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Gateway Community School students lend a hand at ECE Program.
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May Revised State Budget Reveals Mixed Bag for San Mateo County Schools
Governor Jerry Brown's revised state budget, released on May 14, 2013, holds both good and bad news for San Mateo County schools and the San Mateo County Office of Education. As California slowly emerges from the recession, school funding should increase over the next few years, from $47.3 billion to $66.5 billion in 2016-2017, thanks to Proposition 98, which guarantees a significant portion of the budget to K-12 schools and community colleges.
But the governor cautiously warned, "This is not the time to break out the champagne."  He anticipates using the increase in funding in part to pay down the "wall of debt," 25 percent of deferral payments due to public schools that have been mounting in the past few years. "This is a good thing for school districts," notes Denise Porterfield, Deputy Superintendent, Fiscal and Operational Services division at the San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE). "It doesn't increase the amount of money for school spending, but it will help districts avoid borrowing to meet their cash flow needs."
Another large chunk of additional funding--$1 billion--will go toward one-time expenditures for Common Core implementation. This will include funds for instructional materials and professional development, and will be distributed at the rate of $170 per ADA to districts. SMCOE will receive this money to fund Common Core implementation for court and community school students.
The governor proposed a few changes to the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) that he announced in January, some of which will have a severe impact, if implemented, on SMCOE. One proposal would equalize funding for all county offices of education, without taking into account the variance in cost of living from county to county. For San Mateo and Santa Clara, this change would mean a lower amount of funding than is currently in place.
The governor also proposes taking the excess property tax fund, currently in the hands of SMCOE as a restricted fund, and using it to pay for state court costs. Last year SMCOE's surplus in that fund was $12 million. Without access to these funds, SMCOE will face a stagnant budget and will have to make substantial cuts to programs in the years to come.
In the wake of this last proposal, Superintendent Anne Campbell and San Mateo County Board of Education Trustee Joe Ross, on behalf of the entire County Board, have launched an Internet, email and social media campaign, www.dontfreezeourkidsout.com, to urge citizens to contact their state legislators to protest the proposed sweep of local property taxes to cover state court costs. As of this writing, the campaign has received more than 300 signatures, more than 350 likes on its Facebook page, and letters written by such notables as Steve Westly, former State Controller; Emily Bobel, executive director of Teach for America; Peter Fortenbaugh, executive director of Girls and Boys Club of the Peninsula; and Seth Rosenblatt, president of the San Mateo County School Boards Association.
For now, budget bills are moving through the state senate and assembly. One bill would allow the ROP program to remain in place and continue to provide regional career technical education (CTE) programs. The governor's original proposal would dismantle ROP and send most of the CTE dollars to local districts.
The final state budget is targeted to be in place by June 15, 2013.
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Beyond Newtown Countywide
Summit Draws a Crowd
More than 300 concerned community leaders and school district personnel gathered at the Oracle Conference Center in Redwood Shores on April 29, 2013, for "Beyond Newtown: How to Ensure Safe Schools and Communities," a countywide summit on school and community safety. Participants began a collaborative process to address the issues of school violence, mental health supports for students and school safety.
 | | County Sheriff Greg Munks {l.) moderates a panel at the Beyond Newtown Summit. |
The day began with a rallying call from Congresswoman Jackie Speier. "We are on a mission here today to change the culture of this country and we are going to start here in San Mateo County and take it nationwide," she said. San Mateo County Superintendent of Schools Anne Campbell added "Schools can't do this work in isolation. We need to move forward together so that we can make a real difference in the lives of students."
Participants heard from a host of other illustrious speakers including: Dr. Katherine Newman, the James B. Knapp Dean of the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences at Johns Hopkins University and the author of the book, Rampage; Dr. Shashank Joshi, child psychiatrist at Stanford University; Tony Beliz, Deputy Director, Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health; and Jeneé Littrell, a school administrator in the Grossmont Union High School District in San Diego County. Topics included improving mental health supports for students, and how cities, schools and communities can work together to make their schools and communities safer places.
Many addressed the need for more school resource officers and counselors in schools. Dr. Joshi noted that school counselors are "the first line providers of mental health services by default," while Dr. Newman noted that students who hear threats from other students are more likely to come forward with the information to school resource officers rather than teachers or other personnel tied closely to their school. They see school resource officers as "independent of the school bureaucracy" who will investigate the situation quietly and not jeopardize the student's standing.
Other speakers focused on prevention activities and addressing the whole school climate. Dr. Lesley Martin, principal at Taylor Middle School in Millbrae, said "The best way to make a change is to get everyone on board." To that end, at Taylor all 900 students, their teachers and bus drivers went to see the movie "Bully." After viewing the film, students had the opportunity to talk in their classes about how to seriously address bullying behavior at their school. Some formed an anti-bullying club. "We're keeping the issue alive on a daily basis and the kids are getting it," she said. "Detentions and suspensions are way down, too."
San Mateo Police Chief Susan Manheimer called for "a unified protocol and practice for every responding agency across the county, and the simpler the better," so that when a violent act occurs all are on the same page.
The Summit was jointly sponsored by Congresswoman Jackie Speier, County Supervisors Adrienne Tissier and Don Horsley, Sheriff Greg Munks, County Superintendent of Schools Anne Campbell, the San Mateo County Police Chiefs and Sheriff Association, and retired Assemblyman Gene Mullin. The aim was to begin a community conversation that will lead to sustainable outcomes. At the conclusion of the event, participants were asked to join one of several task forces, each of which will address a key component of the summit program, and continue the work that began that day.
"This was a great first step," said San Mateo County Sheriff Greg Munks. "Now we need to seize on that passion to do something and channel all this energy into positive outcomes. Today is the beginning of an effort that will take some time but will end in a safer community."
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Unified Math Collaborative Brings County School Districts Together
With the help of a $100,000 grant from the Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF) and funding from the San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE) and partnering districts, the Unified Math Collaborative (UMC) is bringing together teachers and administrators from three districts in the county to provide professional development, collaboration, technology integration and a successful transition to Common Core State Standards implementation.
 | | County Superintendent Anne Campbell welcomes the crowd of administrators and teachers at the Unified Math Collaborative. |
On May 16, more than 40 middle school and high school math teachers, administrators and superintendents from La Honda-Pescadero, Cabrillo and South San Francisco--the three unified school districts that make up the Unified Math Collaborative --gathered at the Sobrato Center for Nonprofits in Redwood Shores, for a day of professional development and collaboration. This was the second event for the UMC, which kicked off with an event in March with featured inspirational speaker Silicon Valley Mathematics Initiative executive director David Foster.
At the May 16 event, teachers and administrators had an opportunity to dive into the Common Core and the Smarter Balance Assessments, and to get a preview of the UMC summer institute for math teachers.
"The Common Core is exciting and a little scary," noted Dr. Shawnterra Moore, Associate Superintendent in the South San Francisco Unified District. "It's a big shift but the UMC opens the door to come together to build on the work we've been doing around Common Core implementation. We have the opportunity to share ideas and strategies, and work together to develop plans for our districts."
Superintendent Anne Campbell explained the mission of UMC--to increase student access and achievement in mathematics through professional development for middle and high school math teachers. The UMC aims to address the achievement gap, and to move all students into and out of algebra successfully, as well as prepare for a successful transition to Common Core standards. The third element of the UMC is the effective use of technology for students and for collaboration among teachers.
Throughout the day, there were activities designed to mix up teachers and administrators from the partner districts to "build and deepen our knowledge," said Audra Pittman, Educational Services Coordinator in the Curriculum and Instruction Services division at SMCOE. In the afternoon, participants had an in-depth introduction to the MARS tasks and Smarter Balance Assessments, and worked collaboratively on scoring them. Pittman encouraged the participants to continue to collaborate both physically and virtually in the months to come.
Next up for the UMC will be the summer institute where teachers from the partner districts will be invited to attend a week-long professional development session on mathematics and Common Core implementation. Thanks to the grant, teachers who complete the training session will receive a $500 stipend and a Google Chromebook, which they can use to continue their collaboration and as an added tool in their classrooms. Interested teachers in the partner districts can learn more and sign up by contacting April Cherrington at acherrington@smcoe.k12.ca.us
"This grant came together thanks to the leadership of Anne Campbell," notes Dr. Elizabeth Schuck, Assistant Superintendent in the Cabrillo Unified School District. " She saw an opportunity and a need, and pulled us together. She offered to write the grant. That was huge for us."
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SMCOE Celebrates Dedicated Certificated And Classified Staff at Recognition Events
At two events in May, the San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE), celebrated its dedicated staff for their years of service. With an international passport theme, the tree rooms at the County Office were decorated with travel posters, and student-created artwork and table decorations. The refreshments too had an international flair--from pot stickers to Swedish meatballs to éclairs--as guests circled the globe at the buffet table.
Certificated Staff Celebration
First up was the certificated staff celebration on May 8, which coincided
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Denise Spicer (l.) was honored for her 40 years of service on May 15.
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with the national Day of the Teacher. County Superintendent Anne Campbell welcomed the crowd of more than 100 attendees and thanked them for being "so instrumental in the lives of our students."
County Board of Education trustee Rhonda Ceccato added her welcome and noted how impressed she was with the number of staff who had served for many years. "It speaks to the level of dedication you have for our students," she said. Cory Wolbach, on behalf of State Senator Jerry Hill, presented a proclamation of recognition at this event and at the classified recognition event, and San Mateo County Educators Association (SMCEA) president, Dan Deasy, added his appreciative comments, thanking staff "for all you do and the investment of your talents."
"This event gets better every year," he noted. "It shows that the managers take the time to care."
Classified Employee Recognition Event
The Classified Employee Recognition event on May 15 found a packed room of almost 200 attendees. At this event, employees of the month were recognized, as well as those retiring and those who have served for 5 to 40 years.
For her 40 years of service, Denise Spicer, with tears in her eyes, received not only an award but also a standing ovation. "It's gone by fast," she noted. "I love coming to this event and I love the people I work for." She began in 1973 as a keypunch operator and since 1989 has been a staff member in the SMCOE fiscal and operational services division.
A committee of staff members headed by Joan Rosas and Loriann Villanis planned both events. "It's an uplifting event and an opportunity for staff to connect before the summer, and be recognized for their service," noted Rosas.
Learn more about the events, and the plans retirees have here.
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ECE and Gateway School Develop Unique Partnership Program
Two San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE) programs--the Early Childhood Education Program (ECE) and the Gateway Community School --reside side by side on Tower Road in San Mateo and, until recently, did not have much contact with each other. That all changed this spring with the creation of Project Friendship, a pilot program where six Gateway students volunteer once a week for an hour to an hour and a half at the ECE campus.
"It all came about because we realized we had neighbors we could be working with,"
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Gateway students Bryan and Maria help out at the ECE program on Tower Road.
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says ECE Director Carol Pex. Melinda Fore, Educational Services Manager at Gateway, and Carrie Macy, Manager at ECE, and her staff, devised a program to bring Gateway students into the ECE center. Fore says the pilot program meshed well with the curriculum of the career and technical education class at Gateway, where students are learning skills including résumé building and interviewing for jobs, and thinking about what kind of careers they might be interested in.
Macy and her staff created volunteer positions that would be helpful for their program, such as working in the ECE office or helping with the infants and toddlers on the playground. Gateway students crafted their résumés and then interviewed for the positions. The six students who were selected will receive letters of recommendation and a certificate when they complete the pilot program.
"I've learned a lot about what it takes to have a job, and how hard it can be to be a parent," says Bryan, a Gateway student, who's been working with the children and in the office. "And I'm learning how not to break the shredder."
For Maria, who has been helping with the babies, and considering a future career in nursing, there are different lessons. "I realize that you have to have a lot of patience. Sometimes a baby will cry for the whole time until her parent comes back." She's also learning the special skills needed to care for a child with vision, hearing or orthopedic impairment.
"Having the students here is one of the best parts of our week," says Pex. "We really miss them when they're not here to help out." She, Fore and Macy are considering expanding the program in the future. "We wanted to start small to see how it would go," says Fore. "But now we are looking at more time and different skills that students could learn in the future. And more students are interested in participating."
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Innovation in the Spotlight at Annual Kent Awards Celebration
More than 250 school board members, teachers, superintendents, and local community leaders gathered to honor the 19 Kent Award winners for their innovative programs at the annual San Mateo County School Boards Association (SMCSBA) award celebration at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Foster City on May 20, 2013.
From gardening to dance, drama, project-based learning and employment,
 | | Cañada College received a Kent Award for the Math Jam program. |
a wide array of programs were honored. In addition to the Kent Awards, the celebration included the presentation of the fourth annual winner of the Emily Garfield Preventive Counseling Award. This year's winner is Evelyn Hall of Redwood High School in the Sequoia Union High School District.
The winners were selected by a committee of school board members from throughout the county. They reviewed the applications, graded them based on a rubric, and did in-person site visits to observe the program and/or meet with the instructors and administrators.
The criteria for selection included creativity, effectiveness, impact on students, and how well the school programs used available resources. The programs also had to demonstrate that they could be duplicated in other communities.
Named after the past San Mateo County Superintendent of Schools, J. Russell Kent, SMCSBA initiated the J. Russell Kent Award Program in the 1980-81 school year.
"I love doing site visits," said Seth Rosenblatt, SMCSBA president and a board member in the San Carlos Elementary School District. "It's fun to see programs in person and it reminded me why I'm involved as a school board member. I visited the Thomas R. Policita Middle School Dance Program in the Jefferson Elementary School District. It was great to see how many kids were motivated and participated, and how the program had become part of the culture of the school."
See the full list of award winners and more information about the Kent Awards here.
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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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