State Moves to Prioritize a Reduction in Suspension Rates

Across California, education stakeholders have begun to acknowledge that suspending students as a first option, rather than a last option, is happening far too often. Data shows that suspensions increase the risk of student’s dropping out and decreases the likelihood of overall academic success.  Many districts are reconsidering their approach to student discipline because of “suspension first” methodology.  Data shows that this policy has been harmful, highly ineffective, and has failed to be a tool that adequately addresses problematic behavior.

The new LCAP template contains a rubric that outlines for school districts the expected suspension cut rates to demonstrate progress to the state. Districts will be held accountable for high suspension rate numbers, and will be encouraged to embrace alternatives when considering suspension. The “Cut Points” rubric and 2014-15 school/district rates are listed below, with an additional graph listed at the bottom of the page:

LCAP Suspension Rate Cut Points	2014-2015 Suspension Rates by School
Very High     = 8% or greater High        = 4.5% to 8% Median         = 2.5% to 4.5 % Low      = 1% to 2.5% Very Low   = 1% or less	MCHS             = 12.1%                    LDPE             = 4.8%                    MES               = 7.0%       Woodland     = 6.4%                                   Yosemite       = 0%                    EL Portal       = 0%                    District          = 7.4%

The goal is to utilize alternatives that will appropriately and effectively address student misbehavior, while ensuring students continue to move forward educationally and behaviorally with new supports.

Seeking alternatives to suspension is a cultural change, a shift from the era of zero tolerance policies.  MCUSD has begun to educate staff on alternative options to suspension and programs that will promote a more effective way to respond to certain behaviors.  Those alternatives, options, and programs include, but are not limited to:

• A conference, in person or on phone, between school personnel, the pupil's parent or guardian, and the pupil.
• Referrals to the school counselor, psychologist, social worker, child welfare attendance personnel, or other school support service personnel for case management and counseling.
• Study teams, guidance teams, resource panel teams, or other intervention-related teams that assess behavior, and develop and implement individualized plans to address the behavior in partnership with the pupil and his or her parents.
• Referral for a comprehensive psychosocial or psychoeducational assessment, including for purposes of creating an individualized education program, or a plan adopted pursuant to Section 504.
• A positive behavior support approach with tiered interventions that occur during the school-day on campus..
• Community service on school grounds or, with written permission of the parent or guardian of the pupil, off school grounds, during the pupil's non-school hours.
• Letter of reflection/apology
• A research or writing assignment researching and addressing the harms created by the student’s actions.
• A behavior contract outlining clear expectations and responsibilities.
• Participation in an activity or activities which repair the damage of the individual’s offense (cleaning, helping teacher, etc)
• Grade mentors for students and classes.

Overuse of suspension as a consequence is an issue across our state.  I am confident that as a district we are taking necessary steps to reduce our suspension rate and build a culture that utilizes alternative options to support our students.  Our staff is extremely student centered and has proven time and time again to be dedicated to supporting practices that are best for our students.  Pursuing alternatives to suspension has proven to be instrumental this year. As a team, we have worked together to achieve a 50% reduction in our overall suspensions during the first quarter this year. Additionally, we have provided alternatives that have supported students and addressed behavior, rather than simply sending students home. Our collective efforts are working!

Thank you!

Jeff Aranguena

Mariposa County Unified School District

Director of Human Resources/Student Services

Negotiations Update #1

Good afternoon!

I have attached a link that provides an update regarding the status of negotiations for both MCTA and CSEA for the 2016-17 school year.

Negotiations Update #1

Making Strides through Collaboration

Beginning in the 2015-2016 school year, I was fortunate enough to meet each week with Mark Abney (then Vice President of MCTA) and John Stewart (President of CSEA), to address employee needs and concerns.  These meetings became essential to improving communication, building trust, working collaboratively, and helping to keep our district's Mission and Vision at the center of our discussions:

OUR MISSION

Our mission is to empower all students with enriching learning opportunities so they can realize their full potential.

OUR VISION

Our students will be responsible, productive and competitive in a global society.

Those weekly conversations helped create understanding of how to collectively problem solve in our district, resulting in ZERO grievances being filed during the 2015-16 school year.  Additionally, we have been able to eliminate annual budget deficit spending by approximately $400,000, invest nearly $838,257 in employee paychecks over two years, and prioritize sustaining our fiscal solvency. Budget and program efficiency combined with building trust, continuity, and shared responsibility, has proven to be at the core of these positive transformations.  I want to thank both Mark and John for their dedicated efforts over this time, in what can often be a tireless and thankless job.  

The tradition of weekly meetings has continued this school year, and the baton has been passed to MCTA’s new President, Alex Keeton, and CSEA’s new Vice President, Tammi Richards, who works very closely with John, President of CSEA.  I have had the opportunity to work with these leaders in their new roles, and I have been very encouraged, as their approach to problem solving is forward-thinking and collaborative.  

We will continue to work together, improving our district one step at a time.  As a district, our ability to build positive relationships is directly connected to our ability to serve our students successfully, day in, day out.  Here at MCUSD, we cannot continue to strengthen our school district without these positive, trusting, and essential working relationships.  I am confident in our MCUSD family, and the future continues to look bright!

Thank you!

Jeff Aranguena

Mariposa County Unified School District

Director of Human Resources/Student Services

IMPROVED PARTNERSHIP!

Nearly two years ago I had the privilege of being appointed to the Sierra Foothill Charter School (SFCS) Board of Directors.  In the two years of my experience working with the charter school, myself and our Superintendent, Mrs. Hopper, have had the pleasure of working closely with administration, staff and other board members, to continue to improve relations on all fronts between MCUSD and SFCS.  This renewed effort between MCUSD staff and SCFS staff, has resulted in a partnership that continues to grow with a new Superintendent/Principal for SFCS, Mindy Bolar.

At the start of this school year, MCUSD food services staff began providing breakfast and lunch (under the leadership of Food Services Manager Tammi Richards) to SFCS students. In the month that MCUSD staff has been providing food services to SFCS students, there has been extremely positive feedback expressed by SFCS students, staff, and parents, regarding the quality, consistency, and variety of food being offered.  All the hard work has culminated in greater student satisfaction.

This partnership is a perfect example of why I believe people get into education to begin with.  It is both inspiring and heart-warming to recognize that we can come together to improve the lives of ALL students.  I’m extremely proud of our staff.  The level of professionalism and compassion our staff has for students and the drive to provide quality services is evident district-wide. This is just one illustration of what makes our staff unique and exceptional here at MCUSD!

Jeff Aranguena
Mariposa County Unified School District

Director of Human Resources/Student Services

Employee Recognition

Employee Recognition

We are truly grateful to have such amazing staff throughout our District. This week we will be recognizing the following staff members who will receive special awards at the Masons Staff Appreciation Dinner on Thursday June 2nd, at 5pm at the Masonic Hall, for their outstanding commitment and dedication to our students, our sites, and our District:

Site	Credentialed	Classified
Lake Don Pedro Elem.	Maryann Sharkawy	Dez Laffranchi
Woodland Elem.	Michelle Jones	Pam Van Paul
Special Education	Marcella Cannon	Karen Helms
MCHS	Josh Kraemer	Amber Ramsey
El Portal	Matthew Marcis	Jen Allard
Yosemite Valley School	Cathy DeCecco	Laurie Smith
Mariposa Elem.	Iris Wellcome	Susan Wright
Greeley Hill	Krystal Burroughs	Deana Lessely
Alternative Education	Terry Burns	Janet Rathbun

A MESSAGE FROM SUPERINTENDENT HOPPER REGARDING NEW PRINCIPAL APPOINTMENTS

Greetings everyone and welcome back to those of you returning from spring break!  I trust you took some time to “sharpen the saw” by investing in your own personal renewal; an important component of achieving balance in life.

As you are aware, both Woodland and Lake Don Pedro will begin the 2016-17 school year with new leadership at the helm after Principal Naranjo and Principal Henderson transition into their new positions within the District.  

Interviews were recently held for the two principal positions and I want to say how impressed I was with the excellent qualifications and personal character the candidates possessed. We all should take note and extreme pride in the highly qualified and very passionate educators interested in being a part of MCUSD! Ultimately, difficult decisions came down to the best “fit” for each unique school community and the overall MCUSD TEAM county-wide.

Woodland Principal Position: 

Mrs. Lydia Lower was selected and has accepted the Woodland Principal position for 2016-17. The interview panel strongly recommended her for the second level interview with the Superintendent.

Principal Lower has been extremely dedicated to Greeley Hill Elementary/Coulterville High School and has done a phenomenal job opening the school and establishing a solid foundation and positive culture, pouring her heart and soul into the school, its students and families. She will be greatly missed in Greeley Hill next year and her move obviously creates an urgent need to find a dynamic, highly qualified leader for that blossoming school to take the reins from Lydia and continue the incredible momentum there. Lydia will be a huge asset to Woodland and she will be able to assist a smooth transition as Principal Naranjo moves to his new assignment as Principal of Alternative Education.

Lake Don Pedro Principal Position: 

Mr. Alfonso Garagarza was very highly recommended by the LDP interview committee and advanced to a second level interview with the Superintendent as well. Alfonso comes to us from Sierra Foothill Charter School, where he has served as Principal/Superintendent for multiple years. He was offered and accepted a principal position. While the intention is to fully honor the recommendations of the LDP interview panel, a discussion ensued with Alfonso regarding the need for flexibility and options at this time, due to the new GH/CHS principal vacancy resulting from Lydia transferring to Woodland. Alfonso has both elementary and high school experience. He wholeheartedly understood and readily agreed on the need for options at this time. Here are the tentative plans for Alfonso’s assignment, in prioritized order: Plan A – Principal, LDP; Plan B – Principal, GH/CHS.

Greeley Hill/Coulterville High Principal Position:  

This brand new new vacancy will be posted early this week. I have faith we will find an excellent leader for our Greeley campus and be able to facilitate a smooth transition between Lydia and the new principal. What an excellent opportunity to continue to build our tremendous MCUSD TEAM!

Please join me in congratulating Principal Lydia Lower and Principal Alfonso Garagarza on their new positions, which begin July 1, 2016, pending approval at April 21st Board meeting. 

3/18/16 Budget Update

Dear Mariposa Family and Friends,

Wednesday evening, the Mariposa County Unified School District (MCUSD) and Mariposa County Office of Education (MCOE) governing boards conducted their regular monthly meetings, and made some important decisions regarding necessary budget adjustments for next school year and beyond. After careful analysis of budget projections for the next three years, staff recommended the implementation of reductions of $736,089 in the District budget, and $386,483 in the County budget for 2016/17. These reductions  will result in a total savings of $1.5 million over the next two years, and will allow our organization to improve its fiscal health overall. Not only will it mean an end to the unhealthy practice of using carryover (unspent funds from previous years) to cover current year expenses (i.e., deficit spending), it will allow us to establish the means to reinvest in our extremely “tired” facilities.

Maintaining fiscal strength is imperative to creating the foundation and stability for our Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP), school sites, and our district-wide educational initiatives.   Given concrete salary increase investments in our MCUSD/MCOE family over the last two years, we have taken action to balance our budget with the following adjustments:

Eliminate a currently vacant Categorical/Special Projects Coordinator position

Utilize revenue from Foster Youth Grant to fund 15% of an Educational Services Director position

Eliminate a currently vacant Educational Services Department Director

Eliminate Alternative Education Assistant Principal vacancy caused by retirement, to be replaced with a Lead Teacher position

Eliminate two vacant EOC Positions

Utilize revenue from Adult Education Grant to fund 43% funding of the Alternative Education Principal position

Savings achieved through attrition associated with MCUSD teacher retirements

Eliminate 1 full-time teaching position by creating a combo class at WD or MES, based on class size projections and vacancies

Eliminate currently vacant WD/MES Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) positions

Eliminate/reduce Special Education Aide position/hrs., based on reduced student needs

Eliminate future $250K contribution toward Facilities Budget which had been necessary to fund needed roof repairs in 2015/16.

As a result of the Board’s actions, our organization will have a path towards financial stability in future years, all while having invested in recruiting and retaining dedicated staff by providing salary increases. There is no doubt that these reductions are extremely difficult, and despite not filling valuable support positions, our core educational programs will continue to be sound.  With a balanced budget and minimal turnover, our organization’s foundation will be strong, ensuring our ability to maintain focus on our LCAP priorities and district initiatives.

Making reductions is always difficult, and this work can only be done with a supportive and dedicated team. Mariposa is known for its “can do” spirit, and our staff exemplifies that reputation. All District staff is to be commended for their hard work, suggestions, and support for responsible budgeting with a long term vision and success in mind.

Sincerely,

Jeff Aranguena

Mariposa County Unified School District
Director of Human Resources and Student Services

THANK YOU BOB!

Last Friday night when Jacob Baca hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the Section Championship boys basketball game into overtime, the entire Mariposa crowd started jumping up and down and screaming as if they were all at a rock concert! (Jacob Baca’s Buzzer Beater)

While everyone was losing their minds, Coach Jaekle was playing it cool.  He started rounding up his stunned yet excited players, and prepared for overtime.  I thought to myself in the midst of pandemonium, “How can this guy stay in the zone with all this craziness and excitement?"

Then It became clear to me.  

Not only has Coach Jaekle’s ability to keep calm under pressure brought Mariposa its first basketball Section Championship in school history, it has also allowed him to be a successful teacher in one of our county's most essential, yet challenging programs.  




Coach Jaekle, or “Mr. Jaekle,” works with students in our County Behavioral Intervention Class (also known as BIC).  It’s a highly demanding assignment for a teacher, one that Director of Special Services Marcia Miller says Mr. Jaekle has handled with compassion and sincerity:

“Mr. Jaekle has stepped up and provided an environment for our students who feel supported, engaged, and most of all, safe.  He has stepped up into teaching position that requires patience, empathy, heart, and kindness, and done a fantastic job.”

Veteran coaches also speak highly of Coach Jaekle’s skill set as a mentor and coach.  I was fortunate enough to watch Friday night’s game with two of Mariposa’s greats, Coach Lloyd Hobby and Coach Trace Desandres (Desandres Grizzly Spell Out).  Desandres spoke of Coach Jaekle’s influence on his athletes:

“Bob is an exceptional coach and a positive leader.  There is no doubt that his team will be remembered as one of the greatest.  His players will look back at this moment for as long as they live, and remember everything Bob has taught them. I am very proud.”

So as we celebrate bringing the Division V Championship banner to Mariposa, I would like to say on behalf of our students, staff, and community, THANK YOU COACH JAEKLE! (Celebration Time)

Jeff Aranguena

Director of Human Resources and Student Services

https://twitter.com/MrAranguena