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In This Issue
Upcoming Dates to Celebrate

February
Black History Month
American Heart Month
Oral Health Month

February 1
National Freedom Day
(Commemorating the end of slavery on the date of passage of the 13th Amendment in 1865.)

February 3-7
School Counseling Week

February 7-16
The Winter Olympics

February 14
Susan B. Anthony Day
(Celebrating the birthday of the women's rights leader and the adoption of the 19th Amendment for women's suffrage in 1920.)

"Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy."
~Isaac Newton



"When you do common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world." 
~George Washington Carver

"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."
~ Jackie Robinson

 
The Four Corners
Updates for Lake County District Superintendents
Greetings!

Introducing a new communication tool for Lake County Superintendents!

 

Thanks to Shelly Mascari and the LCOE Communications Department, LCOE is initiating a new communication tool designed specifically for Superintendents.

 

The Four Corners is designed to share information and issues important to local Superintendents in a clear, concise manner. Items will be limited to four categories per issue to keep the information brief and relevant to your needs. Some topics may occur on a regular basis (such as LCAP) to provide you with up-to-the-minute information.

 

A primary focus of The Four Corners will be to provide resources and information to review prior to the Council Meetings to help improve efficiency and productivity.  You'll find this information below in the "Council Corner." 

 

Please review this first edition with a critical eye, with the hope of providing feedback at our February 24th meeting. I hope you find The Four Corners a valuable tool. I am looking forward to our next meeting.

 

Thanks

Wally

 

COMMUNICATION CORNER
Highlights of relevant issues or helpful tips focused on addressing potential hot topics that may arise.
Lake County Office of Education 2012-13 Annual Report

If appropriate, please place a link to the LCOE Annual Report on your district and/or school websites, and your FaceBook pages. Also, if appropriate, please include information in your individual newsletters to help inform Lake County families of the release of the report. 

Link to Report to paste into your own websites: http://issuu.com/smascari/docs/annual_report_12-13_3

The image of the cover can be utilized from above right, or click here to download the image from our website. 

The following draft text is provided for your convenience:

Lake County Office of Education has released the 2012-13 Annual Report to the Community. The booklet includes reflection on the achievements, expenditures, events, initiatives and demographics of the 2012-13 year. The report also focuses on looking forward to the noteworthy changes impacting education, such as the Local Control Funding Formula, and the Common Core State Standards.

 

According to Wally Holbrook, Superintendent of Schools, "As we move forward we will see that this year is filled with hope, challenges and especially opportunity. We will be experiencing some of the most significant changes in education funding and practice in the past three decades."

 

Click here to view the report.

 

Please contact Shelly Mascari at [email protected] for any additional assistance or information. 

 

Talking Points for AB1266 Inquiries
AB1266 - Pupil rights: sex-segregated school programs and activities.

Following are drafts of talking points to assist you in the event you receive inquiries about how this is being addressed in your district:
  • Our goal is to provide a safe learning environment for all students.
  • Our district has had a policy of prohibiting gender-based discrimination since 20__.
  • Our schools encourage all students be involved in extra-curricular activities and athletics and we want to ensure that every student has access to those components of our educational program.
  • We, along with all districts in the State of California, will be looking carefully at what we need to do to preserve the privacy rights of all our students.
  • Currently each student's situation is handled individually at school sites. Transgender students are allowed to use a single stall restroom in the school office. The accommodation has worked well and has been welcomed by the transgender student because it protects their privacy and it also protects the privacy of the other students.
Countywide Parent Survey
The Parent Engagement Task Force conducted a countywide parent survey November-December 2013.  Following are three data samples you may find useful for your district:

Do you use social media?*  84% Yes | 16% No

Do you use email? 89% Yes | 11% No

Do you use a smart phone? 67% Yes | 33% No

*Of those who use social media, 99% use FaceBook.

If you are interested in receiving district-specific data from these responses, contact Shelly Mascari, [email protected].


United Opt Out National
Opt Out National is a sophisticated group advocating against high-stakes testing. You may benefit from learning more about their focus to help you develop your response to their efforts.
  • A group of parents, educators, students, and social activities working to share ideas and gain support for and initiate actions at the local and national levels to try to stop high-stakes testing.
  • The website provides templates and samples that supporters can use for their own purposes.  They have guides for opting out by state, as well as the "Get Tough Guide," which suggests answers to feedback they receive from school districts when parents submit their opt-out requests.  This might be especially useful to review.
  • In some parts of the country this movement seems to be growing.
  • It may be helpful to at least be aware of this movement so you are able to respond appropriately if it appears in our areas.  

Link to United Opt Out National
COMMUNITY CORNER
Highlights of relevant local community issues, events or opportunities.
Girl Rising
The Soper Reese Theater, in partnership with Lake Family Resource Center, brought this inspiring film to Lake County to benefit a small support group for at-risk girls.  The film had an extremely positive impact on the girls, and the theater has decided to host a showing of the film on Sunday, March 23. The proceeds of the showing will benefit this special program for at-risk girls.

The Soper Reese Theater will have the film for two weeks and would like to support our schools by hosting additional showings of the film.  If you are interested in taking advantage of this opportunity between March 19 and March 31, please contact Michael Adams at [email protected]
Queens of Boogie Woogie
This nationally recognized group of notable female piano players from around the country are diverse and wildly entertaining. They will be performing at the Soper Reese Theater on April 4 at 7 pm, and have offered to participate in an afternoon performance at the Soper Reese Theater to inspire young, aspiring musicians.  If you are interested in organizing a group from your school to participate, please contact [email protected]
COUNCIL CORNER
Information and tasks to assist with preparation for the Superintendents' Council Meetings.
Following you will find several items for your review prior to the next Council meeting.  In addition you should receive a thin black binder by separate delivery.  The black binder is for your review in relation to the agenda item, Interdistrict Agreements and Appeal Policies. 

Click on the following documents to review and/or download:

(Please note that Carl Corbin from Schools and Colleges Legal Services will meet with us at noon for lunch to discuss Legal Services.)


Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Wally
Pictured above is a 3-tiered plan for LCOE's support of districts in support of the development of your LCAP. Click here to download a copy of the document for review. Please bring your comments regarding this outline to the Superintendents' Council Meeting.
LCAP CORNER
Resources, information, and tasks related to the development of the LCAP.
Key Considerations - LCAP Support
Please review these key questions prior to the Superintendent's Council Meeting to frame our discussion regarding next steps for our support of your LCAP development.
  • Who is your district's primary contact regarding the development of the LCAP? If it is the superintendent, will LCAP development be a part of the Council meetings?
  • What is the role of the Consortium in relation to the LCAP? Who pays/who...
  • What information do you want? What would be most helpful to you?
  • What do you see needing from LCOE in terms of time, support and assistance? 
  • What are our key benchmarks for tasks and timelines?
  • How do we maintain a balance of services to districts with LCOE's limited resources?
 This is a publication of Lake County Office of Education Communication Services. For feedback regarding The Four Corners, or information regarding services, contact [email protected]

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