Contra Costa Herald

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

Belle ballot statement lie case continued to December, may change plea or face trial

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By Allen Payton

The latest court hearing in the Contra Costa District Attorney’s case against Contra Costa County School Board Member Jeff Belle, over a lie on his ballot his statement in 2014, was held on Monday, October 17th.  However, according to Deputy D.A. Steve Moawad, “it was put over” and “the next court date is December 15th.”

At that hearing, Belle will have to either change his plea from not guilty or the judge will set a date for trial, Moawad explained.

Belle was charged with lying on his candidate’s statement in his campaign for school board in 2014, for writing that he had a college degree, when he had not yet obtained one. That fact was revealed in an interview with this reporter for an article posted on the Antioch Herald website.

If convicted, the maximum penalty for lying on a ballot statement is a fine of $1,000.

Belle represents Area 5 on the county school board, which includes Bethel Island, Clyde, Knightsen, Oakley, and parts of Antioch, Bay Point, Brentwood, and Pittsburg

New Orleans Coroner may not release cause of College Board Trustee Nejedly’s death for two to four months

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John. T. Nejedly

John. T. Nejedly

By Allen Payton

In an effort to determine the cause of death of Contra Costa Community College District Trustee John T. Nejedly, while he was in New Orleans over the weekend, following a conference, inquiries were made to both the New Orleans Police Department and New Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office, today.

“The New Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office releases the names of victims,” said Dawn Massey, Senior Public Information Officer in the New Orleans Police Public Affairs Division. “We’ve had a couple of unclassified deaths that came in over the weekend.”

Unclassified means there was no obvious signs of death.

When asked for information about Nejedly’s death, Gayell Johnson of the Coroner’s Office said, “Once the person is autopsied it takes awhile to determine the cause of death. That is not something we know at this time.”

The Nejedly case “came in as a UI which is ‘under investigation’,” she added.

When asked how many days that will take, Johnson replied, “You mean how many weeks. The usual time is eight to sixteen weeks” for the results of the autopsy to be released.

However, his body can be released once the autopsy is completed, which is within 24-48 hours, so a memorial service can be held, she added.

John T. Nejedly, Contra Costa Community College Board Member and scion of political family, has died

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John. T. Nejedly

John. T. Nejedly

The Contra Costa Community College District (District) sadly announces the passing of Governing Board (Board) member John T. Nejedly this past weekend.  Mr. Nejedly represented Ward 4 which includes Blackhawk, Byron, Danville, Diablo, Discovery Bay, San Ramon, and parts of Alamo, Antioch, Brentwood, Clayton, and Concord.

“Our prayers and sympathies are with the Nejedly family and friends,” says Board President Vicki Gordon.  “Mr. Nejedly’s long tenure on the Board demonstrated his support of the community college mission.  He will be missed.”

Mr. Nejedly was first elected to the Board in 1994, and was serving his sixth consecutive term of office.  He is only the fourth member to represent this area since the District was created in 1948.

“We are saddened and shocked by his passing and will miss his consistent, rational approach to issues facing the District.  The success of our students was his top priority,” Chancellor Helen Benjamin said.

After graduating from Cal-Poly, San Luis Obispo, with a degree in Construction Management, Mr. Nejedly completed his education at John F. Kennedy University School of Law, where he received his law degree.  In addition to being a member of the California State Bar, he was a California licensed Real Estate Broker and licensed General Engineering Contractor.

The oldest son of the late State Senator John A. Nejedly, he was the brother of County Supervisor Mary Nejedly Piepho and Central Contra Costa Sanitary District Board Member James Nejedly.

He first ran for public office, in 1992, but unsuccessfully for the Danville Town Council. He also ran for County Assessor in 2010, losing to incumbent Gus Kramer.

“Trustee Nejedly was the only Board member who worked on the passage of all three District bond campaigns, Measures A 2002 and 2006, and Measure E 2014,” said Board member John Márquez who has served on the Board with Mr. Nejedly for six years.  “His construction knowledge and experience provided a sound and critical voice as we modernized our campus facilities to improve the learning environment for students.”

He grew up part of his life in Walnut Creek and was a resident of San Ramon. Mr. Nejedly and his wife have three children and enjoyed spending time in the mountains and playing golf.

Special education teacher in Antioch strives to bring “Safety Town” to her students and campus

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Along with so many national politicians these days, special education teacher (and non-politician) Jordan Rice is looking for many votes. But as all political parties will agree, Rice’s campaign is certainly worthy of everyone’s votes, because her “platform” will empower the special-needs students at her Turner Elementary Special Education School, in Antioch.

Due to her creative vision and impressive application, Rice is now a finalist of the 2016 Farmer Insurance’s Dream Big Challenge, under the $100,000 grant category. Out of hundreds of applicants, her Safety Town project is now a finalist, along with 14 other nation-wide submissions. When all of the national votes are tabulated at the end of this month, six of the fifteen $100,000 projects will be funded.

About Safety Town:

“Safety Town is a different and creative way to motivate and engage students who have significant learning needs,” says Rice. Housed on the school’s campus, Safety Town will be a miniature town that will feature about eight small playhouses that the students and adults can enter inside. Each playhouse will be designed as a miniature bank, police station, fire station, school, grocery store, etc.  Safety Town reinforces concepts that begin in the classroom, by bringing them to life in a new relatable environment.  This setting closely resembles one that they will encounter in the real word and allows for easier generalization, or transition, of the skills learned in class. “For example, the grocery store will include learning objectives such as money concepts, answering wh- questions, sorting, colors, matching, and collaborative learning.”

For additional information about Rice’s project, please view this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tn7ppxWNYDc

About the Election:

As of October 1, 2016, those who would like to vote for Safety Town coming to Turner School can now do so. Everyone who is 18-years or older can cast their vote once a day, from the same email address. The online votes can be made, through October 31, at https://www.farmers.com/thank-americas-teachers/vote-for-a-teacher/vote-100k-proposal.

Remember, there are no district precincts in this national vote.

“Please vote for our Safety Town proposal. It will give our students the resources and skills they need to become meaningful and engaged active participants in our community,” Rice added.

County Office of Education to partner with Code.org to expand K-12 computer science instruction

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Participation in White House Computer Science event  

The Contra Costa County Office of Education is proud to announce that it has been selected as a Code.org Professional Learning Partner, and will be the designated provider of Code.org Professional Learning Programs in Contra Costa County. CCCOE will provide quality professional development to educators through local district partnerships with Code.org and act as a regional hub of the global computer science education movement.

CCCOE also participated in a regional partner convening for computer science education hosted by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy on September 26, 2016. CCCOE staff gathered at the White House with more than 40 other regional organizations from around the country dedicated to preparing computer science teachers for K-12 classrooms and promoting the adoption of high-quality computer science courses. The event was planned to coincide with the start of the academic year in the US.

Discussion topics at the event included: the current state of computer science K-12 education, the importance of establishing regional partners around the nation dedicated to building computer science communities, and why many organizations are dedicated to supporting, advocating for and funding work in this area.

As a Professional Learning Partner, CCCOE will expand on current computer science initiatives. CCCOE has facilitated workshops for over 100 elementary and middle school educators from local districts. In partnership with Code.org, CCCOE will offer additional workshops, develop educator networks, and increase students’ access to computer science.

Districts include:

Benicia Unified School District

Brentwood Union School District

John Swett Unified School District

Liberty Union High School District

Martinez Unified School District

Moraga School District

Mount Diablo Unified School District

Pittsburg Unified School District

To learn more about the Code.org Professional Learning Partner program, visit: https://code.org/educate/professional-learning-partner

Register now for free 2017 youth conference on clean air

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Youth for Environment and Sustainability Conference to be held February 25 in San Francisco

baaqmd-logoThe annual Youth for Environment and Sustainability, or YES, Conference, returns to the Bay Area at 10 a.m. on Saturday, February 25, 2017, at the new Bay Area Metro Center at 375 Beale Street in San Francisco.

The free day-long regional conference will bring together middle and high school students from the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties to discuss topics ranging from climate change and public health to transportation and air pollution. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission sponsor the annual conference.

“The YES Conference is an awesome regional gathering that jumpstarts student-led climate action in our schools and local communities,” said Noah Preute, a student from St. Vincent de Paul High School in Santa Rosa and a member of the student planning committee for the YES Conference. “I’m excited to help plan the conference and inform my generation on the serious consequences climate change and air pollution have on our lives and the planet.”

Registration for the event is now open at http://bit.ly/2cEYWkh. Teachers or youth development coordinators who register their studentsbefore October 30, 2016, will be entered into a drawing for a $250 grant for classroom youth leadership activities involving science, technology, engineering, art and math curriculum and sustainability.

A call for presentation proposals invites pioneering students, youth-leaders, teachers or youth advisors to present at the annual YES Conference. The deadline to submit a proposal is Wednesday, January 3, 2017. The online proposal submittal form is available now at http://bit.ly/2dhuevv.

Attending students will have the opportunity to learn directly from their peers’ efforts by discussing advocacy, communication, leadership development and skill building. The program will include interactive presentations led by students and youth leaders from various schools and cities in the region. The 2017YES conference will be the fourth year of bringing youth together to share information to address climate change. The conference was awarded the 2014 Breathe California Award in the public awareness category.

There is no cost to attend the conference and breakfast and lunch will be provided for participants. Parents and teachers are also welcome. Students are required to have their parents’ permission to attend. For complete conference details, visit www.sparetheairyouth.org/2017-yes-conference/.

The goal of the Spare the Air Youth program is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and driving by increasing walking and biking as a transportation mode among youths and their familiesthereby improving air quality in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The Air District is the regional agency responsible for protecting air quality in the nine-county Bay Area.MTC is the transportation planning, coordinating and financing agency for the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties.

All nine of Assemblywoman Baker’s bipartisan bills were passed and signed into law

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Finishing out the last year of the 2015-16 legislative session, Assemblywoman Catharine Baker (R-San Ramon) announced that all of the nine bills she authored, were passed and sent to the Governor have been signed.

“Having nine bills pass with strong, bipartisan support and the Governor’s signature affirms my belief that bipartisanship can and does work,” said Baker.

The following bills were introduced by Assemblywoman Baker, received broad bipartisan support in the Legislature, and were signed by Governor Brown:

AB 1058 – Child abuse prevention training

Preventing child abuse by requiring the State Department of Education to establish guidelines and best practices for child abuse prevention in schools and school programs for the first time in California history.

AB 1284 – Bringing transparency to the Bay Bridge

Promoting much-needed transparency over the Bay Bridge Project by requiring the Toll Bridge Program Oversight Committee (TBPOC)—which oversees the Bay Bridge construction—to be subject to the Bagley-Keene Open Meetings Act for the first time in the Committee’s history.

AB 773 – Addressing shortage of mental health professionals

Addressing the red tape and lack of consistency for obtaining psychology licenses by replacing the outdated system of licensing with a new system in which psychology licenses will expire two years from the date of issuance.

AB 1401 – Supporting veterans in higher education

Providing veterans of the California National Guard, the State Military Reserve, and the Naval Militia with greater access to student financial aid services as they pursue higher education after active duty.

AB 1399 – Supporting local domestic violence support programs

Increases available resources for programs serving victims of domestic violence by adding a donation option on California tax returns to the California Domestic Violence Victims Fund.

AB 2295 – Ensuring victims are allowed full restitution

Dissolving any ambiguity in California law to ensure convicted criminals are required to provide full restitution to their victims.

AB 2346 – Streamlining government hearings

Modernizes and streamlines the hearing process at the Department of Social Services (DSS) and the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) by making position statements available to Californians electronically, in person, or by mail, at least two working days before a hearing.

AB 2486 – Fighting underground economy and scams

Making it easier for consumers to find and check for a licensed contractor for construction projects by requiring the Contractors State License Board to update its website to allow consumers to search for licensed contractors by zip code, not just by license number or exact name.

AB 2263 – Protecting victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking, and reproductive health care service providers

Closing a loophole in the state’s “Safe At Home Program” to better protect victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking from their abusers.

Baker added, “During the past two years, the greatest successes in the Legislature were the direct result of bipartisan efforts, championed by those who were willing to work across the aisle to put the needs of our State ahead of party politics. I remain committed to fostering strong bipartisan relationships and inspiring greater cooperation between Democrat and Republican members, and I’m hopeful that our state will make even larger strides in this area in the coming years. It is what our constituents deserve.”

Baker represents the 16th Assembly District, which includes the communities of Alamo, Danville, Dublin, Lafayette, Livermore, Moraga, Orinda, Pleasanton, San Ramon, and Walnut Creek.

Congressmen DeSaulnier, Thompson announce $1.2 million grant for Contra Costa College

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For Hispanic and low-income residents in STEM fields

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representatives Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) and Mike Thompson (CA-5) today announced that Contra Costa College (CCC) will receive a $1,199,013 grant from the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). The grant will be used for the College’s Caminos al Exito Project, which aims to improve access and opportunity in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields for Hispanic and low-income residents.

“Having a high school diploma no longer guarantees a good job. Improving access to and participation in STEM education will help today’s students be better prepared for tomorrow’s careers,” said Representative Mark DeSaulnier. “Through this grant, Contra Costa College is not only investing in its student body, but is also helping to better our communities and create a strong economy.”

“These federal dollars will strengthen our community by helping make sure someone’s first language or family income isn’t a barrier to fully achieving his or her educational goals,” said Representative Mike Thompson. “A quality STEM education can open doors for our students as they look to secure well-paying jobs after graduation. And we know that demand for qualified employees will only continue to grow in the STEM field. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the number of science and engineering jobs will grow at a faster rate than that of the overall projected workforce in the years ahead. As we work to close opportunity gaps for our Hispanic and low-income students, we must make sure that a STEM education is a real option in our schools.”

“We are so pleased that the U.S. Department of Education selected Contra Costa College (CCC) to receive another Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) grant focused on expanding exposure, access and completion in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) for Hispanics and low-income residents in our region,” says President Mojdeh Mehdizadeh. “Many areas of job growth in our community will require a strong STEM foundation, and our proposal is designed to help more students successfully achieve the confidence, education and skills to be competitive for these opportunities. In addition, we are excited because this grant allows us to continue our important work in promoting and supporting STEM literacy for elementary students and their parents.”

The grant is provided through the U.S. Department of Education’s Hispanic-Serving Institution’s Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics and Articulation (HSI STEM) Program. The purpose of the HSI STEM Program is to increase the number of Hispanic students attaining degrees in STEM fields and better facilitate transfers between two-year and four-year institutions in such fields.

Specifically, the funds will be used to help the Caminos al Exito Project:

  • Increase access and college readiness to accelerate success in STEM for Hispanic and low-income area residents;
  • Increase the number of articulation agreements in STEM disciplines with the University of California-Berkeley, University of California-Davis, University of California-Santa Cruz, California State University-East Bay, San Francisco State University, and San Jose State University; and
  • Increase the retention, graduation and transfer rates of students in STEM through case management advising and high-impact educational practices.

Contra Costa College is a public community college in San Pablo serving the diverse communities of West Contra Costa County with over 6,500 enrolled students, 41 percent of which are Hispanic. Forty-five percent of the Hispanic students enrolled at Contra Costa College are both low-income and first-generation college students.

Pleasant Hill, Oakley teachers Shauna Hawes, Gina Minder-Maldonado named 2016-2017 Contra Costa County Teachers of the Year

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On Thursday night, September 22, in an energy-filled and packed Concord Hilton banquet room, Contra Costa County Superintendent of Schools Karen Sakata, announced Shauna Hawes, of the Mt. Diablo Unified School District and Gina Minder-Maldonado of the Oakley Union Elementary School District as the 2016-2017 Contra Costa County Teachers of the Year.

Shauna Hawes

Shauna Hawes

Shauna Hawes teaches computer applications/technology to grades 6-8 at Valley View Middle School, in Pleasant Hill. The 18-year teacher has been with the Mt. Diablo Unified School District during her entire teaching career. Prior to her current position, Hawes taught 6th grade core (English, history, and reading) at Valley View. Before coming to Valley View, she taught 5th grade (all subjects) at Hidden Valley Elementary, in Martinez, from 1998-2007.

“I have worked closely with Shauna Hawes for the past several years,” says Foothill Middle School teacher Margaret Elliott. “Shauna does not work for awards or accolades, but simply to inspire and impact all those she comes in contact with each day. She believes that all students should have the same opportunities that her students have. Shauna is what you could call ‘open-source.’”

Gina Minder-Maldonado

Gina Minder-Maldonado

Gina Minder-Maldonado has recently begun her 26th year of teaching. For the past 18 years, Minder-Maldonado has taught at Oakley Elementary School, in Oakley. Currently teaching 2nd grade, Minder-Maldonado’s former teaching experience includes preschool through 5th, as well as adult education.

“For the last 25 years, Gina Minder-Maldonado has challenged the students in Oakley to dream big, do the best they can each and every day, and treat one another with kindness and respect,” said Oakley Union Elementary School District Assistant Anne Allen.  “Her classroom is a magical place – a place where children and adults to go to breathe in an environment that makes learning anything possible, celebrating mistakes normal, and creating independent thinkers a goal.

Their pathways to becoming this year’s Contra Costa County Teachers of the Year:

After both teachers were named Teacher of the Year by their school districts, last March, Hawes and Minder-Maldonado successfully proceeded, with the other 17 eligible county candidates, through a rigorous countywide selection process, including an application screening, classroom evaluation and interview, and speech presentation. Their fellow finalists were Summer Rodriguez, Liberty Union High School District (Liberty High) and Joyce Rooks, San Ramon Valley Unified School District, (Creekside Elementary).

The impressively large audience was made up of the TOYs’ family members and friends, as well as numerous local educators, business partners, and elected official representatives. Kicking off the festivities were three songs performed by the tremendous Hillview Junior High Jazz Band. The Pittsburg school’s 23-piece band was led by their teacher Diane Klaczynski. Klaczynski is a former Pittsburg Unified School District Teacher of the year.

The evening also featured Sakata introducing the TOY class of 2016-2017, individually on stage, as she shared with the audience her visits to each of the teachers’ classrooms and the comments their students gave her about their teachers. In addition, each honored teacher told the audience about which teacher inspired them to follow a career in education. This was followed by speeches of the four TOY finalists on the topic: “What I have learned from my students.” After the finalists’ speeches were given, Sakata announced the two Teachers of the Year.

Hawes and Minder-Maldonado will now compete with all the other California county representatives in the California State TOY competition. The California State Teachers of the Year are expected to be announced in early October. The county TOY program is coordinated by the Contra Costa County Office of Education.

For additional info and a complete list of this year’s TOYS, visit the CCCOE’s Teacher of the Year Web page.

#cocotoy

Mt. Diablo Unified hosts community meeting on reopening of Holbrook School

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Survey seeks input on future of the campus and school theme

WHAT:  Informational meeting on reopening of Holbrook School for the 2017-2018 school year

WHEN:  Thursday, September 29, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

WHERE:  Holbrook School, 3333 Ronald Way, Concord, 94519 (Directions)

BACKGROUND: 

Holbrook School is reopening for the 2017-2018 school year.  The community is invited to a meeting to discuss facility plans, programs, and to talk about the future of the campus. The meeting will be held on September 29th from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. in the multi-use room at the Holbrook campus, 3333 Ronald Way, Concord.  Snacks will be provided, and child care will be available.  MDUSD is committed to a quality academic program that prepares all our students for the 21st century.  A survey (English or Spanish)  has been developed for the community to provide input on how the district can best accomplish this, and also to solicit input on proposed themes for the school, including:

  • Technology (integration of technology into the curriculum that is student-centered and aligned to the Common Core State Standards)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (school-wide focus i.e. music, art, theater)
  • Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) (school-wide focus in these four areas extended beyond the standards and hands-on)
  • Project based learning (Classroom approach in which students actively explore real-world
  • problems and challenges and acquire a deeper knowledge)

For additional information, please contact Stephanie Roberts, Director of Special Projects, at 925-682-8000 x6203 or robertss@mdusd.org.