Education

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Written by: Elizabeth Larson

Published: 21 April 2022

SACRAMENTO — The Senate Education Committee on Wednesday passed a bill by state Sen. Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) that provides additional funding to school districts and charter schools that meet the student-to-teacher ratio of 20 to one.

Senate Bill 1431 will allow students to receive more critical individualized attention and interaction with teachers by incentivizing local education agencies to lower the student-to-teacher ratio to 20:1 within Kindergarten to third (K-3) grade classrooms.

“As a public school teacher for 17 years, I know firsthand how difficult it can be in large classes to give each child the attention they deserve,” said Sen. Susan Rubio. “California is behind the nation when it comes to the number of students per teacher. Some classes have over 30 students, and California class size is higher than the national average. Every child learns differently, and SB 1431 will allow teachers to meet a student’s academic and personal needs.”

Princeton University published research stating that students who participated in California's CSR program performed better than students who remained in larger classes; these effects were even greater among lower-income and students of color.

Studies also found that California fourth-graders’ National Assessment of Educational Progress test scores in mathematics increased slightly between 1996 and 2000.

In addition, students who were in CSR classrooms were shown to have better outcomes in contrast to their peers in non-CSR as it pertained to juvenile criminal behavior, teen pregnancy, high school graduation, and college enrollment and completion.

SB 1431 amends the Education Code Section 42238.02 by adding an incentive for school districts and charter schools to receive additional funding, an adjustment of 32.5% of the base grant, if they maintain an average class enrollment of no more than 20 students for grades K-3.

This bill is now headed to the Senate Appropriations committee.

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Written by: Lake County Office of Education

Published: 29 March 2022

Individuals who attended the “Jules Tavernier and the Elem Pomo” exhibit include Garrick Bjur, Upper Lake High School; Adam “Crow” Morgan, Carle High School; Vincent Monreal, Konocti Education Center; Katie Daitoku, Kelseyville High School; Fawn Rave, Robinson Rancheria Pomo Indians of California; and Katie Ray, Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians.

The Lake County Strong History Community of Practice is a partnership between Lake County history teachers and Lake County Pomo education leaders.

This partnership develops lesson plans that cover multiple school subjects and focus specifically on Lake County.

“It is fantastic to work with our local Tribes to develop curriculum that has real meaning for our Lake County students. I celebrate the work of this team,” said Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg.

The “Jules Tavernier and the Elem Pomo” exhibition at the deYoung includes more than a dozen paintings, watercolors, prints, and photographs by Jules Tavernier (1844–1889).

The group received a special tour by the exhibit curator, Christina Hellmich, and had a chance to discuss the implications of Tavernier’s painting “Dance in a Subterranean Roundhouse” on the Lake County Pomo community.

The visit to the deYoung Museum was part of a series of meetings this year hosted by the Lake County Office of Education Learning Support Specialists, a team of experienced individuals with teaching credentials who coach and support school district employees.

The exhibit puts forth a new interpretation of Jules Tavernier’s work of the Western United States by offering multiple voices and perspectives, including those of Pomo cultural leaders and curators.

It showcases more than 50 historical and contemporary Pomo baskets and regalia pieces that celebrate the artistry and resiliency of the Pomo artists.

The Lake County Strong History Community of Practice is currently working on a more in-depth version of the Lake County Strong Curriculum, which is a set of educational lesson plans that focus on Lake County.

Upper Lake Unified School District introduced the curriculum during the 2020-21 school year at their elementary school with great success with teachers and students.

The Lake County Pomo lesson plans consist of five different subjects. These include natural resources, oral traditions, ceremonies and gatherings, history, and language.

There are lesson plans available for kindergarten through 12th grade. Each section builds as students move up in grade level.

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Written by: Governor’s Office

Published: 27 March 2022

Over the past month, with roughly 7.2 million students and staff heading into and returning from spring break, the state has distributed more than 14.3 million COVID-19 at-home tests to schools for students and staff. In partnership with local county offices of education, the state has allocated tests based on the total number of students and staff — in both public and private schools — in each county.

A critical part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s SMARTER Plan, the state has maintained the operational readiness and resource stockpiles to quickly distribute tests to help minimize the spread of COVID-19.

Click here for b-roll of the state’s distribution of COVID-19 tests for school students and staff.

“California is focused on keeping schools open and students safe, and we’re not letting our guard down,” said Gov. Newsom. “We know that COVID-19 is still present in our communities, but the SMARTER Plan is how we keep people safe and continue moving the state forward.”

In addition to these tests, the state has made personal protective equipment, or PPE, available for any school that needs it — already having distributed over 40.6 million KN95s, N95s, and surgical masks to schools since the return from winter break.

Throughout the pandemic, the state distributed over 1 billion PPE units to schools, including items such as masks, gloves, hand sanitizers, and more.

California has become a national leader in preventing school closures and keeping students in the classroom.

As the New York Times highlighted in mid-October, California did “remarkably well limiting outbreaks,” accounting for 1% of the nation’s school closures despite educating 12% of the nation’s students. By the start of winter break, the state improved that rate to 0.3% of the nation’s school closures.

To help facilitate the deployment and administration of these tests, the California Department of Public Health has distributed materials to schools to further highlight this testing program, such as social media images and messaging.

That messaging includes the SMARTER Plan’s core pillars and preparedness metrics focus on lifesaving public health measures and strategies the state has successfully used to slow the spread and protect Californians.

Recognizing that each variant brings with it unique characteristics relative to the specific conditions in our neighborhoods and communities, the plan preserves needed flexibility and ensures the state has the resources and capabilities in place to tackle the COVID-19 challenges that lie ahead.

The SMARTER Plan maintains the state’s focus on targeted investments and outreach to tackle COVID-19 health disparities in disproportionately impacted communities.

The plan features a new COVID-19 Assessment and Action Unit to monitor data and front line conditions in real-time. It also builds upon a robust, regionally-based wastewater surveillance and genome sequencing network to have early and rapid insights into the changing nature of the virus and early identification of variants.