How to Dismantle an Effective and Progressive School District - Encinitas Union School Board Elections 2010

Seeing the words 'slate' and 'fiscal responsibility' in this North County Times article  sounds creepily familiar, as this is exactly how the last Del Mar Union School District Board of Trustees elections started off.  In their term, that board fired a superintendent, hired a new superintendent, fired that superintendent and created a climate of disillusion and fear, exhausting off well respected administrators into leaving or retiring, in what once was a flagship of the San Diego County School District. Now two members of that slate are not running, leaving Del Mar Union School District administration, staff and incoming trustees to clean up their mess. I would hate to see Encinitas Union School District led down the same path for the next four years.

There will be a candidate forum Monday, September 27 at El Camino Creek Elementary School at 6:30. Stay tuned.

Marla Strich - incumbment
Cindy Gray
Shira Martorana  
Bill McCorkle
Saul Lisauskas - Encinitas Citizens Brigade
Emily Andrade - retired EUSD Principal
Allan Juliussen 
Gregg Sonken - retired EUSD Principal

Board Meeting Agenda for Tuesday, August 17

Happy Birthday to you. Uh, me. Errr, us!

Alright, it's a little early, but on May 14 of last year, I posted the first entry on this blog. It was after a very disheartening meeting with Lean King, Dan Grider and a group of parents and teachers in the library of PEC to discuss our hopes for a principal. If you were there, you might remember there was some discussion about communication between all of us being a problem. That's where the idea for this blog came from. I appreciate you checking in and commenting over the year. The ranting, not so much. To commemorate a year, I had some work done, a little nip here, a little tuck there, you like? Thanks for spreading the word. Highlights and lowlights of the last year include:

• The hiring of Adriana Chavarin as our principal at PEC. I was impressed early on, and think she can lead this school to more great things.
• The many hours spent at Board meetings on the Hazelton's mismanagement of the Theory into Practice Academy, leading to its shutdown and displacement of a lot of families.
• The election. I supported Skiljan/Page and still think think it was the right choice, but I appreciate Mo Muir's dedication to her constituency: parents who feel they are not being heard by the board. She reminds her colleagues frequently why she is in the chair. Let's see if the board settles in to a working peace.
• Lean King's raise. Followed by his retirement announcement. Hmmmmmm.
• The budget crisis and Abby Saddat's handling of district finances like James Bond in Goldfinger driving an Astin Martin DB5 in a car chase. I wish my school district had it so together.
• How awesome Central School looks and feels with the great work of our principal, PTA, parent volunteers and, of course, students.

What's next?

• Big items for the year obviously start with what looks like the hiring of our new superintendent, Dr. Timothy Baird, and the continuing budget crisis. Special meeting is Monday, May 11 at the DO. A new era in EUSD politics or more of the same?
• I still see equity between schools as being something that we all need to look at. The Del Mar Foundation is now distributing all income equally to all schools. It might knock some people out of donating, but what gets donated will be spread equally. Can we do this with EEF?
• Aligning the ALP programs at Capri and Paul Ecke Central. The board is looking for test scores to improve at both schools. If this alignment goes well, it could make this program a bright feather in the cap of the district. If not, I don't know how long the program will exist.

What do you remember from the last year? What do you hope to see in the next?

4/21 Board Meeting Roundup

Last week's Board meeting was chock full o' information, and mostly good.

1. Congratulations Sue Liesegang, Central Teacher of the Year and Amy Leon, Central Classified Employee of the Year!

2. Superintendent search continues

• Public comment definitely hopes for parent involvement in the process.
• Mo Muir doesn't feel the consultants report was comprehensive enough.
• Cathy Regan firm that this was the job board members were elected to do.
• Debate most likely won't continue as site visit of future superintendent tentatively scheduled for next week.

3. Proposed alignment of Capri and Central Bilingual programs to move forward. More than a few parents confused, but pleased, at the district's about face on this one.

4. Technology Refresh

• Comprehensive district wide evaluation of what we have with technology versus where we are going. Technology Committee meets on Tuesday, April 27. Email Dan Grider if you are interested in participating. I am impressed with what the district has done since I've been a parent at PEC, and especially the rapid improvements in many areas since I started this blog last year. For those of you that remember the computer lab in the broom closet attached to the library in 2005, you know what I mean. Teachers are in the trenches with driving this progress, and the support of Lean King, Dan Grider and the board make it possible. In his first year in the technology position, I really believe Mike Guerena is turning it up to 11 (which is one louder than ten). Look for great things in the Encinitas Union School District with where we are headed with integrating technology into classrooms.

County Office of Education Swine Flu Information

The White House Garden

The students of Bancroft Elementary School help First Lady Michelle Obama plant the White House vegetable garden. It is great to see more and more educators nationwide getting students of all ages out into the garden. With a little water, sun and TLC the First Family's garden might look as good as our two awesome gardens at PEC!

Third time the charm?

The garden that greets students, staff and visitors walking into Central School has had a few makeovers since it was put in last fall. This time, though, it looks like the garden might actually survive direct sunlight through the day. Thanks to Mrs. Chadwick's hard working third grade class and a few awesome parent volunteers   (full disclosure - I'm married to one of said awesome parent volunteers) the  west side of the garden has been weeded and replanted with plants more adapted to the climate. Next up, the east side of the garden which will be completed by another classroom. Awesome work third graders!

Sixth grade parents be afraid.....be very afraid.

I bear not think about what '.ings' will be going on when my 6 year old starts high school. Ugh.

PEC Technology Survey

PEC wants your help in planning for technology by taking a brief online survey. Click here to go to the PEC home page. The link is on the far right, the second one under the large 'Join Central News' link. You'll enter 'Paul Ecke' to find the correct school and the survey takes about five minutes to complete. Your response will guide where PEC/EUSD go with technology. The PTA has funds earmarked for a consultant to be in the tech lab and this survey offers many options for your opinions on what you would see is important for students to be doing with technology beyond Success Maker!

Board Meeting Tuesday Night

Here's the agenda for Tuesday night's board meeting. Nothing too substantial to the untrained eye. Mo Muir will be sitting in on her first meeting as an elected board member.

It's Election Day!

PEC Fundraiser at Vigilucci's Ristorante & Pizzeria and Robbie's

On Wednesday, November 5, the elections will be over, and who is going to feel like cooking with either the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat. The solution: Vigilucci's Ristorante & Pizzeria and Robbie's restaurant in Leucadia (just north of the Pannikin). 20% of all food and beverage sales will be donated to PEC/EEF. The restaurants will be serving PEC/EUSD families from 4-9 PM. See you there!


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My endorsement for EUSD School Board

From Encinitas School Board

For what it's worth, I'm voting for Skiljan/Page for the EUSD Board. My observations of many in the current EUSD administration is that they are cavalier in dealing with concerns from the community they serve. I believe Mary will bring perspective to the board about the needs of our schools. Mary is an active parent at Ocean Knoll Elementary School, previously one of the 'underperforming' schools in the district. I am confident she understands what makes each of our schools unique. In addition, in conversation with her and from her comments at the League of Women Voters Forum, I know she is not willing to let students settle for anything less than their best. Issues that I think the board will be dealing with in the future: the Pacific View property, equity at all schools in EUSD and preparing our kids for the 'flattening world'.

Did you watch the candidates?

From Pacific View School property

The moderator was in position, the candidates took their places and had two minutes to respond to questions. I'm not talking about the Presidential debate, but the EUSD School Board forum held at the San Dieguito Academy on Tuesday night. Of the three candidates, Carol Skiljan, Mary Page and Maureen 'Mo' Muir, only Skiljan and Page showed up. The event was put on by the League of Women Voters and moderated by Lois Martins. About 40+ people showed up for the forum and provided questions for the two candidates. As the TIP Academy is no longer on the EUSD board agenda, there really aren't many tough questions to ask. We're a basic aid district, so the state budget is not a huge concern, test scores continue to improve, and the superintendent and the board seem to have a strong relationship. Skiljan answered questions very comfortably, as you'd expect from someone with 15 years experience. Page spoke from the experience of having two children who are in or have been in the Encinitas Union School District and her contributions to Ocean Knoll Elementary School. The only possible topic of contention between candidates is the future of the Pacific View property. The North County Times insinuates Muir is against the sale, but Both Skiljan and Page seem optomistic that the board and the city will come to an agreement. Take a walk around the Pacific View property and you can understand why the neighborhood wants minimal impact. At the same time, were this property privately owned, it would be seeing top dollar from developers. I've said it before, that property could fund a lot of art projects or even the new Paul Ecke Central stadium. The city council elections will be making a lot more noise about the future of Pacific View, but I am wondering how many of them have kids in the school district that this topic will effect.

A for effort, but not for execution

From Garden

From Garden

From Garden

I am not sure what all of these flowers are, but I am pretty sure they are not drought tolerant. In addition, the only time I grew fuchsia with success was in full shade, almost dark. These plants will get full sun every day of the year! Good try, but when these are all dead at the end this dry, hot October, how about planting some sage, butterfly bush and poppy!

School Board Candidates Forum

What are your questions for our candidates? 

Encinitas Teacher of the Year

I had the pleasure of attending the Salute to Teachers at the Balboa Theatre over the weekend. First grade teacher Wendy Craig, from El Camino Creek Elementary School was EUSD's teacher of the year. Of the 43 teachers selected county wide, Wendy made it into the top ten.

I've had friends go through the teacher of the year process and it is no small feat, let alone making it into the top ten. From the top ten, five school teachers were selected to represent the county for the next year. Congratulations, Wendy!

And from the 'not ready to let this story die' department comes this pretty intensive summary of Mike Hazelton's career in charter school education. According to this report, he has left a trail of deceit and bankruptcy across the Southern California charter school community, yet manages to get hired back for more. One quote from the article likens him to one sixties animated series character.

"Is he Mr. Magoo who has left a trail of destruction? Or is it a cover he's perfected?" she asked. Either way, Flesh said, "he found a gravy train."

Oh, Magoo, you've done it again!

North County Transit District needs to know they're affecting our kids

From Transit pollution at PEC

From Transit pollution at PEC

From Transit pollution at PEC

I remember the first day I volunteered in my son's kindergarten room, which directly faces the train tracks in these pictures. When a train went by, I turned to look at the teacher and class full of 5 year olds, expecting that all of them would have hit the deck from the noise. However by that time, they were already so adjusted that they hardly paused before going back to work. I did not adjust as easily and am still irked that the power brokers in school, city and NCTD have not made at least this hundred yard stretch through Leucadia a priority to clean up and quiet down. The scary thing is that the noise is probably the least of all evils when I think about what is in those dust clouds blowing by. I remember not to long ago when the tracks from north to south were mulched. My understanding is that tree trimming companies were allowed to dump their mulch along the tracks. J.P.  at Leucadia Blog has written about this numerous times and has said that the NCTD put a stop to the mulching. J.P's writes in his most recent post: 

"The following is copied from the San Diego Air Pollution Control District
website:

"Prohibition against causing a public nuisance. California Health and Safety Code [
http://www.arb.ca.gov/bluebook/bluebook.htm ] Section 41700 states that no
person can discharge air contaminants that cause injury, nuisance or annoyance to any considerable number of persons or the public, or discharge air contaminants that endanger the comfort, health or safety of such persons. 

If a business violates this prohibition or any other air quality requirement, the District may issue a Notice of Violation to the business.

If a Notice of Violation is issued, the business must take action to correct the violation and pay a monetary penalty to the District.

Penalties are determined in accordance with Health and Safety Code Sections 42400 – 42403."



If you are annoyed by the air pollution caused by the trains, please go to the following website and fill out the Nuisance Complaint Form.

http://www.sdapcd.org/comply/cplt/cpltprog.html



Please send this to anyone else you know along the tracks, perhaps if a "considerable" number of people complain something will be done.

Maybe the PTA for Paul Ecke Central could start a petition and encourage all members to send in a complaint considering NCTD is polluting our kids lungs while they are out running around in the playground.
"

 Our school has never looked better and the NCTD needs to know we're not stopping with the landscaping and a fresh coat of paint. Get everyone you can to sign a Nuisance Complaint form. It's time for PEC parents to make some noise about the noise!

Got fluff?

Ugh. Test scores. It saddens me that state API scores create such a frenzy in the media, especially when, even as a teacher, the breakdown of scores into subgroups and sub-subgroups baffles me. Yet these are the numbers that up real estate values, printed in the newspaper as three digits that for the masses simply signify whether a school is 'good' or 'bad'. Paul Ecke Central School teachers should be commended on their hard work every day and that the school is no longer designated by the state as 'Program Improvement' is even more cause for celebration.

What is serendipitous about reading all the news about North County test scores this year is that the first school I ever taught at was also just taken off the PI list and, far away in the 900's, the school where I currently teach received the second highest scores in the county. I thought I'd have some valuable insight from being at two schools so far apart on the API spectrum, but I don't. Walk by any classroom in either school, and you are going to see dedicated and enthusiastic teachers delivering the best instruction they can with the resources they have to students who are eager to learn. One school is older than the other, but physically there is really no difference between the two. All the rest that would effect standardized testing (and pan out in subgroups) is out of the hands of teachers.

What you will see at both schools I have taught at are enrichment activities going on every day at every grade level. The same is true for Paul Ecke Central. The PTA at all of the schools in the EUSD work hard to enusre that students are receiving enrichment istruction in art, music, and ideally, science and technology. That is why it pains me to read in the North County Times today that principal Anjelica Lopez credits their jump in scores to eliminating the 'fluff' of enrichment during the school day. Assuming she was not misquoted, this shows a misguided vision of education. Sitting at the last school board meeting as test scores were looked over with a fine tooth comb, superitendents and board members fawned over Ocean Knoll's improvement. I can't help but wonder if we can look forward to a cutback on 'fluff' just as our PEC PTA has raised the money to hire technology and science consultants. As always, keep an eye on the school board agenda for upcoming meetings. Make your voice heard.

Where do the Presidential candidates stand on education?

This is a quick and easy overview of the Presidential candidates' plans for your child's education from Edutopia Magazine.