The spirit of optimism that Spring brings, coupled with a favorable state budget and new school finance proposal signaling a renaissance of California's public school system, may have accounted for the approximately 1,000 energized and aspiring teachers that converged on the Santa Clara County Office of Education to participate in the annual Santa Clara County Office of Education's Teacher Recruitment Fair.
It was heartening for all who were present to roam the halls and rooms of the building and witness the prospective teachers meeting with representatives from 26 county school districts, 10 charter schools and representatives from the Santa Clara County Office of Education.
This was the 26th year we hosted the fair, and the Santa Clara County Office of Education is pleased to be able to offer this opportunity to teachers and to our schools and school districts. The Teacher Recruitment Fair affords candidates with a rare opportunity to promote their experiences, skillsets and interests in a "cafeteria" setting while providing school districts with access to a widely diverse pool of highly-qualified and, more importantly, potential employees.
California's schools have faced considerable budgetary challenges in recent times, but the demand for new teachers is growing, and will only increase in the coming years, as many of our "baby boomers" in the classroom consider a well-deserved retirement from the most noble profession on the planet -teaching.
It is gratifying to know that so many people remain interested in our profession, and in the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children. We all know that effective teachers are the cornerstone of a child's positive experience in school, and a vital stepping-stone to success in the 21st Century. The Santa Clara County Office of Education is proud to play a part in that process.
Finally, I want to acknowledge and compliment the work of Philip Gordillo, Executive Director, Human Resources, and his team for their outstanding efforts.
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3rd Annual State Migrant Speech and Debate Tournament
Saturday, May 4
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Migrant students from the 6th to 12th grades across California will compete in this event, in both Spanish and English categories.
Click here for more information.
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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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| Willow Glen wins Mock Trial |
 The Santa Clara County High School Mock Trial Tournament ended with two undefeated teams-Willow Glen and Monta Vista High Schools-facing each other in a case revolving around a fictional hit-and-run incident. Willow Glen emerged victorious to claim the county Mock Trial championship. The Mock Trial Tournament featured more than 400 students from 20 high schools, competing at the Santa Clara County Courthouse on Tuesday and Thursday evenings in February. The Santa Clara County Office of Education, the Santa Clara County Bar Association and the Santa Clara County Courts co-host the tournament, with over 45 state court judges and 150 attorneys volunteering. The event is sponsored by the law offices of Rossi, Hamerslough, Reischl & Chuck (cq) and AccessData Group. A mock trial team is made up of a prosecution team and a defense team, numbering up to nine students. Sitting judges preside and practicing lawyers serve as scoring jurors. The winner of each county tournament competes at the state tournament. The winners will be honored in a ceremony at the SCCOE on April 24. |
| Inclusion Collaborative wins Hoffmann Award |
The Inclusion Collaborative, the effort of the Santa Clara County Office of Education to ensure that children with disabilities and special needs have equal access to full participation in inclusive learning environments, has been named as a winner of a Glenn W. Hoffmann Award.
Initiated by the Santa Clara County School Boards Association in 1983, the Hoffmann Awards provide recognition for successful district programs that benefit students.
 The Inclusion Collaborative was created in 2004 by FIRST 5 Santa Clara County, the Local Early Education Planning Council and the Santa Clara County Office of Education. It was one five programs honored with the award. The others are Hyde Middle School in the Cupertino School District; Rancho Milpitas Middle School in the Milpitas Unified School District; College Connections Academy (a collaboration among the Franklin McKinley School District, East Side Union High School District, Evergreen Valley Community College and San Jose State University); and Fisher Middle School in Los Gatos Union School District.
The awards are named for Glenn W. Hoffmann, who served as the superintendent of Santa Clara County schools from 1967 to 1984. Representatives of the winning programs will be honored April 24 at a 6 p.m. awards ceremony at Faz Restaurant in Sunnyvale.
The event is sponsored by PG&E, Chevron Energy Solutions, the Santa Clara County Office of Education and the Santa Clara and San Benito Counties Building and Construction Trades Council.
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17th Annual Young Artists Showcase still seeking submissions |
 Time is running out, but artwork is still being accepted for the 2012 Young Artists competition. Each year, student artists from public schools throughout the county are honored when their work is selected for display at the SCCOE.
Student artwork first was acquired by the SCCOE in 1996, to enliven the bare walls of the newly acquired building. Since then, about 30 pieces have been added each year.
In making their selections, judges look for visual impact, originality, imagination, and effective use of media, visual art elements and principles of design.
The deadline to submit artwork for this year is April 3. For more information on Young Artists, click here.
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| 'Top Dads' entries sought |
 Building Peaceful Families, a Silicon Valley non-profit organization, in partnership with the San Francisco 49ers and the SCCOE, is seeking entries for the annual Top Dads Award Essay Contest. Bay Area children ages 5 through 17 are invited to submit essays describing why their father or father figure should be selected for the Top Dads Award.  Fifty winning essays will be selected from all entries received. The winners (50 kids and 50 fathers/father figures) will be invited to attend the Top Dads Award Luncheon, which is open to the public, on June 14. At the event, four first-place essay writers will receive a grand prize package that includes tickets to a San Francisco 49ers game, a Target gift card and more. Essays are due on or before April 22, 2013. Essays must be written by children ages 5 through 17. (Contest prize categories are ages 5-7; 8-10; 11- 13; and 14-17.) The Top Dads Essay Contest Entry Form, instructions, and more information are available at here. |
| Board approves Discovery Charter School II |
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Here's a summary of actions taken by the Santa Clara County Board of Education at its March 6 and March 20 meetings:
- Approved a petition by Discovery Charter School to open Discovery Charter School II
- Accepted the resignation of Trustee Darcie Green
- Recognized Sharon Miller, who works as a paraeducator in Special Education at Argonaut School, as the March 2013 Employee of the Month
- Recognized student Justin Thorne, of Live Oak High School, for his achievements in the SCCOE Regional Occupational Program
The Board of Education is the elected governing body of the SCCOE. 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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| Walden West receives PG&E grant |
The Walden West Foundation has been awarded $10,000 from PG&E as part of its Bright Ideas Grant program.
The program is designed to provide additional learning opportunities for students and teachers while creating energy and money saving programs for school campuses throughout northern and central California. The funds will be used at Walden West for Science and Sustainability Center equipment and supplies.
 Walden West is the outdoor science school operated by the Santa Clara County Office of Education.
Located four miles southwest of Saratoga, the center is situated on 35 acres of redwood and Douglas fir forest. The surrounding Sanborn County Regional Park provides an additional 3,000 acres of thickly forested land and over 70 miles of wooded trails.
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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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