Communication revolutionized

ACSA Executive Director Wesley Smith , IT Director Tony Baldwin and Educational Services Director Chris Adams , all standing , help introduce the Cisco telepresence in the association ' s 21st Century Classroom meeting facility in Sacramento this month . Cisco System ’ s Tim Watrous and his team were stationed in Sacramento , Burlingame and Ontario offices for the unveiling . Just prior to the event , Capitol Advisors Group used the technology to present to Cisco on the California political climate . Watrous said the ACSA conference system represents a unique west coast collaboration that will impact information sharing and communication for education stakeholders nationwide .

May 30 , 2016 EDCAL 5

Gender Spectrum ’ s Professional ’ s Symposium will take place at Saint Mary ’ s College of California in Moraga on July 8 , followed by the Gender Spectrum Conference July 9-10 . The Symposium is designed for professionals who work with transgender and other gender-expansive youth and their families .

Symposium participants will take part in workshops , and enjoy activities and immediately accessible resources designed to build the capacity for working with families and young people around issues of gender . Workshops are planned to explore gender within education and a variety of other disciplines , such as medicine , the law , mental health , social services and child welfare .

Beyond practical applications within these areas , questions about the ways in which factors such as race , religion , class and other aspects of identity impact a young person ’ s gender experience will also be explored . Workshops for those just beginning in the field of gender-affirmative care will be offered , along with more in-depth sessions for advanced attendees .

Expert practitioners from across disciplines will lead the variety of sessions . There will also be opportunities to meet with colleagues and develop new relationships that will help strengthen work with youth and their families . Altogether , the day aims to provide the information and tools needed to further help young people to effectively navigate their world .

Immediately following the symposium will be the 2016 Gender Spectrum Conference , which is billed as providing a unique opportunity to participate in programming and activities specifically designed for families with transgender and non-binary children and teens . In the past , many professionals attending the symposium have also found it useful to participate in the companion Gender Spectrum

See GENDER , page 6

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in providing that teaching , and couple that with positive life lessons that will hopefully motivate and propel these young folks down a good road as they begin to formulate their adult careers . I think most of all what really motivates our shop staff are those times during a teaching moment when we see the light come on , and we know we have reached them .”

At Shasta County , the mentored students are immediately made to feel part of the group . This isn ’ t a glorified office gopher position ; they are included in all safety , staff and informational meetings right away .

“ Most everything we do with our students is hands on , with an emphasis on safety in every aspect of the functions that take place in the shop ,” Coyne said . “ Certainly there is the learning of what we do as mechanics on school buses ; the regulations that govern us ; the diagnostics and repair of a particular event or mechanical failure ; the proper tool selection and the safe use of those tools . And probably the most important things we teach is that it is OK to do a good job . Whether it is this job or any other job you may do , it ’ s OK to do a good job .”

Students learn to do everything from sweeping and mopping the floors to taking out the trash – all important parts of running a good shop – to rebuilding engines and everything in-between .

“ So we begin by teaching that the best work we can do is to begin and end in a clean and organized fashion . We teach them to plan your work then work your plan . We involve our students in every aspect of a typical daily shop routine , from clocking in and out of jobs they are working on to road calls ( bus break downs ) to parts pick up and delivery ,” Coyne said .

Students also learn the critical jobs in an educational vehicle maintenance shop . They learn about all types of repairs inside and outside the bus , the undercarriage and drivetrain , electrical and more .

“ We teach them to use various types of cutting and welding equipment and involve them in metal fabrication as those situations arise ,” Coyne said . “ Our shop is a high volume shop , and we spend a great deal of time putting out ( figurative ) fires , moving from one job to the next and then back to the original job . So keeping your job organized now pays off in the long run , and they can see the value in that , as well as the presence of mind to pick up where you left off .”

The mentoring has helped impart valuable lessons of the workplace to students . In

Dan Coyne , far right , is credited for involving students in every aspect of daily work routine in mechanics .

addition , several mentored students became so interested in what they learned that they went on to college or technical schools to find a career in the mechanical field .

Coyne said a couple students in particular jumped to his mind in thinking about the program .

“ I am thinking of one of our special ed students who after finishing school was hired in the Vehicle Maintenance Department for Caltrans and another who is currently working for a local Freightliner dealership as a line mechanic ,” he said . “ I know there are others – I have heard the stories . Unfortunately we have lost touch with most of them . For the ones we do know about and keep in touch with they are always grateful for the experience they shared with us . We can only hope that with all the others we were able to strike a chord with them they will remember and use in whatever endeavor they pursue .”

professional development calendar

3 Equity 101 Workshop Series .............. Santa Clara , Solano ,

Riverside , Yolo COEs 4 Aspiring CA Educators ( CPACE prep ) Workshop 2 ......... Ontario 14 Meetings Master .............................. Burlingame 14 Evaluation & Due Process .......................... Ontario 16 Meetings Master ................................. Ontario 17 Equity 101 Workshop Series ................... Riverside COE 17 Supts . Basic Training and Beyond ( session 4 ) .. Ontario , Sacramento 19-25 Principals Summer Institute .......................... UCLA 21-23 Negotiators Planning Retreat ...................... La Quinta 21-23 weCARE retirees conference ...................... La Quinta

acsa . org / summerprograms

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