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SCCSBA President's Message

By Carol Presunka (Cambrian SD)

Hello and happy October! School sites are busy with all things Halloween which creates a number of fun events to visit. October is a busy month for SCCSBA too. The Hoffmann Awards application has been updated and made easier to complete on-line. Encourage your school districts to apply for one of their examples of excellence in education! Remember the winners get a professionally made video of their program for their own use.

Our next Lunch and Learn is Thursday Oct. 17th where we will discuss best practices in cell phone policies. Governor Newsom has just signed a bill mandating all school districts to have a cell phone policy. Come share experiences in your district. 

Wednesday, Oct. 23rd is our Fall Dinner at Maggiano's. This in-person event gives everyone a chance to talk, mingle and enjoy a lovely meal. The County Office of Education will be presenting a panel of students discussing their experiences with inclusion in their school districts. They’ve got some great ideas of what works and what they’d like to see at their schools. 

It’s not in October but make sure you put our next Networking Breakfast in your calendars. It's on Saturday November 16th at Bill's Cafe on the Alameda in San Jose. It’s always a fun, casual event to catch up with others.   

Have a spooktacular Halloween and look forward to seeing you at our next event.

Saturday, November 16 - SCCSBA Networking Breakfast, Bill's Cafe on the Alameda

The SCCSBA Saturday Networking Breakfast will be held on Saturday, November 16 from 8-9:30 AM at Bill's Cafe on the Alameda in San Jose (2089 The Alameda, San Jose, CA 95126). See your email inbox for the calendar invitation and reminder.

Hoffmann Awards Application are Now Open Online!

Each year the Santa Clara County School Boards Association (SCCSBA) coordinates the Hoffmann Exemplary Award program where we honor outstanding educational programs in our county. This year is the 41st Annual Hoffmann Awards and applications are now open. The deadline to submit applications is end of Friday, December 13, 2024. Here is the link to the online application:

41st Annual Hoffmann Awards Application Form (google.com)

Does your school district take an imaginative approach to inspire and motivate students? Do you have an inventive way to reach students or involve the community that is a source of pride for your district? Nominate your original educational program to obtain countywide recognition and showcase program excellence in your district.

Begun in 1984, the Glen W. Hoffmann Exemplary Program Awards were initiated by the SCCSBA to provide recognition to successful school programs that have a significant impact on student success in our county. Named for the former County Superintendent (1967-84), these awards exemplify Dr. Hoffmann’s strong belief in educational leadership as the key factor in educational reform.

Each fall, school districts are invited to identify programs they consider worthy of commendations and consistent with a free, public education for all students. A program may be multi-district, district-wide, one school, or only one classroom. A district may submit up to three applications.

The 41st Annual Glen W. Hoffmann Awards will be presented at the Association’s Hoffmann Awards Dinner on May 7, 2025, at MetroEd. A​ video of each winning program is created by SCCOE Communications. View past Hoffmann Award recipient videos.

The program receiving the highest score out of the entire field of applicants will receive an additional award which will be announced at the dinner: the Kristi Porter Outstanding Program Award.

We look forward to receiving your applications! If you have any questions, please contact SCCSBA Executive Director, Bonnie Mace, at execdirector@sccsba.org

Thanks to this year's Hoffmann Awards Committee Co-Chairs, Isabel Jubes-Flamerich (Sunnyvale School Board Trustee) & Aine O’Donovan (Campbell Union High School Board Trustee).

Thursday, October 17 SCCSBA Lunch and Learn Zoom - Cell Phones in Schools

Our always popular Zoom Lunch and Learn educational series continues on Thursday, October 17 from 12-1:15 p.m. on Zoom. Our featured topic is Cellphones in Schools. AB 3216, known as the Phone-Free Schools Act, aims to support the mental health, academics and social well-being of California students. The law requires every school district, charter school and county education office to adopt a policy limiting smartphone use by July 1, 2026, with updates required every five years. We will be discussing this issue, and please bring your thoughts on what's happening in your own school district. See your email calendar for the zoom link.

Wednesday, October 23 - SCCSBA Fall Networking Dinner

We are excited to announce that our Fall Networking Dinner will be held at Maggiano's Restaurant on Santana Row in San Jose on October 23 from 6-9 p.m. In addition to wonderful Italian food, we will be having a student speaker panel on "Empowering Every Voice: Students Leading the Way" in cooperation with the Santa Clara County Office of Education. All superintendents and trustees are invited to come. It's a fun way to share a dinner with your whole governance team! Here is the link to register: https://sccsbafalldinner2024.eventbrite.com

A big thanks to Finney Architects for sponsoring our Fall Networking Dinner!

Wednesday, November 6 - SCCSBA Evening Zoom Meeting on ArtificiaI Intelligence

All trustees are invited to our November 6 Zoom evening meeting, which will feature an in-depth discussion of Artificial Intelligence and Schools. We will have CSBA staff representatives who will be sharing the work CSBA is doing in AI policies, board resolutions, advocacy, legal concerns and what’s happening across the state. The meeting will run from 7:00-8:30 p.m. Please check your email inbox for the zoom link.

CSBA Spotlight (csba.org)

New research calls on education policymakers to keep calm and carry on when it comes to AI

A recent report from Policy Analysis for California Education aims to provide education leaders with a better understanding of artificial intelligence (AI) and how it can be used in education by exploring its potential strengths and limitations.

Generative AI in particular has become a prevalent topic of conversation in education with the rising popularity of ChatGPT and similar programs. This type of AI differs from traditional computing because it learns from the patterns and structure of its inputs and uses machine-learning algorithms to form neural networks rather than following step-by-step programming, which can make it unpredictable.

Optimists see AI as a tool enabling teachers to focus more on building caring and trusting relationships and develop lessons tailored to students’ needs, backgrounds, cultures and more. Pessimists envision a future in which students using AI will spend less time interacting with human teachers and peers while misusing AI tools or, perhaps worse, relying on AI educational resources rife with biases, misinformation, oversimplification and other issues.

From the federal to the local level, education policymakers must consider an array of differing views to harness the potential and mitigate the hazards presented by advances in AI technologies, according to the report.

Read More...

Oak Grove School District

Welcome to Oak Grove School District's New Superintendent - Dr. Ivan Chaidez

Dr. Ivan Chaidez brings 24 years of experience in education. Most recently, serving in the Oak Grove School District for the past six years, including three years as the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and three years as Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Division. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish and Chicana/o Studies from UC Davis, a Master of Science in Educational Administration, and a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership from the University of Massachusetts. Among his accolades, Dr. Chaidez was named Teacher of the Year in 2003 and, as a Principal, led his school to achieve California Distinguished School status in 2007. In addition, he served as the President of the California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators (CALSA) from 2019-2021.

Loma Prieta Joint Union School District

On September 18, Loma Prieta Joint Union School District held a grand opening of the C.T. English Middle School Library "The Hub". Thanks to the generous donations from the Loma Public Education Fund and an additional funding source, the district has expanded library services to four days a week. The district was able to refurbish the entire space with new carpeting and new furnishings. During the summer, we began the project to renovate and retool the library to meet the student needs within the district's budget constraints. 

The library is a hub for students to collaborate, explore, and learn together and independently to meet their intellectual, social, and emotional needs. The students are welcome to visit the library during recess, lunch, and flex-period. They are visiting more often and staying longer. 

The district pivoted to a genre-based shelving system to help students find and access materials that appeal to them. We wanted the students to be more self-sufficient and involved in seeking out books. They approach the school library more like a bookstore where all the books are for their age range and interests. We also wanted the library to feel like a place they could work in, study in, curl up with a book or try a new hobby.

Thank you, Superintendent Dr. Kevin S. Grier and Vice-President of the LPJUSD Board Charlotte Boisvert-Khandelwal for their vision and work these last few months and to our librarian, Param Matharu who provided mobile library services outside in the courtyard during the construction period. We are excited to provide our students with a new library space and a learning hub.

Santa Clara Unified School District

SCUSD Open Invite to Reception Recognizing Trustee Albert Gonzalez

In appreciation of Trustee Albert Gonzalez' years of service to the Santa Clara Unified School Board and California School Boards Association, the Santa Clara Unified School District is holding a reception for him on November 14 at 4 p.m. If you'd like to attend, please see the RSVP below.

RSVP Here 

Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District

Saratoga High School Teacher Selected for Art Leadership Award

Saratoga High School teacher Joel Tarbox has been selected to receive a 2024 Special Teacher Recognition Award at the Santa Clara County Office of Education’s (SCCOE) annual Teacher Recognition Celebration on Monday, October 21, 2024. Selected from among the finest teachers in the county, Joel will be honored for his leadership and inspiration as a 2024 Santa Clara County Federal Credit Union Arts Leadership Award winner.

Joel Tarbox’s enthusiasm for art stems from a lifelong passion that began during his childhood. Art has always been a central part of his identity, but what makes him truly unique is his commitment to continually practicing as an artist while teaching. Joel believes that remaining an active artist is essential to his growth as an educator—he feels that by constantly improving his own skills, he becomes better equipped to inspire his students.

Joel Tarbox will be honored with Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District’s 2024 Teacher of the Year Mike Tyler, a Saratoga High School Media Arts (MAP) and Journalism Teacher.

In addition, Los Gatos High School Senior Ainsley Northrup has been selected to sing the National Anthem in opening up the county-wide celebration.