Sacramento Blog

Patricia Hawke asked:


The district serving Sacramento Schools is 150 years old. The start of Sacramento’s school system was February 20, 1854, and began on the corner of 5th and K Streets. There were two teachers, one male and one female, to teach approximately 50 boys and 40 girls aged seven through nine. Because of the new constitution for California written in 1849, which included guaranteed funding for public education and an elected superintendent, the Sacramento Public Schools were able to open. Sacramento High School, which opened in 1856, is the second oldest high school west of the Mississippi. The first kindergarten began in 1895.

Over the years, attendance at Sacramento Schools grew and grew. Now among the 10 largest school districts in California, Sacramento Schools serve around 50,000 K-12 students, and 20,000 adult education students. 3,000 teachers and 3,000 non-classified teaching employees work for the school. (Non-classified employees do clerical/technical, maintenance, classroom support, nutrition, and transportation work.)

An interesting turn of events occurred in Sacramento in the summer of 2007. In an effort to protect the campuses, district officials and local law enforcement turned to the public to keep an eye on the unoccupied schools over the summer. The weekends surrounding the Fourth of July were the particular dates that they asked neighbors and community members to keep an eye on schools.

Apparently, in years past, the 4th of July has brought on a rash of fires and vandalism to Sacramento Schools. The celebrations that are held on Independence day is a particularly dangerous time of the year for Sacramento Schools. Not only are they unoccupied, but they are at greater risk from fire and arson, resulting from careless or even malicious use of fireworks. Sacramento Schools have spent literally thousands of dollars after the July 4th holiday to clean up and repair the damage done by vandals and fireworks to Sacramento Schools campuses.

Neighbors of the schools and business owners have been asked to call the city police or sheriff’s department if they notice anyone vandalizing Sacramento Schools property. They also want to know if anyone is seen on a campus with lighters, matches or fireworks. In addition, the police department stepped up the patrols around Sacramento Schools in an attempt to discourage would-be vandals from attacking the schools.

It is interesting to see that the police and the leaders of Sacramento Schools are utilizing the community’s help in this manner. Community involvement in the schools typically takes the form of donations of time, money, and supplies. How nice for the community to be able to simply use themselves – more specifically their eyes and ears – to help look out for their neighborhood Sacramento Schools.

It is unknown, at the time this article was written, if the increased police presence and the vigilance of neighbors and business owners helped to discourage the fires and vandalism that had occurred in years past.



JILEK

Patricia Hawke asked:


The role of charter schools in education at Sacramento Schools is constantly emerging and evolving. Sacramento Schools have been involved in the on-going battle between privately run charters and the public systems that fund them for years. The enormous impact of this inability to form a cohesive working relationship will come to a head on June 14th when the Sacramento Visual and Performing Arts Charter (VAPAC) closes its doors.

VAPAC was originally a part of the Sacramento Schools system. It began as a program within the Sacramento High School. When Sacramento Schools decided to make that a charter in 2003, VAPAC leased separate space and established its own charter. Part of what makes the Sacramento Schools’ charter programs difficult is determining who is in charge. Charter programs like VAPAC are fully funded by public funds, yet have their own governing boards. This is what landed VAPAC and the Sacramento Schools in court this past year.

Sacramento Schools demanded the authority to fire administrators governing the charter school, citing budget and student safety concerns. VAPAC leaders disagreed. The lawsuit was finally settled in September of 2006. However, when VAPAC tried to get a new charter from Sacramento Schools, they were denied. Officials in the Sacramento Schools district office said that the charter was not able to produce the necessary curriculum and budgets requested.

So where does this leave VAPAC students, the charter, and Sacramento Schools? VAPAC Director Arbatel de la Cuesta and some others are opening a new private school, the Sacramento Art Conservatory. About two dozen students are currently enrolled. But for many the $7,000 annual tuition eliminates private school as a possibility. This leaves many of Sacramento Schools’ students scrambling to locate a new school. It also leaves Sacramento Schools without an arts school.

In an error of mandatory testing and higher standards, many Sacramento Schools’ educators and parents are already concerned about the lack of balance as time for art, music and physical education give way to academic test preparations. Tom Barentson, Deputy Superintendent for Sacramento Schools, has stated that Sacramento City Unified will have another arts program. He just can’t say when it will be, or whether it will be another charter or part of an existing program.

That eliminates one option of school choice for many Sacramento Schools’ students. And this is not a controversy likely to fade away soon. Sacramento Schools are trying to look at all the options it can to use a public school budget to meet rising standards for its many students. But until local school boards, like the Sacramento Schools, find a better way to govern charter schools, the controversy will continue.



UTZINGER

Patricia Hawke asked:


Corporate sponsorship of public education has become an incredible boost for districts trying to meet stricter federal and state mandates on tight budgets. Organizations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation, and the Ford Foundation have invested billions of dollars in the nation’s public schools. While this is essential, the Sacramento Schools are focusing on an even more important partner in public education. The Parents.

Importance of Parent Involvement in Sacramento Schools

Sacramento Public Schools are under the usual pressure to raise test scores, meet budget requirements, and improve graduation rates of its students. And there are many methods that they are using to do it. But a look at the parent education program of the Sacramento Schools highlights an awareness of the importance of the home environment that often gets lost amidst the frenzy for higher test scores. Numerous studies have proven the correlation between parent education, involvement, and socio-economic status to student academic success. And recent attention on the alarming achievement gap between minority and white students is warranted. But where does the solution begin?

For the Sacramento Schools- it begins at home. Teachers in the Sacramento Schools are quick to point out that, as early as the pre-school years, an involved parent has a direct impact on a child’s success in school. Parents who don’t speak English, are high school drop-outs, or have financial problems are less able to support their children.

Programs for Parents at the Sacramento Schools

The Parent Support Services of the Sacramento Schools offers a variety of programs to improve parenting skills, help parents understand the educational system, teach English skills to speakers of foreign languages, and assist parents with skills needed to create a stronger family unit.

The first way of connecting parents with the Sacramento Schools is Parenthaven, an educational television show that parents can access without even stepping foot outside of their home. However, the goal of Sacramento Schools is to attract parents to the schools. The Parent Project Jr.® and the Parent Project Sr.® are classes offered to teach parents methods for improving family communications, and working with “strong-willed or out of control children.” The junior class is for parents of 5-10 year olds, and focuses on choosing appropriate friends, family communication, and improving school performance, among other topics. Some of the issues addressed in the senior classes are dealing with children who hit or use drugs, gang involvement, and truancy.

Another outreach program is the Parent Teacher Home Visit Project. This is a joint effort of the local teacher’s union, a faith based community group, and the Sacramento Schools. The goal is to get past the blame and distrust that often exists between faculty and low-income families. Another community-based program for parents in the Sacramento Schools is Parent University. Over 70 different classes on topics from money management to family arts appreciation are offered throughout the year.

While high socio-economic status has always been associated with student achievement in the Sacramento Schools, administrators acknowledge that the education and involvement that comes with that status is more important that the actual income of a family. The Sacramento Schools is making a wise, long-term investment into the success of its students, by putting a focus on their most important partners- the parents.



BAUKNECHT