May Newsletter - In the Board Room, National Foster Care Month, APAHM & more!
May 1, 2019
Message from Mónica
Dear Champions of Change,
Happy May Day - International Workers' Day! Today, we commemorate the resilience of the workers who fought for our rights and well-being. The spirit of activists is alive in us as we continue to fight for the wellness of all of our communities and raise achievement in our school system.
Today is also School Principals' Day! We are so grateful for our School Leaders who work tirelessly to ensure that our students, teachers, parents and staff are well. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
We have yet another busy month ahead celebrating and honoring National Foster Care Month, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and Teacher Appreciation Month! This time of the year can feel overwhelming as well with exams, testing, papers and projects... but breathe in strength! You have worked so hard all year - now it's time to show what you know!
Officially counting down... 31 days until the first High School Graduation of 2019!
In the spirit of hope,
Mónica García
In the Board Room
I am happy to support the Oversight Committee to ensure that any funding from Measure EE goes directly to school sites and impacts student learning and student growth.
We are so proud of our student Board Member, Tyler Okeke, who led the effort to support expanding voting rights to 16 & 17 year olds for school board elections! Our youth are already politically engaged, mobilizing around the most important issues of our time. It is vital to our democracy to give them a voice in our political process. Thank you, Board Member Okeke and all of the students who are on the front lines of this movement!
We thank the Armenian community, parents, students and leaders for working with Board Member Gonez and demonstrating leadership regarding this Resolution. I was happy to co-sponsor the "Remembering and Honoring the Armenian Genocide of 1915." Power is the ability to define our reality.
We are grateful for our teachers every day, but in May in particular, we honor and recognize their immense contribution to our schools, community and most of all, the lives of our students. We proudly salute and celebrate our teachers and substitute teachers through the passsage of this resolution by the Board.
Through the Women's Resolution that I sponsored, along with Board Member Gonez, we will commemorate the 100th Anniversary of Women's Suffrage on August 18, 2020! Thank you to the Bold, Courageous and Powerful women who came before us to fight for our voting rights! The future is female!
As a result of the Board Meeting on April 23, we were able to support the following investments:
$175,206 for GEAR UP grant
$6.5 million for Plascencia ES's earthquake retrofit and housing
$1.4 million for a bio lab in Orthopaedic Magnet
$1.67 million for Belmont HS's new turf and access gates
$28 million for installation of energy efficient lights
We are proud to have approved a new labor agreement with Associated Administrators of Los Angeles (AALA)!
Health Teens are on the Move! Last Board Meeting, we had RHS student leaders advocating for better water quality in schools. Happy to approve the $15 million for Phase III of the Drinking Water Quality Program!
Did you know?
May is National Foster Care Month
It's a time to recognize that we each can play a part in enhancing the lives of children and youth in foster care. Find resources and information to help ensure that their future is bright.
For Rising Juniors and Seniors, APIs Mobilize is accepting applications for their Summer Youth Leadership Program! They are dedicated to empowering the next generation of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander leaders. Program participants will have the unique opportunity to connect with and learn from community leaders, successful professionals, and elected officials. Deadline to submit is May 13th!
LOCAL DISTRICT EAST FAMILY FAIR IS THIS SATURDAY!
In the Media
Extending the Voting Age to 16 for School Board Elections
