On April 19, 2010, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell announced the selection of 484 exemplary California public elementary schools as 2010 California
Distinguished Schools. Twelve schools in San Mateo County received the prestigious designation.

The California School Recognition Program (CSRP), now in its 24th year, honors the state's most exemplary and inspiring public schools with the California Distinguished School Award. Although participation is voluntary, the award is highly sought after by schools in all areas of the state. Elementary and secondary schools are recognized during alternate years.

The 12 San Mateo County schools that received the designation are: Franklin Elementary (Burlingame Elementary); North Elementary (Hillsborough City Elementary); Las Lomitas Elementary (Las Lomitas Elementary); Lomita Park (Millbrae Elementary); Ormondale (Portola Valley Elementary); North Star Academy and Adelante Spanish Immersion (Redwood City Elementary); Baywood and Meadow Heights (San Mateo-Foster City); and Buri Buri, Monte Verdi, and Skyline (South San Francisco Unified).

The San Mateo County Office of Education staff facilitated the process and provided technical assistance to eligible schools.  April Cherrington, Curriculum Coordinator, conducted trainings with eligible schools, facilitated a "read-around" for interested schools, and coordinated the teams that visited each site selected for a validation visit.

A focus on student assessment data to design appropriate instruction, outreach to Spanish-speaking families and a schoolwide coaching model are just some of the signature practices that helped San Mateo County Schools to address the achievement gap and garner the California Distinguished School award.

To learn more about the criteria for the award and the signature practices that have led to increased student achievement in these award-winning San Mateo County Schools, check here.

See the complete list of California Distinguished Schools on the California Department of Education Web site.

That's where the San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE) Foster Youth Liaison Program comes in. Renee Vorrises and  Dorothy Burge, SMCOE educational liaisons, advocate on behalf of foster youth, and work to provide them with a stable academic environment so that these students can succeed in school.

The program is a joint partnership with SMCOE and the Human Services Agency of San Mateo County. Funding comes through two main sources: a state grant and the Human Services Agency.

 "Often the school is the only stable force in a child's life, so where appropriate, we try to keep the child in their school to promote stability,"  says Vorrises. "We try to make sure every agency has the same information about each student and we work to develop a support system for foster youth," says Vorrises.

Learn more about the Foster Youth Liaison Program here.

Get informed about the candidates for Governor and State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Who will lead the state of California and determine the direction of California's public schools? It's all up for grabs in the June 8, 2010 statewide primary election when voters will choose candidates for governor and State Superintendent of Public Instruction. The candidates who advance from the primary and are ultimately elected in November 2010 will play key roles in determining the future of California's public schools. 

Twelve candidates from a variety of backgrounds--including two state senators, a former school superintendent, several teachers, a school board member and a general contractor--are vying for the post of State Superintendent of Instruction (SPI).

Although the media has focused much of the attention on gubernatorial  front runners Jerry Brown, Steve Poizner and Meg Whitman, there are actually 23 candidates-seven Democrats, eight Republicans, two Green, three Peace and Freedom, two American Independent, and one Libertarian-running for governor.

Learn more about the candidates and how these state-level positions influence California's public education system here. [link to full article]

See the list of the candidates for SPI and their candidates' statements here.

See the list of gubernatorial candidates and their candidates' statements here.