School facilities and Proposition 51 — it’s more than just money

t’s been more than two years since Sylvia Mendez regaled CSBA’s Delegate Assembly in May 2016 with her recollection of her family’s involvement in the historic Mendez v. Westminster case. The stories that Ms. Mendez shared with CSBA’s Delegates about her experience as a Mexican American student more than 70 years ago left a lasting impression on all of us who listened to her heroic stories of struggle while attending school in facilities that would be considered appallingly unsafe by today’s standards.

I wrote about the school conditions that Ms. Mendez described two years ago, but it bears repeating.

“Two wooden shacks on a dirt lot next to a cow pasture… Hand-me-down books… An electric fence  —  which shocked one of my classmates… Eating lunch outside at this school, seated next to the pasture, covered in flies.”

This is how Sylvia Mendez and the other Mendez children described the conditions of her “Mexican-only” school to our Delegates, and in a 2016 Los Angeles Times recollection of the case.

Seventy years later, is this still the condition of California’s schools? Certainly not. We’ve come a long way since then. However, the fact remains that public schools throughout the state are in dire need of safety upgrades and modernization, and many districts need to build new schools in order to relieve crowded classrooms and accommodate future student growth.

Collectively, school districts across the state have identified more than $3.5 billion worth of urgently needed construction and modernization projects, many of which have been sitting on the State Allocation Board’s backlog for several years. In recognition of this need, California’s voters resoundingly approved $7 billion worth of facilities bond money for K-12 construction and modernization in 2016 with the passage of Proposition 51.

This year, in addition to our column regulars, Deb Dudley and Luan Burman Rivera, we are welcoming new consultants to the column. This issue introduces Steve Ladd, Ed.D, who has been an educator for over 40 years. He most recently served as the superintendent of Elk Grove Unifi ed School District, the fi fth largest school district in California. Steve retired in 2014 and has continued to work in education as a consultant.

Janus v. AFSCME and new California legislation

The impact on California’s local educational agencies

The Supreme Court’s Decision: On June 27, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Janus v. AFSCME that public employee unions can no longer collect mandatory agency fees from the public employees they represent. The Court’s 5-4 decision overturned its 1977 Abood v. Detroit Board of Education decision, creating an uncertain future for public employee unions and ripple effects for school districts and county offices of education throughout California.

Prior to the Court’s ruling, in California and 21 other states, public employees were required to pay an agency fee if they chose not to join the union — these fees covered the union’s collective bargaining activities and other nonpolitical spending. Employees were only able to opt out of the fees that would go toward a union’s political activities, such as lobbying, donations to campaigns and donations to political candidates.

The plaintiff in this case, Mark Janus, argued that compelling employees to pay agency fees was a violation of their First Amendment rights — that labor union bargaining activity is inherently political as well, and he should be able to opt out of paying any fees to the union. The Court found that a mandatory agency fee “violates the free speech rights of nonmembers by compelling them to subsidize private speech on matters of substantial public concern.”

Public employees can no longer be compelled to pay agency fees if they choose not to join their union.

The new California Science Test

What board members need to know

his spring, schools with students enrolled in fifth grade, eighth grade and high school will administer the first operational version of the new California Science Test (CAST) to assess students’ understanding of science. The testing follows the framework of the innovative California Next Generation Science Standards, commonly known as CA NGSS.

Accountability

The CAST, along with the California Alternate Assessment — Science, will be important in measuring if implementation of the CA NGSS is on track and aiding in preparing students for college and career in the 21st century.

A personal approach provides important heads-up on concussion awareness

ith concussions a leading cause of injury to high school athletes, a new study has determined that using train-the-trainer instruction to raise awareness is one of the most effective means of education.

The researchers evaluated knowledge of concussions among 162 student athletes at six high schools in the San Juan Unified School District near Sacramento. Schools were split into three groups, with one having coaches take a workshop on concussion awareness and then sharing that information with students (a technique known as “train-the-trainer”), a second cohort providing students with concussion handouts and a video, and a final cohort of students receiving only an information sheet as required under state law. The survey was given before and after fall sports season to measure the effectiveness of each approach.

How one district practices inclusive education

nclusion is more than an educational buzzword at San Benito High School in Hollister, Calif., where students with special needs are not just included, but embraced and accepted by their general education peers. The school has at least 10 programs that focus on preparing students in the Life Skills program “to be active and confident members of our community and of society,” said Paulette Cobb, the district’s director of special education.

Beyond the benefits that these various programs have for students with disabilities, “we build empathetic and socially conscious general education peers through our inclusionary practices,” Cobb said.

With names like “Gifted Cheer,” “Gifted Soccer,” “Life Skills Prom” and the “Peer Helper Program,” the district offers a wide range of programs that Cobb proudly notes were not mandated curriculum but rather put in place by staff and/or students. Programs include:

Join CSBA’s Masters of Governance (MIG) Program and equip yourself with the knowledge and skills necessary to build and support an effective governance structure. The following graduates have successfully completed the program:

Selma USD
Jennifer Winter
Tanya Fisher

Sierra Sands USD
Amy Castillo-Covert
Ernie Bell
Kurt Rockwell
Michael Scott
Tim Johnson
William Farris

Southern Kern USD
Yolanda Sanchez

om Armelino is the new executive director of the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence, a state agency founded in 2013 as part of the Local Control Funding Formula. The CCEE, along with the California Department of Education and county offices of education, compose California’s Statewide System of Support, which acts as a safety net to help struggling districts and schools get back on track.

Armelino has more than 30 years of experience in public education. Starting as a language arts teacher, he has since worked as a middle school principal, county superintendent in the Shasta County Office of Education and most recently as the executive director of the National Association of School Superintendents.

California Schools spoke with Armelino about his new role and the work of the CCEE in helping school districts close achievement and opportunity gaps.