As we approach the winter holidays, we can be grateful for the consistent and clear support that Californians have expressed for their public schools. I am very hopeful that the new year will bring renewed investment in education reflective of the voters’ will. Whether they were coming from the right or the left of the political spectrum, California voters made clear on Nov. 8 that schools are still priority number one. The public clearly believes that our schools deserve stable funding and the support intended under Proposition 98.
Not only did voters resoundingly defeat measures that would have threatened school funding, but also in districts up and down they state they sent another powerful signal by approving 26 out of 28 measures to spend additional resources for public education. Voters said yes to nearly $6 billion in new school facilities. Four communities also approved local parcel tax increases to attract and retain experienced teachers and expand services to improve student achievement.
Indications are that the budget is in better shape going into 2007, thanks in large part to the sacrifices made by our schools. I’m optimistic that the governor did get the message from voters and will make good on his promise to restore Proposition 98 funding. I assure you I’m going to fight for the full $3.1 billion our schools are owed — nothing short — and I know I can count on you all to work with me to make sure this happens.
Also in November I released the 2005 physical fitness test results for California students, revealing once again that an unacceptable percentage of our public school children are not even minimally fit. Of the more than 1.3 million students tested in grades five, seven and nine, slightly more than one in four achieved the performance goal for all six areas in the test.
While I understand the fiscal and time pressures facing our school districts, I do not believe that high academic expectations must come at the expense of a quality fitness and nutrition program. I am hopeful that the state’s new physical fitness standards will help improve our students’ health as well as our FITNESSGRAM® test scores in the future. We know healthy children do better in school.
November was also a month for honoring excellence in education. I nominated 35 outstanding public schools, the maximum allowed, for the 2006 No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools Program. These are schools that have shown dramatic achievement gains while holding all students to high standards. Nominees are listed at Blue Ribbon School Nominees for 2006 - Year 2005.
It was also my great pleasure to name five extraordinary educators as California Teachers of the Year for 2006. For the second time in two years, one of the state winners is from a continuation high school.
The awardees are:
Diana Barnhart, science teacher at Los Osos Middle School, San Luis Coastal Unified School District; Kenneth Dyar of Delano, who teaches physical education at Cecil Avenue Middle School, Delano Union Elementary School District; Kelly Jean Hanock, English-language arts teacher at James Monroe High School, Los Angeles Unified School District, and Shelbi J. Wilson, who teaches English and other subjects in the Teen Mother Program at Abraham Lincoln Continuation High School, Riverside Unified School District. Denis Cruz, a literacy coach in Katherine Edwards Middle School, Whittier City Elementary School District, Los Angeles County, was also nominated to represent California in the National Teacher of the Year competition because of his broad experience at both the elementary and middle school level.
All 305,000 teachers in the state deserve praise for all their hard work this past year in helping our students make gains toward meeting their academic growth targets in nearly every subject and grade level. The choice was very difficult, but the five educators I named California Teachers of the Year exhibited such extraordinary joy in teaching that their students loved learning from them. They set a wonderful example that I hope will draw more highly qualified teachers into this field. Watch for profiles of each of the nominees in Highlights over the next five months.
It was also a moving experience to join the California Advisory Commission on Special Education in awarding the first Grazer Outstanding Achievement Learning (GOAL) award to the Bridges to Youth Self-Sufficiency Project, and to special education students, Tarek Sinnukrot and Carmelita Hamdan at a ceremony at the California Department of Education offices. The award is named after Hollywood producer, Brian Grazer, who donated $100,000 over a 10-year period toward the award program.
Tarek and Carmelita are perfect examples of what can happen when we set high standards for students, despite their disabilities. With the help of the Bridges project in Whittier, Tarek earned his diploma and is now enrolled in Rio Hondo College. He is well on his way to self-sufficiency and the pride that comes with moving toward independence. Carmelita earned a certificate of achievement and will soon be married. She is now working in a dining room for senior citizens where she has received several promotions and an outstanding employee-of-the-year award. She has overcome incredible hurdles and has achieved financial and social independence, as well as the recognition and respect that comes from hard work.
There are plenty of stories in public education to inspire us, and there is much to be grateful for at this time of year. I wish you all a very happy holiday season.
Ask A Specialist Offers Web-Based Assistance
The Diagnostic Center, Northern California provides technical assistance, via the Internet to educators, families and service agency personnel. The Ask A Specialist discussion forum is available at the Diagnostic Center Northern California Web site. This question/answer forum focuses on five areas:
- Student Behavior
- Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD)
- Assistive Technology
- School-related Medical Issues
During the 2004-05 school year, 42,888 visits were made to the Ask A Specialist site. Visitors to the web page are able to ask questions and seek resource assistance. Questions are posted on a monthly basis. Questions are archived and a review of the answers and resource assistance provided indicates their value to all educators. Sample questions include
- I will be mentoring a brand new, non-credentialed teacher for the 2nd grade class next door. I don't know where to begin. Can you suggest some kind of behavior management overview?
- Why has the diagnosis and range of psychiatric disorders in children changed so much over the last several decades?
- We are just developing our technology resources for students with disabilities and are hoping to find a source for things we might try with students before we purchase. Do you have any ideas for us?
An addition to the web page this year has been the opportunity for each specialist to respond to “urgent” questions, usually student-specific, so that students and schools are served immediately. For additional information on Ask A Specialist, please contact Mary Anne Nielsen, Director at the Diagnostic Center, Northern California, at 510-794-2500 or by e-mail at mnielsen@dcn-cde.ca.gov.
Support for Local School Wellness Policies
As part of its ongoing commitment to support healthy school environments, as outlined in Superintendent O’Connell’s White paper, Healthy Children Ready to Learn, CDE continues its leadership in supporting districts in adopting and implementing Local School Wellness Policies.
By the end of 2005, CDE’s Local School Wellness Policy Collaborative Group, comprised of over 40 participants representing 15 local and state agencies, will release and send to county and school superintendents Guidelines for Development of California Local School Wellness Policies. This document provides guidance and direction with content, specific to California, that districts may include in their wellness policies.
In addition, the California Healthy Kids Resource Center recently unveiled wellness policy resources on its Web site, http://www.californiahealthykids.org (Outside Source). The center’s Wellness website is a joint venture with the CDE’s Nutrition Services Division. For ease of use and navigation, the site is organized into eight sections:
- Policy Overview,
- Requirements and Laws;
- Developing Policies;
- Sample Policies, Strategies and Programs;
- Evaluating Results; Advise from the Field;
- Other Resources, and;
- Frequently Asked Questions. The objective of this site is to supply a variety of resources, including California-specific resources, in an organized fashion in order to aid schools in the development, adoption, implementation, and evaluation of their school wellness policies.
Three New Resources for Health Services
CDE is pleased to announce new school health services resources that are available on our Web site. The resources that follow may be accessed at Health Services & School Nursing - Health:
- To assist schools and school districts in responding to the needs of children and adults suffering from severe allergy or anaphylaxis, CDE has developed the new Training Standards on the Administration of Epinephrine Auto- Injectors.
- The Program Advisory on Medication Administration provides non-binding guidance to local educational agencies on medication administration in California public schools.
- A Guide for Vision Testing in California Public Schools provides district and school health personnel with guidelines for a school vision testing program and the laws and regulations that govern it. If you have a question about these documents, please contact Linda Davis-Alldritt, CDE's School Nurse Consultant, at ldavisal@cde.ca.gov.
Annual Statewide Student Identifier (SSID) Enrollment Update
As you know, to meet No Child Left Behind (NCLB) reporting requirements, local educational agencies (LEAs) are required to acquire and maintain Statewide Student Identifiers (SSIDs) for all their students. To maintain the SSIDS, LEAs must annually submit a SSID enrollment update each fall to the California School Information Services (CSIS). The submission window is right now, October 5 through December 15. It is critical that your LEAs submit this data as it will become the baseline for determining dropout and graduation rates required by NCLB. Once the fall enrollment update is established, we will be able to lessen the reporting you do through the California Basic Education Data System (CBEDS). Please refer to my most recent letter dated November 16, 2005. If your staff requires assistance with completing the SSID enrollment update they may contact CSIS support staff at 916-325-9260 or by e-mail at ssid@csis.k12.ca.us.
