2015 in Review

Jesse Ortiz

Yolo County Superintendent of Schools

2015 in Review

 

Program

• Alternative Education Re-organization:
• Closure of Midtown School
• Closure of Einstein Center
• Opening of Cesar Chavez Community School
• Process started for Dan Jacobs and Cesar Chavez to be accredited schools
• Re-organization of Special Education to Educational Services
• Re-organization of Human Resources office to report directly to Superintendent's Office
• Greengate School Phase I playground complete
• Greengate School $25,000.00 grant from Sunrise Woodland Rotary to complete Ruby Falls playground 
• Greengate enhancement of storage space 
• Educationally Related Mental Health Services (ERMHS) Team develops Yolo County Crisis Team 
• Special Education Parent Advisory committees
• Adult Living Skills parent meetings 
• Passed Federal Head Start audit 
• $350,000 Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS) County-wide state preschool grant 
• $330,965 Center based general child care and development (CCTR) Grant for infant/toddler program
• $320,108 California State Preschool Program (CSPP) Expansion Grant for preschool program
• Early Childhood Education Intern Program Head Start partnership with Woodland Community College and YCOE College and Career Readiness
• iPads for Special Education students/teachers
• $2,000 grant from U.S. Bank to promote literacy California Career Pathway Trust Grant (CCPTG) awarded to YCOE for $2.8 million 
• CTE Teach – New teacher mentor grant and National CTE industry certification testing grant for $22,750.

Leadership

• YCOE belief in:  Communication-Respect-Transparency
• August Retreat to define YCOE focus areas:
• Communication
• Professional Development
• Human Resources
• Student Services
• District Accountability – LCAP 
• Fiscal Service
• LCAP retreat with YCOE Team.  
• Union negotiations completed for 2014-15:
• YEA, CSEA, and AFSCME
• New Management Evaluation form
• Re-organization of YCOE Leadership:
• Superintendent Advisory Team (SAT)
• Cabinet Team
• Leadership Team
• Support for 16 Administrative Secretaries to attend a professional development training
• Hiring of new administrative leadership:  Assistant Superintendent SELPA; Special Education Director; Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Student Services/Alternative Schools; Cesar Chavez School Principal and school counselor. 
• YCOE Staff Appreciation Day Celebration in June. 
• Butte COE/Migrant Education partnership to lease YCOE space
• YCOE recruitment at Sacramento State teacher education program 
• LCAP Info graphics for school districts
• LCAP trainings scheduled for school districts 
• Project Solar Energy Academy CSBA Golden Bell and CCBE Apple for Excellence Awards received in December. 
• EPIC Charter School in West Sacramento implementation support.
• California Assessment of Student Performance & Progress (CAASPP) Trainer of Trainer Institute for Yolo/Colusa school Districts
• Completed Career Guidance lesson plans for state website – contract with California Department of Education 
• Memorandum of Understanding with In-Shape, Woodland fitness center & YCOE for employee wellness
• California Math Science Partnership (CAMSP) grant awarded $500,000 to train 52 teachers in robotics and 32 teachers on the Solar Suitcase initiative.
• Sponsorship of following forums/workshops: 
• January Forum:  State of The State in California Education 
• What Educators Need to Know About AB540 Students forum. February. 
• April Literacy – 3rd Grade Reading focus Forum
• Yolo Countywide New Principal leadership training. July
• Yolo County Education & Equity Series:
• Educational Status of Children in Yolo County. September
• Children & Family Poverty. November.
• The Cost of High School Dropouts to Yolo County. February 18, 2016
• Social Determinants of Health. April 21, 2016
• Horacio Sanchez, A brain based approach to improve instruction and close the achievement gap workshops for educators and community. September.  
• October Elected Officials Breakfast meeting with district superintendents. 
• October Read to Succeed Conference
• YCOE has participated in planning state conferences: 
• California Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) Conference
• California Global Education Summit
• Association Career Technical Educators (ACTE) Region V Conference
• Recognized for 2015 as one of 25 most influential Latino Leaders in Sacramento region by Vida De Valle/Sacramento Bee newspaper 

Community 

• Social Media presence:
• New YCOE website
• YCOE Facebook
• Marketing videos on:  YCOE general overview, Greengate School, Alternative Ed, and Head Start
• Paperless Board meetings
• YCBOE room change
• Development of Yolo County Preschool for All Committee
• Formation of Yolo County African American Advisory group
• High School Voter registration partnership with Woodland League of Women Voters
• Partnership with Woodland United Way to promote literacy
• YCOE Weekly Job Opportunities published every Monday
• YCOE participation in 5K Turkey Run for Yolo Food Bank
• YCOE Community/meeting room re-organized with table and monitor 
• YCOE reception room re-organized with board pictures and monitor 
• Support Kinders Go to College in Woodland JUSD and Washington USD