Wants to Focus On Career Technical Education

By Allen Payton, Publisher

The remaining four members of the Governing Board of the Contra Costa Community College District voted unanimously to appoint Robert Calone of Pittsburg to the vacant seat in Ward 5, during a special Board meeting, today, Wednesday, March 9, 2011.

The vacancy was created when two-term member Jess Reyes passed away on January, 31 and the Board voted to appoint a replacement for the remainder of his term, through December, 2012. Ward 5 includes most of Antioch, as well as Pittsburg, Oakley, Brentwood, Bethel Island and Knightsen.

Calone was one of three finalists chosen from a field of applicants, including Supervisor Federal Glover’s former Chief of Staff Vincent Manuel and current Los Medanos College student and counselor for a local non-profit mentoring program for youth, Simone Gikanga, both of Antioch. They were interviewed during the special board meeting, today. (This writer was also an applicant but did not make the cut for the final interviews).

In his application, he had letters of recommendation from both newly elected State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson and former State Assemblyman Joe Canciamilla.

A native and life-long resident of Pittsburg, Calone is a retired, 43-year Journeyman Plumber with Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 159 and former Superintendent of Plumbing for Los Medanos Plumbing Company. He was an original and 16-year member of the Delta Protection Commission and has been a part-time vocational education teacher since 1978. He is a 1976 graduate of Golden Gate University with a B.S. Degree in Management and a Minor in Engineering.

Calone is also a Board of Director for Kasimu Education Fund in the poor village of Malawi, Africa where I oversee the disbursements of funds for educational studies, scholarships, food and nutrition programs for children and the construction of classrooms as well as high school and teacher housing.

In his application, Calone said “I am…particularly interested in supporting further development of Career Technical Education programs in such areas as nursing, “green” technology, construction management and computer generated drafting.”

“I want to coordinate Career Technical Education courses with the job opportunities in and around Contra Costa County. This could include nursing, welding, radiology, medical office administration, construction management,
“green” construction technologies, etc. My goal would be to make CTE in the District a model for the state,” he added.

His children attended Los Medanos College and he lives in Pittsburg with his wife of 46 years.

Congratulations to our new Community College District Governing Board Member, Robert Calone. Let’s all wish him well in his new position.

The board oversees the three main campuses of Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill and Contra Costa College in San Pablo, as well as the Brentwood and San Ramon Centers.  For more information about the college district, visit www.4cd.edu.

The unnamed pirate, mascot of Pittsburg High School, welcomed guests from the Contra Costa County Office of Education (CCCOE).   Cynthia Ruehlig (R), Trustee for Area 5, and Launi Holland (L), Principal for Student Services, visited the newly renovated campus to observe the Robotics class sponsored by Regional Occupational Program (ROP) of CCCOE.  The Pittsburg Kiwanis Club will serve a $5 pancake breakfast on Saturday, February 26 from 8:00 – 11:00 a.m. to give the public an opportunity to tour the facility and watch robotic demonstrations.

Presented by the East County Business-Education Alliance, the Contra Costa Economic Partnership, and the Antioch Unified School District: “Building a High Performing Community through High Performing Schools” on Tuesday, January 11 from 6:30 pm – 8:45 pm in the Deer Valley High School Theater, 4700 Lone Tree Way.

Free and open to the public, the goal for the forum is to highlight how Antioch Unified is transforming its schools to provide a more rigorous and relevant education, through educational pathways that prepare every student with 21^st century skills for success in college, career, and life.

It will feature Dr. Willard Daggett, a renowned educational leader, who will provide an overview of the components found in some of America’s highest performing and most rapidly improving schools, and a distinguished panel, describing how the community can support school transformation and improved student success.

For more information contact Iris Archuleta, President of Emerald Consulting at either 925-755-9291 or
iris@emeraldconsulting.com. www.emeraldconsulting.com.

Superintendent Don Gill gives oath of office to Gary Hack as his wife Diana holds the Bible.

The two newest school board members, known as Trustees, were given their oaths of office, last Wednesday night and took their seats at the dais, and soon created a new majority with their first major decision of who would become Board President.

Retired teacher and former teacher’s union president Gary Hack, who was the top vote-getter in the November election was given the oath by School District Superintendent Don Gill, with his wife Diana holding the Bible, by his side and mortgage consultant and former Antioch High School staffer Joy Motts was sworn in by Councilwoman Mary Rocha, who is a former school board member. Joy’s brother Kerry held the Bible for her during the ceremony.

Councilwoman Rocha pointed out to the audience that Mott’s mother, also named Joy, who served on the school board in the 1960’s and 70’s, said her daughter would take her place on the board one day.

“I want to thank everybody and my family who had to stand there and tolerate me during the campaign,” Motts stated. “I am truly honored and look forward to the next four years and the challenges ahead.”

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Newly elected Antioch School Board Trustees Gary Hack and Joy Motts will be given their oaths of office, tonight at an earlier than normal board meeting. The meeting will begin at 5 p.m. for the ceremonies followed by a brief reception, according to board President Claire Smith. The board will say farewell to outgoing trustee Teri Lynn Shaw, who was not reelected, last month.

The board will then go into closed session at 5:45 p.m. followed by its regular meeting beginning at 7 pm.

The meetings of the school board are held in the chambers at the district offices, 710 G Street, in historic downtown Rivertown.

To see the meeting agenda, visit www.antioch.k12.ca.us.

AUSD Superintendent Don Gill speaking at a forum entitled "The New Economy: Changing the Way Education Works."

The following are Antioch Unified School District Superintendent Don Gill’s opening remarks at the East County Business/Education Roundtable Luncheon on Friday at Lone Tree Event Center. He discussed the effectiveness of the district’s learning academies, which include Dozier-Libbey Medical High School, Deer Valley Law Academy, Delta Academy for the Performing Arts and the Academy of Engineering and Designing a Green Environment. The deadline to apply for enrollment in an academy is Dec. 10 at the school district office.

If you look at the film “Did You Know,” it’s sort of shocking to realize the extent of energy and resources that are put into education around the world on a global scale. I had a chance to have been not long ago with a group of international educational leaders through a Youth Intervention Network dinner. It was startling to hear from them first-hand the amount of resources, economic and human resources that are invested in education.

They look at education reform on a long-term basis. They are not looking at it as we do with 2-, 3-, 5-year bites of time where our funding is so cyclical and so tumultuous. You look at the sheer number of students in India. 25% of their students are honor students, and they outnumber the entire student population of our country. It’s a little bit startling.

Look at kids today. Go to a restaurant or a movie, watch them interact with technology. You will see kids involved in technology, able to multitask five different ways. Kids learn differently and are learning around the clock. So looking at school as a separate activity that happens at school hours and all of a sudden it stops at the end of the school day, is not a realistic look at education today.

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