Westside Story Newspaper – Online The News of The Empire – Sharing the Quest for Excellence
(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)—-VICTORVILLE, CA—- In his regional State of Education Address for the High Desert, San Bernardino County Superintendent Ted Alejandre applauded local school districts for their collaborative spirit and highlighted student performances and programs that spur innovation and create educational opportunities.
“Preparing a rising generation for the new global economic and civic environment is a shared responsibility,” Alejandre said during his fourth annual State of Education Address. “In the county, we have joined together to create a countywide vision where all sectors of the community support the success of every child from cradle-to-career.”
Delivering his address entitled, “Impact the Present. Transform the Future,” at the High Desert Church, Alejandre was introduced by Caroll Yule, owner of Shear Realty in Apple Valley. This was the second of two regional addresses made by Alejandre, who also presented in San Bernardino on September 27.
Focusing on collective impact in the High Desert, Alejandre touted the Mountain/Desert Career Pathways Joint Powers Authority (JPA), which brings together the school districts of Adelanto, Apple Valley, Barstow, Hesperia, Silver Valley, Snowline, Victor and Victor Valley. The JPA is designed to develop higher education and skill levels that benefit students and the region’s workforce.
“The Mountain/Desert Career Pathways JPA is an outstanding example of providing students with the opportunity to earn credit for college coursework while completing their high school education,” Alejandre said.
For the more than 403,000 students who attend public school in the county, Alejandre sited the need to develop a more highly skilled and educated workforce. Right now, more than 700 county school students and 50 teachers are taking part in an AP Readiness program through the University of California, Riverside. The program is made possible through a Growing Inland Achievement (GIA) innovation grant and will offer supplemental teaching and support for Advanced Placement (AP) students countywide, joining Riverside County students and teachers who have participated in the program during the past two academic years.
“GIA is geared toward improving educational attainment rates throughout the larger Inland Empire region as a means of furthering economic progress,” Alejandre said.
In an effort to boost literacy rates among early learners, county preschoolers have read more than 895 million words and more than 2.8 million books with a 79 percent reading comprehension level since the inception of Footsteps2Brilliance, a collaborative among County Schools, County Preschool Services, Children’s Fund and First 5 San Bernardino.
“Footsteps2Brilliance is impacting an entire generation of county preschoolers who will begin kindergarten prepared with literacy skills to jump-start their success,” Alejandre said.
Another countywide effort, Vision4Safety, aims to bring county residents together to create safer neighborhoods, schools and workplaces.
“Often when we think about safety, the first thing that comes to mind is crime and violence, including the unfortunate reality of violence on school campuses,” Alejandre said.
This past year, County Schools brought on board a highly experienced safety officer to support our classrooms and school districts in school safety planning, including equipping school communities for active shooter response should such an emergency arise.
In the area of students’ social and emotional wellness, there is a countywide focus on multi-tiered systems of support and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), which debuted in the county in the High Desert in 2009.
“Mental and emotional health are extremely complex issues, so it’s all the more critical that we are prepared to respond to the needs of students, so they can look to our schools as safe harbors,” Alejandre said.
The State of Education Address also featured several student performances from county school districts including:
- The Serrano High School Cadet Corps from the Snowline Joint Unified School District, which presented the flag colors;
- Xavier Padilla, a student at Victorville Education Center, who led the Pledge of Allegiance;
- The Serrano High School marching band, under the director of Mathew Fell, played a patriotic medley;
- Scarlett Brigham, a student at Big Bear High School in the Bear Valley Unified School District, delivered a spoken word performance;
- Granite Hills High School choir from the Apple Valley Unified sang;
- Encore School of the Arts dance group from Hesperia Unified also performed.
In conclusion, Alejandre called for public education not to just reform, but be transformative as it provides opportunities for all students. “Choose each day to make an impact … and transform lives through education,” he said.
