The following local residents received degrees from California Lutheran University during the Graduate Commencement Ceremony held May 14 in Mt. Clef Stadium:

Maria Cuevas of Fillmore received a MBA degree in financial planning.

Sergio De la Rosa of Fillmore received a Master of Science degree in counseling and guidance.

Krystal Sarabia of Fillmore received a Master of Science degree in counseling and guidance.

Mariah Walker of Fillmore received a Master of Education degree in teaching.

CLU is a selective university located in Thousand Oaks, with Adult Degree Evening Program and graduate centers in Oxnard and Woodland Hills. With an enrollment of 3,700 students, CLU offers 36 undergraduate majors and graduate programs within the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Business and School of Education. Doctoral degrees in educational leadership, higher education leadership and clinical psychology are also offered. Members of the CLU student body come from across the nation and around the world and represent a diversity of faiths and cultures. For more information, visit http://www.callutheran.edu.

California State University Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA. July 30, 2010 – CSU Channel Islands (CI) will begin to accept applications from undergraduate upper division transfer students on Sunday, August 1, 2010. Students will have until August 31, 2010, 11:59 p.m. to apply.

The enrollment of upper division transfer students for the spring term is contingent upon the approval of the state budget and the restoration of funding to the CSU. While applications may be accepted during the filing period, there is no guarantee that an admission offer can be made for the spring 2011 semester.

Applicants are expected to meet established deadlines and requirements for the spring term to allow for admissions processing. In the event an offer of admissions and enrollment cannot be made due to funding, CI will offer students an opportunity for a rollover of their application from spring 2011 to fall 2011 or a withdrawal of their application and refund of the application fee.

For more information regarding transfer admission requirements, students are encouraged to visit www.csuci.edu/admissions. To apply for the spring 2011 term, students may visit www.csumentor.edu.

CI will continue to accept and enroll students for graduate programs and select credential programs. For more information about graduate programs visit http://www.csuci.edu/exed/ and for credential programs visit http://education.csuci.edu/credentials/.

For media inquiries contact Nancy Covarrubias Gill, Director of Communication & Marketing at CSU Channel Islands at 805-437-8456 or nancy.gill@csuci.edu.

Camarillo, CA, July 29, 2010 – The Channel Islands Choral Association (CICA), a community group working in partnership with CSU Channel Islands (CI) is readying for a new season of concerts and community choral performances.

When the choir began in 2004 it was offered as a class through CI’s Performing Arts Program, with support from CICA. This year the choir will be under the joint sponsorship of CI and CICA. Rehearsals, which in past years took place off campus, will be moved to a campus location, making it easier for more students to participate.

Joan Rust, President of CICA, said that the choir is open to students, CI faculty and staff, and members of the community. “We have had many opportunities over the years to perform extraordinary music, many major oratorios as well as music from around the world. Membership in the choir is free to students and membership for community members is $75, which covers costs incurred by the choir. If people love music and love to sing, we encourage them to audition, because we don’t think they’ll find another opportunity to perform the kind of music with the kind of leadership that this group offers.”

Dr. KuanFen Liu is the Artistic Director of the Channel Islands Choral Association, a member of CI’s music faculty and the conductor of the CSU Channel Islands Choir. She and her choir perform their own concerts and make many appearances at different community venues. Last year they provided Christmas caroling at the Camarillo Outlet Mall. They have sung at various charitable events, in chamber orchestra performances, at civic events and there is talk this year of a holiday concert organized by the Camarillo Arts Council.

Many of the former CONTINUED »

California State University Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA., July 29, 2010 – Three California State University Channel Islands (CI) students are among
about 70 students who have been named California State University (CSU) Sally Casanova Pre-Doctoral
Scholars. Beginning in the fall, these students will work closely during their senior year to prepare for future
graduate studies and will each receive $3,000 for work with their faculty mentors. They will also be invited to
participate in a fully-funded research internship at a University of California or other campus for six weeks
during summer 2011.

Ashley Bonneau, a biology major with a minor in chemistry, will work with her mentor Dr. Nitika Parmar,
Assistant Professor of Biology, preparing for graduate work in cellular and molecular biology. Danika
Lindsay, a double major in mathematics and applied physics, will continue her studies with Dr. Ivona
Grzegorczyk, Professor of Mathematics. Jennifer Waters, a mathematics major, will also work with Dr.
Grzegorczyk in algebraic geometry in preparation for Ph.D. studies after graduation.

The California Pre-Doctoral Program is designed to increase the pool of potential faculty by supporting the
doctoral aspirations of CSU students who have experienced economic and educational disadvantages. The
program places a special emphasis on increasing the number of CSU students who enter doctoral programs
at one of the University of California (UC) institutions.

"I am honored to be a recipient of CONTINUED »

Fillmore Unified School District

FILLMORE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2010
5:15 P.M. – CLOSED SESSION
6:00 P.M. - REGULAR MEETING
627 SESPE AVENUE, FILLMORE, CALIFORNIA

AGENDA
The public may review or request a copy of support materials provided to the Board Members where the word materials appears.
5:15 p.m.
I. CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
II. ROLL CALL
III. PUBLIC COMMENT ON CLOSED SESSION AND NONAGENDA ITEMS, PETITIONS
This is the time and place to address the Board. State law prohibits the Board from acting on issues not included on the agenda; however, requests may be made for discussion of specific topics at subsequent meetings.
IV. CLOSED SESSION
The Board of Education will meet from 5:15 to 6:00 p.m. to consider matters appropriate for Closed Session in accordance with Government Code Sections 3549.1, 54956.7 through 54957.7 and Education Code Section 35146. If the Board does not complete Closed Session discussions at this time, the Board may adjourn to Closed Session at the end of the regular meeting. DISCLOSURE OF ITEM(S) TO BE DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION Labor/Negotiations (Government Code 54957.6)
o Update; Direction to CONTINUED »

Fillmore native Stephanie Gomez has joined Teach For America, the national corps of top college graduates who commit to teach for two years in urban and rural public schools in low-income communities.

“Through my education and work experiences, I am completely inspired by the impact Teach For America has on students. I will be a positive force of change where I am most needed and look forward to continuing to make an impact at every school I work at,” Gomez said. Gomez is a 2002 graduate of Fillmore High School, 2006 graduate of University of California Los Angeles, and will teach in Los Angeles beginning this fall.

Teach For America received a record-breaking 46,000 applications this year, and admission was more selective than ever before, with an acceptance rate of 12 percent. Teach For America recruits on more than 350 college campuses, seeking top graduates from all academic majors and backgrounds who have demonstrated outstanding achievement, perseverance, and leadership. At more than 120 colleges and universities, over 5 percent of the senior class applied, including 12 percent of all seniors at Ivy League schools, 7 percent of the graduating class at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, and 6 percent at the University of California-Berkeley.

This fall, more than 8,200 first- and second-year Teach For America corps members will be teaching in 39 urban and rural regions nationwide. They will reach students in more than 100 school districts in 31 states and the District of Columbia.

Teach For America corps members go above and beyond traditional expectations to improve the educational outcomes of children growing up in low-income communities. Beyond their impact as corps members, two-thirds of the 20,000 Teach For America alumni across the country remain in education. More than 450 Teach For America alumni serve as school principals or superintendents, more than 500 work in government or policy, and nearly 30 serve in elected office.

About Teach For America
Teach For America is the national corps of outstanding recent college graduates who commit to teach for two years in urban and rural public schools and become lifelong leaders in expanding educational opportunity. This fall, more than 8,200 corps members will be teaching in 39 regions across the country while 20,000 Teach For America alumni continue working from inside and outside the field of education for the fundamental changes necessary to ensure educational excellence and equity. For more information, visit www.teachforamerica.org.

California State University Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA., July 26, 2010 – California State University Channel Islands (CI) is one of the best universities in the nation to work for, according to a new survey by The Chronicle of Higher Education.

The results, released today in The Chronicle’s third annual report on The Academic Workplace, are based on a survey of more than 42,000 employees at 277 colleges and universities. In all, only 97 of the 277 institutions achieved “Great College to Work For” recognition for specific best practices and policies. Results are reported for small, medium, and large institutions, with CI included among medium campuses that have between 3,000 to 9,999 students.

CI won honors in the category of Collaborative Governance.

“This honor further demonstrates the uniqueness of our campus, but our real goal is not recognition – it is evidence of how our Channel Islands community values the needs and contributions of every individual. As we focus on our mission to serve students, everyone at CI helps to make this a great place to work,” said University President Richard R. Rush.

The Chronicle is the nation’s most important source of news about colleges and universities. “With the Great Colleges program, The Chronicle can provide even more of the vital information our readers rely on – unbiased reporting on which colleges are being innovative in their workplace practices,” said Jeffrey J. Selingo, The Chronicle’s editor.

The survey results are based on a two-part assessment process: an institutional audit that captured demographics and workplace policies from each institution, and a survey administered to faculty, administrators, and professional support staff. The primary factor in deciding whether an institution received recognition was the employee feedback.

To administer the survey and analyze the results, The Chronicle worked with ModernThink LLC, a strategic human capital consulting firm that has conducted numerous “Best Places to Work” programs, surveying hundreds of thousands of employees nationwide.

Great Colleges to Work For is one of the largest and most respected workplace-recognition programs in the country. For more information and to view all the results of the survey, visit The Chronicle’s Web site at http://chronicle.com/academicworkplace

# # #

CSU Channel Islands is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

CI Mission Statement

Placing students at the center of the educational experience, California State University Channel Islands provides undergraduate and graduate education that facilitates learning within and across disciplines through integrative approaches, emphasizes experiential and service learning, and graduates students with multicultural and international perspectives.

California State University Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA July 22, 2010 – CSU Channel Islands (CI) is planning to launch a Master’s Program in Biotechnology and Bioinformatics with an emphasis on Biomedical Engineering (BME) in January of 2011. The proposed BME program will address the growing regional and national need for biomedical engineers by graduating a highly educated and trained workforce with increased diversity.

Nationally there are over 1,500 biotech companies which generate thousands of high paying jobs and billions of dollars in revenue. California leads the nation in the field of biotechnology with one third of these companies residing in state, many of which are highly successful, multinational corporations. The California biotech industry employs 260,000 people with estimated revenue of $62 billion and is growing exponentially.

The program will be offered through CI’s Extended University as a self-funded program and not subject to the ups and downs of funding from the state budget. The program is available both to CI students and to those working in the biotech industry who wish to advance their own technical skills. Classes will be conducted in the evening or on weekends to accommodate those who are working or otherwise unable to attend during daytime hours. The BME program has a strong advisory board composed of members from the local biotech industry who, in conjunction with CI faculty, contribute input on program design and implementation so course work remains relevant to current industry needs.

Biomedical engineering is CONTINUED »

Written By Vicki E. Murray, Ph.D., Associate Director of Education Studies.

The average national high school graduation rate, from 1997 to 2007, rose 3.1 percentage points to 68.8 percent, according to a recent report from Education Week. California’s graduation rate, meanwhile, dropped 4.7 percentage points to 62.7 percent. Only Nebraska and Nevada posted worse declines, and the problem is not limited to California high-schoolers.

Research from UC... http://www.pacificresearch.org/publications/how-california-can-improve-i...

Leanne Neilson, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at California Lutheran University, announced that 500 students made the Dean's Honor List for the spring semester. They include the following local scholars: Joseph Crump, a Fillmore, Calif., resident who is majoring in bioengineering. Megan Baker, a Fillmore, Calif., resident who is majoring in liberal studies.

Students qualify for the Dean's List by maintaining a 3.6 grade point average in their academic subjects.

CLU is a selective university located in Thousand Oaks, with Adult Degree Evening Program and graduate centers in Oxnard and Woodland Hills. With an enrollment of 3,700 students, CLU offers 36 undergraduate majors and graduate programs within the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Business and School of Education. Doctoral degrees in educational leadership, higher education leadership and clinical psychology are also offered. Members of the CLU student body come from across the nation and around the world and represent a diversity of faiths and cultures. For more information, please visit http://www.callutheran.edu.

Ventura County Office of Education

The Ventura County Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) is proud to announce special education staff members who have completed all requirements for the Autism Certification Program in June 2010 and are recognized as experts.

Candidates receiving certificates are Ventura Unified School District, Special Education Teacher, Randy Fitz-Patrick; Simi Valley Unified School District, Special Education Instructional Aide, Kristina Blackburn; and Simi Valley Unified School District, Special Education Instructional Aide, Wendy Zumbahlen.

In order to achieve this certification, candidates must participate in a variety of professional development events, gaining skills and expertise for working with children with Autism.

For more information on our Autism Certification Program go to our website at www.venturacountyselpa.com and click the “Autism” button. For more information call the SELPA office (805) 437-1560.

California State University Channel Islands

Santa Barbara, CA July 9, 2010 - Cottage Health System and California State University Channel Islands (CSU Channel Islands) have formed a new partnership to make the CSU Channel Islands Bachelor of Science Nursing (BSN) program available in the Santa Barbara area.

The CSU Channel Islands Nursing Program at Cottage Health System will begin in spring 2012. This will allow a cohort of up to 22 students annually to enroll in the program which will operate as an off-site location for the existing CSU Channel Islands Nursing Program based in Camarillo. Students will be eligible for admission to the BSN program after they have completed the required General Education courses. CSU Channel Islands Nursing Program classes will be offered at a site in Goleta, near Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital.

The collaboration with CSU Channel Islands builds on Cottage’s successful partnership with Santa Barbara City College and its program offering an Associate Degree in Nursing.

Healthcare providers across the nation anticipate a nursing shortage over the next several decades. Currently, nursing schools are not able to graduate enough nursing students to meet the nation’s projected acute care nursing needs.

“With the retirement of our ‘baby boomer’ generation of nurses on the horizon, we know that it is critical to develop our community workforce through additional educational partnerships,” explains Herb Geary, vice president, patient care services and chief nursing officer, at Cottage Health System. “Our collaborative efforts with Santa Barbara City College have shown that nurses who are educated locally are more likely to make a career commitment to Cottage.”

“The partnership with CONTINUED »

Westlake Village, CA – Tears of joy flowed as the ruling for the River Oaks Academy, a proposed county wide charter, was approved by the Board of Education last Monday 5 to 0. The group of parents petitioning for the charter have been working tirelessly for the past 4 months to provide the Ventura County Board of Education with the required documentation needed for approval.

"It has been a hard road with many late nights since the group of us decided to petition for this charter." Says parent and lead petitioner Daniel Whiteford. Whiteford is also the President of the Agoura Youth Basketball Association, a youth basketball league in Agoura Hills. "We are just so relieved to finally get the school of our dreams. This is a school that I am certain will help a lot of families in the community."

The River Oaks Academy is an independent-study school founded on the principles that all children are born brilliant and it is up to us as parents and educators to help them find the passion that leads to that brilliance. The program was developed by and will be run by school director, Resa Steindel Brown, author of the best selling book, The Call to Brilliance. Brown says, "When we search for each individual’s strengths, talents, and passion, we find them. And when we do - amazing things happen."

The River Oaks Academy offers a rigorous parent training program to help parents provide the best possible individual education and opportunities for their children.

The River Oaks Academy will kick off its school year on Sept 7th this fall, 2010. For parents who wish to know more about the Academy and how they may enroll are encouraged to visit www.theriveroaksacademy.com in the coming weeks.

About River Oaks Academy

About Resa Steindel Brown
Resa Steindel Brown is the author of the best seller The Call to Brilliance. Her work as an educator has been featured by ABC, NBC, CBS, The Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and more. Resa offers alternative solutions that focus on connecting each individual child to their interests, talents, and passions, and has managed to implement these solutions in both the private and public sector with astounding success, receiving congressional honors and major media attention. More on Brown as an author and public speaker can be found here: www.thecalltobrilliance.com

About Daniel Whiteford
Daniel Whiteford is a successful Alstate Insurance Agent and has been with the company for the past 27 years. He recently received the President’s Award ranking him among the top 10% of all Agents nation wide. He is presently President and General Manger of the Agoura Youth Basketball Association, a position he has held for the past two years. Daniel will assume responsibilities as President of the Governance Board for the River Oaks Academy. His vast experience working with children and parents in the community brings a great asset to the school.

One of Fillmore’s brightest high school seniors is among 104 Southern California recipients awarded $2,000 college scholarships from Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of Southern California. She was recently honored at an awards luncheon hosted by the McDonald’s Operators’ Association of Southern California.

Susana Amezcua of Fillmore High School was selected to receive an RMHC scholarship based on a number of criteria including grade point average, community involvement, leadership skills, letters of recommendation and financial need. The college funds were awarded through four RMHC scholarship programs: RMHC/African American Future Achievers, RMHC/Asian Pacific American Students Increasing Achievement, RMHC/Hispanic American Commitment to Educational Resources and RMHC/Scholars. Scholarship funds can be applied toward tuition, fees and other appropriate educational expenses.

“This is among the most accomplished group of high school seniors in the 20-year history of our local scholarship program,” said Nicole Rubin, CEO, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California. “Our organization is thrilled to provide financial support to these amazing scholars as they pursue their dreams of higher education.”

Since 1990, the Southern California chapter of RMHC has awarded nearly $3.4 million in scholarship funds to local students to help make their dream of a college education a reality. Funding for the scholarships is made possible through the global and Southern California chapters of RMHC and the fundraising efforts of local McDonald’s owner/operators and corporate staff. McDonald’s Operators’ Association of Southern California pays for all administrative costs of the Southern California scholarship program including producing and distributing the applications and hosting the recipient recognition event.

For more than 30 years Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California has been dedicated to creating a community where children and their families embrace life and healing with a sense of hope, enthusiasm, courage and joy. In addition to four scholarship programs, the organization operates five Ronald McDonald Houses, Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times, two Ronald McDonald Family Rooms and a Community Grants Board. For more information, visit www.rmhcsc.org or www.twitter.com/rmhc_socal.

McDonald’s Operators’ Association of Southern California is comprised of more than 600 franchised and company-owned McDonald’s restaurants in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties.

California State University Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA June 29, 2010 – CSU Channel Islands (CI) received a $417, 231 grant award from the National Science Foundation as a Faculty Early Career (CAREER) Development grant for Dr. Kathryn Leonard, Assistant Professor of Mathematics. Within the last two years, this is the second CAREER award that a faculty member at CI has received.

This is the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious award in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholar through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research within the context of the institution’s mission. The program is designed to promote integration of education and research to encourage the process of discovery to stimulate learning for students.

Leonard’s efforts will focus on engaging talented but disadvantaged undergraduate and graduate students in original research early in their college careers. Her research will concentrate on developing mathematical shape modeling. Recent advances in imaging technology in the field of surveillance, astronomy and medical diagnosis have increased a demand for appropriate imaging mathematical models. The students’ efforts will also involve industrial collaboration; this collaborative experience will benefit students with applications of mathematical models to the real world problems to advance the shape-based technology forward.

Leonard’s work will also CONTINUED »

Superintendent Jack-O'Connell
California State Superintendent of Public Instruction

SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced that since the beginning of this year the number of school districts that may be unable to meet future financial obligations because of the continuing state budget crisis and inadequate funding for public education has increased by 38 percent. The list of school districts is attached.

"We are seeing an alarming spike in the number of school districts that are having trouble meeting their financial obligations,” said O’Connell. “Schools on this list are now forced to make terrible decisions to cut programs and services that students need or face bankruptcy. This trend will worsen if the Governor’s proposed cuts to public education are enacted in the 2010-11 budget. I have grave concerns that more and more school districts will face financial crisis unless state lawmakers find solutions to the state budget crisis and provide adequate funding for our schools.”

Public education in California received $17 billion less in state funding than anticipated over the last two budget years. As a result, more than 20,000 teachers have received pink slips this year. Summer school has been eliminated, class sizes are increasing, and art, music, libraries, school nurses, and sports programs have been cut.

The California Department of Education CONTINUED »

Superintendent Jack-O'Connell
California State Superintendent of Public Instruction

SACRAMENTO – State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell today announced California was awarded nearly $416 million through the School Improvement Grants (SIG) program from the U.S. Department of Education.

“I am very grateful to President Obama and U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan for making this critical funding available for California’s persistently lowest-achieving schools,” said O’Connell. “This grant will help fund efforts to turn around persistently struggling schools in order to prepare their students for success in college and careers.”

The federal School Improvement Grants program is authorized under Section 1003(g) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act that is intended to provide all children equal access to education. SIG is designed to improve student achievement in schools identified for program improvement, corrective action, or restructuring.

In March 2010, as required by state law and SIG program regulations, the California Department of Education identified 188 schools considered to be the persistently lowest achieving. These schools are required to make dramatic changes to improve teaching and learning and help prepare thousands of students for a brighter future. The SIG program provides resources to fund the school turnaround activities. The identified local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools applying for SIG funding must fully implement one of four school intervention models during the 2010–11 school year as required by state and federal law. The four models are:

Turnaround Model: The LEA undertakes a series of major school improvement actions, including replacing the principal and rehiring no more than 50 percent of the school's staff; adopting a new governance structure; and implementing an instructional program that is research-based and vertically aligned from one grade to the next, as well as aligned with California's adopted content standards.

Restart Model: The LEA converts a school or closes and reopens a school under a charter school operator; a charter management organization; or an education management organization that has been selected through a locally determined, rigorous review process, using state educational agency provided guidance. A restart model school must enroll, within the grades it serves, any former student who wishes to attend the school.

School Closure Model: The LEA closes a school and enrolls the students who attended that school in other schools in the LEA that are higher achieving. These other schools should be within reasonable proximity to the closed school and may include charter schools or new schools for which achievement data are not yet available.
Transformation Model: The LEA implements a series of required school improvement strategies, including replacing the principal who led the school prior to implementation of the transformation model, and increasing instructional time.

LEAs and school districts are responsible for ensuring that one of these four models is implemented at each school that they commit to serve in the SIG application. The $415,844,376 made available to California is being distributed by formula to the state and will then be competed out by the state to school districts. LEAs may apply for SIG funds at http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/sw/t1/sig09.asp. The California Department of Education will make recommendations to the State Board of Education for approval of the LEA applications.

To view the list of schools identified as persistently lowest achieving, and for more information about the identification process, please visit http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/pl/index.asp.

Fillmore Unified School District

FILLMORE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
TUESDAY, JUNE 29, 2010
5:15 P.M. – CLOSED SESSION
6:00 P.M. – SPECIAL BOARD MEETING
627 SESPE AVENUE, FILLMORE, CALIFORNIA

AGENDA

The public may review or request a copy of support materials provided to the Board Members where the word materials appears.
5:15 p.m.
I. CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
II. ROLL CALL
III. PUBLIC COMMENT ON CLOSED SESSION AND NONAGENDA ITEMS,
PETITIONS
This is the time and place to address the Board. State law prohibits the Board from acting on issues not included on the agenda; however, requests may be made for discussion of specific topics at subsequent meetings.
IV. CLOSED SESSION
The Board of Education will meet from 5:15 to 6:00 p.m. to consider matters appropriate for Closed Session in accordance with Government Code Sections 3549.1, 54956.7 through 54957.7 and Education Code Section 35146. If the Board does not complete Closed Session discussions at this time, the Board may adjourn to Closed Session at the end of the regular meeting. DISCLOSURE OF ITEM(S) TO BE DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION Labor/Negotiations (Government Code 54957.6)
o Update; Direction to CONTINUED »