4 EDCAL January 15 , 2018
Transitions
Arcadia Unified School District has appointed Kelsey Brown as principal of Baldwin Stocker Elementary School . Brown has served Arcadia USD for over 20 years . She taught fourth and fifth grade students for more than 15 years at Holly Avenue Elementary School , and most recently , served as assistant principal for Foothills Middle School .
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Sal Tinajero , a program specialist for Santa Ana Unified School District , has been named the 2017-18 California Educator of the Year by the National Speech and Debate Association . n n n Longtime Tulare County Superintendent
The California Department of Education has announced that more than 800,000 California students are now eligible to receive free and reduced-price meals from the state school lunch program through a more streamlined and automated state-level Direct Certification process .
Local education agencies can now use Medi-Cal data included on the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System direct certification reports to certify eligible students . The data exchange between the state departments and the LEAs takes place securely without disclosing a student ’ s Medicaid status , health information , or specific income data .
This Direct Certification process eliminates the need for families to fill out applications , reduces the administrative tasks of verifying and processing those applications , and identifies eligible students in a more expedient timeline .
“ This new process is a great example of government agencies working together to create a more efficient system that better serves our students and can help to increase the number of students who receive healthy meals ,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson . “ Now , many students can start the school year with
Jim Vidak has announced he will not seek re-election in 2018 , bringing a successful career to a close with his retirement . Vidak has served in the office since 1990 , and is currently the longest serving county superintendent in California . He is also a past recipient of ACSA ’ s Superintendent of the Year Award .
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Vista Unified School District is welcoming a new superintendent , Linda Kimble . Kimble moves into the Vista position from her prior position as superintendent of Anaheim ESD . n n n
Palmdale ESD has announced that Sergio Reyes will be assistant principal of SAGE Academy , and that Joe Vega-Smith has been named school readiness coordinator for ECE . n n n
their meal eligibility already in place , giving them access to the nutritious food they need to stay focused in class and ready to learn .”
Torlakson , a former science teacher and cross country coach , has made student health a top priority , launching the Healthy Kids initiative to encourage students to exercise . The initiative seeks to ensure students have access to healthy meals and clean drinking water .
He cautioned that the way data is collected does not allow CDE to determine how many more students will be eligible for free and reduced-price meals . Many of the 800,000 students have used existing methods to gain eligibility .
Direct Certification is a federally mandated process that certifies school age recipients of CalFresh and CalWorks benefits as eligible for the free school lunch program .
CalPADS provides direct certification results to all public schools , county offices of education , and charter schools through its electronic notification process . All students on Medi-Cal are not eligible for free and reduced price lunch . Families have to fall within a certain household income to be considered eligible . Once certified , a student ’ s eligibility is good for the entire school year .
Gov . Brown has announced the four following reappointments to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing : C . Michael Cooney – public slot ; Bonnie Klatt – teacher representative , Linda Darling-Hammond – faculty ; and Monica Martinez – public slot .
JOBS
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Michelle King , who since September had been on extended medical leave as superintendent of Los Angeles USD , has announced that she has cancer and is retiring . She will remain on extended medical leave and officially retire in June . The school board announced that acting superintendent Vivian Ekchian , who has been serving since King left , will continue in that position until a permanent superintendent is hired . n n n
The Direct Certification with Medicaid / Medi-Cal process began as a demonstration project through the U . S . Department of Agriculture . CDE applied to participate in the demonstration project in 2016 to increase the number of students certified for free and reduced price meals and eliminate the need for a household application .
The demonstration project started with
communicate effectively both in person and in writing – and demonstrate critical thinking and problem-solving skills . It also requires a willingness to adapt to challenges , whether they be new technologies or changing economic conditions .”
The report , which details the salaries , age and gender breakdown of each emerging career , also features insights from people in those fields on the micro trends and niche skills shaping their various industries . As the world becomes more interconnected and increasingly diverse , data found there is a growing demand for translators and interpreters who are proficient in multiple languages and culturally astute .
Santa Monica-Malibu USD announced the following recent appointments : Melody Canady as assistant superintendent , Fiscal and Business Services ; Gerardo Cruz as director of Fiscal Services ; Richard Marchini as director of Food Services , and Anna Chhabria as director of Purchasing .
ACSA-member announcements for Transitions should be submitted to EdCal Editor Cary Rodda at crodda @ acsa . org .
BUDGET
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spent to support English learners , students from low-income families , as well as youth in foster care .
Go to www . acsa . org for additional budget materials , including a statement from ACSA Executive Director Wes Smith and a budget analysis from our Governmental Relations team .
800,000 students now eligible for free and reduced-price lunches through new state-level direct certification process
14 school districts and as of July 1 , 2017 , all public school districts , county offices of education , and charter schools statewide have access to Medi-Cal Direct Certification information located in CalPADS .
To learn more about Direct Certification , access the CDE School Nutrition ’ s Direct Certification webpage at https :// goo . gl / iyDJ23 .
“ By combining macro research data with insights from those in these emerging careers , we were able to provide a deeper understanding not of only what jobs are in demand now but also what skills are driving future growth ,” said Josh Shapiro , director of research and evaluation at the Center for Research on the Regional Economy , who designed and developed the report .
The annual list of emerging careers is part of UC San Diego Extension ’ s larger research efforts to not only assist job seekers but also shape educational offerings to ensure companies have the talent they need .
The top emerging careers locally mirrored the national list , but highlighted the San Diego region ’ s growing strength in computer science . The full report can be accessed at https :// goo . gl / YjB6er .
REGISTER TODAY !
2018 Every Child Counts Symposium February 14-16 , 2018
Anaheim Marriott
ACSA ’ s Student Services and Special Education Council presents this worldclass learning event each year , featuring exciting workshops , informative keynotes and opportunities for skill development and networking . The event is designed for both beginning and veteran educational leaders and
focuses on the latest in the field of student services and special education .
www . acsa . org / ecc
IN-Gage : Strategies for Creating Shared Leadership with Families for Student Success
The word engage should really be IN-gage . After all , the point of engagement is to bring people “ in .” Bringing people in helps strengthen each of the eight state priority areas of LCFF . It ’ s more than just holding a meeting and reviewing . Sounds easy , right ? Sometimes the simplest things are the most complicated , especially when people are involved . And no secret here : There is no enterprise more people-centric than education . While the intent of LCFF / LCAP is to bring people together , the process does that best when it is authentic , and there is a culture of shared leadership . When it isn ’ t authentic , and there is no sense of shared leadership , or only shared leadership for one specific group , it can often push the school / parent / family apart . There are many competing interests and voices , all which need to be managed . So how do you manage them successfully ? Educators don ’ t always agree on everything , so what makes us think the family / parent community of a school or school district would be any different ? The goal of the IN-Gage workshop is to help educators understand what binds together and breaks apart a family / parent community ; how to strengthen the first one and resolve the second . When the community is bound , the other seven priority areas of LCFF / LCAP work more cohesively and more effectively . When the community is broken , it ’ s a much heavier lift . To make it even more complicated , schools are one entity where the “ clients ” continually change – each school year new students begin and each year students leave , creating an ever-revolving door of listening to and sharing information about the schools , students , and their development , and education in general . Join us March 14 at the ACSA office in Sacramento for this interactive workshop – we will provide insights , ideas , practical applications , and concrete strategies for getting parent / family leaders on board , even the most challenging ones , to support a successful learning environment for all students .
Making Schools Better for LGBT Students
What would you do if a parent asked for help with the possible gender transition of their child ? How does your staff respond to reports of bullying of LGBTQ students ? Anaheim Elementary School District encountered some of these questions and the staff needed support . Superintendent Linda Kimble approached the needs of these students in three ways : 1 ) she reached out to the LGBT Center OC for staff trainings throughout the district , 2 ) she invited staff to join a district LGBT Committee and , 3 ) she asked ACSA to be a partner in creating a one-day workshop to support superintendents , school boards and other school leaders with meeting the needs of LGBTQ students . This three-pronged approach is moving Anaheim ESD forward in understanding the needs of students and recent laws guiding the work of the curriculum , human resources and pupil services departments in the district . Many school administrators are neither trained nor feel comfortable actively addressing issues of inequity faced every day in school by gender non-conforming and sexuality-minority students , families and school personnel . Their lack of knowledge makes it difficult for school leaders , who may not feel prepared or know enough about sexual and gender diversity to lead a school staff in making decisions aimed at preserving the dignity of LGBTQ students and to create a safe school climate . ACSA is partnering with Anaheim Elementary School District to provide a one-day workshop to equip school leaders with the knowledge , skills and tools to ensure LGBTQ students are educated in a safe and inclusive environment , free from bias , harassment and discrimination , and to better serve at-risk LGBTQ students . This full day workshop , in collaboration with the LGBT Center OC , will include keynote speaker Asaf Orr , Transgender Youth Project staff attorney from the National Center for Lesbian Rights , and breakout sessions presented by the LGBT Center OC , Equality California , PFLAG and others . Attending this workshop will allow participants to :
• Become familiar with sexual orientation and gender definitions , terms and transitions .
• Understand research and data related to LGBTQ youth and their families .
• Learn about current laws and their application in schools .
• Share best practices for creating safe and welcoming school climates through LGBTQ policies and procedures .
• Learn tools for protecting LGBTQ students from bullying and violence .
• Support transitioning youth , employees or parents in the school community .
• Lead staff in LGBTQ youth initiatives and professional develop .
Register at http :// www . cvent . com / d / qtqqrm .