District tries to rebuild after mud
Periodicals Dated Material
Education California | The official newspaper of the Association of California School Administrators Volume 47 | Number 19 | February 12 , 2018
State Board discusses System of Support
While no action was taken , ACSA provided input at the Jan . 18-19 State Board of Education meeting on development of California ’ s System of Support for local education agencies and schools under the Local Control Funding Formula .
In order to improve state education , California is in the process of creating a coordinated and coherent state structure to ensure that LEAs receive resources and support to meet identified student needs , including disparities in student outcomes or opportunities .
The LCFF is the foundation for reimagining the accountability and continuous improvement system . As a result , the state has worked with stakeholders to develop tools for educators to use to help improve outcomes for students , including Local
Heading for the good life
Retiring superintendents pose alongside ACSA Executive Director Wes Smith , right , before being honored at Superintendents ' Symposium .
Retirees honored at symposium
Fifteen retiring superintendents were honored at the 2018 ACSA Superintendents ’ Symposium . The students they have served during their careers have certainly benefited from their leadership , and each of them imparted some of their wisdom , memories and words of advice to anyone new to the superintendency .
Louise Bennicoff Johnson
Johnson is retiring from Nevada Joint Union High School District after five years there .
Her advice to new superintendents is to always expect the unexpected , stay true to your values , act with honor and be honest in all you do and choose kindness . She says that time spent building relationships with students , staff and the community is never wasted , and advises engaging deeply in your district and community .
Eric Cederquist Cederquist has worked in education
Control and Accountability Plans and the California School Dashboard .
The System of Support is being designed to have three support levels :
• Support for All LEAs and Schools ( Level 1 ). Various state and local agencies provide an array of resources , tools , and voluntary assistance that all LEAs may use to improve student performance at the LEA and school level and narrow disparities among student groups across the LCFF priorities , including recognition for success and the ability to share promising practices .
• Differentiated Assistance ( Level 2 ). County superintendents , the CDE , charter authorizers , and the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence ( CCEE ) provide differentiated assistance for LEAs and schools , in the form of individually designed
for 41 years , and served Fowler USD for 33 years – the last eight as superintendent .
To those new to or considering a role as superintendent , Cederquist has several pieces of advice . He advises to be the voice for those students and parents without a voice at the table ; there is nothing more valuable than common sense ; laugh at yourself and others ; and that being a superintendent is a 24 / 7 / 365 position .
Rosina Hurtado
Hurtado is retiring from Le Grand Union Elementary School District . She has given 27 years of service to the district , the last seven and a half as superintendent .
Hurtado ’ s advice to aspiring superintendents is that it isn ’ t just a job , it is what you have chosen to do with your life . Serve as long as there is joy in coming in and when it is time to move on ,
See RETIREES , page 3 assistance , to address identified performance issues , including significant disparities in performance among student groups .
• Intensive Intervention ( Level 3 ). The superintendent of public instruction or , for charter schools , the charter authorizer may require more intensive interventions for LEAs or schools with persistent performance issues over a specified time period .
In a letter to SBE President Michael Kirst , ACSA Legislative Advocate Martha Alvarez expressed appreciation for the collaboration between the California Department of Education , SBE , CCEE and the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association to focus on the immediacy of providing differentiated assistance to LEAs in 2017-18 .
See SBE , page 2
District tries to rebuild after mud
Mandatory evacuations and candlelight vigils weren ’ t part of the plan when firsttime Superintendent Amy Alzina took over at Cold Spring School District . But all the planning in the world couldn ’ t match the impact of Mother Nature .
“ Wildfires started in December and we were forced to close school for seven days ,” Alzina said . “ They grew to about a half mile away , which was pretty scary for the entire community .”
What had a greater impact on the district came less than a week after school reopened . In the district ’ s path was a massive winter storm that was set to wreak havoc on the charred land surrounding entire neighborhoods . The rain came one night and the massive mudslides came right after .
Nearly two dozen people died in the mudslides . Two were Cold Spring students . A sixth grade student who was critically injured in the disaster continues to recover after a long stint in the intensive care unit .
In the aftermath , the destruction was beyond imagination . While the only district school was structurally secure and had power , water wasn ’ t available . But neighborhoods were lost and some families took refuge in motels and homes outside of the district . Little by little , families are returning to their homes .
“ There has been a lot of healing in our community and our families have really relied on each other to get through these tough times ,” Alzina said .
But now the school district is facing economic tough times . Cold Springs is a community-funded school district where income is based on property taxes . So every student and family matters in the calcula-
See
MUDSLIDES , page 4
Longtime ACSA leader Will Ector has received a singular honor in being named to the Black Legend Hall of Fame in Silicon Valley . In particular , Ector received the Banks-Gage Education Award . The awards are sponsored by the Black History Museum of Silicon Valley , designed to honor local African American pioneers in various fields .
Ector , who recently retired after a sixyear stint as superintendent of Berryessa Union School District , also served as superintendent of Evergreen ESD before that .
He has represented Region 8 on the ACSA Board of Directors and is also a past president of that region .
Ector was Region 8 ’ s Superintendent of the Year in 2017 .
Celebrate CTE . It ’ s Career and Technical Education Month , an opportunity for programs across the country to showcase their rigor and relevance . Metropolitan Education District ’ s Silicon Valley Career Technical Education scheduled a College and Career Fair for students , as well as a public campus tour and a SkillsUSA competition . In Santa Maria Joint Union High School District , where a $ 2 million CTE Incentive Grant is helping students get career and college ready , there is a celebration of new pathways , including forensics , engineering and environmental . Those have been added to the district ’ s strong programs in agriculture , family consumer sciences , health and medical , hospitality , IT and auto .
Safety dance . The deadline is approaching for schools to submit their safety plans in for approval by their LEAs . The deadline to do so is March 1 . The safety plans must address natural disasters , potential violence , as well as bullying , discrimination and other items . CDE has provided a safety plan checklist on their website , accessible at https :// goo . gl / mw3MTj .
Breakfast grants . The California Department of Education kicked off a second year of the grant application process for new school breakfast funds . These competitive grants are open to all applicants and will prioritize schools implementing or expanding after-the-bell breakfast . Find out more at https :// goo . gl / SPWpmi .
Build your brand . Join Deidra Powell , chief communications officer for Santa Ana USD , for a K12 Insight webinar on how customer service and community engagement can strengthen a district ’ s brand , provide better experiences for students and carve out a competitive advantage over alternative schools . The free event is set for Feb . 28 at 10 a . m . Register at https :// goo . gl / eYLGM9 .
Educator receives singular honor in Silicon Valley
Ector has often been sought out as a presenter at ACSA events , including both the Principals and Superintendents Academies .
He also currently serves on the executive board of the California Association of African American
Ector
Superintendents and Administrators .
Ector is a 35-plus year member of ACSA , and his board paid from him to become an Emeritus member when he retired . The award ceremony took place Feb . 10 . For more information , go to www . blacklegendawards . org .