Dear Editor:

The Antioch School Board will soon announce its application procedure for appointment to the Trusteeship position generated by Barbara Cowan’s move to Oregon. The Board, as a whole, will decide on the tactical selection process particulars. Speaking, then, only for myself, kindly allow for some ruminations on a Trustee’s ideal constitution.

I’ve been asked how much an educational background benefits a Board Trustee. Truth be, it sometimes helps, often hurts. One can know too much, which can lead to micro-managing. By contrast, an enlightened trustee hires the best Superintendent possible, sets a clear vision with accountable benchmarks, and then gets out of the way.

The best Trustees simply have strong communication and bridge-building skills, and a seasoned touch. They can seamlessly switch from publicly praising to, when needed, privately and diplomatically prodding. Being transparent, accountable, fiscally sober and hard-working can not be overstated, as well.

For my two cents, Trustees also need good-old fashioned common sense, with an appreciation of tough love. Yes, we need adopt creative, positive behavioral interventions but we can’t abandon fair but strict, no-nonsense, behavioral standards if our schools and society are not going to go to hell in a hand basket. If we don’t curb systemic behavioral outbursts, and all the attendant distraction, we will continually spin our wheel on attaining academic improvement.

School Board is the retail world of politics and governance; it’s up close and personal. As such, it’s not for the thin-skinned or faint of heart. It calls for unending give and take with the sometimes clashing interests of students, parents, teachers, Superintendent, administrators, community leaders and colleagues.

As you can guess, though nobody has to go along, in this hurly-burly arena it helps to get along. Pure ideology simply counts for naught if nothing tangible gets done in the crucible of compromise and pursuit of the Golden Mean.

Superintendents, administrators, union leaders and fellow trustees come and go with elections, retirements and moves. By freely adapting to each new configuration you can maximize complimentary strengths and leverage mutual goals. We quickly learn that there are no permanent alliances, just permanent interests. It’s inevitable that we fall to the short end of some 3-2 or 4-1 votes, but we endure. Cycles come and go and even a dissenting voice has some resounding long-term value.

Fact is, not everyone will be on our preferred dance card, philosophically or temperamentally. We must, though, tango with the partners we have.

I, for one, wish we could harken back to a more civil political climate typified by Democrat Majority Whip Hubert Humphrey and Republican Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen retiring from a day’s vigorous debates to congenially tipping a few cold beers together.

Contrast this to the bitter enmity and hardened partisan divisiveness choking the corridors of power today.

Of late, the word loyalty surfaced. I welcome the discussion because loyalty is one of the enduring themes of man’s perennial philosophy. Nevertheless, I caution against blind loyalty at the expense of overarching principle or managing the collective good.

The three dicta of wise governance remain; balance, balance, balance. School Board cries for the amicable, not angry; the consensus builder, not partisan; the results-driven principled, not ideologue.

Granted, a tall order, but it can’t hurt to hope we get King Solomon, or an aspiring Solomon, to, pray tell, apply for the appointment.

Walter Ruehlig

Trustee, Antioch Unified School District

FULL FREEWAY CLOSURES:

There are no full freeway closures planned for this week.

HIGHWAY LANE CLOSURES:

State Route 4:

There will be highway lane closures in the westbound direction of State Route 4 between Railroad Avenue and Loveridge Road on Monday through Friday from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.

There will be highway lane closures in the eastbound direction of State Route 4 between Bailey Road and Loveridge Road on Monday through Friday from 4:00 am to 12:00 pm.

There will be highway lane closures in the westbound direction of State Route 4 between Hillcrest Avenue and Contra Loma Boulevard/ L Street on Monday through Friday evenings from 9:00 pm to 4:00 am.

State Route 160:

There are no highway lane closures of State Route 160 planned for this week.

RAMP CLOSURES:

There are no ramp closures planned for this week.

LOCAL STREET CLOSURES:

There will be lane closures in the northbound and southbound directions of Contra Loma Boulevard/L Street between Lemon Tree Way and Saint Francis Drive on Monday through Friday evening from 7:00 pm to 6:00 am.

Cavallo Road will be closed in all directions between E. Tregallas Road and Sunset Drive starting on Saturday morning at 7:00 am and ending on Sunday evening at 8:00 pm. For questions or comments please send e-mail to info@4eastcounty.org

The Antioch Police Department is excited to announce the 64th Neighborhood Cleanup Program. This is a collaborative community effort which involves active participation from The Antioch Police Department Crime Prevention Commission; Neighborhood Watch Program; Volunteers in Police Service; community volunteers and the Public Works Department.

Collectively, “We”, everyone who works and lives in the City Antioch, can make a difference and improve the quality of life. It’s our community and it’s our chance to make a difference.

The City of Antioch Neighborhood Cleanup program is not just for residential neighborhoods. It is a program that will change venues on a monthly basis and it will include business and commercial areas as well. Neighborhoods that are free of trash and refuse are inviting, and a clean community instills a sense of community pride.

The 64th Neighborhood Cleanup event will occur on Saturday, October 3rd from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Village East Park on Gentrytown Drive. Please park in the circle of Pear and Cherry Streets.

Volunteers will receive instructions and the equipment necessary to accomplish the goal. The targeted area is within walking distance. Excluding inclement weather, future Neighborhood Cleanup events are scheduled for the first Saturday of every month and the locations will be announced in advance.

Remember, cleaning up your neighborhood can make life better for your family, your neighbors and your community.

By Antioch Chief of Police Allan Cantando

The Antioch Police Department is happy to report our most recent Part 1 crime numbers. Our Part 1 violent crime has dropped 11.5% and our Part 1 property crime has dropped 12.4%. Combined, our total Part 1 crime has dropped 12.3%. In addition, our total arrests are up 19.9%. These numbers are compared to our stats from last year for the same time period through the month of August.

We have been doing weekly proactive details, focusing on violent crime, drug activity, blight, and traffic enforcement. Additionally, our Neighborhood Watch Groups have been very active in our community, reporting suspicious and criminal activity as it is occurring. There is still work ahead of us and improvement to be made, but together we are making a difference.

Gives bipartisan reform bill enough votes to pass House

Washington, DC – Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) became the 218th cosponsor of the bipartisan “Biennial Budgeting and Enhanced Oversight Act” (H.R. 1610), introduced by Congressmen Ribble (WI-08) and Schrader (OR-05). The bill now enjoys bipartisan support from the majority of Members of the House of Representatives, which guarantees its passage should Speaker Boehner bring it to the floor for a vote. Under the biennial budgeting process, Congress would complete its budget resolution and appropriations bills in the first year of each Congress, and conduct much needed oversight of federal programs in the second year. This process would result in a more comprehensive review of federal spending, and would allow for a greater focus on performance budgeting and good governance.

“There is no question our current budgeting process is broken. It is long past the time for Congress to end the cycle of yearly funding crises and short-term budget extensions. This bill provides the stability our government agencies need, and the accountability our taxpayers deserve. I am proud to help this strong bipartisan bill reach the majority needed to pass the House, and I urge Speaker Boehner to immediately bring it to the floor for a vote,” said Congressman DeSaulnier.

“America is a tremendous economic engine, and our federal budget needs consistency, reliability, and thorough oversight to function efficiently. I introduced the Biennial Budgeting and Enhanced Oversight Act to takebudgeting out of election years and force Congress to conduct better oversight of federal agencies, and I am proud to have Representative DeSaulnier on the bill as our 218thcosponsor,”said Congressman Ribble (WI-08).

“When I chaired the Budget and Appropriations Committee in the Oregon Legislature, we operated with a biennial budget system, and it worked very well. There is no reason we should not be doing the same in this body,” said Congressman Schrader (OR-05). “We’re facing budget crisis after budget crisis and by adopting this bill we would able to avoid stress and uncertainty, not only for our government, but for the American people who expect us to do our jobs.”

Biennial budgeting is a practical reform that has already been implemented by fifteen states. It has strong bipartisan and bicameral support. The bipartisan Senate companion legislation, the Biennial Budgeting and Appropriations Act (S. 150), is led by Senators Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and currently has 25 additional cosponsors. Congressman DeSaulnier introduced and passed a similar bill when he served in the California State Senate, which was signed into law by Governor Brown.

Martinez, CA—On September 30, a coalition of public sector workers and Contra Costa County reached a tentative healthcare agreement affecting over 4,000 workers and Contra Costa families.

“After months of negotiations, we reached an agreement that will contain healthcare costs and provide an ongoing Labor/Management partnership to continue lowering healthcare costs for the County and workers through smart plan design,” said Dan Jameyson, SEIU 1021 Contra Costa County Chapter President, bargaining team member, and Contra Costa Eligibility Work Specialist.

The proposed 2-year agreement between workers represented by AFSCME Local 512, AFSCME Local 2700, IFPTE Local 21, SEIU 1021, and the Western Council of Engineers that makes healthcare costs more affordable. Additionally, the agreement—once ratified by the County Board of Supervisors and the unions—gives workers and their families options for a number of health plans offered by the County.

Furthermore, a Joint Labor/Management Benefit Committee will continue to work on benefit plan design to save even more money in future years, and address potential excise tax issues under the Affordable Care Act. The committee will continue to work towards common-sense proposals that would simultaneously contain rising healthcare costs while maintaining quality health care for thousands of Contra Costa families.

The healthcare labor coalition will bring the tentative agreement to a vote with their members in the next week. The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors will have the opportunity to ratify the agreement at their October 6th Board meeting.

The healthcare labor Coalition represents 4,000 Contra Costa County workers who make it a safe and healthy place to live in and raise families. The members of AFSCME Local 512, AFSCME Local 2700, IFPTE Local 21, SEIU 1021, and the Western Council of Engineers nurse our sick, make our neighborhoods safer, educate our children, clean our schools, and care for our seniors and developmentally disabled.

PLEASANT HILL, Calif., September 25, 2015 – Last Friday night, in an energy-filled and packed Concord Hilton banquet room, Contra Costa County Superintendent of Schools Karen Sakata, announced Maria McClain, of Antioch Unified School District and Kate Perry of Liberty Union High School District as the county’s 2015–2016 Teachers of the Year.

Maria McClain recently began her 28th year of teaching grades 10–12 for the Antioch Unified School District. For the past 19 years, McClain has been at Deer Valley High School (Antioch). McClain has taught high school pre-calculus, AP Calculus, AP statistics, and algebra, as well as junior high school mathematics and algebra. McClain obtained her undergraduate college units at Diablo Valley College, followed by earning her bachelor’s degree in mathematics and teaching credentials at California State University, Sacramento.

“Through her dedication, Maria McClain consistently demonstrates the finest qualities and attributes of a highly skilled educator and serves as a solid role model for her fellow peers,” says Susan Ceballos, vice principal, Deer Valley High School. “It is truly refreshing to observe how she creates an academic environment that is both engaging and enriching for all her students. On a daily basis, Ms. McClain maintains a standards-based instructional program that not only promotes an appreciation for mathematics, but also provides her students with the fundamental learning concepts for life-long application. At the same time, she implements successful instructional strategies that address the diverse learning needs of all students. In doing so, she differentiates her instructional approach by employing an array of strategies and activities to monitor student progress daily. Perhaps and most importantly, Ms. McClain is able to motivate her students by establishing high expectations while still maintaining a nurturing rapport with them during the instructional period.”

This past July, Kate Perry began her fifth year of teaching social science to grades 9–12 at Independence High School, in Brentwood. The nine-year teacher also taught social studies at St. Patrick-St. Vincent High School, in Vallejo, and worked as a service learning coordinator for Irvington High School in Fremont. Perry attained her bachelor’s degree in political science from San Francisco State University, earning her teaching credentials at Mills College and University of California Extension. Last year, she received her master’s degree in education from Mills College.

“I enrolled into Independent High School as a sophomore, after dropping out six moths prior from my first high school,” reports Perry’s former student, Tiffany Montana. “When I came to Ms. Perry, I didn’t have goals and graduation was farfetched. That was not good enough for her. She showed me that if I stayed focused on my schoolwork and I worked hard, I could graduate on time. Ms. Perry knew I could be anything I wanted, and helped me realize that I really could be anything I wanted to be. While attending Independence, she would text or call me before class to make sure I was going to come in. As a teacher, she provided me with the push I needed. Knowing my decisions could potentially disappoint her was enough for me to do my best. When I graduated on time, in 2014, I had a 3.7 GPA and was looking forward to my future. I owe this drastic change to Ms. Perry’s dedication to my education.”

After both teachers were named Teacher of the Year by their school districts, last March, McClain and Perry successfully proceeded, with the other 16 eligible county candidates, through a rigorous countywide selection process, it included an application screening, classroom evaluation, interview, and speech presentation. Their fellow finalists are Dawn Foote, Liberty Union High School District (Ron Nunn Elementary) and Paul Fitzgerald, Acalanes Union High School District, (Miramonte High).

More than 400 attendees were on hand for an evening that will certainly not be forgotten. The audience was made up of the TOYs’ family members and friends, as well as numerous local educators, business partners, and elected officials. Kicking off the festivities were a few high-energy musical numbers, featuring intricate rhythms of percussion instruments and complementary harmonies of a 60-student group from Alamo Elementary. The tremendous performance was lead by their music teacher, Nancy Raaum.

The evening also featured Sakata introducing the TOY class of 2015–2016 of sharing with the audience her visits to each of the teachers’ classrooms, and the comments their students gave her about their teachers. This was followed by speeches of the TOY finalists on the topic: “What I have learned from my students.” After the finalists’ speeches were given, McClain and Perry’s announcement was made by Sakata.

McClain and Perry will now compete with all the other county representatives in the California State TOY competition. The California State Teachers of the Year are expected to be announced in late October. The county TOY program is coordinated by the Contra Costa County Office of Education. (For additional TOY info, visit the CCCOE’s Teacher of the Year page).

About the Teacher of the Year Program

In 1972, California began recognizing outstanding teachers, establishing the Teachers of the Year Program. This program is open to all teachers in public & private schools who teacher pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. Contra Costa County has participated in the program since its beginning, when Joseph E. Davis, Jr., of the Acalanes Union High School District, was named the county’s first representative.

Since that time, four teachers from this county have been State finalists: Janet Neill, San Ramon Valley Unified (1975); David Eakin, John Swett Unified (1981); William Thomas, Mt. Diablo Unified (1982); and Janice Bergamini, Mt. Diablo Unified (1991). In addition, William Pence, San Ramon Valley Unified (1999), was selected to represent California at the National Teacher of the Year level. And, in the last two years, the County has had two other state representatives – Mary Allan, Antioch Unified (2001) and Janet Gower, Mt. Diablo Unified (2002). For a list of all of the Contra Costa County Teacher of the Year Representatives please click here.

The county’s TOY program is directed by the CCCOE. With such a high caliber of teaching professionals to draw from, the CCCOE’s TOY program uses a three-stage selection process, with a point and percentage system to determine the final candidate as follows:

Application Screening:

On March 20, a committee of 13, representing the county’s education, business, and public-sector partners meticulously reviewed the applications submitted by the school districts. This committee independently rated each application. After the application screening and scoring were completed, five teachers were selected to advance to the next phase as semifinalists.

Classroom Observation and Interview:

During the weeks of late April and early May, a small committee of education specialists and business partners will observe the semifinalists interacting with their students. Immediately following, the committee interviews the candidates, discussing topics such as their teaching philosophy and techniques. The results of the two screening processes are then combined to determine the four finalists.

Speech Presentation:

This coming August, the four TOY finalists will each give a three- to five-minute speech to another panel of a dozen educators, business, and public-sector representatives who will judge the finalists on their speech and presentation skills.

On the evening of September 24, 2015, all 22 TOYs, accompanied by their families, friends, and co-workers (an audience of approximately 400) will be honored at the annual Teacher of the Year Dinner Celebration, held at the Hilton Concord. Contra Costa County Superintendent of Schools Karen Sakata, who serves as master of ceremonies, introduces the TOYs by sharing a special story that reflects his classroom visits of each teacher during the recent spring and summer months. This will be followed by the four finalists giving their three- to five-minute speeches (same speeches given in August) to the filled banquet room. The excitement-filled evening will come to a dramatic close with the announcement of the 2015-2016 Contra Costa County Teacher of the Year.

The County representative is announced at the Awards Dinner in September at a gala affair that honors each district’s Teacher of the Year. Local business and community organizations generously donate classroom grants, services and other items to each of the district winners.

For more information and to see all of this year’s finalists, visit http://www.cccoe.k12.ca.us/supe/toy.html#about

On Friday, September 25th, the Antioch Rotary Club’s President Stacey Duckett, along with several other Rotarians, were pleased to present members of the Antioch Senior Center with a 60-inch, smart, big screen television that will assist them in many activities at the center including: computer classes, seminars, workshops, AARP safe driver’s courses, Wii Activities, Line Dancing and Movie Day.

The new, advance television can also act as a projector for lectures and instruction.This television replaces an extremely small 32-inch television which was way too small for any sort of theatre use.