Contra Costa Herald

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

Los Medanos College partners with JFK University to host Olga Custodio, the first Latina U.S. Air Force fighter pilot Tuesday, Sept. 24

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Los Medanos College (LMC) is partnering with John F. Kennedy University (JFKU) to host Olga Custodio, the first Latina to serve as a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force.  The event will be held on Tuesday, September 24, at LMC’s Pittsburg Campus in Room SC-136 (Science Building, first floor); Lt. Col. Custodio’s presentation will be held 4:00 – 5:00 p.m., followed by a reception.  The campus is located at 2700 East Leland Road in Pittsburg.   There is no charge to attend, and guests are asked to RSVP online.

The event, which is part of LMC’s fourth annual Equity Speaker Series, will feature Retired Lt. Colonel Olga Custodio sharing her story of “Passion, Patience & Persistence.”  Custodio was the first Latina to complete military pilot training in the United States Air Force (USAF), graduating in the top five percent of her class, and the first to become a USAF fighter pilot.  She went on to break even more barriers as the first female flight instructor at two major USAF bases, and later as the first Latina commercial pilot for American Airlines.  Living by the mantra, “querer es poder” – loosely translated to “where there’s a will, there’s a way” – Custodio’s perseverance, fighting spirit, leadership abilities, and passion for flying took her where few women have gone before.  Now retired, Lt. Col. Custodio continues to lead and inspire, championing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) and motivating women and girls to pursue aviation and male-dominated professions.  She is involved with a number of professional and service organizations, including: Women Military Aviators Association, as an active charter member; Women in Aviation International, as executive director and treasurer of the Alamo City Chapter; the Hispanic Association of Aviation and Aerospace Professionals, as vice president; the Order of Daedalians; and the Daedalian Foundation, as a Trustee.  With her dedication to attracting more women and young people to aviation and STEM careers, she also serves as a mentor with the Aviation Explorers organization in San Antonio and with the School of Aeronautics of the Inter American University in Puerto Rico.

Collaborating on this event expands LMC’s existing partnership with JFKU.  The two institutions have previously partnered on a Student Wellness Program that provides mental health counseling to students at LMC.  In addition to marking Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) Week and National Hispanic Heritage Month, the event with Lt. Col. Custodio reflects the shared commitment of LMC and JFKU – both Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), with undergraduate student enrollment that is at least 25% Hispanic – to providing opportunities and support toward degree completion for Latino/a and minoritized students.  Lt. Col. Custodio’s visit comes on the heels of LMC celebrating its 10-year anniversary of participating in the Mathematics, Engineering, Science & Achievement (MESA) Program, which focuses on helping underserved and underrepresented students achieve success in the STEM workforce.

Questions about this event may be directed to Dr. Sabrina T. Kwist at skwist@losmedanos.edu or (925) 473-7314.

For more information about all of LMC’s Office of Equity & Inclusion, visit https://www.losmedanos.edu/equity.

 

OPINION: Contra Costa College president, interim VP’s being placed on administrative leave in May called “racist public lynching” by staff

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Dr. Katrina-VanderWoude in her new Contra Costa College office in August, 2018. Photo by Denis Perez The Advocate

By the African American Staff Association (AASA) of Contra Costa College

District Chancellor Fred E. Wood has spearheaded a brazen “racist public lynching” of Dr. Katrina VanderWoude. On May 28, 2019, Chancellor Wood placed Dr. VanderWoude, president of Contra Costa College (CCC), and two interim vice presidents, Susan Kincade and Carsbia Anderson, on administrative leave pending investigations concerning a suspicious complaint.

Chancellor Wood and his Contra Costa Community College District (4CD) office advisors violated district and state policies in pursuit of their campaign to remove the last two Black upper level managers at CCC. The chancellor has sought to make a public example of President VanderWoude for not going along with the continued racial gentrification of the college, which began a new phase in 2017. He assumed that VanderWoude, who is African American, would simply be window dressing to placate the AASA, which had raised concerns about the complete omission of new Black hires, among other issues.

Contra Costa College interim Vice President of Academic Affairs Susan Kincade and interim Vice President of Student Services Carsbia Anderson.

Here is a timeline of events:

During the 2017-2018 academic year, the AASA began documenting and reporting on the systematic actions to reduce Black faculty and shrink the class offerings in their departments, particularly the social sciences and ethnic studies departments. AASA also raised issues about the new alarming direction of racial gentrification, with the CCC administration hiring 28 people, none of whom were Black.

On Jan. 30, 2018, the AASA and Black community leaders met with then President Mojdeh Medizadeh to address “Six Areas of Concerns” facing Black people at CCC. Instead of addressing these issues, Chancellor Wood removed Mehdizadeh in the middle of the semester and appointed an interim president. Wood’s reckless decision spun the campus into turmoil, while the nationwide search for a new president was underway.

On April 11, 2018, the AASA presented the six concerns directly to Chancellor Wood and identified managers who openly talked about introducing a “culture change” at CCC and were responsible for new gentrification policies, specifically detrimental to Black employees and students. Wood made promises but did very little to address these concerns.

On May 31, 2018, Chancellor Wood said in a press release that new President “Dr. VanderWoude’s … dedication to diversity, inclusion and equity prepare her very well for this important leadership role.”

In Fall 2018, President VanderWoude began her tenure with bringing back shared governance, instituting a more reasonable student-focused enrollment management plan, addressing the low campus morale issue and promoting racial equity in hiring. CCC was moving in the right direction.

In October-November 2018, the racist public flogging of Dr. VanderWoude began when it was learned that four of the five finalists for the vice president of student services (VPSS) position were African American. The credibility of two of the candidates was attacked by campus employees who used Google searches to find unvetted internet materials, dating back to 1997, to condemn these Black men without a trial.

These employees criticized VanderWoude for the hiring controversy, although she was barely two months on the job and was following district hiring procedures. Meanwhile, Wood remained silent and never explained that the district Human Resources Department (HR), headed by Diogenes Shipp, approved this entire hiring process. The misplacement of blame gave this small employee group an angle to criticize VanderWoude’s leadership of the college.

In March 2019, a trumped-up employee complaint was filed, charging VanderWoude with reverse racism, age discrimination and retaliation. There was no effort by Wood to address these allegations and resolve the concerns, as required by California Code of Regulations, Title 5.

On May 2, 2019, Chancellor Wood emailed an evaluation survey to various constituency groups as per the Management Manual (Section 6.2), and this two-week survey was to close on May 16th. However, there was a tiny group of VanderWoude’s opponents who complained about not being included in the survey, and therefore Wood obliged them.

On May 14, 2019, Chancellor Wood publicly joined the campaign to attack VanderWoude by emailing a second evaluation survey campus-wide to manufacture the written evidence to justify firing her. This was an open violation of 4CD HR Procedure 2030.13 and was a rogue action to allow the protest group to attack VanderWoude with the final written assault.

Wood’s deviation from the evaluation procedures is inherently biased and unjustified. The two overlapping active surveys is a completely unique process and has not been done for any other 4CD college president.

On May 28, 2019, Chancellor Wood executed the public political lynching of President VanderWoude by putting her and the two interim vice presidents on administrative leave without any prior effort to resolve the alleged issues in the March complaint. The interim vice president for student services removed by Wood is an African American man, and in Wood’s administration “diversity, inclusion and equity” evidently do not include top management positions for African Americans at CCC.

Wood’s goal is to fire VanderWoude, but there is now an unexpected public standoff with her supporters.

On July 17, 2019, amid the racial turmoil at CCC, Chancellor Wood made the sudden announcement that he will retire in March 2020. In reality, Wood is being pushed out because of, as he stated, “my belief that the district is ready for new leadership.”

A failed administrator

It is well documented that Chancellor Fred Wood is a failed administrator, who was a central member of the administrative team responsible for the infamous pepper spraying of students incident at UC Davis on Nov. 18, 2011, when he was the vice chancellor of student affairs. He then wrote an article, “Weary of Blame,” in the college newspaper California Aggie (Nov. 29, 2011) to deflect from his justly earned criticism for the shocking violation of these students. In May 2019, he has again earned well-deserved blame for the reckless removal of CCC administrators, with disastrous affects that are unmatched in the college’s history.

Finally, the public silence of Chancellor Wood in the midst of multiple incidences of racist hate graffiti at our sister campus, Diablo Valley College (DVC), in Spring 2019 gives some insight into how he and his district office cohorts view Black lives.

On March 6, 2019, in the men’s bathroom of the Engineering Technology Building, someone scrawled on the wall a racist threat of a noose with a hanging stick figure, along with the words, “No niggers working in trades.” When AASA President Manu Ampim called on Wood to be consistent and issue a district office statement to show a commitment to support Black students, as was done with other students, his response was simply, “If I say something I get criticized, and if I don’t say anything I get criticized.” This type of weak leadership is unacceptable and demonstrates Wood’s inability to lead a racially diverse college district.

Resolutions presented to the Contra Costa Community College District in July:

  1. Reverse the premature administrative leave action on May 28, 2019, which has crippled the college, and restore President VanderWoude and the two interim vice presidents to their positions.
  2. Immediately reassign to another campus the senior dean who has been in the center of conflict since she was hired in 2017 and began implementing a toxic “culture change” based on gentrification.

When reached for comment, Michele Jackson of the AASA said, “There’s no diversity at Contra Costa College in a very diverse community” and that “Wood and all of the district leadership need to go. They have no ties to the community.”

When reminded that Wood has announced he will retire next year, she responded, “We were instrumental in that.”

The African American Staff Association (AASA) of Contra Costa College, 2600 Mission Bell Drive, San Pablo, CA 94806, can be reached at AAStaffAssociation@gmail.com or 510-688-8806.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Under investigation Contra Costa College President VanderWoude resigns

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Dr. Katrina VanderWoude. Photo courtesy of Contra Costa College.

By Tim Leong, Director, Communications and Community Relations

The Governing Board of the Contra Costa Community College District (District) and Dr. Katrina VanderWoude have agreed that she will resign as Contra Costa College (CCC) President effective on August 14, 2019.  A resignation agreement was approved by the Board at a special meeting on August 14, 2019.

A committee of constituent leaders from CCC will be appointed to participate in a process to select an Interim President, and Mariles Magalong will continue as the college’s Acting President in the near term.

“We want to thank Dr. VanderWoude for her leadership and contributions to the District,” said Chancellor Fred Wood.  “We wish her well in her future endeavors.”

No additional information was provided by the district regarding her resignation.  However, a news release by the African American Staff Association of Contra Costa College stated, VanderWoude and the college’s interim Vice President of Academic Affairs Susan Kincade and interim Vice President of Student Services Carsbia Anderson, were all placed on administrative leave on May 28, 2019 “pending investigations concerning a suspicious complaint.” Another news report claims the investigations “arose out of separate complaints filed by college employees.” A June article published on the website of The Advocate, the college’s student newspaper, stated the investigation of VanderWoude was “a personnel matter”, and that the two vice presidents were under “a separate investigation.” According to another article by The Advocate, VanderWoude was the college’s twelfth president and has been in her position just over a year. The two interim vice presidents were hired in January, this year.

The Contra Costa Community College District (CCCCD) is one of the largest multi-college community college districts in California. The CCCCD 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. The District 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.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Community college Chancellor Fred Wood announces retirement date

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Dr. Fred Wood

By Tim Leong, Director, Communications and Community Relations, CCCCD

Contra Costa Community College District (District) chancellor Fred Wood announced he plans to retire on March 31, 2020.  Since joining the District in 2017, Wood is credited with bringing stability to the District during a time of enrollment challenges and significant changes in the funding formula for California community colleges.

“After considerable and thoughtful deliberations, I have decided to retire after a

four-decade career in higher education due to increased personal obligations and because I firmly believe the District is ready for new leadership”, said Wood.  “Although there is never a perfect time for a leadership transition, the District is in a great place with a very strong financial position, stabilized enrollment, and doing a tremendous job of serving our students and community.”

The chancellor also cited other reasons the District is ready for new leadership by acknowledging the colleges are fully engaged and preparing for upcoming accreditation visits, the migration to a new format for district policies is underway, the capital construction bond program is moving along well, stronger relationships are being developed with educational and community partners, and the Governing Board has just approved a new District five-year strategic plan.

“We have been extremely fortunate to have Fred’s leadership over the past few years”, said Governing Board President Vicki Gordon.  “His honesty, integrity, thoughtful leadership, and passion for students were exactly what the District needed during this time.  We will miss his leadership and he will be a hard act to follow.”

The Governing Board will begin discussing how they will recruit the next chancellor at their upcoming meetings.  The plan is to complete the selection before Wood’s retirement to ensure a smooth transition.

Wood grew up in Martinez, attended Diablo Valley College as a first-generation college graduate, and credits the community college experience for transforming his life.  He is grateful for the opportunity to come “back home” and contribute to the District’s legacy of making a difference in the lives of its students.

“What I am most proud of during my tenure is the opportunity to join our Governing Board, faculty, staff, and community leaders in their work to support our students,” said Wood.  “They deserve the recognition for the success of our District and our three excellent colleges.”

The Contra Costa Community College District (CCCCD) is one of the largest multi-college community college districts in California. The CCCCD 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. The District 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.

Contra Costa County classified school employees honored

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Each year, the Contra Costa County Office of Education (CCCOE), in partnership with the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA), participates in the California State Classified School Employee of the Year (CSEY) program, coordinated by the California Department of Education. This program highlights the contributions of exemplary classified school employees that support and play a key role in promoting student achievement, safety, and health in California public schools, from preschool through 12th grade. On May 3, the CCCOE and ACSA introduced this year’s 13 county esteemed county award nominees, as well as three California State Award honorees at a well-attended reception, held at the CCCOE, in Pleasant Hill.

The following three are the 2019-2019 Contra Costa County Classified Employees of the Year Honorees:

  • Para-Educator and Instructional Assistant category – Jennifer Broder Haglund, Classroom Para Educator, San Ramon Valley Unified School District
  • Maintenance, Operations, and Facilities category – David Argueta, Head Custodian, Lafayette School District
  • Office and Technical category – Michelle Brobak, School Secretary, Orinda Union School District

And, one of those three honorees was recently named by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond as a California State Classified School Employee of the Year! Congratulations to Michelle Brobak, school secretary, at Del Rey Elementary, in the Orinda Union School District. Brobak is one of six 2018-2019 Classified School Employees of the Year, representing the “Office and Technical” category. Brobak and her fellow 2018-2019 State Classified School Employees of the Year, will be honored by Thurmond at a luncheon in Sacramento on Thursday, May 23.

The following 13 are the 2018-2019 Contra Costa County Classified Employees of the Year Nominees:

Maintenance, Operations, & Facilities category:

  • Donald Golinveaux, Night Custodian, Brentwood Union School District
  • Michael Lent, Maintenance Craftsmen, Orinda Union School District
  • Michael Fobbs, Grounds Equipment Operator, Pittsburg Unified School District
  • Rolly Valdez, Head Custodian, Walnut Creek School District

Office and Technical category:

  • Andrea Zeigler, Secretary, Brentwood Union School District
  • Gina Schenk, Purchasing Technician, Contra Costa County Office of Education
  • Christie Quinn, School Administrative Assistant, Contra Costa County Office of Education
  • Anita Dumay, Child Nutrition Senior Technician, Pittsburg Unified School District

Para-Educator and Instructional Assistant category:

  • Sharon Caldwell, Paraprofessional, Liberty Union High School District
  • Janice Taconni, Para-Educator, Martinez Unified School District
  • Celia Cornejo, Instructional Assistant, Orinda Union School District
  • Bonnie Flannery, Para Educator, Pittsburg Unified School District
  • Ljubica Chase, Para-Professional, Walnut Creek School District

 

2019-2020 Contra Costa County Teachers of the Year finalists named

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Gina Capelli, Liberty Union High School District; Shay Kornfeld, Mt. Diablo Unified School District; DarVisa R. Marshall, Antioch Unified School District; and Maureen Mattson, Pittsburg Unified School District. Photos courtesy of CCCOE.

The following four teachers have been named as the 2019-2020 Contra Costa County Teacher of the Year (TOY) Finalists: Gina Capelli, Liberty Union High School District; Shay Kornfeld, Mt. Diablo Unified School District; DarVisa R. Marshall, Antioch Unified School District; and Maureen Mattson, Pittsburg Unified School District. Two of these four finalists will be chosen in late September, and will represent Contra Costa County in the California State TOY Program. See below for the entire listing of the 22 Contra Costa County TOYs, class of 2019-2020.

With 27 years of education experience, Gina Capelli has been teaching at Liberty High School, in Brentwood, since 2002. Capelli’s courses include psychology, government, ethnic studies, and social studies. Capelli joined Liberty High School with an impressive resume of teaching experience with school districts in San Jose, Livermore, and Brentwood. “My most important contribution to my students is to model selflessness and the importance of school and community involvement,” says Capelli. “Living in a small, tight-knit community has helped me to participate in many community activities alongside my students.”

Science instructor and robotics club advisor, Shay Kornfield, has been teaching at Diablo View Middle School, in Clayton, for the past three years. Five years prior, Kornfield taught grades 4 and 5 at Fair Oaks Elementary School, in Pleasant Hill. Kornfield says that he was lucky enough to grow up in a loving household with educated parents and grandparents that fostered his sense of curiosity and adventure. “Then, I had a teacher, Glen Barker [2018 CCCOE Teacher of the Year], who made school feel like summer camp for the first time in my life,” remembers Kornfield. “Without these amazing people, perhaps I would not have chosen the career path I have – but choose it I did, and what an amazing ride thus far!”

Like so many teachers, DarVisa Marshall was influenced by a special teacher in her life. For Marshall, it was in the 11th grade, back in Cincinnati, Ohio. “No matter the circumstances, Mrs. Bryant never gave up on me,” remembers Marshall. “She saw potential that I never saw and my parents didn’t understand. Because of her, I became a teacher.” For the past five years, Marshall has been teaching English language arts (ELA) and history to grade six, at Antioch Middle School, in Antioch. Her 21 years of experience also includes teaching ELA and history in middle and elementary schools in Oakland and Cincinnati.

Maureen Mattson has been a positive fixture for the past 33 years at Pittsburg High School. The honored teacher has been teaching physical education during her entire career at the school. Along with teaching physical education, she has served many other rolls, including the school’s women’s basketball coach, assistant principal, and assistant athletic director. “My biggest influence in becoming a teacher was my father, Bob Matson,” reflects Mattson. “He was a physical education teacher, department chair, athletic director, and coach of multiple sports at Hollister High School for 38 years.”

The county’s TOY program is directed by the CCCOE, and with such a high caliber of teaching professionals to draw from (18 teachers eligible this year), the CCCOE’s TOY program uses a three-stage selection process, with a point and percentage system to determine the final candidates as follows:

I Application Screening:

On April 12, a committee of 13 judges, representing the county’s education, business, and public-sector partners carefully reviewed the TOY representative applications submitted by the school districts. This committee independently read and rated each application. After the application screening and scoring are completed, four teachers (see above) will be selected to advance to the next two phases as finalists.

II Classroom Observation and Interview:

April 22-May 17, a small committee of education specialists and business partners will observe the four finalists interacting with their students. Immediately following, the committee will interview the candidates, discussing topics such as their teaching philosophy and techniques.

III Speech Presentation:

On July 24, the four TOY finalists will each give a three- to five-minute speech to another panel of a dozen educators, business, and public-sector representatives who will judge the finalists on their speech and presentation skills.

On the evening of September 26, 2019, all 22 TOYs, accompanied by their families, friends, and co-workers (an audience of close to 500) will be honored at the annual Contra Costa County Teacher of the Year Dinner Celebration, held at the Hilton Concord. Contra Costa County Superintendent of Schools Lynn Mackey, who serves as the evening’s master of ceremonies, will introduce all 22 TOYs to the attendees. This will be followed by the four finalists giving their three- to five-minute speeches (same speeches given in July) to the filled banquet room. Finally, the night will come to a dramatic conclusion with the announcement of the two 2019-2020 Contra Costa County Teachers of the Year.

2019-2020 Contra Costa County Teacher of the Year Representatives:

  • Paul Verbanszky, Acalanes Union High School District, Campolindo High School
  • DarVisa R. Marshall, Antioch Unified School District, Antioch Middle School
  • Ezra Smith, Brentwood Union School District, Pioneer Elem/Loma Vista Elem
  • Alicia Woodson, Byron Union School District, Discovery Bay Elementary
  • Cheri Etheredge, Contra Costa Community College District, Contra Costa Community College
  • Kevin McKibben, Contra Costa County Office of Education, Mt. McKinley School
  • Nagia “GG” Abdu, John Swett Unified School District, John Swett High School
  • Katy Bracelin, Knightsen Elementary School District, Knightsen Elementary School
  • Cindy Fisher, Lafayette School District, Happy Valley Elementary School
  • Gina Capelli, Liberty Union High School District, Liberty High School
  • Pamuela Galletti, Martinez Unified School District, John Muir Elementary School
  • Jennifer Strohmeyer, Moraga School District, Donald L. Rheem Elementary School
  • Emily Andrews, Mt. Diablo Unified School District, Bancroft Elementary School
  • Shay Kornfeld, Mt. Diablo Unified School District, Diablo View Middle School
  • Maria Fernandez, Oakley Union Elementary School District, Oakley Elementary School
  • Jennifer Dodd, Orinda Union School District, Del Rey Elementary School
  • Maureen Mattson, Pittsburg Unified School District, Pittsburg High School
  • Athena Agustin, San Ramon Valley Unified School District, Dougherty Valley High School
  • Nusheen Saadat, San Ramon Valley Unified School District, Quail Run Elementary School
  • Jana Palmquist, Walnut Creek School District, Walnut Creek Intermediate School
  • Daniel O’Shea, West Contra Costa Unified School District, Pinole Valley High School
  • Doug Silva, West Contra Costa Unified School District, Helms Middle School

Note regarding eligible participants:

Seventeen of the eighteen Contra Costa County school districts represented, and the CCCOE are participating in this year’s TOY program.

Each year, one instructor from Contra Costa Community College District is submitted to the TOY program for his/her outstanding body of work with their designated college. The colleges rotate each year between Diablo Valley, Los Medanos, and Contra Costa. (These instructors do not compete in the State Teacher of the Year competition.) This year is Contra Costa College’s turn.

Due to the larger number of students and teachers in their districts, West Contra Costa USD, Mt. Diablo USD, and San Ramon Valley USD are allowed to submit two TOY candidates.

Follow Contra Costa County’s Teacher of the Year program on Twitter and Instagram at: #cocotoy

Antioch Senior at UC Davis interning for California State Senator Glazer

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Sasha Jordan. Photo courtesy of Mark Jordan.

His only intern from Contra Costa County

University of California Davis senior, Sasha Jordan is interning for State Senator Steve Glazer (D-Orinda) this spring.  Glazer, who represents the 7th Senate District including most of Contra Costa County and portions of Alameda County in the East Bay, currently has three interns but Jordan is the only intern from Contra Costa County.

Jordan is an Antioch resident and graduated from Deer Valley High School in 2015.  She began attending UC Davis that same fall.  While at Deer Valley she was active in the Performing Arts Academy. Jordan will graduate in June this year with a degree in Political Science and minor in Communications.

She had worked as a teen and young adult for the real estate company owned by her parents Mark and Cynthia Jordan, a local Certified Public Accountant and a local Attorney.  She also had worked for the University as a resident advisor during her sophomore year at the Tecero Dorms on campus.

Jordan is currently applying for fellowships at the State Capital in Sacramento and is looking forward to a career in government.

“I think it is a good thing to help other people and government is just one way to make a difference” she said.

Asked about what she’s doing for the Senator, currently, Jordan said, “Right now, I’m working at the front desk greeting visitors. I’ve done some research projects.”

Her internship will last until March 15, which is the end of the Winter Quarter.

After Jordan graduates, her “plan is to work at the Capitol.”

As for her long-term plans, she said, “If you ask my dad, it’s to be governor of California.”

On a more serious note, Jordan stated, “My hope is to make as much change and improvement in the lives of individuals in California.”

Asked about her Communications minor, she said, “Right now, I’m learning about media messages. I’ve taken some classes on political communication, which I think is important. Because if you want to make change, you need the public to know about the issues that are going on.”

Jordan will graduate at the end of the Spring Quarter in June.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Contra Costa County High School Mock Trial seeks legal professionals to volunteer

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Winners of the 2019 Contra Costa Mock Trial, the California High School Mock Trial Team, led by teacher coach Brian Barr and attorney coaches Larry Lowe, and Ken Mifsud represented Contra Costa County at the 38th Annual California State Mock Trial on March 22-24 in Sacramento, CA. Photo courtesy of CCC Office of Education.

Bay Area soon-to-be, practicing, and retired law professionals are needed to provide assistance to their future brethren at the upcoming 38th Annual Contra Costa County High School Mock Trial Program, held on seven early weekday evenings during late January and early February, in the Martinez Court Rooms. Last year, close to 100 Bay Area practicing and retired attorneys and sworn judges, as well as third-year law students volunteered their time with the Mock Trials.

Coordinated by the Contra Costa County Office of Education (CCCOE), Mock Trial is an academic event provided for high school students. The hands-on educational program was created to help students acquire a working knowledge of our judicial system, develop analytical abilities and communication skills, and gain an understanding of their obligations and responsibilities as participating members of our society. This year’s case, People v. Klein: A young adult is charged with two felony counts: making a false report of an emergency (in this case, commonly referred to as “swatting”) and making a criminal threat.

“This program is a great tool to ensure that our students understand the workings of the trial courts and thus the importance of an independent judiciary, says,” says Contra Costa County Presiding Judge Barry Baskin. Judge Baskin, a long-time Mock Trial volunteer, encourages all of his local fellow law professional to join him in assisting with this year’s Mock Trial Competition.

Teams of high school students work with teachers and volunteer coaches to prepare their version of the criminal case, from both the prosecution and defense perspectives.  Students assume the roles of trial attorneys, pre-trial motion attorneys, witnesses, clerks, bailiffs, artists, and court journalists. Mock Trial judges and attorneys score their performance and provide immediate feedback. Winning teams advance through seven rounds of competition. The county’s champion advances to the State finals. This year, there will be 17 Mock Trial teams competing, representing high schools throughout all of Contra Costa County.

Volunteers will score two competing schools that argue the case in their assigned court. Each night, will begin with a 15-minute rules and regulations training, then the volunteers will go into their scheduled courtrooms to serve as Mock Trial judge and scorers.  The Mock Trials’ scorers are made up of Bay Area deputy district attorneys and deputy public defenders, as well as public-sector, private-practice, and corporate lawyers. In addition, seasoned law students are also welcome to participate. A practicing or retired judge or commissioner will preside over each trial, and also serves as one of the trial’s scorers.    

“We applaud the hard work and time our students and their coaches put in to prepare for our Mock Trial program,” said Contra Costa County Superintendent of Schools Lynn Mackey. “In addition, we are grateful for the continued generous volunteer support we receive from our county’s Judicial, District Attorney, and Public Defender offices, as well as so many of our current and retired public- and private-practice attorneys. This successful program would never come together without so much support from the community.”

Teams from the following 17 Contra Costa County high schools will be competing:
Acalanes (Lafayette), Alhambra (Martinez), California (San Ramon), Campolindo (Moraga), Carondelet High (Concord), Clayton Valley Charter (Concord), De Anza High (Richmond), Deer Valley Law Academy (Antioch), Dougherty Valley (San Ramon), El Cerrito (El Cerrito), Hercules Middle/High (Hercules), Heritage (Brentwood), Kennedy (Richmond), Las Lomas (Walnut Creek), Miramonte (Orinda), Monte Vista (Danville), and Richmond (Richmond).  

Schedule for 2019 Contra Costa County High School Mock Trials:

Preliminaries: January 29 and 31; February 5 and 7, – 5:00-8:30 p.m. (Nine competitions each night)

Quarterfinals: February 12, 5:00-8:00 p.m. (Four competitions)

Semifinals: February 14, 5:00-8:00 p.m. (Two competitions)

Final and Consolation: February 19, 5:00-8:00 p.m. (Two competitions) 

Mock Trial will be headquartered at the A.F. Bray Courthouse, 1020 Ward Street, in Martinez.

Interested volunteers can learn more by visiting the CCCOE’s Mock Trial Web page, or contacting Jonathan Lance at jlance@cccoe.k12.ca.us or (925) 942-3429. 

The two highest-scoring teams will advance to the finals on Tuesday, February 19. The winning team will then represent Contra Costa County at the California State Mock Trial Competition, held in Sacramento, Calif., March 22-23. The California state finalist team will then compete in the National Mock Trial Competition, held May 16-18, Athens, Georgia.

In 1977, the Constitutional Rights Foundation (CRF) introduced the concept of mock trials to the Los Angeles schools. In 1980, the program expanded to the state level. The California Mock Trial Program currently involves more than 36 counties and over 8,000 student participants from more than 400 teams. Approximately 1,500 attorney volunteers serve as team coaches and scorers, and 500 Municipal, Superior, and Appellate Court judges preside over the trials. 

 

Contra Costa community colleges will remain closed until Monday, Nov. 26

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By Timothy Leong, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa Community College District

The Contra Costa Community College District (District) has decided to close all College and District operations on Tuesday, November 20th and Wednesday, November 21st. due to ongoing poor air quality.  The District Office and Colleges (Contra Costa, Diablo Valley, San Ramon Campus, Los Medanos, and Brentwood Center) will resume regular operations on Monday, November 26th.

While the Bay Area Air Quality Management District is forecasting improved but fluctuating air quality over the next few days, the District has decided to err on the side of health concerns of its students and staff.  The District has been closed since Thursday, November 15, 3:00 p.m., due to very unhealthy air quality in Contra Costa County.

Contra Costa community colleges to remain closed on Monday due to poor air quality

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By Timothy Leung, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa Community College District

Due to the ongoing and unpredictable poor air quality we are experiencing throughout Contra Costa County, the Contra Costa Community College District has decided to close all locations  – Contra Costa College, Diablo Valley College, Los Medanos College, Brentwood Center, San Ramon Campus and District Office on Monday, November 19, 2018.

We hope to re-open Tuesday, but will make a final decision by 3:00 PM on Monday.