Yes! The first couple of weeks are more chaotic and as drivers find better routes and drop off zones for students, it will improve. The two lane stopping is a serious safety issue that the APD will be patrolling for over the next couple of weeks. Because our schools were built in an era of students walking and/or bussing, student drop off in a very small area within a small window of time will continue to be a challenge. Thank you for sharing this concern and we will continue to work with parents and APD to create the safest drop off and flow of traffic on Campus Drive as possible.

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AUSD expects each teacher to have a clearly articulated process for communicating classroom expectations with students and parents. This often includes weekly homework, contact information, classroom resources, long term projects etc... Technology has certainly added a new vehicle for doing this that is quickly becoming a norm like the parent portal that is now being used in AUSD for grades, attendance and test history. At this time, the use of a website by teachers is not required but continues to be included in training and we are seeing more teachers take advantage of this each year.

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Related to the Performing Arts Center (PAC):

The PAC should be completed by the end of September. Please see my posting below for information about the opening of the PAC and look for a link on the district website which will take you to specific information about October opening events and naming/sponsorship opportunities.

Related to Class Size:

Class sizes at grades 1-3 have risen from 24 to 1, to 26 to 1 over the last three years. This was a planned phased in reduction to address state budget cuts. The parcel tax enabled us to maintain this level of staffing and not increase class size even more. Without the new revenue we likely would have completely eliminated the K-3 class size reduction program and class sizes would have risen to 28 to 30 to one, and additional permanent teachers would have been laid off.

Keep in mind that we have been cutting our budget (by about 20%) since 2007 and deficit spending (using our reserves - spending more than we are getting) to keep cuts to a minimum. The Parcel Tax generates about $3.4 million in additional revenue per year for five years. This new money is critical but does not make up all of the reductions in resources we have experienced. This is why class sizes in grades 1-3 did increase by two students per class this school year.

Also, keep in mind that in November voters will be asked to approve two ballot measures (Propositions 30 and 38). If both of these fail, we have been told that we can expect to be cut an additional $4.5 million dollars.

Five years of budget cuts from the state (again we are operating on about 20% less revenue now than we had five years ago) and the potential of a $4.5 million dollar new cut continues to create a very difficult fiscal environment for the school district which could result in additional cuts (meaning larger class sizes). Also recall, that in addition to preventing layoffs, the passage of the Parcel Tax enabled us to restore five student days to the school year calendar.

Thanks for your questions.

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Thank you for your patience during the opening of schools. Although one may only see the changing of schedules and focus on the disruption, there are many variables and high expectations that are going on behind the scenes to ensure we have 3 of the top 5 middle schools in L.A. County by all accountability measures. Addressing your concerns about schedule changes, you must be referring to First Avenue where they experienced an influx of 31 'new to Arcadia' students in the 6th grade. Having top-notch schools means that Arcadia is a top-of-the-line destination district for families from all over the world. That means that we have come to expect fluctuations in our actual enrollment compared to our projections. The easy fix would be to just overload classes and keep the current schedules. That is not acceptable and best for kids. On Wednesday, August 29th, First Avenue was instructed to hire a new teacher. In a matter of three days, F.A. gathered resumes, interviewed candidates, and recommended for hire an outstanding educator -- Tiffany Hartline. Over the Labor Day weekend, Mr. Wilson and his staff worked long hours to hand-schedule every 6th grade student and over 125 seventh graders who were affected by the domino effect of hiring a new teacher mid-stream. For the first week of school, every Math, English, Science and History teacher collaborated regarding class and homework, ensuring that students would receive the same curriculum as they transitioned to their new schedules. I commend First Avenue for pulling off this feat in such a short window of time. As of Wednesday, September 5, all students were in their permanent locations being taught by a highly qualified and creative team of educators. Again, thank you for expressing your concerns and know that all three of our middle schools work tirelessly to make sure students receive the best possible education.

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Without knowing the specifics of what you are addressing I can not answer. I understand this may not be the forum for that discussion. Please contact my office directly and I will be happy to discuss you concerns.

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I appreciate your interest in helping in our schools. There is current Ed Code and AUSD Board Policy that requires TB testing of all volunteers that work directly with students. I cannot comment on other school districts and their individual policies. It sounds like you were only volunteering to help in functions not directly in contact with students which would not fall under this policy. I will follow up with all site principals to revisit the parameters of this policy. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

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Dr. Shawn,

I looked at the prices for the tickets to see Paul Anka at the opening of the Performing Arts Center, and they're quite high, ranging from $100 to $2500. For a family of 4, it would be at least $400 plus service charges. I could go to places like the Hollywood Bowl or the Pantages Theater for less. Why are the ticket prices so high? I am funding the Performing Arts Center through a surcharge to my property taxes, which over the next several years will amount to several thousand dollars. Yet, I don't feel that I can attend events due to the high ticket prices.

Thank you.

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Dr. Shawn was informed on June 17th, 2012 that Chase was again providing financial opportunity to receive $$ (refer to the posts below).

I have not heard anything from AEF as to whether they were assisting other AUSD entities to receive $$ since it appeared that AEF was not eligible to participate since it received $$ in the past from Chase.

Dr. Shawn........please provide an update.

=============================================

Chase Giving Opportunity wrote (on June 17th, 2012 6:26pm):

Dr. Shawn,

Chase is again giving opportunity for AEF to obtain funds. The nomination period is June 12th to July 9th. Please inform AEF so that they can participate.

Please utilize all resources to help maximize AEF's vote count. Maybe the strategy used to pass Measure A can also be utilized for this fundraiser. Communication to the mass public should start now rather than when school starts in late August.

All students, faculty, parents, community members, business leaders, friends, and work colleagues should mark their calendar to be ready to vote on DAY 1.

================================================

Chase Giving Opportunity wrote (on June 17th, 2012 9:32pm):

Dr. Shawn,

It appears that AEF is not eligibile since they received a grant in the past. However, the Arcadia Riptides Swim Club, Arcadia Public Library Foundation, Dana Music Club, Foothills Music Club, Arcadia Music Club are some charities that AEF can help support. AEF should coordinate with AUSD and City staff to determine which charity should be nominated ......then direct the entire support for that charity.

I recommend that either the Arcadia Music Club or the Arcadia Library Foundation should be nominated with help from staff from AEF.

In the future, you may want to create other charities related to the Drama Club, Math Club, Science Club, Choral Club, Sports Club, etc... Those programs could all benefit from receiving extra $$$$$$.

==========================================

Joel Shawn wrote (on June 18th, 2012 8:19am):

Thank you for the information. I will pass it on.

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If you click on the link, you get an extra vote!
vote for the band!

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No combination classes are not the same as multi-age. The program at Highland Oaks is a site determined program. That is, it is not a district standard. At this time we are not planning to implement multi-age at other schools. However, you certainly can and should discuss this with the principal and teachers of your child's school so that they are aware of your interest.

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There are instances when teachers will make arrangements to give a test during what we characterize as zero period. Typically this is to accommodate student schedules, special events or department tests at AHS.

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Thank you. We will look into addressing this immediately.

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The Prelimary Scholastic Aptitude Test (the PSAT), an exam issued each
October, nationally by the CollegeBoard, will again, this year be
offered at Arcadia High school.

All sophomores will be taking the PSAT during the school day,
Wednesday, October 17, 2012. There is no fee for this test
administration.

Freshmen and Juniors interested in taking the PSAT, can sign up
between September 17 - September 28, 2012. Sign-ups take place in the
patio area of the AHS Music Building, during lunchtime. The fee is
$30. The test will be given on October 20, 2012.

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Just wondering, with the threat such as yesterday, why were the students not evacuated to the field instead of remaining in the classrooms?
and, I realize these instances are rare, but, is there some way to provide a better choice for emergency facilities (portapotty)other than just the trashcan? I wonder if they make something for camping or emergency preparedness that might be a bit more....appropriate ( and easy to store in a cupboard).I felt sorry for the students in my childrens' classes that had to make do with what was available....

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When applicable by law, AUSD pursues reimbursement for costs associated with damage to property, overtime costs, and lost revenues. This includes threats, vandalism, graffiti and often events like senior pranks that may not cause permanent damage but cost the district in custodial time for clean up.

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The McTeacher night is a fundraiser organized and sponsored by the Camino Grove PTSA. McDonalds is one of many establishments that partner with parents to give back to schools. The teachers work with the parents to participate and make the events a success. The types of establishments selected by the parents takes place at the local PTSA meetings and I know from my personal experience working with them, they are always open to new ideas and help.

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Then don't order the Big Mac! Order a grilled chicken salad with fat free dressing, or the oatmeal. There are fundraisers at Yogurtland, Panda Express, Baja Fresh, etc... It is the parents' decisions of what foods to buy when they support these fundraisers. The elementary schools serve pizza. That is not at all a healthy choice, but it is up to the parents if they want their child to buy such a thing.

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Thank you for sharing your interest to work with our teachers. Our Business Services Department can help you with the AUSD guidelines for vendors. You can reach them at 626-821-6631.

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Our plan was to have this information out much closer to the start of school, but the Technology Department has been heavily impacted this year by some large projects over the summer. We are working to get these letters out as soon as possible, but you can obtain a copy of the letter from your schools office if you would like it sooner.

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This is a good question and speaks directly to the impact of losing volunteers like Jim and Margaret Barrows that served for many years in Arcadia. In the past Jim Barrows organized and ran the BBQ for the band at a sweetheart minimal cost. Since he is retired, Food Services personnel were nice enough to take it over but have costs associated with it. This is also different than the game cost which is operated by PTSA. Although the cost is higher, the district is not making a profit on the students and set the $5 price on covering food and operating costs.

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You did clear some things. Not sure I agree with having a food service worker standing around to see that the parents were bbqing and serving the food correctly.
Could the music club provide their own food to serve in future events?
And speaking of bathrooms- could the custodian please nit lock the restrooms til after the band is done on Wednesday nights?
The kids go running over there @830(the ones at the east end) and they are locked so then they run over by the weight room which sometimes are locked. And those ones are in major need of cleaning come the nighttime.
Thank you for your support and dedication to our schools!

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Dear High School Parent,
Thank you for the question. Your son absolutely can use the money in his lunch account to purchase food from the Asian food cart. He does need to go through the line in the main cafeteria where the computers are set up and pay/enter his number. The cashier will give him a ticket for the Asian food cart. Because he already waited in line and he has a ticket, he can go to the front of the Asian food line and receive his food.

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Jim,
Thank you for your dedication and years of service to Arcadia and our students. Margaret and you are missed, as we knew you would be.

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We miss your dedication and enthusiasm Jim and Margaret! You will never be forgotten because we will always be referring to "When the Burrows did this, they..."
Our Music Club parents are amazing! Thank you for countless hours of dedication to our band. The season is just beginning, and it takes many volunteers to take care of our spectacular marching band and color guard!
Go Apaches!

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Thank you for the input. We will look into it.

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We are happy to report we now have a new American flag flying at Arcadia High School. Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention.

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In response to the classroom hooks needed to accommodate the classrooms that increased from 24 to 26 students:
The school did enter a work order requesting 2 additional backpack hooks be added to 8 rooms. This was completed last week with the exception of one room where the teacher requested not to have the two hooks installed. If in the future she decides she does want the two hooks, we left them with the custodian so they could be installed.

As for the piece of playground equipment that needs to be replaced. I agree that it has taken too long. I have checked into this issue and the new section has been ordered and is expected to arrive in 5 weeks. We will closely monitor this and install as soon as the piece arrives.
Thank you for your input.

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Thank you for the question and I am sorry I have not responded sooner. Parking for the opening events of the Performing Arts Center is behind the district office, any parking locations at Arcadia High School, and all legal street parking. Parking is available on a first come first served basis.

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We do not have written policies that specifies a dress code for teachers? We do expect our staff to present themselves in a way that is respectful, reflects the values of the organization and contributes to an effective learning environment. Thank you for your question and comment.

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I also attended yesterday, sitting on the upper floor and did not have a single problem seeing all the performers. Might I suggest that you be grateful your child has a state of the art auditorium to perform in rather than complain.

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I have also heard that the seats on the upper level do not have a very good view of the performances. They are facing the other side of the theater and not angled towards the stage therfore unless you are sitting the entire performance with your head turned towards the stage you are looking straight across at the other seats. As to complaining instead of being greatful, I do not think that anyone is UNGREATFUL at all...but if this is a State of the art multi-million dollar facility then all the seats in the house should be great and there should NOT be any issues with viewing vantage. This theater is brand new with only the packed house crowds the last few days so a little constructive critisism is expected and probably appreciated.

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Ya it is!!!!!!!!

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Thanks Joel for your response to this thread. We too had some problems seeing some parts of the AHS showcase, but I do understand the considerations that went into the design. I would like to suggest that whenever possible a single presenter or speaker would be moved to the center of the stage to maximize his or her visibility. I was more concerned about the students leaning far over the edge of the balcony and hope that maybe in the future ushers could be in the section to warn patrons not to do this.

Inspite of these glitches, the performances by our wonderful students were amazing and the Performing Arts Center is truly a dream come true.

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It is unfortunate that the Center was not designed to have more seating on the 2nd floor facing directly forward toward the stage. My family will most definitely sit downstairs for future performances. Otherwise, I will have concerns that my children will not be able to enjoy the show; and I will be constantly worrying about their safety. We had to hold our 4-year old on our lap when she couldn't see on the 2nd floor then proceeded to lean over the ledge to get a better view. Hopefully, all future Measure I projects will have a design that is better thought out w.r.t. the intended users

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A good question. A full school year for students is 180 days. Additionally, there are instructional minute requirements that have to be meet. All of these requirements are taken into account when we have early release, minimum days, and shorten days, as you asked.

Current state law gives districts the flexibility of reducing the school year by five student days without penalty (technically shortening the number of instructional minutes). The current budget passed by the legislature in June and signed Governor Brown would add the authority to reduce the school year by 15 more days (total of 20) if Proposition 30 fails.

Please keep in mind that this constitutes "authority." Two important things to add here: 1) The district would have to reach an agreement with each of its three bargaining units to reduce the year and cut salaries in order to implement this reduction and save any money,

2) We think the idea of going from 180 student days to 160 is wrong. Asking our students to achieve college and career ready standards with a shortened school year just doesn't make sense. Many have argued that in order to stay competitive in world markets we will need to add days to our school year, not take them away.

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Where are the bathrooms on the top deck? I missed a great deal of the performances having to go around then down then all around to get to the downstairs bathrooms!

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Briefly if Proposition 30 fails the signed and approved state budget would cut school districts by about $455 per student to offset the lost new revenue. These "trigger cuts" are scheduled to be implemented in December and would take effect in January, 2013. This would mean about a $4.5 million cut to AUSD. This on top of about a 20% reduction to our resources since 2006. This cut, if it happens would be devastating to us and would most likely mean severe layoffs of teachers and all types of staff in the 2013-14 school year.

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I am very sorry for your experience which should not have happened. Please contact me directly at 626.821.6640 next week so I can rectify this.

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Thank you for your inquiry to support the PAC. Yes the Arcadia Performing Arts Foundation has been established as a nonprofit and will be taking donations for wall plaques and other naming opportunities at the new PAC. Please call my office and let us know of your interest. As soon as we have the details you are referring to, someone will personally contact you and all those who have expressed interest (or already made donation for a naming feature) to arrange next steps. Your support is greatly appreciated.

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I will pass this feedback on to our principals. Thank you.

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Our TK program is housed at Highland Oaks Elementary School. This program serves the entire district. As you might imagine in this first year of implementation the number of students eligible and interested limited our capacity to open more an one class. We expect the program to grow in the future and have TK classes at multiple school sites.

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Excellent point. I will share this feedback with the principals. Thank you.

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Your going to blame the school for allowing your child to run up a lunch tab to $50? Can you please explain how that is the school's problem and not your child or you?

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I suggest that you (1) go to AUSD's Nutrition Services website; (2) click on Pre-Payment Options; (3) click on the On-line Payments link; (4) register for e-Funds For Schools; (5) go to Advisory Services and click on the Low Lunch Balance link; then (6) set a minimum balance that will trigger an email notice to be sent to you. You can still pay by check ........rather than incurring a service fee if you pay on-line.

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Not knowing the exact circumstances with your child's account, I agree it should not take days to get a deposit posted. It is not our policy to have accounts reach high negative balances. We have increased the frequency of phone messages to inform parents when their child's account has a negative balance to help with this, and parents can view their accounts online anytime by following the links on our web-page.
The issue about student being turned away from buying a school meal with a .50 balance is not our practice. A student in this circumstance should be able to buy a "school lunch." At the elementary schools this is all we serve. At the middle and high schools students have options of buying a "school lunch" which is a full meal, and the option to buy al a carte items (like slices of pizza) and snacks. If a student does not have cash or a balance to cover the cost of al a carte or snacks items on their account, they are not able to purchase these items.
To avoid this issue in the future I recommend closely monitoring your child's account using our online service or calling the Food Services Department for account balances and insuring funds are in the account.

Sincerely,

Brook Reynolds

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Comment:

Please see my response below.

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Comment:

Please see my response below.

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While layoffs seem to be unavoidable these days, I am most concerned about criteria for who is let go. AUSD has lost some excellent teachers due to lack of seniority, while keeping many veteran teachers that are just going through the motions. Focus should be on quality and performance not years of service.

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All Arcadia schools and staff work with students to prepare them for the annual STAR tests and make sure students understand the purpose. At the elementary schools, teachers use materials to prepare students for taking the tests; including how to read items completely, determine what is being asked, how to choose answers wisely and how to bubble in answer documents. At the middle school level, teachers remind students that the results are used for placement in classes and will impact academic and elective choices at both the middle and high school levels.

The high school administration and staff continue to work with students to increase their understanding of the importance of the CST test scores. Teachers review these test scores annually (both individually and collectively as a staff), and in turn, encourage students in each of their subject areas to work toward continuous improvement each year.

For the past several years, high school Counselors and Administrative staff have met one-on-one with each student who will test, to review individual past-performance and set goals for the current testing year. This strategy has proven successful in that our students appreciate the personal contact, and our school (and district) results continue to reflect our success. In addition, high school students are made aware of the importance of the overall high school performance, as these scores are reflected in the excellent profile of Arcadia High School.

The CST exams are high stakes for all schools and our District in terms of measuring accountability of state and federal purposes. In this regard, it remains critical that parents also encourage their students to do well on these exams. As testing season draws closer, your child's school will likely be communicating with you and your student regarding tips and strategies to maximize their results. This school year's testing window for the California Standards Testing is April 18 - May 22, 2013.

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I will pass your concerns on to the elementary Principals. Elementary schools differ on how they accommodate offering breakfast for their students. Some schools offer breakfast before school starts and a few offer it during recess. Food Services works with the site Principal to see which option best meets the needs of their students and academic programs.
We offer breakfast because many children do not eat a nutritious breakfast every morning. Often families are living on very tight budgets and can't afford to provide good breakfasts. Regardless of income, families today live busy lives that often make it difficult to sit down long enough in the morning to eat a nutritious breakfast. Studies conclude that students who eat school breakfast increase their math and reading scores as well as improve their speed and memory in cognitive tests. Research also shows that children who eat breakfast at school -- closer to class and test-taking time -- perform better on standardized tests than those who skip breakfast or eat breakfast at home. Evidence has grown that children who eat school breakfast are less likely to be overweight, and have improved nutrition -- they eat more fruits, drink more milk, and consume a wider variety of foods than those who don't eat breakfast.
Please feel free to contact me at 626-821-8322 or your school's Principal if you have a suggestion on how we can better serve your child's nutritional needs.
Thank you for bringing this to my attention

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Comment:

I guess so

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Dear Anonymous:

The District financials can be accessed via the below link:

Budget Information

To navigate this outside of the link, please go under the tab Departments/Business Services/Budget and Financial Information.

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Comment:

with the poster right above. The homework also is not age-appropriate and well above a Kindergartener's skill level and my wife ends up helping her do most of it. My child will need to take several breaks just to get through the assignment and oftentimes we have to go well past dinnertime, at which time she is tired and whiny. By the time I come home to spend time with my 5 year old, she is either tired and grumpy or still working on her homework so that I don't even get time to read to her and have her read to me.
Ms. Blackstock - other parents have grumbled about this as well, and I'm not sure if it's all 3 of the teachers, but please provide some supervision. Thank you so much.

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The Governing Board believes homework is an important part of the instructional program and is a valuable tool to support students' efforts to master grade level content standards.

Please make an appointment with your student's teacher and or Principal to discuss the amount of homework and the challenges your student is having in completing the assignments. I know they will address your concerns.

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The videos are being produced by students in Arcadia High School's Advanced Television Production class and we anticipate completion before the Winter Break. When the DVDs are ready, school site offices will notify those who have pre-paid that their order is ready for pickup. Thank you for your patience.

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Have you mentioned your concern to your child's teacher? Are you sure that when your child's teacher calls on him/her, the teacher actually refers to your child as a number? I know many teachers use a number system (I don't prefer that way myself) which can come in handy when it is an unexpected fire drill and they don't have their class emergency bag with them with a roll sheet. There are always pros and cons to everything, but I hope that you have takled with your child's teacher, and if you did not get the resolution you were wanting, set up a meeting with your principal. I know each day I do my best to provide the best enriching and meaning learning opportunities for my students, as do most teachers. We are under a great deal of pressure with our paycuts, very high expectations from the district and ourselves, a lot of curriculum we must get through... I love my job and there is no greater joy than being a part of the learning of a child. But, lately it seems parents are finding faults with everything and posting them on the blog, making us all feel attacked. Be appreciative of ALL we as teachers do for our students under very stressful times.

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The percentages in PowerSchool are based on the individual setup of the teacher's grade book. Any change in percentages should only be a result of changes to the grade book by the teacher. I would encourage you to contact the teacher directly to discuss concerns about the scores in question.

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It could be that your child's teacher uses weighted grades, in which case the percentage on a particular test is not the percetnage of the total grade, but rather the percentage of whatever percent tests are of the total grade. It's a difficult concept, but one your child's teacher should be willing and able to explain.

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These are schools people, not military bases with real security. You really think some procedure would have kept this from happening? Your living in la la land, far from reality.

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In light of today's shooting, each parent has a right to know that AUSD has a well thought-out emergency action plan in place and also has established safeguards and procedures to deter unwanted individuals from entering our campuses.

As a parent, my elementary kids were informed of what happened so that they are aware of what/why evil sometimes occurs in life. It was also a good time to explain how to protect themselves if a similar circumstance was to happen wherever they may be (e.g. lock the doors, run away from where gun shots are originating, ask an adult to protect them, etc....)

A false sense of security sometimes leaves our precious kids vulnerable.

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Let your school office know you would like to opt out.

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Dr. Shawn,

AUSD's phone system set up is concerning. Until it is corrected, I recommend that all teachers have a personal cell phone on campus in case an emergency occurs that requires a prompt response from emergency personnel.

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Comment:

The phone system is set up to permit 911 to be called from each classroom. We are in the processes of verifying that things are working correctly to ensure this is the case. For whatever reason your experience of not being able to call 911 or 9-911 from your classroom should not have happened and to be clear, you do not need to go through the school office to notify 911 of an emergency. Again, we will verify that the system is working correctly. It would be useful if you (the individual the posted above - "Teachers unable to call 911 from classroom phones?") would contact my office directly or Scott Bramley's office so we can follow-up and try to figure out why this occurred.

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Banning guns entirely is not the solution. That might result if the evildoers having guns and the rest of the society living in fear.

Instead, banning certain types of guns might be appropriate.

Evaluating the mental stability of the person wanting a gun; determining if other family members have mental illness; inquiring about the person's associates; and asking about the person's beliefs toward society or toward others .......are some of many factors that should determine whether a person should own a gun or any type of weapon.

More focus needs to be assigned to why people do what they do. Is the breakdown of our society's moral structure the leading cause for such tragedy?

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I think that is a great idea. I would most definitely sign it! The more people to show that these assault rifles should be banned the better!

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Comment:

Thank you for the feedback and you raise an excellent point about the inclusion of classified staff in training and drills. We will follow-up with your suggestion.

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Comment:

The DVDs are finally duplicated and the pre-paid orders will be at school site offices for pick up on Friday, December 21, after 10 a.m. Thanks for your patience. Big thanks goes to the Arcadia High School Advanced Video Production Class and their instructor, Bill Citrin. This class meets after school two days a week and provides the students with the opportunity to work "hands on" with camera, sound, and editing.

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Perhaps if the APD started issuing lots of tickets to those that are breaking the law, people would be more inclined to follow the law! Money talks!
I also like the fundraiser idea of the district getting half the revenue of the citations! It's a WIN-WIN situation for all! The APD generates revenue and so does the district!

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Comment:

I am sorry for the alarm noise that you heard this past Friday. In order to be in compliance with state codes, we need to fully test the system bi-annually. The only effective time to do this is during the school breaks as the system needs to remain fully functional at all times when students are present. Our systems are monitored at all times except during the test mode period. We try to limit the noise as much as possible, however the annuciating horns are a integral portion of the mandated test protocol. We again apologize for the disruption and we will continue to try and limit the noise to the furthest degree possible in the future.

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Comment:

Thank you for your comment. As you probably know, one aspect of our Measure I facilities improvement projects is to fence each of our school sites so that they may be "locked." This is being done both for security reasons as well as to protect your investment in the school districts facilities. At this time, however, we are generally having school fields left accessible on weekends for causal use. There may be times however when the facilities are closed in order to "rest" the fields or engage in maintenance operations. Regardless, one of the things we will continue to explore as all facilities are modernized and work is completed is the establishment of policies and procedures that may include a greater limitation to the "open use" of the school facilities. We are exploring a variety of options including how to staff along with coordination from the city the opening and closing gates for week-end use. We recognize that access to school facilities and fields is a valued by the community and we will work to find the correct balance of providing this access while protecting your investment.

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You make several good points and pose important questions. Like most things, the "devil is in the details." We do not know at this time the specifics of how Governor Brown's "redistribution" will take place. Also, keep in mind that the Governor does not have unilateral power to implement such a plan. The legislature has to pass laws and/or approve a budget that changes the ways schools are funded. Governor Brown's January budget proposals (which included this new funding plan for schools) is the first step in the legislative process that will take the next six months to reach its conclusion when the State Assembly and Senate pass a budget for the Governor's signature (must be done by June 30th).

The central issue for AUSD is will we be made whole and paid back all of the money owed us by the state prior to any implementation of the Local Control Funding Formula (last year this was called the Weighted Student Formula).

The Governor and his staff have reached out to the education community and received very specific feedback related to what would make such a plan acceptable to most of us (this occurred through three meetings with various stakeholder groups).

Also as a result of the passage of Proposition 30, the Governor clearly intends to increase per-student funding for the first time in more than five years as well as buy down the state's dept (which includes money owed to schools and deferrals). But the proposal for a new distribution system makes it difficult to assess how any new dollars will be applied.

We need to wait and see what the actual implementation of being restored to prior funding levels looks like, and we need to see what the weights in the formula for the English Learners and Free and Reduced Lunch students actually are. To say this differently, we need to see data runs that project how we and other school districts will be specifically affected by the proposal.

If we are really held harmless and actually made whole (back to the 2007 levels of funding) we do not anticipate any layoffs resulting from this new proposal. But as already said, there is much we do not know.

Thank you for your thoughtful post. It will be important to have a public discussion about the philosophy behind this idea and how we will react to it.

Stay tuned and I will update you here as we learn more.

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I agree

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This is an excellent question. Class rankings are generally tied to a "weighted GPA (Grade Point Average) formula". Arcadia High School does not use a weighted formula to calculate GPA's. We believe using the non-weighted, or traditional, formula encourages students to balance the pursuit of interests in the co-curricular arena (the Arts, Athletics and Activities) with academic achievement. Our goal is for students to leave Arcadia High School having had the the very best and most balanced high school experience.

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I have taken down a post that was a response to the Watch Dog post above. The removed post included a "person to person" email that named the recipient. Recall that a norm of the blog is that no one may be named in a post except for me. Additionally we will from this point forward include the norm that emails sent from and to individuals may not be reposted here.

The removal of the post is not meant to imply the topic of the post is unimportant. Thank you.

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Thank you for your question regarding the Watch Dog Program at Camino Grove. The disruption of construction has provided the staff at Camino Grove to review many of our current programs. Watch Dogs has been an important avenue for volunteerism at Camino Grove. While that program is currently under review,I want to assure you that we are committed to finding ways to provide opportunities for parents to volunteer. Please feel free to contact me personally with any questions or concerns you might have.

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The Opening Day of school for the 2013-2014 school year is as follows: HS: 8/27/13; Elem/MS: 8/28/13. We have tentative calenders adopted for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 school years which will soon be posted to the AUSD webpage. Thank you for your question.

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Yes. Construction has begun for the new Arcadia Education Center which will house various district student programs as well as our new Boardroom and district administrative offices. Completion is scheduled for the spring of 2014.

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The school is investigating the vandalism and will take appropriate discipline action. The damage to the restrooms was limited to custodial clean up with no permanent damage. The school district does hold students and parents accountable, and the cost associated with the damage and clean up are billed to the parent when warranted.

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That was a bad thing that happened. It is now a police isshue. They will not give much more detail than that.

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Please feel free to contact me to review plans for the Hugo Reid Elementary School. My phone number is 626-821-1435 ext. 2009. You can set up a time to view either at the school site or in our Facilities Offices.

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Yes we charge. AUSD does provide a variety of busing services on contract and for a fee. We currently provide busing to Temple City School District, Arcadia City Parks and Recreation Summer Program, and 5 after school programs. Currently Little Harvard is not one of the 5 after school programs, but the bus that picks up at Camino Grove stops at Futurelink which is in the vicinity of Little Harvard. We also have a fee program where parents can pay and have their child picked-up and dropped-off at an established bus stop. These services are an opportunity to generate funds to replace buses and offset the District's cost for providing its required transportation. Each year we review and grant or not grant busing services based on the District's transportation needs, available resources, and costs associated with the services (location, fuel prices, labor, maintenance, administration, usage, etc.).

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Thank you for your question regarding AP exams. Students who are unable to take the AP exam at Arcadia High School may have the opportunity to take the exam at other local schools if those schools allow out of district test takers. Arcadia High School staff does not influence the decisions of other districts. If a student is not able to take an AP exam here, we support their efforts to take it elsewhere.

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Really - nothing is up. We know that members of the Baldwin Stocker community are concerned and we thought it best to hold a meeting where we could discuss these concerns, answer questions, and hear what is on your mind. I hope you will join us.

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First, the elimination of the musical program.

Second, the temporary suspension of the WatchDog program.

Third, teachers being inconvenienced to find another method to wash their dishes and hands during lunch time.

What's the next AUSD decision to adversely affect Camino Grove?

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Thank you for your questions. They are timely and relate to what is clearly one of the most transformational proposals offered by state government to transform school funding we have seen since the passage of Proposition 13 and the implementation of Proposition 98. It is very important to understand that the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) is a proposal forwarded by Governor Brown. This new way to fund schools will not be implemented until it either works its way through the legislative process and/or is included in budget adoption bills. While the LCFF is suppose to "simplify" school funding in part by consolidating many categorical programs into a few, and by removing many state requirements for the use of these funds, the actual formula, its assumptions, and the political realities of such a far reaching change, are anything but simple.

A basic premise of the LCFF is that different types of students require different levels of resources to enable them to achieve to rigorous standards in school. I agree. Regardless, first and foremost the base funding we receive needs to be adequate for school districts to educate what I guess could be termed as the "average" student. Recall that after six years of the fiscal crisis California ranks 47th in state funding per pupil. Will the formula move us toward the national average?

On Friday, the Department of Finance released estimates of how individual school districts would be funded if the LCFF is implemented. Arcadia does appear to see a small increase in funding but the formula does not reinstate in total, the last six years of budget reductions.

Arcadia's numbers are below:

Local Control Funding Formula Estimates from Department of Finance

District Name	District Type	Average Daily Attendance	Free and Reduced Price Meal Percentage	English Learner Percentage	2011-12 Revenues from Formula Derived Sources Per ADA	2013-14 per ADA	2014-15 per ADA	Full Implementation Per ADA Formula
Arcadia	UNIFIED	9,461	16.60%	11.20%	$5,938.00	$6,133.00	$6,437.00	$8,858.00

The full report with estimates for all public and charter schools and districts may be found at:

http://www.dof.ca.gov/reports_and_periodicals/district_estimate/
documents/LCFF_Funding_Estimates.pdf

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We anticipate to begin brick installation at the PAC in about a month for those already purchased or bought now. At this time there are no discounts for alumni or staff.

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The annual calendar including the March 18th non school day has been published on the school district website since the spring of last year. Students attend 180 days of school each year which of course are "spread out" throughout the school year (late August through mid June). Education code (law) require that the school year calendar is bargained with the teacher's association. Through this process we determine the start and end days for school as well as where "discretionary" holidays will fall. That is, some holidays require schools to be closed on a specific day. This school year we were closed for Washington's Birthday which is a United States federal holiday on the third Monday of February (February 18th). Typically a second "discretionary" president's holiday is also taken off, either on the previous Friday or the following Monday. We agreed to take the second discretionary day on March 18th. rather than have two holidays in February.

A Tentative School year calendar for the 2013-14 school year is now available on the distinct website. We encourage families to carefully review the calendars so that they are aware when their students will be in school and when non school days are scheduled. Thank you.

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Thanks for sharing this concern. This feedback was recently shared with the Elementary Curriculum Coordinator and together with TIS the decision was made to extend the deadline to March 14th, at 8:00 a.m. Just as a side of information on the process, between the time of teachers completing grades and the report cards going home, TIS must print reports for five sites, principals read each report card, and teachers need time to prepare them to go home. March 18th being a holiday this year has also figured into the timeline.
We are always looking to make this process as efficient and timely as possible. Thanks again for posting your question.

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The appeal process would begin by contacting the supervising teacher of the academic program. If you have already completed that step please call the administrative offices at AHS.

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My apologies for the errant email you received. While we may never be perfect, we continue to have high expectations for our students and staff.

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Yes - the posting included comments about the school site administration. Since this is one person and the norms of the Blog do not permit for comments about individuals (other than me) the posting was taken down. However, as requested, I will be meeting with the staff to follow-up on their concerns.

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The high school looked at this about 12 years ago. We basically were told to come up with the "ideal" school calendar. Many options were proposed and discussed. At the end of this process the staff, students, and PTSA all agreed to start the school year in August and end in May with winter break following the end of the first semester. The administration took this plan to the district office were it was rejected. 12 years is a long time and maybe this should be looked at again.

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Thank you for sharing this question. I will include an earlier post by Dr. Shawn regarding the school calendar as well as respond to your question.

"The annual calendar including the March 18th non school day has been published on the school district website since the spring of last year. Students attend 180 days of school each year which of course are "spread out" throughout the school year (late August through mid June). Education code (law) require that the school year calendar is bargained with the teacher's association. Through this process we determine the start and end days for school as well as where "discretionary" holidays will fall. That is, some holidays require schools to be closed on a specific day. This school year we were closed for Washington's Birthday which is a United States federal holiday on the third Monday of February (February 18th). Typically a second "discretionary" president's holiday is also taken off, either on the previous Friday or the following Monday. We agreed to take the second discretionary day on March 18th. rather than have two holidays in February.

A Tentative School year calendar for the 2013-14 school year is now available on the distinct website. We encourage families to carefully review the calendars so that they are aware when their students will be in school and when non school days are scheduled." -Dr. Shawn

It is important to understand that the calendar is negotiated with the teachers union and voted upon to meet the many competing interests that go into a school calendar. It is not a decision made by administration alone. Being involved in the process myself over the past two years I can share that the interest to move the start day up is revisited each year.

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I think September (and even October) can be hotter than August!
Be thankful for air conditioning! I remember days of 105* and trying to keep overheated students alert. If we started school earlier, , the school year would end sooner, making summer school start earlier. (That would only not be the case of the first time switching over). I am sure the sports teams could adjust, as do the other high schools that start mid Aug., and I am sure with enough notice to make the reservation, band camp could be adjusted as well.
Maybe the district could see how Glendora and other districts have implemented the earlier start and the benefits they are seeing from it.

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what does your child do in september when it is 105*?

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Thank you for sharing this concern.

As the new common core state standards are approaching for implementation in the 2014-2015 school year, AUSD as well as school districts across the 45 state consortium are taking this opportunity to align core curriculum and core beliefs for all students. Students graduating under the new common core state standards and the new smarter balanced state testing will be evaluated on a much more rigorous level requiring new applications for curriculum and teaching strategies.

I can assure you that as AUSD investigates any changes to course offerings and/or levels, maintaining our students' ability to compete against regional, national and international students remains a priority. Although there are many perceptions to what it takes to gain acceptance to a particular college, we base our decisions on research, data and direct feedback from college admissions officers.

The changes the new standards will bring to our district and the nation represents a shift to better prepare students for 21st century skills, including preparing all students for success in college and the workforce. The new standards are benchmarked to international standards to guarantee that our students are competitive in the emerging global market. We are confident that any changes we make will maintain or improve our students' academic standing.

Change will always be difficult. AUSD has and will continue to make the difficult decisions necessary to ensure all our graduates are college ready and able to compete at the highest academic levels.

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Be assured that any AUSD sponsored after school program strictly follow the rules for transportation of students. I believe you may be referring to other programs that offer day care after school not provided by AUSD. These programs are separate businesses and parents arrange day care and transportation needs directly through them. We advise parents to work with their day care provider to ensure they are safely and legally transporting their child. With that said, we as a district along with the school, city traffic engineer and police officially meet as a team at least once a year at each site during pick up or drop off to discuss traffic flow and student safety. This includes day care pick up by outside entities if their vehicles are identified. Verbal reminders are provided at the time any infraction is observed by police or staff. Thank you for your additional idea on managing this and I will bring it forward for discussion at the city's next traffic advisory committee meeting.

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Thank you for your comment. As you probably know, one aspect of our Measure I facilities improvement projects is to fence each of our school sites so that they may be "locked." This is being done both for security reasons as well as to protect your investment in the school districts facilities. While Longley Way is scheduled for modernization in an upcoming phase, we recently added fencing to afford the site a similar level of security until modernization is complete. At this time, however, we are generally having school fields left accessible on weekends for causal use. There may be times however when the facilities are closed in order to "rest" the fields or engage in maintenance operations. Regardless, one of the things we will continue to explore as all facilities are modernized and work is completed is the establishment of policies and procedures that may include a greater limitation to the "open use" of the school facilities. We are exploring a variety of options including how to staff along with coordination from the city the opening and closing gates for week-end use. We recognize that access to school facilities and fields is a valued by the community and we will work to find the correct balance of providing this access while protecting your investment.

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Dana field is locked up like Longly Way, guess this forces those kids to stay home and study for those AP classes. Congratulations on making the schools look like prisons. Just what security problem did all this wasted money and fences solve? Over reaction as usual.

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Agreed! Please also note that the exit of the parking lot was never used for pedestrians to cross in the past before all these constructions started. Students were directed to walk along the walkway inside the lot all the way to multipurpose room. Now by stopping the cars constantly for pedestrians creates huge backup in morning traffic! And you wonder why so many students are tardy?

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Is that people bring up issues, ocassionally an AUSD employee responds basically explaining their policy, time goes on and no action happens. It is ideal for AUSD: they give the appearance that they listen to complaints and address them, but they have zero obligation to act. This blog is basically a way for parents to vent, and their venting is only seen by very few other parents, there is no real pressure on the district to inact change since the level of public complaint is low. On the other hand, it does give the teachers a method to challenge their boss, and do it annonomously (supposedly).

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Can't please everyone all the time....Are they supposed to have 100 different trucks there just to be sure to cover every SINGLE person???

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It says that all high schools that don't weigh GPA should have a student profile system that keeps track of the average grades/SAT/AP scores/ and colleges that AHS students go to

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You really think the district can determine the exact reason why the Washington Post ranks the high school lower? Come on ! Do you expect them to have a directly correlated response such as "yes, this lowered ranking is result of loss of 8 staff positions". Be happy they aint in last place!

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Who cares?

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The Washington Post ranking uses the number of free and reduced lunches offered and AP tests taken divided by the number of students in the senior class, but does not factor the students' results on those tests. Arcadia's ratio is approximately 2 AP tests/senior. Arcadia High School's ratio of students on free and reduced lunch is fairly low in comparison to state and national averages.

Many organizations rank high schools each year using criteria they select as important. Comprehensive high schools, such as Arcadia, are complex and provide multiple opportunities for students that go undocumented by many ranking organizations. While we maintain extremely focused and rigorous academic standards, we value a sense of student balance by maintaining stellar music, art, athletic, leadership and activity programs for students. We believe these experiences, both academic and activity based, enhance students' lives and create better leaders for our society.

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Thank you for your patience. The move of the current AP English Language class to the senior year is not scheduled to happen for another 4 years, during the 2017/18 school-year. Currently, we are having conversations with the English department regarding that implementation. As we have the gift of time, we will continue to work with our staff to develop an implementation plan.

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Thank you for your question. Actually, funds budgeted and work done/scheduled to be done is similar at Hugo Reid Elementary School, if not slightly more than our other elementary sites due to this school's specific and unique needs. While I understand your interest in replacing blinds in all classrooms with new roll down shades, our district-wide standard has been to replace blinds in new areas or in areas that received new window systems. This standard was established based on resources available and other priorities to be met such as technology, safety, etc. Therefore, current classroom upgrades district-wide did not get new roller shades. To put this into perspective, the average cost per classroom to purchase and install roller blinds is approximately $9,000 (depending on the window size, configuration, etc). At Hugo Reid Elementary School, the cost to do this in each classroom/area would be well over $200,000 and more than ten times that district-wide.

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Thank you for your comments and I will pass these on to the directors.

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The seniors last performance is this upcoming week. I believe they will be recognized then.

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Thank you for your question. The items on the menus meet strict guidelines from the State, Federal Government, and School Board. To help answer your question, I will need to explain how school districts' food services are regulated and the standards we use to select what items are on the menu.

School Districts are regulated by:
USDA

Federal Laws Such as (HHFKA) Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act

State Law and Agency -
California Department of Education (CDE)
Department of Health

And School Board -Board Policy and Regulations.

Food services must meet the regulations which include:

More fruits and vegetables, including weekly servings of leafy greens, red/orange vegetables and legumes

More whole grains

Fat free or 1% milk

Age-appropriate limits on:

--Calories
--Portion size
--Sodium
--Trans and saturated fat

Saturated Fat
Limit saturated fat
- Less than 10 percent of total calories
- No Fried Foods

Calorie Ranges
Minimum and maximum calorie (kcal)

GRADES LUNCH	BREAKFAST
K-5 550-650	350-500
6-8 600-700	400-550
9-12 750-850	450-600

Milk
Grades K-12: 1 cup/day

Allowable milk options:

Fat-free (unflavored or flavored)

Low-fat 1% (unflavored only)

Must offer at least two choices daily.

Beverages
We only sell compliant Beverages at school during school hours.
For elementary schools this is fruit/vegetable-based drinks of no less than 50 percent fruit/vegetable juice and no added sweeteners, water with no added sweeteners; and milk (as described above).

For middle schools
The same as elementary but they also can have electrolyte replacement beverages.

For high schools
The same as middle school but they can have drinks that are caffeinated.

All of the items served in our National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs meet the above regulations. If you have a question about an item or would like to provide feed back, please email me at breynolds@ausd.net or call at 626-821-8322.

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Thank you for reminding us of this important issue. We take the safety of our students as our number one concern. Regardless we are unable here in the BLOG to address the concerns that were brought forward. I highly encourage anyone that observes activity they deem to be unsafe to come forward and report that activity directly to me and/or any school site administrative staff.

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