SB County Superintendent of Schools

Starting in Guadalupe on Aug. 8 and ending in Carpinteria on Aug. 26, schools throughout Santa Barbara County have welcomed students back into their classrooms for another year. The beginning of the school year can signal optimism, wonder, and a fresh start for students, families, and the entire education community.

This year, the start of school may even bring needed comfort as it reminds us that despite tumultuous and challenging events in our nation, there is a rhythm to the year upon which we can rely. The beginning of the academic year arrives just like clockwork and provides continuity and sense of promise for all of us.

Classroom walls get redecorated to feature new student artwork, cafeterias are stocked with nutritious food for our children’s meals, and boxes that are piled in offices during the summer months are emptied and put away to signal that students are arriving.

Our children are greeted by principals, teachers, school secretaries, custodians, bus drivers, crossing guards, support staff, parent volunteers and fellow students, all crackling with the almost electric first-day-of-school excitement. It is a tribute to our professionalism, our resilience, and the optimistic human spirit.

Educators and school staff make these openings appear seamless and effortless but, of course, they are not. Starting a new school year requires a great deal of preparation, elbow grease and skill.

While the summer break offers a time of renewal and refreshment, we also know that the vast majority of administrators, teachers and staff members spent time planning for and working on the coming school year so that all will go as smoothly as possible for students and parents.

This summer, in fact, many educators throughout our county attended conferences, studied, refined, planned and deepened their knowledge about content and instructional approaches, and connected with professionals about impactful ways to support students.

For the students who will reap the benefits of these efforts, excitement is no doubt building for the new school year, but it is also quite normal for them to have some trepidation.

Michele Frantz, the 2020 Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year, from Joe Nightingale School in Orcutt, has this advice for students: “Know that it is normal to feel both excited and nervous about returning to school. Remember that you are one of a kind and have special gifts and qualities that only you can bring to your classroom, so just be you!”

That’s great advice for parents to share with their children as the school year gets into full swing. Here are some other tips from experts that have proven helpful:

• Make extra time for your children, especially as they go through the transition to a new year with new teachers and new friends. Listen to their questions and concerns. Stress your love and support to help ease their worries. Talking together about school can strengthen your family bonds and ease any anxiety your children may be feeling.
• Try to structure time so that the morning is calm. You can work backward from the time your children need to be at school, figuring out how long it will take to get dressed, eat breakfast, and travel to school. Build in time for unexpected delays.
• Make an after-school game plan. How will your children get home? Will there be after-school programs, sports practices, or music lessons? Where and when will your children do their homework?

Parents can be assured that all our dedicated and skilled school professionals have a common goal of supporting their children. Going back to school is a ritual that we’ve all gone through in our own childhoods, and it will continue for generations to come.

I hope the new school year will be productive, fun, full of joy, wonder and new learning for your children and for every member of our school community.

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Midland School in Los Olivos has been ranked the second-best private high school in Santa Barbara County, following only Cate School at No. 1, by Niche, a ranking and review site for colleges, K-12 schools, workplaces and neighborhoods.

According to Niche, “The 2020 Best Private High Schools ranking is based on rigorous analysis of key statistics and millions of reviews from students and parents. Ranking factors include SAT/ACT scores, the quality of colleges that students consider, student-teacher ratio, private school ratings, and more. Data (is) sourced from the U.S. Department of Education, Niche users, and the schools directly.”

In the ranking, Midland stands out for its 4 to 1 student-faculty ratio, student body diversity, and its experiential and place-based college preparatory curriculum, a Midland spokesman noted.

One anonymous parent review on Midland’s Niche profile reads: “We chose Midland over very high-quality choices in Silicon Valley because of its strong ethos of grit, self-reliance, community, connectedness and most of all experiential learning in a breath-taking natural setting. In this day and age, even the most progressive high schools have become pressure cookers for teens. Add to this, a mix of unguided use of technology in the hands of young teens. They have few outlets and depth of connection.

“We found Midland’s strong focus on experiential learning, a jobs program and intentional use of technology as optimally geared to support adolescents through these years of transition towards adulthood. Within and beyond academics. They do this by providing students with the right amount of independence, community and responsibility, such that it develops grit and intrinsic drive not only towards academics but towards their daily community goals- small or large. Achievement is an outcome of these strong values.”

For more information, go to midland-school.org.

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Eight exemplary educators in Santa Barbara County, including two Santa Ynez Valley teachers, will be honored at the seventh annual Salute to Teachers gala sponsored by the Santa Barbara County Education Office (SBCEO), Cox Communications, and other organizations.

The event will be held Nov. 2 at the Music Academy of the West.

Three teachers have been chosen as Distinguished New Educators, and three  others have been recognized as Distinguished Mentors. Also being honored will be Michele Frantz, the 2020 Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year, and Bree Jansen, 2020 Santa Barbara Bowl Performing Arts Teacher of the Year.

Frantz is a first-grade teacher at Joe Nightingale School in the Orcutt Union School District, and Jansen is an English and performing/visual arts teacher at Lompoc High School in the Lompoc Unified School District.

The Distinguished New Educators, nominated by their peers and chosen by a committee through SBCEO, are:

• Anthony Bruemmer, Santa Ynez School, College School District
• Melanie Thatcher, Miguelito School, Lompoc Unified School District
• Michael Wallace, El Camino Junior High School, Santa Maria-Bonita School District

The Distinguished Mentors, also peer-nominated and chosen by committee, are:

• Amy Willis, Los Olivos School, Los Olivos School District
• Marith Parton, Carpinteria Middle School, Carpinteria Unified School District
• Marilyn Tilley, Battles School, Santa Maria-Bonita School District

The six award-winning educators are participants in the Teacher Induction Program at SBCEO. The program pairs new teachers with experienced mentors to accelerate teacher effectiveness and provide coaching and support for their first two years of teaching.

“A Salute to Teachers is a wonderful way to honor our outstanding local educators who inspire young minds each day and who model professional excellence,” said County Superintendent of Schools Susan Salcido. “The event recognizes and highlights the value Santa Barbara County places upon high-quality education.”

SBCEO’s partners in the event include Cox Communications, Fielding Graduate University, Montecito Bank & Trust, Noozhawk, Santa Barbara City College Foundation, the Santa Barbara Bowl, and others.

For more information about the awards or the event, visit sbceo.org/s/2019Saluteor contact Steven Keithley, SBCEO director of teacher programs and support, at 805-964-4710, ext. 5281.

For more about the SBCEO Teacher Induction Program, visit induction.sbceo.orgor contact program director John Merritt at 805-964-4710, ext. 5426.

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July 1 marked new additions and new roles for the Partners in Education board of directors, including Dr. Susan Salcido, Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools, taking the helm as board president.

Longtime board member and founder of D.D. Ford Construction, Doug Ford, will serve as the board’s vice president.

Salcido attended UCSB, where she majored in English and later earned her master’s degree in education. She began teaching at Dos Pueblos High School and subsequently served as assistant principal of San Marcos High School and principal of Santa Barbara Junior High School, before joining the Santa Barbara County Education Office.

 She completed the USC doctoral program at the Rossier School of Education, where she focused on organizational change, leadership, and student equity. Salcido joined the Partners’ board in 2017.

“Partners in Education is a vital part of our community, providing volunteers and career readiness training for our youth. I am honored to serve as this year’s board president as we continue to guide the programs and services Partners offers in Santa Barbara County,” Salcido said.

Doug Ford
Santa Barbara County Education Office

Ford majored in industrial arts with an emphasis in fine woodworking at Cal State Long Beach before starting one of Santa Barbara’s premier construction companies. He began participating in Partners’ Career Days nearly 10 years ago and is also the vice president of the TRADART Foundation, which is committed to job preparation programs for youth and the advancement of craftmanship training.

Jesus Terrazas is a brand new member of the board and an alum of Partners’ Internship Program. His internship took place at D.D. Ford Construction. Terrazas and his family also received a computer through Partners in Education’s Computer for Families program nearly 15 years ago.

Jesus Terrazas
Santa Barbara County Education Office

“Partners in Education is a wonderful organization that offers incredible support and opportunities to local students and their families. Being a recipient of its programs’ benefits, I am now thrilled to be involved as a member of the board,” Terrazas said.

He works as a manager at Merryl Brown Events and has a bachelor of arts degree in communication from UCSB.

Also new to the board, Dr. Jeffrey Milem is dean and professor at UCSB’s Gevirtz School of Education.

Jeffrey Milem
Santa Barbara County Education Office

Each year, Partners in Education coordinates thousands of volunteers —mostly professionals from local businesses — to participate in guest speaking, career days, mock job interviews, résumé coaching, and even classroom or afterschool tutoring.

The organization was formed by local business and education leaders in 1977 and is administered by the Santa Barbara County Education Office. More than 276,000 volunteer hours have been contributed at K-12 campuses and youth-serving nonprofits across Santa Barbara County; more than 12,300 computers have been delivered to families in need; and more than 660 high school students have received paid job-readiness training and internship experience in the workplace.

For more information, visit partners.sbceo.org.

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Contributing Writer

“Communication is everything,” said Leslie Franklin, a speech and language pathologist who is retiring this month after working for the Santa Barbara County Education Office for 32 years.

“As a preschool speech/language specialist, I have worked with children in private and public (Head Start and state) preschools, daycare providers’ homes, and home visits, and it has been a very rewarding career,” she said. “I have been working on the campus of the Santa Ynez Valley Presbyterian Church for 30 years.”

Born and raised in Detroit, Franklin graduated from the University of Michigan in 1979, then acquired her master’s degree in Speech/Language Pathology from UCSB in 1981.

 “It was a very grueling program in Michigan,” she said. “I spent many hours in the library because perfection was required. This profession is in very high demand and it is very difficult to get into graduate school – a 4.0 average was virtually required for entry.”

Franklin had intended to complete her master’s degree at the University of Wisconsin/Madison but she learned about UCSB from a classmate who came into an upper-division class with the course manual.

“It turned out that UCSB was the most affordable option and a very highly regarded program,” she continued. But they only accepted about 8 to 10 of their 350-plus applicants. I got in!”

Speech pathology was a direction Franklin had wanted to take from childhood.

“When I was 6 years old, my father had a massive stroke that left him with hemiparesis and language deficits (aphasia). My mother would take me with them to rehab and was constantly pointing out what a wonderful job the speech/language pathologist had. She was trying to discourage me from following in her footsteps as a nurse.

“I decided that’s what I would do, never associating the speech and language pathologist at my elementary school, who was trying to correct my frontal lisp, with the woman I saw at the hospital. Grown-ups would ask what I wanted to be when I grew up and I would confidently say, ‘speech and language pathologist’ (with my lisp), and they would be nonplussed,” Franklin recalled.

Realizing that no public school jobs were available when she graduated from UCSB, she went to work for the Santa Barbara branch of the Devereux Foundation in 1982. This branch, which is now closed, was a residential school for emotionally disturbed and intellectually disabled adolescents.

“I worked there for five years. The pay was very low but I had an unobstructed ocean view from my large office and dictated my reports on a Dictaphone, for the secretary to transcribe. Times have changed!” she said wistfully. “While working there I experienced some memorable and occasionally terrifying moments. The staff was mostly in our 20s, and we bonded, protecting each other’s backs. I am still good friends with four of my former co-workers.”

Franklin said she was thrilled to be offered a position with the Santa Barbara County Education Office (SBCEO) in December 1987. She was first assigned to preschool special day classes in Orcutt and Santa Maria. But as state funding increased for early intervention, the Preschool Specialist Division was greatly expanded. “I was so fortunate to be assigned to the Santa Ynez Valley,” she said.

Franklin has worked with students in all of the valley’s public and private preschools. She also worked at home daycare centers and with children not yet in preschool. She says she has been out to ranch properties and every neighborhood in every town in the valley, Lompoc, Orcutt, Santa Maria and some areas in Santa Barbara as well.

“As preschool speech/language specialists we work with children in private and public areas, sometimes having to make home visits. In recent years we have been discouraged from the home visits due to the inefficiency of the travel and some potential danger in certain homes and neighborhoods,” Franklin continued. “I’ve been in some dicey situations.”

 “Preschoolers are in a language explosion phase where they are rapidly acquiring words and language structure, so they are very stimulable. They are eager to correct their sounds and enjoy learning new things. I read to them, teach them games and instill in them a love of books. The best thing about preschoolers is how eager they are to be connected with you and participate in the activities. Everything is new to them. They are just so much fun,” Franklin said.

“Learning to communicate with others is critical. I have had some very bright children with advanced vocabulary and language skills but whose speech was completely unintelligible,” she recalled. “They could not let their teacher know what they wanted or needed, and classmates would walk away from them when they didn’t understand. Can you imagine how frustrating it would be for that child to be unable to get even basic points across?

“I have had some of these children make such rapid progress within six to eight months. They learned to correct all of their sounds and become completely understandable. One mother said to me that having her child in therapy was life-changing and made all the difference in the world.”

Franklin feels she has been extremely fortunate to be based in the Santa Ynez Valley because the families have been wonderful to work with. “They have been responsive, supportive, and invested in helping their children and diligent in doing homework assignments. I am often in the community doing some grocery shopping or whatever and a former parent will approach me saying, ‘I don’t know if you remember my daughter, but you made such an impact on her life. I feel that her success in kindergarten and beyond was due to your hard work,’” Franklin continued.

 “My colleagues in other parts of the county have had each other to collaborate and decompress with. I was more isolated, but I was extremely fortunate to be adopted by the preschool teachers at the Santa Ynez Presbyterian Preschool. They have been so supportive, and I have developed friendships with many teachers over the years. They have made all the difference in my career and I am very grateful to have been on this wonderful campus all these years,” said Franklin.

 “I will miss my SBCEO colleagues, my preschool teachers at all of my sites, students and families, but I have plans to keep my hand in,” said Franklin. “I plan on volunteering at two of my sites as a guest story-teller. I am also a library volunteer and active in community theatre (Santa Maria Civic Theatre). I want to travel and go to my gym classes as much as possible while I’m still ambulatory, and I also want to write my trilogy novel that has been percolating in my mind for 10 years.”

For more information, email calpoppygal@gmail.com.

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Local education experts discussed how effective bilingual instruction plans help raise grades and reduce drop-out rates during a recent forum presented by United Way of Santa Barbara County.

The United for Literacy Education Forum at the Santa Barbara County Education Office Auditorium, centered on how effective, bilingual instruction plans enable students to use reading, writing, listening and speaking for a wide range of purposes. Panelists discussed best practices, measurable outcomes, local opportunities and challenges.

Panelist Dr. Jin Sook Lee, professor in the Department of Education at the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education at UCSB, noted that research supports how dual and multi-language education produces great cognitive, psychological and academic benefits. This includes greater attention spans, increased aptitude to make executive decisions and more.

Recent research demonstrates that such aptitude leads to health benefits that can significantly delay the onset of Alzheimer’s and other dementia–related illnesses.

Bilingual instruction also fosters faster and more efficient English language acquisition, along with stronger professional and educational aspirations.

Panelist Dr. Carlos Pagán, Director of Literacy and Language Support with the Santa Barbara County Education Office, detailed the bilingual education resources in Santa Barbara County. Currently, bilingual education is offered at Adelante Charter School in Santa Barbara, as well as five school districts: Carpinteria, Guadalupe, Lompoc, Solvang, and Santa Maria-Bonita.

“These benefits are staggering and emphasize the importance strong, multilingual education plans play in the future of our students,” said Steve Ortiz, president and CEO of United Way of Santa Barbara County. “We’re thankful to everyone who participated in this year’s United for Literacy Education Forum and for their ongoing work.” 

Panelists also included David Bautista, executive director and principal of Adelante Charter School, and Jamie Persoon, principal of Canalino Elementary School.

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Sandra Schoolfield and Jon Kechejian, who donated $18,000 in September to the Welcome Every Baby (WEB) program of the Santa Barbara County Education Office, were recognized Jan. 4 by the county Board of Education.

The gift enabled four nurses to undergo training and certification in the Family Connects model at the Duke University Center for Child and Family Policy in North Carolina.

“Research shows that the single best predictor of positive outcomes for children is the coping ability of significant adults,” Schoolfield and Kechejian said. “We’ve followed WEB over the past four years and have been particularly inspired by the dedication of their small staff to this personalized, post-partum home visitation program and their tireless perseverance to keep this important program funded.”

WEB began in 2001 and since becoming an SBCEO program, the WEB Nurses have visited more than 10,000 families in Santa Barbara County, serving approximately 1,000 newborns and their families annually.

In partnership with the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department and Dignity Home Health, all families are offered a free, individualized home visit. Cottage Health System also began helping fund WEB in January 2012.

WEB nurses visit families in Carpinteria, Santa Barbara, Goleta, the Santa Ynez Valley, and Lompoc as early as three days after the baby is born.

The program is designed to help all newborns get off to the best possible start in life and aims to support families’ efforts to enhance maternal and child health and wellbeing.

“I’m glad I signed up for WEB,” said one mother who recently received a home visit. “I’m a first-time mom and really inexperienced. The WEB nurse gave me lots of tips and information. She also provided me with a lot of local resources.”

Another mom added, “Despite having one older child, the WEB nurse told us many new pieces of information about baby care, juggling siblings, and local resources.”

Families interested in learning more about WEB can contact Registered Nurse Traile Eastland at 805-729-1593.

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The Santa Barbara County Education Office’s (SBCEO) Early Childhood Education Program earned a silver medal in the Child and Adult Care Food Program’s “Take Action Challenge.”

The silver medal presented to SBCEO’s Early Childhood Education Program is one of only two such medals presented to California agencies.

“I am very proud of this award and how it reflects our quality services to children,” said program director Trudy Adair-Verbais.

Four of SBCEO’s preschool centers — Santa Ynez Valley, Just For Kids, La Honda, and Young Learners — participated in the “Take Action Challenge,” sponsored by the Child and Adult Food Program (CACFP) in California.

The Challenge was open to all Family Child Care Home and Center Sponsors of the Child Care Food Program in California who participate in the Child Care Food Program Roundtable. CACFP provides nutritious meals and snacks to children and adults receiving child care, ensuring that young children in child care centers receive a nutritious meal and also learn good eating habits.

Contest participants earned points with demonstrations of children’s gardens, gardening activities, nutrition education activities, creating meals from items grown in the garden, taste testing new/unfamiliar foods, physical activities, composting, recycling, field trips to a farm or farmers market, and professional development for staff members.

“This is such a tremendous honor, and I know it is the direct result of the incredible leadership and passion provided by the director, Trudy Adair-Verbais,” said County Superintendent of Schools Bill Cirone.  “This recognition speaks to the dedication, caring, skill, and professionalism of all involved,” Cirone added. “They touch young lives and make a difference every day.”

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As a result of a partnership among staff members, parents, and political and community leaders, the Zaca Preschool Program in Buellton will be able to move forward and continue to serve children and families, according to a statement released by the Santa Barbara County Education Office (SBCEO) today.

“With all these stakeholders working together in partnership for a common purpose, it is clear that the outlook is bright,” said County Superintendent Bill Cirone.  “We are particularly proud and impressed by the parents involved, and their level of enthusiasm and caring,” he said, adding that several families moved to the proximity just so their children could attend this model, full-inclusion program.

Parents of children who attend Zaca Center in the Rancho de Maria subdivision of Buellton were devastated when they learned their school is in danger of closing in August 2017. The future of the program, which began 20 years ago under the umbrella of SBCEO, became uncertain when changes to the funding model for education made it impossible for the SBCEO to sustain the program financially.

“What I love about Zaca is the openness. They give each child exactly what they need in order for them to learn. Having both of my children on the autism spectrum, it has been an amazing few years watching them grow and develop. The community needs this school. They need these teachers,” said Janson Harwood, parent of two children who have been in the program.
SBCEO put in motion a series of steps to help ensure that this high quality, model preschool program could continue. The program has long enjoyed enthusiastic support of the parents of all the children involved, and the annual waiting list demonstrated its desirability and value to the families and the community.

As part of the efforts to ensure sustainability, SBCEO appointed Dr. Florene Bednersh, who established the Zaca Preschool Program two decades earlier, to identify ways to move forward. She and Shelly Grand, director of the Zaca program, are leading the transition with a partnership that has emerged among parents, staff members, and Buellton City staff and community members.

A 501c3 will be created, and staff members and the director will stay with the program. Parents and City Council members have also indicated a willingness to take part in potential fund-raising efforts.

“We recognize that a preschool program of this high caliber is a valuable asset to the children and families involved, and also to the elementary school the program feeds, as evidenced by the praise of kindergarten teachers for the preparation and abilities of the students who arrive from Zaca,” he added.

SBCEO is working to make sure that everything is in place by the next school year. If the process takes more time than anticipated, SBCEO will continue to provide support throughout the transition period until everything is finalized.

For further information, please contact Dr. Florene Bednersh at (805) 964-4710 ext. 4480.

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“We are confident this event will be a wonderful opportunity that will pair great people with jobs that offer flexible hours, competitive wages, classroom experience, and the chance for people to connect with schools and staff,” says Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Mari Minjarez Baptista.

“It is the first of its kind, and we are hoping for a great turnout of people who can help us meet important needs in our community,” says Debra Hood, who serves as the North County Liaison for the County Education Office.

“Our programs provide services to residents from birth through age 22, so there’s an incredible variety of opportunities,” Hood added.

The County Education Office is seeking to hire substitute teachers, instructional aides, clerical support staff, custodians, and more.

“We have been exploring ways to increase the number of career pathways into the field of education,” Ms. Baptista continued.  “I substitute taught in special education classrooms when I was a college student, as did a number of other people I have worked with. It can be a great way of discovering if this vocation is for you. And if it is, subbing becomes a great way to gain invaluable experience.”

Interested applicants should call 964-4711, ext. 5279 for more information.

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