EdCal EdCal v49.9 10/22/18

Education California | The official newspaper of the Association of California School Administrators Volume 49 | Number 9 | October 22, 2018 ACSA launches school violence toolkit The first priority of educators nation- wide is to provide a healthy and safe school environment for all students and staff. ACSA has taken a proactive role in school safety with the creation of the Fatal School Violence Toolkit. “We believe there is a need to have seri- ous discussions about school safety,” said ACSA President Holly Edds. “With regard to school violence and threats, we are facing new challenges every day, and we’ve built this toolkit to include resources designed to save lives.” The toolkit has three sections: before an incident; during an incident; and after an incident. ACSA members have contrib- uted content to the toolkit, which includes resources on lockdown drills, facility assess- ments, crisis management, and samples of post-incident communications. The toolkit also includes links to content from student advocates, federal agencies and thought leaders in other parts of the United States. “This is for members, by members,” Edds said. “By leveraging the work and experiences of our members, we’re creat- ing an incredible opportunity to learn from each other.” The toolkit is the product of ACSA’s Fatal School Violence Task Force, which is made up of more than 20 volunteers See TOOLKIT, page 5 Accessibility resources. The “Smarter Balanced Resources and Practices Comparison Crosswalk” for 2018-19 is now available at http:// bit.ly/smarterbalancedresources. The Crosswalk lists the accessibility resources that currently are included in the Smarter Balanced Usability, Accessibility, and Accommodations Guidelines and provides a description of both the resource and its classroom equivalent. Reviewers needed. CTC is still The challenges of cerebral palsy cannot keep a smile from Joey Drake's face. When it comes to robotics, Jamie Geng knows she is in control. Smiling through the challenges Robotics helps overcome anxiety She is only 11 years old, but Joey Drake is wise beyond her years. “A lot of my friends and my family say ‘How are you so mature?’” Joey said. “They think I’m older than I am. But I say because of what I’ve had to go through, I know things that not all 11-year-olds know because not all 11-year-olds have to go through things like this.” Born with cerebral palsy, Joey faced her fair share of chal- lenges growing up. But she refused to let her condition dictate her daily life. She is in a league of her own. Jamie Geng is one of the most talented students to walk through the doors of Westview High in San Diego. “It’s pretty rarified air,” Poway Unified School District career education specialist Joe Austin said. “I can honestly say when I talk about Jamie that there’s no question she’s the top 1 percent of the students I’ve worked with. And that’s 25 years of high school graduates.” She’s an AP student. She’s a musician. But she might be most See JOEY, page 6 See JAMIE, page 5 in need of program reviewers for Administrative Services and other pro- grams. The Commission’s accreditation system is a peer review process in which peers conduct pre-visit evidence review and site visit activities. The Commission is seeking information on potential reviewers’ expertise and availability through a survey found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ SZW3DLS. The survey is short and gathers information regarding both your expertise and availability. The survey should take no longer than five to 10 minutes to complete. Once sur- vey data is compiled they will contact applicants to provide details about your participation in upcoming Program Review sessions. Additional questions may be sent to [email protected]. ECE webinars. ACSA, in part- Helping the non- traditional student Following his own non-traditional path to school leadership has allowed Amos Nugent III, left, to better relate to his students. Not all students fit the mold of the traditional school. Often the job of helping these at-risk students learn is the responsibility of continuation schools and other such edu- cational options. That makes Amos Nugent III an impor- tant part of the safety net, as the principal of Community Collaborative Charter School North Sacramento. Nugent performs his job so well he was chosen as ACSA’s 2019 Continuation/Educational Options Administrator of the Year. Like many of his students, Nugent’s path has not neces- sarily been carefully plotted out. He said he started out in education, then left to run his own successful business. He had no plans to become a school administrator, but came back into the field of education as a favor to a friend. “However, after my first year back, the opportunity presented itself, or as I view it, God opened the door for nership with the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association, is offering a two-part, free webinar on expanding access for early childhood education. The first part is Oct. 22, 9:00-10:00 a.m., and deals with funding opportunities and policy changes. The second part will be Nov. 14, 9:00-10:00 a.m., and shares best practices from the field for expanding ECE. Register for Part 1 at http://bit.ly/ ECEpart1. Register for Part 2 at http:// bit.ly/ECEpart2. Hotel rate correction. An incor- rect rate for the upcoming Every Child Counts conference was listed in the brochure inserted into EdCal on Oct. 1. The correct rate is $203 per night. ACSA regrets the error. See NUGENT, page 7 California schools named as 2018 National Blue Ribbon Schools Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson congratulated 12 California public schools that have been chosen as 2018 National Blue Ribbon Schools. This coveted award honors public and private elementary, middle, and high schools where students achieve high learning standards. “Congratulations to all the schools on this list that are helping students achieve their dreams and to the leaders dedicated to and invested in finding ways to close the achievement gap,” Torlakson said. “The teachers, parents, administrators, and com- munity members at these schools are out- standing examples of innovative things hap- pening in California education.” The award affirms the hard work of educators, families, and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content. In its 36-year history, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has present- ed this award to more than 8,800 schools. Schools are recognized based on all student scores, subgroup student scores, and graduation rates. They are among their state’s highest performing schools as mea- See BLUE RIBBON, page 7 Periodicals Dated Material