Four schools in Monterey County earn Gold Ribbon distinction

Virginia Rocca Barton, Creekside, Monte Bella, and Robert Down elementary schools were named Wednesday among the 772 schools statewide to earn the Gold Ribbon School award.

Barton, Creekside and Monte Bella are in the Alisal Union School District. Robert Down is in Pacific Grove.

The award is in recognition of quality implementation of Common Core content and performance standards for all students, including English learners, as well as school culture and technology practices which provide a supportive learning environment. The state intends to showcase Gold Ribbon schools so that their practices can be replicated by other local educational agencies.

“It’s a great and validating day at Alisal,” said Alisal Superintendent John Ramirez. “It’s a true testament to what our kids can achieve."

Schools applied for the award based on a model program each has adopted that includes standards-based activities, projects, strategies, and practices that can be replicated by other local educational agencies. The award recognized middle and high schools in 2015.

“These schools shine as bright beacons for others, putting forth an exemplary effort to ensure that every student is ready for 21st century college and careers,” State Superintendent of Schools Tom Torlakson said in a statement. “California teachers are developing an education model for the nation, training the students of today to be the problem-solvers, inventors, and pioneers of tomorrow.”

The Monterey County schools will be recognized later this month during a regional ceremony held in Santa Clara.

Students at Virginia Rocca Barton lead a validation team site visit

Free science professional development for K-12 educators at Hartnell College

Hartnell College will be hosting a NASA STEM Day professional development day for local K-12 educators on Saturday, April 16. 

Educators will participate in hands-on workshops to learn space-travel related STEM activities to bring back to their classrooms. Hartnell has partnered with the Monterey County Office of Education and UCSC MESA to get bring this opportunity to as many educators as possible. There will be a number of world-class speakers during our opening.

"This collaboration with NASA Ames has allowed us to provide this invaluable opportunity to our local K-12 teachers. Teachers do such an important job with our K-12 students, we always appreciate opportunities to support them," said in a statement Shannon Bliss, dean of academic affairs for math, science and engineering.

Deadline to register for this free event is April 13, 2016. To register click here.

The workshops will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 16, at Steinbeck Hall on the main campus, 411 Central Ave., Salinas For questions, contact Director of K-12 STEM Programs, Maggie Melone, at mmelone@hartnell.edu or call (831) 7556970.

MPUSD schedules townhall meetings to "reimagine" high schools

Some of my readers will remember that I wrote about the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District's new effort to remake their high schools. For a refresher, read here.

The district has announced a series of town hall meetings to get input about the idea. The first one takes place at 6 p.m. today at Seaside Middle School.

Here's a poster with the full listing. See you around!

Cool interactive feature on California's teacher shortage

If you saw my story about the teacher shortage on Wednesday's paper, you'll know the issue  has a lot of people very concerned.

Also, you will remember I mention a study published by the Learning Policy Institute, led by Linda Darling-Hammond. The study predicts the problem could get worse if not tackled soon, and offers some possible solutions. You can find the executive summary here.

What I did not mention was that the study comes with a snazzy, interactive chart of "teacher shortage" indicators, with percentage of teachers older than 50 (30 percent in Monterey County) and the percentage of 'underqualified' teachers (3.5 percent).

You can find it here. Enjoy!

http://www.mbcharterschool.org/newschool

Salinas City Elementary raises salaries for teachers and everyone else

Trustees with the Salinas City Elementary Union School District approved late Monday a five percent salary increase for teachers (starting Aug. 1), classified employees (starting July 1 for those employed for at least a year with the district), and effective July 1 for supervisors, superintendent and assistant superintendents.

Yes, Superintendent Juvenal Luza gets a five percent raise, like everyone else. Jerry Stratton, associate superintendent of business services, likes to remind people that Luza is one of the superintendents in the area who makes the least amount of money: $168,000 per year -- plus $11,223 in health benefits and an annual vehicle stipend of $900.

Most employees in districts throughout Monterey County got raises after new moneys came in with the Local Control Funding Formula. One of the stories I'll get around writing one of these days.

Hartnell College to host summit with K-12 leaders

Hartnell College trustees will hold a summit along with elected officials from the K-12 districts in its feeder area.

The summit will include a review of existing partnerships and collaborative efforts focused on student achievement and success. There will also be time to explore additional partnerships and collaborations that will contribute to student achievement and success. The Monterey County School Boards Association is co-sponsoring the event.

The Summit is scheduled to take place at 5 p.m. Tuesday, September 16, 2014, at Hartnell College Main Campus, Building C, Room 124 (Steinbeck Hall) 411 Central Avenue, Salinas.

Monterey County girl leaders combat bullying with "smile" campaign

Girl leaders from different high schools throughout Monterey County have been busy this week plastering their schools with tiny bright papers and words of encouragement.

They call it the "Post-a-smile" campaign, the work of Girls' Health in Girls' Hands leadership network, a group of girls who are trying to take charge of their prospects in life.

Students from Alisal High, Everett Alvarez, Pacific Grove, the Boys and Girls Club, Marina High, and other sites are taking part of this event. The girls have been writing anonymous positive messages on sticky-notes and post them at their school campuses. The girls have been taking pictures and tag #ghghmonterey to enter to win a prize for the most creative post.

The idea behind the campaign is to spread positive messages to combat bullying.

The Girls Leadership Network has also created a public service announcement about suicide prevention to raise awareness about the campaign and the serious issue of bullying and suicide in Monterey County. The Suicide Prevention PSA can be seen here. The site has also information about the Post-A-Smile campaign.

Thanks for the smiles, girls! Love and kindness make the world go round!

Mum's the word on the MPUSD superintendent search

And perhaps that's a good thing.

Scuttlebutt's eerily quiet about the superintendent's search at Monterey Peninsula Unified School District. By now, trustees have likely zeroed in their preferred candidate, but who he or she is, nobody's saying.

Five members from the community -- Allyson Schweifler from the Monterey Bay Teacher's Association, Deborah Maxwell from the California State Employees Association, Debbie Weiss representing Monterey, Juan Sanchez representing Seaside, and Terry Seigrist from Marina -- were present to interview the final candidate or finalists. Ruthie Watts was scheduled to represent Seaside, but she had to pull out because of a death in the family.

The fact that I haven't heard anything yet -- or nothing I can report on, I'm not saying anything -- could be a good thing. It means the finalist has not raised enough red flags to warrant the watchful eye of the press take a look. Which means that come April 22 we could have a new superintendent at MPUSD. 

That would be something, wouldn't it? Stay tuned.

MPUSD getting closer to finding a new superintendent

Trustees with the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District will be holed up this weekend at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Seaside interviewing candidates. They're scheduled to interview seven on Saturday -- if all of them show up. On Sunday, they'll do follow up with two or three candidates, depending on how Saturday interviews go.

On Sunday, the candidates will also be interviewed by representatives from the Monterey Bay Teachers Association, by the California State Employees Association, and a representative each from Marina, Monterey and Seaside learning communities.

Trustees will not be hosting community forums to interview candidates, and I doubt they'll tell me who the finalists are. But if you find yourself with nothing to do on Sunday, and want to take a stroll by the Embassy Suites, be sure to let me know what you find. Or who you find. Scuttlebutt, I'm counting on you. You know how curious I am.

Monterey County Public Officials: think about it before you flip the bird

Sooooooo

I got a fascinating photo this week of a public official flipping the bird. I won't say the name, or which city this person lives in, but I'll say the politician works with children. The offending party was caught in the birdy act while walking towards an event at the National Steinbeck Center last week.

And that's why I'm writing this. If you're working with children, and you're trying to set an example to them, and one of these values you're trying to demonstrate is to be respectful to others -- even if they're promoting ideas you don't believe with -- do you think flipping the bird is a good way to show respect?

Specially in this day and age of ubiquitous cameras. You never know when you're going to be recorded, when your photo will appear on Facebook.

Tst tst tst tst. Bad kitty.

Monterey County students take part in Japanese speech contest

The 8th annual Monterey County High School Japanese Speech Contest took place Friday, March 28, at the Salinas High School auditorium.

Twenty Japanese language students at six high schools participated in the contest. In addition to presenting their speeches, those in advanced level courses held a Q&A with the judge and impromptu speech presentation, all in Japanese.

“The evening was not only students learning a new language, but it was also a cultural event. I enjoyed observing the Kendo demonstration, dancing, and singing with everybody. As a former foreign student, I know how hard it is to express your thoughts to others in a non-native language. I hope the students keep learning and become bridges between the US and Japan in the future," said Minako Kamimura, mother of a Salinas High School student.

Ms. Kamimura not only alerted us to this heartwarming event, but she also sent us this photo and great video. I highly recommend it, and it's only three minutes long. Enjoy!

Vergara v. California: a case to be watched

In case you haven't noticed, there's been a bit of an upheaval here at the Monterey Herald, so I have not been as diligent with my blog as in the past.

But now that the redesign is behind us -- I know how much you all love our new type -- we can go back to our regular craziness.

 And among the craziness I've missed, of statewide and possibly national importance, is a lawsuit that recently wrapped up in Los Angeles aimed at striking down five California laws governing public schools:

- one which says that all teachers must be considered for tenure within two years;
- one which says that when school districts lay off teachers due to budget cuts, they must do so in order of seniority (often called the "last in, first out" law);
- and three different laws that make firing a bad teacher in California a long and costly endeavor.

One fact about this story peeks my interest:  the fact that the suit is being financed by Silicon Valley-based telecom magnate David Welch. Somehow, it reminds me of Proposition 227, which "overturned" bilingual education nearly 16 years ago. And we know how well that's worked.

Because it's a complicated case and I have not been following it at all, I'm not even going to try to summarize Vergara v. California for you. But I found a very good story that wraps it up nicely. Here it is. Enjoy!

Pacific Grove's Larry Haggquist gets California Poetry Out Loud "Hero" Award

The California Arts Council has awarded Pacific Grove High teacher Larry Haggquist the second annual "Hero" award for the Poetry Out Loud program. Haggquist received the award on the state Senate floor on March 24 during the California Poetry Out Loud State Finals in the Senate Chamber at the State Capitol.

Haggquist was also the coach of 2014 State Runner-up, Haley Walker, a senior at Pacific Grove High School.

The Hero Award was established by the California Arts Council to acknowledge the remarkable work done in the classroom by the thousands of teachers, coaches, teaching artists and others who bring the California Poetry Out Loud program to life.

"It's the teachers and others who make this program happen, and for that, they are my personal heroes," said Kristin Margolis, arts program specialist at the Arts Council, who manages the literary programs.

Haggquist was selected as the second recipient of this award based on his extraordinary coaching and cultivation of young poets as an English teacher and the Poetry Out Loud coach at Pacific Grove High School. Haggquist has shown exceptional leadership as the coach of three Poetry Out Loud state champions and one runner-up. Students coached by Haggquist include:

2009 State Runner-up - Kylie Batlin
2010 State Champion - Morgan Brown
2011 State Champion - Robert Marchand
2013 State Champion - Arwa Arwan
2014 State Runner-up - Haley Walker

"Larry is masterful at inspiring students," said Matt Bell, Principal of Pacific Grove High School. "Whether in class, the Young Writer's Club, Poetry Out Loud, on sports teams or the Mock Trial team, every student that he encounters rises to levels higher than they thought possible. Larry draws his energy from the students and his passion for them and for his craft shows in everything he does."

This year marks the ninth time the California Arts Council has produced the annual competition - the largest of its kind in the nation, with over 40,000 students in 35 California counties participating. The program encourages high school students to learn about poetry through memorization, performance, and competition. For more information about the program, click here.

Congratulations, Mr. Haggquist! and Haley!

Gonzales families celebrate STEM successes

Gonzales Unified School District and Hartnell College’s NASA/SEMAA (Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Aerospace Academy) program will be hosting a potluck Family Café event on Saturday, March 22, 2014 at La Gloria Cafeteria at 220 Elko Street, Gonzales.

The event is designed to celebrate and share the successes of student’s participation in the Saturday STEM Academy (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics).

The program will be from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Families of the attendees are invited to come and see a special presentation about the program, hear a very exciting special guest speaker, and participate in a science mission activity.

Over 250 students, K-12, have been attending the program and have completed many missions that focus on relevant science concepts and how they apply to space.

This sounds like an good family event, so if you're in Gonzales, you should check it out. 

Monterey County teens compete in Robotics in Sacramento

California Superintendent of Schools Tom Torlakson will attend the Sacramento Regional FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition at UC Davies.

High school students from 55 California schools will compete for $19 million in scholarships -- and I know we have several students from local high schools in the mix. Good luck, guys and gals! Let me know how well you place in the competition.

Oasis Charter to eliminate 7th and 8th grades

In spite of passionate opposition by some parents, officials with Oasis Charter Public School in Salinas decided to eliminate 7th and 8th grades from their school beginning the upcoming school year.

Perea wrote in an email the decision was arrived after "many" months of deliberations. The first meeting Perea refers to took place in November. The closure was originally scheduled to be voted on January, but board members requested more time to receive more information.

"Oasis has invited local middle school representatives and outgoing Oasis students to talk to Oasis 6th and 7th graders about the amenities their schools offer and to answer questions to help support transitioning students," Perea said.

Perea convinced officials the students would be better served if the school took a STEM approach in teaching -- that is, if it emphasized Science, Technology, Energy and Math. Administrators are "in the planning process of adding more K-6 grade multi-age classes and implementing pilot programs that emphasize science, technology, engineering, math and the arts," Perea said.

Nancy Kotowski stays put for another four years

Friday was the last day to file for candidacy for the upcoming primary election, and there's a slew of incumbents who will have another four years assured since nobody decided to take them on.

Including Monterey County Superintendent of Schools Nancy Kotowski.

Kotowski just got an apparent vote-of-confidence from the public, as she drew no challengers for the June primary. Either that or potential candidates decided they had to deal with internal problems before going public.

Either way, we'll have Kotowski for another four years. It'll be interesting to see what they bring.

Stay tuned.

It's Monterey County History Day

Come by Los Arboles Middle School this Saturday, March 8, to enjoy savvy history presentations by students in grades 4 to 12 all over Monterey County.

This year the theme is "Rights and Responsibilities." What are our rights as citizens of the United States? What are our responsibilities?

Most importantly, how do students express these ideas? Come find out!

History Day is an enrichment program that furthers understanding of historical issues, ideas, people and events. The winning projects of the Monterey County competition will go on to the state finals on April in Riverside. About 35,000 students in California participate in the program each year.

So check it out! The competition will be held from 9 to noon, and the awards ceremony starts at 4:30 p.m. 

Greenfield hires Harry Ervin as new superintendent

Trustees with the Greenfield Union School District voted unanimously to hire Harry Ervin as their new superintendent at their Feb. 20 meeting. Ervin reportedly has been working to turn around failing schools within the Los Angeles Unified School District for the past six years. The Board received over 120 applicants, and after a site visit to Los Angeles, the Board returned to Greenfield convinced that he was the right person for the job of leading the district.

Ervin replaces Trevor McDonald, who helped turn around Greenfield in his two year tenure. McDonald left the district last summer.

Ervin's initial contract is for three years, and he'll receive $160,000 for 220 days of work per year. He'll receive the same pay increases, medical and retirement benefits as represented employees with the district. He'll have a transportation allowance of $300 a month, $50 for Internet connection at home, $100 for cell phone allowance, and $7,500 for relocation expenses. If you want to take a peek at his contract, here it is. 

Jonathan Capuyan captures Monterey Countywide Spelling Bee

Jonathan Capuyan, an 8th grader from Palma School, won the annual Monterey County Spellinng Bee on Sunday at Harnell College's Western Stage.

Jonathan won  in the 19th round with the word expectant. He had  finished in second place in the 2013 Countywide Spelling Bee.

Jonathan also correctly spelled the words: barley, maraca, implement, sukiyaki, entourage, samovar, karaoke, escargot, sassafras, commensurate, balalaika, edelweiss, proofread, bloodless, barrier, recipe, therein, and wither.

As champion, Jonathan will represent Monterey County at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in the Washington, D.C. area May 25-31, 2014. Airfare, accommodations and expenses for a week of tours, activities and the spelling competition will be provided for the champion and a parent by community partners.

Roober Cruz, an 8th grader at San Benancio Middle School, came in second place. Roober and Jonathan went head to head in rounds 8 through 18. Roober correctly spelled the words: sumo, knavery, incorruptible, guilder, mystique, banzai, charpay, innocuous, halal, mercerize, madeleine, mukhtar, refrain, consort, cobwebby, scourge and victim.

Elijah Herrera is an 8th grader at Mission Union School. He correctly spelled the words transect, repel, bower, extravaganza and genre.

Congratulations, champions! You should be proud of your accomplishments.