California State University Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA., July 26, 2010 – California State University Channel Islands (CI) is one of the best universities in the nation to work for, according to a new survey by The Chronicle of Higher Education.

The results, released today in The Chronicle’s third annual report on The Academic Workplace, are based on a survey of more than 42,000 employees at 277 colleges and universities. In all, only 97 of the 277 institutions achieved “Great College to Work For” recognition for specific best practices and policies. Results are reported for small, medium, and large institutions, with CI included among medium campuses that have between 3,000 to 9,999 students.

CI won honors in the category of Collaborative Governance.

“This honor further demonstrates the uniqueness of our campus, but our real goal is not recognition – it is evidence of how our Channel Islands community values the needs and contributions of every individual. As we focus on our mission to serve students, everyone at CI helps to make this a great place to work,” said University President Richard R. Rush.

The Chronicle is the nation’s most important source of news about colleges and universities. “With the Great Colleges program, The Chronicle can provide even more of the vital information our readers rely on – unbiased reporting on which colleges are being innovative in their workplace practices,” said Jeffrey J. Selingo, The Chronicle’s editor.

The survey results are based on a two-part assessment process: an institutional audit that captured demographics and workplace policies from each institution, and a survey administered to faculty, administrators, and professional support staff. The primary factor in deciding whether an institution received recognition was the employee feedback.

To administer the survey and analyze the results, The Chronicle worked with ModernThink LLC, a strategic human capital consulting firm that has conducted numerous “Best Places to Work” programs, surveying hundreds of thousands of employees nationwide.

Great Colleges to Work For is one of the largest and most respected workplace-recognition programs in the country. For more information and to view all the results of the survey, visit The Chronicle’s Web site at http://chronicle.com/academicworkplace

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CSU Channel Islands is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

CI Mission Statement

Placing students at the center of the educational experience, California State University Channel Islands provides undergraduate and graduate education that facilitates learning within and across disciplines through integrative approaches, emphasizes experiential and service learning, and graduates students with multicultural and international perspectives.

California State University Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA July 22, 2010 – CSU Channel Islands (CI) is planning to launch a Master’s Program in Biotechnology and Bioinformatics with an emphasis on Biomedical Engineering (BME) in January of 2011. The proposed BME program will address the growing regional and national need for biomedical engineers by graduating a highly educated and trained workforce with increased diversity.

Nationally there are over 1,500 biotech companies which generate thousands of high paying jobs and billions of dollars in revenue. California leads the nation in the field of biotechnology with one third of these companies residing in state, many of which are highly successful, multinational corporations. The California biotech industry employs 260,000 people with estimated revenue of $62 billion and is growing exponentially.

The program will be offered through CI’s Extended University as a self-funded program and not subject to the ups and downs of funding from the state budget. The program is available both to CI students and to those working in the biotech industry who wish to advance their own technical skills. Classes will be conducted in the evening or on weekends to accommodate those who are working or otherwise unable to attend during daytime hours. The BME program has a strong advisory board composed of members from the local biotech industry who, in conjunction with CI faculty, contribute input on program design and implementation so course work remains relevant to current industry needs.

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Written By Vicki E. Murray, Ph.D., Associate Director of Education Studies.

The average national high school graduation rate, from 1997 to 2007, rose 3.1 percentage points to 68.8 percent, according to a recent report from Education Week. California’s graduation rate, meanwhile, dropped 4.7 percentage points to 62.7 percent. Only Nebraska and Nevada posted worse declines, and the problem is not limited to California high-schoolers.

Research from UC... http://www.pacificresearch.org/publications/how-california-can-improve-i...

Leanne Neilson, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at California Lutheran University, announced that 500 students made the Dean's Honor List for the spring semester. They include the following local scholars: Joseph Crump, a Fillmore, Calif., resident who is majoring in bioengineering. Megan Baker, a Fillmore, Calif., resident who is majoring in liberal studies.

Students qualify for the Dean's List by maintaining a 3.6 grade point average in their academic subjects.

CLU is a selective university located in Thousand Oaks, with Adult Degree Evening Program and graduate centers in Oxnard and Woodland Hills. With an enrollment of 3,700 students, CLU offers 36 undergraduate majors and graduate programs within the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Business and School of Education. Doctoral degrees in educational leadership, higher education leadership and clinical psychology are also offered. Members of the CLU student body come from across the nation and around the world and represent a diversity of faiths and cultures. For more information, please visit http://www.callutheran.edu.

Ventura County Office of Education

The Ventura County Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) is proud to announce special education staff members who have completed all requirements for the Autism Certification Program in June 2010 and are recognized as experts.

Candidates receiving certificates are Ventura Unified School District, Special Education Teacher, Randy Fitz-Patrick; Simi Valley Unified School District, Special Education Instructional Aide, Kristina Blackburn; and Simi Valley Unified School District, Special Education Instructional Aide, Wendy Zumbahlen.

In order to achieve this certification, candidates must participate in a variety of professional development events, gaining skills and expertise for working with children with Autism.

For more information on our Autism Certification Program go to our website at www.venturacountyselpa.com and click the “Autism” button. For more information call the SELPA office (805) 437-1560.

California State University Channel Islands

Santa Barbara, CA July 9, 2010 - Cottage Health System and California State University Channel Islands (CSU Channel Islands) have formed a new partnership to make the CSU Channel Islands Bachelor of Science Nursing (BSN) program available in the Santa Barbara area.

The CSU Channel Islands Nursing Program at Cottage Health System will begin in spring 2012. This will allow a cohort of up to 22 students annually to enroll in the program which will operate as an off-site location for the existing CSU Channel Islands Nursing Program based in Camarillo. Students will be eligible for admission to the BSN program after they have completed the required General Education courses. CSU Channel Islands Nursing Program classes will be offered at a site in Goleta, near Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital.

The collaboration with CSU Channel Islands builds on Cottage’s successful partnership with Santa Barbara City College and its program offering an Associate Degree in Nursing.

Healthcare providers across the nation anticipate a nursing shortage over the next several decades. Currently, nursing schools are not able to graduate enough nursing students to meet the nation’s projected acute care nursing needs.

“With the retirement of our ‘baby boomer’ generation of nurses on the horizon, we know that it is critical to develop our community workforce through additional educational partnerships,” explains Herb Geary, vice president, patient care services and chief nursing officer, at Cottage Health System. “Our collaborative efforts with Santa Barbara City College have shown that nurses who are educated locally are more likely to make a career commitment to Cottage.”

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Westlake Village, CA – Tears of joy flowed as the ruling for the River Oaks Academy, a proposed county wide charter, was approved by the Board of Education last Monday 5 to 0. The group of parents petitioning for the charter have been working tirelessly for the past 4 months to provide the Ventura County Board of Education with the required documentation needed for approval.

"It has been a hard road with many late nights since the group of us decided to petition for this charter." Says parent and lead petitioner Daniel Whiteford. Whiteford is also the President of the Agoura Youth Basketball Association, a youth basketball league in Agoura Hills. "We are just so relieved to finally get the school of our dreams. This is a school that I am certain will help a lot of families in the community."

The River Oaks Academy is an independent-study school founded on the principles that all children are born brilliant and it is up to us as parents and educators to help them find the passion that leads to that brilliance. The program was developed by and will be run by school director, Resa Steindel Brown, author of the best selling book, The Call to Brilliance. Brown says, "When we search for each individual’s strengths, talents, and passion, we find them. And when we do - amazing things happen."

The River Oaks Academy offers a rigorous parent training program to help parents provide the best possible individual education and opportunities for their children.

The River Oaks Academy will kick off its school year on Sept 7th this fall, 2010. For parents who wish to know more about the Academy and how they may enroll are encouraged to visit www.theriveroaksacademy.com in the coming weeks.

About River Oaks Academy

About Resa Steindel Brown
Resa Steindel Brown is the author of the best seller The Call to Brilliance. Her work as an educator has been featured by ABC, NBC, CBS, The Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and more. Resa offers alternative solutions that focus on connecting each individual child to their interests, talents, and passions, and has managed to implement these solutions in both the private and public sector with astounding success, receiving congressional honors and major media attention. More on Brown as an author and public speaker can be found here: www.thecalltobrilliance.com

About Daniel Whiteford
Daniel Whiteford is a successful Alstate Insurance Agent and has been with the company for the past 27 years. He recently received the President’s Award ranking him among the top 10% of all Agents nation wide. He is presently President and General Manger of the Agoura Youth Basketball Association, a position he has held for the past two years. Daniel will assume responsibilities as President of the Governance Board for the River Oaks Academy. His vast experience working with children and parents in the community brings a great asset to the school.

One of Fillmore’s brightest high school seniors is among 104 Southern California recipients awarded $2,000 college scholarships from Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of Southern California. She was recently honored at an awards luncheon hosted by the McDonald’s Operators’ Association of Southern California.

Susana Amezcua of Fillmore High School was selected to receive an RMHC scholarship based on a number of criteria including grade point average, community involvement, leadership skills, letters of recommendation and financial need. The college funds were awarded through four RMHC scholarship programs: RMHC/African American Future Achievers, RMHC/Asian Pacific American Students Increasing Achievement, RMHC/Hispanic American Commitment to Educational Resources and RMHC/Scholars. Scholarship funds can be applied toward tuition, fees and other appropriate educational expenses.

“This is among the most accomplished group of high school seniors in the 20-year history of our local scholarship program,” said Nicole Rubin, CEO, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California. “Our organization is thrilled to provide financial support to these amazing scholars as they pursue their dreams of higher education.”

Since 1990, the Southern California chapter of RMHC has awarded nearly $3.4 million in scholarship funds to local students to help make their dream of a college education a reality. Funding for the scholarships is made possible through the global and Southern California chapters of RMHC and the fundraising efforts of local McDonald’s owner/operators and corporate staff. McDonald’s Operators’ Association of Southern California pays for all administrative costs of the Southern California scholarship program including producing and distributing the applications and hosting the recipient recognition event.

For more than 30 years Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California has been dedicated to creating a community where children and their families embrace life and healing with a sense of hope, enthusiasm, courage and joy. In addition to four scholarship programs, the organization operates five Ronald McDonald Houses, Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times, two Ronald McDonald Family Rooms and a Community Grants Board. For more information, visit www.rmhcsc.org or www.twitter.com/rmhc_socal.

McDonald’s Operators’ Association of Southern California is comprised of more than 600 franchised and company-owned McDonald’s restaurants in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties.

California State University Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA June 29, 2010 – CSU Channel Islands (CI) received a $417, 231 grant award from the National Science Foundation as a Faculty Early Career (CAREER) Development grant for Dr. Kathryn Leonard, Assistant Professor of Mathematics. Within the last two years, this is the second CAREER award that a faculty member at CI has received.

This is the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious award in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholar through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research within the context of the institution’s mission. The program is designed to promote integration of education and research to encourage the process of discovery to stimulate learning for students.

Leonard’s efforts will focus on engaging talented but disadvantaged undergraduate and graduate students in original research early in their college careers. Her research will concentrate on developing mathematical shape modeling. Recent advances in imaging technology in the field of surveillance, astronomy and medical diagnosis have increased a demand for appropriate imaging mathematical models. The students’ efforts will also involve industrial collaboration; this collaborative experience will benefit students with applications of mathematical models to the real world problems to advance the shape-based technology forward.

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Superintendent Jack-O'Connell
California State Superintendent of Public Instruction

SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced that since the beginning of this year the number of school districts that may be unable to meet future financial obligations because of the continuing state budget crisis and inadequate funding for public education has increased by 38 percent. The list of school districts is attached.

"We are seeing an alarming spike in the number of school districts that are having trouble meeting their financial obligations,” said O’Connell. “Schools on this list are now forced to make terrible decisions to cut programs and services that students need or face bankruptcy. This trend will worsen if the Governor’s proposed cuts to public education are enacted in the 2010-11 budget. I have grave concerns that more and more school districts will face financial crisis unless state lawmakers find solutions to the state budget crisis and provide adequate funding for our schools.”

Public education in California received $17 billion less in state funding than anticipated over the last two budget years. As a result, more than 20,000 teachers have received pink slips this year. Summer school has been eliminated, class sizes are increasing, and art, music, libraries, school nurses, and sports programs have been cut.

The California Department of Education CONTINUED »

Superintendent Jack-O'Connell
California State Superintendent of Public Instruction

SACRAMENTO – State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell today announced California was awarded nearly $416 million through the School Improvement Grants (SIG) program from the U.S. Department of Education.

“I am very grateful to President Obama and U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan for making this critical funding available for California’s persistently lowest-achieving schools,” said O’Connell. “This grant will help fund efforts to turn around persistently struggling schools in order to prepare their students for success in college and careers.”

The federal School Improvement Grants program is authorized under Section 1003(g) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act that is intended to provide all children equal access to education. SIG is designed to improve student achievement in schools identified for program improvement, corrective action, or restructuring.

In March 2010, as required by state law and SIG program regulations, the California Department of Education identified 188 schools considered to be the persistently lowest achieving. These schools are required to make dramatic changes to improve teaching and learning and help prepare thousands of students for a brighter future. The SIG program provides resources to fund the school turnaround activities. The identified local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools applying for SIG funding must fully implement one of four school intervention models during the 2010–11 school year as required by state and federal law. The four models are:

Turnaround Model: The LEA undertakes a series of major school improvement actions, including replacing the principal and rehiring no more than 50 percent of the school's staff; adopting a new governance structure; and implementing an instructional program that is research-based and vertically aligned from one grade to the next, as well as aligned with California's adopted content standards.

Restart Model: The LEA converts a school or closes and reopens a school under a charter school operator; a charter management organization; or an education management organization that has been selected through a locally determined, rigorous review process, using state educational agency provided guidance. A restart model school must enroll, within the grades it serves, any former student who wishes to attend the school.

School Closure Model: The LEA closes a school and enrolls the students who attended that school in other schools in the LEA that are higher achieving. These other schools should be within reasonable proximity to the closed school and may include charter schools or new schools for which achievement data are not yet available.
Transformation Model: The LEA implements a series of required school improvement strategies, including replacing the principal who led the school prior to implementation of the transformation model, and increasing instructional time.

LEAs and school districts are responsible for ensuring that one of these four models is implemented at each school that they commit to serve in the SIG application. The $415,844,376 made available to California is being distributed by formula to the state and will then be competed out by the state to school districts. LEAs may apply for SIG funds at http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/sw/t1/sig09.asp. The California Department of Education will make recommendations to the State Board of Education for approval of the LEA applications.

To view the list of schools identified as persistently lowest achieving, and for more information about the identification process, please visit http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/pl/index.asp.

Fillmore Unified School District

FILLMORE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
TUESDAY, JUNE 29, 2010
5:15 P.M. – CLOSED SESSION
6:00 P.M. – SPECIAL BOARD MEETING
627 SESPE AVENUE, FILLMORE, CALIFORNIA

AGENDA

The public may review or request a copy of support materials provided to the Board Members where the word materials appears.
5:15 p.m.
I. CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
II. ROLL CALL
III. PUBLIC COMMENT ON CLOSED SESSION AND NONAGENDA ITEMS,
PETITIONS
This is the time and place to address the Board. State law prohibits the Board from acting on issues not included on the agenda; however, requests may be made for discussion of specific topics at subsequent meetings.
IV. CLOSED SESSION
The Board of Education will meet from 5:15 to 6:00 p.m. to consider matters appropriate for Closed Session in accordance with Government Code Sections 3549.1, 54956.7 through 54957.7 and Education Code Section 35146. If the Board does not complete Closed Session discussions at this time, the Board may adjourn to Closed Session at the end of the regular meeting. DISCLOSURE OF ITEM(S) TO BE DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION Labor/Negotiations (Government Code 54957.6)
o Update; Direction to CONTINUED »

Bert Rapp, the City of Fillmore Public Works Director will lead an engineering bicycle tour of Fillmore on Sunday June 27th. The tour is intended for High School or Junior College students looking for a career choice and might be interested in Civil Engineering.

The tour will begin at City Hall at 1:00 and travel to the various public infrastructure facilities around the city and return to City hall about 5:00. Participants will see how we get our drinking water and deliver it to the customers. They will learn how the Foothill Pressure Zone saves the water customers $40,000 a year in electricity costs and how water reservoirs are designed for seismic forces.

Pole Creek will give up some of its hydraulic secrets and the mighty Santa Clara River’s geomorphology will be uncovered. Participants will learn how the city engineers design environmentally friendly flood protection along the river and how the sidewalks can be constructed to be root resistant to street trees.

Keeping streets safe in a small town is essential, so as we ride we will discuss traffic calming techniques and look at some of the improvements the City of Fillmore has made.

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Bethany College has named Jacob Arroyo of Fillmore to its Spring 2010 Academics Deans Honor Roll. To be recognized, a student must be full-time with a semester grade point average of at least 3.50 on a 4 point scale for the fall semester.

Last Saturday Night the Fillmore High Alumni Association held it's annual Alumni Dinner and a great time was had by all who attended. Some Alumni came in from all over the United States, and California. You may have seen the parked Motor Homes in the Parking lot. One of the highlights of the evening was a peek preview of the 99 game history of the Fillmore/Santa Paula football series that will be available after November 1st, 2010. Interviews and old film footage was shown. Even part of a film footage from the 1930 Flashes/Cardinals game. if you didn't make it to the dinner and you want to reserve your copy (before they run out), call the Alumni Office at 805-524-0416. They will bill you at a later date. The hard working Board of Directors are already working on Next years Dinner. You won't want to miss it.

The second Highlight of the evening was the annual awarding of the Alumni Scholarships. This years Alumni Scholarship recipients are as follows: The John and Nit Lemley Scholarships went to Esteban Casas, and Kellsie McLain. The Richard Ortega Memorial Scholarship went to Andres Casas. The American Legion Scholarship went to Anthony Chavez. The Vernon and Arlene Nelson Scholarship went to Jazzmin Galvez. The Wm. Brisby Science Scholarship went to Amanda Hernandez. The Stella Harthorn Memorial Scholarship went to Megan Louth. The Dulcie Arnold Scholarship went to Kelsey MacDonald. The Carl and Helen Siechert Scholarship went to Moneh Magdaleno. The Fillmore Masonic Temple Scholarship went to Rebecca Vassaur, and the Fillmore Breakfast Club scholarship went to Alejandra Lopez. See you all at next years dinner on June 4th, 2011. GO FLASHES!!

Over two hundred fifty alumni and guests enjoyed an outstanding alumni dinner when they met Saturday at the Memorial Building to celebrate the 97th alumni banquet. Under the direction of Vice President, Mark Ortega, and with the assistance of the entire alumni board, the evening was carried out in a quick and efficient manner.

The evening started with much visiting my alumni members from the 1930's through the 1980's, including the ten recently graduated seniors who received alumni scholarships. The dinner part of the evening was opened with the posting of the colors by members of Troop 406 of the Boy Scouts, followed by the serving of the meal by the Bardsdale 4-H, which was prepared by Gary Laird Catering.

Honored classes from 1945, 1950, 1955, 1960, 1965, and 1970 were recognized, with many class members traveling quite some distances to be in attendance. Alumni members from Virginia, Texas, New Mexico, Montana, Arizona, Washington, Oregon and Hawaii were all in attendance.

Door prizes, which were provided by Lupe Vasquez, Gertrude Gathright, Carmen Zermeno, Beylik Family Farms and Mission Produce were given out to lucky winners. The 50-50 raffle was won by Sandra Warring O'Connor who came from Hawaii.

The entire evening was deemed a huge success by those in attendance, as well as the alumni board, who are already planning next year's banquet, which will be held on Saturday, June 4. So mark your calendars as it should be another great occasion.

KCLU AM/FM, the National Public Radio station for Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, won four 2010 Mark Twain Awards for broadcast excellence in the Western United States from the Associated Press Television and Radio Association on Saturday.

KCLU’s Jim Rondeau, John Palminteri and Lance Orozco were honored for Best Live Coverage of a News Event for their reporting on Santa Barbara County’s Jesusita Brushfire in May 2009.

Orozco won a Twain Award for Best Spot News Story for his live, on-scene coverage of Ventura County’s 2009 Guiberson Fire. He also won for Best Sports Reporting for “The Oldest Dodger,” a story about a Ventura County man who’s the oldest living member of the Major League Baseball team.

John North, who produces special projects for KCLU, tied with KSAK in Walnut, Calif., for Best Special Program “Not In My Backyard,” an hour-long documentary about the problems California is facing in monitoring paroled sexual offenders.

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