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The October Education Town Hall meeting in San Mateo attracted a large crowd. |
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API Report Shows San Mateo County Ahead of the State Average
The October 11, 2012 release of the Accountability Progress Report (APR) by the California Department of Education held some positive news for San Mateo County public schools along with providing a roadmap for continued growth.
The public s chools in San Mateo County continue to outperform their counterparts across the state. Nearly 55 percent of all schools in California met their academic assessment goals while 63 percent met their targets in San Mateo County. Similarly, 87.5% of districts in the county experienced growth from their 2011 base API to the 2012 growth API. 75% of districts achieved an API score over 800 (the target set by the state of California), an increase of 12.5% over the previous year's data.
While not a surprise given the now annually rising Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) targets, 14 of the 24 districts in the county are identified in Program Improvement (PI). No school exited PI this year but six met their targets and will exit next year if they continue to meet their targets. Only four districts in the county made AYP this year.
When the Base Academic Performance Index (API) is released in the spring, the state sets growth targets for the next year. With the looming approach of 2014, the year the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law designated as the time by which all students should be proficient in reading and math, schools are subject to increased targets to meet that desirable but increasingly difficult goal of 100% proficiency.
"NCLB has been positive in that it caused schools to look closely at the performance of students as a whole, but also at subgroups of students. These data show our need to continue our commitment to closing the achievement gap by ensuring high achievement for all students while accelerating the improvement of students who are not yet proficient. Our current federal accountability system is past due for an overhaul to a more robust system that both recognizes schools that are achieving success for their students and more accurately identifies those that need assistance in realizing success for all of their students," notes County Deputy Superintendent Gary Waddell.
While there has been talk at the federal level of reauthorizing and revamping NCLB, no action has been taken and no movement is expected until after the November election. "My hope is that with reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) there will be a greater emphasis on promising practices and what's working in the field, as there are some stellar examples of what works right in our own backyard, as well as implementing a system for accurately identifying and supporting schools that need assistance," says Waddell.
Changes also are forecast with the adoption and implementation of Common Core State Standards. New assessments are scheduled to be in place by 2014-2015. The Common Core will require more performance-based and computer-enhanced assessments as opposed to strict reliance on the multiple choice tests currently in place. "The Common Core requires richer and deeper forms of instruction and assessment," notes Waddell. "While there are bound to be growing pains along the way, they are well-designed systems of standards and assessments that will be good for our children and youth as we prepare them to enter the world of college and career."
Here are a few San Mateo County highlights from the APR:
- Twenty-one districts (87.5 percent) experienced growth between their 2011 Base API and 2012 Growth API
- Nine districts ranked within the top 100 of districts statewide.
- Eighteen districts (75 percent, compared to 47 percent of districts statewide) had an API Growth score at or above 800.
- 102 schools (63 percent) out of 162 schools with API targets met both their school-wide and subgroup targets in 2012, a slight increase from 2011. Statewide, 55 percent of schools met both their school-wide and subgroup targets.
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Education Town Hall Attracts Large Crowd
At the Education Town Hall meeting organized by State Assemblyman Jerry Hill held on Saturday morning, October 6, 2012 at San Mateo City Hall chambers, there was barely an empty seat. The audience--filled with local government officials, school board members, teachers, administrators, classified staff, parents and interested community members--got a snapshot of the state of education locally and statewide from Hill, as well as County Superintendent Anne Campbell and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson.
 | | State Assemblyman Jerry Hill, State Superintendent Tom Torlakson and County Superintendent Anne Campbell answer questions at the Education Town Hall meeting |
Hill welcomed the crowd and set the stage. "No issue is more important than education," he said. "Whether it's the economy or quality of life, education is the key element and it's been struggling in our state. We have lots of challenges to face."
State Superintendent Torlakson led off by accenting the positive accomplishments. "With 6.3 million students and 10,000 schools in our state, there's a lot of great teaching going on. Despite the layoffs of 35,000 teachers, test scores are going up and dropout rates are going down." The passage of local bonds up and down the state has led to school districts upgrading school buildings and investing in energy efficiency. He sees the increased use of education technology as a "game changer," and a way to individualize learning. But then he turned to his deep concerns about the immediate future. "Although there are good things happening, much is at stake and much is in jeopardy due to budget cuts," he noted. He added that further cuts could mean cutting the school year by four weeks and more teacher layoffs.
Campbell spoke about the three things she wakes up at night worrying about: school funding, early care and education, and 21st century learning skills. If trigger cuts go into effect following the results of the November election, local schools will lose an additional $470 per student on top of previous cuts. At least seven school districts in San Mateo County could face a fiscal cliff as they head into the 2013-14 school year. Reducing the school year would mean California's students would only have 160 days of school a year, compared to many Asian countries where children attend school for 220 days per year. "How can we continue to be competitive in the new global economy?" she asked. Noting the urgency of investing in early education, Campbell noted, "The first six years are absolutely vital to get children ready to thrive in school," she noted. "We need to pay attention to our littlest citizens."
Regarding 21st century learning skills, Campbell noted the recent opening of the STEM Center at the San Mateo County Office of Education, designed to provide staff development in science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills. With its state-of-the-art technology, and video conferencing and archiving capacity, the center can provide 24/7 access to staff development. "Schools have made a huge investment in technology and infrastructure, but we also need to invest in professional development. We're hoping the STEM Center can provide important staff development support," she noted.
The panel answered questions from the audience on a variety of topics including the possibility of merging school districts and sharing services, how to make schools more energy efficient, and how to build foundations in 21st century skills early on and emphasize more critical thinking in classrooms.
Anne Campbell closed the meeting by leaving the audience with a challenge to continue advocating for investment in public education in our state, made clear with a quote from economist and Nobel laureate James Heckman: "California has a golden past, a troubled present and a precarious future."
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Kane and Coyle Selected as SM County Teachers of the Year
Two exemplary teachers, one in elementary education and the other in secondary, have been selected to receive the honor of San Mateo County Teacher of the Year.
World traveler Kane understands the challenges ELD students face
A 22-year teaching veteran, Marei Kane teaches English language development (ELD) and
 | | Marei Kane teaches ELD and AP English at Menlo-Atherton High School. |
Advanced Placement (AP) English Language at Menlo-Atherton High School in the Sequoia Union High School District, where she's been for the past 13 years. Before that she taught middle school in the Jefferson Elementary District.
A world traveler and native German speaker, she understands from experience what her ELD students need to make a smooth transition. "They won't have the opportunities they deserve unless they learn English," she notes. "I enjoy watching them become confident as they gain English skills." To keep her teaching fresh, she says she is constantly learning and trying new approaches, including incorporating technology into her lessons.
She also enjoys teaching AP English Language. "It's a challenging course to teach," she notes. "It's a really broad curriculum--the whole world is your text--and it gives me the opportunity to expose students to all kinds of ideas."
"Kane is remarkable for her many skills and talents, but in particular how she meets the needs of all learners, scaffolding rigorous and engaging lessons for students of all abilities," notes San Mateo County Superintendent of Schools Anne Campbell. Matthew Zito, principal of Menlo-Atherton High School, calls Kane "a true innovator and educational leader."
Coyle acts as a guide for her elementary students
For her entire 13-year career in education, Sarah Coyle has been a teacher at Roosevelt School in the Redwood City Elementary School District. She wanted to have the experience of "looping"--teaching the same students from one year to the next--so she followed
 | | Sarah Coyle teaches 6th graders at Roosevelt School in Redwood City. |
her 3rd graders from 4th to 5th and then 6th grade, and now remains in 6th grade. "I sure missed them when they moved to 7th grade," she says. "We became an extended family. It was a marvelous experience for me and positive for them."
She's not afraid of "out-of-the box" opportunities, and letting her students guide her. Having focused on British literature and Shakespeare in college, she decided to introduce Shakespeare to her 4th and 5th grade class, which included several English language learners. After studying "Much Ado About Nothing," several students, including the English language learners, wanted to perform it. With the help of a skilled director from Broadway by the Bay, they succeeded in producing the play, and performing it several times for the school and community. Two students were even offered scholarships to Broadway by the Bay's Summer Program.
"Coyle's enthusiasm and creativity combine to produce a fun and adventurous learning environment," notes Superintendent Campbell.
"We teachers are in it for the students--to build their confidence and inspire them," says Coyle. "We don't generally get a lot of outside recognition, so getting this award I was floored."
Both teachers will be honored in the spring at the 17th District PTA Founders Day luncheon, at the Burlingame Scottish Rite Temple event honoring public education and at a San Mateo County Board of Education ceremony.
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Pelletier Leads the Way for SELPA
In July Anjanette Pelletier hit the ground running as the new Senior Administrator of the Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) at the San Mateo County Office of Administration (SMCOE). "I'm blessed to have followed in Pamela Ptacek Blatt's footsteps," she says. "The staff at SMCOE has been very supportive. There's also a history of teamwork, direction, structures and positive relationships I have gladly inherited, and it has certainly eased the transition."
 | | Anjanette Pelletier is the new SELPA Administrator |
Pelletier comes to SMCOE after 15 years in a variety of positions in Alameda County. She began as a school psychologist in the New Haven Unified School District, and then served in the Newark Unified School District as school psychologist, program specialist and special education director. While there, she served as interim director for the Mission Valley SELPA for nine months in 2010-2011. "That position opened my eyes to the support this position could bring," she notes. "I enjoyed the collaboration and advocacy work supporting school districts, and realized this was the direction I wanted to go."
In her new position at SMCOE Pelletier is getting up to speed on everything related to special education in the county but she says her big "To Do" is the Special Education Self Review (SESR) required under state and federal law of each school district every four years. As SELPA Director, she will oversee providing support and oversight to the 23 school districts and 4 Charter Local Education Agencies (LEAs) in San Mateo County as they reflect on their programs and practices this year. Since Alameda County completed its review just last year, she's well acquainted with the process.
Pelletier sees big challenges and opportunities ahead for the SELPA, including the historic lows in general education and special education funding, the increase countywide in students with more high-cost needs, and the implementation of Common Core State Standards. "Common Core can help us to integrate special education students more fully in the classroom," she says. "But special education needs to be at the table as part of the conversation from the ground up and as implementation progresses."
When she's not getting up to speed at the County Office, Pelletier can be found at her home in Fremont, where she enjoys reading, exercising, or working in her garden growing organic vegetables and experimenting with new recipes to cook up her current bounty of rainbow carrots, winter squashes, chard and kale.
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Superintendent Cesario Brings Wealth of Experience to Las Lomitas School District
Coming from the Santa Clara Unified School District of 14,000 students to the Las Lomitas Elementary School District of 1,400 students, new superintendent Lisa Cesario likes to say that it's just a difference of one less zero. Her vast 24 years of service in a variety of roles in Santa Clara including teacher, principal, coordinator of curriculum and instruction, and assistant superintendent of educational services, will undoubtedly serve her well in her new role.
 | | New superintendent of the Las Lomitas School District Lisa Cesario |
"Working with school sites closely is what I like doing best," she says. "I love that from the district office I can open my window and hear the sounds on the playground at La Entrada Middle School." In her first three months, she's getting to know the district and even attended the La Entrada sixth- grade dance just to see what it was like. "I had forgotten what sixth-grade boys are like," she notes with a smile.
She's enjoying getting to know the parents and the community she serves. "We have an incredible education foundation here that did the work and raised a lot of money so we don't have to make major cuts to programs in the way Santa Clara and many districts in San Mateo County had to," she says. "That's not to say that cuts weren't made to our programs but we're not in that mode right now and we're in a better situation."
Her focus now will be on implementing the Common Core State Standards. "We're very appreciative of the San Mateo County Office of Education and the toolkit training they've provided," she adds. Las Lomitas is growing, which presents a challenge for the district, which only has two schools, one elementary and one middle school. The district is now working on a facilities master plan. Cesario and her board will need to make a decision on whether to build additional permanent structures or add portables in the near future.
"I have a great board and philosophically we're on the same page," she says. "It's all about taking a great school district and making it even better."
When she's not out visiting school sites and attending to district business, Cesario likes to spend time with her daughter, who is a high school freshman, and her husband. The family loves to travel and they try to take a big trip every other year to either Hawaii or Europe, and a few times a year they head to Mexico, where they spend family time with Cesario's twin brother who lives there.
Note: This is the second in a series of newsletter articles profiling new superintendents in San Mateo County.
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ECE Teacher Sfarzo Receives Symetra Heroes in the Classroom Award
On Wednesday, October 10, 2012 Connie Sfarzo, teacher of students with multiple disabilities at the San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE)
 | | ECE teacher Connie Sfarzo receives the Symetra Heroes in the Classroom Award from Tyson Lamp of the 49ers and Susan Hinchman of Wells Fargo Bank, along with 49er cheerleaders Chelsea and Taylor. |
Early Childhood Education (ECE) Center at Tower Road, had a surprise visit from representatives from Wells Fargo Bank and the 49ers. The cheerleaders with their colorful outfits and outgoing personalities were a real hit with her class as was the sight of Sfarzo receiving the Symetra Heroes in the Classroom award.
Sfarzo was selected for this honor as a result of her hard work and dedication serving students with multiple disabilities at the SMCOE ECE Center in San Mateo. Any visitor to her class can immediately see how passionate she is about her work. On the day of the celebration, she was busy communicating with students using their assistive technology devices, and making sure the students were able to get out of their wheelchairs and on to the mat for exploration with sounds and motion.
Sfarzo was nominated for this honor by a parent of a student in her classroom. Symetra Heroes is a partnership with Wells Fargo and the San Francisco 49ers to recognize outstanding teachers in each of our local communities. The award comes with a check for $1,000 for the SMCOE ECE program.
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Check Us Out on Facebook
The San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE) now has a page on Facebook. We'll be providing frequent upd ates on SMCOE events and education news of interest, adding groups of interest, and linking to other education organizations. Check us out and "like" us today on Facebook!
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About the San Mateo County Office of Education
The San Mateo County Office of Education provides a variety of instructional, business and consulting services to the County's 23 public school districts, charter schools, the Community College District and County Office of Education staff.
Believe in Tomorrow: Think Green Today
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