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TonyG June 18, 2013 at 12:53 pm
So why aren't the school counselors catching this? Isn't that part of there job? to counsel students…Read More and let them know where they stand? And parents? Do your job and get involved in your child's education. We have enough foreign students already getting educated AND working here.. especially silicon valley.. Fremont already has enough bad drivers..dont add to it.
Samson Gich June 18, 2013 at 03:15 pm
This comes as no surprise to me. But it goes beyond school counselors and parents. Teachers, school…Read More administrators, parents and teachers have to be in syn and committed to driving for academic excellence. Newark is not there, that culture has simply not been there.
We have a Superintendent who is now in his second of initial three contract. Are there any palpable initiatives that he has implemented in our schools from elementary to the high school to help improve there academic standards?
It is really a scary thought. Newark is 'cursed' with one middle and one high school. Both woefully academically under-performing. It really forces middle class families with school children to look elsewhere for homes.
Mona, in this regard we are on par with Hayward and Oakland Unified districts. Forget about electronic billboards. Light years behind Fremont or Dublin.
AJB July 6, 2011 at 03:00 pm
"A significant problem for the city has been its underperforming schools which have led to…Read More continued student body erosions. I am afraid many parents are opting for neighboring Fremont middle and high schools instead of Newark ones. Additionally, the elementary schools are collectively subpar when compared to those of Fremont."
This is the absolute truth. Newark will be in a funk until we improve our schools. I'd love to see the A-G requirements become the graduation requirements for the high school. Not everyone needs or wants to go to college, but everyone should have the option-it really stinks to see kids get interested in something their junior year-find out that pursuing that interest requires a degree and that they don't have the classes to get into a four year college. It's a dream killer.
Nowhere does he mention improving academic performance and expectations-he's all about money, not the students.
Nadja Adolf July 20, 2011 at 04:16 am
The A-G requirements are absolutely meaningless since students are allowed to opt out in their…Read More Junior or Senior year - which most in Newark would have to do since they lack adequate preparation to be able to understand an A-G curriculum.
What is more important is to make sure that students get the grounding in elementary and middle school to pursue an A-G curriculum. It is also important to not lose sight of the fact that one may take an A-G curriculum and also study a vocational program concurrently. My biggest concern is that the high school does not make it possible for students to study both concurrently.
It is possible, and it is commonly done. My high school FFA chapter president not only studied a full agricultural and auto shop program; he also completed the college preparatory program and entered a Forestry program at Oregon State University, then and now one of the best Forestry programs in the United States.
Samson Gich June 18, 2013 at 03:26 pm
Nika, why did you resurrect this article from two years ago?
I don't see anything new.
However, I…Read More would love to see you (Patch) interview the superintendent now completing his second year at the district. What does he feels he has accomplished? What about the academic performances of the district? Should his contract be renewed next year?
James Nelson June 16, 2013 at 09:03 pm
Geoff,
I did not know that Fathers could be part of the PTA, too. Just did some research about the…Read More PTA and am now a little wiser on the Subject. Since your a member of the PTA, have you thought about registering your School with the Coke Rewards program? They allow members to donate points to Schools and out of every school in Newark the only one registered with them is St Edwards. Basically people go to the MyCokeRewards website and input the codes found on the caps and receive points then can use those points to redeem rewards or donate supplies to Schools. It's an interesting Program, if you have some time you should check it out! It's a way to lessen the burden of limited funds for the next school year.
Rob Sorensen June 16, 2013 at 09:28 pm
I'd suggest working thru the Principal at NMHS with less speculation. I too was involved with PTA,…Read More Newark Schools Fdn, Jaycees and other non-profits. Best practices are that the one handling, depositing money not also be the one keeping books. A great volunteer shouldnt be put under suspicion without there being group neglect. By-laws and an active Board can cleanup this miscommunication. The school Principal is the MOD.
Leslie Mendoza June 7, 2013 at 10:44 am
Congratulations to these intelligent students and keep up the good work.
Ronald E Van Ryn June 3, 2013 at 11:53 pm
Spent my last 8 years of my 35 year teaching career in Newark right next door to Corina Rojo! She…Read More was brand new and I was finishing up my career. We became an unlikely pair of good friends and continually worked together to better Bridgepoint! She developed from a raw rookie teacher in 99'-2000 to a the finest teacher on the staff by the time I retired in 07'. No one is more deserving of this award than Corina! I love her like my own daughter!!!!
James Nelson June 4, 2013 at 07:19 pm
This Babe was a Teacher when I was at Bridgepoint!?! I got stuck with some old bag who lacked a…Read More sense of humor and was clearly circling the drain of retirement. Ah Memories, congrats Corina nice to know there are some awesome teachers out there in the world.
Geoff Burton May 25, 2013 at 10:20 am
Bunker and Kennedy are both losing their Principals, I hope NUSD chooses well when hiring their…Read More replacements.
Nancy Thomas June 6, 2013 at 08:35 am
Thanks for all you've done for our Bunker community! Best wishes for a happy, fulfilling retirement.…Read More
Adam Moe May 20, 2013 at 11:40 am
I remember as a teacher buying my own supplies. Looking back I don't regret buying anything and…Read More realize that each person's teaching style is different. The things I might buy for my classroom would be totally different than you. Running a classroom is a lot like running a business, there are expenses and you just have to deal with that.
James Nelson May 1, 2013 at 03:28 am
Mona,
Hi!
I don't know about that, I wish I could see my "NUSD Record", from what I…Read More remember it was rather thick. lmao.
Prior to not showing up altogether I'd check into my first period class, then get up and leave, come back for my fifth period class, spend about five minutes yawning then disappear into the ether. I spent most of my Junior High and High School years coming and going whenever I felt like it.
My Social Studies Teacher used to mark on his calendar each time I showed up to his class and make a big announcement to everyone that I was there. I'd show up 25 minutes into class and leave 5 minutes later, He used to always tell me to "Stay Classy Mr Nelson" LOL.
I have no problem with people getting an Quality Education, but ONLY if that's what they want. Like I tell all the young people I encounter whether they be Nephews, Nieces, or strangers. Go to School if you want to Learn and feel that it's something that is worth your time. Don't go because it's "The Law!" or because someone says you have to, do it because you want to.
Life is all about Decisions and the Consequences from those Decisions. No Regrets!
Heather O May 1, 2013 at 12:44 pm
While I agree that this mother should have called in to report that her child would be out, there…Read More absolutely must be notification from the school to the parent if the child is absent and it has not been called in.
I assume an automated system exists here that is supposed to do that, but I have no first-hand experience with it.
And a system like that is important, not just to catch the kids ditching school, but from a safety perspective. This hit me hard last fall when a girl walking to the elementary school that I attended was kidnapped and murdered on her way to school (Jessica Ridgeway - Westminster, CO). In that case the school did call to notify that she was not there, but the mom was sleeping (she worked nights) and did not get the message until late in the afternoon. I really don't know what else could have been done there - I don't think it's practical for a live person to place each and every call and make sure they speak to a live person for notification of the absence.
Heather O May 1, 2013 at 12:44 pm
While I agree that this mother should have called in to report that her child would be out, there…Read More absolutely must be notification from the school to the parent if the child is absent and it has not been called in.
I assume an automated system exists here that is supposed to do that, but I have no first-hand experience with it.
And a system like that is important, not just to catch the kids ditching school, but from a safety perspective. This hit me hard last fall when a girl walking to the elementary school that I attended was kidnapped and murdered on her way to school (Jessica Ridgeway - Westminster, CO). In that case the school did call to notify that she was not there, but the mom was sleeping (she worked nights) and did not get the message until late in the afternoon. I really don't know what else could have been done there - I don't think it's practical for a live person to place each and every call and make sure they speak to a live person for notification of the absence.
Margaret Jean Mikel April 29, 2013 at 04:50 pm
FINALLY!!! The district has hired a principal that is not going to retire on us!!!! I do not know…Read More him personally but I am involved with a lot of the staff at NMHS and I hear nothing but praise about Phil. From my view our school has gone downhill since Patty Christa. She kept that school going strong in all areas, especially academics!
She was strong to deal with all the problems and the students and parents looked up to her. I was so excited when Dave Marken became our superintendent, and still am, as he has made a difference, and know he will continue to do so. Now, with a good principal at the high school it is time for NMHS to excel again!!!!
Chris April 29, 2013 at 11:01 pm
Phil seems like a highly qualified and passionate man; a great leader for NMHS!! Hopefully the…Read More teachers, the union, the administration and the parents will unify and priortize what is important for the students first!!!
Mr. Morales obviously has what it takes to lead but he needs the cooperation from the other related parties in order to stabilize the environment and improve security, infrastructure, student scores and graduation rates!!!
Good Luck Phil!!!! "Pull 'em all together!!"
Teresa Estrada Mack May 3, 2013 at 10:06 am
Phil is strong, compassionate, and student-oriented! You go Phil!
Tony Doot May 20, 2013 at 08:18 am
Once again Shirley gets to play by her rules and to hell with everyone else. This is not Siskville!…Read More Granted, LOV has done some great services for this community but how much more could have been done if there were not so many Sisks on the payroll, if Bingo were handled properly, if donations were spent appropriately? I think it is about time for the State to step in to the Royal chambers and audit the organization. This attitude has been going on for YEARS and it needs to stop. Save LOV but get the Sisk family away from ANY money connected to it.
Nadja Adolf May 25, 2013 at 02:33 am
This week I received the most recent form 990 from LOV, covering the tax year from 11/01/11 to…Read More 10/31/2012.
This year, the gaming income and expenses were reported.
Regular bingo gross revenue was $416,000, with the entire $416,000 reported as cash prizes for the regular bingo games. This means LOV ran these games and did not generate any income for the charity.
The gross revenue for pull tabs, instant bingo, and progressive bingo was reported as $1,006,554, with an expenditure of $780,087 for cash prizes and $683 for non cash prizes. The rental and facility costs were reported as $78,976, a neat trick considering that the legal maximum for rent for a bingo facility is about $2K/month, and NUSD charges LOV less than $1,000 per month for the facility. Other direct expenses for bingo were reported as $86,662.
This means that out of a total bingo revenue of $1,422,564, the expenses were $1,362,408, and the net income for all gaming was $60,156, or approximately 4% of the total gaming revenue.
Nadja Adolf May 25, 2013 at 02:55 am
Generally, Bingo operators purchase a book of 2400 pull tabs that are each sold for one dollar. The…Read More payout on these is $1992, so the profit is $408, or 17%. It is unclear why LOV Newark is only receiving a profit of 4%.
All filers of Form 990 are required to complete Schedule 0 - but according to page 4 of the LOV return, this was not done. On page 5, the question asking whether the organization had complied with rules regarding withholding for reportable gaming winners was left blank. Considering that the entry for the organizational website (lov.org) was left blank on the first page of Form 990, this and other omissions are not surprising.
On page 10, we discover that $16,533 was spent on management occupancy, and $1,730 on management travel.
On page 12, we learn that no independent accountant compiled, reviewed, nor audited the LOV financial statements.
Between this, and the failure to perform backup withholding on gaming prizes, there is a great deal of room for money to simply wander out of the control of the charity. At the least, this indicates incredibly bad management and oversight, which is astounding given the business backgrounds of many associated with the organization.
Carol April 19, 2013 at 10:43 pm
I think those in city government will probably start distancing themselves if they haven't already.…Read More
We do need a new candidate to replace Ray who I believe is only on the board for medical insurance and has not shown real concern for school improvement . But that is only what I have seen during the last few years.
Nadja Adolf April 19, 2013 at 10:53 pm
First, we need to send emails to the school board letting them know our opposition to any extension…Read More of the lease that does not require LOV to pay all arrears before May 15th.
Then we need to get serious about finding candidates for the school board whose first and only priority is improving the education of Newark children. This means that Jan Crocker and Ray Rodriguez need to be replaced. We also need to rally to support Gary since I suspect he is being targeted more than Charlie or Nancy.
Here are the relevant school board email addresses:
jcrocker@nusd.k12.ca.us
nthomas@nusd.k12.ca.us
cmensinger@nusd.k12.ca.us
gstadler@newarkunified.org
rrodriguez@newarkunified.org
Andrea "Andy" francis April 20, 2013 at 07:50 pm
Nadja, Personally, I would eliminate Ray - he shouldn't be talking on the subject - just for the…Read More record Ray, I do not care about your Legal opinion - the Ethical perception in the community out weighs that and no words should come out of your mouth - I believe you have served on the Board and currently are still on their letterhead - I do not care in what capacity - your allegiance has never been broken with this organization - and you just sat there knowing they were in arrears with the rent and DID NOT SAY or DO A THING???????
I have to apologize as I should have said something at the Board Meeting last Tuesday- Boards around the country have censored members for less!
So Zip It!
Nadja Adolf April 18, 2013 at 03:41 am
Wouldn't you really rather be chasing a car than writing these silly anonymous poison pen letters?
Andrea "Andy" francis April 19, 2013 at 09:11 pm
May I add I would like to know that the person "Loves, Likes, and Respects Kids!"
reggieqh1 April 11, 2013 at 10:15 am
Inquirer NO ONE said they shouldn't promote it for those Students that clearly have a chance of…Read More attending college, but they should also offer alternatives to our children. Schools used to promote trades, Etc. Now the mantra is "college" or bust & go into debt to get there... Then years later cry to the president about those student loans because you followed what was pushed down your throat.
Andrea "Andy" francis April 20, 2013 at 08:07 pm
Personally, the curriculum at the High School should be as tough as we can make it. At the same…Read More time provide for the necessary Tudor, Support for those children who need it. What a concept - Give them the Tools!
Challenge the kids, they are better off and will work to the challenge - they need to know- like James, and reggieqh1 have stated, you get out of a job exactly what you put in - Hard work, drive = satisfaction - I applaud you both!
Teach the kids the basics and teach them well. When they feel good about themselves - Watch Out- as anything is possible -
Speaking as a parent who challenged our kids growing up and both turned out phenomenal, doing very well. One College Grad and other attended but did not graduate.
My Question is this between 81-91 - the time I served on the School Board - the requirements were high - when and who allowed them to get watered down?
All responsible have not done one child any favors and shame on them! I could put it stronger but you get my point.
Andrea "Andy" francis April 20, 2013 at 08:09 pm
P.S. What happened at Crossroads -75.7 down to 57.1 - someone needs to be taken out behind the…Read More woodshed - These kids matter too - NUSD get in and research what is going on and FIX IT!
anon March 18, 2013 at 07:32 pm
For those interested in how much money goes to California education system from the California…Read More Lottery please see the following link. One needs to remember, when the lottery started and made the promise that funds would roll to education, the lottery commision could not dictate how the funds were spent. Instead of becoming "extra" money, the lottery proceeds become budgeted income.
Just think where your property taxes would be without the money flowing from the lottery.
http://www.calottery.com/giving-back/how-much-money
Christen March 18, 2013 at 11:13 pm
Connecting Waters Charter School, which is an independent study program (homeschooling).
Newark Unified Offers Free Summer Lunches for Community…
Comment 3 Recommend Zoneil Maharaj (Editor)