399,000 positions paid almost $29 billion in total wages

Includes Contra Costa Superior Court and Cal State East Bay data

SACRAMENTO — State Controller Malia M. Cohen has published the 2023 self-reported payroll data for state departments, superior courts, and California State Universities (CSU) on the Government Compensation in California website. The data covers more than 399,000 positions and approximately $28.87 billion in total wages for those agencies and institutions.

Users of the site can view compensation levels on maps and search by region, narrow results by name of the entity or by job title, and export raw data or custom reports.

The newly published data were reported by:

    • 24 CSU institutions (116,235 employees),

    • 56 superior courts (20,884 employees), and

    • 157 state departments (262,097 employees).

California law requires cities, counties, and special districts to annually report compensation data to the State Controller. The State Controller also maintains and publishes state and CSU salary data. However, no such statutory requirement exists for the University of California, California community colleges, superior courts, fairs and expositions, First 5 commissions, or K-12 education providers; their reporting is voluntary. Two superior courts either did not file or filed a report that was non-compliant, including those in Alameda County and Tuolumne County.

The site contains pay and benefit information on more than two million government jobs in California, as reported annually by each entity.

Contra Costa County Superior Court

As of Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, the information provided for the Contra Costa Superior Court shows 413 employees were paid $35,892,317 in total wages and $13,761,517 in total retirement & health contribution for a total of $49,653,834 in total compensation, or $120,227.20 on average.

In addition the report shares, “This superior court includes payments toward the unfunded liability of the employer sponsored retirement plan.” For more information visit www.cc-courts.org/general/administration.aspx.

Cal State East Bay

As of Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, the information provided for California State University, East Bay shows 3,651 employees were paid a total wages of $132,664,169 and $58,874,273 in total retirement & health contribution, for a total of $191,538,442 in compensation or $52,461.91 on average. That doesn’t take into account the many part-time positions for the two-campus university.

In addition, the report shares, “This California State University includes payments toward the unfunded liability of the employer sponsored retirement plan.” For more information visit www.csueastbay.edu/hr.

The State Controller’s Government Compensation in California website provides information on employee pay and benefits for approximately 2 million positions at more than 5,000 public employers. Public employers annually report employee compensation to the State Controller’s Office. It allows the public to view and search employee job titles, build charts and graphics, and download custom reports and raw data.

About Controller Cohen

As the chief fiscal officer of California, Controller Cohen is responsible for accountability and disbursement of the state’s financial resources. The Controller has independent auditing authority over government agencies that spend state funds. She is a member of numerous financing authorities, and fiscal and financial oversight entities including the Franchise Tax Board. She also serves on the boards for the nation’s two largest public pension funds. Follow the Controller on X at @CAController and on Facebook at California State Controller’s Office.

Pass2Class offers free bus passes to Contra Costa students at the beginning of the school year to encourage the use of bus transportation to and from school. Pass2Class reduces traffic congestion and air pollution by reducing the number of cars being driven to school.

The 2024 program offers free County Connection, Tri Delta Transit, WestCAT, or AC Transit bus passes for up to two (2) students per household for up to two months. Learn more at https://511contracosta.org/schools/pass2class-program/

4 Ever Me Foundation set to impact youth in Contra Costa County

Antioch, CA – As we gear up for the new school year, 4 Ever Me Foundation is excited to announce the 12th Annual Stuff the Bus School Supply Giveaway, a beloved event dedicated to supporting families in need of school essentials. We cordially invite the community to join us for a day of fun, entertainment, food, and invaluable resources.

Date: August 3rd, 2024

Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Location: Dallas Ranch Middle School

Address: 1401 Mt Hamilton Dr, Antioch

For over a decade, our mission has been to ensure that every child embarks on their academic journey fully prepared and equipped with the necessary tools for success. Thanks to the generous contributions from our community and local sponsors, we have been able to provide crucial resources for students year after year. This event, which started in 2012, has grown immensely and garnered support from influential organizations such as the Golden State Warriors, who have been steadfast partners for nearly 9 years.

The Stuff the Bus School Supply Giveaway initially began as an AUSD-targeted initiative, identifying the need among students attending Black Diamond Middle School. Originally held at Pegnim and Ivancich law firm now, Ivancich and Costis in Antioch, the event occurred twice a year – once at the beginning of the school year and another midway – ensuring that students had ample supplies to last the entire academic year. As word spread and families from various school districts began attending, the event transitioned to a one-day gathering serving students from across Contra Costa County. We embrace our commitment to meeting the community’s needs, and this event will continue as long as the need exists.

The 4 Ever Me Foundation is committed to supporting the socio-emotional well-being of youth by providing resources for success, encouraging youth involvement within the community, and nurturing youth leaders. Founder, Claryssa Wilson, recounts how the event became the catalyst for establishing 4 Ever Me Foundation, recognizing the opportunity to make a broader impact on the community. The foundation’s name originated from a longstanding Instagram handle created in 2012, symbolizing the importance of staying true to oneself despite challenges faced during middle school. With the foundation in the process of being established in 2021, after prioritizing personal education, including graduating from Antioch High School in 2019 and in 2023 earning a bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University, Wilson leads a dedicated executive team, including former peers and family members. 

At the event, attendees can expect the following:

FREE School Supplies: We have stocked up on a wide range of school essentials, including backpacks, binders, notebooks, pens, pencils, and more. These supplies will be available for students to pick out, ensuring they get items they will truly love and use. We provide supplies for Pre-K through College!

Entertainment: Families can enjoy a variety of entertainment options, including games, face painting, and live performances. We guarantee a day full of joy and smiles!

Food: A delicious assortment of food vendors will be available for everyone to enjoy throughout the event.

Resources: Beyond school supplies, we understand the importance of addressing other essential needs. Our event will feature resource booths offering FREE information on health services, community programs, and other support services.

To ensure a smooth check-in process for all attendees, we kindly request that families register in advance by filling out the online form. Additionally, for those interested in donating or volunteering, the QR code on the attached flyer provides convenient access to relevant information and opportunities.

We are determined to make this year’s Stuff the Bus School Supply Giveaway the most impactful one yet! For media inquiries, interviews, or further information about the event, please reach out to Claryssa Wilson at 4evermefoundation@gmail.com or Velma Wilson at (925) 250-3051

Together, let’s create a positive impact on the lives of our children and build a brighter future for our community. We look forward to welcoming you on August 3rd at Dallas Ranch Middle School!.

Adult education offered in Antioch, East County

By Mallika Seshadri, EdSource.org. Republished with permission.

Despite efforts across various sectors, adults throughout California continue to struggle to access education opportunities that can be critical for their family’s economic mobility. 

The panel at EdSource’s roundtable, “Adult education: Overlooked and underfunded,” discussed how adults and their families can benefit from adult education, the common barriers to access and ways to overcome them. 

“During the pandemic, our emergency room took in some of our most at-need people and triaged them to the right medical care that they need,” said John Werner, the executive director of Sequoias Adult Education Consortium at Thursday’s discussion. “Adult schools do very similar work with education.” 

Barriers to adult education

Panelist Francisco Solano grew up in Mexico, where he earned a high school education but had no interest in continuing his schooling. About 16 years ago, he came to the United States and found himself working for salad-packing companies. 

He eventually enrolled in adult education classes at Salinas Adult School and is now wrapping up a doctorate in molecular biology at UCLA. 

But the road through his adult education was “exhausting” and “not convenient at all.” 

“That’s what I see with my peers,” Solano said. “They are not able to get out of that lifestyle because it’s so difficult for them to be able to have a job that secures rent and food for the families and, at the same time, find time and resources to go to school or try something else.” 

Solano also believes that larger companies do not want migrants like him to succeed because that would take away a source of cheap labor. 

Rural areas — where barriers associated with time and distance are greater — have a high need for adult education.

Steve Curiel, the principal of Huntington Beach Adult School, said not enough conversations about adult education are held at the policy level because most people in elected positions are unlikely to understand the critical role it plays, having experienced more traditional educational journeys.

Raising awareness and marketing 

Carolyn Zachry, the state director and education administrator for adult education at the California Department of Education, stressed the importance of raising awareness and sharing stories like Solano’s among potential students. 

“That gives the courage to come forward and to walk in those doors of that school,” she said. “And once they’re inside those school doors, then that school community wraps around them and really supports them.” 

Werner also emphasized the importance of actively seeking students. He mentioned specific efforts to speak to individuals at local community events, like farmers markets and flea markets. A TV or radio presence can also be helpful, he said. 

Helping communities overcome barriers 

Numerous organizations are enacting measures to expand access to adult education, including creating remote and virtual options as well as providing childcare for students while they are in school.

Several panelists agreed that virtual learning can be a helpful way to bring educational opportunities to adults at home — though Kathy Locke, who teaches English as a second language in Oakland Unified, emphasized the importance of in-person instruction, so adults can learn the skills they need to succeed online. 

“The more marginalized, the greater your need in terms of English level, the harder it is to access the technology to be able to use the technology to do distance learning well,” Locke said. 

To improve access to online learning, Curiel said the Huntington Beach Adult School has provided laptops and channels for internet connection. 

Providing childcare is another way to help reduce barriers for adults. 

“Our classes provide babysitting for our students to be able to come with their children. Their children go to child care, and then they’re able to come and learn,” Locke said. 

“I think that as a district, we really named that as a barrier and really put our money where our mouths were, I think, and made that a priority to get adults in our classrooms, so that they can do the learning that they need.”

Broader benefits of adult education 

Adult education also helps support a child’s education, the roundtable panelists agreed. 

For example, a child’s literacy benefits when parents attend English language classes, Locke said. And parents are more likely to be involved with their child’s education later on. 

“If you want to help a child in poverty, you have to help an adult in poverty,” Werner said. “Only the adult can go get a job tomorrow.” 

Adult Education Offered in Antioch, East County

The Antioch Unified School District offers education for adults to obtain their diploma, GED and High School Equivalency diploma at Prospects High School. The Fall 2024 Semester registration begins July 29th, 2024, Placement Testing begins August 8th and the first day of classes is August 19th. For more information visit https://antiochadultschool.asapconnected.com.

Adult education is also offered by the Pittsburg Adult Education Center. For more information visit https://paec.pittsburgusd.net.

The Liberty Union High School District also offers their Liberty Adult Education. For more information visit https://libertyadulted.org.

Mallika Seshadri covers Los Angeles and LAUSD.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

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.