SCCOE welcomes new Chief Schools Officer Dr. Steve Olmos
 Dr. Steve Olmos has been tapped by County Superintendent of Schools Jon Gundry to serve on his cabinet as Chief Schools Officer for the Santa Clara County Office of Education. Olmos officially joined the office on Tuesday, Dec. 1.
Olmos comes to the SCCOE from the Butte County Office of Education where he served as Associate Superintendent - English Learner and Migrant Education. In this capacity, Olmos served 10,000 migrant students across 22 counties, overseeing supplemental programs to ensure all students succeed and graduate from high school.
"Dr. Olmos brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success to the SCCOE," said Superintendent Gundry. "I am looking forward to collaborating with him as we continue to serve, inspire, and promote student and public school success."
As the head of the SCCOE's Student Services Branch, Olmos will oversee the office's educational and student programs including Alternative Education, Environmental Education, Early Learning Services, Foster Youth Services, Migrant Education and Special Education.
Prior to his work at BCOE, Olmos served as Superintendent of Willows Unified School District in Northern California. He has also taught at the elementary, middle school and high school levels and held the roles of vice-principal and principal.
Olmos earned his doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Southern California. He received a master's degree in educational administration from Pepperdine University, and a bachelor's degree in liberal studies with an emphasis in bilingual education and a minor in Spanish from California State University, Chico.
For more information about the vital programs Olmos' Student Services team provides for children across the county, visit the branch website.
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Song Voted President of County Board of Education
 The Santa Clara County Board of Education has elected Anna Song as president for the coming year, and Dr. Michael Chang as vice president. The votes at the Board's meeting last night were unanimous. Outgoing President Darcie Green was presented with a plaque that included a gavel in honor of her year of service. Song was elected to the board in 2000 to represent Trustee Area 5 and was the first Korean-born female to be elected in California's history. She was re-elected in 2004, 2008 and 2012. Ms. Song has more than 20 years of experience in counseling, youth education, domestic violence intervention and fair housing enforcement. She also serves on the County School Boards Association Executive Board. Dr. Chang is a faculty member, department chairman, and founder of the Asian Pacific American Leadership Institute at De Anza College. He was elected to the Santa Clara County Board of Education in 2010 to represent Trustee Area 2. He was re-elected in 2014. He has been a West Valley resident for more than 30 years and served successfully in local public offices since 1991, including two-terms as mayor of Cupertino and on the city council. The board also adopted its calendar of meetings for 2016. The Board typically meets the first and third Wednesdays of the month with only one meeting in July, August and December. There are three scheduled meetings in June.
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New federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
means more localized school governance
 President Obama's signing this week of the bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), ushers in a new era of school governance that focuses less on federal involvement and more on local control. The Act, the next generation of No Child Left Behind, rebalances accountability oversight of public education between federal, state and individual school districts.
"This is a step forward in helping to increase the effectiveness of educators in carrying out their core mission of providing instruction," said County Superintendent of Schools Jon R. Gundry. "We are reviewing the Act and aligning the resources of the County Office of Education to be in the best position to support the 31 districts in the county."
Some of the main revisions to the law include the repeal of Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, and replaces it with comprehensive, state-designed accountability systems. Among some of the highlights, the Act maintains important statewide assessments for students but allows greater flexibility beyond utilizing a single assessment tool. It also recognizes the need to reduce unnecessary testing and affirms state control of standards. While it also helps states to improve low performing schools and supports at-risk populations, it's also designed to improve accountability for learning outcomes for all students.
"I believe that the increased flexibility and local control of this new law strengthens public education and supports all children in Santa Clara County, and aligns with our goal of improving student equity and access to high quality education," said Superintendent Gundry.
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Updates from the County Board of Education
Here's a summary of actions taken by the Board at its recent meetings.
Dec. 9:
- Recognized Employee of the Month, Natalia Sanchez, a paraeducator at Gateway School;
- Appointed Anna Song as Board President and Michael Chang as Vice President;
- Renewed the charter of Summit Public Schools: Tahoma; and
- Held a special unveiling ceremony for the new awards display case in the Ridder Park lobby.
Dec. 14:
- Held a special board meeting for a study session on policies and practices around charter school authorization.
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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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 SCCOE 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 SCCOE is committed to serving, inspiring and promoting student and public school success.
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