Dr. Ovick Elected President of California State Superintendents’ Association

In looking for a leader with proven success, guidance skills, and applicable experience, during these challenging times in California public education, Contra Costa County Superintendent of Schools Joseph A. Ovick, Ed.D. was recently elected as the 2012 president of the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association (CCSESA). His commitment to this post will begin in January of 2011, serving as president-elect, with his presidency following in January 2012.

CCSESA provides the organizational mechanism for the 58 County Superintendents of Schools to design and implement statewide programs to identify and promote quality cost-effective educational practices and services, and provide support to school districts in the areas of student services, curriculum and instructional services, fiscal accountability and business services, and technology and telecommunications. CCSESA advocates on behalf of K-12 and early childhood education at state and federal levels. The organization maintains a website at www.ccsesa.org.

“Our state’s public schools have been forced to continually find ways to do more with less, as we watch our education budgets plummet,” says Dr. Ovick. “I look forward to working as president of CCSESA organization with county superintendents across the state to provide the stability in leadership and advocacy for our children’s education that is so crucial to the future of California.”

Dr. Ovick was elected to this position due to his extraordinary capabilities as a leader and manager who has developed strong coalitions of educators, community members, business leaders, and legislators in support of public schools. He has always been known to successfully communicate a compelling vision, and bring together the people and resources required to accomplish that vision.

Congressman George Miller, Chair of the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee says, "I have often turned to ‘Joe’ for unvarnished, detailed information about education and youth. His keen insights and wealth of information often help me make decisions about shaping, supporting or opposing key pieces of legislation."

Dr. Ovick advocates for all learners in the state and the nation by providing sound, practical counsel to legislators in the crafting of key education legislation. In addition to his tireless advocacy for K-12 funding, he has gone to bat for establishing universal preschools, because he supports a young child's right to enter elementary school prepared. He is a strong advocate for funding of community colleges and state universities. He travels to Washington, D.C. annually to update and discuss educational concerns with our members of Congress and the U.S. Senate. He is also a longtime strong voice for special education in his quest to secure full funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Dr. Ovick has been an educator for more than 40 years. He began his career teaching special education students in Santa Clara County, followed by serving as an assistant principal and principal. Later on, he joined the Contra Costa County Office of Education, as director of special education; assistant superintendent, student services; and associate superintendent, business. Since 1996 he has been the county’s superintendent of schools. In each of these jobs, he has maintained direct contact with students, and as superintendent, he visits classrooms regularly.

Dr. Ovick obtained his BA and MS at San Jose State University, followed by earning his Ed.D. at the University of La Verne.

California’s 58 County Superintendents of Schools and their respective county offices of education support the financial and academic stability of every district and school in the state. The primary aim of County Superintendents is to work collaboratively with school districts to ensure that every student benefits from a quality educational experience, regardless of their circumstances.

County Superintendents

The position of County Superintendent of Schools, established in the California State Constitution in 1879, has evolved to meet the changing needs of the state and its students. The responsibilities of these constitutional officers fall generally into these categories:

• Educating specific student populations (i.e., special education and disenfranchised youth);
• Monitoring and oversight of student academic environment;
• Implementing regional support activities to assist district and school staffs;
• Monitoring and oversight for district fiscal stability;
• Providing direct services to small school districts; and
• Providing academic support and assistance to districts and their schools.

*Quick Facts:

• There are 6.2 million students in California (Source: California Department of Education, Educational Demographics Office (CBEDS, 2008/2009)
• There are 1,043 districts in California (2008/2009)
• There are 58 County Superintendents in California
• 53 County Superintendents are elected; 5 are appointed
• Appointed County Superintendents include: Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco and Santa Clara
• There are 7 single district counties in the state: Alpine, Amador, Del Norte, Mariposa, Plumas, San Francisco, and Sierra

Two CCCOE Cabinet Appointments Have Been Filled

As part of the senior managerial portion of the Contra Costa County Office of Education’s (CCCOE) reorganization plan, Superintendent of Schools Joseph A. Ovick, Ed.D. recently announced two prominent changes to the organization’s cabinet. Current CCCOE cabinet member, Karen Sakata, has been named as the new associate superintendent of human resources and Pamela Comfort, Ed.D. has been hired to serve as the associate superintendent of educational services, a move that combines the departments of Educational Services with Student Programs and Services and eliminates one associate superintendent position.

In continuing to successfully meet the demands of providing quality service to the county’s students, teachers, and school districts, while also working within its own ongoing budget cuts, the CCCOE has been enacting a number of changes within its organization. The most significant change has been the recent voluntary early retirement of 51 CCCOE teachers, classified staff, administrators, and directors. Of those 51 vacated positions, approximately 20 (primarily teachers and instructional aids) will be replaced by new hires in the very near future. Another considerable adjustment with the CCCOE is the recent merging and restructuring of departments inside the agency, which makes these two cabinet updates so important. Since May 2008, Sakata has been the CCCOE’s associate superintendent of student programs and services. Prior to joining the CCCOE, Sakata was serving as principal of Ayers Elementary School, in Concord (Mt. Diablo Unified School District). Sakata brings more than 35 years of experience as a classroom teacher and an education administrator to her new position. She will be replacing the recently retired Associate Superintendent of Human Resources Michael Bowers.

“Karen [Sakata] was the perfect choice for this position because of her experience regarding personnel issues and because she is a graduate of the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) Personnel Academy and has attended the ACSA Personnel Institute,” reports Dr. Ovick. “She has assumed a leadership role backed by ten years of experience with negotiations, and she has both school district and COE experience with recruitments, staff evaluation, and conflict resolution, as it relates to providing quality services, while fully recognizing that the most important resource that we have is our staff.”

With the recent vacancy of Sakata’s former position and the retirement of Associate Superintendent of Educational Services Susan Magnone, the departments of Educational Services and Student Programs and Services were recently merged and will now be directed by Dr. Comfort.

Dr. Comfort joins the CCCOE after serving for the past two years as the assistant superintendent of educational services with the Newark Unified School District (Newark, Calif.). Prior to that position, she was the director of instruction and program improvement with the San Lorenzo Unified School District (San Lorenzo, Calif.). Her impressive work experience also includes other administration, principal, and teaching positions held with other Alameda County schools and schools districts, beginning in 1992.

“We feel very fortunate to have Dr. Comfort join us here at the CCCOE,” continues Dr. Ovick. “Her excellent background and vast applicable experience will be so important to fill this new cabinet position.”

These two appointments, as well as a number of other CCCOE employee and departmental changes were officially enacted on July 1, 2010.

Aster Tadesse Named CCCOE's Teacher of the Year

In acknowledgment of her exceptional work and longtime commitment to assist others to become more successful members of society, the Contra Costa County Office of Education (CCCOE) selected instructor Aster Tadesse as their 2010-2011 Teacher of the Year (TOY). For the past 14 years, Aster has been a health education and human development instructor for the Oakland Parole STAR program.

The STAR (Substance Abuse Treatment and Recovery) program is a curriculum-based educational program designed to motivate parolee substance abusers to participate in post-release recovery activities. New skills are presented which help individuals understand the relapse process and prepare for smooth, drug-free community transition. The core components of the STAR curriculum address the process of addiction, the method of recovery, anger management, and community transition, as well as other essential elements that provide participants with information designed to ease substance abuse recovery.

Before coming to the CCCOE, Aster worked with substance-abuse patients serving as the director of a methadone clinic in San Francisco and later worked with chemically addicted parole violators at the Santa Rita Jail in Pleasanton. "Working in these two environments, I found that to be effective, I had to combine counseling and psychotherapeutic methods with practical advice-giving to motivate and empower these clients," says Aster. "I would say that I see my fundamental role as that of an educator, someone who teaches students how to learn, not simply what to learn. I use inspiration, care, and humor to help my students deal with the demons that pursue them."

"The majority of Aster's students face significant barriers, and she assists them in facing their fears, and teaches them new ways of living their lives free of illegal drugs and alcohol dependence," says Principal Shannon Swain. "Through a curriculum that focuses on anger and stress management, effective communication skills, the development of healthy relationships, and relapse prevention tools, she continues her tireless quest to see all students succeed."

Aster has a B.A. degree in linguistics from Addiss Ababa University, located in her native country of Ethiopia, and earned her M.A. degree in clinical psychology from New College of California, in San Francisco. Additionally, she has received teaching credentials from CSU, Hayward; CSU, San Jose; and the University of Phoenix.

Along with her 19 fellow distinguished TOY district representatives, Aster will be honored at the upcoming Teacher of the Year Dinner Celebration on September 23, at the Concord Hilton. The special evening will conclude with the exciting announcement of this year's Contra Costa County Teacher of the Year. The reciepient will then go on to represent the county in the California State TOY competition.

Gardens Abound at County Office of Education Sites

When you look at the impressive activity and bounty in the COE's gardens, it's obvious that spring is here with summer right on its heels! Recently, we had a chance to visit the bustling gardens growing on our education sites: O'Hara Park Middle School (Oakley), Liberty High (Brentwood), Turner School (Pittsburg), Mauzy School (Alamo), and Delta Vista High School at the Orin Allen Youth Rehabilitation Facility (Byron). Here's a brief crop report:

O'Hara Park Middle: Brian Brady, SMH teacher, recently applied for, and was awarded, a grant for $1,200 from the California Fertilizer Foundation. Pam Emery, representative of the Foundation, presented Brian and his class with a check, a shovel, a Home Depot gift card, and a supply of fertilizer to get their garden started. This grant will help fund a planned multi-layered campus learning garden. Plans for the garden include fruit trees, shrubs, fast-growing fruit vines, bulbs, and flowers. The garden, and its student-learning activities, will support facets of the school's curriculum on a daily basis. 

Above, Brian Brady and Sean hold the grant check presented by the CA Fertilizer Foundation.



Liberty Transition students, Christine (left), Jonny (center) with Instructional Assistant (IA) Cheri Aranda, and David (above), love their work in the Liberty garden.

Brian Brady plans to consult with James Koch, CBI teacher at Liberty High, on their new garden. Liberty is home to the first COE garden. Named in honor of former East County Student Programs Principal Evelyn LaTorre, the Liberty garden is a beautiful site to see, featuring fruit trees, flowers, and many types of vegetables. James holds a degree in conservation of natural resources with an emphasis on native flora of California, and brings a wealth of knowledge to the program. 


Left, Turner IA, Marlene Laisure, shows Malik the chard before the harvest. Teacher's assistant and volunteer, Harland (standing), from Sue Madole's Antioch CBI class, helps Sam with the hand trowel in preparation to plant their spring veggies.



Turner School: Last year, Turner's garden project got off the ground with the help of Augie Marabuto of General Services, and Eloise Lovelace of Pittsburg CBI. Augie built the handicapped-accessible raised garden beds, and Eloise helped with raising garden donations. All of the classrooms at Turner participate in the garden, planting, weeding, and harvesting the bounty of vegetables which are enjoyed by students in the classroom, as well as the students' families and staff members. This year's winter garden included chard, spinach, cilantro, peas, cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce, and onions. "We are currently planting our spring and summer veggies," said Marleen Laisure, instructional assistant in Robert Keller's SMH class. "We look forward to enjoying tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers, string beans, and cucumbers with our students this season." 



Mauzy School: "Dave Verdin, our facilities worker, has worked very hard on the garden to get it ready for this season's planting," reports Paula Ramsey, office assistant at the school. "The tomatoes are in and we will be growing zucchini, beans, and herbs this season." MaryAnn Purcell's class is very involved in working the garden, as it is located right outside her classroom. 



Delta Vista High School (DVHS): Students at DVHS are also learning gardening skills in their huge on-site garden. Annually, the Discovery Bay Garden Club collaborates with the school to provide plants for the garden. In addition, the club works closely with the boys in the garden. "There is a therapeutic aspect woven into their work with our students," said Lynette Martelle, instructional assistant at Delta Vista. "The volunteers teach the students how to love and nurture the plants, flowers, and vegetables. The hope is that the boys will learn gentleness and nurturing skills that they can apply to their life." Lynette shares that many of her students have benefited from their time in the garden. Their comments have included, "I love working in the garden... when I go home maybe I can help my grandma in her garden." Others have said, "I am going to have a garden and do this at my home. This will keep me busy, focused, and out of trouble." The harvested vegetables from the garden are taken to the kitchen for all of the residents and staff members on site to enjoy.


We wish all of our sites a bountiful harvest this season!

Contra Costa SELPA Annual End of the Year Celebration to Honor Several COE Employees

Eight employees of the CCCOE (along with business partners and outstanding students) will be honored at the 20th Annual End of the Year Celebration to be held at the Lone Tree Golf Course in Antioch, May 20.

Congratulations to the following employees for their individual achievements:

• Lisa Ecker - teacher, severely handicapped (SH), Turner School
• Katherine Grant - teacher, severely multiply handicapped, Heritage High School
• Anthony Lucas - teacher, SH, Los Cerros Middle School
• Jim Mattson - teacher, multiple subjects, Delta Vista High School
• Frank Escarnio - instructional assistant, Golden Gate Community School, Martinez
• Lori Tovar - instructional assistant, Transition Program

Additionally, the CCCOE administrative support team will receive an award in the Distinguished Program category. Members of the team include:

• Susan Lee, accountant, Special Education
• Georgia Williams, administrative assistant III, Student Programs

Congratulations to all of you for your recognition!

Above from left, Georgia Williams and Susan Lee.

ROP Auto Tech Students from Las Lomas High Win Scholarships

Left to right, Alexey Fedorov, ROP Teacher Steve Boone, and Lionel Khan at the
Las Lomas High Auto Shop.

Two ROP seniors from Las Lomas High won first place in the Northern California division of the Ford AAA Student Auto Skills competition held at the Blackhawk Automotive Museum on May 7, 2010. The team of Alexey Fedorov and Lionel Kahn got a perfect score on the hands-on aspect of the competition, diagnosing and repairing everything that was malfunctioning on their test car, and scoring very high on the written test as well. As a result, they each won a $20,000 scholarship from Universal Technical Institute. This is the first time the Contra Costa County ROP Auto Tech students have won this annual competition. The purpose of the competition is to encourage highly qualified students to enter the field of auto technology.

"Being part of this competition was a confidence builder for these students," says ROP Instructor Steve Boone. "It opened the door of opportunity for a career in the auto industry."

Congratulations to ROP Instructor Steve Boone and his winning ROP students!

ROP Robotics Team Wins Award at World Championship Competition

Photo, top row: David Lambertson, Andy Renwick, Kristian Strotz, Nick Bublitz, and Daniel Baldwin. Bottom row: Shelby Lope, Kevin Mayo, Ethan Padilla, Matt Johnson, and James Hodgskiss. Not pictured: Will Grebe and Kyle Albert.

Students from Michael Smidebush's CCCOE ROP Robotics Engineering class (pictured above) at Concord High took home three trophies in a Northern California spring competition, and qualified to go to the VEX World Championships in Dallas on April 22-24, where they won the Educate Award.

The Educate Award is given to a team that has successfully integrated VEX Robotics into their Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) curricula. The students were interviewed on several occasions by multiple judges. When the award was presented, the judges said, "This robot was built as a bi-product of the school's STEM curricula that encouraged the students with great enthusiasm to learn about robotics. Students proved themselves with great integrity and innovation to earn funding from the ROP sponsor for building their robots. The creativity and out-of-the-box thinking of the students was just an outcome of the school's sheer support through the inclusion of robotics in the curriculum."

Congratulations to ROP Robotics Engineering Instructor Michael Smidebush and his Concord High robotics team!