– Yadira Moreno
Armelino named to lead California Collaborative for Educational Excellence
BUDGET
Continued from page 1
budget compromise provides resources for CDE to develop a LCAP Budget Summary for Parents intended to improve LCFF transparency , as well as one-time resources for CDE to redesign the LCAP template with the intent to streamline the existing reporting information .
• One-Time Discretionary Grants - The compromise provides $ 1 billion in onetime fully discretionary funds to school districts , charter schools , and county offices of education . This provides roughly $ 168 per ADA . These funds will directly offset any unreimbursed state mandate claims .
• Career Technical Education – The end result for K-12 CTE provides two separate funding streams to support CTE in schools - $ 150 million ongoing funding for the CTE Incentive Grant Program , to be administered by CDE , and $ 150 million ongoing funding for the governor ’ s proposed K-12 CTE program administered through the community college Strong Workforce Program . There will also be $ 14 million ongoing Prop . 98 funding to support the Workforce Pathway Coordinators , K-14
Tom Armelino , former ACSA president and the executive director of the National Association of School Superintendents , was named last week as the new executive director of the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence .
“ I ’ m excited and honored to serve as the next executive director for the CCEE ,” Armelino said . “ CCEE was designed to be an organization that works as a collaborative partner doing important work for children by helping and supporting its partners statewide .”
Created in 2013 under California ’ s Local Control Funding Formula , CCEE provides support to county offices of education , school districts and charter schools needing assistance in improving learning for all students . CCEE is one of three entities making up the Statewide System of Support .
Armelino is impressed with the collective efforts of the CCEE to serve California students over the past three years .
“ CCEE is working with county offices and the California Department of Education as part of the Statewide System of Support , and a lot of the work will be driven by need ,” he said . “ One of our goals is built around providing support and be a thought partner and resource for help – with our county partners we can come alongside district
Armelino and charter school leaders
and say how can we help .” Armelino served as ACSA president
Technical Assistance Providers and the Strong Workforce consortia administrative costs , as proposed by the governor .
• The budget compromise provides $ 300 million in one-time funds for low-performing students . There are currently no details on the allocation of these funds , what they can be used for , and who would benefit from the one-time resources .
• Full-day Kindergarten - $ 100 million one-time funds for facility grants for fullday Kindergarten programs . However , it does not provide an ongoing increased rate for those programs .
• Systems of Support – The budget includes approximately $ 55 million ongoing funds for the county offices of education to continue to build its capacity and that of school districts that have been identified for differentiated assistance under LCFF .
• Local Solutions Grant Program - $ 50 million in one-time funds for the governor ’ s proposal for a program to provide grants to local educational agencies for identified solutions to address local special education teacher needs .
• Teacher Residency Program - $ 50 million in one-time funds for the governor ’ s teacher residency program for special
from 2015-16 and comes to the CCEE with vast experience as an instructional leader . Prior to his current position with NASS , he served as superintendent of the Shasta County Office of Education for 11 years , a district superintendent , assistant superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction , principal and classroom teacher and has been in public education for more than 32 years . He also played a role in launching LCFF as a member of Gov . Jerry Brown ’ s education policy “ kitchen cabinet .”
He believes his LCFF and LCAP experience , and relationships with county offices of education and the leadership roles he has served in through his work with ACSA school district leaders will be of great benefit to CCEE moving forward .
“ CCEE is unique in that it doesn ’ t come with the same accountability restrictions as other agencies in the past ,” Armelino said . “ This allows us to reduce some of the discomfort that comes with compliance so we can serve as a resource with expertise and as a partner in the work .”
Armelino replaces current CCEE executive director Carl Cohn . Armelino will officially begin working in his new capacity beginning July 1 .
Helping teachers deal with stress and burnout
This article was written by Lou E . Whitaker at Meteor Education , an ACSA Partner- 4Purpose .
Burnout . You can ’ t have burnout unless there was once a fire . So what happens when a teacher reaches the burnout stage ? When the passion for teaching begins to fade and teachers no longer have the energy and enthusiasm they once had ? Their work becomes overwhelming and they feel little or no personal reward for the amount of effort they put forth . Neurologically , how has the brain changed ? Can we prevent this from happening in our school systems today ? And more importantly , can the flame be rekindled – can people suffering from burnout ever recover ?
In 1974 , psychologist Herbert Freudenberger was the first to coin the term “ burnout .” In his book , “ Burnout : The High Cost of High Achievement ,” Freudenberger wrote , burnout is “ the extinction of motivation or incentive , especially where one ’ s devotion to cause or relationship fails to produce the desired results .”
What happens during burnout ?
Esther Sternberg , in her book , “ The Balance Within : The Science Connecting Health and Emotions ,” discusses the relationship of the central nervous system and the immune system . Immune molecules made in the blood can activate brain function . She explains how stress directly connects our emotional and physical health .
According to Sternberg , nurses and teachers are among those at highest risk for burnout . Sternberg writes :
“ These professionals are faced daily with caregiving situations in their work lives , often with inadequate pay , inadequate help in their jobs , and with too many patients or students in their charge . Some studies are beginning to show that burnt-out [ nurses and teachers ] may have not only psychological burnout , but also physiological burnout : a flattened cortisol response and inability to respond to any stress with even a slight burst of cortisol . In other words , chronic unrelenting stress can change the stress response itself . And it can change other hormone systems in the body as well .”
A study conducted by Armita Golkar at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden , and cited by the Association for Psychological Science , examines how burnout can actually change the brain . When one has a feeling of ineffectiveness , detachment , or feels unvalued , many times it ’ s because of chronic stress . The neural circuits in the brain actually change . This makes it more difficult for the individual to handle stressful situations . This vicious cycle continues so “ the more stressed you are , the harder it is to deal with stressors in the future .”
The study looked at a group that was considered burnt-out and a control group that was considered healthy , not affected by burnout . Using a functional MRI ( fMRI ) to evaluate functional brain connectivity , they found that the burnt-out workers had less control over their reactions to negative experiences . At times , they were not able to control their distress .
What was happening to the brain to cause this response ? Looking closely at the amygdala ( the area associated with anxiety and fear ) was found to be enlarged in those individuals who were burnt out and had occupational stress . They also found that the connections were weaker between the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala . “ These individuals have a feeling of being overly sensitive to negativity , or unable to control emotions , when burnt out , they confirm that such emotional impairments indeed have neurobiological underpinnings .”
Burnout is much more than just an emotional response to long hours of work . There is more and more scientific evidence showing that burnout takes a physical toll that concerns more than just teaching and our professional lives . It stifles healthy professional growth . Chronic stress impairs personal and social functioning , “… it also can overwhelm their cognitive skills and neuroendocrine systems – eventually leading to distinctive changes in the anatomy and functioning of the brain .”
Scientists now know that the brain ’ s physical structure changes and scientists are seeing that burnout can affect cognitive function that are related to creativity , working memory , problem solving and other executive functions .
What causes burnout ?
• Lack of control : When you don ’ t feel you have a lot to say with what is going on in your job , or you have a sense that you
See BURNOUT , page 7
education teachers , plus an additional $ 25 million for the Assembly proposal to include teachers in other shortage areas , including Science , Technology , Engineering and Math and bilingual education .
• Adult Education – the Adult Education Block Grant will receive a cost-of-living-adjustment for the first time since its creation in 2015 .
• School Facilities / Prop . 51 School Bond – the governor rejected the Legislature ’ s proposal to require the Office of Public School Construction to process $ 1.5 billion worth of Prop . 51 bond applications each year through 2021-22 . Instead , the only bond funds that will be issued in 2018-19 are the $ 640 million proposed by the governor .
• There is no new ongoing funding for special education equalization , no new preschool slots beyond the 2,959 slots agreed in 2016 , and no new funding for the After School Education and Safety Program . However , the budget includes $ 15 million in one-time funds for the After School Kids Code Program .
Contact Martha Alvarez , ACSA Legislative Advocate , at malvarez @ acsa . org for questions .
June 18 , 2018 EDCAL 3
As administrators , we have the responsibility to hire the most qualified teachers to educate our students . As California continues to grapple with academic achievement , we must search for teachers who understand and value the diversity of our students . The population of students of color is growing exponentially , thereby creating more racially diverse schools and a need for diverse teachers whose racial , ethnic , and cultural backgrounds resemble our students . Students of color make-up 77 percent of California enrollment . However , according to data from the California Department of Education , teachers of color continue to be underrepresented in schools , with 65 percent of teachers in California being White . Research suggests that to ensure students of color engage with teachers of color in the classroom , an aggressive intervention is needed to prepared them to enter the teaching profession .
Homegrown teachers are those who have made a choice to teach in the community they were raised and educated . Homegrown teachers are connected to the needs of the community as a result of their upbringing in these same neighborhoods . Research shows that being raised and educated where they teach allows teachers to have a special bond with their students . This connection to students and their community supports their learning and communication with parents as homegrown teachers speak the language of the community .
Urban school teachers who lack an understanding of diversity and poverty find it difficult to relate and understand urban youth in the school setting . Thus educating teachers on cultural proficiency supports the development of understanding the complexities and vulnerability of urban youth . Recruiting and supporting students in urban schools who seek a future in education helps diversify and prepare teachers to enter the teaching profession . A 2017 study shows that by creating critical mentoring relationships and providing students the opportunity to participate in intentional career exposure activities , students and teachers will further their commitment to the profession through mentorship . As leaders , we have a need to find future teachers who can thrive in the classroom . Hiring teachers who are culturally proficient and who understand the unique needs of urban schools and students is paramount in today ’ s classrooms .
Homegrown teachers may be the answer to this puzzle . Homegrown teachers understand the struggle of students of color , since they come back and serve vulnerable youth . As we hire teachers and staff who will represent our organizations , we must examine our hiring processes , interview questions , and ensure candidates encompass our local communities . Homegrown teachers may be our best kept secret for educating students of color . They could be the hidden gems awaiting discovery .
– Yadira Moreno
Principal , Anaheim ESD , Chair , ACSA Equity
Committee