Support Students Success by Prioritizing Attendance

Through our partnership with the Mariposa Probation Department, MCUSD is actively promoting positive attendance through an initiative continuing to grow during its second year.  Attendance concerns continue to be a barrier for many students on the road to success in our district.  We are working as a team to find creative ways to support students and families in attending school regularly.  This has proven to be challenging, not only in our rural district, but state-wide.

Studies show that when students miss school two days per month, regardless of if the absences are excused, students are more likely to be adversely impacted. These absences affect students as early as Kindergarten, and the impact can last throughout a student's school career.  

This year, attendance incentives are being offered to ALL students, with a hyperfocus on supporting specific students who suffer from chronic absenteeism. Students are being monitored for growth and given objectives that they can achieve. By focusing on growth, not radical change, students are able to feel successful, which is an important key indicator for student attendance and success in school.

However tough our most challenging students can be, their lives in many cases have been exponentially more difficult to live.  Therefore, this year we began to offer support to families in getting their child to school.  Working closely with individual families, site leaders are identifying barriers and helping provide resources in an effort to remove the obstacles impacting students attendance.

As a district we are taking action to build a foundation for celebrating, promoting, and emphasizing attendance for ALL students.  Addressing attendance issues is time consuming, demanding, and complex. There are no quick fixes and no easy tricks.  If there were simple solutions to support their growth, attendance, especially in rural areas counties like Mariposa, wouldn't be so challenging.

Finally, I invite everyone to set aside time to acknowledge students and their attendance.  Our staff is exceptional at engaging with and getting to know our students.  Our positive interactions remind children that day after day we are happy they are in school and we care about their well being.  

10 FACTS ABOUT SCHOOL ATTENDANCE (http://www.attendanceworks.org/facts-stats-school-attendance/)

1. Absenteeism in the first month of school can predict poor attendance throughout the school year. Half the students who miss 2-4 days in September go on to miss nearly a month of school.
2. An estimated 5 million to 7.5 million U.S. students miss nearly a month of school each year.
3. Absenteeism and its ill effects start early. One in 10 kindergarten and first grade students are chronically absent.  Poor attendance can influence whether children read proficiently by the end of third grade or be held back
4. By 6th grade, chronic absence becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.
5. Research shows that missing 10 percent of the school, or about 18 days in most school districts, negatively affects a student’s academic performance. That’s just two days a month and that’s known as chronic absence.
6. The academic impact of missing that much school is the same whether the absences are excused or unexcused. Suspensions also add to lost time in the classroom
7. Low-income students are four times more likely to be chronically absent than others often for reasons beyond their control, such as unstable housing, unreliable transportation and a lack of access to health care.
8. When students improve their attendance rates, they improve their academic prospects and chances for graduating.
9. Attendance improves when schools engage students and parents in positive ways and when schools provide mentors for chronically absent students.
10. Most school districts and states don’t look at all the right data to improve school attendance. They track how many students show up every day and how many are skipping school without an excuse, but not how many are missing so many days in excused and unexcused absence that they are headed off track academically.

Jeff Aranguena

Mariposa County Unified School District

Director of Human Resources/Student Services

Personnel Changes

Personnel Changes

We want to share several significant staff changes that will be occurring upon our return from the holiday break. Starting this January, the following new assignments will be in effect for the duration of the 2016-2017 school year:

After 6 years  at Mariposa County Unified, Principal of Alternative Education David Naranjo has accepted an employment offer from the  Tuolumne County Office of Education as their Coordinator of Student Support Services. Mr. Naranjo has played a key role in the revitalization and development of our Alternative Education programs, including Adult Education, County Community School, Continuation High School, and independent study opportunities through Sierra Home School. While we are sad to see Mr. Naranjo leave us, we are excited to see him embark on this new career opportunity in January.

With Mr. Naranjo’s vacancy, Principal Alfonso Garagarza has been called upon to transition from his current role as Principal of Lake Don Pedro Elementary (LDPE) to take on the duties and responsibilities of Principal of Alternative Education. Mr. Garagarza has a breadth of high school and elementary school experience which will be extremely beneficial in promoting and supporting our Alternative Education programs.

With Mr. Garagarza’s departure from LDPE, former Scotts Valley Unified School District Superintendent, Penny Weaver will take on the role as Principal for the remainder of the 2016-17 school year. Ms. Weaver brings a wide range of administrative experience to MCUSD, having served as an Assistant Superintendent, Director, Principal, and Assistant Principal throughout her career.

Lastly, after ten years in the lead secretary position at LDPE, Mrs. Beebe has informed MCUSD that she and her family will be moving out of state at the end of January.  We are extremely saddened by this news, as Mrs. Beebe has been truly dedicated to the students and staff of Lake Don Pedro, and has been a tremendous asset to our organization. We all will miss her greatly and wish her and her family the best in their transition.

Filling the vacancy created by  Mrs. Beebe’s departure, Tammera Lane will transition into the lead secretary position and its associated duties. Mrs. Lane brings tremendous experience to the position and we are happy to have her taking on the role, ensuring a smooth transition.

With these changes ahead, we are confident that as a TEAM we will continue to maintain our focus on supporting our students, staff, schools and our community.  

Happy Holidays

Jeff Aranguena

Mariposa County Unified School District

Director of Human Resources/Student Services

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.