By Denis O’Leary / Guest contributor
We will see many lists within the next few days. I would argue that education is a topic of utmost importance and yet we will not see a resume of last year in this subject.
Please feel free to share your opinions as well.
1. Student achievement: 38 percent of students in the (Oxnard School District) tested at proficient or advanced in Language Art and 46 percent in math last year. This compares to 16 percent and 19 percent in 2002. Gains have been made; much is to be done to better these results. Other local districts have made similar gains.
2. Economy: California had a $3.7 billion dollar shortfall last year. This sum has attacked all school district budgets up and down the state. Unemployment, under-employment, the home loan crisis and immigration issues have caused much instability in the lives of children.
3. College: Tuition increases because of the state budget crisis have sent students and families into reevaluating the studies of young adults up and down the state. This economic instability has also brought on cuts to classes and staff at many colleges and universities. Locally, Oxnard College once again seems to be the red headed stepson in the Ventura Community College system. Trustee Art Hernandez has been a defender of our local college in Oxnard. He was also passed up as incoming President of the VCC Board of Trustees.
4. Trustee Elections: Election in November 2010 has changed the face of our local school districts. Several groups, such as LULAC take much credit for these changes.
- (Oxnard School District): Ernie Morrison, Veronica Robles – Solis, Ana del Rio Barba
- (Ri0 School District): Eleanor Torres, Ramon Rodriguez, Henrietta Macias
- (Oxnard Union High School District): Wayne Edmonds, John Alamillo, Socorro Lopez Hanson
5. Superintendents: The average time for a superintendent to stay in any one school district is usually between 3 to 5 years. That said, our local region had several new superintendents in 2011.
- OSD: Mr. Jeff Chancer
- RSD: Dr. Howard Hamilton
- OUHSD: Dr. Gabe Soumakian
6. Larry King Case: The court case over, the administration and staff at the Hueneme School District can now turn another chapter in their purpose of being: educating students.
7. Boys and Girls Club of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme: The contract between the Rio School District and the Boys and Girls Club has finally been presented and ratified between the two groups. More importantly was that a better understanding between the two had also been discussed. The RSD employees the after school program, not visa versa.
8. Solar Panels: The OSD and OUHSD both contracted with companies to construct solar panels on a total of six sites. Lower electricity costs, and ecologically progressive. Perhaps this was the “thinking outside the box” item of the year.
9. City of Oxnard: The city of Oxnard once again showed that it does not recognize that schools are within its boundaries. A low point was perhaps when Planning Commissioner Saul Medina used the reason that Elm Street Elementary School has low testing scores to justify voting for a liquor license to be issued to the 4 Way Meat Market.
10. David Cruz — La Voz (KOXR 910 AM, M-F 6-9 a.m.): This three-hour bilingual news and talk program has informed our community. Issues of education, the home loan crisis, health, and immigration have been main topics discussed from elected officials to office workers to community activists to field workers calling from the fields. One of many highlights was when David Cruz and Marco Antonio Benitez hosted a special mid-day interview with the leaders of the Rio School District and the president of the Rio Teachers union.
2011 has been a difficult year in education. It did have some bright points, but in general, the economy and political atmosphere has made educating children more difficult than in past years.
Happy 2012! We have much work ahead.
— Denis O’Leary is an educator and a member of the board of trustees for the Oxnard School District.