February 2016 Newsletter - Santa Clara County Office of Education

Board–A-Gram
February 2016
1290 Ridder Park Drive, MC 202, San Jose, CA 95131-2304
PHONE: 408-406-4974 | [email protected] | www.sccoe.org/sccsba | Facebook: SCCSBA |
President’s Corner
by Bob Benevento
I never cease to be impressed with caliber of trustees who work so hard in support of their districts,
schools, students and their community. Every year school board members from throughout our
county Association, as well as trustees throughout the state, submit their names as candidates for the
CSBA Delegate Assembly through their local district. With their local board approval, those
interested complete a questionnaire, attach an optional resume and submit the applications to CSBA
as prospective candidates. The applications are then distributed to all member districts throughout
each CSBA Region, ours being Region 20. At our last meeting in January, the candidates in
attendance were allowed several minutes to present themselves, and I have to tell you, they are
indeed an impressive bunch.
In the coming weeks each board in Region 20, Santa Clara County, will have the opportunity to
review the applications and to vote for five candidates in our Region. Each school district gets to
return one ballot identifying the five candidates of their choice to CSBA, who then reports the results.
So, when it comes time to vote in your district, please read the applications carefully, consult with the
board member who is your representative to SCCSBA for their feedback, and vote as your
conscience directs. All of the candidates are impressive and willing to commit their time for the
benefit of our students, our districts and our region. They are all winners and are to be appreciated
for their dedication!
Our January meeting was well attended, and we had members from some of our smallest districts
present. Their participation in our monthly discussion “School District Consolidation” was well
received and made us aware of some of the challenges, as well as the local political, financial and
academic perspective, about consolidating with the larger districts. Suffice it to say, at this time
district consolidation is not something most want to pursue. Our February meeting looks to be quite
busy. We will be hearing a report from our Nominating Committee regarding SCCSBA Officer
Candidates for the 2016-2017 school year, and our monthly discussion issue will be on LCAPs, led by
member Nancy Newkirk. County Superintendent John Gundry will also be joining us for a
presentation. So, please be on time if at all possible so we can conclude our meeting as close to
9:00 PM as possible. Have a great month, and don’t forget to register for our Annual Legislative
Brunch scheduled for March 5th!
Page 1
Next SCCBA Monthly Meeting – February 24
The SCCSBA’s next monthly meeting will be held on
Wednesday, February 24 in the Milpitas Room of
the Santa Clara County Office of Education. The
meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. and runs until 9:00 p.m.
Our featured guest speaker will be County
Superintendent Jon R. Gundry. Following
Superintendent Gundry’s talk, we will have a Round
Table conversation on District LCAPs.
We welcome all school board members to our
monthly meetings.
Next SCCSBA Friday Lunch – February 12
Our next Friday Lunch will be held on February 12.
As part of our effort to hold these lunches in different
parts of the county, our next lunch will be at El
Torito Mexican Restaurant located at 477 East
Calaveras, Milpitas, CA 95035.
All school board members are welcome to these
informal lunches.
SCCSBA/SCCOE Early Learning Symposium
Recap
On Friday, February 5, the SCCSBA and Santa
Clara County Office of Education partnered on an
Early Learning Symposium hosted at Educare.
The workshop brought together district leaders from
across our county for an in-depth conversation about
best practices, nonprofit partnership opportunities,
and resources for bringing high quality Early
Learning programs to local school districts. It was
great to have superintendents and school board
members learning about the issue together.
Featured guest speakers included County
Superintendent Jon R. Gundry, East Side Union
High School District Superintendent Chris Funk,
Franklin-McKinley School District Superintendent
Juan Cruz, Educare Executive Director Lisa
Kaufman, FIRST Five Santa Clara County CEO
Jolene Smith, and Santa Clara County Board of
Education Trustee Grace Mah.
Stay tuned for future SCCSBA/SCCOE workshops
on topics of interest to superintendents and school
board members.
(SCCSBA Members at Country Gourmet, Jan. 8)
Photos by SCCOE Staff
Page 2
SCCSBA 2016 Officers
Bob Benevento, President
Reid Myers, Vice President
Danielle Cohen, Treasurer
Albert Gonzalez, Past President
District Representatives and Delegates
Alum Rock USD Dolores Marquez
Alum Rock USD Andres Quintero, Hospitality Chair
and Delegate
Berryessa USD Thelma Boac, Awards Co-Chair
Cambrian SD Doron Aronson
Campbell UHSD Linda Goytia
Campbell USD Danielle Cohen, Delegate
Cupertino USD Anjali Kausar, Awards Advisor and
Delegate
East Side UHSD Frank Biehl, Delegate
East Side UHSD Pattie Cortese
Evergreen SD Sylvia Alvarez
Evergreen SD Bonnie Mace, SCCSBA Executive
Director and Delegate
Franklin-McKinley SD George Sanchez, Delegate
Fremont UHSD: Bill Wilson
Gilroy Unified SD Linda Piceno
Lakeside Joint SD Theresa Bond
Loma Prieta JT.Union SD Ron Bourque
Los Altos SD Tamara Logan
Los Gatos USD Alex Potts
Los Gatos/Saratoga UHSD Cynthia Chang, Delegate
Luther Burbank SD Meghan Francis
Metro ED/CCOC Matthew Dean
Milpitas Unified SD Chris Norwood
Moreland SD Brian Penzel
Morgan Hill Unified SD Bob Benevento, Delegate
Mount Pleasant SD Betty Martinez
Mtn. View/Los Altos UHSD Joe Mitchner, Delegate
Mountain View Whisman SD Ellen Wheeler, Legislative
Brunch and Candidates’ Workshop
Oak Grove SD Carolyn Bauer
Orchard SD Karl Jacobson
Palo Alto Unified SD Melissa Baten Caswell
San Jose Unified SD Susan Ellenberg
San Jose Unified SD Pam Foley, Delegate
SCC Board of Ed Darcie Green, Delegate
SCC Board of Ed Rosemary Kamei, Representative
Santa Clara Unified SD Albert Gonzalez, CSBA District
Director Region 20
Santa Clara Unified SD Michele Ryan
Santa Clara Unified SD Jodi Muirhead, Awards CoChair
Saratoga USD Patty Buchanan
Sunnyvale SD Reid Myers, Delegate/Fall Dinner Chair
Sunnyvale SD Nancy Newkirk
Union SD Harold Stuart
SCCSBA Legislative Brunch – March 5
A highlight of our school board year is our annual
SCCSBA Legislative Brunch. This is the event
where our members have the opportunity to sit with
their local legislator to share conversations and
concerns while enjoying a delicious brunch. A
highlight of this event is the formal interview
segment of these legislators using questions that we
have jointly drafted.
Again this year we are honored to have esteemed
education reporter, John Fensterwald of EdSource,
as the moderator of the panel segments.
And again this year, we are thrilled to have the
participation of Michael Kirst, the President of the
State Board of Education.
Date and Time: Saturday, March 5 from 9:00 a.m.
until noon
Location: Michael’s Restaurant at Shoreline (2960
N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View)
Cost: $30 per person (the same as last year)
Register now at the following link:
https://2016legislativebrunch.eventbrite.com
All SCCSBA school board members and their
superintendents are invited. And, all local state and
federal elected officials will be invited.
Questions: Contact Legislative Brunch Chair Ellen
Wheeler ([email protected])
CSBA Legislative Action Day –
March 15
Don’t forget to register online for the annual CSBA
Legislative Advocacy Day on March 15. This is our
opportunity to visit our legislators in Sacramento and
support the CSBA’s advocacy efforts.
Register now at the following link:
https://www.csba.org/Advocacy
Page 3
2015-16 Draft Calendar
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Regular Monthly Meeting – Round Table Conversation on
Student Assessment
7:30-9:00 p.m., Milpitas Room, SCCOE
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Teacher of the Year Celebration
6:15-9:30 p.m., Heritage Theater, Campbell
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Fall Dinner – Dr. Francisco Reveles (Keynote)
6:00-9:00 p.m., Mission College
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Regular Monthly Meeting – Round Table Conversation on the
Resegregation of America’s Schools
7:30-9:00 p.m., Milpitas Room, SCCOE
Thursday-Saturday, December 3-5, 2015
CSBA Annual Education Conference
San Diego Convention Center
Hospitality Suite, December 3, 5:30-7:00.p.m.
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Regular Monthly Meeting – Informational Presentation on
School District Consolidation/Delegate Assembly Candidate
Presentations
7:30-9:00 p.m., Milpitas Room, SCCOE
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Regular Monthly Meeting – Guest Speaker: SCCOE
Superintendent Jon Gundry
Round Table Conversation on District LCAPs
7:30-9:00 p.m., Milpitas Room, SCCOE
Saturday, March 5, 2016
Legislative Brunch
9:00 a.m. to Noon, Michael’s Restaurant at Shoreline
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Regular Monthly Meeting – Guest Speaker: Dr. Lisa
Kaufman, Executive Director, Educare
Round Table Conversation on Social/Emotional Learning
7:30-9:00 p.m., Milpitas Room, SCCOE
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
32nd Annual Hoffmann Awards Dinner/Presentations
6:00-9:00 p.m., Tarragon Restaurant in Sunnyvale
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Annual Reorganization Dinner and Officers’ Installation
6:30-8:00 p.m., Venue TBD
Saturday, June 11, 2016
Candidates Workshop
9:00 - 11:30 a.m., Mountain View-Whisman SD Board Room
June TBD, 2016
New Officers’ Meeting, Venue TBD
School Board Leaders Academy
The American Leadership Forum (Silicon Valley)
and the Santa Clara County Office of Education
are offering a new School Board Leadership
Academy, and classes are now open and begin in
March.
Please click the link below to register with SCCOE:
http://santaclara.k12oms.org/201-109129
The program will offer a leadership development
program that will provide training on the critical role
of governance within the education space to newly
elected, appointed, or current school board
members in both the public and charter school
space. School board members make critical
decisions about the direction of education policy
and programs in their school districts. School
board members are responsible for leadership on
budget, governance, supervision of
Superintendents, and many school board members
come into the job with minimal background
experience in Board governance. The decisions
they make can change the complexion of a school
district for years to come with great impact to kids,
families and teachers.
The SBLA will focus on both relationship-building
as well as instruction on Board governance and
leadership in education. This will be structured with
one two-day meeting and four quarterly full day
meetings. ALF will lead the 2-day meeting as well
as facilitate the quarterly meetings. This program
will be done in partnership with the Santa Clara
County Office of Education (SCCOE) as a 48 hour
certification program. Each module will be awarded
a badge upon completion and graduates will
receive full certification upon completion of all the
modules. Graduates will be celebrated at a COE
board meeting. Additionally participants will be
interacting with ALF Senior Fellows and leaders in
the education space to discuss critical items that
impact the students, teacher, parents and the
region.
Confirmed guest speakers and partners include the
Santa Clara County Office of Education, Santa
Clara County School Boards Association,
California School Boards Association, Hispanic
Foundation of Silicon Valley, Silicon Valley
Education Foundation, Silicon Valley Community
Foundation, SJSV Chamber of Commerce, South
Bay Labor Council and other nonprofit service
providers in Silicon Valley.
Please contact Jenny Niklaus at the American
Leadership Forum with any questions at
[email protected].
Page 4
Santa Clara County Office of Education Spotlight
CDE Global Education Summit coming to Santa Clara County
The Super Bowl isn't the only big event coming to town in February. The Santa Clara County Office of Education will
be the home of the California Global Education Summit hosted by the California Department of Education (CDE) on
February 11, 2016.
“The CDE’s choice to host the Global Education Summit at our office is an honor and testament to the
accomplishments of our Multilingual Education Services team, who work tirelessly to ensure all students have the
opportunity to learn multiple languages and become true global citizens,” said County Superintendent of Schools Jon
Gundry. “As a former ESL teacher myself, I’m looking forward to welcoming colleagues from throughout the state and
collaborating around this important topic.”
The summit will bring together educators, institutes of higher education, policy makers, community leaders, and
business partners to investigate the status of efforts that are promoting global education in California and to develop
an action plan with recommendations for expanding and improving students' global competencies statewide. Over 150
leaders from throughout California will be attending this event, including Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent of
Public Instruction.
Superintendent Gundry will provide a welcome and Dr. Yee Wan, Director of Multilingual Education Services, will serve
as a moderator for a panel discussion on the statewide Seal of Biliteracy program. The event will also feature
additional special guests and an announcement regarding a new SCCOE initiative. For more information about the
summit, visit the California Global Education Network. To learn more about how the SCCOE is supporting English -----learner achievement and access to world languages for all students, visit the Multilingual Education Services website.
In other Santa Clara County Office of Education News:

Third annual “Heart & Soles 5K” supports healthy food options for students: Join our effort to help local
children make better food choices! The Santa Clara County Office of Education is a proud partner of the Lam
Research "Heart & Soles 5K," taking place Saturday, March 12 at Lake Cunningham Park in San Jose. The
family-oriented fun run, founded and produced by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group Foundation, funds
salad bars for participating local schools.

Superintendent of Schools Jon Gundry kicked off a new tradition at the January 21 SCCOE Leadership Team
meeting by delivering an inaugural State of the COE address. The speech touched on the office's recent
accomplishments, challenges, and previewed upcoming projects and initiatives in 2016. The address is
available in its entirety, and divided by topics such as early learning, the state budget and more.

Approximately 15 educators and administrators were experiencing the benefits and instruction of different dual
language models in action during a Red Carpet Tour, hosted by the SCCOE Multilingual Education Services
Department, February 3. The tour highlighted the growing number of dual language programs, with stops at
Ohlone Elementary School’s Mandarin Program and Escondido Elementary School’s Spanish Program.

177 “Young Cultural Ambassadors” build understanding, appreciation for five Santa Clara County schools:
Five campuses across Santa Clara County were buzzing with activity in January as 177 students, parents and
teachers from China celebrated their similarities and shared their differences through an exchange program
created by the Santa Clara County Office of Education and the Chinese Society of Education.”

Roughly 500 families and students attended our 9th Annual Migrant Education Parent Conference on January
23! Session topics included the legal rights of undocumented students, how to stand out in the college
admissions process, demystifying the special education system, and recognizing mental illness in children.
Page 5
The “What” of Educational Technology
By Arati Nagaraj, Saratoga Union School District Board of Trustees, [email protected]
This month I am discussing Data Privacy, and defining some EdTech Buzzwords.
Data Privacy:
The latest discussion in the EdTech world has been about Student data privacy - How do we protect the identity of our
students? 95% of the electronic products we use today - apps and services - require a login and password. This login
“tags” you and tracks every move you make. These tags are stored as data within the app or service. How do we keep
the real identity of the user anonymous and ensure it is not being misused?
School districts are keeping track of personal data, academic performance, IEP information, behavior, etc. In the move
to go “paperless”, we have to be diligent about ensuring this information is only used by the people who are authorized
to use it. Here are some resources for you to be more informed of the work that your district office staff is continuously
vigilant about. (Note: I am not endorsing either of these products or organizations)
Education Framework
Data Privacy Guidebook (courtesy of Cupertino Union School District for sharing this with me)
EdTech Buzzwords: (Adapted from: An EdTech Buzzword Bingo Card and edshelf)
App
Short for application; a piece of software, especially for a
phone or tablet. Typically an app doesn't run in the web
browser but instead must be downloaded, installed and run
separately.
Blended Learning
a formal education program in which a student learns at least
in part online, with some element of student control over time,
place, path, and/or pace; at least in part in a supervised brickand-mortar location away from home; and the modalities along
each student’s learning path within a course or subject are
connected to provide an integrated learning experience.
(Christensen Institute)
CMS: Content Management System
is a computer application that allows publishing, editing,
modifying, organizing, deleting, and maintaining content from a
central interface. (Wikipedia) Example: Google Drive
Education Technology (EdTech)
A broad term that relates to anything connected to technology
use in the classroom
E-Learning
Instruction that is delivered via an digital medium
LMS: Learning Management System
is a software application for the administration, documentation,
tracking, reporting and delivery of electronic educational
technology (also called e-learning) courses or training
programs. (Wikipedia) Example: Google Classroom,
Schoology
Open
The term "open" as in "open educational resources" is
associated with Creative Commons, an alternative to
traditional copyright. Open-licensed digital content can be
available for free for others to legally download, use and
"remix," that is, change to suit.
Personalized Learning
Learning experiences for all students are tailored to their
individual developmental needs, skills, and interest.
SIS: Student Information System
is a management information system for education
establishments to manage student data. (Wikipedia) Example:
PowerSchool, Aeries.
If you have other definitions you’d like to clarify, send me a note.
Page 6
Santa Clara County District Highlights
As part of the SCCSBA’s ongoing mission of sharing best practices and news among our member districts, here are a
few current highlights submitted by our Santa Clara County Districts. We welcome submissions from all of our districts
every month.
East Side Union High School District News
In its commitment to focus education on 21st century skills, East Side Union High School District had its 17th annual
Sciencepalooza! event at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds on January 23rd. Droves of excited and nervous East
Side students filled the venue to exhibit their projects and share their concepts with judges. Areas of concentration
included biological science, physical science and engineering.
Sciencepalooza! allows students to gain experience in meeting deadlines, developing ideas or replicating tried-andtrue experiments, conducting research, and analyzing and communicating their results. The event was primarily
sponsored by the Synopsys Outreach Foundation.
Below are several of the Award Winners:
Synopsys Quality Award
Carol Evans Award-Most Entrants from a School
Best Use of Technology Award
Best Engineering Projects
Best Projects Concerning the Environment
Rookie of the Year
Overfelt High School
Silver Creek High School
Evergreen Valley High School
Santa Teresa High School
James Lick High School
Overfelt High School
Evergreen School District News
Super Kids, Super Sharing
By, Bernadette Marcias, Carolyn Clark Elementary
At Carolyn Clark Elementary, Community Service is part of the school culture. The importance of giving back to the
community and making a difference is ingrained in our students. So when the opportunity to participate in the SUPER
KIDS SUPER SHARING Drive was presented, as the Student Council Advisor, I immediately said yes! The SUPER
KIDS SUPER SHARING DRIVE is where local schools are encouraged to join in the Super Bowl community initiative.
To gather gently used or new books, sports equipment and school supplies and place items in collection boxes at
school. This initiative takes place within city hosting the Super Bowl.
From November 20 to December 18, our Student Council began collecting lightly used (or new) books, sports
equipment and school supplies, cell phones. During our drive we collected over 2,041 items! One fifth grader alone,
Janaya Llaneza donated over 230 books. Recently, a group of 32 students from Clark, ranging from 2nd grade to 6th
grade, attended the SuperKids/ Super sharing event at Santa Clara University to help sort out all the items
donated. Close to 20,000 items were sorted. Items sorted, were then shared with pre-selected local schools in need
and other organizations that work with underserved children.
After sorting, students participated in football activities hosted by the San Francisco 49ers. Gold Rush Cheerleaders,
Sough Dough Sam, and 49er players Andrew Tiller and Ian Williams also mingled with all the SUPER SHARING KIDS!
Super kids, indeed.
Page 7
Santa Clara County District Highlights
Fremont Union High School District News
Established in Sunnyvale in 1923, Fremont High School is in many ways a symbol of the history of Santa Clara County
and Fremont graduates have overcome, persevered, and contributed in significant ways to our community and world.
The Fremont High School Hall of Fame was recently created to celebrate this legacy and the following five inductees
were selected for the inaugural Hall of Fame class:
 Tino and Manuela Rodriguez (Class of 1944) – Community philanthropists
 Charlie Olson (Class of 1952) – Sunnyvale cherry orchard pioneer
 Francie Larrieu Smith (Class of 1970) – 5 time Olympic champion
 Tully Banta-Cain (Class of 1998) – 2 time Super Bowl champion
The Hall of Fame all-school rally was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the inductees and the evening awards
ceremony was a further opportunity to showcase the inductees and pay tribute to their impressive achievements. Here
is a link to the photos from the rally:
https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-QVdBK7/
Photograph includes the FHS Inaugural
Manuela Rodriguez (Class of 1944),
Smith (Class of 1970), and Tully BantaRodriguez died in 2010 and was honored
Hall of Fame inductees:
Charlie Olson (Class of 1952), Francie Larrieu
Cain (Class of 1998). Fellow inductee Tino
posthumously.
MetroEd News
Silicon Valley Career Technical Education (SVCTE) held its annual College
and Career Fair on February 3. More than 60 representatives from 34
community colleges, universities, trade schools, apprenticeships, military
programs, and career resources participated in the fair.
Students from every SVCTE class participated in the fair throughout the day.
Medical Office Careers students Alexcis Gomez and Marissa Chavez said
that the fair provided helpful information that will help them plan for their
future after high school.
Students came to the fair prepared with questions and were assigned a preand post-College Fair activity to complete. Each student also had a career
“passport” to get stamped at different booths which encouraged them to
engage with the vendors and ask questions.
Silicon Valley CTE Open House:
You are invited to Silicon Valley Career Technical Education’s (SVCTE) Open House on February 25 from 8 to 10 am,
1 to 3 pm, and 5:30 to 7 pm. Come tour and observe hands-on student demonstrations and presentations.
MetroED 2015 Annual Report:
The MetroED 2015 Annual Report was recently released and provides a snapshot of MetroED and its programs at
Silicon Valley Career Technical Education and Silicon Valley Adult Education.
Page 8
Santa Clara County District Highlights
Gilroy Unified School District News
At the Jan. 28 board meeting, the Gilroy Unified School District Board of Education honored four students who were
named as either commended students or semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program. Students Jennifer
Spaeth, Evan Franklin, Isabella Tomasello and Madeline Gullen were invited to the board meeting where they were
presented with a certificate commemorating their achievement from Superintendent Dr. Deborah Flores and Board
President Fred M. Tovar.
Congratulations are in order for Superintendent Dr. Deborah Flores, who has been chosen by ACSA Region 8 as the
Superintendent of the Year, and Dr. Marco Sanchez, Principal of Gilroy High School, who has been named as ACSA
Region 8 High School Principal of the Year. Both Dr. Flores and Dr. Sanchez will be honored at the ACSA
Administrator of the Year Awards on Friday, May 13 in San Jose.
Franklin-McKinley School District News
21st Century Teaching & Learning
During the month of January, Franklin-McKinley School District (FMSD) had a technology takeover at various schools!
The Board of Trustees approved a resolution last May for the 21st Century Teaching and Learning Plan to formalize
the direction of FMSD’s instructional program. Three cohorts of FMSD schools were established to transform
classrooms into technologically rich and highly engaging learning environments.
To commemorate the distribution of new iPads, launch events were held at Los Arboles Literacy & Technology
Academy (Los Arboles School) and Shirakawa School. Students, faculty, district administration, and Superintendent
Juan Cruz attended the events. In preparation for the technology launch, teachers at Los Arboles and Shirakawa
Schools received extensive training on shifting
their instructional
approach to include personalized learning and
project-based
learning strategies. Students will also receive indepth instruction
on digital citizenship, which includes safe
browsing on the
Internet and cyber bullying.
Santee School is a proud recipient of an Apple
grant through the
White House ConnectEd Initiative. We are
proud to be one
of 114 schools nationwide to successfully
submit and
receive this grant. On January 27, 2016,
students,
parents, faculty, district administration, and
Apple staff
attended the launch event. Guests included Henry Yong, President of Evergreen Valley College, Manny Barbara, Vice
President, Silicon Valley Education Foundation, Dylan
Simon, Representative for Mayor Sam Liccardo’s Office,
Elizabeth Alvarez, Director, Franklin-McKinley Children’s
Initiative, and Lisa Kaufman, Executive Director, Educare of
California at Silicon Valley. The ConnectED grant will provide
an iPad for every student, an iPad Mini and MacBook for
every teacher, and an Apple TV for every classroom. They
are also providing Santee School with software and
educational content based on specific classroom needs,
plus ongoing professional development and support.
Click Here for the Apple ConnectED Launch video.
Page 9