Driven_Parent

Fwd: Youth in the civil rights movement

2008-02-01T02:03:00.001-08:00

Note: forwarded message attached.

Fwd: Think on These Things for Sunday, December 09, 2007

2007-12-09T14:57:00.001-08:00

Note: forwarded message attached.

Your SCHOOL SITE PLAN - ITS ALL IN THE PLAN

2007-12-04T18:48:00.001-08:00

Dear List Members,

Received confirmation from administration that school site plans were

submitted to the school board recommended for approval at the last

week's meeting. All but 6 or 5 were approved.

If you are reading this list and do not know what a school site plan is,

then here is your chance to to have THE BEST STARTING POINT

YOU COULD POSSIBLY HAVE to figuring out,

"Why doesn't the school's have enough money, why can't the children read

and who is checking on making sure we are doing the things we should be?"

Go to the district website to review 2006-2007 site plans

(or SPSA - Single Plan for Student Achievement)

for our schools last year.

http://www.wccusd.k12.ca.us/about/SPSA/spsa-2006-07.shtml

Additional monitoring of strategy follow through had been implemented by

the district, including additional requirements regarding STAKEHOLDER

INVOLVEMENT.

AMEDINA

West Contra Costa Unified School District - 2006-07 Annual Report

2007-10-20T05:41:00.001-07:00

http://www.wccusd.k12.ca.us/strategicplan/0607_annual_report.pdf

WCCUSD makes history TONITE

2007-10-19T22:49:00.001-07:00

Friday October 19, 2007

Tonite I received a phone call approx 10:00pm from the district phone system

auto dialer. It was the voice of our Community Engagement Coordinator

working for our district.

PARENTS AS PARTNERS AND LEADERS CONFERENCE

SATURDAY OCTOBER 20, 2007

8:30 - 2:00pm

Just the act of one phone call to all of our district's parents/guardians

is really really really BIG. Tonite, all of our schools parents/guardians

got the same message.

Everyone pay attention, this is the district making efforts to engage

the WCCUSD parents/guardians. Its been years, and this day tomrrow

has much information to check out - I recommend

PARENT INVOLVEMENT - EDUCATIONAL EQUITY

INCLUSION OR ILLUSION?????

9:40AM - 11:00PM

Lovonya Dejean Middle School

Room C202

<Scottie Smith / Hercules NAACP

This will be a wealth of information that no CONSCIOUS parent wants to

miss.

AMEDINA

2007-10-19T22:19:00.001-07:00

District Annual Report 2006-2007

2007-10-17T23:59:00.000-07:00

Fwd: Parcel tax aftermath

2007-10-14T21:14:00.001-07:00

--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com, "gregorychang" <gregorychang@...>
wrote:

The school board held its second study session on Oct. 11 on how to
cope with the financial hardship caused by the failure of the parcel
tax.

There was a general sense that WCCUSD will try again with another
parcel tax, and will try to develop a clear message on why the funds
are needed. Members of Local One union who attended the meeting were
vocal in their support of another attempt to extend the parcel tax --
some spoke of the need for a perpetual parcel tax, not one that needs
to be regularly renewed. The earliest possible election appears to be
June 2008.

Chief Financial Officer Gamba gave an informative presentation to the
board about the financial picture. Declining enrollment means that
cuts will have to be made with or without the extension of the parcel
tax. Even if the tax passes, it will still be a painful situation.
Assuming a parcel tax passes, the district will have to cut $5.2
million out of the budget for the next three years. If the voters
reject the tax again, she presented an estimated budget that shows we
need to cut $6.4 million in spending, plus all parcel tax programs
except for class size reduction. The parcel tax currently supports 94
jobs in areas including libraries, sports, counseling, psychology
custodial services and others. The CFO also recommends that six
schools be closed in the next three years whether the parcel tax
passes or not. She estimates that we can save $300,000 per school
closure. She recommends that the first step in school consolidation
be
taken at a board meeting on Nov. 28. Her financial presentation is
available on the WCCUSD website and should be required reading.

The board actually did acheive some dialouge and some creative ideas
were thrown around about how to increase revenue and not just cut
expenses. AM suggested that the district needs to do a better job
recruiting prospective students. KP pointed out that ECHS has its
information night in January, while private schools hold theirs in
December. So the competition is getting a jump on us. DB mentioned
that we could do a better job at preventing people from dropping out.
He also brought up K-8 again as a way to keep people in the district.
CR made a point which suggested that districts with more than 30,000
students are required to have less in reserve for economic
uncertainties. If we could stay above that number the extra money
could help during the lean years.

IN terms of cutting expenses, the board is still trying to figure out
what to do about employee benefits. They appeared to be doing basic
information gathering about what the options are regarding benefits,
some seemed to suggest we should explore whether it makes sense to
leave Calpers and negotiate directly with providers. Union One
employees who spoke were very opposed to the idea that benefits be
cut
dramatically -- the programs are needed to attract and retain
talented
staff.

On CSR it was pointed out that 99% of California districts do invest
in CSR and doing away with it may drive enrollment down farther. DB
mentioned that there is no evidence that CSR improves academics
unless
their are less than 15 students in a class.

In terms of closing schools, KP and CR were the most willing to
consider this action. DB and MK were somewhat lukewarm. AM was
opposed. It was pointed out to me by another parent that closing
schools will make it that much harder to pass the parcel tax because
people will be resentful. The staff will prepare a preliminary study
on consolidation and redistricting.

Overall I felt that the meeting and discussion was a big improvement
over the Sept. 5 meeting, which was a little unfocused and
disorganized. I earlier criticized the board for focusing too much on
school closure. Now I recognize they need every tool at their
disposal
to deal with the financial crisis. If they must close schools, I hope
they do so in a thoughtful and systematic manner that includes a lot
of communication with the schools that may be meeting their
unfortunate destiny. They must consider selling the property of any
school that is closed to reduce the debt burden.

Notably absent from the meeting were the leaders of the teachers'
union. At the first meeting on Sept 5 the teachers were well
represented and the union said it is ready to lead a grass-roots
campaign for a parcel tax. It wasnt clear to me what changed over the
last five weeks to make them decide to skip the meeting this time. It
does seem quite clear that a parcel tax has little chance of passing
without strong teacher support. It is my wish that the teachers and
board can set aside their differences on other issues and collaborate
on getting another parcel tax passed.

Also very few parents in attendance. Perhpas parents are not yet
realizing the magnitude of the financial challenge. We are looking at
some very deep cuts in services and programs over the next few years.
The funding may rebound in a few years as the stroller brigade begins
entering school. Or maybe the cuts will reduce quality so much that
more parents will flee and the declines will snowball rapidly.

--- End forwarded message ---

2007-08 School Site Councils - Sound Off!!

2007-10-06T12:26:00.001-07:00

With a few Site Council trainings still left, please post the status of your site council

to the list. This message is being sent to both our superintendents along with the

people in our State/Federal Programs office.

By now most sites have "selected" or "elected" their 2007-08 school site council.

We need to identify those sites who have NOT, because site plans must be developed

to submit to our school board for approval. Site plans are developed by the School

Site Council, and site plans must be voted on and approved by the School Site

Council before the plans are submitted to the school board for their approval.

What is a site plan?

ITS ALL IN THE PLAN

would be the best answer.

EVERYTHING that goes on at each site, along

with how much $$ is being spent at that site is in this plan. Each site also must

have a plan for PARENT INVOLVEMENT, SAFETY, DISCIPLINE & ATTENDANCE

Again, you will find ALL THIS in the SCHOOL SITE PLAN.

For more information on WHAT a school site council is, you can visit the district

website:

http://www.wccusd.k12.ca.us

There you will also see the site plans for all of our schools for the 2006-07 school

year. This information will be used, along with test data released Aug 2007,review of previous year by State/Federal programs, budget information & other measures to

develop the site's plan for 2007-08 school year.

On the main page of the district website, underneath the board meeting dates, you

will see "school site council trainings announced" - all the information you need is

there.

Reporting on:

MURPHY ELEMENTARY

CRESPI MIDDLE SCHOOL

MURPHY ELEMENTARY

Murphy held their elections approx two weeks ago. Notices were sent home 1 week prior to

election and result notice sent immediatley following election. Murphy noted on their

school calendar the date of their SSC training (10/2/07 4 to 6pm). Parents could not

ask for more notification. Murphy has their next SSC meeting 10/10/07 Wed @ 3:00pm. Murphy notes their SSC meeting date/time on their school calendar. Murphy has their

PARENT/STUDENT HANDBOOK, with clear information on how the site runs, and how

the DISTRICT BASIC COMMITTMENTS are carried out. This IS a requirement for all

schools, however this is the first time I have had the pleasure of reporting on a site

that has done this.

JUAN CRESPI MIDDLE SCHOOL

School Site Council nomination forms were sent home with the packet on papers

the children receive at the beginning of the year. Site held election. Letters were

just sent out to all those who were nominated for Site Council 2007-08. Letter

informs nominee of frequency of meetings (once a month) and regular meeting

date. Crespi will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesdayt October 10 @

5:30pm to discuss the budget. Crespi also has a PARENT/STUDENT HANDBOOK

which was given out at orientation. The site also has a Leadership class which

will place the 2 student representatives on their school site council.

Review the district website again. Ask your principal about your site's status on

your School Site Council. If you have not attended a school site council training

and wish to do so, check the final dates for training. The district will also come

to your site and train your council - if necessary - HOWEVER the principal must

request this.

If there are problems at your site, please contact State/Federal programs so

they can resolve them quickly. You can email:

Toni Oklan-Arko

TOklan-Arko @

wccusd.net

Nia Rashidchi

NRashidchi @

wccusd.net

In your email, let them know help is needed to work together to get your site

into compliance with State/Federal laws. This is their job, and they will take

care of it. If you are a district employee and face retaliation, ridicule, write-ups,

transfer and even LOSS OF PAYCHECK,

feel free to email me

ladyluvslife@sbcglobal.net

or call my home

510-223-5890

and the

WCCUSD Parent Dream Team*

Women Caring for Children United Strong Determined

will look into the matter for you and get a resolution.

Dr. Burnside and Dr. Harter have worked hard with their

staff and the sites ensuring that the site council process

is followed as per the California Education Code. Email

them directly:

bharter@wccusd.net

kburnside@wccusd.net

They

have also taken great steps to build an honest working

relationship that truly educates and involves parents and community

members as they both know the POWER that comes with everyone

working together for the better education of our children.

Thank you and we look forward to hearing

2007-08 SCHOOL SITE COUNCILS - SOUND OFF

AMEDINA

*WCCUSD Parent Dream Team - a group of moms, women,

dads and men who have the determination and heart to do

what it takes to make our schools the very best they CAN be.

Working the system is our specialty. Working our administration

to earn their paychecks is another. Working with our board members

on failed campaign promises is our next mission. Stay Tuned!

CONGRESSMAN GEORGE MILLER ON nclb (NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND)

2007-10-05T06:54:00.001-07:00

*Below George's letter in a letter from parent & educational advocate Scottie Smith

-------------- Forwarded Message: --------------
From: "Miller, George" <George.Miller@...>
To: <rcs101@...>
Subject: RE: NCLB
Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2007 20:53:08 +0000
>
> Thank you for contacting me about the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). I
> appreciate knowing of your concerns and point of view.
>
> Congress enacted NCLB six years ago to improve education by raising the
> expectations of what America's schools and schoolchildren could achieve. We
> asked schools to make the performance of their students more transparent and to
> be held accountable for the performance of all children. And we increased
> federal spending on schools and pledged even greater increases in the future.
>
> As a result, we have witnessed positive changes. Students have accomplished
> gains in reading and math proficiency. The academic achievement gap between
> some groups of students has narrowed. There are more qualified teachers in the
> classroom today. But there is no question that much more needs to be done for
> our schools. The President and the Republican Congress dramatically
> under-funded NCLB, for one, and in certain important respects, we just did not
> get everything right when we wrote the original law.
>
> As you may know, the House Education and Labor Committee, which I chair, is in
> the process of revising NCLB. As part of this process, the committee has heard
> from parents, students, teachers, administrators and other educators about the
> impact of NCLB on student learning and achievement. We have reviewed
> recommendations from more than 100 organizations with an interest in education
> policy. These recommendations have been very helpful. I have also traveled
> across the country and listened to the concerns voiced by teachers, students,
> administrators, parents, governors, and others.
>
> NCLB has provoked an energetic national debate about our public schools and how
> best to target future investment in education. Two overarching principles are
> guiding my thinking as we go forward: 1) We must stay true to the goals of
> improving accountability, narrowing the achievement gap, and ensuring that all
> students are taught to high academic standards, and; 2) Improvements to current
> law must be made to ensure that our education law is flexible, fair, and funded.
> In August, we issued a bi-partisan "discussion draft" outlining the significant
> changes that we would like to make to NCLB. Below is a description of some of
> the key changes we would like to make.
>
> 1. The heart of NCLB is accountability and we must continue to support
> meaningful accountability for all children. But there are serious problems with
> the accountability system under current law. Schools that do not make adequate
> gains with their students are all treated the same. In the discussion draft, we
> address the "one-size-fits-all" concern by ensuring that schools that are close
> to making adequate yearly progress (AYP) are not subject to the same level of
> intervention as schools that are chronically struggling. Those schools that
> consistently do not make AYP will receive more intensive support. With these
> additional supports, we expect that instructional practices will improve and
> that the children in these schools will make significant academic gains.
>
> 2. Many Americans believe that our schools should not be evaluated solely
> by the results of one test administered on one day. I agree. The discussion
> draft institutes much-needed fairness and flexibility by allowing the use of
> additional measures of success that would assess school performance more
> accurately. For elementary schools, these "multiple indicators" include
> increases in the percentages of students who move from below basic to basic
> levels of proficiency and improvements in state science, writing, history,
> social studies, or civics tests. In high schools, the additional indicators of
> school success could include all the indicators allowed for elementary schools
> as well as graduation rates, the percentage of students successfully completing
> Advanced Placement or other college preparation courses, and other factors.
> Emphasis will continue to be on student reading and math achievement, but by
> revising the accountability system to include multiple indicators we can provide
> a more fair, comprehensive, and accurate picture of how schools are doing.
>
> 3. Under the current accountability system, schools make AYP only when a
> set percentage of students reach an established mark at a given time, regardless
> of their students' wide range of starting points in terms of proficiency. The
> discussion draft allows states to use "growth models" that give schools credit
> for the progress they have made with all students, including low-performing and
> high-performing students. The discussion draft does not mandate one specific
> growth model, thus allowing for innovation as new models are developed. Growth
> models emphasize strong accountability and flexibility.
>
> 4. Concerns have been raised about the quality of tests that are used to
> measure student performance. Many people believe that standardized tests do not
> provide an accurate measure of student performance. We want our students to be
> able to use critical thinking skills to solve problems. But, these skills are
> difficult to measure using traditional standardized tests. The discussion draft
> supports the development of better tests, ones that are aligned to standards and
> include items like performance measures and essays that more effectively measure
> higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills. The discussion draft includes
> a pilot project that allows states to include local tests in addition to their
> state assessments. The inclusion of "local assessment" data in the state's
> assessment system strikes a balance between standardized test scores and the
> authentic measures of student performance that occur in our classrooms.
>
> 5. The fairness and appropriateness of tests used to measure the
> achievement of students with disabilities and students who are English Language
> Learners (ELLs) has also been questioned. In the discussion draft, provisions
> are made for states to develop alternative tests that can be based on modified
> standards for students with disabilities. Alternative tests would be developed
> that test ELL students in their native language. Federal funding will be
> provided to states to develop or improve the quality of these tests so that they
> better measure what students know and can do.
>
> 6. From our conversations with higher education and business groups, it is
> clear that too many of our graduates are not prepared to enter the workforce or
> succeed in college without remediation. Our students must be prepared to think
> creatively, to work in teams, and to be innovative. The discussion draft
> encourages employers and colleges to work collaboratively with states to develop
> more rigorous standards so that the learning environment is challenging and
> based on best practices and innovation. Incentives will be provided to states
> that elect to commit to preparing their students for the jobs and universities
> of the future.
>
> 7. We are facing a very real teacher shortage crisis. We must increase the
> number of outstanding teachers, especially in urban and rural communities and in
> subjects for which there are shortages such as math, science, and foreign
> languages. Special education and ELL teachers are also in demand. The
> discussion draft provides incentives - including "performance pay" based on fair
> and proven models, career ladders, and teacher mentoring programs - that will
> help recruit and retain outstanding teachers into the classrooms that need them
> most. School districts could pay annual bonuses of up to $12,500 per year to
> outstanding teachers who teach in high-need schools for four years.
>
> Our public schools play many critical roles in our society. Discovery,
> innovation, and economic advancement all begin in the classroom. A high quality
> education system is indispensable to a strong and just society. It is now time
> to change our key federal education law in ways that ensures strong
> accountability but also the fairness, flexibility and funding necessary to make
> it successful. The changes we are pursuing will make a big difference for our
> children, our schools, and our country.
>
> Thank you again for contacting me.
>
> Sincerely,
>
>
>
> GEORGE MILLER
> Member Of Congress, 7th District
>
> PS: If you would like to receive updates about my work in Congress and
> announcements of upcoming town meetings and other events, please sign up for the
> Miller E-Updates on my website at
> www.house.gov/georgemiller/eletterregister.html
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: rcs101@... [mailto:rcs101@...]
> Sent: Wednesday, October 03, 2007 2:04 PM
> To: Miller, George
> Subject: NCLB
>
>
>
>
> --Dear Congressman Miller:
>
> I write to support the reauthorization of NCLB with some modifications. First, I
> believe the State and Federal mandates relating to "Highly Qualified" teachers
> is a term that has put many district in a position where the local authorities
> have little or no say in the definition of the term. It has also, left these
> district in the position of not being able to provide consistency in the
> education of its students. As you know, consistency is one of the most important
> things in the rearing and education of a child. Therefore, a district could have
> a teacher with a college education and had passed the CBEST, but said teacher
> could not remain in the same class for a year, because of "NCLB's Highly
> Qualified" regulations.
>
> I am not proposing that teachers should be allowed to remain in a school if they
> are not competent to teach the subject matter. On the contrary, I believe that
> school district should have a say in determination of competency. Districts
> should not be sanction because they fail to retain credential teacher,
> especially, when the teaching field is lacking in terms of such professional. It
> is my believe that many young college graduates have the energy and knowhow to
> teach in many of our Title I schools, but because of the many hoops they must
> face in order to stay in the same class and move toward the decision process of
> continuing their education, leads many to take a "don't care attitude and a
> quick money avenue", because the rules does not allow them to attach themselves
> with the students and schools. It is my belief that if they knew they could stay
> at a particular site for sometime, most young professional would bond with the
> school community and move to acquire the necessary credential.
>
> Scottie Smith
>
>

Its All About Me!!!!!!

2007-10-02T23:44:00.001-07:00

Touch Of Grey - by The Grateful Dead

2007-10-02T11:59:00.001-07:00

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Parent Involvement in Public Education - We must act to demand a PLAN!

2007-09-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com, "ladyluvslife67"
<ladyluvslife@...> wrote:

--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com, rcs101@ wrote:

I think their process of parent involvement is a very good one. One
which any school could promote through their SSC Plan. I believe the
majority of
parents would love to participate in the schools if there were clear
plans for
their involvement. Most SSC plans have very limited parent
involvement
components (cookie cutter), that are not "researched based" in terms
of the
communities they serve. Manzanita on the other hand, has found out
what the
school community is willing to do and implemented that within their
school plan.
Schools must come up with different ways to involve parents, they
must take into
consideration that parents work, go to school, have limited
transportation, etc.
and come up with a plan to involve the parent even if it is cutting
out pictures
for school project at home and sending them in by the stu
dent or participating in a phone tree, etc. Most parent can do
something, the
schools must provide an opportunity for their involvement. I do
believe the SSC
process is a very powerful way to improve schools, but the SSC must
be used as
the legislature intended in order to benefit the school and
communities.

Yes this is very true. At our last site, our SSC formed a Parent
Involvement subcommittee. Their purpose to design a PARENT
VOLUNTEER FORM that reflected the needs of our school. The
subcommittee got input from teachers, staff, administrators and
kids. They brought the completed form back to the SSC mtg &
we approved it. The form was to be included in the packet of
paperwork the children bring home with the EMERGENCY CARDS/LUNCH
APPLICATION @ beginning of year.

Our subcommittee then moved into PHASE 2 of their purpose which
was OPERATION HUMAN CONTACT. We wanted to ensure every
parent/adult/guardian of EVERY child at our site was acknowledged
with a phone call from our PARENT VOLUNTEER SUBCOMMITTE. We put a
RETURN DATE on our flyer, so when we
began the calls the idea was to THANK the parents who returned the
flyer, and inquire about the flyer to the ones who did not return it.
We all felt very strongly about the site making ONE effort to reach
out to the parents & let them know how they could help give back to
the site. Like Scottie says, most parents WANT to help!

The designing of the form to fit the needs of your site is very
important. Ties to your site such as annual events, exciting things
the children want to participate it are alwys SURE WAYS to draw
parents to the school. Once they feel the community feeling(s) one
gets from being a part of something at the school, you can almost
guarantee they will be asking again - HOW CAN I HELP MY KID'S SCHOOL?

You can also begin collecting information on the parent who does not
give back to the school. This information is crtical to determine
why is this parent dis-engaged?

A plan such as this, written into your site plan would be a true
effort at encouraging parent involvement. My child goes to a school
where parent involvement is encouraged, and it shows the minute you
get on that school campus. Our principal spends before school &
lunch time with the children. The office - the heart of the school,
is quiet & orderly. Parent information can be found on important
things & smiling faces of students of the month you can find on the
wall. We have PARENT/STUDENT handbook that was sent home outlining
the school's plan. Our SSC elections were just held, with
information sent home outlining the process and the purpose of the
SSC. The results in having a school like this? Last year, at the
special events honoring Dr. Seuss's birthday, our school had over
100 parents/family members show up. When parents feel appreciated
and part of their kid's school, its a win/win situation. The kids
feel SECURE. They LOVE having their parents come to their school.

amedina

--- End forwarded message ---

WCCUSD spends BILLIONS on Technology, hows that working for our kids?

2007-09-23T14:53:00.001-07:00

Yahoo! West County Parents Forum

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wccusdtalk

You do not have to sign up or be a member to view
other messages there

TWO VERY BIG THUMBS UP
> AND
>
> A
>
> THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO BE THE RAY OF COMMUNICATION FOR
> EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE IN OUR DISTRICT
>
> TO
>
> PAUL EHARA
>
> Mr. Ehara - in case anyone does not know
> OR
> forgot
>
> was given the JOY of the OPEN POSITION of webmaster for our
district
> website, along with his job of overseeing communications, being in
> charge of community engagement in HIS office, and doing damage
> control with media AS WELL as overseeing all requests for
> public information.
>
> I am hopeful that all the BILLIONS of dollars this district is now
> spending on technology outside experts that perhaps there is some
> support there? At the very least I hope Mr. Ehara has been asked
> what the staff there can do to assist him in keeping the website
all
> right until we get someone.
>
> Ahhhhhh, funny $$$$ time might even make that webmaster position
> POOF! and disappear - as we have seen that happen in the past.
>
> HERE IS THE LINK TO THE PDF - EVERYONE IS BEING ASKED TO PRINT IT
> OUT (THAT CAN PRINT IT OUT) AND MAKE SURE YOUR SITE HAS THIS
> INFORMATION POSTED SOMEWHERE. OTHER PARENTS/TEACHERS/COMMUNITY
> MEMBERS WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS. THIS IS NOT PRIVLEDGED INFORMATION
> SO LETS POST IT
>
> http://www.wccusd.k12.ca.us/Communications/e-Weekly/2007/09_14.pdf
>
> amedina

--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com, Tammera Campbell
<tammeracampbell@> wrote:
>
> Alicia,
> I also give kudos to Paul Ehara for taking on a very big job.
He has always been supportive and responsive to the public given the
tasks he must accomplish on a daily basis.
>
> I am a bit disappointed by your disingenuous remarks regarding
the IT needs and costs of this district. When you make a statement
regarding the "BILLIONS of dollars on IT" do you understand what you
are saying and how you affect the public's perception? Being in the
IT business I do understand the installation, repair, and
maintenance costs of both local and enterprise computer systems and
they are not cheap. Not to mention the applications running on
these systems such as SASI. I want you to consider the following:
>
> 1. Enterprise email server serving thousands of employees across
this district including the installation and maintenance of
security, virus prevention, accounts management, diskspace, backup
of server, etc.
> 2. Enterprise webserver serving the public. This includes the
maintenance and backup of the server itself, its OS, the website
structure and any databases behind it, and the nightmare of keeping
this server secure from any hackers.
> 3. Enterprise networking across this district specifically to
remote sites.
> 4. Enterprise file servers to store district and school data.
The maintenance of these servers, the proper backup of this data,
and access permissions across the server disk space.
> 5. An IT department that maintains the thousands of desktop
computers across this district not only in the offices, but in the
classrooms and labs.
> 6. Then let's talk about the major applications and databases
that track our children's identity, employee payroll, school
finances, etc.
>
> Many of these systems are outdated and need updating because we
the public demand information sooner and expect answers. There is
no way this district can afford in house experts on all of these
issues 100% of the time, especially the systemwide financials and
student info systems that are being upgraded now. These are complex
systems and databases that store confidential data about employees,
district business and students. If we need help converting this
data, then we should request that help.
> Tammy

--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com, "Alicia" <ladyluvslife@...> wrote:

Tammy,
I am flattered to think my remarks here could affect the public's
perception. If that is the case - I say SO BE IT.

Regarding my remarks about the billions of dollars spent by the
district on IT? Its no secret that this district invested lots
in technology to ensure that it was easier for administrators to
keep track of the "data". This started with the merging of the
Accountability Dept with the MIS (Management Information Systems)
dept when Emily Vaughn Henry came on. Someone who knew so little
about what was required of her that another person was hired to
train her ON THE JOB. Is she even employed with the district
still? She knew so little about technology, she had to enlist
Mike Jung to overhaul her own department's website! That would
have never been done, had it not been for Dr. LeBlanc. Dr. LeBlanc
always felt strongly about giving the sites the support needed for
the children. When there were sites who were clueless as to what
technician was assigned to their site, that must have been the
red flag for her. Who knows.

Its nice to think about those brand new computers in those
brand new computer labs at those brand new schools. However, one
must think about these not so nice things:
Most sites do not budget for a computer teacher (even once a
week), so many sites have computer labs sitting empty.
Technology is NOT enhancing the learning. Hey as you
pointed out, I am not IT expert. HOWEVER, it does not
take a rocket scientist to see that the BILLIONS we
spend on Technology is very hard to see at the kid's
level. I am speaking of elementary level, perhaps I
may see another side at middle school. Who knows.

Technology Plan - Have you read this thing? Its more of a puff
piece with those nice words that need to be said. Who is in
charge of ensuring these things are done? That our children
are having access to the computer to enhance their learning?
My son was at a elementary school that for ONE YEAR paid for
a computer teacher out of their site monies. And even THEN,
because the school was under construction the kids had no
working computers! Yes, they went and sat and looked at
blank computer screens and talked about what they were going
to do when they got on the computer. You see, the kids were
thought about LAST. Again, only when it was brought to
Dr. LeBlanc's attention did those kids have working computers.

Enhancing Communication - The idea of a teacher having the
ability to email parents is great! The last couple of years
there has been so many problems and stories with this one.
At one point, I believe when Dr. Harter got here every
teacher had email address set up for them & a directory
list given to the principal at every school. We were
then hearing that teachers could not access the internet
on district systems. Fine, maybey that is even OK since
the teachers ARE at work. HOWEVER, are we then to
say that the teachers must work on their own time to
communicate with their parents? Whatever, most of them
do anyway. We still had yet to discover if these email
accounts set up for the teachers were actually used or
not.

School sites having
their own websites - AWESOME! Mike even made a simple
template for every site to work with. Go and look at the
school websites now. You can probably count on one hand
how many are CURRENT. Why is this? We ask the questions,
I suppose it is the parent's fault? Hey, I tried to help
with the website - unfortunatley the principal decided it
was not a priority item even when it was made perfectly
clear by the SSC and the PTA it would be a valuable tool.

I used to be the person hollering
"What about the people who do NOT have Internet access?"
when the district would direct folks to the district
website or attempt to engage and communicate via email.

Now I'm the parent that says
"Look, whatever it takes. I know the website is a powerful
tool - PLEASE make sure this information is accurate!"

Which brings me to the original reason why I posted what
I did. Not to be told I don't know what I am saying. But
for someone to pay attention to the fact that Mr. Ehara
is doing it ALL. This makes no sense, perhaps you the
expert can enlighten me.

I also want to learn more about:
this district DEPENDS on continued funding (such as e-rate?)
that is figured on during budget time. I don't even want
to know what the district must do to keep getting e-rate.
Cause if that stops, you will be looking at a lot more money
to cut out of the budget. Don't believe me, check for yourself.
Our district technology needs are budgeted with this e-rate
discount.

amedina

>
> ---------------------------------
> Catch up on fall's hot new shows on Yahoo! TV. Watch previews,
get listings, and more!
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

--- End forwarded message ---

Fwd: SSC training - How GOOD this CAN be!

2007-09-18T07:19:00.001-07:00

--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com, J Adami
<wccusdtalk_historian@...> wrote:

SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL TRAININGS
As we posted earlier today, this information can be found on the
district
website

http://www.wccusd.k12.ca.us

We have YEARS of archive material here at wccusdtalk you can access
using the following key search words

SSC
school site council
site plan
SPSA

An echoing concern of community, parents, teachers and staff has
been the lack of support from DOWNTOWN when those uncomfortable,
unpleasant and unimaginable situations occur.
How do you, as a member
of your school site council REPORT your principal for refusal,
forgetfullness or
straight up FAILURE to provide information to the school site
council?

This should be a topic with discussion @ the
training. There are many answers to this. HOWEVER, when we are
looking
at the REALITY of this situation there is only one - MORE SUPPORT
FROM
THE DISTRICT.

The biggest GAP in the line of accountability comes from the
principal having
the opportunity to manipulate, lie and withhold information from the
SSC. Not
only that, principals have revised site plans without site council
approval, which
is a violation of Ed Code. Another GAP in accountability is getting
the information to the SSC about GRANTS AND DONATIONS
While these things must go before the school board, there is not
district wide
way a budget is presented to the SSC. "At principal's discretion"
Therefore,
I have seen site plans where thousands of dollars have come to the
school
that was NOT listed on the school site plan.

***********DISTRICT WIDE PROCEDURE INITIATED? **************
Due to the continued reports of SSCs who can not even get a copy of
their own site plan (that they voted on), we suggest to the district
that every single school get the same exact tools for preparation
of the site plan to the school board.
PREVIOUS YEAR SITE PLAN
PREVIOUS YEAR BUDGET -
COPIES OF MONITORING IMPLEMENTATION OF SITE PLAN
(END OF YEAR RECONCILIATION OF SITE BUDGET)
AYP
API
NOTES AND/OR INFORMATION REPORTED FROM SSC TEACHER
MEMBER ON ILT MEETING THAT OCCURS TO GO OVER TEST SCORES
AND ANALYZE THAT DATE.
FAQ SHEET ON GRANTS/DONATIONS AND FACTORING THAT INTO THE
SITE BUDGET
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM COMMITTEES (ELAC, GATE) AND MEETING
MINUTES

COPY OF MINUTES TEMPLATE FROM STATE OF CALIFORNIA - TAKE SSC
VOTE VERY FIRST MEETING

These steps taken by the LEA will ensure that laws are being
followed. When the LEA submits the application for categorical
funding it agrees to do certain things to assure that the $$$ they
are receiving is being spent on the reasons they are receiving it.
The LEA now has a history of the flow of information regarding the
school site councils and what we have learned from over the last 5
years & this should be an important tool in defining the LEA's
responsibility more clearly. "Desired" things in our district
should be looked at HARD to determine if these MUST BE REQUIRED in
our district.

---------------------------------
Catch up on fall's hot new shows on Yahoo! TV. Watch previews, get
listings, and more!

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--- End forwarded message ---

Driven_Parent: Powerful Parents - Why are we hiding???

2007-09-11T12:33:00.000-07:00

Driven_Parent: Powerful Parents - Why are we hiding???

Powerful Parents - Why are we hiding???

2007-08-09T20:56:00.000-07:00

I gotta tell this little kid the system is broken. And that in all honesty, I have no idea what the world will look like when he may be a parent, if he decides to have kids at all. Is this the agony of a parent? Being REAL with your child? Do we feed them fairytales until that time and risk them hating us forever for covering up the TRUTH????

My 6 year old asked if the United States has nuclear weapons. Shocked he has been exposed to such words, instead of answering his question - I ask him where he heard the phrase. A darn video game of course (drats that older brother playing games that are Teen rated)

This is the problem that a parent like me has made for themselves. When did parents put "worrying about what my kid thinks of me" ahead of "being a good parent" ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? When did I do something so stupid?

When the TRUTH was too painful for me - MYSELF to see.

The TRUTH is - yes my child misbehaves in class. YES, my child needs accommodations made for him in order for him to remain "proficient" and continue to learn. And this is not to inspire learning, just to make sure he is not illiterate!!!!

It is up to US THE PARENTS to inspire our children to be lifelong learners. Sure, your child MIGHT GET LUCKY and have a special teacher that will inspire AND bring out passion and interest in

certain subjects. Consider yourself BLESSED -

Only when we embrace the truth and use this as our lesson plan

for our kids AND as a "parenting with power" manual will we find

where our real passion for parenting is.

Yes, I consider being a parent a JOB - sometimes not a very likeable

one at that. This simple act of thought has put me on the road to being a better parent. We can ALWAYS be better parents, and we don't ALWAYS have to like being a parent. That does not make us CRIMINALS that makes us HUMANS.

amedina

Class Size Reduction-History in WCCUSD & is it necessary?

2007-08-01T08:00:00.001-07:00

--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com, "Kevin Rivard" <kfrivard@...>
wrote:

Thank you Charley for finding the information below for Greg. It just
shows
what powerful resources the people on this site are when information
like
this can be found, because of the vast experience and knowledge of
those who
read and contribute to the site.

Greg, I was opposed to Class Size Reduction (CSR) at the time because
of the
lack of concrete stats as to whether CSR actually worked, but more
than that
when CSR was imposed upon the schools by our board, the carrot, more
money
for the school and more teacher jobs available, forced our school
sites to
take over space that was being used for other things. Some schools
used
their libraries to fulfill the CSR space requirement. Some used
storage
lockers that were just big enough for the kids. Some turned their
multi-purpose rooms into classrooms. Every nook and cranny was being
used
whether it was educationally sound or not. The call from the district
was,
we don't care how you get it done, just get it done. Then the CSR
encroached
on the Bond program by designing one-third more classrooms at each
redesigned school raising the cost of each reborn school. All of this
because someone THOUGHT it was a good idea to teach in smaller
classrooms,
which has never been definitively proven one way or the other.

One person mentioned, in response to my thoughts on CSR that, isn't
it
better to have a teacher watching a smaller classroom of kids rather
than a
room crammed with 30 kids. My response to that is, if you want your
kid in a
day care center fine, but when I sent my kids to school I sent them
there
for an EDUCATION not to be in a free day care center. If they can
learn in
an environment with a capable teacher and 30 kids and have more money
spent
on tools to help the teacher with the kids education I would rather
that
then, in a class of 20 with an incompetent teacher with no tools to
help her
or him teach my kid.

When CSR was instituted the worst thing that happened was not the
lack of
space, not the lack of full funding from the state, not the robbing
of Bond
money for additional classrooms in our newly renovated school, but
the fact
that there were not enough bodies to fill the roll of teachers so we
had the
biggest influx of, under qualified non credentialed teachers in the
history
of our schools, teaching our kids.

Oh wait Kevin, some will say, CSR classrooms were filled by some of
our most
experienced teachers.
Those people are correct. Teachers with the most experience flocked
to the
CSR classrooms so they could teach only 20 kids instead of 30. So
Greg guess
where the under qualified, non credentialed teachers went. To the
then
available 4th to 6th grades for the most part. Some of those teachers
have
stayed and through on the job experience with our kids have become
hopefully
good teachers. But a lot got burned out for lack of proper training
and
support and left. In the mean time those kids that benefited from CSR
went
on into those, on the job training teachers, after CSR and in my
opinion
lost a lot of benefit of CSR, if there was any, in those 4th to 6th
grade
years.

There is so much to be looked at with CSR but there is little
studying being
done and our district could have been a study lab for that
experiment. But
then again it is our kids who would have been and are the guinea pigs
for
that experiment. I personally do not like the idea of my kids being
guinea
pigs but then again I never saw, nor expected school to be a
glorified day
care center. I sent my kids to school to be educated not experimented
upon.

That is why I opted for Independent Study for my kids.

Kevin

>This is the site for the State-mandated research program that
concluded in
>2002 that the connection between achievement and CSR was
inconclusive at
>that time:
>
>http://www.classize.org/
>
>This report was invoked a lot last year when there was some
discussion at
>the State level for extending CSR to other grades. It doesn't
actually
>call
>for the elimination of the program, but makes suggestions for
changing it.

Class Size Reduction - Makes Sense or Does it?

2007-07-31T16:48:00.000-07:00

--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com, "Alicia" <ladyluvslife@...> wrote:

If this district decides NOT to "participate" in class size
reduction??
What a thought. But true, very possible.

The more I think about it, the more I hope to see the district
attempt to get out of "participation" in class size reduction.
I think that this would be the catalyst some parents would need
to become outraged enough to use their power to get on top of what
is going on at their kid's school.

Again, in the neediest of schools, so much money is pouring into
this district, class size reduction could be written directly into
their site plan, some sites even using categorical funding to pay
for this for K-3 graders. Some sites get HUGE grants from outside
organizations with the stipulation of only "improving student
achievement" What better way than to ensure our children are
given the best opportunity to learn by not being sandwiched into
a huge classroom of kids and one teacher?

And yes, the site can be DIRECTED by the board to do this. Its
owning this Class Size Reduction and how important it is to our
kids. Just ONCE I would like to see our school board take a
stand before the threats of cutting all these things is pulled
out, Just ONCE I would like to see our school board take a stand
and FIND the $$ to pay for something so important.

Well, on the bright side, if the board does NOT decide
to "participate" in class size reduction - one can only
hope this will get the attention of some parents.

AMEDINA

--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com, Tammera Campbell
<tammeracampbell@> wrote:
>
> Jill,
> Just because the California Department of Education is
> stating that the program is not going away, does not
> mean that this school district may decide not to
> participate. Those are two different things.
> Tammy Campbell
>
> --- Charley Cowens <charley.cowens@> wrote:
>
> > Here's my version of simple math. Assume 60 students
> > with 2 teachers (30 per
> > class). Add CSR -> Hire an extra teacher (now 20 per
> > class). State pays 60 x
> > 1024 to subsidize the CSR. This comes out to $61,440
> > for ALL costs
> > (benefits, etc.) related to that teacher. This is
> > probably a lot in some
> > Districts, but not here.
> >
> > Then, look at the overall funding for CSR in our
> > district: State subsidy is
> > $9,876,480 and extra subsidy from parcel tax is
> > $1,800,900, which is about
> > 18% extra. So, this oversimplified hypothetical
> > extra teacher comes out to
> > $72,643. This seems like a lot, but remember it's
> > paying for the total cost
> > of the teacher and the teachers who gravitate to CSR
> > will probably tend to
> > be more senior teachers. When spread out over the
> > whole District, there will
> > also be higher average costs for the extra teachers
> > hired because of less
> > than perfect distribution of CSR students over our
> > many small schools (as
> > you yourself point out).
> >
> > Charley Cowens
> > 61440
> >
> >
> > On 7/30/07, sunsetjill <sunsetjill@> wrote:
> > >
> > > Since I did call the California Department of
> > Education and did look
> > > at figures I feel I can simplify this for you. I
> > was told this
> > > program is not going away! The state is financing
> > it! Although the
> > > State representative said it was not a perfect
> > formula and some
> > > school districts have had to drop the funding
> > because of excess
> > > costs.
> > > The excess costs come from:
> > > Lack of facilities to house the students-even
> > though I noticed there
> > > is also funding of $40,000.00 for this problem.
> > > What does a school do when they have 6 extra
> > students and have to
> > > pay a full teacher salary for only 6 students.
> > > The ADA formula is based on a projected enrollment
> > since the budget
> > > does have to be turned in prior to actual
> > enrollment. It is not
> > > reduced by parcel taxes. I believe it is $1024.00
> > per student as I
> > > was told. You can look at the California
> > Department of Education
> > > WEB Site and look at all the districts
> > distributions and easily see
> > > that it is a little over $1000.00 per student.
> > > OK so lets take a simple perfect world look what
> > that means.
> > > If every school had 60 students per grade level
> > and let's take the
> > > average teacher salary of WCCUSD at $52,000.00.
> > > Cost of Teacher Salary with out class size
> > reduction:
> > > 14 teachers grades K-6
> > > 14 x $52,000.00 = $728,000.00 Teachers Salary
> > >
> > > Cost of Teacher Salary with class size reduction:
> > > 18 teacher grades K-6
> > > 18 x $52,000.00 = $936,000.00
> > > Less Sate funding -$245,760.00 (240 students x
> > $1024.00 grades K-3)
> > > $690,240.00 Teachers Salary
> > > In a perfect world the state funding would help us
> > get an extra
> > > $37,760.00 per school. Lets face it not all
> > schools have this
> > > stability or configuration. So if you trust
> > WCCUSD to be honest
> > > then you should definitely vote yes on measure G,
> > but according to
> > > simple math we are not getting the entire picture!
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Yahoo! Groups Links
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been
> > removed]
> >
> >
>
>
> Tammera (Tammy) E. Campbell
> 2668 Alhambra Way
> Pinole, CA 94564
> Home: 510-223-3857
> Email: Tammera.Campbell@
>
> Following are contacts for other email lists to consider joining:
> Ellerhorst Elementary School: ellerhorst_etree@
> Collins Elementary School: alisoncrooks@
> Pinole Middle School: Tammera.Campbell@
> Pinole Valley High School: etree@
> Pinole CARE: parents@
> WCCUSD Parent Forum: wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com
>
>
>
>
______________________________________________________________________
______________
> Take the Internet to Go: Yahoo!Go puts the Internet in your pocket:
mail, news, photos & more.
> http://mobile.yahoo.com/go?refer=1GNXIC
>

--- End forwarded message ---

Commentary about up & coming Parcel Tax Measure G

2007-07-27T18:21:00.001-07:00

--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com, "sunsetjill" <sunsetjill@...>
wrote:

By voting no on measure G it also hurts the teachers. What Gail did
simply means that UTR's name is not on the list of endorsements.
Margaret, I think you should use the term "I" instead of we. Many
teachers live outside of Contra Costa County and don't even vote on
these measures. I would venture to guess however that the majority
of teachers do.
I still think measure G will pass. I am in the minority and almost
everything or anyone I vote for is never passed or elected. I am
still undecided on measure G.
It seems like a no brainier, however that's the problem.
Education funding has become so complicated. That's why we have to
spend almost $500,000.00 on consultants for new or possibly existing
software to explain it all to us stupid ignorant parents, teachers,
administrators, etc…
When will this end? Since common sense has become distorted by
attorneys, consultants and politicians our society has
deteriorated. We the People have sacrificed so much already.
So what's another $220.00 a year going to hurt me? Well it does
hurt when you take salary drop from $35,000.00 a year in 1997 to -0-
because you want to raise your own child. So I learn to BUDGET for
the good of my child. For 5 years I took part time work with
WCCUSD. The first year I yielded about $3,000.00. I think the year
I left in 2004-2005 I had an annual income of about $8,000.00. This
is not due to increased wages, but increased hours.
I don't know anyone in the business world getting large raises; I
think most are just thankful they have a job. So now that I have
depleted my retirement due to foolish life choices, should I ask the
taxpayers to help me out? Or family members? I'm not talking about
the choice to raise my child or my BUDGET. My BUGET was working; I
disregarded it and squandered money away over the last few years.
So based on personal experience, I know the district can tighten its
belt. Fess up to their mistakes and do what's best for the
community and stop taking our "local" money and STOP blaming someone
else.
So from today forward, I will return to my BUDGET and commit not to
squander and more money away. I challenge the district to do the
same!

TRUE CONFESSIONS,
I HAVE NO ONE TO BLAME BUT MYSELF

Jill Wolkenfeld

--- End forwarded message ---

Fwd: Re: Elementary School Discipline Problems - What can you do?

2007-07-24T20:56:00.001-07:00

--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com, "Ms. Ott" <msott@...> wrote:

Many teachers and parents in WCCUSD do not know the following.
Please pass this on to any teachers and parents you know.

WHAT TO DO ABOUT DISCIPLINE PROBLEMS IN WCCUSD

What teachers *do* know, intimately, is that children who are
discipline problems "steal" education time from all the other
students, and thus degrades the quality of education in public
schools. What many teachers (and parents) in this district *don't*
know is that teachers have rights established by the California
Education Code to combat the problem -- but they need to exercise
these rights in order to make them work. Parents need to help
teachers by demanding that their school principals support the
teachers as they exercise these rights to secure a better education
system.

Here's what teachers have the right to do about discipline:

If a student disrupts a class or willfully defies the authority of a
teacher, the teacher has the right to suspend the child from the
classroom, and the teacher does not have to accept the child back
into the classroom for the rest of the day (if in elementary
school). The law says the child cannot be returned that day without
the concurrence of the principal AND the teacher (this decision is
not by the principal's whim alone).

The principal (or principal's designee) is then reponsible for
dealing with the problem -- and if the child must remain at the
school site, the child is to have "appropriate" supervision. The
school secretaries are not appropriate supervision. "Appropriate"
supervision would be with someone who has had certified training
dealing with children who are discipline problems.

It is illegal to send the disruptive child to another teacher's
classroom. That is a direct violation of CA Ed Code 48910.(b), but
unfortunately it is a widely-used practice in this district because
our elementary schools have been allowed to be derelict in their
duty to provide an appropriate location and supervisor for children
suspended from classrooms during the day, and a person to manage the
paperwork and communication of parents who need to attend
conferences, or attend a portion of a schoolday in the classroom of
his or her child.

Please, do your part to make WCCUSD be accountable for following the
California Education Codes.

Thank you.

-------------------------------------
RELEVENT EXCERPTS FROM CA EDUCATION CODES
----------------------

48900.

A pupil may not be suspended from school or recommended for
expulsion, unless the superintendent or the principal of the
school in which the pupil is enrolled determines that the pupil has
committed an act as defined pursuant to any of subdivisions...:

(k) Disrupted school activities or otherwise willfully defied
the valid authority of supervisors, teachers, administrators,
school officials, or other school personnel engaged in the
performance of their duties.

(r) A pupil may not be suspended or expelled for any of the
acts enumerated in this section, unless that act is related to
school activity or school attendance ... including, but not
limited to, any of the following:

(1) While on school grounds.
(2) While going to or coming from school.
(3) During the lunch period whether on or off the campus.
(4) During, or while going to or coming from, a school
sponsored activity.

(u) A superintendent or principal may use his or her
discretion to provide alternatives to suspension or expulsion,
including, but not limited to, counseling and an anger management
program, for a pupil subject to discipline under this section.

----------------------
48900.1.

(a) The governing board of each school district may adopt
a policy authorizing teachers to require the parent or guardian
of a pupil who has been suspended by a teacher pursuant to
Section 48910 for reasons specified in subdivision (i) or (k) of
Section 48900, to attend a portion of a schoolday in the
classroom of his or her child or ward....

----------------------
48910.

(a) A teacher may suspend any pupil from class, for any of
the acts enumerated in Section 48900, for the day of the
suspension and the day following. The teacher shall immediately
report the suspension to the principal of the school and send the
pupil to the principal or the designee of the principal for
appropriate action. If that action requires the continued
presence of the pupil at the schoolsite, the pupil shall be under
appropriate supervision, as defined in policies and related
regulations adopted by the governing board of the school
district....The pupil shall not be returned
to the class from which he or she was suspended, during the
period of the suspension, without the concurrence of the teacher
of the class and the principal.

(b) A pupil suspended from a class shall not be placed in
another regular class during the period of suspension. However,
if the pupil is assigned to more than one class per day this
subdivision shall apply only to other regular classes scheduled
at the same time as the class from which the pupil was suspended.

(c) A teacher may also refer a pupil, for any of the acts
enumerated in Section 48900, to the principal or the designee of
the principal for consideration of a suspension from the school.

--- End forwarded message ---

Fwd: ~~ArCHiVes-2006 Procedures with Consultants~

2007-07-24T20:54:00.001-07:00

Written record of administration's attempt to lie to the
public about consultant procedures being revamped, redone,
relooked at, retooled, WHATEVBER!!!

Anyone talking big words of CHANGE, especially newcomers should
really be taken with a grain of salt. Lets just not take these
things at face value folks.

--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com, "wccusdtalk_historian"
<wccusdtalk_historian@...> wrote:

January 9, 2006
Archives

--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com, "ladyluvslife67"
<ladyluvslife67@> wrote:

Attention President Ramsey and Board Members:

At the board meeting back on September 7, 2005
brand new words of encouragement from the district
appeared on this item in your board packet. These words
are the subject of this post. As magically as these words
appeared on this item, please be aware that these words have
just as magically DISAPPEARED January 4, 2005.

These words appeared after board members discussed the
procedure of consultant contracts, and addressed
administration about their concerns
with approving contracts for work done,questioning huge sums
of money being paid out, bringing up ideas about
surveys, accountability, and also questioning
Mr. Kilmartin
on his knowledge of what the $ amount was for
contracts that did
not
need board approval.

The words of false hope
THE DISTRICT IS WORKING ON UPDATING PROCEDURES CONCERNING
CONSULTANT CONTRACTS"
would then appear every month on this item, leading many to
possibly believe that this was actually being done.

Please advise if this has been done and completed.
Forward this to Ms. Vedovelli, Dr. LeBlanc or whoever
needed to
get some answers.

Had these words read
The ADMINISTRATION is working on updating procedures
concerning consultant contracts
then I would not be looking to my elected officials for
answers. This is an item of great concern and what an
item it could be if those wonderful ideas and questions
from our board members actually became a reality.

Thank You for your time
Alicia Medina

--- End forwarded message ---

Fwd: Re: Consultant Fees

2007-07-24T20:53:00.001-07:00

No, not all consultants are bad.
Assuming they are all doing their job without
a check and balance system is irresponsible.
Dont buy any more promises when it comes to
changing how business is handled with
consultants.

AMEDINA

--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com, "Alicia" <ladyluvslife@...> wrote:

--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com, Tammera Campbell
<tammeracampbell@> wrote:
As a matter of fact, she stated that these consultants need to be
brought
before the board prior to any decision being made to hire them,
therefore making
it transparent to the public. This is her goal.

Deja' Vu!!!

Thats the EXACT SAME THING Karen Pfeifer and Dave Brown said
shortly after they got elected to the school board.

Tammy, don't you remember that? I know you read this list,
and we posted about the actions of the school board to
list the words on their action item

"The administration is working on updating procedures with
consultants"

or something to that affect. This was shortly after Dave &
karen both shook their fingers at administration and vowed
not to approve another back dated contract - possibly doing a
survey - ideas were tossed around.

Maybey you could make a couple phone calls and let the new
Fiscal person know that she has complete support from
Dave BRown and Karen Pfeifer.

AMEDINA

--- End forwarded message ---

Parent Volunteerism

2007-07-22T08:21:00.001-07:00

--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com, Rebecca Hazlewood <hrebwrite@...>
wrote:

Rebecca has shared these most EXCELLENT observations about
Parent Volunteerism & I wanted to make sure to echo her
thoughts and I totally agree.

I would like to suggest that there is a middle ground here on
parent's volunteering. Being a power parent isn't the only option.
For those parents who don't have the time for a lot of meetings one
of the most rewarding alternatives is working in your elementary
student's classroom (under the direction of the classroom teacher).
Usually elementary teachers like to have a core group of parents that
they can rely on for various projects such as the Bay Area Writing
Project; or Holiday projects etc. I found that if a parent gives a
set number of hours per week usually no more than 2 or 3; same time
each week this works for all; and one's kid is so proud to see
mommy or daddy at school. And, of course there are field trips. I
know at Harding that there was an outreach program to senior citizens
to enlist them as volunteers in the classroom and in the library. We
had a few volunteers and they were so good with the kids.

Another option is working in the school library. Since a part of the
library personnel is and always has been parent volunteers,
scheduling a set time every week is a big help. Usually each class
has only an hour a week in the library so parents don't have to
schedule much more time than that.

By the time your kids are in middle school your parent involvement
will change for a variety of reasons. But there are small committees
that a parent can get on that might take much less time than say
being on a PTA committee or a budget committee. And a parent can take
on a selective issue such as a broken drinking fountain (no kidding)
or dirty bathrooms. Lots of calls do the trick (at least for a little
while).

In other words, there are lot's of little things that parents can do
on their own to improve their kid's school. But, there are many
families that cannot attend meetings. As a single parent I found too
many meetings really got in the way of good parenting. I needed to be
there with my children at night. Also, I was lucky to be in
accounting and always found that I could free up several hours a week
during the day to go to my kid's schools. But all parents aren't so
lucky.

Affordability is another issue. For parents who are being paid hourly
every hour away from work is an hour lost. I think it is easy to
forget that many are struggling to earn enough money to pay for rent;
food and get the kids to school. I'm not a bleeding heart, but I am
much more sensitive to all these issues since I became a single
parent 15 years ago.

Rebecca Hazlewood

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--- End forwarded message ---

Fwd: Re: Endorsers of Meausre G - Broken down to $$$$$$$

2007-07-19T11:35:00.001-07:00

--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com, "Alicia" <ladyluvslife@...> wrote:

Tammy,

Please read my original post to you again, as you seem to
have missed the point I was attempting to make & you did
not respond to my call to join us in our efforts to force
the district to adopt a DISTRICT WIDE PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT
POLICY. And yes, I am aware that all capitals means yelling.
After 5 years of advocating for the children of West County,
I do not know how to do anything else when it comes to
something SO IMPORTANT as the lack of a DISTRICT WIDE
PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT POLICY.

I do respect every
effort ANYONE makes to better our schools and would never
BELITTLE a person's attempt to get educated and make a
difference with ALL CAPS. I yell about the things that
need to be yelled about. Not TO anyone - EVER.

No where did I say that meetings were a waste of time. Hey,
I used to say that, but Charley Cowens schooled me on that thought.
I don't
think that way anymore. I would use the words WASTE OF TIME
and meeting in the same sentence
ONLY
if a parent was attending a meeting while feeling PARENT GUILT
at leaving their children alone, with a sitter, without dinner,
without their homework finished to rush to a meeting. As a matter
of fact, this type of parent is almost as OUT OF TOUCH as the
disengaged parent that doesn't even bother to meet their kid's
teacher.
Also in my post when you read it again you will see that
I encourage parents to join a committee if that is an area
where they have strength and can be a part of making our
schools different for our kids. Would this not be
encouraging them to go to meetings Tammy? Just like
you do?

Heres what we DONT want to do:

Encourage or belittle parents into attending meetings
where they sit there and think about Johnny or Sally
missing dinner, staying up too late or spending a
late night session at the dinner table to ensure
homework is done. This is a dishonor to parents,
and quite frankly a dishonor to the PROCESS. Who
wants a parent that has their mind somewhere else?
What kind of contribution can this parent make as
this parent is beating themselves with PARENTAL GUILT?
Not one that will stick for all kids here - thats for sure.

I look forward to your reply as it would be exciting
news to hear you will join us in forcing the school
board to adopt a DISTRICT WIDE PARENT INVOLVEMENT POLICY.

AMEDINA
http://www.districtguide.org

--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com, Tammera Campbell
<tammeracampbell@> wrote:
>
> Alicia,
> I am sorry that you feel that attending meetings is a waste of
time. Sometimes this is the best and fastest way to learn what is
happening and to be involved. If you can't attend meetings, then the
district has clearly provided their budget numbers on the website for
everyone to see. I suggest that you might want to read that
information, digest it and then provide your comments as to what you
need answers too.
>
> As for not enough money, here are some things to think about:
> 1. In 1972 Californians dedicated 5.6% of their personal income
to educate 4,377,000 children and in 2005 Californians dedicated only
4.4% of their personal income to educate 6,312,000 children
> 2. In 1980 there were 326,000 English language learners and in
2005 there are 1,550,000 English language learners requiring more
resources
> 3. In 1980 there were 361,000 Special Ed children being taught
in public schools and in 2005 that number jumped to 683,000 with an
push for more resources
> 4. Approximately 50% of the school districts in the state of
California are in declining enrollment
> 5. Both Vallejo and Oakland had to be funded by the state and
taken over these last couple of years and there are several more
districts in California on the verge
>
> Alicia - I think that there is more than just the district
involved in the lack of funding. Remember the state and feds mandate
programs that they do not fully fund such as class size reduction.
>
> As for parent involvement I have not experienced the issues to
the extent that people have complained about. When I get to a new
school, I make it a point to be involved, get to the know the
administration, get to know the teachers and get to know the kids.
In the last few years my schools have welcomed me and when I get
resistance, I ask why. Also in the last few years I have found the
district more responsive, especially this last year. We always
scream about parent involvement, but we have to remember that there
are two sides to parent involvement. The parent has to want to be
involved. Everyone seems to point fingers at the district when in
actuality we really need to look at ourselves and ask how educated
are we on issues and how involved are we with making changes on our
campuses. There are a few of us out there doing it all, but it is a
rare few. We all know we see the same people at PTA meetings, the
same people doing the fundraising, the same people being
> involved. We can't always blame the district. And the thing that
discourages me the most is when parents don't get their way they find
blame everywhere and with everything rather than trying to find some
common ground, understand the issues, and make the changes that need
to be made. Adversarial relationships generally lead nowhere.
Interest based discussions help you form the way.
>
> And Alicia, I do promote parent involvement and work hard at
reaching out to the public. That is why I run the etree for Pinole
Middle and Pinole Valley High. attend city council meetings and
school board meetings when I can. If we want parent involvement, we
parents need to encourage the public to be involved.
>
> Tammy Campbell
>
> P.S. Please note that when you utilize capital letters it is a
form of yelling on the Internet. I believe that you were just trying
to emphasize your statements, but be aware that others might take it
differently.
>
> Alicia <ladyluvslife@> wrote:
> >>>Thanks to Greg for his most insightful and THOUGHT
PROVOKING
> reply to my post. Greg, I will respond in length when I am feeling
> a bit better - You and your wife really are a team of WONDER
PARENTS.
>
> Tammy, please do not invite me to any more meetings publically on
> this list. For a couple of reasons..........I can truly say
> BEEN THERE DONE THAT - and I have WALKED THE WALK to determine
> the area I am most effective in answering that question
> WHY DON'T OUR KIDS NEVER HAVE ENOUGH MONEY FOR WHAT THEY
> NEED IN SCHOOL.
> Sure, maybey not as long as you, Scottie, Kevin & Marsha.
> But LONG ENOUGH to know that meetings, meetings and meetings
> made me neglect my own children to figure out what was wrong
> with the school district. And THAT AINT RIGHT. You can better
> believe that there are MANY PARENTS LIKE ME.
> Most of them have
> not made the efforts I have to educate myself on the issues and
> what the REAL PICTURE IS. I would HATE to see them get the
> impression that they must neglect their own children to
> attend a bunch of meetings to be POWERFUL PARENTS. In
> fact, this is a extreme DRAIN OF POWER for the parent.
> Sure the school board meetings are important if an issue
> is before the board and maybey I could see someone wanting
> to join a committee if they have something to bring to that
> area.
>
> Your continued cry that people MUST attend meetings, people
> MUST go listen to the experts so you can hear from THEM how
> to make a difference is perpetuating a myth that has been
> the DOWNFALL of parental involvement in this district.
>
> We the parents are the FIRST EXPERTS on our kids
> Tammy take your never surrender enthusiasm and join us
> in forcing the district to adopt a PARENT INVOLVEMENT
> policy. At one time, WCCUSD's PARENT INVOLVEMENT policy
> was used as an example for district's around the STATE
> OF CALIFORNIA.
>
> That way, when parents do NOT get involved we CAN say that
> the district has made the efforts necessary to encourage
> involvement! That way, we CAN say the district did their
> part.
>
> AMEDINA
>
> --- In wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com, Tammera Campbell
> <tammeracampbell@> wrote:
> >
> > I would like to remind everyone that the district website has a
> link to a spreadsheet that states where our parcel tax money has
gone
> these last few years. Measure G is a renewal of this parcel tax
with
> one new addition, safety, hence the need for additional funding.
> Remember the district is required to put these revenues in a
> different pot and must demonstrate where the money goes. I believe
> that they have done that. We can either choose to support this
> measure or lay off teachers, counselors, librarians, coaches, site
> supervisors, police officers, etc. Our secondary schools have much
> to lose if this does not pass.
> >
> > I would like to extend an invitation to Alicia to join us at the
> budget advisory meetings so she can get a real close look at the
> money and pose her questions there so clear answers can be
provided.
> I believe Alicia you might find our meetings interesting. And may I
> also point out the MGT audit, have you read it? There have been
many
> independent and state audits over the years that have certified and
> supported the district. I know that there is much more work to be
> done, but I feel in my 22+ years volunteering in my schools, I have
> seen a different district this last year.
> >
> > Alicia with regards to endorsements, I don't think anyone is
> trying to hide anything. We all know who held what office when.
> Their names are on the flyers because their names are well known. I
> am an active parent and yes I have a vested interested in how the
> district runs and how it will survive. My interests include my
> youngest son Devin, who will be a sophomore at PVHS next year, all
> the kids who attend WCCUSD schools because they deserve and
> education, all our employees because they serve and need their
jobs,
> and finally the value of my home.
> >
> > Alicia I should also point out that there haven't been fulltime
> librarians in the elementary schools since the state takeover. We
> even lost librarians for a few years when my boys were in
elementary
> school. Now we have part time librarians, but when you have so many
> small elementary schools it would be hard to completely fund every
> school full time. There are librarians at the secondary level
> though. Remember Measure G does not cover all the full expenses of
> the designated items, but supplements what is already in our budget
> so we can provide more.
> >
> > I whole heartedly endorse Measure G because everyone will lose if
> it does not pass.
> > Tammy Campbell
> >
> > gregorychang <gregorychang@> wrote:
> >
> > Dear Alicia, thanks for sharing your views on this subject. As a
> > relative newcomer to WCCUSD, it is helpful and interesting to
hear
> > contrary viewpoints. It helps us get more educated about these
> issues.
> >
> > I have been in favor of Measure G, partially out of self interest
> > because I have two young children and I think class size
reduction
> > for K-3 is something they will really benefit from, along with a
> lot
> > of other children.
> >
> > I'm also partial to anything to do with sports and libraries (my
> mom
> > was a school librarian) so I support additional funding for that.
> >
> > In the bigger picture, it's my belief that we in California do
not
> > spend enough money on public education. Someone mentioned that we
> are
> > 49th out of 50 states in terms of education spending. I dont know
> if
> > that is true or not, but our spending priorities do seem out of
> whack
> > in the great nation-state of California. (SF Chron reported over
> the
> > weekend that overtime wages for correctional officers and prison
> > medical personnel is $500 million this year alone. Maybe more
> library
> > resources would help prevent the need for expanded prisons by
> giving
> > kids an opportunity to avoid that path?)
> >
> > Hearing your viewpoint is helpful to challenge my own
assumptions.
> In
> > fact, if possible, I would like to hear more specifics about why
> you
> > oppose Measure G. I did find it refreshing that your post did not
> > contain any knee-jerk reaction against more taxes simply out of a
> > hatred of additional taxes. Not all taxes are created equal!
> >
> > One point you raise is the concern about lack of fiscal
> > responsibility. You do seem to argue that giving the school
> district
> > more money will only lead to more waste, inefficiencies and
> > corruption, which one must admit is a distinct possibility. Yet
the
> > alternative will be a cut in services which is not something I
want
> > to live with either. I am also concerned about fiscal
> responsibility
> > and yet support additional services for the kids. Are these goals
> > mutually exclusive? I guess it will depend on the honesty and
> > competence of our leaders. Have they earned our trust and do they
> > deserve our faith? This is a question we must wrestle with.
> >
> > The other point you bring up is that the campaign in favor of
> Measure
> > G is misleading. You say that elementary libraries are still
> > understaffed and usually open only one day a week depending on
> > volunteers. While I agree that the district could provide more
> > specifics on how the money is spent, the breakdown they do
provide
> is
> > informative. It clearly states that there is funding for six full
> > time elementary librarians. So six is not enough to go around the
> > entire district, which must have dozens of elementary schools. It
> is
> > clear that elementary schools that will not get a fulltime
> librarian.
> > A bigger question I have is whether some schools are getting more
> > district-funded library services than others?
> >
> > If you are right that the resources are shared fairly in a way
that
> > each school gets a professional librarian one day a week, the way
I
> > see it, one day a week is better than nothing. I am not sure if
it
> is
> > true that each elementary gets one day a week, though. Assuming
six
> > librarians, that would mean 30 schools get served every week.
Does
> > anyone know if this is accurate? This is a good example of where
> > supporters of Measure G could use more detailed information.
> >
> > Also, what about middle school and high school libraries? Are
they
> > open every day thanks to the parcel tax? It lists funding for six
> > librarians at both the middle school and high school level so it
> > would seem to be enough to keep them open on a daily basis.
> >
> > So I acknowledge and agree with you that there are some missing
> > details. But I am not convinced that is a good enough reason to
> > oppose the measure.
> >
> > Your other key point is that the campaign in support of measure G
> is
> > misleading because it doesnt list the previous affiliation of
some
> of
> > the people who have endorsed the measure, such as former school
> board
> > members. I noticed that the former Richmond mayor is also listed
> > without her former designation.
> >
> > I will leave it to the campaign managers to discuss why they
> decided
> > to leave off prior designations -- are they really trying to
> mislead
> > the voters? Again, I dont see that as a big enough reason to vote
> > against this program.
> >
> > From what I have heard, some people are against measure G because
> > they are fed up with fiscal mismanagement on the part of WCCUSD
> which
> > certainly doesnt have the best track record. The concern I would
> have
> > is that cutting off the funds will ultimately hurt the children
> > rather than teaching WCCUSD any specific lessons about how to
> manage
> > finances in a more effective way.
> >
> > For me, it may come down to this: Will turning down measure G
> result
> > in a better or worse school district with more or less
opportunites
> > for the children?
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ---------------------------------
> > Looking for a deal? Find great prices on flights and hotels with
> Yahoo! FareChase.
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> Be a better Globetrotter. Get better travel answers from someone
who knows.
> Yahoo! Answers - Check it out.
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

--- End forwarded message ---

Fwd: Re: Endorsers of Meausre G - Broken down to $$$$$$$

2007-07-18T10:27:00.001-07:00

--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com, "Alicia" <ladyluvslife@...> wrote:

>>>Thanks to Greg for his most insightful and THOUGHT PROVOKING
reply to my post. Greg, I will respond in length when I am feeling
a bit better - You and your wife really are a team of WONDER PARENTS.

Tammy, please do not invite me to any more meetings publically on
this list. For a couple of reasons..........I can truly say
BEEN THERE DONE THAT - and I have WALKED THE WALK to determine
the area I am most effective in answering that question
WHY DON'T OUR KIDS NEVER HAVE ENOUGH MONEY FOR WHAT THEY
NEED IN SCHOOL.
Sure, maybey not as long as you, Scottie, Kevin & Marsha.
But LONG ENOUGH to know that meetings, meetings and meetings
made me neglect my own children to figure out what was wrong
with the school district. And THAT AINT RIGHT. You can better
believe that there are MANY PARENTS LIKE ME.
Most of them have
not made the efforts I have to educate myself on the issues and
what the REAL PICTURE IS. I would HATE to see them get the
impression that they must neglect their own children to
attend a bunch of meetings to be POWERFUL PARENTS. In
fact, this is a extreme DRAIN OF POWER for the parent.
Sure the school board meetings are important if an issue
is before the board and maybey I could see someone wanting
to join a committee if they have something to bring to that
area.

Your continued cry that people MUST attend meetings, people
MUST go listen to the experts so you can hear from THEM how
to make a difference is perpetuating a myth that has been
the DOWNFALL of parental involvement in this district.

We the parents are the FIRST EXPERTS on our kids
Tammy take your never surrender enthusiasm and join us
in forcing the district to adopt a PARENT INVOLVEMENT
policy. At one time, WCCUSD's PARENT INVOLVEMENT policy
was used as an example for district's around the STATE
OF CALIFORNIA.

That way, when parents do NOT get involved we CAN say that
the district has made the efforts necessary to encourage
involvement! That way, we CAN say the district did their
part.

AMEDINA

--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com, Tammera Campbell
<tammeracampbell@> wrote:
>
> I would like to remind everyone that the district website has a
link to a spreadsheet that states where our parcel tax money has gone
these last few years. Measure G is a renewal of this parcel tax with
one new addition, safety, hence the need for additional funding.
Remember the district is required to put these revenues in a
different pot and must demonstrate where the money goes. I believe
that they have done that. We can either choose to support this
measure or lay off teachers, counselors, librarians, coaches, site
supervisors, police officers, etc. Our secondary schools have much
to lose if this does not pass.
>
> I would like to extend an invitation to Alicia to join us at the
budget advisory meetings so she can get a real close look at the
money and pose her questions there so clear answers can be provided.
I believe Alicia you might find our meetings interesting. And may I
also point out the MGT audit, have you read it? There have been many
independent and state audits over the years that have certified and
supported the district. I know that there is much more work to be
done, but I feel in my 22+ years volunteering in my schools, I have
seen a different district this last year.
>
> Alicia with regards to endorsements, I don't think anyone is
trying to hide anything. We all know who held what office when.
Their names are on the flyers because their names are well known. I
am an active parent and yes I have a vested interested in how the
district runs and how it will survive. My interests include my
youngest son Devin, who will be a sophomore at PVHS next year, all
the kids who attend WCCUSD schools because they deserve and
education, all our employees because they serve and need their jobs,
and finally the value of my home.
>
> Alicia I should also point out that there haven't been fulltime
librarians in the elementary schools since the state takeover. We
even lost librarians for a few years when my boys were in elementary
school. Now we have part time librarians, but when you have so many
small elementary schools it would be hard to completely fund every
school full time. There are librarians at the secondary level
though. Remember Measure G does not cover all the full expenses of
the designated items, but supplements what is already in our budget
so we can provide more.
>
> I whole heartedly endorse Measure G because everyone will lose if
it does not pass.
> Tammy Campbell
>
> gregorychang <gregorychang@> wrote:
>
> Dear Alicia, thanks for sharing your views on this subject. As a
> relative newcomer to WCCUSD, it is helpful and interesting to hear
> contrary viewpoints. It helps us get more educated about these
issues.
>
> I have been in favor of Measure G, partially out of self interest
> because I have two young children and I think class size reduction
> for K-3 is something they will really benefit from, along with a
lot
> of other children.
>
> I'm also partial to anything to do with sports and libraries (my
mom
> was a school librarian) so I support additional funding for that.
>
> In the bigger picture, it's my belief that we in California do not
> spend enough money on public education. Someone mentioned that we
are
> 49th out of 50 states in terms of education spending. I dont know
if
> that is true or not, but our spending priorities do seem out of
whack
> in the great nation-state of California. (SF Chron reported over
the
> weekend that overtime wages for correctional officers and prison
> medical personnel is $500 million this year alone. Maybe more
library
> resources would help prevent the need for expanded prisons by
giving
> kids an opportunity to avoid that path?)
>
> Hearing your viewpoint is helpful to challenge my own assumptions.
In
> fact, if possible, I would like to hear more specifics about why
you
> oppose Measure G. I did find it refreshing that your post did not
> contain any knee-jerk reaction against more taxes simply out of a
> hatred of additional taxes. Not all taxes are created equal!
>
> One point you raise is the concern about lack of fiscal
> responsibility. You do seem to argue that giving the school
district
> more money will only lead to more waste, inefficiencies and
> corruption, which one must admit is a distinct possibility. Yet the
> alternative will be a cut in services which is not something I want
> to live with either. I am also concerned about fiscal
responsibility
> and yet support additional services for the kids. Are these goals
> mutually exclusive? I guess it will depend on the honesty and
> competence of our leaders. Have they earned our trust and do they
> deserve our faith? This is a question we must wrestle with.
>
> The other point you bring up is that the campaign in favor of
Measure
> G is misleading. You say that elementary libraries are still
> understaffed and usually open only one day a week depending on
> volunteers. While I agree that the district could provide more
> specifics on how the money is spent, the breakdown they do provide
is
> informative. It clearly states that there is funding for six full
> time elementary librarians. So six is not enough to go around the
> entire district, which must have dozens of elementary schools. It
is
> clear that elementary schools that will not get a fulltime
librarian.
> A bigger question I have is whether some schools are getting more
> district-funded library services than others?
>
> If you are right that the resources are shared fairly in a way that
> each school gets a professional librarian one day a week, the way I
> see it, one day a week is better than nothing. I am not sure if it
is
> true that each elementary gets one day a week, though. Assuming six
> librarians, that would mean 30 schools get served every week. Does
> anyone know if this is accurate? This is a good example of where
> supporters of Measure G could use more detailed information.
>
> Also, what about middle school and high school libraries? Are they
> open every day thanks to the parcel tax? It lists funding for six
> librarians at both the middle school and high school level so it
> would seem to be enough to keep them open on a daily basis.
>
> So I acknowledge and agree with you that there are some missing
> details. But I am not convinced that is a good enough reason to
> oppose the measure.
>
> Your other key point is that the campaign in support of measure G
is
> misleading because it doesnt list the previous affiliation of some
of
> the people who have endorsed the measure, such as former school
board
> members. I noticed that the former Richmond mayor is also listed
> without her former designation.
>
> I will leave it to the campaign managers to discuss why they
decided
> to leave off prior designations -- are they really trying to
mislead
> the voters? Again, I dont see that as a big enough reason to vote
> against this program.
>
> From what I have heard, some people are against measure G because
> they are fed up with fiscal mismanagement on the part of WCCUSD
which
> certainly doesnt have the best track record. The concern I would
have
> is that cutting off the funds will ultimately hurt the children
> rather than teaching WCCUSD any specific lessons about how to
manage
> finances in a more effective way.
>
> For me, it may come down to this: Will turning down measure G
result
> in a better or worse school district with more or less opportunites
> for the children?
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> Looking for a deal? Find great prices on flights and hotels with
Yahoo! FareChase.
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

--- End forwarded message ---

Endorsers of MEASURE G - Broken down to $$$$$

2007-07-16T21:44:00.001-07:00

I oppose Measure G.

Its amazing how this district can WHIP OUT THE $$$ figures in

FINE DETAIL when they are going back to the voters for the

CHILDREN OF WEST COUNTY.

http://www.childrenofwestcounty.com/parcelTaxSpending.php

No public document request STALL TACTICS on this people. This

page has it BROKEN DOWN. Notice also how this feeling comes

over you seeing what this $$$$$ pays for.

The crappy part is this page is detailed, HOWEVER some real facts

are missing.

ONE OF THEM REGARDING THE LIBRARIAN AT ELEMENTARY

SCHOOLS

This wonderful web page FAILS TO MENTION that this parcel tax

only pays to staff a librarian at the school site ONE DAY A WEEK.

YES

ONE DAY A WEEK.

Some sites have allocated part of their site budget to ensure their

library stays open. Or a volunteer machine runs the library. It

varies.

Its just not all the information and if that doesn't get you started with

scratching your head then nothing will. Perhaps you are one of those

people that can't learn any more about how screwed up our schools

are. Or too afraid to ask the question

WHY DOESN'T OUR SCHOOLS EVER HAVE ENOUGH MONEY

TO GIVE THE KIDS WHAT THEY NEED?

What you ABSOLUTLEY

DO NOT

want to do is WAIT for that FANCY COLOR FLYER that will

be coming in your mailbox soon. Happy pictures of children

and "pull on your heart" phrases as:

The Children of West County deserve a good education

blah blah blah blah blah

Vote YES on Measure G because the Children of West County

are depending on you.

You will see a list of names of people who ENDORSE Measure

G. Organizations that endorse Measure G. A big list

Check it out

http://www.childrenofwestcounty.com

The endorsement game(s) that are played are disgusting. What I don't

like about this list is that it doesn't tell us WHY these people endorse

Measure G. Too much info for a slick flyer? More like too much info

for the tiny brains of the voters. Another thing about this list is that

it fails to list how much $$$$ these people are making and how

MEASURE G passing would ENSURE the $$$$ keeps coming

their way. Another thing about this list is it is deceitful to list

names of former school board members as community with

NO TITLE when current school board members have titles

and are at the top. If Karen Fenton and Glen Price

endorse Measure G, why not list them as school

board members with the years of their term?

Think about that one.

This would actually give Karen Fenton and Glen Price

MORE credibility as the FACT of the YEARS they

spent on the board would sway an INTELLIGENT

person to possibly vote YES simply based on

the YEARS they spent on the board. Hey

it worked for Charles Ramsey!!! And the

incredible amount of money he spent

didn't hurt either.

No, the voters are mindless idiots and it is more beneficial

to list Glen Price and Karen Fenton as no title folks because

the idiot voter who is waiting for that slick flyer will get their

bell rung when reading these two names. You hear a name

and it sounds familiar but you can't place it?

Well, if that is how you make your decision when voting, then

DONT GO TO THE POLLS

Most of West County knows the mismanagement of money has

been going on for YEARS. The State of California has come down

on this district with corrective actions and investigations for SOME

of the mismanagement. SOME mismanagement that has been

brought out from under the rug by people filing complaints &

gettting educated and taking a stand.

Until we stop mismanaging the HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS

that pours into this district.

STOP GIVING THEM $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

TAKE AWAY THE CHECKBOOK

YESTERDAY

Temper an issue for school trustee

2007-07-09T13:19:00.001-07:00

LISA VORDERBRUEGGEN: TIMES POLITICAL EDITOR

Temper an issue for school trustee

Contra Costa Times

Article Launched: 07/08/2007 03:04:05 AM PDT

WEST CONTRA COSTA School Board Trustee Charles Ramsey's runaway mouth has once again gotten him into trouble.

A volunteer and a teacher are calling for the school board to discipline Ramsey for what they describe as the trustee's verbally abusive, threatening and bullying behavior at El Cerrito High School in late May.

TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE - YOU CAN FIND IT HERE

http://www.contracostatimes.com/lisavorderbrueggen/ci_6327319

A Medina

http://drivenparent.blogspot.com/

A Medina

http://drivenparent.blogspot.com/

"It is time to reaffirm our belief in

the love, wisdom and power of parents"

Randy Gaschler - Parent Driven Schools

Comments on Charles Ramsey - WCTimes 7/5/07

2007-07-06T22:50:00.001-07:00

I want to acknowledge this list as being such an excellent way to gauge what

is going on in this district, and how great of an example of "the masses" we

are here.

Charles Ramsey has "it". That powerful presence and his dedication to this

district. When I ran into a former board member at my local Long's Drugs,

I felt comfortable enough to give them my personal opinion on Charles

Ramsey. Hey I didn't work for the district, so anything I said couldn't

be used against me like getting me fired or anything.

This former board member had a "lost" look when I mentioned the

possibility of our school board WITHOUT Charles Ramsey. This

was a long time colleague, and I had appreciated this board member

many times with managing to sit up there and ask some intelligent

questions. Yeah Yeah, never mind about follow through.

I will leave him with the same question that I left the other board

members when their term was up.

What will be your legacy? With your YEARS of being a board

member.

The bond program?

Do you think that will

hold up to be a legacy? Making appearances to get a parcel

tax passed? Yes, Mr. Ramsey has at times worked tirelessly

for our district. He does expect to be recognized.

I hope he can be recognized as leaving a legacy for his years

of public service here on our school board. I would like for

him to make it his mission to use that "it" he has and

bring an action item to the board to establish a "SSC Committee"

consisting of staff from State/Federal programs, SSC members

and board members so that when a site is found out of
compliance by the State/Federal Programs, there is a policy

on the books for what to do. The Education Code is not

enough.

I feel that if Mr. Ramsey REALLY knew how much money was being

misspent, he would take that "it" he has and get to the bottom of it.

With his recognition in the community and his presence on television,

he could make things happen. And he has the support of all his board

members - I have seeen that.

And as for the example he sets with his problem solving skills when someone

or something has annoyed him?

I think if Mr. Ramsey would have heard my 12 year old inviting his friend to

come with us to a school board meeting, he would have been ashamed. My

kid was telling him that one guy up there always gets mad and its funny

to watch. But hey the good thing Mr. Ramsey, people are watching!!

AMEDINA

What My Dad Taught Me

2007-06-27T11:06:00.000-07:00

LOVE

YOU

DADDY

JOE

I was inspired to blog about my Dad today.

I have really just begun to get to know my Dad. As a human being, a person who has been living his adventure for the past 73 years. My Dad is extremely intelligent, and has a truly unique perspective on life. He is very proud of my advocacy work in our schools. Especially the work I have done with our Spanish speaking families. I told him how lame I felt because I did not learn Spanish as he encouraged me to do when I was growing up. He told me all I needed was a record, I could pick it up pretty fast. Did I ever do it? Nooooooo.

My Dad graduated from high school in his early 40s. He is proud of this fact, and I am proud of him. My Dad taught me that anything I wanted to learn about, or whatever made me excited or inspired me, I always had the choice to learn more about it, if I wished.

My Dad plays the guitar, self taught. My Dad studied photography, geology, has travelled extensively and learned about many different cultures. He loves art and science and it shows. He can thrill my kids with "little known random knowledge" that only Grampa Joe could make cool and interesting.

The latest "random knowledge" he shared with his two youngest grandkids was how a shrunken head is REALLY made.

My Dad had his share of not so good times. Even at 73, he carries

parental guilt. He tells me no matter how old you are, you will still

wish your kids could do better. That was the dream of his family when they came here from Mexico so many years ago. To make a better life for the next generation.

So I am "shucking" all my parent guilt off for the moment and I know that I am doing BETTER for my children and their children. With

the burden of "parental guilt" it changes your perspective so much,

being such an emotional drain. Parent Power, now that is what we

can take for an emotional booster. My Mom thinks I am nuts to know

so much about the legal ends of school. That I waste my time with

meetings when I should be at home. Things have changed since we

went to school Mom - I try and tell her. She listens but the "parental

guilt" voice sometimes is strong in her (as it is in my Dad)

I take the Parent Power from my parents @ 40 and make a better life and future for my kids. And they are lucky and I am lucky to have my Mom and Dad in my life.

Fwd: Re: WCCUSD will get 1.7 million "required to implement class-size reduction"

2007-06-06T09:43:00.001-07:00

--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com, "Alicia" <ladyluvslife@...> wrote:

Heres the whole "interesting" thing about grants
that bugs me. First, is this a grant? Or a new
program that will fall under categorical monies?
Its got one of those funny abbreviations, so it
will probably be applied for under categorical?
Is it renewable or one time deal?

The State comes down with the money, tells districts the
$$ is to be used for what have you and it sounds like a
good thing.

We look at the "not so good" side of this for our district
anyhoo:

Re: Grants and Donations to the site - Can we say "slush fund"
people? How is it that a principal can get their hands on
preliminary budgets of how much money the site is getting for
NEXT year, but doesn't seem to get the information on the grants
to give to the SSC. True nuff, not all grants are handled this
way. Some are TOO BIG to head to the "slush fund" Or the grant
is handled. Donations to the school must be sent to the board &
approved. While some of our schools have strong PTAs and Parent
Groups who are involved with seeing that donation get used for
the ids, for the sites who do NOT have a strong PTA or parent
voice on the campus - = - - -yes donations go to SLUSH FUND.
This should be part of the School Site Council training.
I would pose this question to m

--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com, Cathy Travlos <cbt@> wrote:
>
> This grant was discussed at a couple of recent board meetings. The
> schools in our district that will get this funding are Kennedy,
Harding,
> Nystrom, Peres, Stege, and Helms. I don't know if it's enough to
> actually cover the costs of class size reduction at these schools
but
> it's a significant amount of money. It's going to be interesting to
see
> the impact, especially at the secondary schools.
> Cathy
>
> sunsetjill wrote:
>
> > Link http://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr07/yr07rel62.asp?print=yes
> > <http://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr07/yr07rel62.asp?print=yes>
> > CONTACT:
> > REL #07-62
> > Hilary McLean
> > communications@ <mailto:communications%40cde.ca.gov>
> > 916-319-0818
> > May 2, 2007
> >
> >
> > STATE SCHOOLS CHIEF JACK O'CONNELL ANNOUNCES LIST OF SCHOOLS
> > SELECTED TO RECEIVE NEARLY $3 BILLION INVESTMENT TO ACCELERATE
> > STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
> > SACRAMENTO – State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack
> > O'Connell announced today that he has submitted to the State Board
> > of Education a list of 488 low-performing schools from throughout
> > California that will receive dramatically increased new funding to
> > invest in programs aimed at boosting student achievement. The
funds
> > were allocated through the Quality Education Investment Act that
was
> > passed last summer as part of a settlement of a lawsuit filed by
> > O'Connell and the California Teachers Association against Governor
> > Schwarzenegger and the California Department of Finance for
failing
> > to properly fund Proposition 98 in the 2004-05 and 2005-06 budget
> > years.
> >
> > "The Quality Education Investment Act allows us to invest
> > significant resources for some of our lowest-performing schools,"
> > O'Connell said. "We can change the direction of these schools by
> > hiring new, motivated teachers, decreasing class size, improving
the
> > student-to-counselor ratio, and providing more assistance and
> > training for existing teachers and principals. I am looking
forward
> > to seeing the changes these schools make to increase the quality
of
> > education for their students, and the improvement in student
> > achievement that results."
> >
> > The Quality Education Investment Act provides $2.7 billion over
> > seven years to the selected schools. When the Act is fully
> > implemented by fiscal year 2008-09, the funds will be distributed
on
> > a basis of $500 per pupil for grades kindergarten through third,
> > $900 per pupil in grades fourth through eighth, and $1,000 per
pupil
> > for grades ninth through twelfth. In the initial funding year
> > (fiscal year 2007-08), the amount distributed to schools will be
> > slightly lower.
> >
> > Schools eligible for the new funding were elementary, secondary,
and
> > charter schools that ranked in either deciles 1 or 2 as determined
> > by the 2005 Academic Performance Index (API) base. Schools that
> > submitted applications were then randomly selected using a process
> > that accounted for statutory requirements for geographic and
grade-
> > level distribution.
> >
> > "This vital law focuses on making changes at our schools of
greatest
> > need that teachers and parents know will improve student
learning,"
> > said Barbara E. Kerr, president of the California Teachers
> > Association. "CTA sponsored this law to bring badly needed
resources
> > to these disadvantaged schools. The Quality Education Investment
Act
> > invests in proven intervention reforms like smaller class sizes,
> > more counselors, and quality training for teachers and principals.
> > This is putting money where our heart is – with schools serving
> > mostly poor or English learner students across the state."
> >
> > Most participating schools will be required to implement class-
size
> > reduction. High schools will be required to decrease the student-
> > counselor ratio to 300:1 and teaching staff in all schools must
> > participate in professional development. A small number of schools
> > receiving Quality Education Investment Act funds will be given the
> > opportunity to implement their own plans using alternative
research-
> > based approaches to improving student achievement. Schools in the
> > program must exceed their API growth target for the school
averaged
> > over the first three years of full funding. Schools funded by the
> > Quality Education Investment Act that continue to meet the program
> > and achievement requirements shall be funded annually through the
> > 2013-14 fiscal year.
> >
> > Up to $2 million will be allocated to county offices of education
to
> > annually monitor the implementation of this investment program in
> > funded schools. In addition, $5 million is being made available to
> > two county office of education centers to provide technical
> > assistance to funded schools and districts on how to use the
Quality
> > Education Investment Act funds most effectively. The two centers
are
> > the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) and the Los
Angeles
> > County Office of Education (LACOE). Staff at the California
> > Department of Education have initiated planning with SCOE and
LACOE
> > for delivery of these services starting this summer.
> >
> > The State Board of Education is expected to formally approve the
> > list of schools selected by O'Connell and the Governor's Secretary
> > for Education, Dr. David Long, during its May Board meeting, to be
> > held next week.
> >
> > Please see the attached list of schools selected to receive the
> > Quality Education Investment Act funds.
> >
> >
>

--- End forwarded message ---

A MUST WATCH VIDEO - WEST COUNTY

2007-06-02T22:37:00.001-07:00

NO MIDDLE SCHOOL AT FAIRMONT!
>>>>>>>CORRECT LINK
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Jp2kMnRPT48

Fwd: Community challenges FAIRMONT decision - next board mtg

2007-06-02T21:55:00.001-07:00

--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com, Alicia Medina <ladyluvslife@...>
wrote:

Gregory Chang leads the community and goes "ON THE RECORD"
challenging WCCUSD Board Decision on FAIRMONT - New Middle
School

GO COMMUNITY!!!!

http://nomiddleschoolatfairmont.blogspot.com

As Mr. Chang knows, you only need submit a written request to
the Superintendent's Office at least 15 days prior to the board
meeting
to get INCLUDED IN THE AGENDA and get your INFO
IN THE BOARD PACKET, AND GET UP TO 30 MINUTES
TO INTRODUCE SPEAKERS AND MAKE PRESENTATION.

We were made to feel like "working the system" was a bad thing.
Now we are at a time, when it is the ONLY thing that will even start
change a blowing.

Look for a blog update from me this evening

GO PARENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS

A Medina

March 4 Education - Group ahead of its time

2007-05-25T20:59:00.000-07:00

An awe inspiring story, what March 4 Education did during that week in 2004.

http://www.march4education.org

The group was definetley AHEAD of its time.

When I joined in 2004, the group was still fired up!

Members organized a WCCUSD

budget presentation done by an "outsider" a real expert.

March 4 Education had all the candidates

from the school board election 2004 attend our meetings before the election.

March 4 Education members frequented board meetings, when an important issue came up, we agreed to have one of the members there to speak.

All our members attended the first School Site Council trainings after the 5 year freeze on "knowledge to the people" during Gloria's reign of terror.

Supervisor John Gioa even attended

one of our meetings, he was having trouble getting a response from the district!

http://www.march4education.org

March 4 Education's achievement that I can really be proud of (since I helped organize) is the honest to goodness "grassroots" school board candidate forum the group hosted at Unity Church Richmond back in 2004. March 4 Education used the power of the Internet
for higher good, and used resources such

as wccusdtalk list @ Yahoo to get REAL questions on the issues here at WCCUSD.

March 4 Education's School Board

Candidate Forum was not the only

candidate forum. It was the ONLY

forum that made the Q&A's public

on their discussion list.

MARCH 4 EDUCATION

was also first in this district to hold a

"No Child Left Behind" information night for the community. This was when WCCUSD got blindsided by their 10 YEAR 4 PI schools. March 4 Education was there too, even submitting to the board an alternative plan for governance for the board to consider when deliberating on the YEAR 4 PI schools.

Two of M4E members attended school site council meetings and english language advisory committee meetings at ALL year 4 schools. They asked questions, supported schools by ensuring that the district step in and assist the site in what they needed to get their site council knowledge on what this

group actually is for!

Five of our teacher members joined together as professionals and took a stand. In an open letter to their colleagues they addressed their concerns & observations.

October 10, 2005
Letter of Five Downer Teachers to their colleagues

Dear Colleagues,
Jonathan Kozol, educational author and activist, recently spoke at King Middle School in Berkeley. It was an inspiring evening and Kozol's message was clear: particularly at a time when public education (especially for poor children of color) is under attack, we as educators have a moral obligation to look out for the best interests of our students.
There are certain practices expected of us here at Downer School and across this district which do not serve our students and we will no longer go along with those practices. On the other hand, many of our students' needs are not being met and we pledge to do what we can to provide for those needs. It is time to stand up for the children entrusted to us and it is our intention to do so at every occasion. Listed below are some of the positive actions we will take on behalf of our students:
• School Governance: The district administration, including the school board president and acting superintendent, have publicly stated that top-down methods of decision-making are ineffective. In a very large school with a veteran teaching staff like Downer, it is vital that decisions which affect our students be made jointly by teachers and administrators. Adjunct duty committees have now been established. These committees need to be given the power to develop proposals within their areas of expertise which can then be brought back to the full staff for approval. It is also important that the committees be given time to meet, possibly one Project Meeting per month.
• After School Program: The after school program should serve as a support for students who are struggling in the classroom. Crucial to the effectiveness of such a program is input from the teachers who work with these students day in and day out. Some of us hope to offer after-school classes to provide for needs which are not currently being met.
• Student Study Team: The Student Study Team is critical as we strive to meet the needs of all students. It is a positive step that SST slates have been chosen for morning and afternoon meetings. However, many teachers are not familiar with the SST process. We will offer assistance to those teachers as they complete paperwork and implement classroom modifications; SST meetings can then be the culmination of systematic efforts to help children and will run efficiently and effectively.
In this list are some of the practices we will no longer support:
• Text-Based ELD Testing: With the current focus on accountability, teachers are required to administer (and students to endure) more and more testing. Most of these tests are ill-conceived, many are redundant, and all are time-consuming. The new ELD tests are all of the above. The test lacks clarity, collects information similar to that provided by CELDT and teacher observation, and severely impacts instructional time. We will not give these tests.
• Low-Quality In-Service Meetings: High-quality staff development is crucial as teachers seek to grow as professionals. However, much of the staff development offered by our district is of poor quality. Since our first obligation is to our students, we will no longer leave our classrooms to attend meetings (on- or off-site) which are not of benefit to us or the children we serve.
• Wednesday Project Meetings: Article 46, Section 2 of our contract states, "Staff development during modified Wednesdays in elementary schools shall be jointly designed by the schools' principals and the staff except that the District may require a particular staff development activity during one Wednesday per month." If classroom teachers were allowed to collaborate, as the contract states, Project Meetings would improve the instruction we provide for our students. District officials have recently agreed with UTR regarding this contract language. Therefore, we expect meetings to be jointly planned within the near future. If they are not, we will no longer attend.
• Phonics Lessons In 4th Grade: Research has shown that phonics lessons are useful for most students in grade 1 and for some students in grade 2. At the 4th grade level, it is inappropriate to spend large chunks of instructional time on phonics. Currently 4th grade teachers are expected to spend 20-25 minutes per day on these lessons. We will no longer do so.
It is our sense that we are not alone in feeling as we do. We hope that you will join us. We welcome your thoughts on all of these issues – collegial dialogue is part of the strength of any successful school. If you are interested in these ideas or have questions to ask, please feel free to speak with any of us. We will hold a meeting on Monday October 10th at 3 p.m. in Rm. 505 to discuss these matters in some depth. Working together – teachers and administrators alike -- we can continue to grow as a faculty and as a school.
Eduardo Martinez Elizabeth Jaeger Michael McDonald Thomas Prather Lina Prairie

Every teacher listed above was transferred.

After reading the letter again after a year, I continue to be awestruck

by these professionals with such bravery. Here we have 5 teachers

with years of experience give us their professional opinion on things

that are NOT working for our children's learning. They were RIGHT!

They still are right! And what did they get for their awesome efforts

on behalf of our kids and their fellow teachers?

Transfers, belittling, drama and ripped away from their school.

Read more about their story on March 4 Education website. Our teachers
received NATIONAL RECOGNITION for their efforts, and I walked beside them at last year's Cinco De Mayo parade, in honor of their

efforts in teaching with heart, because they were truly ahead of

their time.

Thanks to all the members of March 4 Education for being the group

that kept this parent fired up.

PARENT AFFIRMATION FOR THE WEEK

2007-05-20T12:02:00.000-07:00

I AM MY CHILD'S MOST IMPORTANT TEACHER

I AM MY CHILD'S BIGGEST FAN

To my son Michael,

Its been 19 years since I first became a parent.

Since then, I have examined my actions as my child's most important
teacher, what that looks like and how can I be better.

Your love for your mother - your pure unconditional love taught me

so many things! I remember when we first brought you home, staring

at this little being who already loved me and didn't know me yet! Well,

thats what I thought at the time anyhoo.

Hey don't get me wrong. I was a good parent. Well, more accurate

would be a parent with good intentions that sometimes worked out.

I was kinda scattered and

sometimes not giving enough direction to my child when I should have.

Not really making any extra efforts to make you go to school when you had those fake tummy aches, or wanted to stay home cause you did not
want to face your teacher without your assignment that was due last

week.

Its nice to hear how good you are doing in Oregon. Glad you are

ready to take on more classes. I am so glad to know that you believe

in yourself, like I believe in you. Your dream job will come to you.

(dream job is to write for ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE), continue to learn about MUSIC - your living your passion & it shows in your work.

Continue to be inspired by the great MUSICIANS of past and present,

you are discovering that it is OK to be YOU - most unique individuals

have to figure out how that looks for them - your doing it kid!

Love

Mom

Recognizing the important role of YOU being your child's

MOST IMPORTANT TEACHER is the first step.

I am here

to tell you there will be MANY MESSAGES from external sources

telling you that you are NOT a teacher and you do NOt know what

is best for your child. As you grow stronger with affirming your
power as a parent, these negative external messages will grow

weaker. In their place, you will find the external messages

thanking you for being such a good parent. You may have

to look REAL hard, or be real STILL to hear the good messages,

but they are there. Trust me. You cannot and will not fail to

find them if you search

If you read this, you already have one positive one!!!!

Just another parent

trying to to the best

for their kid

ALICIA

Parents with brilliant independent thinking children LISTEN HERE!!!

2007-05-19T08:21:00.001-07:00

Save yourself some drama and do exactly as I say.

Say
My child has behavior problems and we
are working hard with my chil , and all concerned
at school & at home,
to ensure that his/her educational needs are being met."

"This makes me a good parent, and I release all guilt and inadequate
feelings I may be feeling as these feelings have no place in my higher
good or my child's higher good"

My kid has behavior problems that are beginning to affect his learning,
and have already had an impact on his relationship with his peers.

If you are like me, who is lucky enough to have a brilliant, bright,
fascinatingly insightful little 6 year old WAY wise beyond his year
this end of the school year is MOST CHALLENGING. I don't care
if your child is off the HOOK, if you are there hearing all the things
that go on from the teacher/principal/yard supervisor
then you are ONE POWERFUL PARENT

My kid has been acting up.
There I said it in public.

Heres the deal:

When behavior issues send my kid to the office or home on suspension,
the school must have "other measures" in place to exhaust before making the decision to suspend the child. In my child's case, a Behavior Support
Plan was drafted up as "other measures" to try and keep my kid in class
completing his work.

Well, parents in the end, the school will always go back to you because of
wo VERY IMPORTANT THINGS

1. YOU are the child's first and MOST IMPORTANT teacher. School has
your child less than 20%. WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR 80%.

2. PARENTS have the clues and insights the school needs to figure out
how to teach your child. Don't wait to hear this from the district. Its
a fact, however telling you this would give you some power and the
system is NOT set up to do such a wild thing.

On Friday, my 1st grader decided to dump a wastebasket all over another

child's desk. He got suspended -

Only when I sat down with my child and took the time to listen to him

tell me about his day (without forcing my adult like thinking on him),

and guess what? He accomplished what we asked him to do on the

Behavior Support Plan.

We broke his day down in three parts so my son can be encouraged

by earning points all day.

He earns points for the follow

1. Listen and follow directions

2. Keep your Hands to yourself

3. No bad words ever!

The Behavior Support Plan also stated a sheet of paper (1/4 sheet)

stating whether or not the child completed his work, this would also

list how many points my kid earned.

My kid KNOWS the reward system. I told the people at my SST

meeting that he would find the loophole and have us adults jumping

up and down again. We are back to that point. We are now looking at the stress at the school sites for assessment time. My school is excellent in ensuring that all children have the opportunity to not be interrupted from learning what they need to know. We are very blessed.

However, I feel that more consideration towards "Involved Parents" should be stressed at the end of the year. Yes, please treat me special!!!
However, only I can treat myself that way I deserve to be treated....and how can I do that when I feel like I am not being a good parent? That somewhere, I have not thought of everything to help my child with his behavior problems in school....

Well its the parent shame/guilt. Its ours if we claim it
I chose not to

My child is lucky to have me for a parent, and I will try to live up to his
unconditional love by trying everything possible to ensure he has a good
experience in school. School has changed so much since we went. These kids
don't even enjoy kindergarten, they are too busy with work.........

Ok, there it is - putting it out there that it is purged from my guilty system,
and someone else might be uplifted

NE1 CAN GET PUT ON THE SCHOOL BOARD AGENDA

2007-05-17T15:12:00.000-07:00

Please make sure this information is widely known.

If more people knew about this, it would sure take

that " helpless & hopeless" feeling that comes from not being heard and channel it into some REAL action for all concerned.

WORK THE SYSTEM PEOPLE

LETS WORK THE SYSTEM

WE GOT NOTHING TO LOSE

BUT OUR KIDS

THEIR FUTURE

THANKS

Requests to Address the Board
2. A formal written request to address the Board and to be listed on the agenda must be received in the Office of the Superintendent five working days preceding the Board meeting. A written summary indicating the subject to be presented shall accompany any requests so that information pertinent to the matter can be available. The requestor will receive written notification of the date of his/her presentation. These items are listed on the agenda under "Requests to Address the Board." There is a three-minute time limit for each address. Presenters of formal written requests will be allowed to speak first.
3. This agenda item will be limited to 30 minutes with speakers called in the order requests are received. Requests must be submitted prior to the beginning of the agenda item. Speakers who cannot be accommodated in the 30-minute period will be given an opportunity to address the Board at the end of the regular business of the Board, time permitting.
4. The Board will automatically refer to staff any formal written matters brought before them at this time

5/16 - Question Authority - YOU HAVE THE RIGHT!!!

2007-05-17T11:12:00.000-07:00

I attended the board meeting last night and read into the record
during PUBLIC COMMENT the follow questions which I addressed
to Dr. Kaye Burnside, who pretty much oversees all of curriculum
learning and State/Federal Programs

1. How are you overseeing all sites follow through with the
"Monitoring Implementation of Action Plan" step the sites
are REQUIRED to complete & return to our State/Federal
Programs Department?

2. Will this info be made public or reported to the board in
closed session?

3. How are you handling the sites who are already allocating
their projected site budget for school year 2007-2008, without
reviewing site plan goals?

4. What will you do if after reviewing the "Monitoring Implementation
of Action Plan" info from the sites, you find strategies that were NOT
carried out. What if the school by then spends (or allocates) all
their site budget?

5. Grant Information - How will you ensure that this information does
not stop with the principal but rather is REPORTED to the SSC? This
is NOT being done.

I made an example out of a school that I visited with a grant of $500,000.00
and when the brave SSC members asked the principal - they were told they
do not have a say over how that money is spent.

These questions may not show up on the minutes for this meeting, however
you can always go through the steps of listening to the audio of that meeting
to confirm what I say above is accurate. You can also refer to this date of
mtg

After speaking, while I was listening to Big AL, Dr. Burnside approached me
and directed me to stay and speak with Toni Oklan-Arko who is head of our
State/Federal Program Department. The meeting was long enough, however
since Dr. Burnside made the effort to approach me and made
absolutley certain that I knew who to talk to, I stayed.

As I told Dr. Burnside, I will be back at the next school board meeting because
our goal is to have a report from her about how the above questions that come
up year after year after year. We want to hear what HER plan is about this.

As I agreed with Ms. Oklan-Arko, WCCUSD has made great strides in attempts
to build strong school site councils, ensure training is done twice a year and in
a timely manner and that the training is informative.

For five years our previous superintendent & staff made great efforts to eliminate
the information made to the public of the governing body known as the school
site council. And they made great success in these efforts. We who know
that "improving student achievement" starts at the sites will continue to be
driven by this simple but powerful thing. The dream for all of our schools is
a functioning school site council with plenty of support to get that from our
LEA

Teach them well - they are the future!!!

2007-05-12T18:23:00.000-07:00

I often told my kids (in more ways than one) how great it is being a
kid and how NOT FUN being a grown up is. My youngest and most
insightful son in his 6 years of wisdom challenged my statement by
telling me that grown ups are not really very smart because they
don't play with toys anymore.

My "adult thinking" is often put in check by this young man,
and for those parents who think they cannot draw a pretty picture,
or can't remember how to make something really cool with Legos,
or don't have the time to sit down and play with crayons and color
one picture, or play a game of Connect Four, Mouse Trap or
CandyLand - ask yourself
What will matter 100 years from today?

Showing your child the respect of UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
by asking them if you could play with them. Ask about how
they like their school. What is their favorite thing to do in
class. Or at recess. All of a sudden you will find youself
flashing back to the child in you! You will remember the
fun "playing" when you were that age! How much you loved
running to the tether ball pole to get first in line, performing in
a play when you were in second grade and how scared you were
and how loved you felt to see your family in the audience cheering
you on. Keep it up, and you will get pretty good at tapping into
the kid in you - with the help from your kid of course

Your children and their UNCONDITIONAL LOVE is the
only thing that will matter 100 years from now.

Parents Daily Survival Kit

2007-05-07T09:41:00.000-07:00

My youngest little guy

gave me a "Parent Daily Survival Kit"

Here is the poem, describing each item:

I give you a toothpick, to remind you to pick out the good

qualities in me

I give you a rubber band, to remind you to be flexible with

me, things may not always go the way you want, but they

always work out.

I give you a Band-aid to remind you to heal my hurt feelings.

I give you a pencil, to remind you to list me as a blessing.

I give you an eraser, to remind you that I sometimes make

mistakes and it's OK.

I give you Glue to remind you to stick with me! If you do I

can accomplish anything.

I give you a Mint to remind you that I'm worth a mint.

I give you a Candy Kiss, to remind you that I need

a kiss and hug every day.

I give you a Tea Bag to remind you to take time for

yourself; you've earned it - you are my parents.

And a note reminding me that my kid will love me

no matter what I do - and that is the truth.

What are we doing to honor the UNCONDITIONAL

love our children have for us?

Hey, I love all my children of course.

This young man makes me want to be a better person, he has

inspired me to step out of my comfort zone and say HEY I am

a good parent & I want to be better

Teach them well - they are the future!!!

2007-05-07T09:05:00.000-07:00

My Boys with a very special person in their life. Now these children have
LOVE written all over their little faces. Our kids need more grown ups like this. Children need to know how much they are loved, as they navigate through all the change and challenges that LIFE will throw their way. Do you have some grown ups in your life that make your children feel loved and special? Think a grateful, happy thought for them right now.

I am truly blessed to have many grown ups in my life who love my children and make sure the love is IN ACTION. It may be a compliment on a job well done
at school, recognition of the child being courteous and sharing, just RECOGNIZING that child exists, stopping to check out their cool new toy, meeting their best buddy next store, checking out their special "fort" they made in the tree, talking about where lady bugs are flying away, and how do we know it is "home" they are going.

I am a single parent. Many a days I wish there were several of me, so the real me could rest for a bit!! HA! I tell ya though, even on the most STRESSFUL of days, the insight I get from my 6 year old when asking him what made him happy that day is worth more than a month of therapy sessions. The joy I feel when taking the few minutes to sit down for a "team meeting" with my two kids and hear how their day went gives me such energy.

On the days where I can only seem to find faults in my children, I know that I have not paid enough attention to their needs & quickly organize a team mtg
(or briefing) so again they know their grownup in charge really cares what they think and what they have to say. There is something humbling about getting
on the floor with the kids and checking out life from their level, if only but for a few minutes. Try it, I guarantee it will be something you could get hooked on quite easily.

What are you doing with your SEND button

2007-05-07T08:11:00.000-07:00

What does Blog mean? U say? Depends on the who and what?
Its almost sci-fi
Its making contact with masses in an instant,
like a mass mailing from the post office - but times a MILLION
and with the click of a button

And you thought the President of the
United States had a powerful button.

Bloggin is (I think - just now learning)
a way people can be tapped INSTANTLY into other people's views and opinions
. My sister says its just an online journal. I say depends
on WHOs online journal right? .

The Internet is not regulated - its like the Wild West - ok?
That is the shit in a nutshell really. I saw someone in our sorry
ass government (Ted Kennedy) holding on to the
idea that the government should not be involved with regulating
what is on the Internet.
Hes right. Cause they can't

Were there any real regulators in the Wild West?
Self-proclaimed? Hmmmmmmm.

The is my favorite "is it bullshit" site
http://www.snopes.com/

I come to that site just to SEE the crap that is out there!

My opinion about the computer and Intenet has changed over
the years. I thought it was EVIL EVIL EVIL as my son cheated
his way out of writing a paper. When I saw my husband pay
more attention to strangers on the Internet than me, I cursed
the day that wicked thing came into my home. Well turns out
my kid is a manipulative genius, and the husband is still
searching minus me. Thats just SHIT HAPPENING And
my IGNORANCE on what the Internet meant to me at
the time. I had no idea of the power of the Internet.

So Im back with smarts and ready to USE the Internet like
everyone else out there to make a point.

After four years of hands-on, inner-city community engagment
work with the families in the Iron Triangle area of Richmond CA
my longing to be the voice for these famillies became strong.
I saw first hand, the inequity of the # of homes with Internet,
most of these had families! The shame that comes with
NOT having a computer with Internet access for your
child. What a thing to judge a parent by is all I kept
thinking! Now I know why. Any little thing that can
be turned on you as an "inadequate parent" will
be done by "the man" in ensuring you stay ignorant
and stupid to your rights. .

Ask yourself this - Why would the system be set up to
make sure people stay stupid to their rights?
Anyone see the movie "Bugs Life" ??? Most of y'all
have kids and already know the answer to the above
question.

The ants collect the food, the grasshoppers come, grasshoppers eat
the food, grasshoppers leave. That is the bugs life! Only when a free
thinking ant named Flik take action did the ants do anything different.
They laughed at him first, called him crazy. Flik shook up ants so
much, they finally realized that the ANTS outnumbered the GRASSHOPPERS
and they had NOTHING to be afraid of.

ANSWER - THE MAN DOES NOT WANT YOU TO KNOW BECAUSE THE MAN
ENJOYS COLLECTING THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS MEANT FOR YOUR CHILD'S
EDUCATON

Parents are so busy with raising children, we often don't even realize we are
falling into the trap that we are mindless ants who cannot think for ourselves
and do not dare ask questions. I recently attended a meeting of "experts"
regarding my youngest little guy Jason. It was the FIRST time I sat there
with the confidence that I TOO WAS AN EXPERT. Perhaps the most sought
after expert at the table. Because I hold the missing piece of the puzzle that
the educator needs to have. The PARENT has the child for the majority of
the time. Parents have answers that the educators need. The problem is,
the system is not set up for educators to ask these questions.

Only we
are parents can honor each other with ensuring that all parents who have
children in public school realize we can not look at sending Johnny and Sally
off to school with the confidence knowing they are learning their ABCs and 123s.
Look up the stats people I have talked enough. Our kids are failing.

Look forward to working with many of you to use this Internet for the higher
good of our kids. And my focus is getting parents to take back their power.
And fight for what they believe in. Our children receiving an education that
will inspire them to be lifelong learners. For they are the future leaders of
this country.

An inspiring note to close with: Recently a poll was done for 16-25 year
olds via email, text messaging - all those gadgets our young folks have
to have. The results were inspiring. What is on their minds? The breadown
of families and violence in their neighborhoods were the top two things.

Now that gave me hope for this next generation.
A Medina
Parent Advocate
It is time to reaffirm our belief in
the love, wisdom and power of parents
Randy Gaschler - Parent Driven Schools

Driven_Parent

Fwd: Youth in the civil rights movement

Fwd: Think on These Things for Sunday, December 09, 2007

Your SCHOOL SITE PLAN - ITS ALL IN THE PLAN

West Contra Costa Unified School District - 2006-07 Annual Report

WCCUSD makes history TONITE

District Annual Report 2006-2007

Fwd: Parcel tax aftermath

2007-08 School Site Councils - Sound Off!!

CONGRESSMAN GEORGE MILLER ON nclb (NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND)

Its All About Me!!!!!!

Touch Of Grey - by The Grateful Dead

Parent Involvement in Public Education - We must act to demand a PLAN!

WCCUSD spends BILLIONS on Technology, hows that working for our kids?

Fwd: SSC training - How GOOD this CAN be!

Driven_Parent: Powerful Parents - Why are we hiding???

Powerful Parents - Why are we hiding???

Class Size Reduction-History in WCCUSD & is it necessary?

Class Size Reduction - Makes Sense or Does it?

Commentary about up & coming Parcel Tax Measure G

Fwd: Re: Elementary School Discipline Problems - What can you do?

Fwd: ~*~*ArCHiVes-2006 Procedures with Consultants*~*

Fwd: Re: Consultant Fees

Parent Volunteerism

Fwd: Re: Endorsers of Meausre G - Broken down to $$$$$$$

Fwd: Re: Endorsers of Meausre G - Broken down to $$$$$$$

Endorsers of MEASURE G - Broken down to $$$$$

Temper an issue for school trustee

Comments on Charles Ramsey - WCTimes 7/5/07

What My Dad Taught Me

Fwd: Re: WCCUSD will get 1.7 million "required to implement class-size reduction"

A MUST WATCH VIDEO - WEST COUNTY

Fwd: Community challenges FAIRMONT decision - next board mtg

March 4 Education - Group ahead of its time

PARENT AFFIRMATION FOR THE WEEK

Parents with brilliant independent thinking children LISTEN HERE!!!

NE1 CAN GET PUT ON THE SCHOOL BOARD AGENDA

5/16 - Question Authority - YOU HAVE THE RIGHT!!!

Teach them well - they are the future!!!

Parents Daily Survival Kit

Teach them well - they are the future!!!

What are you doing with your SEND button

Fwd: ~~ArCHiVes-2006 Procedures with Consultants~