Children are invited to attend storytime twice a month at the COE.
Hosted by the Learning Multimedia Center, storytime for children ages 2 to 4 is offered on the second Tuesday of the month through June. The next session is Nov. 13.
A storytime for children in preschool and elementary school is offered on the first Saturday of every month. The next session is Nov. 3.
Both sessions start at 10 a.m., and are held at the COE, 1290 Ridder Park Drive in San Jose.
For more information, email Lonni Gause or call (408) 453-6800.
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Links of Interest
Who We Are
Watch a video that details the essential services that the COE provides students, teachers, districts and the community of Santa Clara County.
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| Teachers shine at annual recognition event |
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2012 Teacher Recognition
Celebration honorees
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The region's finest teachers got their moment in the spotlight late last month at the 43rd annual Santa Clara County Teacher Recognition Celebration.
Educators, business partners and community members joined with friends, family and colleagues to honor the county's 31 Teachers of the Year and six Texas Instruments STEM Teaching Award recipients at the Campbell Heritage Theatre on Sept. 27.
"Day in and day out, you work hard to prepare students for life and success in the 21st century," co-host County Superintendent of Schools Xavier De La Torre, Ed.D. told the honorees. "You do it without concern for praise -- or a raise. You do it because it's a calling."
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2012 Texas Instruments STEM Teaching Award winners
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Joining Dr. De La Torre was Janice Edwards, talk show host and executive producer. The evening included entertainment from a trio of musicians from the Community School of Music and Arts in Mountain View, as well as video profiles of each teacher honoree.
Check out a photo gallery of the evening's festivities, as well as the event's program.
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| APR results show top achieving schools in county |
 Santa Clara County's high-achieving schools have maintained their place among the top-performing campuses in the state, according to the 2012 Accountability Progress Report (APR) released by the state this month.
The APR report is made up of three components: Growth Academic Performance Index (API), 2010 Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), and a list of schools in Program Improvement (PI). In addition to math and English, course material such as science and history is reflected in the results.
In Growth API, four county schools were ranked among the top five in the state: Milliken Elementary and Faria Elementary were tied for first with scores of 998 (out of a possible 1,000); Murdock-Portal Elementary and Herbert Hoover Elementary were fourth and fifth.
Results also show that as AYP targets continue rising every year, the percentage of schools meeting all the targets is declining, both in the state and county.
A countywide analysis of the state report by the Santa Clara County Office of Education's Assessment and Accountability Department shows that the percentage of Santa Clara County schools that met the API target of 800 increased by five percentage points to 68 percent; and county students' scores rose from 827 (2011 Base API) to 836 (2012 Growth API).
Additionally, the percentage of county middle schools meeting all AYP criteria rose by seven points.
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New county board member appointed
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A school district trustee and lifelong east San Jose resident has been appointed to the Santa Clara County Board of Education.
Darcie Green was selected by the board this month from a field of five candidates to assume a seat made vacant in August. She will serve until the term of office of the seat expires in November 2014.
Green will represent Board Trustee Area 6, which includes the Alum Rock, Mount Pleasant and Franklin-McKinley school districts, as well as the corresponding portion of East Side Union High School District and a small portion of San Jose Unified School District.
Green will be sworn into office Nov. 7. Learn more about Green here.
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Annual reading project tackles effects of war
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Santa Clara County residents will explore the invisible effects of war as part of Silicon Valley Reads, an annual effort co-presented by the COE to get the community reading -- and talking -- about the same book.
Book selections for the 11th edition of the community literacy project are Minefields of the Heart and The Long Walk, which provide the respective perspectives about the war in Iraq from a soldier as well as a soldier's mother.
A Jan. 30 interview with the two authors will kick off a series of events, discussions, film showings, and other activities focused on the books and held county-wide through the spring. A full schedule of events will be posted in January on the Silicon Valley Reads website.
 To ensure participation by the entire family, the program also includes companion books for children of varying ages: Night Catch for children in pre-school through second grade; Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine and a Miracle for students in second through fifth grades; Back Home for students in fifth through eighth grades; and Purple Heart for students ages 14 and older.
Silicon Valley Reads is presented annually by the COE, Santa Clara County Library and San Jose Public Library Foundation, with funding from community groups, corporate and individual donors.
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| Board congratulates employee, holds hearings |
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Here's a summary of actions taken by the Santa Clara County Board of Education at its Oct. 3 and 17 meetings:
- Recognized Reyna Reyes, October 2012 Employee of the Month
- Conducted a public hearing on a countywide charter petition for Discovery Charter School II
- Appointed a new board member
- Conducted a public hearing on a charter petition from Summit Public Schools
The Board of Education is the elected governing body of the COE. Its seven members serve four-year terms and are elected by different regions of the county. Learn more about the members, and view their meeting schedule, agendas and minutes.
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Since 1852, the Santa Clara County Office of Education has provided vital services and resources to the county's 31 K-12 public school districts and more than 250,000 students. The COE strives to provide advocacy and leadership on education issues, student programs that are models of excellence, and indispensable services to schools and community partners. The COE takes pride in being a premier employer and a champion for children, schools, and community. |
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