Meeting and Events in April and May 2019

Here is a rundown of my most recent meetings and activities since my last entry, in order by date:

One of my board member duties is to keep in touch with and occasionally visit a slate of five schools that have been assigned to me this year. (Each of the seven board members has a similar list.) As part of that, I delivered proclamation posters to each school, and if the principal was on hand, briefly visited. The posters were signed by all board members and commemorated Week of the Teacher (May 5-11), Week of the Administrative Employee (May 12-18), and Week of the Classified Employee (May 19-25). On April 23rd I visited Green Valley Middle School, Rodriguez High School and Early College High School (at Solano College). Two days later I visited Dan. O. Root Health and Wellness Academy and Rolling Hills Elementary School. It was a pleasure to briefly visit each.

On Tuesday April 30th I attended the annual Solano County Teacher of the Year and Classified Employee of the Year awards at the Joseph Nelson Community Center in Suisun, where nominees from all of the school districts in Solano County were featured in a video tribute before the final recipient was announced. Our district’s nominees, teacher Barbara Niehoff and cafeteria manager Betty Gokey, didn’t take the top honor for the county but shined brightly. Here is a link to the Daily Republic story about the event, which featured a nice photo of Ms. Gokey.

Friday May 3rd I attended two events. First was the Early College High School Senior Class Project Showcase at Solano College. I was blown away by the quality of the projects. In the evening was a Rodriguez High School drama production of “Into The Woods,” which my wife Gayla and I enjoyed immensely.

Monday May 6th I attended the quarterly dinner meeting of the Solano County School Boards Association, which includes all of the school board members from Solano County (Benicia, Dixon, Fairfield-Suisun, Solano College, Solano County, Vacaville and Vallejo. I heard a presentation from three presenters, including from FSUSD’s own Jenn Roush (assistant director of curriculum, instruction and assessment). All spoke on inclusiveness laws in education. I also enjoyed visiting with other board members, including a few from neighboring districts. (Dinner was tasty, also.)

Thursday May 9th was one of our regular semi-monthly board meetings. There were many recognitions and awards, which it was a pleasure to take part in. Here is a link 5.9.19 Board Summary Notes to the official summary of the meeting.

Tuesday May 14th was the annual Substitute Appreciation Day event at the district office, honoring the hundreds of people who substitute in a variety of jobs throughout the district. Later that evening was the monthly meeting of the board facilities subcommittee. We discussed several long-term needs, including a use for the Sullivan Middle School campus. Here is a link 20A – Minutes 05-14-19 Facilities Subcommittee  to the minutes of that meeting.

The next day I attended the annual Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA) Induction program colloquium at the Nelson Center in Suisun, which honored and showcased all of the newest teachers in the district. I learned a lot about how our program works.

The next day, Thursday May 16th, featured two events. First was the annual Rolling Hills Elementary School Showcase of Student Work, followed by the annual “Highest Honors” program, honoring all the our high school students graduating with the top grade point averages. Here is a link to the Daily Republic story about the event, with a photo.

Saturday May 18th I attended the first hour of the quarterly Jobs and Hiring Fair at the district office, where many dozens of potential employees checked on vacancies, signed up and interviewed. I believe several (teachers for the coming school year) were signed on-the-spot.

Monday May 20th in Sacramento I attended an annual “May Revise” (state education budget) workshop, which focused on short- and long-term factors influencing school funding. There’s a lot to learn, and this was a valuable workshop.

That evening I attended the annual recognition dinner for the student board member, who will soon be graduating. Jasmine Lutz (link to biography here,) whose one-year term ends in July, was honored and praised for her service and contributions, notably the expanded “Student Voices” feature in board meetings. That has been so informative and successful it will probably be expanded.

Lastly (bringing me up to today, May 23rd in the afternoon), on May 21st I attended the annual Rodriguez High School Senior Awards Ceremony, where many dozens of scholarships were announced and seniors and their families received recognition.

This last month of the school year is a busy season for board members, culminating in the early June graduation and promotion ceremonies. (I’m signed up for eight of them.)

You can view my official school calendar using this link, where most of these events are listed.