Superintendent's Update 11/14

November 14, 2013

As usual, there is always a lot to share in the area of school and employee achievement and recognition.  Some of the highlights include:


PVPUSD Makes College Board “AP” Honor Roll List
The Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District has just received notification from the College Board that it has been included on the 4th “Annual AP (Advanced Placement Exam) Honor Roll List.”  Only 477 school districts (public and private) in the United States and Canada (29 in California) received this honor.   The honor roll is based on examination of three years of AP data from all students who took AP Examinations in May.  Inclusion on the list is based on the following criteria:

• An increase in participation in Advanced Placement testing.
• Performance levels must be maintained or improved when comparing the percentage of exams scoring 3+ in 2013 to 2011.

I want to applaud and congratulate the AP teachers/staff at both high schools who have created such a successful program.


California Distinguished Schools
Once again, PVPUSD schools are being recognized for attaining high academic achievement and educational excellence for all students.  The Distinguished School award alternates every year between elementary and secondary schools.  The 2014 nominees from PVPUSD for the California Distinguished School Award are:

• Cornerstone @ Pedregal Elementary School
• Point Vicente Elementary School
• Silver Spur Elementary School
• Vista Grande Elementary School

Educator of the Year Ceremony
On November 6th, the Palos Verdes Peninsula Rotary Club hosted the 33rd annual Educator of the Year dinner.  Ten teachers from the public and private schools in the community were recognized.  The honorees from PVPUSD were:

• Allison Palmer – Rancho Vista Elementary
• Mindy Castillo – Silver Spur Elementary
• Campbell Nimick – Miraleste Intermediate School
• Jim Whalen – Palos Verdes High School

SELPA Awards
The Community Advisory Committee for the Southwest SELPA recently recognized the outstanding work of three PVPUSD special education teachers.

• Pam Hill (Sunrise Preschool)
• Kari Ito (Rancho Vista Elementary)
• Tara Swall (Transition to Independence Program)

California Association of School Psychologists, Outstanding Psychologist Award

• Jessica Silberling (Coordinator, Student Services) recently received the Nadine M. Lambert Outstanding School Psychologist Award for her work as a PVPUSD Psychologist from 2006-2013.

Chuck Miller Grants
On November 21st, the Peninsula Education Foundation (PEF) will present 33 Chuck Miller Grants to PVPUSD teachers at its annual Autumn Harvest celebration. The grants support innovative and high impact classroom projects.  Teachers know best what will ignite learning, and the PEF is there to support them.


Collective Bargaining Update
In addition to our recent agreement with the faculty association (PVFA), the District has reached an agreement with the California School Employees Association (CSEA) who represent all of the support staff (non-management) in the district.  The agreement includes:

• the elimination of furlough days
• a 2% salary increase
• increased District contribution for medical benefits

This is a tentative agreement that will be considered by the Board of Education at its November 14th meeting.  It has already been ratified by the CSEA bargaining unit.
I want to thank the PVPUSD and CSEA bargaining teams for all of their hard work and effort finalizing an agreement that worked for the entire organization.



Budget Plan for Technology (AB 86)
As stated in prior updates, the State budget provides PVPUSD with $2.3 million in one-time “restricted” funds for 2013-14 & 2014-15.  These funds can only be used for professional development, technology, instructional materials, and textbooks related to the implementation of the Common Core State Standards.  The District also receives other restricted funds (Title 1, Title 2, restricted lottery, and Measure M parcel tax) that can be used for the same purposes.  The Board of Education is having ongoing discussions on how to best use these funds.  At the October 24th and November 7th board meetings, Trent Bahadursingh, Administrator of Technology, presented a $1.4 million technology plan that will prepare PVPUSD for Spring, 2014 testing and bring all schools up to an established baseline that will meet classroom instructional needs.



Support the PEF

• Please support the Peninsula Education Foundation (PEF).  The $3 million PEF donates to PVPUSD goes directly to school site programs and staff that benefit students.
• For more details about PEF and events, go to www.pvpef.org or call (310) 378-2278.
   

Upcoming Board of Education Meetings
The upcoming Board of Education meetings are:

• November 14th (Thursday)
• December 12th  (Thursday)

Regularly scheduled Board of Education meetings start at 6:30 pm at the Malaga Cove Administration Center located at 375 Via Almar in Palos Verdes Estates.


District Goals for 2013-14

• Goal # 1 - Support the academic achievement of all students through a rigorous and balanced curriculum, as we transition to the K-12 implementation of the Common Core State Standards while continuing to foster critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and communication skills.
• Goal # 2 - Establish and implement multi-year plans in order to ensure the fiscal stability of the District and to support a high quality instructional program. 
• Goal # 3 - Enhance communication and collaboration between and among District staff, students, parents, Board of Education, and community.