Today the Santa Cruz Sentinel hosted a live chat with Santa Cruz City Schools leaders including Superintendent Gary Bloom, Trustee Cynthia Hawthorne and teachers’ union president Barry Kirschen. You can view the transcript here.
Where: Sentinel.com
When: 11:00 am – 12:00 pm, Thursday, February 11
The Santa Cruz Sentinel will host a live chat with Santa Cruz City Schools Superintendent Gary Bloom, Teacher’s union president Barry Kirschen and SCCS Trustee Cynthia Hawthorne tomorrow morning. Community members can engage directly with school leaders over budget priorities by logging onto the Sentinel website.
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The Santa Cruz City Schools Board of Trustees has changed the venue for Wednesday’s meeting to the Santa Cruz High auditorium in a move to accommodate an anticipated large turn out. The Board is expected to approve a budget for 2010-11 that cuts $5.4 million, more than 8% of the district’s operating budget. Complicating matters is the fact that the board must present a balanced budget to the County Office of Education that cannot take into account pending negotiations with the Certificated (teachers) and Classified (other non-administrative staff) unions. After years of cutting “stuff” first, over 90% of the remaining budget now goes to salaries.
District staff are expected to bring proposals that show cuts to maintenance, Adult Ed, some central office positions and deep cuts to parcel tax-funded programs like small class sizes, counselors, libraries and the arts. A “work to contract” provision means that class sizes in 7-12 grades will likely rise significantly. Class sizes of 20 in 9th English and Math are still protected. District leadership has signaled that they will ask for an increase in K-3 classes, currently also capped at 20 per a commitment made to voters via the recently passed Measure P. An early retirement proposal has been floated, but requires significant participation to reach targeted savings. A possible 5-day reduction of the school year, which would yield substantial savings to preserve programs and student services, is subject to negotiation and therefore will not be considered at this meeting.
A strong showing of teachers is expected on Wednesday evening; the Adult school is also anticipated to plea for funding to sustain its programs. Community members and parents will be on hand to advocate for endangered programs and class sizes.
In a recent Eddy poll over 1000 responders ranked small class sizes as their top priority, with libraries, arts and counseling following.
Poll Results 30% Small Class Sizes 20% Arts 19% Libraries 13% Counseling 10% Full 180 day school year 5% Facility upkeep 3% Nurses
February 10 Board Meeting, 6:30 p.m. Santa Cruz High School Auditorium. Agenda available here.
Posted in Elementary Schools, Events, High Schools, Middle Schools, News Flash | Leave a Comment »
Bronwyn Wyrsch’s 24 fourth-graders at Gault Elementary School in Santa Cruz are split between rooting for the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints in the Super Bowl, but they’ll all be cheering for Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.
In September, Wyrsch’s class committed to reading 100 books for the Scholastic Book Club Classrooms Care project, sponsored in part by Manning and his family. They reached that goal a few days ago.
As schools nationwide reach their 100 book goals, the project will donate 1 million books to children in need. So far, students have read nearly 7.3 million books nationwide.
Because some of her class struggles with reading, said Wyrsch, the teamwork aspect of the contest helped them succeed in reading popular books like Hatchet, Island of the Blue Dolphins, and Stone Fox.
“You’re already doing a reading program, so this is kind of fun,” Wyrsch said. “A lot of these children don’t have access to lots of books at home.”
Other Santa Cruz schools involved include Calvary Preschool and Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary School. In Watsonville, Calabasas, Radcliff, Starlight elementary schools, Rolling Hills Middle School and Watsonville Charter School for the Arts were involved.
In Wyrsch’s class, Duran Shipstead, 10, said he liked a book called “My Rotten Life,” about a zombie kid.
“It was funny because his index finger and thumb kept falling off,” he said. “He had to always carry glue around.”
Other students read classics such as Judy Blume’s “Superfudge” and Beverly Cleary’s “The Mouse and the Motorcycle.” Omar Gomez, 10, said he liked being part of a program that “gives to kids that need books.”
Lorenia Quijada, 9, said her favorite book so far was one of the Ivy and Bean series, about two little girls who use magic to solve problems. Wyrsch said the series has taken off in her class, and she’s watched her class become better, faster readers through the program.
“Their fluency has increased. I think it’s definitely accomplished the joy of reading, the love of reading, not just reading for a question on a test.”
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The Santa Cruz Adult School has recently moved to its new home. Now located centrally near the Harbor High School campus, Winter session classes began January 25.
Santa Cruz Adult School 319 La Fonda Ave Santa Cruz, CA 95062Posted in News Flash, Small/Alternative Schools | Leave a Comment »
DeLaveaga Elementary school will hold a Rummage Sale on Saturday January 30 to raise funds for the school Life Lab garden program.
Saturday, January 30 9 am – 12 pm DeLaveaga Elementary School 1145 Morissey BoulevardPosted in Elementary Schools, Events | Leave a Comment »
On January 16, 2010 in Salinas, 15 high school students from Santa Cruz City Schools 
performed in the 2010 High School Honors Concert organized by the California Association for Music Education Central Coast Section. High school students were selected by audition from among Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Benito, and San Luis Obispo counties to perform in an honor choir, orchestra, or band. Participating students included: Alissa Buck, Kayla Severson, Leanna Sadin, Nick Roberto, Shawn Fisher, Cole Fontes, Deanna Dawson, Moriah Quinn, Shannon Stewart, Ceres Lee, Grae Zimmerman, and Benjamin Ryan from Soquel High School; Barney Greer from Harbor High School; and Justin Szasz and Emma Kleck from Santa Cruz High School.
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Santa Cruz Education Foundation co-sponsors Leadership Luncheon for Healthy School Food
Author and Sociology professor Dr. Janet Poppendiek will lead a discussion about her new book, Food For All: Fixing School Food in America at a luncheon hosted by the Second Harvest Food Bank on February 5. Poppendiek’s book examines the National School Lunch program through the lens of politics, economics and history. She illuminates the complex trail that led a once highly regarded nutritional program into what is now largely highly processed food service industry considered to be a major contributing factor to childhood obesity and its many complicating health effects.
The luncheon will be held at the Pajaro Valley Community Trust, 85 Nielson Street in Watsonville at 11:30 a.m. The event is co-sponsored by Second Harvest, Bay Federal Credit Union, Pajaro Calley Community Health Trust, Santa Cruz Education Foundation, Santa Cruz County Office of Education and the United Way Go for Health Initiative. Those interested in attending the luncheon, should contact Kathy at Second Harvest. Poppendiek will also speak at Oakes College, UCSC on February 4 at 6:30 p.m.
Download the flier here.
Posted in Events, SC Education Foundation | Leave a Comment »
On Wednesday January 20th, both Branciforte and Mission Hill Middle School will open their doors to current and prospective families. We strongly encourage parents of 5th and even 4th graders to take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about the dynamic programs and dedicated staff at each of these outstanding schools.
Branciforte Middle School: 7:00 p.m., 315 Poplar Avenue, Santa Cruz
Mission Hill Middle School: 6:45 p.m. (dinner at 5:30), 425 King Street, Santa Cruz
To get the most out of an open house evening, be sure to visit classrooms, watch student performances and tour facilities like the school library. If you are new to the school, connect with parents of students already attending to get their perspective. Introduce yourself to the Principal – they welcome your interest and questions.
Posted in Events, Middle Schools | Leave a Comment »
Yesterday, the Assembly passed an emergency bill that will have long term implications for public education in California. And today, Governor Schwarzenegger in his State of the State speech made a bold and welcome statement: no further cuts to K-12 education budgets in the 2010/2011 budget.
But I am drawing this line. Because our future economic well-being is so dependent upon education, I will protect education funding in this budget.
– Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, January 6th
The bills passed last night are part of the state’s effort to qualify for a $700 million slice of the $4.3 billion Race To The Top competitive federal fund for education reform. To qualify, states must have a turn-around plan for their lowest performing schools, linkage between student achievement data and teacher evaluations and favorable policies for approving charter schools. These bills align California education policy with these values and add
- New methods for credentialing teachers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM);
- Open Enrollment policies that allow families in the lowest performing 1000 schools to transfer their students to a new school (within the district or anywhere in the state);
- New “parent trigger” allowing 51% of parents in a school or feeder school to petition their school board to initiate turn-around strategies including turning the school over to a charter operator, fire principal & staff or shut it down (limited to 75 schools/year of the lowest performing decile).
If California succeeds in its application for Race To The Top (RTTT) funds, the maximum beneifit expected is $700 million; approximately 50% will remain in Sacramento to pay for new administrative requirements outlined in the bill. The potential windfall to California’s students would be approximately $50/student in a one-time grant award. The on-going costs of supporting these new programs has not been calculated but is expected to exceed the federal grant funds. The Senate passed the bills today; the Governor is expected to sign both.
The Governor is expected to present his budget on Friday, January 8; the impact on Santa Cruz City Schools budgeting will be outlined in the coming weeks.
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