One of the great benefits of working in education is the opportunity to see firsthand the power of learning to turn lives around. This holiday season I found a moving example of this, and a true story of generosity and redemption, in the unlikely venue of Folsom State Prison.
The occasion was the first visit of a remarkable 18-year-old college student to the inmates who staff the Folsom Project for the Visually Impaired. Amelia Diaz, a bright and talented girl who has been blind since birth, was so eager to learn as a child that, at age five, she learned the Braille alphabet in one month. She devoured books on tape, many of them provided to her school through the Folsom Project for the Visually Impaired. She so enjoyed "The Indian in the Cupboard" series, read to her on tape by inmate William Cloud, she wrote him a thank-you note and began writing letters of encouragement to the other inmates as well. Those letters sparked inmate Cloud's desire to learn Braille. It took him nearly two years of study, but he eventually completed the difficult process of becoming a Certified Braille Transcriber through the United States Library of Congress. His inspiration — and Amelia's — led other prisoners to pursue the same path, and now the project has nine certified Braille transcribers, with five more expecting certification by March. With a critical national shortage of Braille transcribers and a growing need, there is plenty of work for the project. Giving something back to students like Amelia has provided the inmates with meaningful work, skills and a chance to do some good. So far, the program has a zero recidivism rate.
Nearly a quarter of California's State-Board-adopted textbooks are now transcribed by the project. The project's Braille books, books on tape and closed caption videos help many students with learning disabilities as well as those with visual and hearing impairments to become literate and successful in school.
Amelia excels at poetry and singing and, thanks in large part to the services of the Braille transcribers at Folsom, is today a freshman at California State University, Fullerton. On Dec. 20, Amelia visited the project, and said "thank you," by singing the inmates a song, "These are the Special Days." For his part, former inmate Cloud is now a free man building a successful small business.
That was an uplifting end to a difficult year. Too much of our time and focus was unfortunately devoted to the costly and divisive special election. Now that the initiatives were defeated, I hope we can all move forward in a spirit of greater cooperation to tackle the serious challenges facing public education today. With voters having clearly stated their desire to invest in education, I am also optimistic that in 2006 the Governor will make good on his promise to fully restore school funding under Proposition 98.
It is going to take collaboration, new investment and a willingness to be innovative if we are to prepare all students to be proficient in rigorous academic content and to succeed In the demanding 21st century global economy.
One of our greatest challenges continues to be the preparation of high school students with a solid foundation for their future. Last month, CDE had a public meeting on potential alternatives to the California High School Exit Exam for those highly proficient students who are unable to pass the exam, and I will report to the State Board of Education in January whether or not I am convinced any proposed alternative is appropriate. When I authored the legislation establishing the exam, it was in the strong belief that a diploma should signify that a student has achieved at least the essential academic skills, including algebra, to enable him or her to successfully move to the next step in learning — whether that be college, vocational school, or entry into a career path that offers the potential of a successful, independent life. We do no favors to students by allowing them to graduate unprepared, and for two long, too many students were given the false security of a diploma, only to find themselves sadly under-prepared for the world beyond high school. The Exit Exam has served to focus more students on taking high school seriously. More importantly, it has focused schools and districts on providing appropriate instruction to ensure that ALL students are given an opportunity to succeed. Any decision on the Exam should hold to the principal that students who graduate must demonstrate knowledge of essential academic skills.
As you know, the Budget Act for 2005-06 authorized twenty million dollars ($20 million) for the purpose of providing intensive instruction and services for eligible students in the Class of 2006 who have failed one or both parts of the CAHSEE. Assembly Bill (AB) 128, signed by the Governor on September 13, 2005, set out the provisions for the CDE to allocate six hundred dollars ($600) per eligible student to the schools in order to provide these services. I am pleased that my department disbursed these funds to districts in near-record time. AB 128 funds should be used to diagnose student challenges in English and/or Math and actively remediate them to help those seniors successfully complete both CAHSEE components. For more information on resources available to help students pass CAHSEE, visit the California High School Exit Examination Web page.
As we return to school and work after the winter holidays, I hope we are all renewed and energized by the prospect of a new year and new opportunities to help our students succeed. I wish you all a very happy New Year!
Save The Date!!
Tuesday, February 7, 11 a.m. Superintendent Jack O'Connell's annual State of Education Address.
National Board Certified Teachers
In December, Superintendent O'Connell recognized 298 California teachers who recently received advanced certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). California now has a total of 3,379 teachers certified by the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards, the fourth highest number in any state in the nation. About 40 percent of these teachers are serving students in high-priority schools and earning a $20,000 incentive award for doing so.
A growing body of research overwhelmingly supports National Board Certification as one of our country's most powerful professional development experiences for improving teacher quality. With the increasing demands to prepare our students to become critical thinkers and creative problem solvers, excellence in teaching has never been more important. I truly commend these outstanding teachers who have earned this prestigious certification.
Important Message for High Schools
Teachers, counselors, principals, and students can now link to a Cal Grant video message and important information about the availability of cash for college.
Superintendents' Challenge
Superintendent O'Connell encourages all county and district offices of education to take up the challenge this year and participate in the third annual California Superintendents' Challenge. The Superintendents' Challenge is a coordinated effort between the California Department of Education and the California Task Force on Youth and Workplace Wellness designed to encourage school districts across California to improve the health of all their students through the development and implementation of policies that promote proper nutrition and regular physical activity.
From State Special Schools and Services
The California School for the Deaf at Riverside is celebrating the success of Keith Adams, Athletic Director and football coach for the school. Mr. Adams was named the National Football League High School Coach of the Year in the Southern California Region, by the local ABC affiliate. His selection was based on his terrific season of football, with 10 wins and one loss, as well as many letters of support from the community. The Director of Operations for the National Football League flew out from New York to personally present an award to Mr. Adams, and to present the school with a $1000 check.
"Coach Adams' story was one of the best that we have come across in all the years we've been involved with the NFL's Coach of the Week program," said ABC's Michael Francis. "He has helped to show that being deaf does not have to be a handicap, not even in football."
For more information on the football program at the California School for the Deaf, please call Ron Kadish, Director of the State Special Schools and Services, at 916-327-3850.
In Case You Missed It*
A new RAND study (Outside Source) measuring the benefits of preschool in specific communities once again underscores that preschool pays dividends well beyond elementary school. The study found, for example, that if Los Angeles. County's 150,000 4-year-olds were given the chance to enroll in a quality preschool program, there would be an 11 percent reduction in high school dropouts, 4,500 fewer children would be retained in a grade, and 11 percent fewer children designated for special education programs.
Honoring Teachers
"Without a doubt, I know all students can learn, and I have never, ever had a student who could not learn," says Denis J. Cruz, a language arts teacher at Katherine Edwards Middle School, and this year's California nominee for National Teacher of the Year.
Cruz' students "know exactly what is required of them and take responsibility for their learning." None is allowed to fall through the cracks or go astray, however, because daily, weekly and monthly assessments of each student's grasp of the standards covered in class allow Cruz to focus on areas where any student might be falling behind. He also seeks untraditional ways to engage students — introducing them to tennis, implementing a weeklong social skills program that has created a safer and healthier environment at his school, and connecting sincerely with parents.
"Because I believe all students are writers and have the potential to be great writers, I told my class they were going to enter a writing contest and that every one of them had a chance to win the contest," Cruz recalls. One student, an English language learner who had little interest in school, began to show interest at the idea of the contest, and for the first time asked for extra help on her essay.
"Though she didn't win the competition, Carmen had made a connection with writing and now came to school willingly," Cruz wrote. "Later that year, with tears in her eyes, Carmen's mother came to me, thanking me and said, "Carmen loves to write. She writes all the time. In fact, Carmen has entered several writing contests on her own because she believes she can win the contest and because she now loves to write."
Cruz firmly believes he's in the "greatest profession on the planet." Clearly students are benefiting from that belief and his extraordinary dedication to their success.
