Ed roundup: Millions coming to save teacher jobs
| Tuesday, Sep 07 2010 07:00 PM
Last Updated Tuesday, Sep 07 2010 07:00 PM
School districts here are waiting to see how they will be able to potentially use hundreds of thousands of dollars aimed at saving teacher jobs.
The federal Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act signed several weeks ago will give California about $1.2 billion to save or create an estimated 16,500 K-12 jobs. The money cannot be spent on district administration, overhead costs or reducing debt. It is unknown when school districts will receive the money because distribution is dependent on enactment of the state budget. School districts would have until 2012 to spend the money.
But preliminary figures show school districts could receive hundreds of thousands of dollars to several million. For more information, go to http://bit.ly/b4GmmO.
At Bakersfield City School District, the money could be used to protect against layoffs and salary cuts, a spokesman said. Fruitvale School District Superintendent Carl Olsen said, "It's difficult to know the final bottom line without a state budget in place."
Here are preliminary estimates from the state on what districts could receive:
Bakersfield City School District: $4,832,052
Fruitvale School District: $599,472
Greenfield Union School District: $1,520,716
Kern County Superintendent of Schools: $1,405,658
Kern High School District: $8,303,845
Panama-Buena Vista Union School District: $3,287,568
Rosedale Union School District: $942,639
Cal State Bakersfield faculty were welcomed back Tuesday during the campus "University Day" with some updates from President Horace Mitchell.
Among news and updates Mitchell gave Tuesday morning inside Dore Theater:
* Two new schools, due to reorganization, now include the School of Social Sciences and Education and School of Arts and Humanities. Richard Collins is now the dean at the School of Arts and Humanities. Kathleen Knutzen is the dean at the School of Social Sciences and Education. A ribbon cutting for the new schools and deans was held Tuesday afternoon. Other schools -- the School of Business and Public Administration and School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics -- remain unchanged.
* An engineering school at CSUB is a possibility, but not in the short term. The state is hesitating to give CSUB money for the school because there are engineering schools at nearby Fresno State and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. However, the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics has a proposal for a computer engineering concentration, which would be a starting point, Mitchell said.
* Talks are ongoing regarding a possible switch to a semester system from the current quarter system. An impartial study on the merits of each system will be done in the spring. A decision will be made in the winter quarter of 2012. If a switch takes place, if will be in effect in fall 2013. Concerns include costs, reduction in enrollment and faculty changes of schedules. Only six of 23 CSU campuses are on a quarter system, Mitchell said.
* Several construction projects will start in the near future. A "major office building" for private and public businesses is being planned. Those businesses must have a "link" with academic programs on campus, Mitchell said. A hotel and conference center, student housing and a kids museum are other projects on the horizon for CSUB.
* The fall quarter starts Monday. Events throughout this week include move-in day for students in the residence halls on Thursday, and a student convocation on Friday.
The Kern High School Teachers Association and Bakersfield Elementary Teachers Association have endorsed candidates in upcoming school board races.
The endorsements in the Kern High School District race are for Bryan Batey (incumbent), Mike Williams and Martha Miller. For Bakersfield City School District they're for Pamela Baugher and Andrae Gonzales.
Seven people are vying for three seats on the KHSD board. Other candidates include Craig Holland, a former high school teacher who also served on Fruitvale School District's school board; Aaron Steenbergen, a retired educator; and John Turnbull, a retired attorney. Miller is a retired teacher with 36 years experience in Panama-Buena Vista Union School District. And Williams is the owner of American Kids Sports Center.
The association has about 1,700 members, according to its website.
In BCSD, five people are vying for two spots. Two incumbents -- Karen DeWalt and Jerry Tate -- have been on the board for 16 years each. They'll face off against Baugher, a retired teacher who worked in BCSD for 40 years; Gonzales, executive director for Stewards Inc.; and Ronnie Cruz, a business manager.
The Bakersfield teachers association has about 1,500 members.
The election is Nov. 2.
Chevron plans to make a special presentation during the 11th Kern County College Night at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the Rabobank Convention Center.
Chevron Vice President Bruce Johnson will make a significant contribution on behalf of the oil company to Kern County Superintendent of Schools' College Night committee. Johnson will address the need for college-trained engineers in the oil industry and their importance to the workforce and economy of Kern County.
Doors will open to the general public at 6 p.m. for the start of the event. Representatives from 80 to 100 public and private colleges, universities and trade schools will provide information and answer questions such as about college costs and how to enroll. Local high school and college counselors will also be available to offer advice. An estimated 6,000 high school seniors, parents and community college transfer students are expected to attend.
Financial aid and scholarship workshops will be available in English and Spanish. Rabobank Convention Center is at 1001 Truxtun Ave.
Cal State Bakersfield's alumni nursing chapter, in partnership with San Joaquin Community Hospital, will host a seminar on "Spirituality in Health Care" from 5 to 9 p.m. Sept. 20, in the Dore Theater on campus, 9001 Stockdale Highway.
The seminar will focus on bridging healing and spirituality. Speakers include Robert J. Beehler, president of the hospital; Dr. Anil Mehta, author of "Search Within" and "Meeting Point;" and Roger Doyle, family support coordinator for Hoffman Hospice.
The cost to register is $25 before Monday and $50 after. The fee includes syllabus material and a light meal. Parking is free for the event on the north end of campus in lots B and C near the theater.
Download the registration form here.
A car wash company will be giving half of a full-service wash proceeds on Sept. 18 to Camp KEEP, an out-of-town, week-long outdoor environmental education program for local students, according to KERO-23.
Sparkling Image Car Wash at its seven locations will be fundraising for the roughly 7,000 fifth- and sixth-grade students who take the trip every year. The locations are: 920 34th St.; 7901 Rosedale Highway; 5201 Stockdale Highway; 2301 H St.; 1701 Stine Road; 3951 Wible Road; 7991 White Lane.
Cal State Bakersfield's Hispanic Excellence Scholarship Fund will recognize 65 students who will receive more than $100,000 at the 27th scholarship awards dinner Sept. 18 at Bakersfield's Doubletree Hotel.
The dinner will feature keynote speaker Moctesuma Esparza, CEO of Maya Cinemas, North America. Esparza was a past California State University trustee, and is an award-winning filmmaker, producer and entertainment industry executive. He was named one of the 50 "most powerful and influential Latinos" of 2008 by The Imagen Foundation.
The Fund since 1984 has helped increase access to a college education for academically excellent, under-represented students who demonstrate leadership. The Fund has supported more than 1,300 students with more than $2.4 million in scholarships. Many of them are first-generation college students.
For tickets ($60), call 654-2282 or visit www.csub.edu/hesf. The event begins with a social at 6 p.m. at the hotel, 3100 Camino Del Rio Court.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced a $1 million school pilot program to develop and run community gardens at high-poverty schools to teach students about ag practices, diet and nutrition. And schools here can apply for the money.
This is the USDA's effort to provide children with access to a nutritious and safe diet, and teach about healthier choices. Produce raised in the gardens can be used in the schools' meals and by student households, local food banks or senior center nutrition programs.
The school garden movement is well under way in Kern County. One can find a garden at the award-winning Chavez Elementary School in the Bakersfield City School District, for example.
And in May, the Grimm Family Foundation proposed to build, staff and fund a garden for Buena Vista Elementary School. It will be modeled after the Edible Schoolyard program, and could be the first such program in Kern.
About 15 to 20 percent of schools across the country have gardens, according to department estimates.
Improving the Child Nutrition Act is the legislative centerpiece of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! Campaign. To qualify for the USDA money, schools must have 50 percent or more students qualifying for free or reduced-price school meals.
The grant is available to public and nonprofit groups. Grant applications may be submitted by e-mail or online here. The deadline for applications is Nov. 8.
From the blogs: The nation's kindergarten classes this year look less black and white with many more Asians and Latinos enrolled, according to USA Today.
About 4 million children are enrolled in kindergarten classes across the country and the racial breakdown is "reflecting the nation's rapid racial and ethnic transformation," USA Today says.
Among stats:
* About 25 percent of 5-year-olds are Hispanic, 19 percent more than 2000.
* The percentage of white 5-year-olds fell from 59 percent in 2000 to about 53 percent today. Blacks fell from from 15 percent to 13.
* Kindergarten enrollment is up as a whole, from 3.8 million in 2000 to 4 million.
Educators are grappling with language challenges that come with changes, USA Today says.
In Kern County, about 60 percent of kindergartners are Latino, 26 percent are white, 6 percent are black and 2 percent are Asian, according to 2008-09 state figures (last year's figures are due out this month).
Ten years ago, 48 percent were Latino, 39 percent were white, 8 percent were black and 1.6 percent were Asian, data show.
-- Jorge Barrientos, staff writer
For more education news, go to The Californian's education blog, The Grade, at www.bakersfield.com/blogs or follow The Grade's Twitter at twitter.com/TBCTheGrade.
