including specific information on
completed courses and credits that meet graduation
requirements
Ill.
Provision of a list of students at each grade level, the classes they
have completed, and their districts of residence to the responsible
entity designated in accordance with item # 16a above
iv.
Transfer and maintenance of all student records, all state
assessment results, and any special education records to the
custody of the responsible entity designated in accordance with
item #16a above, except for records and/or assessment results that
the charter may require to be transferred to a different entity
v.
Transfer and maintenance of personnel records in accordance with
applicable law
vi.
Completion of an independent final audit within six months after
the closure of the school that includes an accounting of all
financial assets and liabilities pursuant to 5 CCR 11962 and an
34
AR 0420.4
Page 7 of25
assessment of the disposition of any restricted funds received by or
due to the school
2.
V11.
Disposal of any net assets remaining after all liabilities of the
school have been paid or otherwise addressed pursuant to 5 CCR
11962
Vlll.
Completion and filing of any annual reports required pursuant to
Education Code 47604.33
IX.
Identification of funding for the activities identified in item #v
above
The petition also shall include affirmations of the conditions described
Education Code 47605(d), including:
In
a.
Assurances that the charter schools shall be nonsectarian in its programs,
admission policies, employment practices and all other operations; shall
not charge tuition; and shall not discriminate against any student on the
basis of eilinicity, national origin, gender or disability. the student's actual
race, color, ancestry, national origin, ethnic group identification, age,
religion, marital or parental status, physical or mental disability, sex,
sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or gender expression; the
perception of one or more of such characteristics; or association with a
person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived
characteristics.
b.
Assurances that the charter school shall admit all students who wish to
attend the school regardless of their place of residence, unless the number
of pupils exceeds the schools capacity, in which case:
1.
Any existing public school converting partially or entirely to a
charter school shall adopt and maintain a policy giving admission
preference to students who reside within the school's former
attendance area.
11.
If the number of students who seek to attend the charter school
exceeds the school's capacity, admission of new students shall be
35
AR0420.4
Page 8 of25
determined by a public random drawing. Preferences shall be
extended to students currently attending the charter school and
students who reside in the District.
111.
Other admission preferences permitted by the Board on an
individual school basis, if consistent with law.
3.
The petition should demonstrate petitioners' recognition that although generally
exempt from state laws specifically pertaining to school districts, charter schools
are still a part of the public school system and must comply with many other laws.
These may include, but are not limited to: the U.S. Constitution and all other
applicable federal laws, including but not limited to all anti-discrimination and
civil rights statutes, the No Child Left Behind Act, Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans
with Disabilities Act; the State Constitution, and certain California laws; i.e., the
Brown Act (Public Meeting Law), the Public Records Act, conflict of interest
laws, Government Code Section 1090 and the Political Reform Act, Government
Code sections 87000 et. seq., laws relating to the minimum age for public school
attendance and fingerprinting of employees.
4.
The petition should enclose a proposed school calendar, staff development
procedures, assurances that the school will provide appropriate services for
English Language Learners, and any other information that will assist the Board
in understanding the charter school proposal.
5.
The petition should include information regarding the proposed operation and
potential effects of the charter school, including but not limited to a description
of: (Education Code 47605,47605.1)
a.
The facilities to be used by the school, including where the school intends
to locate;
b.
The manner in which administrative services of the school are to be
provided, including, if applicable, the name, address, and qualifications of
any consultants and/or management company that the petitioner has
engaged or proposes engaging;
c.
Potential civil liability effects, if any, upon the school and district. In
order to minimize such effects, the Board recommends that charter schools
36
AR0420.4
Page 9 of25
should be operated as or by nonprofit corporations that comply with laws
applicable to public entities;
6.
d.
Financial statements that include a proposed first-year operational budget,
including start-up costs, and cash-flow and financial projections for the
first three years of operation; and
e.
Adequate processes and measures for holding the charter school
accountable for fulfilling the terms of its charter and complying with all
applicable laws.
Location of Charter School: Unless otherwise exempted by law, any charter
petition submitted to the Board shall identify a single charter school that will
operate within the geographic boundaries of the district. A charter school may
propose to operate at mUltiple sites within the district as long as each location is
identified in the petition. (Education Code 47605, 47605.1) A charter school may
establish a resource center, meeting space or other satellite facility located in an
adjacent county if both of the following conditions are met: (Education Code
47605.1)
•
The facility is used exclusively for the educational support of students
who are enrolled in non classroom-based independent study of the charter
school.
The charter school provides its primary educational services in, and a
•
majority of the students it serves are residents of, the county in which the
school is authorized.
A charter school that is unable to locate within the district's jurisdictional
boundaries may establish one site outside district boundaries but within the
county, if all of the following are met: (Education Code 47605, 47605.1)
The Board is notified prior to approval of the petition.
•
•
The County Superintendent of Schools and Superintendent of Public
Instruction are notified before the charter school begins operations.
•
The school has attempted to locate a single site or facility to house the
entire program but such a facility or site is unavailable in the area in which
the school chooses to locate, or the site is needed for temporary use during
a construction or expansion project.
37
AR 0420.4
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C.
D.
Recommended Charter Petitioner Submission Procedure and Timeframe
1.
Petitions shall be submitted in final form and shall contain all of the information
the charter petitioners intend for consideration by the District. Information or
documentation provided after the original submission may not be accepted or
considered as part of the petition review process, at the sole discretion of the
District. The District reserves the right to reject or deny a petition that does not
contain all the required petition placements.
2.
For purposes of this regulation, submission and receipt of a petition means the
date of presentation of the petition to the Board at a public meeting, not the date
the petition was received by the District.
3.
The Board recommends that a complete petition be submitted by no later than
December 31 for consideration to open a charter school on or after July 1 of the
next school year. Petitions received between January 1 and April 15 shall
generally be deemed suitable for consideration for a starting date in the
subsequent school year. For example, the Board recommends that a petition
received by December 31, 2009 propose a starting date on or after July 1, 2010
while a petition received between January 1, 2010 and April 15, 2010 propose a
starting date on or after July 1, 2011. Petition submission between April 15 and
August 1 is strongly discouraged, as there are insufficient opportunities for Board
and staff review during those months.
Charter Review and Approval/Denial
The District shall conduct a comprehensive review of all charter petitions presented for
compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Upon receipt of a charter school
petition at a public meeting of the Board, the District shall date stamp the cover page of
the submitted application and forward the application to the Superintendent or designee.
The Board, Superintendent, and District staff shall generally follow the procedures below
for review of charter petitions:
1.
Within five (5) days of submission, the Superintendent's designee shall review the
application for completeness. The petition shall minimally include the items
listed in this regulation and as required by Education Code Section 47605. Any
petition that does not include all required elements may be returned to the
38
AR 0420.4
Page 11 of25
petitioner with a brief description of the missing elements, and a copy of Board
Policy and Administrative Regulation 0420.4.
2.
Within ten (10) days of receipt of a complete petition, the Superintendent's
designee shall transmit a copy of the petition for review by the business,
personnel, curriculum/instruction and special education departments. Legal
counsel may also be engaged to review the petition.
3.
Within 30 days of receiving a complete petition to establish a charter school, the
Board shall hold a public hearing on the proposed charter. Notice of the public
hearing shall be provided five (5) days in advance to the petition and each
bargaining unit representing employees in the District. At the public hearing, the
Board will consider the level of support for the petition by teachers and other
employees of the District, as well as parents/ guardians. The charter petition may
be asked to make a brief presentation to the Board at this time.
4.
Within sixty (60) days of receipt of a complete petition, District staff shall analyze
the petition based on compliance with Board Policy, Administrative Regulation,
and The Charter Schools Act, as amended, and other applicable state and federal
law. Staff shall draft a recommendation regarding approval or denial of the
petition with specific reasons there for.
5.
During the time in which a petition is being evaluated, District staff and
petitioners may draft a Memorandum of Understanding that clarify matters in the
charter, address those matters not provided in the charter, and set forth the charter
school's and District's responsibilities regarding the operation of the charter
school.
6.
Within 60 days of receiving a petition, or within 90 days given the consent of the
petitioners and the Board, the Board shall consider staff recommendations and
determine whether to grant or deny the petition to establish a charter school.
7.
The Board shall grant a petition for the establishment of a charter school if doing
so is consistent with sound educational practice. As such, Petitioner should
provide substantial evidence: that the proposed school presents a sound
educational program and comports with sound educational practice; that
petitioners are demonstrably likely to successfully implement the program as set
forth in the petition, and that all other legal requirements for charter petitions have
been met. The determination of what constitutes a sound educational program,
39
AR 0420.4
Page 12 of25
sound educational practices, and whether petitioners are demonstrably likely to
successfully implement the program shall rest solely with the District. To this
end, the District may require petitioners to submit documentary or testamentary
evidence of expertise in school operations, acceptable and legal practices, policies
and protocols that exceeds the standards of other district, counties, or the State of
California, but that shall be within the scope of the District's discretion as a
charter authorizer.
a.
Charter Term: An initial approval of a charter may be granted for a term
not to exceed five years. (Education Code Section 47607). The District
may require that the term be concurrent with the regular school or fiscal
year to ensure that disruption to the educational program and charter
students is minimized by mid-year non-renewals.
b.
Memorandum of Understanding: The District recognizes the benefits and
importance of memorializing agreements with charter schools regarding
the provision of administrative services, where applicable, and respective
operational responsibilities. The charter school petitioner shall be required
to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the district.
The MOU shall clarify matters in the charter, address those matters not
provided for in the charter, and set forth the charter school's and district's
responsibilities regarding the operation of the charter.
If the
Superintendent is recommending approval of the charter, the MOU may
be presented at the Board meeting when charter approval is under
consideration. The term of the MOU shall coincide with the term of a
charter.
c.
Facilities Requests: The District and charter school shall comply with the
requirements of Education Code § 47614 et. seq. and the regulations at 5
Cal. Code Regs 11969 et. seq. and applicable case law regarding the
charter school's use of a district facility. Any agreement for the provision
of a district facility, where applicable, shall memorialize the expectations
and legal responsibilities of the parties and contain the information
required by 5 Cal. Code Regs 11969.9. It is the responsibility of the
petitioner to ensure that it has submitted and obtained approval of its
charter in accordance with applicable timelines if facilities are going to be
requested.
40
AR 0420.4
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Charter 8ehools Charter School Authorization
d.
Insurance, Indemnity, and Hold Harmless: The charter school shall
purchase and maintain liability insurance in a form acceptable to the
District naming the District as an additional insured, and provide a hold
harmless and indemnification agreement.
In granting charter petitions, the Board shall give preference to schools best able
to provide comprehensive learning experiences for academically low achieving
students according to standards established by the California Department of
Education under Education Code 54032.
8.
A charter petition shall be denied only if the Board makes written specific factual
findings that one or more of the following conditions exists:
a.
The charter school presents an unsound educational program for the
students to be enrolled in the charter school.
b.
The petitioners are demonstrably unlikely to successfully implement the
program set forth in the petition.
c.
The petition signatures do not meet minimum requirements.
d.
The petition does not contain an affirmation of each of the conditions
described above and in Education Code 47605(d), as listed in the
"Components of a Charter Petition" above.
e.
The petition does not contain reasonably comprehensive descriptions of
the provisions described above and in the Education Code 47605(b).
If the Board denies a petition, petitioners may submit the petition to the County
Board of Education for review pursuant to Education Code Section 47605(j).
9.
The Board also shall not approve any charter petition that authorizes the
conversion of a private school to a charter school.
10.
The Board shall not deny a petition based on the actual or potential costs of
serving students with disabilities, nor shall it deny a petition solely because the
charter school might enroll disabled students who reside outside the special
education local plan area (SELP A) in which the district participates. (Education
Code 47605.7,47647)
41
AR 0420.4
Page 14 of25
11.
The petitioners shall provide written notice of the Board's approval and a copy of
the charter to the State Board of Education.
12.
The approval and denial of a charter petition shall not be controlled by collective
bargaining agreements nor subject to review or regulation by the Public
Employment Relations Board .
.g. E. Material Revisions to Charter
Material revisions to a charter shall only be made only with Board approval and shall be
governed by the same standards and criteria that apply to new charter petitions as set
forth in Education Code 47605 and this Regulation. These criteria shall include, but not
be limited to: a reasonably comprehensive description of any new requirement of charter
schools enacted into law after the charter was originally granted or last renewed.
(Education Code 47607)
If, after receiving approval of its petltIOn, a charter school proposes to establish
operations at one or more additional sites within the district's boundaries, the charter
school shall request a material revision to its charter and shall notify the Board of those
additional locations. The Board shall consider approval of the additional locations at an
open meeting. (Education Code 47605)
E.
Rene'y\'8ls
1.
A. charter school seeking renewal of the charter shall submit a written request to
the Board at least 180 days before the term of the charter is due to expire.
2.
Unless otherwise agreed to by the parties, at least 120 days before the term of the
charter is due to expire, the Board shall conduct a public hearing to receive input
on '.vhether or not to grant the rene\val. At least 90 days before the expiration date,
the Board shall either grant or deny the request for rene'Nul. Once a charter has
been non rene'..-'>'ed, it must commence closure proceedings.
3.
Rene'tvals shall be governed by the same standards and criteria that apply to nevI
charter petitions as set forth in Education Code 47605 and shall include, but not
be limited to, a reasonably comprehensive description of any new requirement of
charter schools enacted into IB:'N after the charter '.vas originally granted or last
renevl-ed.
42
AR 0420.4
Page 15 of25
Rene..val petitions should not merely restate the information provided in the
original petition. A renevl-al petition shall also contain sufficient academic
performance data to enable the District to ascertain whether the charter school has
met applicable performance and operations standards and criteria. When a charter
seeks rene'lfal, the Board shall evaluate the charter school's performance and
determine ,...,hether to rene"v the charter for an additional term. The Board shall
review the school's ability to demonstrate reasonable progress to\vard the goals
specified in its current charter, including but not limited to, evidence of student
achie:vement and other student outcomes; compliance V/ith legal requirements;
fiscal management; parent/guardian, student and staff satisfaction "vith the
program; and the ability of the school's governance structure to provide access
and accountability to the public. The Board may require that the school amend its
charter to address nevI issues before granting renewals. An operational history
that evidences consistent or serious failure to meet requirements of the charter, the
MOU, or any other agreement between the charter and the District shall be
grounds for non renewal of the charter, notwithstanding academic performance
and high le'/eis of parental and community interest in the program.
4.
In addition, beginning on January 1, 2005, or after a charter school has been in
operation for four (4) years, v/hiche:ver is later, a charter school shall meet at least
one of the following criteria prior to receiving a charter renewal: (Education Code
47607)
a.
The charter school attains its Academic Performance Inde){ (API) growth
target in the prior year or in PNO of the last three years, or in the aggregate
for the prior three years; or
b.
The charter school ranks in deciles 4 10 inclusive on the A,PI in the prior
year or in tViO of the last three years; or
c.
The charter school ranks in deciles 4 10 inclusive on the API for a
demographically comparable school in the prior year or in 1'....,0 of the last
three years; or
d.
The Board determines that the academic performance of the charter school
is at least equal to the academic performance of the public schools that the
charter school students would otherwise ha'/e been required to attend, as
well as the academic performance of district schools, taking into account
the composition of the student population that is served at the charter
school.
43
AR 0420.4
Page 16 of25
The Board's determination shall be based on documented, clear and convincing data;
student achievement data from the Standardized Testing and Reporting Program, and any
other available assessments, fur demographically similar student populations in
comparison schools; and infurmation submitted by the charter school. The Board shall
submit to the Superintendent of Public Instruction copies of supporting documentation
and a 'mitten summary of the basis fur its determination. Pursuant to Education Code
Section 47605, the Superintendent of Public Instruction vlill make recommendations to
the District follmving a review of materials submitted. The Superintendent of Public
Instruction's review may be the basis for a revocation of the charter by the State Board of
Education. A charter renevral may not be granted to a charter school prior to 30 days
after the school submits related materials.
e.
F.
The charter school qualifies for an altemati1fe accountability system
pursuant to Education Code 52052(h).
5.
Each renewal shall be for a period of five years.
6.
If the Board does not grant a renevral, the charter school may submit its
application for renewal to the County Board of Education pursuant to Education
Code Section 47605 (j); provided hm,vever, that after the conclusion of the charter
term, the charter school is no longer considered to have legal standing as a charter
school, or to be entitled to facilities, absent approval by another appropriate
~
SELPA Involvement with Approval and Renewal of Charters
1.
Prior to approval of a new charter, or renewal of an existing charter, the
Superintendent or designee shall refer the petition to the SELPA Charter School
Committee. This SELP A-level committee will be comprised of the SELPA
Director and representatives, appointed by the Superintendent, from each member
district. The committee will meet to review the Charter School application and
consider provision of special education services to students enrolled by the charter
school. This committee will make a recommendation to the Board of Education
regarding the Charter School petition. The petitioner must provide adequate
assurances that all eligible students enrolled in the charter school will receive
appropriate special education services in accordance with the Foothill SELPA
local plan. The charter must provide assurances that no student will be denied
enrollment in the charter school due to a disability or the charter school's inability
to serve the student at its school site.
44
AR 0420.4
Page 17 of25
The SELPA Director will be available to provide consultation on the potential
impact that may be associated with granting the requested charter petition.
G.
2.
An approved charter school must delineate the entity responsible for providing
special education instruction and services, any anticipated transfer of special
education funds between the granting district and the charter school and any
provisions for sharing deficits in funding. These provisions may be included in a
Memorandum of Understanding.
3.
If a charter school wishes to change from a school of the district to a local
educational agency for purposes of special education during any term, the charter
school must seek a material revision to its charter pursuant to the law and this
Regulation.
Re\>'ocations
1.
The Board may revoke a charter l.vhene\>'er it finds, in vffi:ting through a sho'l.4ng
of substantial evidence, that the charter school has done any of the follO'tving:
a.
Committed a material violation of any of the conditions, standards or
procedures set forth in the charter.
b.
Failed to meet or pursue any of the student outcomes identified in the
charter.
c.
Failed to meet generally accepted accounting principles or engaged in
fiscal mismanagement.
d.
Violated any provision of la'll.
2.
Prior to revocation, the Board shall notifY the charter school of any violation and
give the school a reasonable opportunity to correct the violation unless the Board
determines, in writing, that any of the above violation(s) constitutes a severe and
imminent threat to the health or safety of the students.
3.
If the charter school does not successfully remedy the abo'le violation(s) after the
Board notification referenced above, prior to re'location, the Board shall provide
the charter school with 'mitten notice of intent to revoke the charter and notice of
45
AR0420A
Page 18 of25
facts in support of revocation. No later than 30 days after providing the notice of
intent to revoke the charter, the Board shall hold a public hearing, in the normal
course of business, on the issue of ..,<,hellier e:'1idence exists to revoke the charter.
No later than 30 days after the public hearing, unless the Board and the charter
school agree to a 30 day e)ctension, the Board shall issue its final decision as to
whether or not to revoke the charter. The Board shall not re"foke a charter unless
it adopts vnitten factual findings supported by substantial e'lidence specific to the
charter school. A decision to reTfoke a charter shall be reported to the County
Board of Education and the CDE. (Education Code 47607)
H:G.
4.
Pursuant to Education Code Section 47607, the charter school may appeal the
revocation to the County Board ".vithin 30 days of the Board's final decision. The
County Board may reverse the revocation if it determines that the District's
findings are not supported by substantial evidence, in vt'hich case the district may
appeal the reversal to the State Board of Education. If the County Board upholds
the District's revocation or does not issue a decision v/ithin 90 days of receipt, the
charter school may appeal to the State Board of Education. If either the County
Board or the State Board of Education reverses the revocation, the District
remains the chartering authority.
5.
While an appeal is pending, a charter school whose revocation is based on any of
items 1c or 1d above 'vvill continue to qualify as a charter school for funding and
all other purposes of the Charter School Act and may continue to hold all existing
grants, resources, and facilities in order to ensure that the education of students
enrolled in the school is not disrupted.
Requirements for Charter Schools:
In providing general oversight of a charter school, the Board shall determine whether the
school continues plans to meet the legal requirements applicable to charter schools. Each
charter school shall:
1.
In order to generate state funding based on average daily attendance, a charter
school student shall be a California resident and, if over 19 years of age, shall be
continuously enrolled in a public school and making satisfactory progress toward
a high school diploma, as defined in 5 CCR 11965.
2.
Be nonsectarian in its programs, admission policies, employment practices and all
other operations. (Education Code 47605)
46
AR 0420.4
Page 19 of25
3.
Not charge tuition. (Education Code 47605)
4.
Not discriminate against any student on the basis of ethnicity, national origin,
gender or disability . the student's actual race, color, ancestry, national origin,
ethnic group identification, age, religion, marital or parental status, physical or
mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or gender
expression; the perception of one or more of such characteristics; or association
with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived
characteristics. (Education Code 47605)
5.
Adhere to all laws establishing minimum age for public school attendance.
6.
Admit all students who wish to attend the school, according to the following
criteria and procedures:
a.
Admission to the charter school shall not be determined according to the
student's place of residence, or that of hislher parents/guardians, within
this state, except that any existing public school converting partially or
entirely to a charter school shall adopt and maintain a policy giving
admission preference to students who reside within the school's former
attendance area. (Education Code 47605) If a charter school will be
physically located in a public elementary school attendance area in which
50 percent or more of the student enrollment is eligible for free or reduced
price meals, it may also establish an admissions preference for students
who are currently enrolled in the public elementary school and for
students who reside in the public school attendance area. (Education Code
47605.3)
b.
If the number of students who wish to attend the charter school exceeds
the school's capacity, attendance shall be determined by a public random
drawing, except that preferences shall be extended to students currently
attending the charter school and students who reside in the district, except
as provided for in Education Code 47614.5. In the event of a drawing, the
Board shall make reasonable efforts to accommodate the growth of the
charter school and shall not take any action to impede the charter school
from expanding enrollment to meet student demand. (Education Code
47605)
47
AR0420.4
Page 20 of25
c.
Other admissions preferences may be permitted by the Board on an
individual school basis as consistent with law.
7.
Be subject to Education Code 41365 regarding the revolving loan fund for charter
schools.
8.
Meet the requirements of Education Code 47611 regarding the State Teachers'
Retirement System.
9.
Meet all statewide standards and conduct the student assessments required by
Education Code 60605 and any other statewide standards or student assessments
applicable to non-charter public schools and certify that their students have
participated in the state testing programs specified in Education Code 6060060652 in the same manner as other students attending public schools.
10.
Be subject to state law prohibitions regarding employment, such that it may not
hire any person, in either a certificated or classified position, who has been
convicted of a violent or serious felony, and may not retain in employment any
temporary, substitute, or probationary employee who has been convicted of a
violent or serious felony.
11.
Offer, at a minimum, the same number of instructional minutes set forth in
Education Code 46201 for the appropriate grade levels.
12.
Meet the requirements of Education Code 51745-51749.3 if providing nonclassroom based instruction to any pupils.
13.
Identify and report to the Superintendent of Public Instruction any portion of its
average daily attendance that is generated through non-classroom based
instruction, including but not limited to independent study, home study, work
study, and distance and computer-based education (Education Code 47612.5,
47634.2)
14.
Meet all the requirements contained in Government Code 3540-3549.3 related to
collective bargaining in public education employment. If a charter does not
specify that the charter school shall comply with laws and regulations governing
tenure or a merit or civil service system, the scope of representation for that
charter school shall also include discipline and dismissal of charter school
employees.
48
AR 0420.4
Page 21 of25
15.
Only hire teachers who hold a Commission on Teacher Credentialing certificate,
permit or other document equivalent to that which a teacher in other public
schools would be required to hold. These documents shall be maintained on file at
the charter school and shall be subject to periodic inspection by the
Superintendent or designee.
16.
Require its teachers of core subjects to satisfY requirements for "highly qualified
teachers" as defined by the State Board of Education and meet said requirements
for qualifications of paraprofessionals working in programs supported by Title I
funds. (20 USC 6319)
17.
Serve students with disabilities in the same manner as such students are served in
other public schools.
18.
On a regular basis, consult with parents/guardians and teachers regarding the
school's educational programs.
19.
Promptly respond to all reasonable inquiries from the Board or the Superintendent
of Public Instruction, including but not limited to inquiries regarding its financial
records.
20.
Maintain written contemporaneous records that document all student attendance
and shall make these records available for audit and inspection.
21.
If a student subject to compulsory full-time education is expelled or leaves the
charter school without graduating or completing the school year for any reason,
notifY the Superintendent of the school district of the student's last known address
within 30 days and, upon request, provide that district with a copy of the student's
cumulative record, including a transcript of grades or report card, and health
information (Education Code 47605)
22.
Comply with the California Building Standards Code as adopted and enforced by
the local building enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the area in which the
charter school is located, unless the charter school facility meets either of the
following conditions: (Education Code 47610, 47610.5)
a.
The facility complies with the Field Act pursuant to Education Code
17280-17317 and 17365-17374.
49
AR 0420.4
Page 22 of25
Charter Sehools Charter School Authorization
b.
23.
h H.
The facility is exclusively owned or controlled by an entity that is not
subject to the California Building Standards Code, including, but not
limited to, the federal government.
The charter school shall annually prepare and submit financial reports to the
Board and the County Superintendent of Schools in accordance with the
following reporting cycle:
a.
By July 1, a preliminary budget for the current fiscal year. For a charter
school in its first year of operation, financial statements submitted with the
charter petition pursuant to Education Code 47605(g) will satisfY this
requirement. (Education Code 47604.33)
b.
By December 15, an interim financial report for the current fiscal year
reflecting changes through October 31. (Education Code 47604.33)
c.
By March 15, a second interim financial report for the current fiscal year
reflecting changes through January 31. (Education Code 47604.33)
d.
By September 15, a final unedited report for the full prior year. The report
submitted to the Board shall include an annual statement of all the charter
school's receipts and expenditures for the preceding fiscal year.
(Education Code 42100, 47604.33)
e.
By December 15, a copy of the charter school's annual, independent
financial audit report for the preceding fiscal year, unless the charter
school's audit is encompassed in the district's audit. The audit report shall
also be submitted to the state Controller and the California Department of
Education. (Education Code 47605)
Financial Relationship
1.
The District may charge for the actual costs of supervisory oversight of a charter
school not to exceed one percent of the charter school's revenue. If the District is
able to provide substantially rent-free facilities to the charter school, the District
50
AR 0420.4
Page 23 of25
may charge actual costs up to three percent of the charter school's revenue for
supervisory oversight.
J.
2.
The charter school may separately purchase administrative or other services from
the District or any other source.
3.
At the request of a charter school, the Superintendent or designee shall create and
submit any reports required by the State Teachers' Retirement System and the
Public Employees' Retirement System on behalf of the charter school. The charter
school may be charged for the actual costs of the reporting services, but shall not
be required to purchase payroll processing services from the district as a condition
for creating and submitting these reports. (Education Code 47611.3)
4.
Pursuant to Education Code Section 41365, if a charter school defaults on a loan
made directly to the school through the revolving loan fund, the charter school
shall be solely liable for repayment of the loan.
Monitoring and Supervision
1.
District o'¢'ersight of, and supervisory assistance provided to, the charter school
shall be limited to the follov.ring, although additional services may be provided by
the District subj ect to mutual vvritten agreement.
a. The District shall inspect, quarterly, documents on file at the charter school
\\11ich shall verify that all teachers at the school hold a certificate, permit or other
document equivalent to that which teachers in other public schools 'llould be
required to hold, and that those teachers at the school instructing students in
college preparatory subject areas in mathematics, science, social science, and
language arts meets the same requirements imposed under state la'>'" on teachers in
other public schools instructing such college preparatory subjects.
b. The Superintendent or designee shall examine the audit report of the charter
school, and shall, quarterly, e){amine the general operation of the charter school.
2.
District will eJeercise and satisfy any obligation of due diligence, which it
voluntarily assumes, or which is imposed by law', related to its monitoring and
supervision of charter schools, consistent '.vith the standards and principles set
forth in the June 12, 1997, Department of Education legal opinion, entitled
"Charter School Liability and Accountability," by its General Counsel, Joseph R.
51
AR 0420.4
Page 24 of25
SymkO\vick, in response to inquiries by Patrick Keegan, Deputy, Fiscal,
Technology & Planning Branch.
K.
Waivers
1.
If a charter school submits to the district an application for a 'Naiver of any state
Education Code provisions, the Board shall hold a public hearing on the vvaiver request no later
than 90 days follovling receipt of the request. (Education Code 33054)
2.
The Superintendent or designee shall subsequently prepare a summary of the
public hearing to be forwarded with the 'Naiver request to the State Board of Education. If the
Board recommends against appro'fal of the waiver request, it shall report the reasons for its
disappro1fal in written documentation that shall be forwarded to the State Board of Education.
(Education Code 33054)
L.
Charter School Accountability and District Oversight
1.
For each charter school under its authority, the Superintendent shall: (Education
Code 47604.32, 47604.33)
• Identify at least one staffmember as a contact person for the charter school; and
• Visit the charter school at least annually; and
• Ensure that the charter school complies with all reports required of charter schools by
18:'.",; and
• ~4onitor the fiscal condition of the charter school based on any financial information
obtained from the charter school, including but not limited to the reports listed above
in "Requirements for Charter Schools"; and
• Provide timely notification to the California Department of Education if a rene'Nal of
the charter is granted or denied, the charter is revoked, or the charter school vlill cease
operation for any reason.
2.
The Board and the Superintendent or designee may inspect or observe any part of
the charter school at any time. (Education Code 47607)
3.
The Board shall monitor each charter school to determine whether it makes
"adequate yearly progress" as defined by the State Board of Education and federal Title I
accountability requirements. If a charter school fails to make adequate yearly progress for t'NO or
more consecutive years, the Board shall take action for program improvement in accordance \vith
18:'N, Board policy and administrative regulations.
52
AR0420A
Page 25 of25
4.
The District shall not be liable for the debts or obligations of charter schools
operated by or as nonprofit public benefit corporations, or for claims arising from the
performance of acts, error, or omissions by the charter schools, if the District has complied ',,'lith
all oversight responsibilities required by lav/, including, but not limited to those required by
Bducation Code Section 47604.32 and subdivision Em) of Bducation Code Section 47605.
M:I.
Employer-Employee Relationship
If the charter school is not deemed the exclusive public school employer of the charter school
employees for purposes of Government Code Section 3540.1, the District shall be deemed the
employer for those purposes. If the District is deemed the exclusive employer of the charter
school's employees, such employees would not become members of any District employee
associations without formal recognition of such membership of the Public Employment
Relations Board.
Legal References:
Rules Approved:
Rules Revised:
Education Code, Sections 47600-47616.5
6/27/00
9/1 0/02, 6/22/10; 8/20/15
(F ormerly AR 613 8)
53
MEMORANDUM
TO:
FROM:
Dr. Deb Rinder, Executive Director
Educational Services - Secondary
~
';11\\
DATE:
August 17, 2015
SUBJECT:
Crescenta Valley High School- Korean Educational
Development Institute visit
The Korean Educational Development Institute was founded in 1972 by the Korean
Educational Department in order to develop and research overall educational policy
as well as text books for Korean public school (grades 1-12). Since KEDI has been
primarily responsible for Korean Education of public schools, they select a small
number of delegates and send them to developmental countries annually so they can
benchmark advanced educational system of those countries.
The delegation of KEDI was sent to several schools in Vancouver last year, and this
year California (San Francisco and Los Angeles) has been chosen. The delegation
consists of 23 researchers, high school teachers and public school administrators as
well as 1 interpreter (24 total).
The purpose of the visit is for KEDI to learn and benchmark overall educational
system of Crescenta Valley High School, so they can improve and/or update their
system if necessary.
The visit is scheduled for October 27, 2015 at 10:00 a.m.
As more information becomes available, the board will be notified.
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54
MEMORANDUM
TO:
FROM:
Dr. Deb Rinder, Executive Director ._--r-f). .
Educational Services-Secondary
PREPARED BY:
Dr. Hin Magran, Coordinator II
Student Support Services/Healthy Start
DATE:
August 17, 2015
SUBJECT:
Crescenta Valley Alliance - Orange Fest 2015
-VV
On August 15, 2015 the CV Alliance sponsored the first Orange Fest which was held
at Crescenta Valley Park located at 3901 Dunsmore Ave, La Crescenta. Teens went
through the Expo in the County Building, got a wrist band, and were able to receive
free food, rides, photo booth, music, games. There were also booths with a variety of
teen topics.
Student Support ServiceslHealthy Start had a booth at the Carnival for the parents
from 2:00-4:00. Informational sheets were provided about the services offered through
Healthy Start and free drug testing kits were available for those parents requesting
one.
As more information becomes available, the board will be notified.
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55
Human Resources Department
MEMORANDUM
TO:
FROM:
Dr. Maria G. Gandera, Assistant Superintendent, Human Resources
DATE:
August 21,2015
SUBJECT:
Agreement with 24 Hour Fitness
To continue in its efforts to encourage employee wellness, the District has entered into a
one-year corporate partnership with 24 Hour Fitness USA, Inc. This agreement provides
GUSD employees and their family members with free initiation fees and reduced
enrollment rates. This program is being offered at no cost to the District. Information
about this agreement will be published in the Staff-o-Gram and be sent to sites and
departments.
We will update the Board of further information.
56
MEMORANDUM
TO:
FROM:
. Otlynn B. Marso, Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services
ARJ .F~ank
PREP
BY:
Schlueter, Director
Educational Technology & Information Services
DATE:
August 19, 2015
SUBJECT:
Hoover High School Pilots Cell Phones as Responders
Mr. Frank Schlueter, Director, Educational Technology & Information Services
(ETIS), reports that Hoover High School will be piloting the use of pre-owned cell
phones as student responding devices. The devices, commonly referred to as
Responders, enable students to digitally submit independent answers to questions in
real time, thereby providing teachers with important feedback to alter instruction.
Responders can be used by teachers to deliver informal assessments, exit tickets or
quick checks for understanding. While Responders can be a valuable tool for
classrooms, a single classroom set may cost $2000. This price creates a challenge for
large quantity rollouts.
It is possible to use cell phones and free web-based utilities to accomplish similar
results. When Responders were first evaluated in the Glendale Unified School
District three years ago, the District was not equipped with a reliable district-wide
wireless network. This required cell phone owners to use their individual data plans
resulting in an increased amount of fees. With the new network infrastructure and
reliable district-wide wireless access, using cell phones as Responders can be an
economic solution.
Dr. Jennifer Earl, Principal, Hoover High School, will be collecting donated preowned cell phones to establish a Responder set to pilot in one classroom. The cell
phones will be wiped clean of any data with the help of ETIS prior to use.
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57
MEMORANDUM
TO:
Dr.\ Donald Empey, Interim Superintendent
FROM:
~nn B. Marso, Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services
PREPARED
BY:
Jaclyn Scott, Principal, Mountain Avenue Elementary
DATE:
August 20,2015
SUBJECT:
Bob Hope Airport Student Art Tower Banner Contest
The Glendale Unified School District (GUS D) will participate in the 2015-2016 Bob
Hope Airport Student Art Tower Banner Contest. Bob Hope Airport, located in
Burbank, CA, has a beautiful tower fa9ade visible by tens of thousands of airport
visitors every day as they drive or walk to and from the historic airport terminal
building. The Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority is seeking banners for
display on the building fa9ade to offer airport visitors an added dimension to their
experience of the airport and of aviation. Student artists from Burbank, Glendale,
and Pasadena school Districts in high school grades are encouraged to create art
that will take best advantage of a large-scale, outdoor display venue and effectively
target viewers who are on the move with decorative, creative illustration that is
bold, colorful, and at the same time instantly viewable, understandable, and
stimulating.
A $3,000 award will be given to each school district in honor of the winning entry,
and that award will service as a license fee for the Airport Authority's exclusive use
of the winning art for a two-year license period.
Jaclyn Scott, Principal, Mountain Avenue Elementary and Visual and Performing
Arts Coordinator, will promote the contest to high school art teachers beginning in
September 2015. Student submissions are due to Ms. Scott at Mountain Avenue's
school office by Friday, January 8, 2016. Judging of the art work will take place
beginning at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday January 13, 2016 in the Board Room of the
GUSD Administration Building.
The guidelines of the contest are as follows:
•
Artwork will be judged against the following basic criteria: adherence to the
theme, legibility of the visual composition in the display venue, artistic merit
and creativity. The 2016 theme is "History of Aviation."
58
Bob Hope Airport Student Art Tower Banner Contest
Page 2
•
Each school will determine when their school competition is conducted.
Schools will select their top five entries to be entered at the District
competition.
•
Each school will deliver their selected top five entries to Ms. Scott at
Mountain Avenue, no later than 4:00 p.m. on Friday, January 8, 2016.
•
The District competition will be held on Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at
4:00 p.m. in the GUSD Board Room. The top three entries will be selected.
•
The City of Glendale Arts and Culture Commission will select the 1st, 2nd,
and 3rd place winners from the top three District entries at their meeting in
February 2016.
1
STUDENT AWARDS:
Student winners will be awarded a gift certificate for art supplies as follows:
1st place
$300
2nd place
$200
3rd place
$100
SCHOOL AWARDS:
Schools with students who submit art work will be awarded $400 or more to
purchase art supplies.
The top three winners will be recognized at the Burbank Airport by the Burbank
Airport Authority on Monday March 7, 2016 at 9:00 a.m.
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59
Human Resources Department
MEMORANDUM
TO:
FROM:
Dr. Maria G. Gandera, Assistant Superintendent, Human Resources
DATE:
August 21,2015
SUBJECT:
Flyers
The attached flyers are being placed on vehicles parked at or near District property.
1. "Parents, take notice!" - This flyer is being distributed by Rescue YourChild.com
encourages parents to remove their children from public schools and investigate
alternatives such as home schooling or private school, due to alleged exposure to
sexual indoctrination, negative peer pressure and poor reading proficiency.
2. "Instructions about Using California Common Core Data Opt-Out Form" - This
flyer is being distributed by ConcernedParentsofCalifornia.com and gives parents
information on how to opt out of allowing their student to take Common Core or
other standardized tests.
We will update the Board as more information becomes available.
60
MEMORANDUM
TO:
1Ltt~IY King, Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services
FROM:
PREPARED
Dr. Scott Anderle, Assistant Director, Student Support Services
BY:
DATE:
August 21,2015
SUBJECT:
RAND Corporation Research Study
On March 15, 2015, the RAND Corporation contacted the Glendale Unified School
District (GUS D) to request a number of site visits. They explained that they were
conducting research on schools that used technology to improve student safety.
On April 17, 2015, a conference call between RAND representative Dionne Barnes,
Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services, Dr. Kelly King, and Dr. Scott
Anderle, Assistant Director, Student Support Services, was placed to discuss the
goal of the project and if it would be appropriate for GUSD to participate. It was
decided that the GUSD would be part of the study.
On April 20, 2015, the following schedule was developed and the sites were debriefed
on their participation.
TENTATIVE AGENDA (May 27, 2015)
Interview Candidate(s)
Time
Interview Location
GUSD
Administra tion
Center
9:00 - 9:45 am
Dr. King, Dr. Anderle, Alan
Reising, and Frank Schlueter
interview
10:00 - 10:30 am
GUSD
Dr. Anderle - Demonstration of
Administra tion
the Geo Listening and overview of Center
the camera system
i
11:00 am -12:00 pm
i
Hagop Eulmessekian and
counselor interview
Demonstration of cameras
and Geo Listening
65
Hoover High School
RAND Corporation Research Study
Page 2
Time
f
1:30 - 2:30 pm
3:00 - 3:45 pm
,
'~
L~:
Interview Candidate Name
Craig Lewis and counselor
interview
Demonstration of Geo
Listening and Raptor
Jaclyn Scott and counselor
interview
Demonstration of Geo
Listening
Interview Location
Glendale High
School
Rosemont Middle
School
Attached is a summary of their research based on their site visits.
KI(:mk
Attachment
fi:\mk\15-16\rnernos\king\kk-038_doc
66
Social Media Monitoring, Visitor Entry, and Surveillance at the
Glendale School District, Glendale, California
Glendale Unified School District (GUSD), located in Glendale, Calif., is using three major
technologies as part of a larger suite of tools and strategies to improve the safety of students and
schools: Geolistening, a social media monitoring tool; Raptor, an entry/visitor management
system; and surveillance cameras. Glendale is a suburban community of approximately 200,000
residents, located in Los Angeles County. GUSD serves the city of Glendale and the adjacent
and unincorporated areas (La Canada-Flintridge, Montrose, La Crescenta), with nearly 27,000
students across 21 elementary schools, four middle schools, and six high schools. The school
district was motivated to adopt school safety technologies by a range of factors, including
national, high-profile incidents of school violence, such as the shootings at Sandy Hook
Elementary School, as well as a number of incidents of self-directed violence among local
students.
Social Media Monitoring
GUSD adopted Geolistening, a social media-monitoring tool, in 2013. The initial motivation
for use of Geolistening was concern over student suicides in the district, including a student who
committed suicide on campus during lunch hours. The student's death reportedly inspired several
other students to attempt or commit suicide. Given that individuals who commit suicide often
broadcast their despair in a public manner, the district decided to explore technologies to identify
students who are at risk of self-harm.
Geolistening scans student public posts on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and
Instagram for specified key words that might indicate harm to self or others, including words
such as "sorry" "kill" "die" "end" "over" and "leave." Designated administrators at the district
level and school level also work collaboratively with Geolistening personnel to develop
keywords that are relevant to the local context as well as nationally trending terms (e.g., popular
drugs, slang). For example, Glendale is home to a large Armenian population, so during the
Armenian Genocide Centennial, Geolistening worked with GUSD to scan for posts displaying
racial-ethnic antagonism between Armenian and Turkish students.
Geolistening can be monitored in house or by a Geolistening analyst (the "service model"),
which GUSD uses and reported finding particularly useful. Each day, administrators from the
district and each school receive a daily report with the prior day's social media posts. On
average, each daily report is approximately 25 pages long and could include anywhere from a
dozen to hundreds of posts. Posts are categorized and assigned a risk level, with high-risk posts
eliciting an immediate notification to district and school level administrators.
At the school level, an administrator reviews the daily report and assesses a number of issues
for each post. If an intervention is necessary, the administrator may respond in a variety of ways,
including calling in the student to discuss the appropriate use of social media, involving parents,
or asking a counselor to intervene. At the district level, an administrator reviews the daily report,
scanning for posts that could indicate harm to self or others. He or she will then follow up with
67
the point-of-contact at individual school sites (typically an assistant principal) to find out how the
school administrator chose to deal with the particular student.
Although initially implemented to prevent student self-harm, the technology has had other
applications. These include identifying when a student has done or is planning to do something
such as getting into a fight or engaging in vandalism on campus. In addition, Geolistening has
been used to educate children and parents about the use of social media and the potential
consequences of inappropriate social media posts (e.g., for jobs, college).
Overall, school administrators spoke positively about the utility of Geolistening. The district
has found that the tool is an efficient way to monitor social media and identify students at risk of
harming themselves or others. But administrators also emphasized that Geolistening is only one
tool in an overall safety program. They encouraged collaboration across the district, as well as
with law enforcement, to improve its effectiveness.
However, the tool has several limitations. School-level administrators reported that the
amount of information initially sent by Geolistening was overwhelming and that it took some
time to develop an efficient and useful set of keywords to ensure that the net was not cast too
widely. Those we spoke with stressed that there was a learning curve, and it took time to develop
a sense of which posts required an intervention and how to appropriately intervene. Conversely,
Geolistening cannot capture every warning sign, particularly from sites where posts are
anonymous or temporary such as Snapchat, YikYak, and askFM. Geolistening may become less
effective if it does not evolve with social media. Relatedly, some stakeholders perceived that the
tool becomes less effective as students learn the school is monitoring them and they change their
privacy settings from public to private. Another limitation is that the daily reports to school
administrators often include posts that are too late for them to respond to, although they reported
that these are typically low risk posts. Finally, Geolistening appeared much less effective with
middle school students (compared to high school students) since their middle schools were less
likely to use social media.
For others considering such a system, practitioners cited the importance of notifying parents
and students about the use of Geolistening. Transparency is particularly important because some
may perceive Geolistening as an invasion of privacy, a feeling that might be magnified if
districts implement the system without informing the community. There might also be pushback
if the tool is used for punishment rather than student safety. In In GUSD's case, use of
Geolistening led to state legislation limiting warehousing of data and requiring notifications to
parents and students.
Visitor and Entry Management System
Another approach to improving school safety in GUSD is the use of Raptor, a visitor and
entry management system that has been piloted in four schools. Raptor is the largest visitor
management organization for K-12 schools and currently serves almost 12,000 schools. Given
the occurrence of several high-profile school shootings, district administrators decided to switch
from a pencil and paper system to a more automated, web-based application.
Raptor works by having visitors first present a photo ID to staff at a given entry point to a
school. The individual's first and last name, birth date, and other identifying information are
2
68
scanned and uploaded to the program, which is then matched against a sex offender registry
database (or any other customizable database the school might want to construct such as
authorized adults who may pick up children from the school). After scanning the visitor's ID,
Raptor prints out a badge that includes a photo, purpose of the visit, and the location and date.
The primary benefit of the system is that it can help ensure that visitors have a legitimate
purpose for being on campus, and it can serve as a potential deterrent. In the event that a visitor
name matches that of a registered sex offender, the program sends out an emergency
announcement, and a picture of the sex offender will flash on the computer screen, allowing the
staff member to determine whether the visitor and the offender are the same person. If necessary,
the screener can hit a discreet panic button to notify administrators, assistants, and school
resource officers. Across the entire Raptor system, approximately 30 sex offenders are flagged in
a day, including parents as well as random strangers.
However, there are two major limitations. First, many visitors may not have a photo ID such
as a driver's license. Second, staff time must be allotted to scan in visitors. Administrators
suggested that a kiosk would alleviate some of the burden on staff by allowing regular visitors
(who are already in the database) to scan and print their ID badges during the times when front
desk staff are busy (e.g. answering phones, interacting with students). The primary
recommendation made by administrators was to be transparent with parents about information
storing practices and to work with them (such as related to acceptable IDs) to ensure parents can
access the school. As with Geolistening, gaining community buy-in is essential.
Surveillance System
GUSD recently upgraded to Ocularis, an IP-based surveillance software program developed
by On-Net Surveillance System (OnSSI). The district is currently using this system in four
schools and it will soon be used district-wide. Approximately 100 cameras will be installed per
campus. In the school site we visited, the surveillance cameras covered approximately 45 percent
of the school. The administration works collaboratively with school sites and the surveillance
company to identify the ideal placement of cameras. In addition, the district collaborates with
police who can remotely access live camera feeds in the event of an emergency situation.
Administrators said that the new cameras are much easier to work with than the older system
that was installed in 2008-2009. Increased resolution and recording capacity (now two months)
are the primary improvements. In addition, recording is much simpler, with the user interface
allowing administrators to stream live feeds or to select recorded footage by camera and time of
day. Administrators can select segments of recorded footage, make copies to attach to incident
reports, or send to other administrators. Although there are still trouble spots, stakeholders felt
that the surveillance system has been instrumental for adjudicating disputes and identifying
disruptive behavior.
3
69
223 North Jackson St., Glendale, California 91206-4380
Telephone: 818-241-3111, Ext. 205 • Fax: 818-548-7237
OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCA nON
MEMORANDUM
August 18, 2015
To:
From:
Dr. Amy Lambert, Assistant Superintendent
~~
Prepared by: Bill Gifford, Coordinator of Special Education
Subject:
Speech Therapy
We have successfully staffed the majority of our open Speech/Language Pathologist ("SLP") and
Speech/Language Pathology Assistant ("SLP A") positions for the new school year. However,
some gaps in coverage have occurred due to some last minute changes in both District and
agency-contracted speech therapists. Notably, 1) Two District SLPs covering Franklin, Keppel
and Lincoln gave their resignation notices this summer. 2) Three contracted SLPAs who were
assigned to cover other District elementary school sites resigned from their respective agencies.
3) Another agency SLP assigned to Marshall took an unexpected medical leave for 2 months. 4)
The SLP assigned to cover Lincoln took another took a job in a neighboring district the week
before school began. 5) After the first day of school, the agency SLP assigned to Marshall
abruptly resigned from her agency.
As reported in a July 2015 memorandum, we met with Edwards Speech Pathology Center to
discuss a potential contract with the District. At that time they indicated that while they were a
small agency that did not currently have a contract with a school district, they would likely have
an SLP in the future who could provide school-based services. Though we have maintained
communication with Edwards Speech since our initial meeting in July and will continue to do so,
at this time, Edwards Speech is unable to provide such an SLP.
Due to the urgent need for speech therapist/s at this time, we have we have located and
provisionally contracted with another Los Angeles based agency, Comprehensive Therapy
Associates ("CTA"). Their Director, Niki Daduryan, is also an SLP and will be providing
support for Fremont Elementary School beginning Tuesday, August 18, 2015. The contract for
CTA will be placed on the September 4, 2015 agenda for Board approval. Please let me know if
you have any questions about this matter.
70
MEMORANDUM
TO:
utc@
Lynn B. Marso, Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services
FROM:
PREPARED
BY:
Jill Firstman, Coordinator I, Professional Development
DATE:
August 20, 2015
SUBJECT:
Middle School Back-To'School-Night and Common Core State
Standards (CCSS) Messaging
Mrs. Jill Firstman, Coordinator I, Professional Development, received some
feedback from a middle school parent at Back-To-School-Night (BTSN), who
expressed that he felt that the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) messaging in
the Glendale Unified School District has improved and is more consistent.
Common themes from classroom BTSN parent presentations included:
•
Supporting your student with 21st Century Learning in order to develop
o Creativity
o Communication
o Critical Thinking
o Collaboration
o Perseverance
o Problem-solving skills
•
Literacy is Central to All Academic Areas
o Read Like Detectives - Read to Learn
o Write Like Reporters - Write with Evidence
o Listen/Speak while Demonstrating Language Proficiency
•
Growth Mind-Set
o Learning is continuous and on-going throughout life
o Thrives on challenge and sees failure not as evidence of unintelligence
but as a heartening springboard for growth and for stretching our
existing abilities (Quote by Carol Dweck)
71
Middle School Back-To-School-Night and Common Core State Standards (CCSS)
Messaging
Page 2
•
Productive Struggle
o Students are given a task slightly beyond their abilities
o Students are supported by teachers to help build critical thinking
skills and develop grit
o Students need to engage in this process to advance learning and
develop perseverance
o Helps students engage in the discovery process as part of the learning
and let them know that it's OK not to know the answer
The Rosemont Middle School parent that spoke to Mrs. Firstman shared: "/ have
been attending Back-To-School-Nights in various GUSD schools for the past six
years. Other years at Back-To-School Night, / felt that the cess were something
that came across as something teachers and students would have to endure. By
contrast, this year cess is fueling the excitement about deeper learning in a
positive way. JlVhat was once hesitancy and fear has now turned to passion and
enthusiasm. There was an unapologetic embrace of CeSs."
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72
NEWS
Glendale Unified
School District
223 North Jackson St., Glendale, CA 91206-4380 • 818-241-3111, ext. 218 • FAX 818-548-9041
Contact: Public Information/Administrative Services
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Distribution Date: August 21, 2015
Week at a Glance:
8127
College View School- Back to School Night 5:30 - 6:30 pm
Roosevelt Middle - Back to School Night 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Toll Middle - Back to School Night 6:00 pm
Wilson Middle - Back to School Night 5:15 - 8:00 pm
9/2
Cloud Pre-School Special Education - Back to School Night 6: 15 - 7:00 pm
Franklin Elementary - Back to School Night 6:00 -7:30 pm
Glenoaks Elementary - Back to School Night 6:30 - 8:00 pm
Clark Magnet High - Back to School Night 6:30 - 8:00 pm
Crescenta Valley High - Back to School Night 5:30 pm
9/3
Balboa Elementary - Back to School Night 6:00 - 7:30 pm
Cerritos Elementary - Back to School Night 6:00 -7:30 pm
Jefferson Elementary-Back to School Night 6:30 -7:15 pm (gr 4-6) 7:15 - 8:00 pm (gr K-3)
Lincoln Elementary - Back to School Night 6:30 pm
R.D. White Elementary - Back to School Night 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Daily/Re-Connect - Back to School Night 5:30 - 7:30 pm
11/23 -27
Thanksgiving Recess - Schools Closed
12/21-1/6
Winter Recess - Schools Closed
1121
Middle School Spelling Bee - Admin Building - Board Room 7:00 pm
1123
Clark Magnet High - Open House 11 :00 am - 1:00 pm
211
Elementary School Spelling Bee - Admin Building - Board Room 7:00 pm
2/25
Hoover High - Open House 6:00 - 8:30 pm
3/3
Cerritos Elementary - Open House 6:30 -7:30 pm
73
3/10
Rosemont Middle - Open House 6:30 - 7:30 pm
Wilson Middle - Open House 5: 15 - 8:00 pm
3/17
Edison Elementary - Open House 5:00 -7:00 pm
3/21-25
Spring Recess - Schools Closed
417
Franklin Elementary - Open House 6:00 -7:30 pm
Crescenta Valley High - Open House 5:30 pm
Daily/Re-Connect - Open House 5 :30 - 7:30 pm
Glendale High - Open House 6:00 pm
4/20
Cloud Pre-School EEELP - Open House 9:00 am
4/21
College View School- Open House 6:00 -7:30 pm
Toll Middle - Open House 6:30 pm
4/27
Cloud Pre-School Special Education - Open House 6:30 -7:30 pm
4/28
Dunsmore Elementary - Open House 6:00 -7:00 pm
Jefferson Elementary - Open House 6:30 -7:30 pm
Roosevelt Middle - Open House 6:00 - 8:00 pm
5/4
Marshall Elementary - Open House 6:30 -7:30 pm
5/5
Columbus Elementary - Open House 6:00 pm
Glenoaks Elementary - Open House 6:00 -7:00 pm
Valley View Elementary - Open House 7:00 - 8:00 pm
R.D. White Elementary - Open House 6:30 - 7:30 pm
5/11
Keppel Elementary - Open House 6:30 -7:30 pm
5/12
Fremont Elementary - Open House 7:00 - 8:00 pm
La Crescenta Elementary - Open House 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Lincoln Elementary - Open House 6:00 -7: 15 pm
Monte Vista Elementary - Open House 6:30 - 7:30 pm
Muir Elementary - Open House 6:00 -7:00 pm
5/19
Balboa Elementary - Open House 6:30 -8:00 pm
Mann Elementary - Open House 6:30 - 7:30 pm
Mountain Ave. Elementary - Open House 6:00 - 8:30 pm
Verdugo Woodlands Elementary - Open House 6:30 pm
6/1
Last Day of School
.Jt few of the many awardS to be yresentecf. ..
Vistinguisfiea Service .JlwardS:
:Fire Caytain Cody Smith
:Fire 'Engineer Jeffrey Casiffi
:Firefighter/Paramedic Joe :F{ahavan
Service J\bove Self .Jlward:
Susan Jekar{
P{ease join us for the
2015 GLENDALE FIRE DEPARTMENT A WARDS LUNCHEON
:J{ostea by the g{enaa{e Sunrise Rotary C{ub
J{onoring the
:Men & 'Women of the {j{endafe :Fire Veyartment
& :Members of our Community
'Wednesday, October 7,2015
{j{enda{e J{i{ton J{ote{
100 'West {j{enoaks 'EEva. {jfenda{e, C.Jlg1202
11:30 am Luncheon
(Clieeli in liegins at n:oo YlJI1. '.Tteliets witTnot lie soldat tlie dOor)
Come see our :Fire 'Deyartment .JJ.yyaratus
Indivicfua{ 'Tickets $75
Syonsorslifp LeveCs
1St JllCarm $250 - 2 tickets
2nd:JllCarm $500 - 4 tickets
3raJllCarm $900 - 10 tickets
C1;~:r Sponsorsliip $1500 - 10 tickets
+ e'ER']' training for 20 indivitfuaCs
Pl£ase 1t5YP by Seytember 2. :For more information p(ease cafe (818) 550-5641
75
Daily News
Monday, August 17,2015
EDUCATION
LAUSD
gears up
for tougher
vaccine law
District begins training
staff for 2016 requirement
By Susan Abram
susan.abram@langnews.com
@sabramLA on Twitter
With classes starting on Tuesday, Los Angeles Unified School
District officials said immunization rates 'among incoming studerits will be high, but preparations are underway to get ready
for a stricter state law.
The new law goes into effect
next year,but LAUSD officials
.said they'll work on training staff
to make sure all students have
completed their vaccinations on
schedule.
Across the district, about 1 per, cent of aU 'incoming kindergart~
I nersgo unvaccinated because
,their parents filed personal belief exemptions, said Dr. Kimberly
Uyeda, LAUSD's director of Stut dent Medical Services. That percentage goes down among incom. ing seventh-graders.
But; there are communities
within the district where those
personal belief exemptions are
higher. At Shirley Elementary
VACCINE» PAGE 7
Vaccine
FROr.,:PAGEl
School in Reseda, for example, 79 percent of the' children were up to date with
vaccinations, and at least
.3.4percent had a personal
belief exemption during the
2014-15 school year, according to the ShotsforSchool
website provided by the California Department of Public Health.
.
Uyeda said the district
has to find an effiCient
way to make sure students ,complete the whole
vaccination cycle.
"They are conditionally admitted, but that
takes manpower and follow up," she said. "That's
where we really need more
vigilant. we have some
preparation to do."
Statewide, about 92 percent of all children have
had the measles vaccine
by age 3.. Nearly 3 percent
have chosen' to go unvaccinated under California's
personal belief option,
according to the public
heaith department.
InJune; Goy. Jerry Brown
-signed one of the nation's
toughest childhood vaccination bills into law, which
eliminates the personal belief exemption from school
vaccination requirements.
However, the law exempts
home-schooled and independent study children as
well,as those with a physician's consent.
In signing SB 277, California became the third
state after West Virginia
and Mississippi, to elimi~
nate the personal belief ex-
emption from school vaccination requirements.
An effort by parents who,
believe they should have the
right to decide whether to
vaccinate their children is
underway to repeal the law.
The bill was crafted in
February by Democrats
Richard 'Pan, a pediatrician who represents Sacramento, and Ben Allen,
the former president of the
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District board,
who represents much of
the Westside and a portion
ofTo trance,
After a whooping cough
epidemic was declared earlier last year, California experienced its worst measles
outbreak in 15years in December that stemmed from
an infection at Disneyland.
-The disease affected more
than 130 California resi-
76
dents and dozens more nationwide.
The outbreak cast a spotlight on immunization rates
among schoolchildren, and
some districts told unvaccinated children to stay
home.
"I think it just raised
awareness among the
school imd community of
the need to be contin~
ally vigilant about vaccine
preventative 'diseases,"
Uyeda said. "For measles; it
prompted usto be more vigHant of our numbers."
Parents of LAUSD chHdren who still need to get
their children immunized
can visit one of several
health centers on school
campuses, Uyeda'said.
Parents also can go to the
Los Angeles Department of
Public Health to look up the
nearest health center.
Daily News
EDUCATION
Group: No
link between
teacher pay~
test scores
Monday, August 17, 2015
try to stay as non-partisan
as we can, because the is: siles we care about, we sin··..,cerely believe should con~
FROM PAGE 3
cern left-wing citizens as
testing system to match much as right~wing citiup with the new Common
Core State Standards.) API ze~;'d rather look at
:scores range from 200 to the report's conclusion:
1,000, with a target of 800 "There's zero correlation
f6r all schools.
between how much teach"The'
ers make and how the stuar€nlll~Jml!"." he said.
Teachers
By Beau Yarbrough
beau.yarbrough@langnews.com
@LBY3 on Twitter
A new report looking at the salaries of the 75 largest school districts in California alleges there
is no correlation between teacher
compensation and higher student
test scores.
Transparent California posted
the report on its website's 'blog
on Wednesday morning. The report looks at teacher salaries in
the state's 75largest school districts and compares them to the
district's 2013 Academic Performance Index scores, which. are
based on a combination of scores
on various standardized tesls.
(That's the last year that API
scores are available, as the state
has overhauled its standardized
TEACHERS» PAGE 6
pensation is defined as
wages plus the employercost of health .and retirement benefits. The average
total employee cost per enrolled student was $6,946
and was negatively correlated against the district's
API scores."
Transparent California
is a website operated by
the Tustin-based California Policy Center, a conser.vative thiIik tank affiliated with the State Policy
Network, which works to
"limit government and advance market-friendly public policy at the state and 10cal levels," according to the
SPN website.
.
"I guess you could say
we're a center-right organization," said Ed Ring, executive director of the California Policy Center. "Those
terms are becoming very
muddled and we, frankly,
77
no
relationship to how students do."
Transparent California
looked at the employee
compensation records of
more than 740,00 K-12 employees, who account for
nearly 80 percent of educators statewide.
The Ontario-based
Chaffey Joint Union High
School District is called
out in the report for having the highest· average
compensation package for
teachers in the districts ex-
amined~. $i~9~942 -:- but
. haviIig asub-SOO API score
of 77t In cQritrast, San
Ramon Va~Ie¥. Unified in
Nd:rthehfe~lltQrnia had a
923)\:Pf$Mtt!lri 2013, with
~n~::i~~ltgit:~~~~8.com-
"Something's really
wrong when s~hools are
delivering API scores that
low," Ring
"Why are
we still
teachers
they
many
get that
they can turn around and
take back to the payroll department?"
Mat Holton, superintendent of the Chaffey high
school district, is not i1 fan
of the Transparent California report.
"This is a flawed comparison on many levels,'"
a written response from
Holton begins. "API is an
obsolete metric that,. was
suspended unanimously by
the California Board of Education earlier this year."
Daily News
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
commentary
Helping all LAUSD students achieve
. By Eric GareeUi
Do you remember your first
day of school? The thrill of seeing friends, the sense of possibility for the year ahead.
That moment arrives today
for 640,000 students in the Los
Angeles Unified School District.
But when they step into the
classroom, the rubber will meet
the road - excitement vs. reality. As city leaders, it is our job
to give those students the education they deserve. But there is
one truth that parents and edllcators know well: A good education is not restricted to what
happens between the first and
last bell. Equally important is
giving students the right start to
their morning and helping them
after school.
That's whete City Hall comes
in: We can ensure kids have safe
streets, after school programs,
and healthy meals to make academic success easier to achieve.
A sense of safety is integral to
kids' ability to learn. That's why
we've invested in programs like
Safe Routes to School, and increased funding by $5.5 million
for our office of Gang Reduction
and youth Development (GRYD),
which funds programs like Summer Night Lights. SNL provides
safe recreation options at dozens
of parks by keeping the lights on
later. Along the way, we're able
to reduce crime and give young
people a place to learn and play.
But the need for this program
doesn't end when the school
year begins. So this fall, for the
first time,we will start "Friday Night Lights" at eight select
parks.
What happens when these
students get back home?
~ research shows, family income is a leading indicator of
academic success. Nationwide,
only 9 percent of students raised
in poverty will receive a college
degree by age 24. The correlation between low wages and low
graduation rates is heartbreaking and direct. We must level
this playing field with programs
and economic opportunity.
That's why we fought for and
won the largest anti-poverty
measure in the history of L.A.
- an increase in the minimum
wage to $15 by 2020. By giving
L.A. a raise, we are going to lift
600,000 people out of poverty.
As we take these steps, we're
making sure young people aren't
left behind. This is where Hire
L.A.'s Youth comes in. It's a program linking young People to
summer jobs and mentorship.
Over the last two years we have
mote than doubled the size of
this critical program from 5,000
jobs to over 11,000. That helps
put our young people on a path
toward career readiness.
We're also adopting some
common-sense strategies to link
LAUSD students to resources.
The first is our Student Dropout Recovery Program. This
partnership between the school
district and the city reduces absenteeism and get students reengaged in the learning process.
78
So far, this program has helped
get 1,000 young people back into
school.
Another initiative of mine
will provide every student in
Los Angeles with a library card.
That simple step will give students access to one-on-one tutoring and live homework help.
A third initiative will expand the
students served a good, healthy
dinner at school. We're in the
process of more than doubling
that program from 75,000 students served per day in 2015 to
150,000 by 2017. After that, it
will go district-wide.
, None of these programs are
comprehensive solutions. Internet access can't replace a great
teacher, and engaged parents
will always be more important
than summer jobs. What I've set
out to do is work with educators
and families to increase the possibility that our students succeed.
Because, nothing's more important than helping the next
generation of Angelenos realize
their potential.
.
Eric Garcetti is mayor ofLos
. Angeles.
CORRECTION
Joe Mathews' Aug. 13 column
incorrectly identified Salinas
as the Central Coast's most
populous municipality. Oxnard,
with a population of 203,000, is
the most populous city in the six
Central Coast counties.
Los Angeles Times
District
hopes
for 'a
smooth
1st day
L.A. Unified officials
say they've turned the
corner on their
technology fiascoes.
By HOWARD BLUME
Tuesday,
August 18, 2015
,
Getting students into the
right classroom on the first
day of school is a modest
!;
goal.
.
But it's a huge improvement over last year, when
thousands of students in the
'! Los Angeles Unified School
District were left without
class assignments and
teachers couldn't even take
roll.
'
Officials this week are
trying· to right two major
technology debacles: a malfunctioning records system
and a now-abandoned plan
to provide iPads to all students.
I
Last year, the records
system caused chaos at
campuses around the district. The iPadproject led to
an ongOing FBI investigation. And both contributed
to the departure of the superlntenQent and other top
administrators.
As.schools opened Tuesday, officials are hopeful tMt
they've turned the corner on
their technology fiascoes.
A recent spot check of
:' district schools found about
j' 3% of students still needed
: to be assigned classes. At
,Jefferson, High School,
;; south of downtown, only one ,
i student, a new arrival to the
campus, was lacking a
; i schedule.
This time last year, Jeffer: son couldn't determine how
many students it had, and
; few, if anY,·had correct class,
· aSSignments -let alone ac• curate transcripts or gradepoint average~ needed for
· college applications.
Although Jefferson may
[See LAUSD, B6]
I:
79
Los Angeles Times
B6
Tuesday, August 18,2015
(os Angeles <times
TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015
LATIMES.COM
CorrectingPtwo tech debacles
[LAUSD, from B1J
have been most affected, the
system failed districtwide. It
couldn't handle the volume
of dat.a or the complexity of
tasks.
"We feel good that students are in the right
classes," said Jefferson Prtn~
cipal Jack Foote. "We had
kids pick up their schedules
last week."
The student records sys~
t.em had seemed Itke a bargain at first it was based
on free computer code, ob~
tained from Fresno Unified,
which could be modified as
needed. It was intended to
unite all student records in
one place, including attendance, course schedules,
emergency contacts, past
performance and special
needs. Such coordination,
officials hoped, would lead
to faster and more appropriate services for students and
more efficient business
practices.
The new program, cailed
My Integrated Student Information System Crv.[ISIS),
cost $133 million to get on
track. Officials set aside $80
million this year to pay for
additionalf'I){Cs.
Veteran school system
lawyer Diane H. Pappas was
placed in charge of salvaging
the records system. She assembled consultants. distlict technicians, volunteers
from the private sector and
staffers from schools.
A software company
might update a program two
or three times a year, Pappas
said. whereas the district
has had to push through 100
fixes some weeks.
"We've been rebuilding
on what was here," Pappas
said. "MISrS was in a complete state of disarray."
In the middle oflast week,
14,107 students, of about
500,000 total, still were with·
out schedules.
"Last year, the distlict
couldn't generate a report
about how many students
lacked schedules and the
STUDENTS Jordann Ventura, 14, left, Karyna MiIIs, 15, GuiIIermo Romero, 15, and Dayanara Trujillo, 15, try out their iPads in pre-first-
day orientation last week at VaHey Academy of Arts and Sciences in Granada Hills. The schoo! first tested the devices in 2012.
return, the FBI seized re·
cords related to the bidding
process that result.ed in the
iPact contract. Current. and
former district officials have
denied any wrongdoing.
By then, the iPad effort
had expanded to include
other devices but also had
ground nearly to a halt.
Cortines decided that
L.A. Unified could not afford
the $1.3 billion start-up cost
of providing computers to all
students, teachers and cam-
tested iFads in 2012, the year
before the district adopted
its iFad plan.
The school's experience
with the tablets reflected the
district's InconSistent, incomplete policies.
In that first year, students initially could taken
the iPads home: later, they
couldn't. The next year, students were allowed to use
the iPads only during a single class period, every other
day. Last year, students
pus administrators.
didn't receive the devices
Still, every student will
VALLEY ACADEMY students received their iPads
Pap~
receive a computer this year
when they turned in forms and picked up textbooks.
pas said.
L.A. schools Supt. Ramon C. Cortine;; spent an
how' on the phone last week
\\1th adrninlstrl1tors going
over the situation at every
school with potential probe
lems. Cortines vowed to
empty the central office, if
needed, to provide help to
campuses on opening day,
Pappas sald. .
A reliable records system
"is the heart of the district.,"
sald Cortines, who returned
from retirement to head the
school system last October
aftetthen·Supt. John Deasy
resigned under pressure.
Soon after, the head oftechnology also resigned.
"After months of tireless
repairs, our heart has some
new stents, replaced valves,
a pacemaker and reduced
cholesterol, and it is pumping much stronger," he said
recently, extending a metaphor that. he has employed
on several occasions.
Shortly ~fter Cort.ines'
at 103 previously approved
schools, about a 10th of district campuses.
At one of them, Valley
Academy of Arts and Sciences in Granada Hills, students received their iFads
last week when they turned
in forms and picked up textbooks.
Tenth,grader Scott Murray enrolled at the school after leaving another with a
program for highly gifted
students - because he
wanted the iFad.
Scott is dyslexic and has
trouble writing homework
aSSignments. He takes a
photograph of the hlackboard instead. And he dictates the first drafts of essays and writing assignments into his iFad.
"Writing is the problem,"
he said, "not thinking. ,.
"Until he got this single
device, he wasn't a full, equal
member of the class, said
his mother, Gail Murray.
Campus-\vide Wi-Fi aI-
data wasn't accurate,"
lows students to do research
online. Students receiv.e as-
signments on their devices
and use them to turn in written work and other homework. Some textbooks and
novels can be downloaded to
the devices. Students also
avoid bringing home text-
l'
80
books by photographing
pages with math problems,
for example,
Art teacher Jess PerryMartin has stUdents take
photos of their art projects,
which she can then take
home to evaluate.
Valley Academy first
until they were in the third
month of school.
Eventually, officials decided that schools need to
demonstrate that they can
make good use of the devices. Valley Academy was the
first to get such a plan approved. As of last week, it
was the only school with an
approved plan, but other
campuses are not far be-
hind, said Bill Wherritt, a
deputy director in the facilities division.
He added that all classrooms throughout the district now have Wi-Fi, and ev~
ery school has enough
shared computers for students to take new state
standardized tests onilne.
At Jefferson, the ratio is
about one computer to every
four students. Most of t.he
new devices are Chrome'books, a less expensive alternative to the iPact. Foote
said his staff would benefit
from additional training in
computer-based instruc·
tion.
A task force will meet in
the coming months to develop a long-tenn technology
plan for L.A. Unified.
howard.blume
@latimes.com
TWitter:@howardblume
Los Angeles Times
ios Angeles <!rimes
LATIMES.COM
BACK TO SCHOOL
Dear Reader,
Today is the first day of school for
hundreds ofthousands of children
throughout Los Angeles, and for
students, teachers and parents, the
occasion is cause for both excitement
and trepidation.
Education, it has been said, is the
soul of society, and few institutions
embody our hopes and dreams as
much as our public schools. They are
the cornerstones of our communities
and the foundation for our future,
where children from aU backgrounds
are given the tools to shape their lives
and their world.
'
With the start of a new school year,
the Los Angeles Times is rededicating
. itself to coverage of teaching and
learning. Our goal is to provide an
ongoing, wide-ranging report card
on K-12 education in Los Angeles,
California and the nation.
We are calling our initiative Education Matters, and I encourage you to
join ~s as we explore the issues that
matter most to yo~ and your child. If
you want to understand the latest
debate on curriculum or testing, find
out about the role of student health in
learning, study how charter SChools
are changing public education or
experience a classroom from the
perspective of a teacher, then Education Matters will be an essential destination.
With an expanded team ofreporters, we will take a fresh approach to
our news and analysis starting with
today's stories about the unique
challenges facingLAUSD and the last
year-round school in Los Angeles.
Our editorial pages feature a guest
column by U.S. Education Secretary
Arne Duncan on the need for more
investment in math and science
education. You will fmd our reports at
latimes.com/schools in English and
Spar$h.
In the'comingmonths, we will
convene public forums to address
topics such as education policy, saving for college and talking to your
child's teacher. We intend these conversations to be both thoughtful and
practical.
The Times continues to draw more
high school students to journalism
with HS Insider, available at high-.
school.latimes.com. And as the
school year begins, more college
students will receive free access to
The Times through our College Connection program, which brings them
news,and information relevant to
their studies and their communities.
A child's success in the classroom
81
depends on the participation and
support of everyone in the community, a view shared by the California
Endowment, the Wasserman Foundation and the Baxter Family Foundation, which, are providing funds to
support Education Matters. The
California Community Foundation
and United Way of Greater Los Angeles have also supported this effort
with grants from the Broad Foundation. These institutions, like The
Times, are dedicated to independent
journalism that engages and informs
its readers.
Your flrst assignment is to become involved. Read and share our
stories. Attend a discussion in your
neighborhood. Sign up for our
weekly newsletter, "Education
Matters." Follow us on Twitter at
@LATEducation.
As we launch Education Matters, I
look forward to hearing from you.
Please let me know how we're doing
and how we can best serve your
needs.
Austin Beutner
Publisher and
Chief Executive
Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
1 of
ALLEN J. SCHABEN Los Angeles Times
RISING BELL HIGH seniors Emily Romero and Dulce Penuelas came in during
their breaks for school activities, volunteer service and extra academic help.
Already back at school
in the Los Angeles Unified
At Bell High, the
year-round calendar
provides 'an extra
scoop of learning.'
School District. Under the
school's four-track schedule,
Sabrina, a junior, began
schocil July 1 while many of
her friends were splashing in
water parks, playing at Disneyland and visiting Mexico.
BY.TERESA WATANABE
Instead of one long summer
vacation, Sabrina and her
As thousands of Los An- Bell classmates get two sixgeles students head back to week breaks.
Bell is a throwback to
school, Sabrina Campos is
already six weeks deep into what was once the muchher algebra, chemistry, Eng- maligned norm in L.A. Unilish and history classes.
fied before the building
That's because she at- boom. But as year-round
tends' Bell High School -. schools fade, some students,
the last year-round campus teachers and administra-
82
Education Matters
A new Times initiative
focuses on coverage of.
teaching and learning. A2
Online coverage
For more education
articles, go to www
.latimes.comlschools.
tors who have had to adjust
to the unusual schedule are
resisting joining the rest of
the district.
"Year-round is better,"
[See Year-round, A8]
Los Angeles Times
Page 2 of
AS
TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015
SIos Angdcs mimes
LATIMES.COM
---------------------------~---------------------------------
AtBeIl,
more
tIme to
@
learn
[Year-round, from Ail
Sabrina said, "We get more
learning time - a lot more
one-an-one tutoring, When
everyone comes back, we're
ahead of them, ..
In fact, Bell Principal
Rafael Balderas Ukes his
campus' current calendar so
much that he plans to propose keeping it - even after
a new school down the road
is completed in two years
and solves his overcrowding
problem,
The two shorter breaks
prevent students from forgetting as much as they do
during the traditional 10week summer vacation and
allow him to bring more of
them in for extra academic
support, he said,
"It's an extra scoop of
learning," Balderas said,
"How else can you catch
them up?"
The campus, located in
the southeast city of Bell, is
the last vestige of an era of
explosive
growth that
pushed LA Unified's enrollment to 700,000 from 500,000
between 1980 and 2000. The
growth caused acute overcrowding, with some schools
tripling in size to 2,000 students.
District officials eased
the crisis with massive
cross-town busing, hundreds of portable classrooms and the advent of
year-rolmd school schedules. But each' of the temporary solutions caused other
problems.
The busing of thousands
of chlldren from overcrowded schools to those
with space deprived them of
opportunities to participate
in after-school sports and
other extracurricular programs. The cost of portable
classrooms
which
reached atleast $13 million a
year at one point - diverted
dollars from instlUctional
ALl.EN J. SCHABEN
Los AngelI'S Times
ALGEBRA II TEACHER Gabriel Sanchez teaches a class at Bell High School, the last year-round campus at Los Angeles Unified.
programs, according to David Tokofsky, a former LA
Unified Board of Education
member.
Communities organized
protests, including a brigade
of Southgate mothers in
trademark red outfits. A
bond measure to build new
schools passed in 1997, but a
tl\rning point came in 2001,
when California voters
dropped the thresl)old ofapproval needed to 55% from
67%.
By 2002, 227 campuses
were still on the year-round
system - pennitting campuses to' squeeze in more
students by dividing them
into groups that attend
school on staggered schedules, with one group on vacation at all times. More than
80% of the campuses used a
multitrack system known as
Concept 6, which resulted in
17 fewer school days
and
quickly bred controversy.
A palr of 2002 studies by
UCLA and Gallaudet University found that students
on that shorter calendar
performed
substantiaJly
worse than those on traditional schedules. Further,
those students were disproportionately Latino, low-income and learning English.
A successful lawsuit by
civil rights attorney Connie
-Rice and others freed $750
million in state school constlUction dollars for Los AngeIes. Subsequent bond
measures have allowed L.A.
Unified to complete 130 new
campuses and many other
additions under its $17-billion construction program.
Today, the overcrowding
problem has been widely
eased but not completely
solved. Bell is still on a yearround schedule, about 20%
of students remain in portable classrooms· and two
campuses may still require
busing after officials determine final enrollment when
the school year begins, said
Mark Hovatter, the district's
chieffacillties executive.
"We believe there's a lot
more bulldingthat needs to
be done," he said.
One ongoing project is a
new high school in Maywood
a mile north of Bell set to
open in two years. Balderas
said he expects about 600 of
his 3,100 Bell students to
move to the new campus,
which would allow his school
to return to a traditional August-to-June calendar for
the fIrst time since 1981
Balderas said, however,
he's a finn believer in two
shorter breaks rather than
Solving the state's
STEM shortage
Arne Duncan discusses
how schools need to
refocus. OP-ED, A13
District hopes for
a: smooth 1st day
Officials say they've put
tech fiascoes behind
them. CALIFORNlA,B1
one long summer vacation.
The dOUble breaks, he 'said,
allow his students to take
more community college
classes, receive more tutoring and better prepare for
high school exit exams and
Advanced Placement tests.
During a recent vacation,
rising seniors Emily Romero
and Dulce Penuelas both
said they came in during
their breaks for school activities, volunteer service and
extra academic help. Dulce
said she came to school every day for four of her six
weeks off to take an extra
calculus class after receiving
a C in the subject the previous semester; she ralsed her
grade to aB.
The extra support for
Bell students costs $250,000
83
- about half from the district and half from a grant,
Balderas said. Buthe said he
believes it has helped the
school continuously improve to an 85% graduation
rate, 45.5% Advanced Placement exam pass rate and
24% reclassification rate of
students to fluent English
speakers.
John Rogers, a UCLA education professor, said that
the school calendar Bell uses
has not been systematically
studied to see whether it
produces more academic
gains, but that expanded
learning time is a clUcial
factor in student achievement.
Last year, Public Counsel
and the ACLU Foundation
of Southern California filed a
class-action lawsuit challenging California's alleged
fallure to provide sufficient
learning time to all stUdents.
"To the extent that the
calendar at Bell expands
learning time. it's terrific,"
Rogers said. "Many highpoverty schools are losing
days because there have
been more and more cuts to
extended learning time opportunities."
Balderas also said he is
able to plan more teacher
training during the double
breaks. And Bell teachers
say they see other benefits.
"Traditionally kids go
into zombie mode during
those longer breaks and it
takes them longer to get
back into the swing of
things," said Lee Kimura, a
government and leadership
teacher.
Dulce said some families
struggle with multiple
school calendars
especially when it prevents BeU
students from being able to
babysit younger siblings on
summer break.
Hovatter said that keeping schools open year-round
is more expensive - with
maintenance bills possibly
20% higher. But it was unclear what the price .tag
would be for Balderas' proposal to keep the double
breaks.
. Sabrina said she's aU for
her principal's plan - not
the least of which is because
it would continue to give Bell
students a huge benefIt during their two breaks in the
spring and fall.
"There are no lines at Disneyland and the beaches
aren't crowded," she said.
teresa.watanabe
@Iatimes.com
Twitter: @teresawatanabe
. Los Angeles Times
PREstDENT OBAMA checks out an €)xhibit at the White House Science Fair in May 2014.
The STEM gap
By Arne :puncan
NTHE WESTSIDE of Los
O
science teachers, which disproportionately affect schools serving
low-Income and mlnolity stUdents.
In California, teacher shortages In
math, science and computer education have persisted for more
than a decade. This school year,
California distlicts will need to fill
more thl)Jl 21,000 teachlng positions, many In hard-to-staffSTEM
subjects.
All of this comes at a time when
the United States must ramp up to
keep up with international competitors - ranklng 29th In math
and 22nd In science among Industlialized nations.
Despite these challenges, I'm
optimistic about the future of
STEM teachlng and learnlng, In
California and throughout the
country.
Angeles, there's a
school where eighthgraders code and build
websites, develop entrepreneurial ventures and use
gaming software to design solutions for saving local endangered
species. At the Incubator School,
teachers leverage technology to Individually tallor student learnlng
and track progress toward challenging academic standards. And
students regularly participate In a
design laboratory In which they
study sciences and complete
projects based on their personal
Interests and passions.
High-quality Instruction In sci'
ence, technology, engineering and
math - subjects collectively
known 'as STEM - can provide
students with a lens to approach
andview the world. When students
- like those at the Incubator
School - engage In hands-on
STEM learnlng, they aren't just
galnlng subject matter knowledge.
They're developing a mlnd-set
that affirms they can use Inquiry
The Galt Joint Union Elemenand their own logic to reach new tary School Distlict In SacramentO
conclusions and tackle tough County represents one encouragproblems.
Ing example. Through a federal
Ifwe want our children to grow Race to the Top distlict grant, Galt
Into the scientists, researchers, Joint Union is increasing access to
educators and entrepreneurs who STEM with after-school clubs that
will address our most pressing olfer virtual courses In subjects
challenges, and if we want our na- such as mechanical engineering.
tion to remaIn a global leaderIn in- At River Oaks Elementary School,
novation, we must ensure that all it's not uncommon to see children
students have access to deep learn- worklng together to design and
Ing In STEM subjects and are program robots. These elforts
taught by talented teachers knowl- have led to Increased student enedgeable In these fields.
gagement in STEM, and have preYet, across the country, there pared Galt Joint Union to be one of
are disparities In students' access eight school distlicts in California
to the full range of math and worklngtowardearlyimplementascience courses, mcluding such tion of the Next Generation Scisubjects as algebra, geometry, ence Standards.
To Inspire and prepare more
biology and physics. Nationwide,
while 71% of white high school stu- students to excel in STEM and
dents have access to the complete build a strong pipeline of teachers
range of these courses - often re- In these disciplines, we need new
quired for college admittance ways ofapproachlngSTEMeducaonly two-thirds of Latino students .tion, and our elforts must Involve
and a little more than half of black everyone:
States,
distlicts,
students do.
schools, tech developers, teacher
This situation is compounded prep programs and our best scienby sli6rtages of qualified math and tists, mathematiCians IUld engi-
u.s. students are too
often shortchanged in
these key subjects.
84
neers all have roles to play.
At the federal level, President
Obama's Educate to Innovate
campaign has resulted In more
than $1 billion In financial and Inklnd support for STEM programs
from corporations, philanthropists, colleges and a host of stakeholders. And more than 230 organizations have come together
through 100KinJO, answering the
preSident's call to recruit and develop 100,000 excellent STEM
teachers over the next decade.
Additionally, fourofthe nation's
largest youth development organizations - Boys and Girls Clubs of
Amelica, Girls Inc., YMCA and the
National 4-H Council- are establishlng a partnership to ignite the
Interest of traditionally underrepresented groups In STEM. This
partnership will provide low-income and mlnolity students and
young girls with access to mobile
STEM labs, science expos IUld
STEM-themed summer caInps.
It's also promising that online
hubs, like the ConnectOry, are helping teachers and parents find science and tech-related programs
and activities for children in their
communities.
We need even more initiatives
like these to move students, teach·
ers, and our nation from the middle
to the top ofthepackIn science and
math. This work must start early;
it's clitical to Inspire children,
starting In preschool, to be lifelong
learners In STEM.
And we need more role models
like Isis Wenger, an engineer at a
San-Francisco-based tech company who, through her #ILookLikeAnEngIneer campalgn, shatters
notions of who can succeed In
STEM Industlies.
With tile startofthis new school
year, I'm confident that working
together and ·across sectors, we
can commit to connecting all students to strong STEM learnlng
and great teachers that not only
push our young people to explore
and understand the world but also
build the capacity to change it for
the better..
AaNE DUNcANiSthe U.S.
Secretary of Education.
Daily News
Wednesday, August 19,2015
Page 1
EDUCATION
.
PHOTOS BY DAVID CRAN~ - STAFF PtlOTOGRAPHER
Kyla Ivey helps daughter Sevena Ivey find her third-grade class on the first day at Colfax Elementary School. in North Hollywood on Tuesday.
LAUSD students head
back to the.classroom
By City News Service
It may still feel like summer outside, but thousands of Los Angeles Unified School District students
headed back to class Thesday for the
first day of school.
About 550,000 students in the na-
About 550,000 children returned to schools; s~fety,
proper vaccinations among concerns on the first day
tion)se~()NHllrgesHglloQL<listrict .
flocked to caiupuses across the area.
Only one school in the district, Bell
Senior High School, still operates on
a year-round schedule. Those students went back to Class on July I.
For everyone else, the alarm clock
began ringing early Thesday.
District officials and members of
the Board of Education fanned out
across the area to welcome students
back to class, stressing district goals
of 100 percent attendance, parent and community engagement
and school safety. They were also
checking seventh-graders to ensure
they have been immunized against
whooping cough. Seventh -graders
without proof ofimmunization will
not be able to attend classes.
"We begin again today to work together, t'o do our best and to help our
students learn more every day," Superintendent Ramon Cortines said.
Los Angeles School Police and Los
Angeles Police Department officers
were also out in force around campuses to ensure student safety, and
to ensure motorists were <;lriving cauSCHOOL» PAGE 5
Sarah HuYoung takes a photo of her children Nathan and Ella on the first day of school at Colfax
Elementary School. Nathan is star85~ transitional kindergarten and Ella is starting preschool.
Daily News
LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS)} DAILYNEWS,COM ,
School
FROM PAGE 3
tiously around kids walking
to school. District officials
urged students walking to
and from school to travel
in groups, and young kids
should be escorted by an
adult or older students.
In conjunction with the
first day of school, district officials also said
there were no problems
with the LAUSD's My In"
tegrated Student Information System, known as
MiSiS, which was beset
with problems since the
record-keeping computer
system went online before
school began last year. The
breakdowns left hundreds
of students without proper
class schedules, and many
teachers were unable to
properly records students'
grades.
By midmorning, however, the district reported
"no major problems" with
the system.
"From Jefferson to JFK,
scheduling and attendance all gOing well," district officials posted on
the LAUSD's official Twitter account.
Cortines said the district
went to great lengths to repair the network while revamping instruction plans
and teaming with teachers
and parents to encourage
the success of students.
"Despite the challenges
we've faced, I've never seen
so much excitement and
enthusiasm for the start
NEWS.,
5
of the school year," Cortines said. "Everyone has
come together to help pick
up the broken pieces of our
schools and put them back
together again."
He said he was confident the MiSiS system
will continue running effectively as school starts,
but a team of technicians
will be on duty to address
last-minute glitches.
Cortines said students
will see more nurses,
counselors and librarians
at campuses, along with
smaller math and English classes in secondary
schools. He also stressed
that unlike last year, when
the district had more than
200 teacher vacancies, every classroom will have a
permanent teacher, not a
substitute, on opening day.
"We overcame a lot of
challenges over the last
year, and we will continue
to overcome them, thanks
to the inexhaustible determination of our entire
LAUSD family," Cortines
said.
Steve Zimmer, presi- '
dent of the district's Board
of Education, said the bee
ginning of the year brings .:\:1
hope for students' future.elj
"LAUSD schoOls are the.!!
places where American Ji
dreams can come true," 1i
he said. "Nothing is more ",~
powerful than the poten-·~
tial of our children. Maylj
the hope of this day super- '~
charge a new spirit of col-i'
laboration around public~
education in Los Angeles:~
that will change lives and:~
transform communities."',)
86
DEAN MUSGROVE - STAFF PHO,TOG;RAF'HER
Detective William Bustos, right, officer-in-charge of
LAPD's Valley Traffic Division detectives, was out in front
of Lankershim Elementary School in North Hollywood on
Tuesday morning to talk about traffic safety tips.
Los Angeles Times
Photographs by AL SElS Los Angeles Times
MARITZA FERRANDIZ asks Ray Cortez to hold the classroom sign as students line up at Vine Street
Elementary, where board President Steve Zimmer was on hand to answer questions.
A BIG DAY FOR
A BIG DISTRICT
New year finds 650,OOO-student LAUSD at crossroads
By HOWARD BLUME
AND SONALI KOHLI
Everyone, it seems, has an opinion
'
Some critics consider the mammoth school system so hopeless that
they are trying to dismantle it. Others say it's too late.
For the opening of school Tuesday, L.A. Unified presented itself as
thriving, reviving and vital. In events
stretched throughout the day, officials showcased some ofits best.
El Sereno Middle School offers
classes in Mandarin-forits mostly Latino students and hosts a program
with usc to pay tuition for those who
graduate from high school.
"He speaks three languages,"
Irma Henriquez said proudly of her
son, Nelson, 13. "Imagine how many
doors will open to him in the future."
At Vine Street Elementary in Hollywood, parents got the chance to
question school board President
Steve ZinIrner and even complain
about a few things.
[See School, B5)
about~.A. Unified.
JACK AZPEITIA comforts his daughter Saidee, 6, who is entering
first grade. District officials showed off the newly upgraded online
student records system, which failed last year.
87
Los Angeles Times
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2015
B5
Photographs by AL SEIH Los Angeles Timf'"
FIRST-GRADE students line up to enter a classroom at Vine Street Elementary. New Principal Kurt Lowry's determination to be responsive extended to a parent's complaints about cafeteria lunches and a lack of soap in a restroom.
Setting off on the right foot
[School, from B1l
Liliana Rodriguez said
he needs to do something
about the cafeteria lunches.
"My kids don't like to eat
at school very often because
the foods are frozen," Rodriguezsaid.
New Principal Kurt
Lowry was determined to be
responsive. He put in a call
to food services about the
frozen or undercooked
meals. And he made a radio
call to custodians when he
was alerted that there was
no soap in the preschoolers'
bathroom.
The district even took the
media into its command
center for the online student
records system that failed
last year, leaving schools in
chaos with students unable
to get into classes.
That program, called My
Integrated Student Information System, or MISIS,
appeared to work Tuesday.
Fixingit cost $133 million. An
additional $80 million was
set aside for this year.
KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS playa game on the first day of school at 186th Street Elementary. Sorne of
the 4- and 5-year olds were in a classroom setting for the first time.
88
Los .Angeles Times
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
e
"The district is in a renaissance," said L.A. ,schools
Supt. Ramon C. Cortines,
who took over the top job
last fall. "A year ago, the
opening of school was a disaster. And I believed it
could be fIXed .... It's my hope
that [parents] are willing to
say: 'Hey, maybe we can
trust the district again.' "
The new year finds the
650,OOO-student L.A. Unified
School'District at a crossroads. Increased funding
has restored staff and programs that were lost during
the recession; long-awaited
salary increases have improved labor relations and
polarizing Supt. John.Deasy
resigned under pressure.
Cortines,. 83, returned
from retirement with a pragmatic' focus: fixing the records system audcharting a
path forward on technology
after a disastrous, nowabaudoned effort to provide
iPads to every student,
teacher and campus administrator.
But higher state funding
, isn't keeping up with claims
on it. Many adult school
teachers were laid off and
" some question whether the
district can afford the pay
raises.
At Jefferson High School
south of downtown Tuesday,
the big story was the absence ofa big story.
The faulty records system generated inaccurate
transcripts and miscalculated grade-point averages,
among other problems.
Justin Fernandez, a junior, said the focus on Jefferson has benefited the school.
"They've put kids in the
right places," he said. "I
haven't seen no one with
mistakes in their schedule.
And the school is getting lots
of attention." .
Principal Jack Foote had
been prepared for the worst,
with printouts of rosters and
attendance sheets if, for example, the city of Los Angeles suffered a major power
outage.
There were minor glitches. Eleventh-grader Miguel
Figueroa said he need a
more advanced Spanish
class than the one he received. Another student
said he wanted ROTC as an
elective but it wasn't on his
schedule.
'It's my hope that
[parents] are
willing to say:
"Hey, maybe we
can trust the
district again." ,
- SUPT. RAMON C.
CORTINES,
on L.A. Uniiled's improvements
Overall, the system functioned as it shOuld. "It's no
longer that it doesn't work or
'I wish I could take attendance: or, 'I wish I knew ho,w
many students I had in my
class, ", said history teacher
Katherine Harrison.
The district highlighted
Cleveland High School in
the westSan Fernando Valley, where the humanities
magnet sends students to
some of the best colleges in
the country.
At 186th Street Elementary in Gardena, teaching
veteran Lisa Harmison oversaw organized chaos. The
pre-kindergarten class of 24
was split into groups, each
assigned a color, and rotated
between stations.
At one, children used
blocks in free play, sitting on
a mat with the alphabet on
it, learning to play together
to bulld social skills. In a second. students worked independently, gluing together
pre-cut pieces of paper to
make an owl, the school
mascot. The goal was to
learn how to follow directions ..
At a third table, pupils
matched colored pieces to
the shapes.on paper, a math~ related exercise.
·Patterning in preschool
is big," said Dean Tagawa, a
senior administrator. It lays
the foundation for math
concllptslater on, he said.
Some of the 4- aud 5-year
olds were in a classroom setting for the fll'st time, and it
showed - Harmison constantly directed them back
into their gr~lUpS. She pulled
one out of the play kitchen,
bullt out of wood, sending
him to the library area.
One of her biggest concerns in the so-called transi-
89
t
tional kindergarten is the
length of the day: there isn't
time for napping.
L.A. Unified's public relations efforts aren't likely to
sway some civic leaders and
philanthropists who have
lost faith in .the system. A
group led by the Eli and
Edythe Broad Foundation is
seeking to rapidly expand
the number of independently operated charter
schools, which could shrink
a school system already
dealing with declining enroilment.
Jefferson history teacher
Susan Ferguson said it
would be wrong to give up on
schools such as hers and the
students who depend on it.
Even though the scheduling problems led to student
protests, she said, "the kids
wanted to come back here.
They wanted their classes.
They want an education.
They want the best forthemselves and they deserve it."
howard.blume
@latimes.com
Twitter: @howardblume
sonall.kohli@latimes.com
Twitter:@SonaJi_Kohli
.
'
conSultant for the fum that
School,board ditches original plan ,to is:eQndtlctingthe~earch
,
",'
,nirea:districthead'by:micJ
...
Sept~mQer. , Wi~Glendale Unified, said
'The' sean:Ii:f~f'Glendale
' , " ','
'
BY KELLY CORRIGAN
eariietthislnonth that
Unified's neits:up"erintend· f~nnersuperlntendent,m9nth after the school suinipeJ.' is 'the "most diffi~
entwill be,exten(foobe7DickSh~ehan,t()ok the top "yearJ)egan.'
culttime ofthe year" to fill
yond Utetinlefr,aID~';tlrei>Plltiri'Uie.;O:>vin~Nalley
However; it's more com~ a superlntenden~positiqn.
district, had',Qrigi.n~ ;UDlliedSchooLPismct af- mon for school districts to
,fI~, went, .onto· say the
,planned"otli,cials ,an~"tettli~f'districtschief, conduc;:ta search6vei ape- ~,was fuulb;lg interest
nQunced Th~sday.
'.cratiJ~rine.:Nic(;ls, ,an- tiod Ofseveralmi)nthsdut~ ft()tD ciUldidates, but "may- ,
Christine Wa1te~"sclioolnoun(:ed'her-retirement in ingthemi~!;fleofaschool be not as much as_you
would find in March."
board president", an-March, folloWihga series of Year.
,t,. '
nounced thats(;hool.offi~ sex scand~there.
arcompari!lon, Burbank
Also on 1'uesday, school
cials, Will ,t?Xpanq " Jheir' ,' Thetinlingo{ Sheehan's Unified Supt. Jan Btitzan~ board members voted to,
search to "a,moretradi· dep~eWa,stinexpected nOUnc~d 18.$t' November pullan item' ftomtheit
tionalsearch season,"and; ~his contract With Glen- that she wo\lld retiie'this agenda that would have
board members are, ex- dale Unified was to last past June, and soon after, authonzedcreation of a repected to outline the,dis-through20l8.,
" the school boardembaiked view panel made up of
trict's new timeline at their
'Glendale school, board on a search, ultimatelyvot. membersftom the Glennextm"ting on'Sept. 1.
members, who are in ing to bring on Matt Hill, dalet~ac4eJ'sunion, classiThe school boardini- charge of hitings~perin:, 'whowasc.QiefStrategy offi- fiedeP,lP~oyees union, PTA,
tially planned to interview tendeIits, were left With cer'fo{,Lc:ls Mgeles Unified, managemeht" ,association
two fin8li$~ for the 'top, just the summermonthStoinAp~:t:a~!beganhis new and Glendal,e Educational
posta!, the "end of this conduct theitsearehforapqst"4\::July,' ahead of the Foundation to' interview
month.
'
replacement,ti.,peruh't() "~cho~r:yecm which began ,the:finalists.
School' officials began secure a neW-hire, by mid, ' ·'thisWe~k.; ,
kelly.corrigan@iatimes.com
. the search inJune after the; September, about one
'WillimIi HUyett, the lead
90
.-..:71. V'-J
Parents make plea for a
. long~:r summer session
.:'~:~ }:
BY KELLY CORJIIGAN
sevenilp~~ts, t9()k.:;$~;·'
concerns
t9
tbf}:,
"
UnifiedschboL:Iic)"
day, night ahouF 'stUdents,
startingschoolci.nAug. 10,
which they thinki,$tooearly.
Forparent~n Tyler,
heat is part Qfthep~9!Jlem
because swelteriIlg""temperaturesduring August r~
sUIt in "hot, sweaty kids"
and shorter attention spans
in the classroom.
"Ifs not a good learning
situation/' she said.
On the first, day' of school,
an onUnepetitionbegan,
and' it haS more than 1,845 '
signaUlrf~s ' from ' parents
se~king a start date closer to
September next academic
year.
The petition was created
Board vows to discuss the' school year,
calendar at its September meeting.
by Montrose parent.Scua,
'", ThereIpainingtwo days,
Rush, Wl19 felt.thestart date 'QtJ we,re unique to Glelldale
shqUld be pushed back. , ," Unified and designated as
Fellow parent MayraGoe-no!)-instructional days, she
"
thals pointed out, that the, added.,
"Whenyout November calendar has
less i nstructional'days than your August
calendarmonth,then something is
, wrong with the calendar."
GUSD parent Mayra Goethals
district' had 12 instructi0tW " ,i'Wh.eil your" ,November
days last, November 'anti dIlend~ has less instruc(light days during which stu~ ,tioh~ di:\ys than your Audents did not attend class, gust calendar' month, then
including a full week off for something is wrong with the
Thanksgiving and one day
off for Veterans~ DaY.
SUMMERA3
SUMMER
From Al
calendar," she said.
Christine Walters, school
,board president, said a
committee of educators and
parents was formed eight
years ,ago to reshape' the
school calendar, Ultimately
, deciding to transition to an
earlier start date over a
three-year period.
Meanwhile, 110 matter
what the start date has been
in recent years, the statemandated 180 instructional
days have remained the
same with the school' year
ending earlier.
.
Next, year's calendar has
school beginning on Aug. 8
and ending on June 1.
A key part of the earl,ier
start date was to better prepare students for' exams,
such as the advanced place·
ment and state tests, although. it also allowed for
students to 'finish the first
semester before winter
break so they wouldn't ha~e
to returh from break to finish up school projects and
take final exams.
Parent Carolyn Klas also
91
urged for a later start date.
"Life, after all, is not just
about test scores," she said.
hi response to parents'
concerns, Walters said, the
board will diSCUSll the calendar next month.
"We can look more of ,
the history of this. We can •
have a conversation about
it," Walters said. "We' are a
learning
organization.
That's our job - to look
back at decisions we've
made and see if they're
workjng the way they're intended"
at
kelly.corrigan@latimes.com
\
\:
.
end., .. ,
For more
.. ···call
tiOn,
, ..... , (8QO)
0347.
92
l-I-\
Teen
vapers
more
aptt9
smoke
A study of highschool
. students reignites the
: debate over the·
, benefit of e-cigarettes
versus the risk.
By AMINA KHAN
Although teenage smoking rates have plunged in recent decades, teen use of
electronic cigarettes has
been rising ·for the last few
years. A new study involving·
more than 2,500 students at
10 Los Angeles schools has
! found that teens who had
, used e-cigarettes were far
i more likely than their peers
to start smoking traditional
Cigarettes and other combustible tobacco products.
Though they don't establish a causal link, the. findings published in the Journal oithe American Medical
Assn. have reignited the debate about whether the potential benefits of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation tool outweigh the risk
that the devices will get
more young people hooked
on tobacco.
"These findings further
indicate that e-clgarette
use by 'our nation's youth,
which is a major concern in
itself, may also be a gateway
to smoking,': American
Heart Assn. Chief Executive
Nancy Brown said in a statement: She called the study
results "extremely worrisome."
Electronic
Cigarettes
heat a liqUid laced with nicotine and other che!nicals to
generate a vapor that can be
inhaled. That method,
known as vaping, may well
be less dangerous than inhaling smoke from traditional tobacco products,
! which contain che!nicals
. known to cause cancer. But
it will take time for scientists
to assess the· long-term
. health effects ofvaping.
'~E-cigarettes raise manY
questions for which there
are few answers," Dr. Nancy
Rigotti, director of the Tobacco Research and Treatment center at Massachusetts General HQspltal,
wrote in an editorial that accompanied the study. "The
evidence base islirnited because e-cigarettes entered
the marketplace without beingregulated as either drugs
or devices."
The concern that e-cigarettes could act as a "gateway device'" is a serious ()ne,
·since nearly 90% of adult cigarette'smokersfirst started
smoking before age 18, according to the Centers for
[See Smoking, B7J
[Smoking, from Bil
Disease Control and Preventiori.
. One recent study showed
that the ,number of high
school smokers tripled from
2013 to 2014, and another
showed that teens who
vaped also smoked regular
Cigarettes.
But such studies have
looked at snapshots of these
two pehaviors, not watched
to s.ee how they change over
time. ,
So for the new study, a
team led by researchers at
USC's Keck School ofMedicine tracked the behavior of
2,530 studentsattenrung
L.A. high schools. The scien,tists focused on ninthgraders, since "the first year
ofhigh school is a vulnerable
periodforinitiatingrtskybehaviors," the study authors
wrote.
Although none of the stUdents said they had smoked
traditional Cigarettes whim
the study began, 222 had already tried e-cigarettes.
When the researchers followed up with the freshmen
six months later, they found
that 30.7% of students who
had tried e-cigarettes before
the study began had gone on
to try combustible tobacco
products (including cigars
and using a hookah). Meanwhile, only 81% of those who
hadn't used e-cigarettes at
the start of the study had
smoked tobacco at the sixmonth mark.
The same pattern was
seen after 12 months.
The findings show a link
between the two habits, but
not a cause. That means it's
possible that there's some
other underlying factor that
!night be contributing to
both behaviors. Further research will be needed to deterInine whether vaping
truly increases the risk of
93
I
smoking, the study authors
said.
Regardless, experts said,
children Shouldn't be using ,
e,cigarettes' at all. But many
e-cigarette products appear
to be marketed. to youths,
they added.
. "KnoWing the long-term
consequences of tobacco
use, It is mind-boggling to
think that anYone would assume e-clgarette· use is acceptable among children,
when for mlmy it can rUnetion as an entry drug," Dr..
KIm Allan Williams, president of the American College of Cardiology, saiq in a
statement.
Brown of the Anierican
Heart Assn. urged the feder81 government to follow
through on its pledge to
regulate the products.
"These findings are yet
another Wake-up call to the
Food and Drug AdIninistration (FPA)thatftnalregulations are needed now to protect our kids from tobacco,"
shestlid.
The study nearly coincided with a report released by
PUblic Health England that
cop,cluded that e-clgarettes
are 95% less ha.rrnfu1, than
traditional Cigarettes and
could be used to help smOkers kick the habit.
The review from the British
government-funded
agency also said it was "erroneous" to label e-clgarettes
as a gateway to smoking.
"We strongJysuggest that
use of the gatewayterIninol- r
ogy be abandoned until it is :
clear how the theory can be .
tested in this· field," wrote
the authors ofthe m-page report. "Nevertheless, the use
of [e-clgarettes] and smoking requires careful surveillance inyoungpeople."
aInina.khan@latlmes.com
Twitter: @aIninawrite
!
Glendale News-Press
Friday, August 21, 2015
GUSD officials \'Veigh securing entitlements
BY KELLY CORRiGAN
Doing so would make future property swaps.more profitable, Realtor says.
Earlier this
month, Unified by the BurbankGlendale school officials based Chandler Pratt &
walked away from swap- Partners to make an exping its administration change.
building and other properGlendale Unified offities it owns for a piece of ciaIs' however, could not
pro perry on the ol;ltskirts agree to the terms, and an-.
of Glendale priced at $17.5 nounced they would not
million.
accept the deal.
Two weeks later, school
The site at lOll Grandview Ave., with two office officials took the first steps
buildings and a three- .during a school hoard
story parking structure, meeting on Tuesday to
was presented to Glendale consider securing entitle-
ments for several pieces of
their properry - about 3.5
acres in all - to position
themselves for a better
deal should any future exchange opportunity be
pr9Posed.
The entitlements would
give district officials a legal
say in how the land they
may exchange is ultimately developed.
Officials have said finding a new administration
GUSD
From Al
high-density residential,
something that would remain with the entitlement
even if the city were to
change the building's zoning.
The school district also
owns a neighboring nineuriit apartment building at
241 N. Jackson St.
"These are taxpayer assets and we want to make
sure we're un).ocking that
maximum value out of
these buildings," Chris
Walters, school board
president, said.
While a developer could
potentially build apartments, senior housing or
condominiums on the site,
the entitlemenrwould
prohibit a developer from
going overboard, Manoukian said.
"As you can imagine, if
you leave it up to any developer, their intention is
to 'try to make the' most
amount of density posSible, and thereby making
-
building is still on the table because the current facility, located at 223 N.
Jackson St., is poorly utilized and would need $10
million in upgrades, with
an additional $5 million
needed to create more
parking spaces.
Because oflimited parking' administrative staff
often park their cars on
nearby residential streets
when teachers occupy the
building on training days.
By swapping the property for another site in Glendale, the district also
stands to make money.
Properties with entitlements usually make even
more cash, said Sam Manoukian, the commercial
Realtor the school board
hired in June to explore
the recent properry exchange that did not pan
out.
the most amount of prof~ to find candidates for the
it," he said. "We get to district's next superintendhave a say in what kind of ent.
project and what kind of
"My suggestion will be
density we get to have at 'to kind of pause on this
this location." ,
until' we have a superinBoard member Armina tendent in place to guide
Gharpetian suggested the tIs through this," she said,
board wait until its own though no other board
tqp .leadership is secure member voiced support
before mOving forward. for her silggestion.
The board is currently
working.with a search firm
kelly.corrigan@latimes.com
tllll • • :m'll!II!W 111i~
94
Manoukian told the
Glendale school board that
securing
entitlements
could bring a 1,700% rate
of return on the district's
obtain
investment to
them, which is estimated
to cost $615,000.
School board members
did not vote to move forward, but agreed to investigate securing the entitlements.
The administration center is currently zoned for
GUSD A3
Glendale News-Press
Friday, August 21, 2015
Friday, August 21, 2015 A3
www.giendaienewspress.com
GUSDisn t ewto.sch I calendar changes
he Crescenta Valley
Town Council is discussing the possibility of seceding from the
Glendale Unified School
District (Glendale NewsPress, July 30). A Rosemont Middle School parent is circulating a petition
to return the district to a
later start for the school
year, pushing back closer
to Labor Day (Glendale
News-Press, Aug. 12).
Some parents and
teachers are anxious about
how the district is dealing
with curriculum changes
related to the California
state standards, especially
in math.
As Hoover High's principal Jennifer Earl told me
last month, "Schools are
emotional places."
And I've never known an
educational reform that
satisfies everyone. But I
remain hopeful that some
historical perspective can
help relieve some of the
recent frustrations that
have surfaced. I'll start
with the district calendar
and save math for my next
column.
The c\lrrent calendar
has summer vacation
starting in early June and
ending the second Monday in August - beginning and ending about
T
Joylene Wagner
•. A:... nina
tWo weeks earlier than in
years past. Winter break
comes now at the end of
the first semester, a longexpressed desire of parents tired of homework
dampening the holiday
spirit. Students still attend
school the required 180
days;no more, no less.
But this earlier start is
not the most dramatic
calendar change the district has weathered. Beginning in the late 1980s,
Glendale's popUlation and
school enrollments shot
up. John Muir Elementary
near Adams Hill, for instance, grew from 615
students in 1987 to 1,400
by 1993. That's bigger than
some school districts. So,
by 1992, to fit students in,
elementary schools in the
southern and central part
of the city converted to
year-round education.
The year-round school
year started on July 1, and
each school was divided
into four tracks, with one
track at a time off for one
MaHers
month, then on for three
months. Families with
children in middle or high
school- which stayed on
the traditional calendar
along with all the northern
schools - got priority for
"C track," which most
closely followed the traditional calendar. Everyone
got just over a week off in
December, from right
before Christmas to right
after New Year's Day.
There were challenges.
For two of the four tracks,
breaks fell in the midst of
trimesters, not great for
teaching or learning purposes. Year-round education PTAs never got a rest,
and most of the teachers
had to finish one school
year and jump right into
the next, with little more
than a weekend in between.
Friends were split
among tracks, and I still
remember our elder son's
dismay each time he had
to return to school just as
his next-door-neighbor
buddy went off track.
Although the city offered
day camps during the
year, many parents
couldn't afford the fees.
District-wide staff development was nearly impossible.
But some of the parents
and many of the teachers
came to appreciate the
schedule and its off-season vacations. They saw
students'starting the year
without summer learning
loss, while the quarterly
vacations renewed their
own energy and enthusiasm. The district provided
off-track interventions for
students who were struggling.
Meanwhile, educators
across the country wrestled with the need for
school reform following
the 1983 publication of "A
Nation at Risk." Was it
time to' change from the
farm-economy calendar
that had shaped public
education in America?
Were there schedules that
might better serve students most in need of
academic intervention,
including many whose
families couldn't take off
work for family vacations
or afford summer camp?
Much was said about
the correlations between
95
longer school years in
time to cover the material
other countries and higher before the nationally
scheduled tests.
academic achievement.
In August 2008, 'the
But school financing did
not favor extending the
board called for a calendar
school year, and conversacommittee, inclusive of
tions about "single-track,
parents, teachers and
year-round" education
classified staff - though
disappeared as a local
the Glendale Teachers
Assn. declined to particitopic.
Former Supt. Mike Esca- pate. After several meetings, the committee arlante attempted to implement an earlier start for all rived at a recommendaschools in 2004, shortly
tion which was approved
by the teachers' associaafter he came to the district. While he secured
tion and the school board.
approval frQm the GlenIt was phased in beginning
dale Teachers Assn., PTAs
in 2009.
weren't included in the,
Since then, adjustments
have been made in rediscussion to the degree
they thought approj)fiate,
sponse to the operational
. and academic costs of
and the proposed calendar hit the fan and then
absences preceding and
following certain holidays
quietly disappeared for a
few years.
-long weekends for famEventually, as the econilies and teachers. Parents
omy tanked and enrollinterested in gaining a lew
ment declined across the
more days of summer
state and district, yearmight get some traction
with an argument to
round schools reverted to
the traditional calendar,
shorten those long weekand the district began
ends ... as long as they
vow to get their kids to
looking again at how our
school when it's in session.
calendar adversely affected student opportunities such as summer jobs,
enrollment in college
Get in touch
programs, and success in
JpYi~WA~"ER,IS
Advanced Placement tests.
..Il)~mberc()nheGlendale Unified
Teachers across the
scli0"6.1li.Oiitd'Etnil)1 hera!
'
country where school
jk~t~4~07waol.ciJm.· .
started earlier had more
apas! •

August 21, 2015 - Glendale Unified School District

Transcription

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