MDUSD's Superintendent PAC meeting is tonight

So they rescheduled the Superintendent Parent Advisory Council meeting. Last week it "might have been" a World Series Game, so they changed it to tonight. Weds, November 10th, 7pm AT WILLOW CREEK. All are welcome. I encourage ALL of you to start attending these meetings. If you have a complaint, and I know MANY of you do if I look at the blogs, then why not go to a meeting where you can actually TALK TO the Superintendent and Administrators? Just do it.

I believe one of the items on the agenda is the Curriculum Associates testing that some people have been discussing around the blog-o-sphere locally. Some people feel it's too much testing, too soon. Some feel it is a great way to gauge student progress and to help shape where the teachers may need to spend some more time in their instruction. It can also perhaps help in the differentiation between students who "get it" and those who still need some time. A biggie for administrators it seems is test scores. There appears to be some data to support it does increase the STAR test scores.

Anyway, I saw someone else posted in the comments on another thread that there may be something controversial on the agenda, and I do not believe that to be the case, unless you consider the above, controversial.

The PAC members were polled regarding this change just in case you have some conspiracy theory brewing for this date change. They've said it was a "landslide" decision that wanted this changed, but I do question the attendance tonight due to the 4 day weekend . I guess we'll see.

SUPERINTENDENT’S PARENT ADVISORY COUNCIL
Wednesday, November 10, 2010 7:00 p.m.
Willow Creek Center
1026 Mohr Lane, Concord

I. Welcome and Introductions

II. Assessment Data

III. Demographics Data

Times endorses Hansen, Adams and Larkin, how about you?

Not too much talk about the upcoming board election. Thoughts? Have you seen or attended any candidate forums? Will you attend on the 20th in Pleasant Hill?

Here's the article from the Times: http://www.contracostatimes.com/endorsements/ci_16331765

MDUSD Intradistrict Transfer Procedures 2011-2012

Well, I have to say, nothing frustrates me more than a "time sensitive" issue for many parents in our district, to have ZERO information available online at the district website.  At least I can't find it. Can you?  If you use their drop down menu of "How do I?" or the "Parents" tab on the main page, I get LAST YEARS information but still, no links to forms or their new Q & A.  So I figured I'd help you out.

I've uploaded the information, Q & A and forms you need to apply for a transfer here. 

Important points:

• Intradistrict applications for grades 1-12 are available starting October 1st, and are due on or before January 15, 2011.
• Forms are available at the District Office (Dent Center) at 1936 Carlotta Drive, Concord
• This year you will have three choices in your transfer designation and therefore, there are three different forms - you need to know which one to use - this is vital.
• Kindergarten students must register at their home school on District Kindergarten registration day, February 1, 2011.  Then, on or after that day, you may request a transfer.  Those requests are due no later than February 26th, 2011.

Three choices this year (each is described in more detail below and the Q&A is available at the link above), be sure you use the right form as which transfer to apply for is important to know:

• School Choice (another MDUSD School) - star at top left of transfer form
• NCLB Transfer (No Child Left Behind) - square box at top left of transfer form
• Open Enrollment (SBX5 4) - diamond box at top left of transfer form

What is the three options?

• School Choice provides parents with an opportunity to apply for another MDUSD school other than their residence school (i.e. you live in Concord, but want to have your child attend a Walnut Creek school)
• NCLB Transfer (No Child Left Behind) provides parents whose student's residence school is identified as "Program Improvement (PI)" to apply for attendance at a non-Program Improvement school (must be on the list below).  Program Improvement (PI) is a formal designation for Title 1 funded schools that do not make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for two consecutive years.  The Program Improvement Schools are listed below.
• Open Enrollment SBX5 4 provides parents who student's residence school has been identified as a Persistently Low Achieving school to apply to a school anywhere within or outside the district.  The receiving school must have an API (Academic Performance Index) score that is higher than that of the resident school.  Persistently Low Achieving schools are listed below.

Once assigned to a school per a transfer, can your student be displaced?

• Students on School Choice K-12 transfers can be displaced prior to September 15th of EACH SCHOOL YEAR (my emphasis) by students who reside in the school's attendance area.
• Students on NCLB Transfers can be displaced prior to September 15th of the FIRST school year only by students who reside in the school's attendance area.  After that first year, these students become residents of the school and are not subject to bumping.
• Students on Open Enrollment SBX5 4 transfers can be displaced prior to September 15th of the FIRST school year only, and as with NCLB, become school residents after that first year and are not subject to bumping.

Clear as mud?  An important distinction if you are contemplating between a NCLB and a Open Enrollment SBX5 4 transfer is that TRANSPORTATION IS ONLY PROVIDED for NCLB transfers.  Each of the other options will not provide transportation and parents are responsible for all transportation to/from school.  For NCLB transfers, transportation is provided to /from the home school to the new school.

Another important note.  You can ONLY submit one transfer request.  If a transfer request is denied, you may appeal, but you are assigned back to your home school.  So be careful.

Ok, so which schools are on which list?


NCLB Elementary Schools/Middle Schools and your NCLB school choice options are listed below:

Elementary:
Bel Air
Cambridge
Fair Oaks
Meadow Homes
Rio Vista
Shore Acres
Ygnacio Valley


Your Elementary Options are:  
Ayers
Bancroft
Hidden Valley
Mountain View
Sun Terrace
Westwood
Wren

Middle:
Glenbrook
Oak Grove
Riverview

Your Middle School options are:
Diablo View
Pleasant Hill


Schools eligible for Open Enrollment SBX5 4 (remember you can go to any other school that has a higher API) are as follows:
Bel Air Elementary
Meadow Homes Elementary
Shore Acres Elementary

Glenbrook Middle
Oak Grove Middle
Riverview Middle

Remember, Monte Gardens, Sequoia Elementary and Cornerstone Family School have separate admissions procedures and you should contact those schools directly for admission information and to be put on their waiting lists.

Schools noted as "over enrolled" will not accept transfer requests, those schools in 2010-2011 were/are Meadow Homes Elementary and College Park High School.  Over enrolled designation for this 2011-2012 transfer cycle will be determined by the board this month.

PROCEDURES:

• When more requests are received than there is space available to attend a specific school, the Student Services Office will conduct a public lottery among the applicants to fill any vacancies.  The lottery will be February 11, 2011, parents will be notified by April 15th, 2011 for 6th - 12th grade and August 16th, 2011 for K-5 grades of approval or denial of transfer request (nice bit of notice for those elementary students huh? Not knowing where they'll start school until a week or two before?)

To contact Student Services:  925-688-8000 x 4068.  Felicia Stuckey-Smith (email smithf@mdusd.k12.ca.us) in this department may be able to help you.

At last weeks PAC (Superintendent's Parent Advisory Council), Dr. Lawrence committed that the School Closure committee will either be done by this January 15th date, or will allow more time for those families impacted by any school closures.  Note that the choices under NCLB are several of the most underenrolled schools in our district.  So I have a feeling there will be some stress come January. 

MDUSD School Closure Advisory Committee

You can find information about the School Closure Advisory Committee on the district website.  It's not easy to navigate to if you just showed up at the district website, and the only link I could readily find takes you to a page showing only those appointed to the committee. Committee members link.

However, at this LINK you can find meeting dates, presentations and minutes.  (thanks to Sherry Whitmarsh for providing this link)  

The presentation linked from this page, dated September 14th, is a presentation by the Consultant (Jack Schreder & Associates).  This appears to be a very detailed Demographic study of our district and provides some very interesting information about enrollment, projections and some visuals showing the population of each school site.  I am no expert, but it almost seems you can see which schools they may be looking at combining.  You see within the first couple of pages what criteria the committee will be looking at in formulating recommendation for closure. What do you think?  LINK TO PRESENTATION here.

The next meeting of the committee is coming up this Thursday, September 30th at 6pm at the Willow Creek Center on Mohr Lane in Concord.

MDUSD News Update - 9/3/10 (Solar Update)

Latest MDUSD News Update.

Or click here to view as PDF.

Mt. Diablo USD News Update
Where Kids Come First

Shining the Light on Solar

As the District embarks on an ambitious and exciting solar program, we are committed to sharing the process with the community. We are grateful for the community's support for Measure C, the facilities bond that will make the solar alternative a reality in our District, and we fully intend to keep you apprised of decisions and progress as this project unfolds.

The Triple Bottom Line -- The Mt. Diablo Unified School District's Solar Plan will allow the District to meet three key goals at once: achieve millions in savings, protect the environment and model an excellent "green" program for students.

Project Specifics

• District-wide solar rollout, including all schools and District offices
• Annual electricity savings projected to be approximately $3 million
• Additional $2 million per year for the first five years from the California Solar Initiative (CSI) Program
• From concept to completion, a three-phase project

All action and progress will be posted online, allowing the community to follow the process

Action Plan and Timeline

In order to select the best vendor for this important project, we've established a rigorous selection process. Objectives are to: (1) conduct a thorough, public vetting of the vendors and a careful examination of their qualifications; (2) ensure all vendors are reviewed by experts in the critical areas of finance, technical and legal, and (3) maximize District return on this public investment project.

Phase I. Identify and Secure Project Bids

August 4, 2010 -- Issued a Request for Proposal. The RFP can be viewed at: http:/ /1469.199.90.240/rsp.html

August 11, 12, 13, 16 and 17, 2010 -- Provided walk-thru at each site. A calendar of site visits is available at the above website.

August 23, 2010 -- Questions raised during walk-thru and corresponding answers were posted to the website.

Responses to the RFP were due at noon Thursday, September 2. The following four firms submitted responses to the RFP: Roebbelen, SolarCity, SUNPOWER, Vanir/Parsons.

Phase II. Vetting the Options

1. August 27, 2010 - Confirm a panel of solar experts in the areas of technical/engineering, project financing, and legal advice to work with Pete Pedersen (Assistant Superintendent Administrative Services), Greg Rolen (General Counsel), and the Measure C Oversight Committee members to review the responses to the RFP. None of the outside experts or Measure C Oversight Committee members are affiliated with any of the firms responding to the RFP.

Our goal is to ensure that a thoroughly vetted recommendation is made to the Board. This committee cannot approve any contract for the proposed solar project but will make a recommendation to the Board. The Board, as the elected representatives of the community, has the sole authority to approve the contract for the solar project. Information on the panel members is attached below.

2. September 7, 2010 - Selection of firms to interview

The first step in the review of the solar project will begin. Pete Pedersen will work with the outside experts to review all proposals and select the firms to be interviewed. The panel will also review the proposed timeline to determine schedule feasibility. Any changes to the below timeline will be posted on the District's website.

3. September 9, 2010 - Interview selected vendors

Vendor interviews will be conducted by a panel that includes three members of the Measure C Oversight Committee, outside solar experts, Pete Pedersen, and Greg Rolen.

4. September 16, 2010 - Board Study Session, Dent Center 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Panel members will present recommendations and rationale to board members in a study session. The intention is to provide full information and allow for necessary community input and discussion before taking this information to a formal board meeting.

5. September 28, 2010 - Regularly Scheduled Board Meeting Dent Center 7:30 p.m.

Panel will conduct any additional research and fact finding in order to finalize a recommendation to the Board of Education. Recommendation to include a complete timeline on installation, with consideration to school schedules.

6. October 12, 2010 - Regularly Scheduled Board Meeting, Dent Center 7:30 p.m. Present to the

Board of Education a finalized contract for approval.

My Promise

It is clear that the state budget crisis is not improving. Further, there is absolutely no indication that the budget cuts to education will be returned any time soon, if at all. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the District leadership team to find savings in all possible areas.

My goal as Superintendent on this project has always been to bring a high-quality, financially responsible solar program to the District. The millions of dollars in savings from the solar project will be re-direct to return and maintain programs and services for students.

I know there have been numerous articles in the local paper about discussions between me and solar vendors. I apologize to this community for any misunderstanding or misperception my actions may have caused. I am committed to keep every step of this solar project transparent and accessible to the public.

In order to ensure transparency, we will post all meetings and decisions on the District's website. Additionally, I have personally extended an invitation to our local news media, including the Contra Costa Times, to observe and cover the solar interview process and its roll out.

My hope is that this project will be a celebrated success throughout the community and our state.

Solar Expert Panel

Russell H. Driver
Mr. Driver is a Senior Program Manager with Newcomb Anderson McCormick, Inc. (NAM), Mr. Driver has over 16 years of experience implementing comprehensive business initiatives and advanced technology projects in complex institutional environments, including statewide solar and energy efficiency programs and projects for Chico USD and Los Angeles USD, and the State of Hawaii DOT. Mr. Driver holds a Master's Degree in Urban Planning from the University of California Los Angeles and a B.A. in Urban Studies from Stanford University. Mr. Driver will lead our contract helping to facilitate and manage the California Solar Initiative evaluation program.

Kathleen J. McKee
Ms. McKee is a partner at Fagan, Friedman & Fulfrost LLP, Ms. McKee is a member of the Green Technology Advisory Board. A recognized leader in energy conservation legal matters, specifically solar, Ms. McKee helped numerous K-12 school districts implement solar projects, including the Irvine Unified School District and Antelope Valley Joint Union School District. Currently, she is working with districts that are exploring solar farms. Ms. McKee began her career as a high school English teacher, which balances her legal acumen with deference for public education.

Bruce Kerns
Mr. Kerns is Managing Director in the Public Finance Department of Stone & Youngberg, an investment banking firm whose clients are school districts, cities, and other public agencies issuing municipal bonds to fund public projects. Mr. Kerns specializes in capital financings for California public school districts, and has worked on numerous renewable energy projects using financing techniques such as general obligation bonds, certificates of participation, Clean Renewable Energy Bonds ("CREBs"), and Qualified School Construction Bonds ("QSCBs"). His recent experience with solar projects includes Morgan Hill Unified School District, San Jose Unified School District, Santee School District, San Benito High School District, and San Ramon Valley Unified School District. Mr. Kerns has a B.A. degree from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a Master's Degree in city and regional planning from the University of California, Berkeley.

Anna Van Degna
Ms. Van Degna is Vice President in the Public Finance Department of Stone & Youngberg. Ms. Van Degna specializes in the financing of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects for California public agencies, including the city of Brea, Lodi Unified School District, San Ramon Valley Unified School District, and Santee School District. Prior to joining Stone & Youngberg, Ms. Van Degna provided investment banking services for communications service providers and was a corporate treasury analyst for a U.S.-based commercial bank. Ms. Van Degna is a graduate of Cornell University and holds a B.S. in hospitality administration.

Measure C Bond Oversight Committee Members serving on the interview committee

John Parker
Mr. Parker is a Project Manager for Robert L. Brown Construction, Inc. Both of his children attended and graduated from MDUSD schools. He has been an active member of the Parent Advisory Committee, Budget Advisory Committee, and other district committees. He was also an original member of the 2002 Measure C Oversight Committee.

Marc Willis
Mr. Willis is a retired electrician from the City of Concord. Mr. Willis's children attended MDUSD schools. He is an original member of the Measure A Oversight Committee and the 2002 Measure C Oversight Committee.

Rick Callaway
Mr. Callaway has been an active parent and extremely active in MDUSD matters. Additionally, he has worked in the leadership core of the local YMCA. He was pivotal in the foundation of the Northgate High School Community Pride Foundation. An insurance broker for West Callaway Stotka, Inc., he is well versed with commercial insurance. He is an original member of the 2002 Measure C Oversight Committee and has served as Chairperson.

MDUSD Candidate Forum Air Date Schedule

Times Politics Reporter, Lisa Vorderbrueggen, moderated a candidate roundtable for candidates in the MDUSD Board race.

For MDUSD , there is a replay tonight. Check out the air dates for all the local races they covered HERE.

Mt. Diablo Unified School District — Contra Costa TV Channel 27, Astound Channel 32 and AT&T Channel 99: Sept. 2, 9 p.m.; Sept. 6, 9 p.m.; Sept. 9, 7 p.m.; Sept. 12, 10 p.m.; Sept. 20, 9 p.m.; and Sept. 26, 10 p.m. Walnut Creek Comcast Channel 28, Rossmoor Channel 26, Astound Channel 29 and AT&T Channel 99: Aug. 30, Sept 3, 6, 10, 13,17, 20, 24 and 27, Oct. 1, 4, 8, 11, 15, 18, 22, 25 and 29, and Nov. 1, 10:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Concord Channel 28: Aug. 28, 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.; Aug. 30, 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.; Aug. 31, 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.; and Sept. 1, 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.

After Labor Day it will also be available online (which is a good thing if you're a Directv subscriber).

You can also check out her recap here.

She notes, in part, the following about the MDUSD race:

BUYER'S REMORSE: Mt. Diablo School Board candidate Jan Trezise surprised everybody during her on-air closing statement when she said she was so impressed with the quality of other candidates that she had decided at that moment to drop out of the race.

What viewers don't see on camera is her request right after the show to have her statement removed.

Sorry. We do not edit candidates' closing statements.

So, is Ms. Trezise interested in being a board member , or not?

Has the Times gone too far?

So you have probably been reading on the MDUSD.net blog as well as Claycord about the Times reporting of Board and school district issues. I read Gary Eberhart's Q & A on his blog and for that, we get this article: Mt. Diablo Trustee asked public to pay for his solar training

You know, I really feel the Times has gone too far on this one. Whether you agree or disagree with the payment for solar classes, it must take a real skill to turn Gary's Q & A into an article this negative.

Some of you may disagree with me here, but why can't the Times do something positive? Is press only about finding the negative angle? I don't personally see anything wrong with having a representative of our district trained on solar practice while we embark on a multi-million dollar solar project. And who is this person Mr. Krupnick quotes from Santa Clara, and why is that person qualified to know our district or to comment at all?

I just had to get this out there...

I'm sure you all will have a lot to say, including that I may be naive in my interpretation of what "press" is "supposed" to be about, but I think being a board member is hard enough . . . there may be things we disagree on, but I think the Times has taken this one a little too far. Slow news week perhaps?

Back to School Night Schedules

I noticed the District website has a list of all the Back to School nights. Nice!

So in case you were wondering about the date of your back to school night .... here's the link:

http://www.mdusd.org/NewsRoom/Pages/1011btsn.aspx

MDUSD News Update

Two communications today (in addition to the voice message) from Superintendent Lawrence. This one, I've uploaded HERE is the longest message I think I've ever seen from MDUSD yet.

The highlighted passage on the snippet says "To that point we will utilize this data as part of the process for developing district-wide goals and objectives." Perhaps this is district speak for their version of a "strategic plan?"

It starts with a welcome back message, then goes on to cover the following:

1. Star Scores
   
2. School Closure Advisory Committee - info also online here.
3. Board Highlights
   
4. District Goals (!)
5. Performance Targets
6. Strategies to meet Educational Performance Targets
7. Communications Plan and Community Relations
8. Personnel Services
9. Fiscal Services
10. Facilities

Phew! A lot of information in this mailing tonight. Check it out.. and then come back to discuss.

Superintendent Welcome Message for the new school year

So far so good on this communication thing.

Did you get your "Welcome Message" today? If not, within the message Superintendent Lawrence does remind you to be sure your child's school has your up to date email address.

He reminds parents to talk to their children about traffic safety. He reminds parents to be careful and to follow all traffic laws in dropping off and picking up, and to remember that sometime summertime makes people get out of the habit of checking for children while driving.

Importantly, he reminds Concord parents that the City of Concord budget cuts resulted in cuts to some very important crossing guard positions and that parents should check in with the school site for any questions about crossing guard reduction.

Candidate filings, and then there were 7 - MDUSD Board

SEVEN candidates for the THREE vacant MDUSD seats will be on the ballot in November. Only three submitted candidate statements. Their statements are linked below.

Details as follows:

Linda Mayo (Pleasant Hill)

Incumbent

(Linda lists a website on her candidate statement linked below http://www.lindamayo4mdusd.com)

Jeffrey Adams (Concord)

Attorney

(candidate statement in link below)

Roy Larkin (Concord)

Retired CFO

Lynne Dennler (Concord)

Retired Teacher

Cheryl Hansen (Clayton)

Educator

Brian Lawrence (Concord)

Technology Executive

(candidate Statement in link below)

Jan Trezise (Clayton)

Retired Bank Appraiser

On the attached Voter Information Pamphlet, there are 3 candidate statements.

It is interesting that ALL of the Concord candidates are in the Concord High Feeder pattern... guess it doesn't mean anything, but interesting nonetheless.

Mr. Lawrence, in his candidate statement, mentions choosing a 'parent participation school' for his son, which earlier on this blog he said was entering kindergarten. Which school would that be? Do you think he means Monte Gardens or Sequoia?

Candidate Statement LINK

So, any thoughts? I look forward to getting to know them more and meeting with them personally. How about you?

MDUSD finalized candidate list

We have an election! Up until a couple days ago, we were only aware of three candidates for the three seats on the MDUSD School Board.

We now have 5:

Linda Mayo
Lynne Dennler
Roy Larkin
Brian Lawrence
Jeff Adams

I am anxious to hear more from them. I would like to know what areas they live in so we can get an idea of what their area schools are dealing with. At least I hope they've been following the schools. Hopefully they have been following the board so those new to the mix understand what is involved. Are they on any district committees? How about school site groups (PFC, PTA, site council, etc). What makes them uniquely qualified to help lead this district during these rocky times?

We know that Jeff Adams is an attorney who ran in 2008. We know Linda Mayo is the incumbent and is highly involved in state level PTA. We have heard Ms. Dennler is a retired teacher and Mr. Larkin, a retired CFO. We hear below, that Mr. Lawrence has an entering kindergardener.

I will need a lot more information and much visibility from them before I will commit my vote. I hope they plan some community meetings. I would be happy to plan one too if they would be interested. How about a 'Meet the Candidates' community meeting ?

In the comments of a previous post we hear an introduction from Brian Lawrence:

"Hi folks,

I'm Brian Lawrence and I am a candidate for the MDUSD board. Like many of you, I'm extremely concerned about the state of our schools. My oldest child is about to enter kindergarten in the district. I'm committed to strong, transparent fiscal oversight and providing our children with every available resource to ensure their success.

I know the readers of this blog are passionate about improving MDUSD and I look forward to working with you."

MDUSD candidate list

According to the CC Times political reporter, Lisa Vorderbrueggen and from her blog today, http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/, only 3 candidates have thrown their names into the mix for MDUSD Board. Notably absent so far is Jeff Adams. Is he running or not?

Does anyone know the candidates (other than Linda Mayo of course)?

Linda Mayo (i); Roy Larkin, Lynne Dennler

Please share what you know.

MDUSD Board Meeting Tuesday includes Measure C Committee appointments

You can find the agenda for Tuesday's board meeting on the electronic school board LINK. Just click on the calendar date, August 10th.

This board meeting includes some changes to the teaching (certificated) personnel and administrators. New leave of absence for a Principal, and some resignations and retirements of others. You can find that under agenda item 9.3.

The board is being asked to approve a 25,000 contract "Award of professional services contract for demographic and facility analysis to assist with school closure/consolidation process." Item 9.22.
The board will also be looking at a voluntary dress code at Sun Terrace Elementary. Item 14.1.

The board will be asked to approve 17 applicants for the Measure C oversight committee. If you recall the committee needed a "well rounded" group of applicants representing the various district stakeholders. Those applicants are:

1. Jay Bedecarre (representing CONCORD "local business community")
2. John Burke (Parent/Guardian active in PTO)
3. Rick Callaway (representing PLEASANT HILL "local business community")
4. John Ferrante (at large community member)
5. Brent Hayes (representing WALNUT CREEK "local business community")
6. Ralph Hoffman (Senior Citizen's Organization)
7. Pat Howlett (Senior Citizen's Organization)
8. Faye Mettler (Parent/Guardian active in PTO and parent/guardian w/ child in district)
9. Bonnie McDonald (at large community member)
10. Susan Noack (Parent/Guardian active in PTO and parent/guardian w/ child in district)
11. John Parker (Parent/Guardian active in PTO and parent/guardian w/ child in district)
12. Jenny Reik (Parent/Guardian active in PTO and parent/guardian w/ child in district and at large community member)
13. Tina Segrove (representing CONCORD "local business community," and parent/guardian w/ child in district)
14. Mark Weinmann (Parent/Guardian active in PTO and parent/guardian w/ child in district and at large community member)
15. Jack Weir (taxpayer association)
16. Marc Willis (at large community member)
17. Larry Wirick (representing PITTSBURG "local business community"

Take a look at the agenda, there are some budget items, and information related Measure C and the sale of the general obligation bonds. It's a long agenda, might be a long night.

MDUSD Principal goes to San Ramon

So I heard today that Nadine Rosenzweig, former principal of Valley View Middle School, has accepted a position in the San Ramon Valley School District as Principal of Live Oak Elementary School in San Ramon.

First, I've lost track if she was on the initial list of Principals coming and going, but mostly I just wanted to comment on the SRVUSD website. They've had numerous announcements over the summer, the announcements (current and past) are an easy click away, their site is crisp and easy to navigate and they are communicating (4 just this week).

I know that individual school sites are getting notified of their new administrators, etc., but why can't the district just burst out some news releases like SRVUSD? There is even a message from their Superintendent on the first page.

Check it out: http://www.srvusd.k12.ca.us

Superintendent and General Counsel Evaluation - Tuesday Aug 3 @ 7:30p

So for all of you (us) that have a lot to say about how things have been going in the MDUSD - here's your chance.

A special meeting of the MDUSD School Board has been called and is scheduled to include closed session topics such as:

Superintendent's Evaluation, and General Counsel's Evaluation.


Public comment is welcome (and I highly encourage it since we have so many opinions around here, where better to air them but at the board meeting). I hope the board will be HIGHLY recommending, if not reprimanding, this Superintendent for his lack of communication. General Counsel now has created a lot of controversy. Something tells me they will have a lot to discuss behind closed doors. The Superintendent MUST do better. If he can't, or won't, do better, or do what is directed - he needs to resign. What a tragedy though for the district to lose another Superintendent at a time like this. But, he has to step up to the plate.


It simply can not be that hard for him to take 30 minutes out of his day each week to provide the community a "Monday Memo" of sorts. Just an update. What are you working on? Where are our strengths as a district? What are our weaknesses? Where can we help? What can we expect. It's not that hard. I'm certain he knows how to write given he's got those all important Ph.D. letters behind his name. Oh , by the way, why is there NO bio about him at all on the district site? http://www.mdusd.org/superintendent/Pages/default.aspx


You can view the agenda at the link here: http://esbpublic.mdusd.k12.ca.us/public_agendaview.aspx?mtgId=285

Discuss MDUSD Solar at the MDUSD.net blog

Check it out. Gary Eberhart has posted information about the solar project and it's history. Very good read and worth taking the time to review.

MDUSD Solar



.

Meet your new Principal - meet and greets scheduled

From the http://www.mdusd.net/ blog, there are several meet and greet times scheduled for school communities with new Principals to be able to meet with, and ask questions of, their new leaders.



Check it out:



Meet and greets are scheduled as follows:


Monte Gardens Elementary/ Susan Peters/ Wednesday, July 28, 5:00 PM


Mt. Diablo Elementary/ Irene Keenan/ Tuesday, July 27, 6:00 PM


Shore Acres Elementary/ Elizabeth Block/ Tuesday, August 3, 5:30 PM


Silverwood Elementary/ Nancy Villa/ Tuesday, August 3, 5:30 PM


Glenbrook Middle School/ April Bush/ Tuesday, August 3, 7:00 PM


Sequoia Middle School/ Constance Cirimeli/ Wednesday, August 4, 7:00 PM


Highlands Elementary/ Vicki Eversole/ Wednesday, August 4, 5:30 PM

Chat LIVE with Times Reporters about the MDUSD

From what can only be described as going from bad to worse, is yet more troubling news out of our district, as reported by the Times. Links from two of the most recent articles are below, and from the Times tonight, two of the staff education reporters tell us they'll be available to chat LIVE on Wednesday about the Mt. Diablo School District issues. We know you have a lot to talk about, will you show up to chat?

Live chat: Mt. Diablo Unified School District issues, Wednesday, July 28, 2010, 11 a.m.

By Bay Area News Group staff

Posted: 07/26/2010 05:14:34 PM PDT

Updated: 07/26/2010 05:23:06 PM PDT

Join us at 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 28, 2010 for a live chat with Contra Costa Times staff writers Theresa Harrington and Matt Krupnick on issues surrounding the Mt. Diablo Unified School District's bond campaign. Read recent stories by Harrington ("Mt. Diablo trustees approved bond for ballot without knowing which projects were needed") and Krupnick (("Chevron gave $10,000 to Mt. Diablo schools' bond campaign") to learn more.

For more background, visit Harrington's On Assignment blog, and follow Harrington and Krupnick on Twitter.

MDUSD Solar Project going out to lowest bidder ?

According to today's Times article, entitled "Mt. Diablo solar decision could leave Chevron in the dark," by Matt Krupnick, it appears that the district has backed off a possible plan of a no-bid award to Chevron Energy Solutions. The article notes that the Request for Proposals will be posted as of August 2nd.

We discussed this in an earlier blog post, but it is reiterated in this article. That though it seems Chevron Energy Solutions spent 18 months trying to secure a no-bid contract for this $70 million dollar project, they may just walk away. In the article, Chevron Spokeswoman Juliet Don is quoted:

"Officials throughout the state said Chevron often tries to persuade school districts to sign no-bid contracts. In most cases, the company walks away from districts that open a bidding process because Chevron's prices are usually higher than those at other companies, said Don, the company spokeswoman."

So, what do you think? Is this is a good step toward getting the district the best price on the project?