Board–A-Gram

February 2016

1290 Ridder Park Drive, MC 202, San Jose, CA 95131-2304

PHONE: 408-406-4974 | execdirector@sccsba.org | www.sccoe.org/sccsba | Facebook: SCCSBA |

President’s Corner by Bob Benevento

I never cease to be impressed with caliber of trustees who work so hard in support of their districts, schools, students and their community. Every year school board members from throughout our county Association, as well as trustees throughout the state, submit their names as candidates for the CSBA Delegate Assembly through their local district. With their local board approval, those interested complete a questionnaire, attach an optional resume and submit the applications to CSBA as prospective candidates. The applications are then distributed to all member districts throughout each CSBA Region, ours being Region 20. At our last meeting in January, the candidates in attendance were allowed several minutes to present themselves, and I have to tell you, they are indeed an impressive bunch. In the coming weeks each board in Region 20, Santa Clara County, will have the opportunity to review the applications and to vote for five candidates in our Region. Each school district gets to return one ballot identifying the five candidates of their choice to CSBA, who then reports the results. So, when it comes time to vote in your district, please read the applications carefully, consult with the board member who is your representative to SCCSBA for their feedback, and vote as your conscience directs. All of the candidates are impressive and willing to commit their time for the benefit of our students, our districts and our region. They are all winners and are to be appreciated for their dedication! Our January meeting was well attended, and we had members from some of our smallest districts present. Their participation in our monthly discussion “School District Consolidation” was well received and made us aware of some of the challenges, as well as the local political, financial and academic perspective, about consolidating with the larger districts. Suffice it to say, at this time district consolidation is not something most want to pursue. Our February meeting looks to be quite busy. We will be hearing a report from our Nominating Committee regarding SCCSBA Officer Candidates for the 2016-2017 school year, and our monthly discussion issue will be on LCAPs, led by member Nancy Newkirk. County Superintendent John Gundry will also be joining us for a presentation. So, please be on time if at all possible so we can conclude our meeting as close to 9:00 PM as possible. Have a great month, and don’t forget to register for our Annual Legislative Brunch scheduled for March 5th!

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Next SCCBA Monthly Meeting – February 24

The SCCSBA’s next monthly meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 24 in the Milpitas Room of the Santa Clara County Office of Education. The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. and runs until 9:00 p.m. Our featured guest speaker will be County Superintendent Jon R. Gundry. Following Superintendent Gundry’s talk, we will have a Round Table conversation on District LCAPs. We welcome all school board members to our monthly meetings.

Next SCCSBA Friday Lunch – February 12

Our next Friday Lunch will be held on February 12. As part of our effort to hold these lunches in different parts of the county, our next lunch will be at El Torito Mexican Restaurant located at 477 East Calaveras, Milpitas, CA 95035. All school board members are welcome to these informal lunches.

(SCCSBA Members at Country Gourmet, Jan. 8)

SCCSBA/SCCOE Early Learning Symposium Recap

On Friday, February 5, the SCCSBA and Santa Clara County Office of Education partnered on an Early Learning Symposium hosted at Educare. The workshop brought together district leaders from across our county for an in-depth conversation about best practices, nonprofit partnership opportunities, and resources for bringing high quality Early Learning programs to local school districts. It was great to have superintendents and school board members learning about the issue together. Featured guest speakers included County Superintendent Jon R. Gundry, East Side Union High School District Superintendent Chris Funk, Franklin-McKinley School District Superintendent Juan Cruz, Educare Executive Director Lisa Kaufman, FIRST Five Santa Clara County CEO Jolene Smith, and Santa Clara County Board of Education Trustee Grace Mah.

Stay tuned for future SCCSBA/SCCOE workshops on topics of interest to superintendents and school board members.

Photos by SCCOE Staff

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SCCSBA 2016 Officers Bob Benevento, President Reid Myers, Vice President Danielle Cohen, Treasurer Albert Gonzalez, Past President District Representatives and Delegates Alum Rock USD Dolores Marquez Alum Rock USD Andres Quintero, Hospitality Chair and Delegate Berryessa USD Thelma Boac, Awards Co-Chair Cambrian SD Doron Aronson Campbell UHSD Linda Goytia Campbell USD Danielle Cohen, Delegate Cupertino USD Anjali Kausar, Awards Advisor and

Delegate East Side UHSD Frank Biehl, Delegate East Side UHSD Pattie Cortese Evergreen SD Sylvia Alvarez Evergreen SD Bonnie Mace, SCCSBA Executive Director and Delegate Franklin-McKinley SD George Sanchez, Delegate Fremont UHSD: Bill Wilson Gilroy Unified SD Linda Piceno Lakeside Joint SD Theresa Bond Loma Prieta JT.Union SD Ron Bourque Los Altos SD Tamara Logan Los Gatos USD Alex Potts Los Gatos/Saratoga UHSD Cynthia Chang, Delegate Luther Burbank SD Meghan Francis Metro ED/CCOC Matthew Dean Milpitas Unified SD Chris Norwood Moreland SD Brian Penzel Morgan Hill Unified SD Bob Benevento, Delegate Mount Pleasant SD Betty Martinez Mtn. View/Los Altos UHSD Joe Mitchner, Delegate Mountain View Whisman SD Ellen Wheeler, Legislative

Brunch and Candidates’ Workshop Oak Grove SD Carolyn Bauer Orchard SD Karl Jacobson Palo Alto Unified SD Melissa Baten Caswell San Jose Unified SD Susan Ellenberg San Jose Unified SD Pam Foley, Delegate SCC Board of Ed Darcie Green, Delegate SCC Board of Ed Rosemary Kamei, Representative Santa Clara Unified SD Albert Gonzalez, CSBA District

Director Region 20 Santa Clara Unified SD Michele Ryan Santa Clara Unified SD Jodi Muirhead, Awards Co-

Chair Saratoga USD Patty Buchanan Sunnyvale SD Reid Myers, Delegate/Fall Dinner Chair Sunnyvale SD Nancy Newkirk Union SD Harold Stuart

SCCSBA Legislative Brunch – March 5

A highlight of our school board year is our annual SCCSBA Legislative Brunch. This is the event where our members have the opportunity to sit with their local legislator to share conversations and concerns while enjoying a delicious brunch. A highlight of this event is the formal interview segment of these legislators using questions that we have jointly drafted. Again this year we are honored to have esteemed education reporter, John Fensterwald of EdSource, as the moderator of the panel segments. And again this year, we are thrilled to have the participation of Michael Kirst, the President of the State Board of Education. Date and Time: Saturday, March 5 from 9:00 a.m. until noon Location: Michael’s Restaurant at Shoreline (2960 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View) Cost: $30 per person (the same as last year) Register now at the following link: https://2016legislativebrunch.eventbrite.com All SCCSBA school board members and their superintendents are invited. And, all local state and federal elected officials will be invited. Questions: Contact Legislative Brunch Chair Ellen Wheeler (ewheeler@mvwsd.org)

CSBA Legislative Action Day – March 15

Don’t forget to register online for the annual CSBA Legislative Advocacy Day on March 15. This is our opportunity to visit our legislators in Sacramento and support the CSBA’s advocacy efforts. Register now at the following link: https://www.csba.org/Advocacy

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2015-16 Draft Calendar

Wednesday, September 23, 2015 Regular Monthly Meeting – Round Table Conversation on Student Assessment 7:30-9:00 p.m., Milpitas Room, SCCOE Thursday, October 1, 2015 Teacher of the Year Celebration 6:15-9:30 p.m., Heritage Theater, Campbell Wednesday, October 28, 2015 Fall Dinner – Dr. Francisco Reveles (Keynote) 6:00-9:00 p.m., Mission College Wednesday, November 18, 2015 Regular Monthly Meeting – Round Table Conversation on the Resegregation of America’s Schools 7:30-9:00 p.m., Milpitas Room, SCCOE Thursday-Saturday, December 3-5, 2015 CSBA Annual Education Conference San Diego Convention Center Hospitality Suite, December 3, 5:30-7:00.p.m. Wednesday, January 27, 2016 Regular Monthly Meeting – Informational Presentation on School District Consolidation/Delegate Assembly Candidate Presentations 7:30-9:00 p.m., Milpitas Room, SCCOE Wednesday, February 24, 2016 Regular Monthly Meeting – Guest Speaker: SCCOE Superintendent Jon Gundry Round Table Conversation on District LCAPs 7:30-9:00 p.m., Milpitas Room, SCCOE Saturday, March 5, 2016 Legislative Brunch 9:00 a.m. to Noon, Michael’s Restaurant at Shoreline Wednesday, March 23, 2016 Regular Monthly Meeting – Guest Speaker: Dr. Lisa Kaufman, Executive Director, Educare Round Table Conversation on Social/Emotional Learning 7:30-9:00 p.m., Milpitas Room, SCCOE Wednesday, April 27, 2016 32nd Annual Hoffmann Awards Dinner/Presentations 6:00-9:00 p.m., Tarragon Restaurant in Sunnyvale Wednesday, May 18, 2016 Annual Reorganization Dinner and Officers’ Installation 6:30-8:00 p.m., Venue TBD Saturday, June 11, 2016 Candidates Workshop 9:00 - 11:30 a.m., Mountain View-Whisman SD Board Room June TBD, 2016 New Officers’ Meeting, Venue TBD

School Board Leaders Academy

The American Leadership Forum (Silicon Valley) and the Santa Clara County Office of Education are offering a new School Board Leadership Academy, and classes are now open and begin in March. Please click the link below to register with SCCOE: http://santaclara.k12oms.org/201-109129 The program will offer a leadership development program that will provide training on the critical role of governance within the education space to newly elected, appointed, or current school board members in both the public and charter school space. School board members make critical decisions about the direction of education policy and programs in their school districts. School board members are responsible for leadership on budget, governance, supervision of Superintendents, and many school board members come into the job with minimal background experience in Board governance. The decisions they make can change the complexion of a school district for years to come with great impact to kids, families and teachers. The SBLA will focus on both relationship-building as well as instruction on Board governance and leadership in education. This will be structured with one two-day meeting and four quarterly full day meetings. ALF will lead the 2-day meeting as well as facilitate the quarterly meetings. This program will be done in partnership with the Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) as a 48 hour certification program. Each module will be awarded a badge upon completion and graduates will receive full certification upon completion of all the modules. Graduates will be celebrated at a COE board meeting. Additionally participants will be interacting with ALF Senior Fellows and leaders in the education space to discuss critical items that impact the students, teacher, parents and the region. Confirmed guest speakers and partners include the Santa Clara County Office of Education, Santa Clara County School Boards Association, California School Boards Association, Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley, Silicon Valley Education Foundation, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, SJSV Chamber of Commerce, South Bay Labor Council and other nonprofit service providers in Silicon Valley. Please contact Jenny Niklaus at the American Leadership Forum with any questions at jniklaus@alfsv.org.

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Santa Clara County Office of Education Spotlight

CDE Global Education Summit coming to Santa Clara County

The Super Bowl isn't the only big event coming to town in February. The Santa Clara County Office of Education will be the home of the California Global Education Summit hosted by the California Department of Education (CDE) on February 11, 2016.

“The CDE’s choice to host the Global Education Summit at our office is an honor and testament to the accomplishments of our Multilingual Education Services team, who work tirelessly to ensure all students have the opportunity to learn multiple languages and become true global citizens,” said County Superintendent of Schools Jon Gundry. “As a former ESL teacher myself, I’m looking forward to welcoming colleagues from throughout the state and collaborating around this important topic.”

The summit will bring together educators, institutes of higher education, policy makers, community leaders, and business partners to investigate the status of efforts that are promoting global education in California and to develop an action plan with recommendations for expanding and improving students' global competencies statewide. Over 150 leaders from throughout California will be attending this event, including Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Superintendent Gundry will provide a welcome and Dr. Yee Wan, Director of Multilingual Education Services, will serve as a moderator for a panel discussion on the statewide Seal of Biliteracy program. The event will also feature additional special guests and an announcement regarding a new SCCOE initiative. For more information about the summit, visit the California Global Education Network. To learn more about how the SCCOE is supporting English ------learner achievement and access to world languages for all students, visit the Multilingual Education Services website.

In other Santa Clara County Office of Education News:

Third annual “Heart & Soles 5K” supports healthy food options for students: Join our effort to help local

children make better food choices! The Santa Clara County Office of Education is a proud partner of the Lam

Research "Heart & Soles 5K," taking place Saturday, March 12 at Lake Cunningham Park in San Jose. The

family-oriented fun run, founded and produced by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group Foundation, funds

salad bars for participating local schools.

Superintendent of Schools Jon Gundry kicked off a new tradition at the January 21 SCCOE Leadership Team

meeting by delivering an inaugural State of the COE address. The speech touched on the office's recent

accomplishments, challenges, and previewed upcoming projects and initiatives in 2016. The address is

available in its entirety, and divided by topics such as early learning, the state budget and more.

Approximately 15 educators and administrators were experiencing the benefits and instruction of different dual

language models in action during a Red Carpet Tour, hosted by the SCCOE Multilingual Education Services

Department, February 3. The tour highlighted the growing number of dual language programs, with stops at

Ohlone Elementary School’s Mandarin Program and Escondido Elementary School’s Spanish Program.

177 “Young Cultural Ambassadors” build understanding, appreciation for five Santa Clara County schools:

Five campuses across Santa Clara County were buzzing with activity in January as 177 students, parents and

teachers from China celebrated their similarities and shared their differences through an exchange program

created by the Santa Clara County Office of Education and the Chinese Society of Education.”

Roughly 500 families and students attended our 9th Annual Migrant Education Parent Conference on January

23! Session topics included the legal rights of undocumented students, how to stand out in the college

admissions process, demystifying the special education system, and recognizing mental illness in children.

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The “What” of Educational Technology By Arati Nagaraj, Saratoga Union School District Board of Trustees, anagaraj@saratogausd.org

This month I am discussing Data Privacy, and defining some EdTech Buzzwords. Data Privacy: The latest discussion in the EdTech world has been about Student data privacy - How do we protect the identity of our students? 95% of the electronic products we use today - apps and services - require a login and password. This login “tags” you and tracks every move you make. These tags are stored as data within the app or service. How do we keep the real identity of the user anonymous and ensure it is not being misused? School districts are keeping track of personal data, academic performance, IEP information, behavior, etc. In the move to go “paperless”, we have to be diligent about ensuring this information is only used by the people who are authorized to use it. Here are some resources for you to be more informed of the work that your district office staff is continuously vigilant about. (Note: I am not endorsing either of these products or organizations) Education Framework Data Privacy Guidebook (courtesy of Cupertino Union School District for sharing this with me) EdTech Buzzwords: (Adapted from: An EdTech Buzzword Bingo Card and edshelf)

App Short for application; a piece of software, especially for a phone or tablet. Typically an app doesn't run in the web browser but instead must be downloaded, installed and run separately.

Blended Learning a formal education program in which a student learns at least in part online, with some element of student control over time, place, path, and/or pace; at least in part in a supervised brick-and-mortar location away from home; and the modalities along each student’s learning path within a course or subject are connected to provide an integrated learning experience. (Christensen Institute)

CMS: Content Management System is a computer application that allows publishing, editing, modifying, organizing, deleting, and maintaining content from a central interface. (Wikipedia) Example: Google Drive

Education Technology (EdTech) A broad term that relates to anything connected to technology use in the classroom

E-Learning Instruction that is delivered via an digital medium

LMS: Learning Management System is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting and delivery of electronic educational technology (also called e-learning) courses or training programs. (Wikipedia) Example: Google Classroom, Schoology

Open The term "open" as in "open educational resources" is associated with Creative Commons, an alternative to traditional copyright. Open-licensed digital content can be available for free for others to legally download, use and "remix," that is, change to suit.

Personalized Learning Learning experiences for all students are tailored to their individual developmental needs, skills, and interest.

SIS: Student Information System is a management information system for education establishments to manage student data. (Wikipedia) Example: PowerSchool, Aeries.

If you have other definitions you’d like to clarify, send me a note. Page 6

Santa Clara County District Highlights

As part of the SCCSBA’s ongoing mission of sharing best practices and news among our member districts, here are a

few current highlights submitted by our Santa Clara County Districts. We welcome submissions from all of our districts

every month.

East Side Union High School District News

In its commitment to focus education on 21st century skills, East Side Union High School District had its 17th annual Sciencepalooza! event at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds on January 23rd. Droves of excited and nervous East Side students filled the venue to exhibit their projects and share their concepts with judges. Areas of concentration included biological science, physical science and engineering. Sciencepalooza! allows students to gain experience in meeting deadlines, developing ideas or replicating tried-and-true experiments, conducting research, and analyzing and communicating their results. The event was primarily sponsored by the Synopsys Outreach Foundation. Below are several of the Award Winners: Synopsys Quality Award Overfelt High School Carol Evans Award-Most Entrants from a School Silver Creek High School Best Use of Technology Award Evergreen Valley High School Best Engineering Projects Santa Teresa High School Best Projects Concerning the Environment James Lick High School Rookie of the Year Overfelt High School

Evergreen School District News Super Kids, Super Sharing By, Bernadette Marcias, Carolyn Clark Elementary

At Carolyn Clark Elementary, Community Service is part of the school culture. The importance of giving back to the community and making a difference is ingrained in our students. So when the opportunity to participate in the SUPER KIDS SUPER SHARING Drive was presented, as the Student Council Advisor, I immediately said yes! The SUPER KIDS SUPER SHARING DRIVE is where local schools are encouraged to join in the Super Bowl community initiative. To gather gently used or new books, sports equipment and school supplies and place items in collection boxes at school. This initiative takes place within city hosting the Super Bowl.

From November 20 to December 18, our Student Council began collecting lightly used (or new) books, sports equipment and school supplies, cell phones. During our drive we collected over 2,041 items! One fifth grader alone, Janaya Llaneza donated over 230 books. Recently, a group of 32 students from Clark, ranging from 2nd grade to 6th grade, attended the SuperKids/ Super sharing event at Santa Clara University to help sort out all the items donated. Close to 20,000 items were sorted. Items sorted, were then shared with pre-selected local schools in need and other organizations that work with underserved children.

After sorting, students participated in football activities hosted by the San Francisco 49ers. Gold Rush Cheerleaders, Sough Dough Sam, and 49er players Andrew Tiller and Ian Williams also mingled with all the SUPER SHARING KIDS! Super kids, indeed.

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Santa Clara County District Highlights

Fremont Union High School District News Established in Sunnyvale in 1923, Fremont High School is in many ways a symbol of the history of Santa Clara County and Fremont graduates have overcome, persevered, and contributed in significant ways to our community and world. The Fremont High School Hall of Fame was recently created to celebrate this legacy and the following five inductees were selected for the inaugural Hall of Fame class:

Tino and Manuela Rodriguez (Class of 1944) – Community philanthropists

Charlie Olson (Class of 1952) – Sunnyvale cherry orchard pioneer

Francie Larrieu Smith (Class of 1970) – 5 time Olympic champion

Tully Banta-Cain (Class of 1998) – 2 time Super Bowl champion The Hall of Fame all-school rally was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the inductees and the evening awards ceremony was a further opportunity to showcase the inductees and pay tribute to their impressive achievements. Here is a link to the photos from the rally: https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-QVdBK7/

Photograph includes the FHS Inaugural Hall of Fame inductees: Manuela Rodriguez (Class of 1944), Charlie Olson (Class of 1952), Francie Larrieu Smith (Class of 1970), and Tully Banta- Cain (Class of 1998). Fellow inductee Tino Rodriguez died in 2010 and was honored posthumously.

MetroEd News

Silicon Valley Career Technical Education (SVCTE) held its annual College and Career Fair on February 3. More than 60 representatives from 34 community colleges, universities, trade schools, apprenticeships, military programs, and career resources participated in the fair. Students from every SVCTE class participated in the fair throughout the day. Medical Office Careers students Alexcis Gomez and Marissa Chavez said that the fair provided helpful information that will help them plan for their future after high school. Students came to the fair prepared with questions and were assigned a pre-and post-College Fair activity to complete. Each student also had a career “passport” to get stamped at different booths which encouraged them to

engage with the vendors and ask questions.

Silicon Valley CTE Open House:

You are invited to Silicon Valley Career Technical Education’s (SVCTE) Open House on February 25 from 8 to 10 am, 1 to 3 pm, and 5:30 to 7 pm. Come tour and observe hands-on student demonstrations and presentations.

MetroED 2015 Annual Report:

The MetroED 2015 Annual Report was recently released and provides a snapshot of MetroED and its programs at Silicon Valley Career Technical Education and Silicon Valley Adult Education.

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Santa Clara County District Highlights

Gilroy Unified School District News

At the Jan. 28 board meeting, the Gilroy Unified School District Board of Education honored four students who were named as either commended students or semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program. Students Jennifer Spaeth, Evan Franklin, Isabella Tomasello and Madeline Gullen were invited to the board meeting where they were presented with a certificate commemorating their achievement from Superintendent Dr. Deborah Flores and Board President Fred M. Tovar.

Congratulations are in order for Superintendent Dr. Deborah Flores, who has been chosen by ACSA Region 8 as the Superintendent of the Year, and Dr. Marco Sanchez, Principal of Gilroy High School, who has been named as ACSA Region 8 High School Principal of the Year. Both Dr. Flores and Dr. Sanchez will be honored at the ACSA Administrator of the Year Awards on Friday, May 13 in San Jose.

Franklin-McKinley School District News 21st Century Teaching & Learning

During the month of January, Franklin-McKinley School District (FMSD) had a technology takeover at various schools! The Board of Trustees approved a resolution last May for the 21st Century Teaching and Learning Plan to formalize the direction of FMSD’s instructional program. Three cohorts of FMSD schools were established to transform classrooms into technologically rich and highly engaging learning environments. To commemorate the distribution of new iPads, launch events were held at Los Arboles Literacy & Technology Academy (Los Arboles School) and Shirakawa School. Students, faculty, district administration, and Superintendent Juan Cruz attended the events. In preparation for the technology launch, teachers at Los Arboles and Shirakawa Schools received extensive training on shifting their instructional approach to include personalized learning and project-based learning strategies. Students will also receive in- depth instruction on digital citizenship, which includes safe browsing on the Internet and cyber bullying. Santee School is a proud recipient of an Apple grant through the White House ConnectEd Initiative. We are proud to be one of 114 schools nationwide to successfully submit and receive this grant. On January 27, 2016, students, parents, faculty, district administration, and Apple staff attended the launch event. Guests included Henry Yong, President of Evergreen Valley College, Manny Barbara, Vice

President, Silicon Valley Education Foundation, Dylan Simon, Representative for Mayor Sam Liccardo’s Office, Elizabeth Alvarez, Director, Franklin-McKinley Children’s Initiative, and Lisa Kaufman, Executive Director, Educare of California at Silicon Valley. The ConnectED grant will provide an iPad for every student, an iPad Mini and MacBook for every teacher, and an Apple TV for every classroom. They are also providing Santee School with software and educational content based on specific classroom needs, plus ongoing professional development and support. Click Here for the Apple ConnectED Launch video.

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