Contra Costa Herald

News Of By and For The People of Contra Costa County, California

Contra Costa College District Board to search for new chancellor, again

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Projected to start in January 2024

By Timothy Leong, Director of Communications and Community Relations

At their July 12, 2023, Governing Board (Board) meeting, the Board announced their decision to move forward with the recruitment of a permanent Chancellor, and provided staff with direction to proceed with the recruitment process. The Board is committed to conducting an equitable, inclusive, and transparent search that is consistent with Board policies and district procedures, and that will attract outstanding candidates for this opportunity.

The Board’s goal is to complete the search process and announce the new Chancellor by December 2023, with a start date of January 2024.

“We look forward to the recruitment of our permanent Chancellor,” said Board President Fernando Sandoval. “I join my fellow trustees in welcoming our students, constituency groups, and community’s involvement on choosing the District’s next leader who is equipped to carry on our legacy of affordable and high quality higher education.”

The last chancellor, Dr. Bryan Reece, held the position for just 14 months. He was hired by the board in October 2020, started his tenure in November 2020, placed on paid leave in September 2021 and resigned in February 2022.

Executive Vice Chancellor of Education and Technology Mojdeh Mehdizadeh has been serving as acting chancellor.

Progress reports and updates will be posted on the District website at www.4cd.edu.

For more details about this search, contact Dr. Micaela Ochoa at mochoa@4cd.edu.

About 4CD

The Contra Costa Community College District (4CD) is one of the largest multi-college community college districts in California. The 4CD serves 1.2 million residents, and its boundaries encompass all but 48 of the 734-square-mile land area of Contra Costa County. 4CD is home to Contra Costa College in San Pablo, Diablo Valley College with campuses in Pleasant Hill and San Ramon, and Los Medanos College with campuses in Pittsburg and Brentwood. The District headquarters is located in downtown Martinez. Each college is individually accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. For more information visit http://www.4cd.edu.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Rocketship Education issues 2022-23 annual report of activities in California

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By Maricela Guerrero, Executive Director, Rocketship California

As community schools, we deeply engage our families in their student’s academic life and build our school community around our families. Our Care Corps is an expansion of Rocketship’s community schools model, allowing us to support the whole child and families inside and outside of the classroom. Our full-time Care Corps coordinators help our families navigate support systems and get the assistance they need by overcoming language barriers, red tape, and lack of internet access to connect them to vital services that are too often cumbersome and complicated. Care Corps coordinators are fully dedicated to helping families meet their basic needs so their children can thrive in school.

Rocketship Education operates the Delta Prep TK-5th school in Antioch, Futuro Academy TK-5th in Concord in Contra Costa County, and 11 other schools in California, three in Tennessee, one in Texas with a second opening this fall, two in Wisconsin and three in Washington, D.C.

We’re so proud to have once again holistically served thousands of families through Care Corps in the 2022-2023 school year. This past year:

Partnering with the Healthy Kids Foundation and K-12 Health East Bay, we provided free health screenings for 5,655 students across the Bay Area and partnered with Vision to Learn to give free eyeglasses to 618 Rocketship students.

We partnered with Second Harvest Food Bank to feed our families – distributing almost 11,000 food kits to families in San Jose and the East Bay.

We partnered with City Team Ministries to offer a pop-up closet for our families at Rocketship Brilliant Minds, helping clothe over 200 households.

We also partnered with Bay Area Urban Barber College to give over 500 Rocketeers and their siblings free school supplies and haircuts.

Partnering with the State of California and the Santa Clara County Department of Health, we hosted a vaccination clinic and community resource fair for our San Jose families.

And last, but not least, our very own Ms. Elena organized a Rocketship folklorico group of 80 students that performed for the community at the Vietnamese Association in San Jose every Wednesday.

Thank you for your continued support of our Rocketeers. Our Care Corps team is excited to continue this important work the next academic year.

For more information visit www.rocketshipschools.org.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Permanent injunction imposed against online education company for alleged violations of children’s privacy law

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Edmodo, LLC allegedly collected names, email addresses, phone numbers, device information, and IP addresses of approximately 36 million children under 13 for advertising purposes until approximately September 2022 and “retaining this personal information indefinitely”

The Department of Justice, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), today announced that Edmodo, LLC (Edmodo) has agreed to a permanent injunction and a $6 million civil penalty in connection with its online educational platform, as part of a settlement to resolve alleged violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA Rule), and the Federal Trade Commission Act. The civil penalty is suspended due to Edmodo’s inability to pay.

The Edmodo educational platform, sold to schools throughout the United States, enabled teachers to interface with students, including children under 13 years old, to host virtual class spaces, conduct discussions, share materials, make assignments, and provide quizzes and grades, among other things. In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the government alleges that, until approximately September 2022, Edmodo collected the personal information of children under 13, including their names, email addresses, phone numbers, device information, and IP addresses. Edmodo allegedly collected such information without providing notice to the children’s parents or obtaining parental authorization to collect such personal information, as required by the COPPA Rule, and used this personal information to enable third parties to display targeted advertising to student users between 2018 and September 2022.

According to a May 2023 article by Human Rights Watch, “Edmodo was a website and app widely used by children in kindergarten, elementary, and middle schools across the US until September 2022, when the company pivoted to only selling its product to governments. The company benefited from explosive demand in 2020, reporting a 1,500 percent increase in users in the first five months of the pandemic as governments and schools rushed to connect children to online learning.

An investigation by Human Rights Watch in May 2022 found that Edmodo was designed with the capacity to surveil children and harvest their personal data for advertising. Our technical analysis found that Edmodo could not only invisibly tag children and identify their devices for the sole purpose of advertising to them, but also enabled other advertisers to do the same by embedding ad-specific third-party code on its platform. After multiple requests for comment, Edmodo told Human Rights Watch in July 2022 that it did ‘not share [its students’] personal data with any Edmodo business partners or third parties.’”

The complaint further asserts that Edmodo was retaining this personal information indefinitely. As of March 2020, Edmodo retained the personal information associated with approximately 36 million student accounts, of which only one million were actively using the platform. This indefinite retention violated COPPA’s requirement that an operator not retain personal information of children for longer than “reasonably necessary to fulfill the purpose for which [the information] was collected.”

The stipulated order, entered by the federal district court yesterday, enjoins Edmodo from collecting personal information from children in a manner that violates the COPPA Rule and prohibits Edmodo from retaining children’s personal information for longer than reasonably necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected. The order also enjoins Edmodo from collecting more personal information than reasonably necessary for a child to participate in any activity offered on its service. It also requires Edmodo to destroy personal information improperly collected from children under age 13 and to comply with reporting, monitoring, and recordkeeping requirements. Edmodo is also subject to a civil penalty judgment of $6 million dollars, which is suspended due to Edmodo’s inability to pay.

“Children do not lose their privacy protections when they use the internet,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey for the Northern District of California. “Congress and the FTC have established rules to govern websites and apps collecting and storing the personal information of children. The settlement being announced today demonstrates the Department of Justice’s resolve to enforce those rules. We will continue to work with our partners at the FTC to safeguard children’s online privacy.”

“The Justice Department takes seriously its mission to protect the online privacy rights of children and their parents. This order spells out clearly to all online providers that it is unacceptable to collect children’s personal information without their parents’ consent,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “The department is committed to protecting against unauthorized online collection and retention of information, especially from children.”

“This order makes clear that ed tech providers cannot outsource compliance responsibilities to schools, or force students to choose between their privacy and education,” said Director Samuel Levine of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Other ed tech providers should carefully examine their practices to ensure they’re not compromising students’ privacy.”

This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vivian Wang for the Northern District of California, Senior Trial Attorney James T. Nelson and Assistant Director Lisa Hsiao of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, and Gorana Neskovic and Peder Magee of the FTC.

For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the FTC, visit its website at www.FTC.gov.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Kaiser Permanente Richmond employees support daughter’s childhood dream to become a doctor

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Bianca Silva with parents Letty and Martin Silva on graduation day. Photos: Kaiser Permanente

“Sí se puede! Dreams do come true!

Dr. Bianca Silva.

By Ronelle Scardina

Bianca Silva believed her grandfather’s words, “Sí se puede,” and her mother’s advice that “if you can think it, you can make it happen.” On May 20, Bianca graduated with a D.O. degree from Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine. She is preparing for her first job in June as a family medicine resident physician at Kaiser Permanente Vallejo with the intention of serving the local community she once grew up in as a teen.

Bianca’s parents, Martin and Letty Silva, work at the Kaiser Permanente Richmond Medical Center. He is a gardener, and she is an administrative assistant. Both parents supported their daughter’s dream of becoming a doctor. After years of hard work, they are excited to see her dreams come true.

“When Bianca was in middle school, my husband would pick her up from school as he was getting off his shift and bring her to me at the pharmacy at the Kaiser Permanente Richmond Medical Center,” Letty recounted. “She had to wait for 30 minutes until my shift ended because he worked the night shift and I worked the day shift. Bianca enjoyed her visits. She got to know the team and had an opportunity to be exposed to so much about working in the medical field. One day, Bianca looked up at me and said that she wanted to become a doctor when she grows up.”

Bianca always demonstrated commitment to pursing her dream and working with medically underserved and vulnerable populations. She worked hard—something she learned at a young age. Growing up, she helped her father with landscaping side jobs by picking up sticks and leaves in return for treats at McDonald’s.

“We believed it was important to teach them responsibility and commitment,” Martin said. “We said that if they could think it, they could make it happen!”

It has been a long journey, but the family was always there to support and encourage Bianca along the way. She was especially close to her now deceased grandfather, Raul, who encouraged Bianca to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor — “Sí se puede, echale ganas . . . Yes, you can, give it your best!”

“He motivated her to achieve her goal,” Letty noted. “Bianca put in a lot of effort and never gave up. She’s looking forward to the day that she can visit his grave with her degree and let him know all about it. Although he won’t be at her graduation, Bianca knows deep in her heart that he will be there with her in spirit.”

Bianca was born at the Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center. She grew up in Richmond with her older brother, Martin, Jr., and younger sister, Jessica. She later moved to Vallejo to attend Jesse Bethel High School. Bianca received most of her care at Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center, where she would eventually match for residency. She currently lives at home in Fairfield with her cat, Luna.

The family is looking forward to celebrating Bianca’s graduation and new job on June 10.

Letty, Bianca and Martin Silva.

Martin Silva has been employed at Kaiser Permanente Richmond since March, 1995. He spent seven years in Environmental Services before transferring to the Landscape Team as a gardener, where he has worked ever since. Letty has worked for Kaiser Permanente Richmond since 1987.

A Richmond native, Letty hoped to work at Kaiser Permanente since she was a little girl because she wanted to give back to the local community.

“We love our community,” she said. “We love to help our neighbors and our other family at Kaiser Permanente—it’s considered our home away from home. It took a lot of sacrifice and commitment, and it means everything. We are so proud of Bianca’s accomplishments. It was worth it!”

College District makes Interim President Dr. Pamela Ralston of Los Medanos College permanent

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By Marisa Greenberg, Marketing & Communications Coordinator, 4CD

Dr. Pamela Ralston

The Contra Costa Community College District (4CD) has selected Dr. Pamela Ralston as the seventh permanent president of Los Medanos College (LMC). The 4CD Governing Board will vote on ratification of her contract at their June 14, 2023, meeting. The announcement was made following a search that began in February 2023.

“Dr. Ralston brings tremendous experience and commitment to improving student success and student equity by working collaboratively with faculty, staff, and administrators,” said Interim Chancellor Mojdeh Mehdizadeh. “Through the development and support of strong, innovative programs, and in designing a supportive environment where both students and staff feel respected and appreciated, I am confident we have chosen a leader who is a great fit for 4CD, Los Medanos College, and the East County community.”

Over the course of a two-decade career in public higher education, Dr. Ralston has served as the Interim President at Los Medanos College, President at Santiago Canyon College, and Executive Vice President of Educational Programs at Santa Barbara City College, where she led the academic and student services programs. A passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in education, Dr. Ralston has worked to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students, with special attention to the strengths that their cultural backgrounds and ethnic identities bring to their college experiences.

Dr. Ralston earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Oregon and Master of Arts and doctoral degrees from the University of Washington in Comparative Literature.
“I am honored to be selected to lead this incredible higher education institution,” said Dr. Ralston. “I am eager to help maintain and expand LMC’s legacy of educational excellence, promote community college as a great choice for our students, while building stronger connections and partnerships with our community.”

The Contra Costa Community College District (4CD) is one of the largest multi-college community college districts in California. The 4CD serves a population of 1,200,997 people, and its boundaries encompass all but 48 of the 734-square-mile land area of Contra Costa County. 4CD is home to Contra Costa College in San Pablo, Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, as well as educational centers in Brentwood and San Ramon. The District headquarters is located in downtown Martinez. For more information visit www.4cd.edu.

 

Community College District selects Dr. Kimberly Rogers as Contra Costa College President

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By Marisa Greenberg, 4CD Marketing & Communications Coordinator

The Contra Costa Community College District (4CD) has selected Dr. Kimberly Rogers as the 15th permanent president of Contra Costa College (CCC). The 4CD Governing Board will vote on ratification of her contract at their June 14, 2023, meeting. The announcement was made following a search that began in February 2023.

“Dr. Rogers brings a comprehensive background of community college executive leadership that spans both instruction and student services.” said Interim Chancellor Mojdeh Mehdizadeh. “Her responsiveness to community needs and focus on advancing equitable student outcomes is an excellent fit for CCC and the West County community.”

Dr. Rogers was a first-generation student and remains a lifelong learner. She earned her Ph.D. in Higher Education from Pennsylvania State University, master’s degree in education from Harvard University, and bachelor’s degree in French, with a minor in chemistry, from the University of South Carolina Honors College. She has held academic appointments at the State University of New York at Buffalo, the University of Massachusetts Boston, and the Université de Haute-Alsace in France. Dr. Rogers was hired as the CCC Vice President of Instruction in January 2021, and has served as Acting President since June 2022.

“I am honored to join the dedicated team of CCC faculty, classified professionals, and managers, in achieving the college’s mission of providing equitable access, increasing student success, and fulfilling the hopes and dreams of our students and the communities we serve,” said Dr. Rogers. “I look forward to expanding our presence in the community, and nurturing the important collaborations and partnerships that are needed to be successful.”

The Contra Costa Community College District (4CD) is one of the largest multi-college community college districts in California. The 4CD serves a population of 1,200,997 people, and its boundaries encompass all but 48 of the 734-square-mile land area of Contra Costa County. 4CD is home to Contra Costa College in San Pablo, Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, as well as educational centers in Brentwood and San Ramon. The District headquarters is located in downtown Martinez. For more information visit www.4cd.edu.

Contra Costa Community College District announces four finalists for LMC president

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Matthew Kritscher, Ed.D., Claire Oliveros, Ph.D., Pamela Ralston, Ph.D., and James E. Todd, Ph.D. Source: 4CD

Meet the candidates during in-person forums Monday, May 11

By Marisa Greenberg, Marketing & Communications Coordinator, Contra Costa Community College District

The Contra Costa Community College District (District) announces the selection of four finalists for the position of President of Los Medanos College. The finalists are: Matthew Kritscher, Ed.D., Claire Oliveros, Ph.D., Pamela Ralston, Ph.D., and James E. Todd, Ph.D.

Four separate in-person forums have been scheduled for May 11, 2023, on the Los Medanos College Pittsburg campus. Employees, students, and community members are invited to attend the forums, which will last 60 minutes each, beginning at 11:30 a.m., and will be recorded. A detailed public forum schedule, recordings of each forum, and an online survey to provide feedback on the candidates will be available on the District website at www.4cd.edu. 

Dr. Matthew Kritscher

Dr. Kritscher has dedicated his career to advancing student diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and social justice serving diverse communities in public higher education in California Community Colleges and Universities for over three decades. As an educational leader including eleven years as Dean and almost ten years as Vice President of Student Services at Chabot College, Dr. Kritscher is passionate about eliminating student equity gaps, and providing support for students who are farthest from opportunity. Dr. Kritscher holds a Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership from San Francisco State University. He graduated from the first cohort of the university’s inaugural doctoral program. He also holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees from California Polytechnic State University in education and recreation. Dr. Kritscher conducted applied research on “How peer mentors affect the persistence of community college students of color” as a participant researcher at his own institution to better understand the live experiences of the students he serves and how to best support them.

In the community, Dr. Kritscher served as a founding member on the Governing Board for the Mid-Alameda County Consortium of Adult Education Programs, and across the District as President Emeritus of the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District Administrators’ Association. He is also a President Emeritus of the statewide California Community Colleges Student Success and Support Program Professionals (Matriculation) Association that conducted legislative advocacy, professional development, and liaison services to the California Community College Chancellor’s Office.  Dr. Kritscher has received numerous awards for his work with supporting student access, equity, social justice, and success in public higher education including a Chancellor’s Award, several Unity Awards, Chabot College Striving Black Brothers Coalition Award, and an Educator of Excellence Award from the African American Regional Education Alliance.

To enhance equitable transfer student pathways, Dr. Kritscher is a founding Co-Principal Investigator of the East Bay College Agile Network (EBCAN), a regional partnership between Chabot-Las Positas Community College District and California State University, East Bay. This regional collaborative leverages external and internal resources as well as policy and practice transformation to eliminate barriers to student transfer.

Dr. Kritscher has served as the Principal Investigator and Project Director on numerous federal, state, and private grants, strategically advancing integrated projects toward institutionalization in support of increasing diversity, access, equity, and success. Dr. Kritscher has also led numerous capital projects to better meet the needs of diverse student populations and facilitating student retention and success.

Dr. Kritscher and his wife, Susan Truong, grew up in the bay area, and have championed support for students farther from opportunity through partnership with non-profit organizations where they have mentored low-income, first generation foster youth to attend and complete college. They love gardening, outdoor activities and supporting their communities through volunteering.

Dr. Claire Oliveros

Dr. Oliveros is a social justice educator, scholar, and equity practitioner with over 28 years of professional experience in higher education. Claire is the inaugural Vice President of Institutional Equity & Research and Planning at Cosumnes River College (CRC), a designated Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and Asian American, Native American-Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI) located in Sacramento, CA. She oversees the division for college planning, and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Antiracism (DEIA) strategic initiatives. Claire manages a multi-million-dollar budget which includes the departments of HSI and AANAPISI federally funded grant programs, Office of Institutional Effectiveness, Research and Planning, Center for Professional Development, Center for Inclusion & Belonging, Hawk Cares Center for Basic Needs and Housing Resources, Student Life, and Title IX/Equity Compliance. Prior to this role, Claire served as Vice President of Student Services and Enrollment Management at CRC.

Before relocating to California, Claire was the Assistant Provost for Student Success Initiatives at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg, VA, and the Executive Dean of Student Development and Learning Resources at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, OR. Claire served in various leadership positions at Portland Community College including the Director of TRIO Student Support Services, Interim Director of the District Office of Equity, and Inclusion, founding Coordinator of the Multicultural Center, adjunct Women’s Studies Faculty, and as a part-time Academic Advisor.

Claire is a first-generation college graduate earning a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication from Western Oregon University, Master of Science in Educational Policy, Foundations and Administrative Studies at Portland State University, and a Doctorate in Education from Oregon State University. Claire has over 20 years of volunteer experience and community involvement. She was founding chair of the Portland Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines and served as a board member of the Multnomah County Commission on Children, Families and Community. Her higher education service includes the AANAPISI Sacramento Regional Cooperative, Community College League of California, and American Association of Community Colleges.

Claire is a dedicated educational leader with a deep commitment to equity-mindedness and servant leadership. Claire enjoys spending time with her family, attending her son’s soccer games, listening to podcasts, and exploring new restaurants.

Dr. Pamela Ralston

Over the course of a two-decade career in public higher education, Pamela Ralston has been dedicated to the powerful transformation that community colleges provide students, faculty, and the communities we serve. She is committed to working with faculty, staff, and administrators to improve student success and student equity through the creation and support of strong, innovative programs and a rewarding working environment. Dr. Ralston has served as the Interim President at Los Medanos College, President at Santiago Canyon College, and Executive Vice President of Educational Programs at Santa Barbara City College, where she led the academic and student services programs.

Dr. Ralston also served as Vice President for Student Learning at College of the Desert, in Palm Desert, CA. Prior to that, she enjoyed eight years as Dean of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo. Before moving into administration, Dr. Ralston was faculty member and division chair of English and Written Communications at Tacoma Community College, where she taught composition, American Ethnic Literature and developmental studies in writing and reading. Before joining TCC, she served as lecturer at the University of Washington in American Ethnic Studies.

Pamela Ralston has her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Oregon and her Master of Arts and doctoral degrees from the University of Washington in Comparative Literature, where she taught as a graduate student in the Comparative Literature, English and American Ethnic Studies Departments. She has earned excellence in teaching awards from both Tacoma Community College and the University of Washington, and she was honored with a Fulbright fellowship for doctoral research at the Royal Library and University of Copenhagen in Denmark.

A passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in education, Pamela Ralston has worked to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students, with special attention to the strengths that their cultural backgrounds and ethnic identities bring to their college experiences. Over the course of her career, Dr. Ralston has participated in and led numerous, successful change efforts, working to increase the access and achievement of first-generation students of color by working to make colleges ready for all students. She has led curricular redesign, student services program innovation, strategic enrollment, new facilities design, and fund-raising campaigns and grant applications. Deeply invested in the connections between Los Medanos College and the cities it serves, Dr. Ralston is committed to civic engagement. She seeks to deepen relationships and partnerships with school districts, non-profit organizations, civic organizations, and industry across East Contra Costa County.

Pamela lives with her wife, Chris, an attorney, in Pittsburg and Morro Bay, CA. They’re fond of walks along central coast beaches, reading, cooking and are active in their church and community organizations.

Dr. James Todd

Dr. Todd has over 15 years of experience in instruction and student services in California community colleges. He has held a variety of positions, including Professor, Academic Senate President, Accreditation Liaison Officer, Chief Student Services Officer, and Chief Instructional Officer. He has also served as an elected faculty representative on the statewide Executive Committee for the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, and he maintains a strong commitment to participatory governance and an inclusive style of educational leadership. James is currently the Assistant Superintendent and Vice President of Student Services at Sierra College. He was previously the Assistant Superintendent and Vice President of Instruction and Planning at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton and the Vice President of Student Services at Modesto Junior College.

James is a transformational leader who grounds his philosophy and practice in principles of equity, diversity, accessibility, and inclusion. He is passionate about fostering access and opportunity for underserved populations, meeting the needs of local communities, facilitating student success and completion, building public and private partnerships, and ensuring equitable post-graduation outcomes for students. He has participated in national reform movements, such as Achieving the Dream, to improve student equity and institutional outcomes, and he has been involved in leading efforts on local campuses to enact Guided Pathways and student-centered strategies for student success.

James graduated with an Associate of Arts degree from Brevard Community College in Florida and went on to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology and International Relations from New College of Florida, a Master of Arts degree in Anthropology at The George Washington University, and Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Cultural Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

James has recently completed the Aspen Institute College Excellence Presidential Fellowship Program, the Harvard University Institute for Educational Management, and the California Education Policy Fellowship Program at the Education Insights Center (CSU Sacramento).

About 4CD

The Contra Costa Community College District (4CD) is one of the largest multi-college community college districts in California. The 4CD serves a population of 1,019,640 people, and its boundaries encompass all but 48 of the 734-square-mile land area of Contra Costa County. 4CD is home to Contra Costa College in San Pablo, Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, as well as educational centers in Brentwood and San Ramon. The District headquarters is located in downtown Martinez. For more information visit www.4cd.edu.

 

Martinez man charged with gun possession in a school zone

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Suspect out on bail

By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office

The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office has filed a two-count complaint against a Martinez man for possessing a firearm in a school zone.

23-year-old Michael Joseph Childressfrey has an arraignment date set on May 31st for offenses related to an incident that occurred on April 26th at John Swett Elementary School on Alhambra Avenue in Martinez.

At approximately 1:00 pm, Martinez Police were dispatched to the school campus to investigate reports of a known adult male who was in the school parking lot. Police were told that the man was not a welcomed presence, and he frequently carries a firearm.

When officers arrived at the school, they approached Childressfrey in a parked vehicle. He was cooperative, and when asked, Childressfrey said he was in possession of a firearm. Law enforcement authorities placed Childressfrey under arrest for gun possession in a school zone and carrying a loaded concealed firearm. Later, police seized two additional weapons from Childressfrey’s residence. Childressfrey was taken into custody and immediately posted bail before the investigation could be referred for prosecution.

While the incident was resolved peacefully, parents and neighbors have expressed their concern over the matter, and that Childressfrey posted monetary bail the day of his arrest.

District Attorney Diana Becton said, “This incident is understandably distressing– my Office worked in conjunction with the Martinez Police Department to ensure a swift filing determination. After receiving a request for prosecution from Martinez Police on Friday, the DA’s Office reviewed the case and filed the necessary documents with the court to initiate prosecution on Monday.”

Case No. 01-23-01358 | The People of the State of California vs. Childressfrey, Michael Joseph

College District announces finalist for Contra Costa Community President

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Meet Dr. Kimberly Rogers during in-person forum Monday morning, May 8

By Marisa Greenberg, Marketing & Communications Coordinator, Contra Costa Community College District

Dr. Kimberly Rogers. Photo: 4CD

The Contra Costa Community College District (District) announces the selection of one finalist for the position of President of Contra Costa College. The finalist is: Kimberly Rogers, Ph.D.

An in-person forum has been scheduled for May 8, 2023, on the Contra Costa College campus. Employees, students, and community members are invited to attend the forum which will last 60 minutes, beginning at 11:00 a.m., and will be recorded. A detailed public forum schedule, recording of the forum, and an online survey to provide feedback on the candidate will be available on the District website at www.4cd.edu. 

Dr. Kimberly R. Rogers has over 20 years of administrative and teaching experience in higher education and currently serves as the Acting President of Contra Costa College (CCC) in the Contra Costa Community College District (4CD). Since joining CCC as the Vice President of Instruction in January 2021, Dr. Rogers has worked to promote and expand academic and career pathways for CCC’s students. Under Dr. Rogers’s leadership, CCC was selected for the inaugural Achieving the Dream Accelerating Equitable Outcomes for Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and People of Color Cohort; was chosen as a NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars (NCAS) campus; established a Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement (MESA) program; and became the first 4CD member of the Rising Scholars Network, a program to improve educational and career outcomes for justice-impacted individuals.

Dr. Rogers’s background in Instruction and Student Affairs has allowed CCC to halt a several-year-long enrollment slide and begin a recovery despite the ongoing challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Under her leadership, CCC has now experienced several consecutive terms of enrollment increases. Dr. Rogers has overseen the implementation of student-centered scheduling; advocated for new personnel to alleviate understaffing and enhance CCC’s ability to serve its community; and demonstrated open-mindedness and creativity in embracing ways to serve students and meet the diverse needs of West County. Dr. Rogers organized a $500,000 multi-year partnership between CCC and the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, brought the Phi Theta Kappa international honors society to CCC, and started the Comets to Careers professional clothing closet.

In recognition of the twin crises of the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation, Dr. Rogers launched several initiatives to support students’ basic needs. CCC started a Free Lunch program, expanded mental health counseling, extended a one-time housing grant, expanded food resources in the Comet Market to include supplies for parenting students, and offered free fitness center access to all. This was accompanied by the creation of the first full-time staff position for basic needs at the college.

Prior to joining CCC, Dr. Rogers served as the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs at Roxbury Community College (RCC), where her duties included accreditation oversight, curriculum development, assessment of student learning, faculty and staff development, federal and state grant administration, and the integration of academic and student affairs with a focus on equity. She partnered with faculty to launch new programs and credentials in Nursing, Early Childhood Education, Aviation Maintenance Technology, and Smart Building Technology. With her background in music, Dr. Rogers prioritized reviving RCC’s arts and humanities curriculum. In December 2018, for the first time in more than a decade, students and faculty held an Arts Showcase to demonstrate their achievements in music, visual, and performing arts.

Born and raised in South Carolina, Dr. Rogers was a first-generation student and remains a lifelong learner. She earned her Ph.D. in Higher Education from the Pennsylvania State University, master’s degree in education from Harvard University, and BA degree in French, with a minor in chemistry, from the University of South Carolina Honors College. She has held academic appointments at the State University of New York at Buffalo, the University of Massachusetts Boston, and the Université de Haute Alsace in France. Earlier in her career she was a violin teacher for K-12 students at the University of South Carolina String Project, a nationally recognized program that provides accessible music education for youth and adults.

The Contra Costa Community College District (4CD) is one of the largest multi-college community college districts in California. The 4CD serves a population of 1,019,640 people, and its boundaries encompass all but 48 of the 734-square-mile land area of Contra Costa County. 4CD is home to Contra Costa College in San Pablo, Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, as well as educational centers in Brentwood and San Ramon. The District headquarters is located in downtown Martinez. For more information visit www.4cd.edu.

 

Opinion: The importance of early civic engagement for teens

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Anay Pant during his video presentation for the 2023 Youth Hall of Fame Awards. Video screenshot.

By Anay Pant

Last year I participated as a High School student poll worker in the 2022 November Midterm elections. This was the first time I felt civically engaged practicing democracy in some form in my country. In a couple of years, I can cast my vote!

Historically, youth voter turnout has stayed around the 25% mark in the USA. It does not indicate that the youth are averse to voting, however studies show that there are structural barriers for youth to participate.

One such barrier is early education and awareness. The USA high school curriculum requires at least 1 semester of American Government class. Topics include the constitutional framework, federalism, the three branches of government, bureaucracy, civil rights and liberties, political participation and behavior, and policy formation. However, the content is not realized in an interactive way, as most students stop at reading a few chapters or watching a documentary.

The reason I got inspired and action oriented was due to my teacher. My teacher gave us practical opportunities such as forums to hear from and interact with our elected representatives e.g., Rep. Mike Thomspon (CA-4), Monica Tranel (MT-02 runner up) and authors such as Mick Rappaport, who have written extensively on the subject.  We had lively discussions in class and homework assignments that did not feel like regular homework. We spoke about current events such as the Nov 2022 midterms, and the importance of student poll workers. I only wish I had been exposed to this subject and my teacher much earlier.

Another structural barrier is the individual themselves.  At home, early civic education largely depends on the motivation of parents and children’s interest in the subject.  Most teens spend little time (<120 minutes per day in the USA) with parents due to the many engagements and distractions.

Teens are constantly occupied (I know it firsthand!)  with daily activities such as schoolwork, sports, after school clubs, internships, hobbies, spending time with friends, social relationships, college admissions planning etc.  It is also a period of emotional growth and hormonal changes with ups and downs and mood swings. A smartphone is perhaps the biggest time sink. Research shows that 95% of US teens have access to smartphones today.

I am a second generation American, with interest in the subject. However, my parents are not well versed in this subject and are themselves learning their civic duties. Therefore, for the 7.2 million second-generation Americans, civic education at school might be the only option.

As an example, as a Junior, I spend about an hour with my parents daily, maybe two on weekends.  Our conversation is usually about academics, family, sports, our pet dog, a movie or food. In my case, my dad and I share a love of history and politics, so we occasionally talk about WWII or political satire from Saturday Night Live or John Oliver. For a second-generation teen like me, school becomes the most important and sometimes the only resource for civic education.

Considering these barriers, it makes sense to start civic education and engagement much earlier. I can also attest through experience that:

  1. Middle schoolers have more time than High Schoolers
  2. Middle schoolers are at the age where they start to form their own opinions about the world around them. Giving them a chance to get involved in their community can help them develop a sense of duty, ownership and responsibility.

Why is this so important?

It is important for each individual to understand their civic duty and make it a habit to vote. The habit should be inculcated in the younger years. Over time when diverse voices from all walks of life exercise their right to vote, it will lead to an equitable and just democracy that most communities can benefit from.

In the 2022 mid-terms, the youth (ages 18-24) turnout was the second highest in three decades6 and quite impactful. Young people across the country had their voices heard and were able to support causes they cared about. According to a Harvard poll around 40% of young voters indicated that they would vote in the election. Overall, around 27% youth ballots that were issued were cast in total.

So, in conclusion I urge my readers to advocate for civic education in Middle School and share the tips below with your school boards and community leaders.

What can schools do

  • Start civics education early – in middle school
  • Encourage students to participate as volunteers in polling stations – local or state-level
  • Expose students to experts, community leaders, and other activists
  • Allow students to organize and run creative programs such as podcasts, talks
  • Recognize students who participate in civic engagement programs

What can communities (Non-Profits, Community Leaders) do

  • Community leaders can create educational programs e.g. field visits to city hall, high courts, etc.
  • Recognize students who participate in Civic engagement programs
  • Nonprofits e.g. Campus Votes could expand their college programs to create school specific programs as well.

I would also love to hear more tips from the readers!

Research Links

[1] https://circle.tufts.edu/understanding-youth-civic-engagement/dispelling-myths-about-youth-voting#myth:-youth-voting-has-been-declining-for-decades

[2] https://circle.tufts.edu/understanding-youth-civic-engagement/dispelling-myths-about-youth-voting#myth:-young-people-are-all-liberal-college-students

[3] https://www.financialsamurai.com/the-average-amount-of-time-parents-spend-with-their-kids-a-day/

[4] https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/08/10/teens-social-media-and-technology-2022/

[5] https://cis.org/Report/ForeignBorn-Population-Hits-Nearly-48-Million-September-2022

[6] https://circle.tufts.edu/2022-election-center#youth-turnout-second-highest-in-last-three-decades

[7] https://iop.harvard.edu/fall-2022-harvard-youth-poll

[8] https://www.campusvoteproject.org/

About Anay Pant

I am a Junior at The Athenian High School in Danville, California. I got interested in civic engagement during the American Politics class I took last semester. The class had a profound effect on me. I was motivated to participate as a student poll worker in the Nov 2022 midterms. I wanted to continue with finding ways to motivate my peers to become aware and action oriented. I launched a civic engagement platform called Qrated (https://qrated.weblium.site/) last year with some success. I am working towards finding avenues to help me outreach my platform

On April 4th, I was awarded the Contra Costa County – Youth Hall of Fame Awards for Leadership & Civic Engagement by the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors. (See related article here)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anay-pant/