Community Newsletter - November 2019

South Bay Union School District

Community Newsletter

November 2019

Superintendent's Message

Dear South Bay Parents/Guardians and Community Members,

There is currently a lot of conversation taking place among California legislators about funding for public education. Although California is the 5th largest economy in the world, our state level of education funding per student is 45th in the Nation. As a comparison, California students are funded at approximately $10,000 per student, while New York provides $21,000 of funding per student.

South Bay is struggling with many of the same financial challenges facing other California school districts, most notably declining enrollment, increased pension obligations, and rising costs for Special Education services. Over the past twenty years, we have seen steady declines in enrollment and currently have 3,000 less students than we had twenty years ago. In very general financial terms, the loss of 100 students is equal to a loss of $1 million in funding.

There are two public education funding plans aiming for the November 2020 ballot:

A coalition led by the California School Boards Association, the Association of California School Administrators, and the Community College League of California are endorsing the Full and Fair Funding: Public School Progress, Prosperity, and Accountability Act of 2020. This initiative would increase taxes on individuals and corporations earning more than $1 million and would produce enough money for K-12 and community colleges to raise California's per-student funding to the national average.

The California Schools and Local Communities Funding Act is sponsored by a coalition of social justice organizations, public employee unions, the California State PTA, and the California Teachers Association among others. This "split-roll" measure would leave Proposition 13's limits on tax increases for homeowners intact while changing the rules for business and commercial properties. Roughly 40% of the projected $11 billion annual tax revenue would go to schools and community colleges, with the rest divided among counties and cities.

Our Board of Trustees has endorsed both plans and it is our best hope that one of these initiatives will be placed on the 2020 ballot. There is nothing more important than ensuring that our schools, and all California schools, receive the resources needed to provide every student with a high-quality education.

Sincerely,

Katie McNamara

Katie McNamara, Ed.D.

Superintendent

South Bay in the News

On October 16, the Bayside STEAM Academy was featured in a Zevely Zone story on CBS 8. The story is about a repurposed TV news van that is now used for science visits to San Diego schools.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Yessenia Guzman, second grade teacher at Central, for being named a Teacher Hero! On October 29, Yessenia was surprised with the award during an assembly. The program, which is sponsored by Entercom Communications, Azusa Pacific University, and the San Diego County Office of Education, recognizes teachers that go above and beyond in their job to create a lifelong love of learning in children. Only twelve San Diego County teachers are selected each year. As a winner, she will receive a gift card for classroom supplies, a classroom lunch party from Sombrero Mexican Food, and an end-of-year celebration at Legoland for the entire class.

On November 12, Oneonta teacher Lisa Corrales received a Class Acts visit. Mission Federal Credit Union, JAM'N 957, and representatives from the San Diego County Office of Education visited Ms. Corrales' classroom to celebrate her. She received a gift card to buy educational supplies. She and her students were also interviewed on the Pablo show on JAM"N 957. Congratulations!

One Sight

80% of what children learn is visually processed, yet one in four students in the U.S. has an undiagnosed vision problem affecting their ability to see and learn. OneSight is a leading vision care nonprofit that provides free comprehensive eye exams and glasses (if needed). OneSight team members from Lenscrafters, Sears Optical, Sunglass Hut, Oakley, and other Luxottica affiliates manufacture and dispense new glasses to participating students.

Each year, South Bay's Nurses identify students that have vision care needs and work with teachers and families to ensure these students are included in the program. Thank you to our wonderful team of School Nurses, our dedicated Principals, and the Transportation Department for their support of this initiative.

Decorating with Deputies

On October 24, VIP Village West welcomed members of the San Diego County Sheriff's Department to the campus for Decorating with Deputies. Twelve Deputies and Lieutenant Marquez joined the students for pumpkin decorating and Halloween fun! Thank you to the Sheriff's Department!

Get to Know our Teachers

Liseth Marquez teaches first grade at the Nestor Language Academy. She was born in Chula Vista and attended San Diego State University, where she earned degrees in Liberal Studies and Education. Liseth loves to teach and is passionate about education. She chose teaching as a career because she believes she can make a difference in each child's life. She shares her home with a Goldendoodle named Puyol. Her favorite book is The Giving Tree and her favorite movie is Coco. When she is not in her classroom, she enjoys sushi, tacos, dancing, hiking, and playing soccer and volleyball.

Jennifer Saffon has been teaching for twelve years and is currently teaching fifth grade at Nicoloff. She is a third generation Chula Vista native and earned a degree in Liberal Studies from San Diego State University. She has always wanted to be a teacher and loves helping students. She has two children and is expecting her third child soon! She also has a dog, Samba. Fun favorites: Food (Mexican and sushi), book (Wonder), and movie (Pocahontas). On her time away from South Bay, she enjoys running, gardening, and traveling.

Autumn Collin is a middle school teacher at Imperial Beach Charter. She was born in Covina, California. She attended Point Loma Nazarene (on a softball scholarship) and National Universities and has multiple degrees and teaching credentials. She has been teaching for 17 years and enjoys being a positive influence in the lives of her students. Autumn has three children, two dogs, four cats, and a fish. She loves Mexican food and coaching sports in the South Bay community. Her favorite books are the Twilight series and her favorite movies are the Marvel series (especially Black Panther).