ACSA Administrators of the Year to be honored at 2018 Leadership Summit
Education California | The official newspaper of the Association of California School Administrators Volume 47 | Number 24 | March 26 , 2018
CDE announces federal assistance for schools affected by December wildfires
The California Department of Education announced that $ 2 million in federal assistance is now available to help school districts affected by the devastating October 2017 wildfires in Butte , Lake , Mendocino , Napa , Nevada , Orange , Sonoma and Yuba counties . The federal assistance comes from a School Emergency Response to Violence ( Project SERV ) grant , administered by the U . S . Department of Education . Project SERV funding may be used to reimburse LEAs for select expenses incurred as they worked quickly to reopen their respective schools last year .
Sacramento City USD Superintendent Jorge Aguilar is using data to achieve equitable results .
District uses data to drive student strategies
School districts across the nation are increasingly using data to drive strategies for addressing inequities and closing the achievement gap . Sacramento City Unified School District Superintendent Jorge Aguilar is pioneering the use of data in SCUSD to identify strategies for increasing the diversity of students that apply to the district ’ s specialty programs .
“ Every system is perfectly designed to get the results it gets ,” Aguilar said . “ Our task is to create a system where every student has an equal opportunity to graduate with the greatest number of postsecondary choices from the widest array of options . Today , unfortunately , that guiding principle has not yet come to light for every student .”
Aguilar is a first-year superintendent at SCUSD , which is one of the oldest K-12 districts in the western United States . In total , 81 percent of
Periodicals Dated Material
“ Many of these districts suffered widespread school closures , massive displacement of students and staff , and devastating losses from these horrific fires ,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson . Reimbursable expenses may include hiring substitute teachers and renting vans to transport students from temporary housing to alternative school sites . Project SERV funds also may be used to reimburse LEAs for targeted mental health assessments and services and for overtime for teachers , counselors , security officers , and other staff . Funds cannot be used for
the district ’ s students are minorities . Recognizing that students entering a specialty program are better positioned to achieve the district ’ s guiding principle , Aguilar is using data to analyze why the population of students in these rigorous specialty programs does not reflect the diversity of the district .
According to Aguilar ’ s analysis , diversifying the district ’ s specialty programs is a pipeline issue . Students who do not achieve grade level readiness in the years prior to entering high school are not only ineligible for the programs , they are also less likely to have undergone the preparation necessary to be successful in the programs .
Aguilar ’ s review of the data revealed that there is a disproportionate representation in the pipeline of eligible applicants . For example , White eighth-grade students accepted into
See SAC CITY , page 4 claims under insurance coverage or new construction or supplies .
LEAs are awarded the funds after an application process that includes a one-page needs assessment submitted to the CDE . The application deadline has passed for the October 2017 wildfires .
However , CDE is accepting Project SERV applications until March 30 , 2018 , for the December 2017 wildfires in Santa Barbara , San Diego , Los Angeles , and Ventura counties . More information can be found on the CDE Project SERV grant funding webpage at https :// goo . gl / Rqxacw .
ACSA sponsors legislation on base funding
ACSA is co-sponsoring a bill in the Assembly , AB 2808 ( Muratsuchi ). This bill would establish new , higher funding targets under the Local Control Funding Formula . Specifically , this proposal would increase the LCFF base grants starting in the 2018-19 fiscal year , and also result in increases to the supplemental and concentration grant amounts per current law . This legislation is a top priority for ACSA and will be among the key messaging as part of the upcoming 2018 Legislative Action Day .
As most school leaders are aware , to great fanfare Gov . Jerry Brown proposed the final step to fully fund the LCFF in his January budget proposal . Although schools are certainly grateful for this proposal , it should be noted that all along the goal has simply been a restoration of the cuts K-12 suffered during the Great Recession . Full funding of LCFF simply brings schools back to where they were before the draconian cuts hit .
ACSA is supporting this proposed $ 2.9 billion in ongoing funds through the LCFF to bring school funding up to the inflationadjusted 2007-08 funding levels . It needs to be noted though that California still ranks anywhere from 35th to the bottom 40 ’ s nationally in per pupil funding , depending on whose rankings one reads .
Once the LCFF targets established in 2013 are reached in 2018-19 , there is no plan for how Proposition 98 funding increases will be allocated to schools . A new goal with an aspirational growth target is required to reach the Prop . 98 constitutional goals of investing in our students and to fund the new fixed costs that continue to escalate year after year .
See AB 2808 , page 5
ACSA ’ s Awards Committee has completed the challenging task of selecting the statewide Administrator of the Year award recipients . After reviewing the numerous , high-quality nominations that came forward , the committee selected the best of the best to recognize . Five special award winners and winners from 21 job-alike categories will be honored at the 2018 Leadership Summit , Nov . 8-10 in San Diego .
Special awards
• Ferd . Kiesel Memorial Distinguished Service Award : Elliott Duchon , superintendent , Jurupa Unified School District , Region 19 .
• Marcus Foster Memorial Award for Administrator Excellence : Stacy Love Bryant , deputy superintendent , Palmdale School District , Region 15 .
Women ' s Forum . Mark your calendars now for ACSA ' s popular Women in School Leadership Forum . The conference will take place Sept . 26-28 in Newport Beach . The event offers powerful learning and networking opportunities for all school leaders .
Grants guide . Dreambox Learning offers the newly updated 2018 Grants Guide , containing more than 55 links to organizations and businesses that offer a variety of cash or in-kind donations to help fund STEM programs for K-8 students , new technology for classrooms , and even professional development opportunities for educators . Access https :// goo . gl / ZmyyGH to see detailed grant listings , tips for how to apply , and the latest details on ESSA funding .
Teacher summit . The Better Together : California Teachers Summit will be back for a fourth year Friday , July 27 . The free statewide day of learning is an opportunity for teachers to share ideas and resources , re-energize ahead of the new school year and be a part of a teacher network that will last well beyond the event . The theme this year is “ It ’ s Personal : Meeting the Needs of Every Student .” The event will include tailored strategies that give students voice and choice in their learning , increase engagement and generate better outcomes . Save the date . Visit http :// cateacherssummit . com .
NAESP VP . The 2018 NAESP vice president election is open through March 30 . Kimbrelle Barbosa Lewis , principal of Cordova Elementary School in Cordova , Tenn ., and Thomas Payton , principal of Roanoke Avenue Elementary in Riverhead , N . Y ., are running for the office . On March 20 , eligible NAESP voters received an email with a customized link to cast their vote . For more information , visit www . naesp . org / election .
ACSA Administrators of the Year to be honored at 2018 Leadership Summit
• Robert E . Kelly Award : Laurel Olsen , Region 8 .
• Partners in Educational Excellence Award : Footsteps2Brilliance Literacy Partnership , Region 12 .
• Valuing Diversity Award : Manuel Colón , chief academic officer , Educational Services , Anaheim Union High School District , Region 17
California Administrators of the Year
• Superintendent of the Year : Mary McNeil , superintendent , Needles Unified School District , Region 12 .
• Secondary Principal of the Year : Mark Anderson , secondary principal , Marshal Fundamental , Pasadena Unified School District , Region 15 .
See AOYs , page 2