By Zaidee Stavely, EdSource.org

What is the State Seal of Biliteracy?

The State Seal of Biliteracy is a gold, embossed seal that can be affixed to a student’s high school diploma or transcript. It is awarded to recognize a student for achieving a high level of proficiency in speaking, reading and writing in both English and another language. California first began awarding the State Seal of Biliteracy in 2012.

What is the benefit of obtaining a State Seal of Biliteracy?

The State Seal of Biliteracy validates students’ hard work to learn more than one language. It can be shown to colleges and potential employers, to prove that you can speak, read and write in at least one language, in addition to English. Some colleges may give academic credit to students for the seal. In addition, some organizations, such as Language Testing International, award scholarships to seal recipients.

In one study, partially funded by the U.S. Department of Education and focused on a school district in New Mexico, students who earned a Seal of Biliteracy enrolled in four-year colleges at higher rates than their peers who did not earn the seal.

What languages does the State Seal of Biliteracy recognize?

The State Seal of Biliteracy can be awarded in any language other than English. The most common language recognized with a Seal of Biliteracy in 2022-23 was Spanish, followed by French, Chinese (Mandarin or Cantonese), Japanese, American Sign Language, Vietnamese, Korean, Tagalog and German, in that order. 

The state has also awarded the seal in many other languages, including Albanian, Arabic, Armenian, Bengali, Czech, Farsi, Hebrew, Hindi, Hmong, Igbo, Indonesian, Italian, Latin, Mixteco, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Swahili, Urdu and Yurok, among others.

Do all public schools in California offer the State Seal of Biliteracy?

All public schools are eligible to participate, but participation is voluntary, not obligatory. In 2022-23, the latest school year for which data is available, 1,188 schools in 356 school districts or county offices of education awarded the seals. Check here to see if a school or district participates (click on the “Data” tab).

What can you do if your school does not yet participate?

You can contact a counselor, teacher or administrator at your school and share information about the State Seal of Biliteracy with them, to encourage them to participate.

How do you apply for the Seal of Biliteracy?

Contact your school counselor, principal or other administrator.

What are the requirements to prove you are proficient in a language other than English?

You must either complete coursework or take a test to prove proficiency.

For coursework, you must successfully complete a four-year course of study in a world language at the high school or college level and attain an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher in that course of study. In addition, you must demonstrate oral proficiency in the language comparable to that required to pass an Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate examination.

You also have the option to take one of four tests, instead of coursework:

1. Pass a world language Advanced Placement (AP) exam with a score of 3 or higher
2. Pass an International Baccalaureate (IB) exam with a score of 4 or higher
3. Pass both an ACTFL Writing Proficiency Test (WPT) and an Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) with scores of intermediate mid or higher
4. Pass an exam approved by the school district that meets the rigor of a four-year high school course of study in the language and assesses speaking, reading and writing in a language other than English at the proficient level or higher. These are most often used in the case of a language for which AP, IB, or ACTFL tests do not exist. A list of locally approved world language proficiency assessments is posted on the California Department of Education’s State Seal of Biliteracy web page under the “Assessments” tab.

Can courses completed in another country count toward coursework in another language?

Yes. High-school level courses in another country in a language other than English, with the equivalent of an overall grade point average of 3.0 or above, can count toward the coursework requirement. These might be courses completed as an exchange student, or courses completed in another country by a newcomer student before arriving in the U.S. They must be verified by a transcript.

What if a language doesn’t have a written or spoken component?

If a language does not have a written system, or is not spoken (for example, American Sign Language), the district can approve an assessment on the components of the language that are used.

What are the requirements to prove you are proficient in English?

You must either complete coursework or take a test to prove proficiency.

For coursework, you must complete all English language arts requirements for graduation with an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 in those classes.

You also have the option to take one of four tests to prove proficiency in English, instead of coursework:

1. Pass the California state standardized test (California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress) for English language arts administered in grade 11 at or above the “standard met” achievement level
2. Pass an English Advanced Placement exam (AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature or Composition, or AP Seminar) with a score of 3 or higher
3. Pass an English International Baccalaureate (IB) exam with a score of 4 or higher
4. Achieve a score of 480 or above on the evidence-based reading and writing section of the SAT.

What additional requirements do English learners have to complete?

In addition to the requirements mentioned above, students who are currently classified as English learners and have not yet been reclassified as proficient in English must attain an oral language composite score of level 4 on the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC).

Can you apply for a State Seal of Biliteracy in more than one language other than English?

Yes. You can earn seals in more than one language, as long as you fulfill the requirements to show a high level of proficiency in each language.

Are the requirements different for students who qualify for special education and have IEPs?

According to the California Department of Education, the requirements to obtain a State Seal of Biliteracy may be modified for a student with an individualized education program (IEP), if the student’s IEP team determines it is necessary. The CDE website says the IEP team should review the student’s assessment plan and transition plan and determine what assessment(s) to use and what score would indicate proficiency, based on the student’s IEP.

How many students typically receive the Seal of Biliteracy every year?

According to the California Department of Education, 59,782 seals were awarded in the 2022-23 school year.

Does it cost something to apply for the Seal?

No, it is free for students, and school districts to apply for the State Seal of Biliteracy.

What other states offer a Seal of Biliteracy?

All 50 states and Washington, D.C., now offer the seal.

Zaidee Stavely covers bilingual education, early education and immigration as it relates to schools and hosts EdSource’s Education Beat podcast.

Breakfast and/or Lunch is served at each location

The Antioch Unified School District is providing free, hot meals for kids and teens 18 and under during breakfast and/or lunch at multiple locations in Antioch this summer.

Antioch Community Center serves lunch M-F from 12 pm-1 pm.  No breakfast service.

Antioch Library serves lunch Tues.-Fri., from 12 pm-1 pm.  No breakfast service.

Grace Bible serves breakfast from 8 am-9 am, lunch from 12 pm-1 pm.

All other sites serve breakfast from 8:00 am-8:30 am and lunch from 12-12:30 pm.

Meals must be consumed onsite. No

For more information visit www.antiochschools.net/menu or call (925) 779-7600, option 2.

Mayor, council Districts 2 & 3, clerk, treasurer and trustee Areas 1, 3 & 4

By Allen D. Payton

The nomination period for local offices in Antioch including mayor city council Districts 2 and 3, City Clerk, City Treasurer and Antioch School Board Trustee Areas 1, 3 and 4 opens on Monday, July 15, 2024. The nomination period runs through 5:00 pm Friday, August 9, 2024. The election will be consolidated with the statewide General Election on Tuesday, November 5th, 2024.

Papers for offices that are up for election for city candidates will be available at the City Clerk’s office inside City Hall, 200 H Street in historic, downtown Rivertown and for school board candidates at the Contra Costa Elections Office, 555 Escobar Street in Martinez.

“The 2024 General Election has officially begun,” said Kristin B. Connelly, Contra Costa Registrar of Voters. “Candidate Filing begins Monday July 15, and our Candidate Services team is ready to help our residents who are looking to serve their communities in an elected position.”

If an incumbent does not file to run for office by the deadline on August 9th, the filing period for that office will extend until 5:00 pm on Wednesday, August 14, 2024.

Interested candidates for Antioch School Board can schedule an appointment through email at candidate.services@vote.cccounty.us or by calling 925-335-7800. Walk-ins are accepted, but service is subject to the availability of staff. Appointments are available on weekdays from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Filing documents and information will be provided to interested constituents at their appointment. The process takes 20 minutes.

For further information on the General Election and key dates, go to www.contracostavote.gov

The following candidates have announced for the election in November:

Mayor of Antioch – Incumbent Lamar Hernández-Thorpe, Ron Bernal

District 3 City Councilmember –Antwon Webster, Don Freitas

See list of all offices up for election in Contra Costa County in November, here.

Kristin B. Connelly, County Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters and Dawn Kruger, Civic Outreach and Engagement Specialist, Contra Costa Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department contributed to this report.

By Antioch Community Library

Join us tomorrow, Wednesday, July 10, 2024, at 1:30 pm for an exciting presentation by Wildmind Science Learning as we are transported to the tropical world of the rainforest. Featuring live animals such as the armadillo, coendou, macaw, skink, and spectacled owl, audience members will be introduced to the wide variety of animals and plants that call the rainforest home.

The Antioch Library is located at 501 W. 18th Street. For more information about the library visit Antioch | Contra Costa County Library.

School board isn’t properly overseeing their one employee, have exposed district to lawsuits, while majority of students are underachieving in math, reading and science

The last performance evaluation for Superintendent Anello was over four years ago

By Allen D. Payton

There sure seems to be a whole lot of bullying and accusations of it going on in the Antioch Unified School District, lately.

First, there were accusations of bullying by employees against a supervisor in the maintenance department over the placement of an extra desk on a roof saying that was his new office, which was investigated and determined to be a prank – over a year prior.

Then that employee and others complained to one Bay Area TV reporter because they weren’t happy with the results of the internal investigation, and bullied District staff until that supervisor was placed on paid leave (which he’s still on) and more investigations were conducted (for which we’re still waiting for the results).

Then ASUD Board President Antonio Hernandez chose to go to the media with private personnel information and bullied Superintendent Stephanie Anello calling for her resignation. That’s because he chose to follow the lead of the complaining employees, siding with them and blaming her for not handling the situation properly, because she and her husband are friends with that department supervisor. That’s even though she had nothing to do with that supervisor’s hiring, nor does he answer to her in the District’s chain of command.

Then members of the public and the leader of the local union for the school district classified employees, California School Employees Association (CSEA) Chapter 85 followed Hernandez’s lead and bullied Anello and her entire district leadership. Chapter president Brian Atkinson announced at the May 8, 2024, school board meeting that “The executive board of our chapter took a vote of no-confidence for the cabinet.” However, whether that vote ever occurred has come into question and has yet to be confirmed. (See related articles here and here and 1:56:00 mark of the May 8 school board meeting video)

Then, during last Wednesday’s board meeting, the audience accused Area 5 Trustee Mary Rocha of bullying Hernandez by calling for his censure, which was the appropriate action to take, which is basically a public spanking or hand slapping. (They could not vote to remove him from the board. The most they could have done was vote to remove him from his position as president).

Finally, the audience were the bullies by disrupting the school board meeting, including while Area 4 Trustee Gary Hack was trying to speak on the matter and shouting down the 86-year-old Rocha, literally and surprisingly calling her a racist for challenging her fellow Hispanic board member’s behavior.

Wrong Message Sent and Lesson Taught

What Hernandez and the other three board members did, sadly, was send the wrong message to current and future board members and the students they’re supposed to be elected to help acquire an education was that the ends justify the means. First, it was done by the board president repeatedly violating the rules, this year, and then what the audience did during the most recent board meeting. While Hack and Area 3 Trustee Dr. Clyde Lewis spoke on one side of the issue, that there is a proper process that must be followed, they wimped out and voted the opposite way by not supporting the censure. Worse, Hernandez defended and doubled down on his actions instead of being just a little bit humble and admitting he could have handled things differently and better, and Area 2 Trustee Dr. Jag Lathan’s defense of his inappropriate actions, as well.

Is that really the lessons we want students in the district to learn? Violate the rules, then raise their voices and defend their actions, stomp their feet, yell, call out, be disrespectful and disruptive, and worse call people with whom they disagree names and label those people racist until they get their way? That’s called childish behavior, and while we might expect it from young children, it is not the appropriate manner to get things accomplished for any student in the district and certainly not adults, including parents and others who were in the audience Wednesday night.

That may be how things are done in the big cities, but this isn’t San Francisco, Oakland or Berkeley and it shouldn’t be the way to get things done in Antioch.

Hernandez blew things out of proportion and has been merely grandstanding at the expense of Anello, thinking and hoping he finally had an issue he could use to bully her into resigning or get her fired, as he’s been trying to do since the month after he took his seat on the board in December 2020. Worse, he did so at the district’s expense. His actions have exposed the district to lawsuits from her and the maintenance department supervisor. With the board’s failure to censure Hernandez this past Wednesday night for his clear violations of board policy and bylaws, they’ve made the matter worse and have further exposed the district to those lawsuits.

While it’s doubtful Anello will sue as she will continue to keep her job, if she wants it, at least until the new board is seated following the elections in November and wouldn’t want to end her career, that way, it’s more likely the maintenance department supervisor might file a lawsuit which will cost and waste taxpayers’ money.

I expected and still expect more out of Hernandez. He’s a bright young man and could have learned from this situation, taken his lumps and proper discipline Rocha attempted to mete out, and let it be a learning experience for him, current and future board members and the district’s students. I also expected and expect more out of Lathan who claimed it was “oppression and White supremacy” for Rocha attempting to properly discipline the board president, especially when they’re both Hispanic. How utterly ridiculous, completely baseless and we all know she knows that. Our local officials must not be so divisive, knock off the race baiting and hateful rhetoric and set a higher standard and better example for the students. Frankly, the other board members should have called her out for saying such a thing and condemned it. As I’ve told elected officials in the past, I tell them all, now – do better, be better.

You Had One Job! Board Not Managing Their Only Employee

As they saying and online meme goes, “You had one job!” when people mess up big time while at work. It applies to the school board as they have only one employee who they hire and answers to them, the district superintendent. As I told Hernandez at one of the high school graduations, recently, they have every right to terminate her or whomever holds the position. But they haven’t followed the proper process and procedure by providing Anello with proper oversight and have repeatedly proven they can’t handle that simple task which is supposed to be conducted only once each year.

That’s because Hernandez hasn’t done what’s required to even evaluate Anello properly, much less have grounds for her termination. Nor have the other four board members. Yet, that is literally their number one job. They’re part-time policy makers and it’s the full-time professional employees including the superintendent and district staff leaders who answer to her, that are supposed to be following and carrying out the board’s directions. But the board hasn’t properly provided it.

The last time the superintendent was evaluated was over four years ago in 2020, when Diane Gibson-Gray was board president. So, during Ellie Householder’s term as president from 2020-21, followed by Hack’s presidency in 2021-22, then Lewis’ term as president from 2022-23 and this year under Hernandez’ leadership, the board has failed to evaluate Anello each year because they never gave her goals to work on, which is what’s needed to measure her performance for the evaluation.

Seriously, how tough can that be? When I was on the Antioch City Council – and I was the youngest council member in the county when I was first elected – we had two employees who answered to us and for whom we provided annual performance evaluations: the city manager and city attorney. I had never done one previously for a public employee, but I learned real quick in my first year how it’s done. The council members with greater tenure showed this new member, what to do, including meeting with the two top city employees to provide the necessary guidance and goals, then typing up the evaluations. Only a council member could do that because due to proper personnel procedure, no other city employee could do it so they wouldn’t see what the council included in those written evaluations. Why can’t the school board do the same for their one employee? Why can’t at least three of them agree on the goals to give to the superintendent each year? Is it really that difficult? Of course not.

While Lewis made an effort, last year, by having the board bring in a paid outside consultant to help them develop the list of goals to give to Anello, they never completed that task. Yet, as was pointed out during last Wednesday’s meeting by NAACP East County Branch Vice President Dr. Kimberly Payton, the board has continued to give annual pay raises to the superintendent. On what basis can they claim she’s earned them?

Even without providing her an evaluation, Hernandez and Lathan attempted to terminate Anello’s contract in May which failed on a 2-3 vote, as it should have. Plus, Hernandez has continued to place on Closed Session meeting agendas Anello’s performance evaluation, even while she’s been on paid leave, knowing she wouldn’t be in attendance and before providing her the board’s goals by which to measure her performance. So, it was all for show knowing nothing could be accomplished.

All this while the majority of students in the district are underachieving in math, reading and science especially Black and Hispanic students, which is where the Board’s focus should be. That’s what’s most disappointing – all the game playing, political posturing, trying to please certain people instead of one, doing their job to properly oversee their only employee, and two, working to improve the education of our district’s students. Talk is cheap and all of it has added up to little to no progress. Yet, Hernandez, Lathan and others want to blame Anello. She’s not at the top. They are, and as the old Romanian saying goes, the fish rots from the head down.

So, this November, hopefully, we can begin cutting out that rot. Lewis isn’t running for reelection, and rumors are Hernandez, who represents Area 1, is going to run for City Clerk – now that Householder, the incumbent, has fallen out of favor with his and her former political ally, the mayor, after she publicly exposed, opposed and distanced herself from him following the settlement of the sexual harassment lawsuit against him in 2022 (and who I believe has matured, grown into and proven herself in her current elected position since then, and I’d be willing to support her for re-election). So, there will be one or two new board members elected in those trustee areas.

Frankly, Hack shouldn’t run again as he failed during his presidency to do what was necessary to properly oversee the board’s one employee, failed worse this past week when he let Hernandez off the hook and the worst due to the abysmal test scores of the district’s students. If you’re too tired to fight the necessary battles and do what’s right with the authority and responsibility given to you, it’s time to move on.

So, perhaps we will be able to elect three new board members who can demonstrate the ability to properly manage their one employee and actually put the students and their education first.

One more thing on who we elect to local office: let’s make sure they can demonstrate the necessary maturity, not still be in school getting their education, have the time to devote to the position, not use it for political grandstanding purposes nor trying to implement a hidden political agenda, and are willing to take on the role of boss to one employee – give her goals and then evaluate her performance based on them, and most importantly make improving the education of our district’s students their true top priority.

The bottom line is we all oppose bullying among students, so it shouldn’t be occurring or allowed among the adults, especially those in leadership in the Antioch Unified School District. Everyone needs to be mature, respectful and good examples to the students in how they behave, follow the rules and treat others. Perhaps placing signs like the one above throughout the district including in the Board Room might help as a reminder.

To Antioch High, Dozier-Libbey, Deer Valley High graduates

By Allen D Payton

This year, from the proceeds of their fundraisers, including the annual Antioch Restaurant Tour, Holiday Run and Romano Marchetti Memorial Dinner, the Kiwanis Club of the Delta-Antioch awarded $1,000 college scholarships to three graduating seniors. Nicole Harms of Antioch High School, Alina Duong of Dozier-Libbey Medical High School and SheryKate Corpus of Deer Valley High School were honored during each schools’ annual awards ceremony.

The Kiwanis Club of The Delta-Antioch is a group of local men and women who believe in the international organization’s motto, “Serving the Children of the World”. Meetings are held every Tuesday at 8:00 AM, in-person and on Zoom. If you would like to join a meeting, please email kcoantiochca@gmail.com and they will send you an invite.

We are a unified school district serving more than 16,150 students in grades K -12. We have thirteen elementary schools, four middle schools, two comprehensive high schools, three specialized high schools, two alternative high schools and one K-8 school. We also offer a home schooling program, adult education courses and other unique programs to fit the needs of all students. Our school district employs approximately 1,100 certificated and nearly 900 classified employees.

Antioch Unified School District is centrally located in the East Bay and provides ready access to scenic mountains, waterfronts, wine country, historical sites and the Pacific Ocean. Antioch is known as the “Gateway to the Delta” and is one of California’s oldest cities, with a diverse community of approximately 100,000.

See certificated and other positions with job descriptions for each at Antioch Unified School District (edjoin.org).

Resolution claims Antonio Hernandez committed 12 violations of board policies and bylaws, federal HIPPA law and Brown Act open meeting law cited

By Allen D. Payton

During the Antioch School Board meeting on Wednesday, June 25, 2024, Board President Antonio Hernandez faces a vote to censure him proposed by fellow Trustee and Board Vice President Mary Rocha for publicly divulging personnel and closed session matters and to the media, among other reasons. It occurred while he spoke with an NBC Bay Area TV about the accusations by district employees of bullying by a supervisor and called for Superintendent Stephanie Anello’s resignation for not handling the situation they way he would have preferred.

At the end of the May 22nd board meeting, Rocha read a statement calling for the censure to be placed on the next board meeting agenda. However, Hernandez pointed out that Area 3 Trustee Dr. Clyde Lewis would be absent for that meeting, so the item was placed on Wednesday night’s meeting agenda. (See 3:10:00 mark of the meeting video)

Under Resolutions for Immediate Action, agenda Item 15F reads, Resolution No. 2023-24-57 Censure of Board President Antonio Hernandez. It outlines 12 times he violated board policies and bylaws, federal HIPPA law and the state’s Brown Act open meeting law which includes:

• Board President Hernandez divulged confidential, privileged information regarding personnel matters with members of the media;
• Board President Hernandez divulged confidential, privileged information regarding closed session matters with members of the media;
• Board President Hernandez violated the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability (HIPPA) Act by divulging confidential health-related information of a District employee to the media;
• Board President Hernandez, violated Board Policy 9200, by speaking out of turn, in public, regarding private and confidential personnel matters, appearing to take on an administrative role;
• Board President Hernandez, violated Board Policy 9200, by acting in an administrative capacity to resolve complaints;
• Board President Hernandez, sought to evaluate the Superintendent in a public forum, outside of the closed session arena in violation of Board Policy 2140;
• Board President Hernandez, used his public Facebook account to post confidential correspondence from a District paid for legal counsel, breaking the confidentiality of the document posted, and posting confidential correspondence to the Board of trustees, which was directed to a closed session item in violation of Board Bylaw 9012;
• Board President Hernandez attempted to schedule two Special Board Meetings, while also being told that there would not be a quorum for the meeting;
• Board President actually commandeered the Board Room to hold an unsanctioned meeting with members of the public, placing members of the administration in potential jeopardy of violating California’s Open Meeting Law (the “Brown Act”);
• Board President Hernandez usurped the authority of the Board by appearing to speak on behalf of the Board or Trustees in media news reports, via his Facebook posts, and in public meetings in violation of Board Bylaws 9010 and 9012;
• Board President Hernandez, failed to implement Board Bylaw 9121, when a local media reporter verbally attacked the Superintendent during a Governing Board Meeting;
• the Governing Board hereby finds and determines that Board President Hernandez’s conduct is unacceptable, unprofessional, and a violation of the Board Bylaws and State Laws cited above.

The proposed resolution concludes with four resolutions and orders including:

“NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED and ORDERED that the Governing Board of the Antioch Unified School District hereby finds that the foregoing recitals are true and correct.

…that based on these recitals, the Governing Board of the Antioch Unified School District hereby formally censures Board President Hernandez and proclaims publicly that this Board disapproves of the aforementioned conduct and finds it to be a violation of the Board Bylaws and State Laws and constitutes unacceptable behavior that shall not be tolerated.

…that Board President Hernandez shall treat fellow Board members and all District staff with dignity and respect at all times and in all forums, and that he refrains from any further violation of Board Policies and Bylaws.

…that any further violations of Board Policies and Bylaws by Board President Hernandez may result in his removal as Board President.”

See Resolution.

See Meeting Agenda.

The school board meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. in the board room at the Antioch Unified School District office building at 510 G Street in Antioch’s historic downtown Rivertown. It can be viewed live on the District’s YouTube channel.