Morgan Hill Unified School District employees receive tribute and recognition from Superintendent Alan Nishino for their years of service during the Aug. 15 Welcome Back Assembly at Ann Sobrato High School, including El Toro Elementary School sixth-grade teacher Kirby Wood, standing left of Dr. Nishino, who has been with the district for more than 35 years. More than 850 school district employees and community leaders attended the event, including keynote speaker Santa Clara County Superintendent of Schools Charles Weis, Dr. President and Chief Executive Officer of EDEquity Edwin Javius, MHUSD trustees Peter Mandel, Shelle Thomas and Kathy Sullivan, Santa Clara County Board of Education President Jane Howard, Morgan Hill City Councilman Larry Carr, San Jose City Councilman Forrest Williams, Morgan Hill Police Chief Bruce Cumming and Cmdr. David Swing, Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce 2007 Chair Laura Brunton and Morgan Hill Sister City member and Morgan Hill Times Editorial Board member Julian Mancias.
Almost 9,000 Morgan Hill students returned to the district's 15 schools Tuesday with smiling faces.
It was business as usual on the first day, with teachers orienting students and teary-eyed parents dropping off equally teary-eyed students with bright, new backpacks and first-day jitters.
More parking for fall thanks to Measure E
Students and staff may have an easier time finding parking at the Gavilan College Gilroy campus this fall. Parking lot improvements are now underway. The improvements, funded by Measure E, the $108 million facilities bond measure passed by the voters in 2004, include resurfacing, landscaping, and lighting existing lots, and adding parking spaces through reconfiguration and expansion. In all, this summer's work will yield 347 additional parking spots.
The parking project's first phase, completed last summer, added more than 60 parking spaces along with lighting and landscaping. The project has been phased to minimize impact on students from construction.
Despite additional parking spaces, high enrollment growth kept parking lots crowded over the 2007/08 academic year. School officials expect even more enrollment this fall.
"We're happy to be able to provide more parking," said Director of Security Ana Hipol, "but we also want to encourage students to save gas and money by carpooling when possible to make the best use of these spots."
Semester-long parking permits are $40 for all day use, or from 7 a.m. - 10 p.m. and $20 for evenings only, or from 3 - 10 p.m. One-day parking permits are 75 cents. There is no fee to park at either the Hollister or Morgan Hill satellite sites, or on weekends at the Gilroy campus.
Educators' new ad calls for revenue, not rhetoric
Seniors, health care workers join teachers to prevent cuts with billboard launch
Sacramento, CA - Standing in front of a new traveling billboard portraying the human costs of a cuts-only state budget, local educators, senior advocates and health care workers on July 29 called on Republican legislators to close tax loopholes, not schools, health clinics, and fire stations.
The colorful mobile billboard, sponsored by the California Federation of Teachers and the Los Rios College Federation of Teachers, features a drawing of a school building being crushed by luxury vehicles. It symbolizes legislators' refusal to vote to close a loophole allowing wealthy yacht and private plane owners to skip paying sales tax, costing the state millions of dollars each year. The billboard will tour the streets of Sacramento, rotating the phone numbers of State Senator Cox and Assemblymembers Niello and Nakanishi.
"We need revenue, not rhetoric," said Dean Murakami, Los Rios College Federation of Teachers President.
The California Federation of Teachers represents faculty and other school employees in public and private schools and colleges, from early childhood through higher education.
Schools chief Jack O'Connell issues statement on court ruling that home schooling is allowed under California law
SACRAMENTO - State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell is pleased with the result of a court ruling that clarified that home schooling is allowed under state law.
O'Connell issued a statement following the 2nd District Court of Appeal 44-page ruling declared, "California statutes permit home schooling as a species of private school education."
O'Connell wrote in the statement that he was pleased the courts have clarified the right of California parents to home school their children.
"I have respected the right of parents to make educational decisions they feel are in the best interest of their children," he said. "It would be my wish that all children attend public school, but I understand that a traditional public school environment may not be the right setting for each and every child. It is my hope that (the) ruling will allay many fears and resolve confusion."
State schools superintendent unveils Algebra I Success Initiative
SACRAMENTO - O'Connell outlined the California Algebra I Success Initiative he developed to ensure all schools and all students have the resources necessary to prepare for and meet the new eighth-grade Algebra I mandate Tuesday.
The Algebra I mandate was voted on by the State Board of Education July 9.
"We can not demand that students meet this challenge without making the substantial changes to our entire system that will help students be successful in Algebra I in eighth grade," O'Connell said. "I have outlined a comprehensive plan to give our schools the support they need to help all students meet the Algebra I challenge. If implemented, the Algebra I Success Initiative will improve mathematics instruction and prepare all students for success in Algebra I in eighth grade. Since the Governor's Algebra I requirement takes effect in just three years, we must make the investments in our school system now in order to meet this extremely tight timetable for public education.
"It is now up to the Governor to keep his commitment by fully funding the Algebra I Success Initiative. If he is not willing to provide the full funding necessary to support our students and teachers in reaching this mandate, then it is incumbent on him to instruct the state board to reconsider the Algebra I requirement for all eighth graders."
State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell comments on signing of school data legislation
SACRAMENTO - State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today applauded the Governor for signing into law AB 2391.
AB 2391, sponsored by O'Connell and spearheaded by Assembly Member Jose Solorio (D-Anaheim), assists teachers and administrators in finding the most effective way in which to use student education data to improve instruction and student achievement.
"As I said in my State of Education address, effective schools use data to improve student achievement," O'Connell said. "This law will go a long way toward helping to close the achievement gap by enabling teachers and their districts to utilize student data in a meaningful way."
A number of recently released reports have recognized the need for the state to provide leadership in helping educators effectively use the student data generated by assessment and accountability programs.
AB 2391 provides much needed guidance to local educational agencies within an existing program for training in areas such as data analysis, alignment of assessment and instruction, implication of data, and its effect on increasing student achievement, impact on student success through diagnostic teaching, differentiating instruction through pacing and complexity, grouping as an aid to instruction, and statewide and local data management systems. This new law also allows the State Superintendent of Public Instruction to appoint an advisory committee to ensure the quality and effectiveness of the training.
Reading Is Fundamental speaks out against federal budget cuts affecting Vision Literacy
Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), the children's literacy nonprofit, provides more than 1,000 free books to children in Santa Clara County served by Vision Literacy. RIF is a federal government program and a decision at that level impacts the decisions and actions of others. President Bush has proposed eliminating funding to this organization, which concerns Vision Literacy of South County's associate manager Louise Shields.
"Unless Congress saves RIF's federal funding, the children and families we serve will no longer have RIF books to chose and keep," Shields said in a statement.
For the past 13 years, Vision Literacy has worked closely with the RIF program to promote literacy with children and families. Thanks to RIF, Vision Literacy has been able to offer free new books to children in Gilroy and Morgan Hill in conjunction with adult literacy programs there. Shields said research has shown that when kids read for fun they do better in school.
"As educators and parents, we must prepare our children for success in the information age," Shields said. "It is important that we do not allow these books to be taken away. Join me in writing Congressman Michael Honda and Senator Dianne Feinstein and Senator Barbara Boxer urging them to fund the RIF book program."
Details: rif.org
State schools chief applauds data legislation
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell has applauded Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for signing into law AB 2391
AB 2391, sponsored by O'Connell and spearheaded by Assembly Member Jose Solorio (D-Anaheim), assists teachers and administrators in finding the most effective way in which to use student education data to improve instruction and student achievement.
A number of recently released reports have recognized the need for the state to provide leadership in helping educators effectively use the student data generated by assessment and accountability programs. AB 2391 provides much needed guidance to local educational agencies within an existing program for training in areas such as data analysis, alignment of assessment and instruction, implication of data, and its effect on increasing student achievement, impact on student success through diagnostic teaching, differentiating instruction through pacing and complexity, grouping as an aid to instruction, and statewide and local data management systems. The new law also allows O'Connell to appoint an advisory committee to ensure the quality and effectiveness of the training.
Nonprofit against federal budget cuts affecting Vision Literacy
President Bush has proposed eliminating funding to the nonprofit Reading Is Fundamental (RIF: children's literacy organization. South County's Vision Literacy organization would be impacted by the cuts.
RIF provides more than 1,000 free books to children in Santa Clara County served by Vision Literacy. "Unless Congress saves RIF's federal funding, the children and families we serve will no longer have RIF books to chose and keep," said Louise Shields, manager of Vision Literacy. For the past 13 years, Vision Literacy has worked closely with the RIF program to promote literacy with children and families. Thanks to RIF, Vision Literacy has offered free new books to children in Gilroy and Morgan Hill in conjunction with adult literacy programs there.
Details: rif.org
POST A COMMENT
If you are under 13 years of age you may read this message board, but you may not participate.
Here are the full legal terms you agree to by using this comment form.
Gilroy Garlic Festival: City vs. City Challenge
