California Continuation Education Association Newsletter:
| Volume: 12 | Number: 2 | Date: February 1998 |
I am sure that all of you are deeply involved with your respective chores as you move through the mid point of the current school year. It takes a great deal of energy to meet the needs of our students but each one of you is up to the task. You are truly the best teachers and administrators students can find in the public education system and they do show their appreciation in their own ways. Our students show up much more often than they did at the "traditional" high school, they achieve at a much higher rate and they are growing socially and emotionally which was probably at a standstill or regressing, before they came under your capable tutelage. You truly provide a valuable service to your school community as you guide, teach, model, and counsel your students.
The annual CCEA State Conference is to be held in beautiful San Diego this spring. If you think you would enjoy telling colleagues about your successes, hearing about the success of other continuation educators, learning new strategies you can use in your school or classroom and spending some recreational time and having fun with a terrific group of educators, then you should consider going to the conference even if there is no budget at your school to support your desire. I know I used to avoid conferences until I began to participate with the CCEA group and I found a truly wonderful group of people who were actually student oriented! Prior to that experience I was being told that the needs of the institution were paramount! I am really pleased I no longer have that point of view and am able to freely focus my energy on the needs of students.
As we all know, Governor Wilson vetoed AB792, our equalization funding bill. We are not giving up! Your Executive Board has been meeting with key individuals in Sacramento in order to learn exactly what we need to develop in order to be successful with our next attempt to get legislation passed that will provide the necessary amount of funding to each continuation school in California. We have been acknowledged as the "first safety net" in the state's dropout prevention program and our instructional methodology is accepted as effective. Our presence in Sacramento is known and we are seen as a viable force behind the concept of meeting the needs of at risk youth. We still have some work to do with increasing our funding base in Sacramento but we are up to the task!
State Vice-president Vic Whitaker is currently working with our Field Consultant in the CDE, Clara Chapala, to help facilitate the Model Continuation High School Recognition Program. CCEA provides the professional resources to read the applications and conduct the validation visits in an effort to assist the CDE with this prestigious award. Vic is also an active partner in the development of the state conference this year, in addition to conducting his classroom activities at Chaparral High School in El Cajon. State Treasurer Marion St. Amant is processing membership applications and managing the funds for CCEA in addition to her full time job at Lloyd High School in Lawndale. State Secretary Janet Knoeppel has just produced this second newsletter you are able to enjoy in addition to her full time job as principal of Argus High School in Ceres. State Past President Joe Stits is working closely with me and Past Past President Gerry Catanzarite to coordinate with the CDE and the Legislature as we move our agenda in Sacramento and look forward to enhancing the resources for continuation schools in California. Thanks so much from me to these individuals and all of the local CCEA district officers for all that you do to provide leadership and support to your peers and help meet the needs of our students.
Please make an effort to support your professional organization which is the only entity that lobbies for continuation education, provides staff development for our professionals and recognizes our students and peers. We really want you to join as a Professional Member and we do recognize each of you for that contribution. If you are already a member, you can help by convincing others at your school to join either as professional members or as a school. CCEA is a working and effective organization with on-going efforts to enhance the educational opportunities for our students and support our professionals.
Your Council of District Representatives' Spring Meeting is scheduled for April 24th at the conference in San Diego. We will have a full agenda and I look forward to seeing and visiting with many of you in San Diego. Take care of yourselves and live a healthy life! u
Job Alike Workshop
In early December the State Officers held a one day Job Alike Workshop in Southern California where we had an opportunity to share many great ideas and do some excellent networking. We had about 20 of the District Officers in attendance. If you missed it this year, plan to attend next year. At the end of the day, the representatives talked about the Plan of Action for the coming year. District's III and IV met together and reported that there Action Plan will focus on such things as a staff recognition luncheon within individual school districts where their is recognition of a classified employee, a teacher and a community sponsor. They will hold spelling bees, science fairs and essay contests, in addition to the district conferences. They plan to meet more often. District VII plans to increase participation within their district as they deal with such issues as assessment standards and the new attendance requirements. They plan to start a Telephone/FAX Tree and hope to have a CCEA District VII SIP Day so that everyone within the district can attend their fall conference next year. They are going to involve their respective Superintendents in the planning. District IX is going to do a similar thing by contacting their Superintendents with the message, "Let our people go so they can be more effective." District X's thrust will be to participate with District VII on the new attendance laws which take effect in 1998 - 1999. Finally, District XI plans to increase membership and educate their people on the importance of CCEA and what it can do for them. They expect to improve communication, at all levels, through social contacts (breakfast and dinner meetings). They have some work to do to align their responsibilities with the State CCEA Constitution and they anticipate increased recognition of their own so that they will be viewed as a more professional organization. They plan to collaborate with the Options Office and the various Principals in working together in order to effect change within District X.
Village was recently the focus of a feature article in their local paper. Like other continuation programs, Village is a second chance for students who have been unsuccessful elsewhere. The students are thrilled to attend school at Village. In fact they do so at a 95% rate according to their Principal, Rich Puppione. Students find a sense of community at Village and this allows them to focus on their futures, often deciding that college is the appropriate option for them. Students point to the small school and small, intimate class size as one of the primary reasons they are able to succeed. In a recent study of bats in their science class, the students enthusiastically met with their instructor for an evening field trip to search out the bats in order to study them at close range. It is because of challenges like this that Village High School students are earning either a high school diploma or a GED at the rate of 99%. Once again, students who might otherwise have become negative statistics are moving into post-secondary options with a plan and achieving success.
On November 5, 1997, Lopez High School in Arroyo Grande broke ground for a new high school. The school will be a little over 20,000 sq. ft. and is located a little over a mile from the Mesa View Market. Expected completion of this facility is October, 1998. Congratulations to Lopez High School! u
One of State Superintendent Delaine Easton's high priorities for all schools in California is Rewards and Interventions. The 40 member Advisory Committee has come up with a list of both positive and negative incentives for schools and school districts to raise levels of student performance. Look for related legislation to be introduced early this year. There are eight components to the plan in its current format:
1 - Develop a school performance index, based upon students' academic achievement.
2 - Establish a rewards program to recognize successful schools.
3 - Establish an interventions program to assist Schools in Need of Improvement and Low- Performing Schools. (Based on Statewide Testing Data)
4 - Develop a student incentives program to support the school rewards and interventions program.
5 - Provide adequate funding to implement the rewards and interventions program.
6 - Establish an advisory group to deal with policy and technical issues.
7 - Conduct comprehensive, on-going, external evaluations of the rewards and interventions program.
8 - Determine which aspects of the accountability plan work well and which need to be changed.
Please be sure to stay abreast of this legislation as it has ramifications for us all! u
Of the 216 initial schools drawn by lottery to receive the first wave of money from the Digital High School Grants, 29 of them were continuation/alternative schools. In addition, there were many districts who tied their continuation high schools to their traditional high schools, so the numbers are not an accurate representation of the number of continuation schools who will receive a share of this money. Congratulations to all who will receive money this first year! u
In case you haven't had the opportunity to surf the net recently, CCEA has its very own Web Site, thanks to the dedication and expertise of Past-Past President Gerry Catanzarite who is our webmaster. The address is http://www.cceanet.org/ and you will find links to all facets of continuation education. Missed the last Newsletter? It's on the Web Site. Need to refer to a Continuation Education document? It, too, can be found here. Wondering who the officers of another District are? There's a link to that, too. You can find information about the State Conference coming April 24 - 26, 1998 in San Diego, legislative information and many other topics related to Continuation Education. Perhaps you'd like to look at some of our member schools' Home Pages. There are currently links to five schools. I know there are many of you who have your own Web Site and we would love to have the information to link your school on our Home Page. You can send the information to Gerry via e-mail at pgcatan@cceanet.org. Don't be left out, or off! Send the information today!
In the electronic age, most of us have an e-mail address and this has made communication much simpler. If you have an e-mail address, please send it to me at Janet WK@aol.com, as I am compiling a statewide listing which will be available at the State Conference in April. If you have more than one address, and wish to have that included, please make sure I get them all. Please make sure that I have the following information as well as the e-mail address: your name, school, position, city, school district and CCEA district. Thanks!
Following our first newsletter mailing, I had over 100 returned with various messages from the post office. If you have moved and your address has been changed, please, please send the correct address to Marion St. Amant or myself so that you will get the newsletter to which you are entitled.
Mike Legan, a Robertson High School Teacher, and the District IV Teacher of the Year, combines carefully balanced humor, optimism, trust and respect as he deals with his students. His commitment to help his young charges often calls for extreme measures, such as dressing up as a turkey or wearing goofy hats, but all of this is part of getting the job done. Mike epitomizes the caliber of teaching that goes on in continuation schools across the state. It takes an exceptional individual who can teach in a continuation school. Mike's students are no different than any other secondary students in California. They can spot a phony in a heartbeat. But to his students, Mike is the genuine article. "He's cool, he's like one of us. He's totally like a kid," said one of his students. "He's understanding and he knows what we go through, the pressures at home." The bottom line . . . he cares! He looks beyond the hard stares, the earrings and rainbow colored hair, and sees a student who wants to learn. "I'm amazed they're still standing after what some of them have gone through," says Legan, a 29 year veteran teacher who has spent most of his career in continuation education. Congratulations, Mike and all the other District Teachers of the Year in 1997! u
District I:
Jeanne Yttreness, of South Valley High School in Ukiah and Dennis Costa, from East High School in Fortuna will be sharing co-presidential duties this year. Their plans include increased collaboration activities between staff and students in the district. Because of the enormous geographical space this district covers, they have not planned a mini-conference at this time.
District II:
New President Patsy Hood, of Plaza Robles High School in Lodi, is organizing the 3rd Annual Mid-year Mini Conference which will be held in February at Plaza Robles High School. The program will include a panel discussion by the State Officers and Nancy Armentrout from Peter Birdsall's office, a breakout session conducted by Cheri Gibson, District II's Teacher of the Year and a second breakout session conducted by Jim Sechelski, the district's President-Elect, on the planning and implementation of elective offerings in a small school. Students are busy preparing their entries for the annual art and essay contests sponsored by the district. Past President Janet Knoeppel is heading the effort for the 1999 State Conference which will be held in Sacramento. The theme chosen is "All That Jazz" - Mixed Notes and Variations on a Theme. There will be more information available at the State Conference in April.
Districts III and IV:
Outgoing District III President Bob Van Cleave, Principal of Country Day School in Vacaville, and new District IV President Jim Ingram from San Andreas High School jointly planned and hosted their Fall Conference at Calaveras Hills High School in Milpitas on October 10, 1997. Brother Steve Johnson who is in charge of Alternative Education in the School of Education at Santa Clara University was the keynote speaker. Workshops followed Brother Johnson and a BBQ luncheon culminated the conference. Over 200 educators attended this exciting day. District III reports that there will be an emphasis on their sports program this year. Their new President is Leo Petty from Del Oro High School in Walnut Creek. District III also reported that their Continuation Education Prom continues to grow and is well attended each year.
Districts V and VI:
District V President Janis Lehman from Valley High School/Tech Prep in Tulare and District VI President Bill Spencer of Oak Hills High School in Atascadero co-sponsored and hosted their Fall Conference at the Cambria Pines Lodge in Cambria. Over 100 participants from the two districts came together for a weekend of relaxation, revitalization and renewal. They felt one of the major reasons for their success was the location. In addition to various workshops, there was a tour of Liberty High School in Paso Robles, door prizes and various awards.
District VII:
District VII decided to deviate from its usual Fall Conference in October and instead will combine the conference with their Second Annual Star Quiz in March, 1998. This is an activity which brings students from all across the district together for a fun academic activity. New officers were elected in December and Dennis King of Chaparral High School in San Dimas has accepted the Presidency. The district continues to hold monthly principal's meetings and have welcomed two new schools to their ranks this year: one is an unnamed continuation program in the San Gabriel Unified School District and the other a new alternative program in the Baldwin Park School District.
District VIII:
As this newsletter goes to press, District VIII will be hosting their annual conference in Palm Springs on Friday and Saturday, January 16 and 17, 1998. State President Bob Werner will be a presenter at this conference.
District IX:
District IX has its hands full with the 1998 State Conference. It promises to be fun and exciting, so be sure to contact either Nancy Shank of Garfield High School at (619) 282-7672 or Karlene Dockery at (619) 484-1597 for more information, or just fill out and send in your conference registration form. Ernest Gomez of Desert Oasis High School in El Centro is the new President of this district.
District X:
New President of District X is Bob Phelps from Brea Canyon High School.
District XI:
Jane Bannister from Central High School in Los Angeles is the new President of District XI. They held their Fall Conference in November this year. On February 20, 1998, this district will hold an Options Colloquium in Culver City. This is an opportunity for the alternative education staff in this district to get together to do some networking and sharing of ideas. One of the main goals for these schools is to increase their knowledge and use of technology. In addition, District XI is once again preparing to sponsor an opportunity for their students to have their art work displayed at the California African American Museum in Exposition Park next May.
District XII:
Dick Holmes from Jefferson High School in Mt. Shasta is the new President for District XII this year. They held their 6th Annual At Risk Conference at the Cal Neva Lodge and Resort in Lake Tahoe in early November. As usual, it was once again a success. The Shasta County Office of Education is hosting the Northern California Secondary Conference and District XII will conduct a two hour workshop with presentations by teachers in the areas of technology, performance requirements, legislation, "best practices" and vocational education and the new Welfare to Work policies. In May the district is planning an Alternative Educators Retreat in the Klamath National Forest.
SAIL IN TO BEAUTIFUL SAN DIEGO
to
Celebrate CCEA's 30th Anniversary
1998 CCEA STATE CONFERENCE
April 24-26, 1998
The Westin Horton Plaza, 910 Broadway Circle
San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 239-2200
Visit Continuation School Sites in San Diego.
Learn at the best workshops ever.
Celebrate being a member of a Creative, Caring, Exciting Association.
Enjoy Great food and fantastic fellowship.
Site see in America's Finest City*
*The Westin Horton Plaza is located in the historic Gaslamp District of San Diego. This area is part of a very unique shopping center and within walking distance of fine restaurants, night clubs, theaters and Seaport Village. Conference headquarters is a short distance from the Star of India, Old Town, the San Diego Zoo, Sea World, and Mission Bay.
Tours of Mexico, the Wild Animal Park, the Gaslamp District and Old Town are available.
For more information, see the conference registration form or call Nancy Shank (619) 282-7672 at Garfield High School or leave a message for Karlene Dockery at (619) 484-1597.
Friday, April 24
8:00 A.M. - 7:00 P.M. Registration
8:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M. Tour of Schools
8:30 A.M. - 3:00 P.M. C.D.R. Meeting
1:30 P.M. - 3:00 P.M. Workshops
3:30 P.M. - 5:00 P.M. Workshops
6:00 P.M. - 7:00 P.M. President's Reception
7:00 P.M. - 11:30 P.M. Banquet/Dance/ Something Special*
Be a Part of Friday Night's Surprise *Something Special
Please send 4 or 5 pictures taken at your school that show your students and staff in a special way. Avoid full length shots; close-ups (torso and up) are best.
Pictures must be taken on 35 MM film and must be a landscape or horizontal rather than vertical pose.
Please put name of high school, CCEA District number, and include names of any staff members in the picture on the back of each print and every effort will be made to return them to you. (However, No Guarantee!! So don't send an irreplaceable print.).
Pictures must arrive in San Diego by March 10. Send them to Annie Rego, 12932 Via Caballo Rojo, San Diego, CA 92129. Please support this effort. It will make Friday Night's Banquet even more fun.
Saturday, April 25
6:00 A.M. Fun Run/Walk
6:30 A.M. No Host Coffee Bar
7:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M. Registration
8:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M. Vendor Exhibits
8:30 A.M. - 10:00 A.M. Workshops
10:15 A.M. - 11:45 A.M. Workshops
12:00 P.M. - 1:30 P.M. Luncheon/Teacher
of the Year Award
1:45 P.M. - 3:15 P.M. Workshops
3:30 P.M. - 5:00 P.M. Workshops
5:00 P.M. District
Hospitality Suites
Dinner on your own.
Gaslamp Quarter Walking Tour
Kathy Flanigan, CCEA member from District IX and San Diego historian and author of San Diego's Historic Gaslamp Quarter, Then and Now, will conduct a fabulous historical walking tour of the Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego for the miniscule fee of $5.00 each which Kathy is donating to CCEA. You will be amazed at the wild and wacky stories she knows about every historical spot or famous name from San Diego's past. She will give the inside information on the district, its origin and the unique individuals who lived in this tough, rowdy town in its early days. The sixteen and one-half block area contains buildings erected in the late 1860's through the present day. Architectural styles reflect the variety of time periods and include: Frontier, Italian Renaissance, Victorian, Ramesques, Chicago Commercial, Prairie, Oriental, and Spanish Colonial Revival. History will never be this much fun again or this reasonably priced. The best part is that the tour starts right at the hotel at 5:00 P.M., Saturday evening. The tour is approximately one and one-half hours and it will give you an opportunity to shop for the right dinner spot for the night.
Viva Mexico!
Saturday evening, April 25
Be wined and dined in neighboring Tijuana and Rosarito Beach.
Trip price includes transportation, courtesy beverages on bus, one drink at Coronet Restaurant (Tijuana), dinner and two drinks at El Nido Restaurant (Rosarito Beach), $60.00 per person.
Depart Westin Plaza Hotel at 5:00 P.M. and travel to Coronet Restaurant in Tijuana for sightseeing and shopping or drinks and music. Leave for Rosarito Beach at 6:45 P.M. and arrive for dinner at El Nido Restaurant at 7:10 P.M. for dinner and an evening in the historic town. Return to San Diego will be at 11:30 P.M. with arrival at Westin Plaza Hotel by 12:15 A.M. For more information contact Ed Leon, (619) 286-3917 or send check made out to Ed Leon for full amount by March 1, 1998 to 5727 Lone Star Drive, San Diego, CA 92120.
Sunday, April 26
9:00 A.M. - 11:30 A.M. Brunch/Model School Awards
One unit of college credit is available through California State University at Chico. Sign up at the College Credit table when you pick up your registration packet.
Please bring mounted and ready-to-hang two and/or three dimensional art for sale or display in special exhibit area.
Call the Westin Hotel and make your reservations now. The CCEA Conference rate is $108 per night. Be sure to identify yourself as a member attending the state conference. The hotel does not have a complimentary shuttle. However, District IX will provide free van shuttle on Thursday evening, April 23 and Friday morning, April 24. Cloud 9 Shuttle is also available for approximately a $5.00 one-way fee.
Show Me the Money (School to Work)
Hands on Science Program
Communications: A Lifeline to Success
Tips for a Successful WASC Self-Study
Improving Attendance with Student Activities
Investing in Your Future (Math)
Teen Parent Program
All Shapes and Sizes (Support Groups)
Career Development Across the Curriculum
History Alive
How to Build a Model School
Building Respect, Responsibility, and Resiliency in At Rick Adolescents
The Peace Curriculum (Violence and Aggression)
Job Jam '97: Integrated Curriculum (School to Work)
The Joint High School Diploma Program
Multimedia Production
It's Service Learning, Not Community Service
Math Fun
Build Me, Keep Me (Computer Construction and Programming)
Conflict Mediation Through Drama
Asses or Assets? (Your Students are Only One Letter Away)
City as School
Genesis (Reorientation to alternative school)
Using Scenario Building as a Method to Improve Reading, Writing, and Critical Thinking
Image-Claris Works Credit Management
Computerized Student Tracking System
Profile of the At-Risk Student
Obtaining Recognition for Your School
"Energize" Your Students and Staff with School Activities
A Comprehensive School to Career Program with Military Partners
April 24 - 26, 1998
The Westin Horton Plaza
910 Broadway Circle
San Diego, California 92101
(619) 239-2200 Fax: (619) 239-0509
College Credit Offered Exhibitors
Exciting Workshops Student Art Exhibit
School Visitations Model School presentations
Teacher of the Year Award School-To-Work/Career
Professional Member Reception (Friday)
Qualifies for categorical funds such as SB 1882, SIP, Eisenhower, Title I, Gate, SB
813,
and AB 3488.
$195 CCEA Member (Professional or School)-Full Registration Enter Amount
(includes Friday dinner/entertainment, Saturday lunch, Sunday brunch) $
$230 CCEA Non-Member-Full Registration
(includes Friday dinner/entertainment, Saturday lunch, Sunday brunch) $
$165 CCEA Member (Professional or School)-Partial Registration
(includes Saturday lunch, Sunday brunch) $
$200 CCEA Non-Member - Partial Registration
(includes Saturday lunch, Sunday brunch) $
N/C Visitation to School Sites Friday April 24 Requesting/Not Requesting
Limited space-Earlier requests will receive priority (Circle One)
Confirmation ticket will be sent
$10 Early Registration Discount
Received by January 9, 1998 -No Purchase Orders $ (subtract)
$10 Professional Member Discount Membership Card # $ (subtract)
Total Registration Cost $ (include with registration)
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Copyright © 1998 by the California Continuation
Education Association.
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