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Program for Friday March 7, 2003

Anna Vega, City of Richmond Director of Finance

Anna will discuss the impact of the 2003-04 public sector revenue shortfall and its impact on the city.

Door Duty: Dan Ercolini and Ted Smith

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Program for Friday March 14, 2003

Joe Samuels, Chief of Police for the City of Richmond

Door Duty: Charlie Fender and Diana Becton Smith

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Program of February 28, 2003

Gloria Johnston

Prez Dave moved right into the program introducing Dr. Gloria Johnston, club member and Superintendent of the West Contra Costa Unified School District. Dr. G. started her career in education in the Midwest moving to south America and Southern California. She is starting her fifth year as Superintended of the WCCUSD.

Dr. G. started by thanking Dr. Herb for leaving the district, "in such good financial shape", but noting that today's program is not going to dwell on the very real financial problems facing the district. Instead it will focus on the district's core business, education and learning. As background, Dr. G. offered a few current statistics about the district:
·There are about 35,000 students in 61 school environments.
·The district covers 110 square miles from Kensington to Hercules.
·The district's current ethnic makeup is;
35% Latino/Hispanic of which 30% speak English as a second language.
29% Afro-American/black;
20% Asian of which 5-6% are Filipino living in Hercules;
16% Caucasian/Anglo-white.

Dr. G. said the district is currently engaged in a three year initiative called "It's Literacy". The effort considers literacy a "civil right" that includes being taught how to read, write. speak, compute and effectively problem solve, and, it is being taught in every WCCUSD classroom, not just in English/language arts. Dr. G. then asked the members to look at the Goals 2005 descriptive sheets on the tables and consider the district's 5x5 Plan focused on five major goals to be achieved by 2005. The goals are:
1.90% of third grades reading at grade level, a goal that will measurably improve all future education.
2.90% of all students passing algebra.
3.100% of all students passing the High School Exit Exam

which begins in 2004. Dr. G. noted that students who do not pass the test will not, "get to walk", no matter how well they did in their classes or GPA. Several hundred '04 grad candidates have not yet passed the test. Many of them are new to English learning.
4.Close the achievement gap in reading that separates Afro-Americans & Latinos from Anglos & Asians.
5.Close the achievement gap in math that separates Afro-Americans & Latinos from Anglos & Asians.
While describing the 5x5 Goals Dr. G. said, "What we are learning as we investigate and disaggregate the data in our schools is that our schools are engaged in institutional racism*." Acknowledging that some may find that shocking, "…our schools are perpetuating racism". Dr. G. described the evidence of institutional racism as cumulative, coming to light when you examine:
a)Educational materials used;
b)Instructional strategies;
c)Gate keeping, i.e. how we determine who gets into what classes;

With reference to Goals 4 & 5 above, Dr. G. said equity, not equality in education is the new theme in public education across America. Closing "the gap" that separates ethnic groups means providing students the educational resources and experiences they need, not "equal education". Noting that impoverished children arrive at school without benefit of the most basic childhood experiences (being read to, coloring, using scissors, knowing their ABCs, etc.), they need the school environment to provide these experiences. Enriched children, who arrive at school with all their childhood skills (the ability to write their names, letter sounds and large spoken vocabularies, established reading skills and positive learning experiences), need an entirely different set of educational resources. "Equal education" for these two groups consigns the impoverished child, especially in a "Standards Based" performance environment (like current testing policy) to perpetual learning inadequacy. When "Standards Based Education" becomes passing the High School Exit Exam, "equal education" means that students who started out as impoverished kindergartners will not graduate from high school.

Historically, using the "normal curve", public education has always tolerated student failure as a natural component of the educational process. Some students were expected to fail. No one ever asked the question, "What must we do to get every child to 'reach the bar?"'' Noting that some students will surpass "the bar", Dr. G. said that exceeding the standard is not the challenge in public education today. Today's challenge is to make sure that every student, "meets the standard".

Dr. G. then talked about one of the standards, the Academic Performance Index (API). API expresses in one number the relative ranking of a school to all the other schools in the state. API shows that some WCCUSD schools are "1's", the lowest ranking in the state (17 schools, 32.6% of school sites) and some are "10's", the highest ranking in the state (2 schools, 3.8% of school sites). Dr. G. then asked, "How would you like every aspect of your life boiled down to a single digit? What would it tell you? Not very much." Dr. G. said the single digit rating system masked significant changes made by some schools and did not recognize the accomplishment of good schools that maintain good programs in an ever changing socio-academic environment.

Returning to the district's objectives, Dr. G. said that the 5x5 Goals have a short term "Literacy Road Map" providing a short term focus and interim goals for the 2002-03 academic year. Four areas of focus within the 5x5 Goals are:
1.Curriculum instruction, what and how we teach.
2.Professional development, training adults to tech more effectively.
3.Accountability and assessment, working hard at internal data gathering and using the data to make teaching program improvements.
4.Stakeholder engagement and communication.
Dr. G, said that some teachers are unhappy about the focus areas, especially #3, because it has resulted in several program changes during the current teaching year. This is almost unheard of in public education as program change has traditionally been relegated to the summer "vacation" months (which is no vacation for school leadership). Dr. G. sited an example of specific change resulting from data gathering that indicated that first grade reading was on track, but kindergarten reading was significantly below grade level. Resources were reallocated from first grade to kindergarten to bolster reading learning in kindergarten. The quick change upset some teachers who were unaccustomed to it and in some circles considered it limiting academic freedom/classroom choice. Dr. G's official position is that, "We can discuss academic freedom after every child in your class is reading at grade level".

Dr. G. has been personally gratified to work with the Stoltsky (sp) Foundation who have been very helpful working on focus #4, stakeholder engagement and communication. They have facilitated community outreach through focus groups seeking guidance on how best to pursue the campaign for literacy. Dr. G.'s Stoltsky coaches are helping organize a major Stakeholder Event for April 5th with the location to be announced soon. The morale boost from the Stoltsky Foundation is as important to Dr. G. as the technical assistance provided.

As Prez Dave threatened to ring the bell, Dr; G. asked the members to give the "math gap" the same attention and excellent support they have given the "reading gap". Two final comments were made about the budget cuts:
1.The district must cut $12,000,000 from its budget and there will be major layoffs resulting.
2.Class size reduction is "on the list" for cuts, but the final decision will be made by the School Board.

*Institutional Racism is a phrase you've probably heard a lot but may never have seen defined. Two Internet definitions are provided below in order to stimulate discussion of the subject and consideration of Dr. G.'s assertion that the WCCUSD is institutionally racist. The writer notes that hyperlink one is American in origin and includes racist intent as part of the definition. Hyperlink two is British and ascribes racism to consequence or result, regardless of intent. The writer would also offer a third definition based on personal experience with the district through the '80s and '90s, concurring with Dr. G. that the district is institutionally racist. The third definition, in spite of the encouraging comments about movement toward educational equity, is that the WCCUSD, institutionally, can not make "educational decisions", making instead, "race based educational decisions" that truly institutionalize racism. In the WCCUSD, race is invariably used to justify the most altruistic and most self serving and inept decisions the district makes.

http://www.webref.org/sociology/I/institutional_racism.htm
http://www.cre.gov.uk/media/nr_arch/nr020624.html

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Last Week
President David Brown rang the bell. He then asked our favorite returning Rotarian, Bart Wallace, (who has recently been buffeted by typhoon and tofu, to lead the members in the Pledge of Allegiance. (Bart offered to lead the Pledge in Japanese or English.)

Prez Dave's quote for the day - - - An ancient Chinese proverb, "If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant trees; if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people." And "If you are planning for your middle age, buy [reading] glasses." The latter a non-ancient Prez Dave proverb..

Guests:
Jim Young introduced three fellow members of the Arlington Community Church, United Church of Christ (Congregational), Dr. Allan Essex, Dr. Concha Delgado and the Rev. Dr. Shirlee Bromley, current interim Pastor at ACC. Jim noted that Congregationalists have always placed the highest value on education, from the Rev. John Harvard's donation of his personal library, for the creation of a school of theology, to the role of the members of the First Congregational Church of San Francisco in creating the Charter of the University of California in the 1850s. Currently ACC is in the process of calling a permanent minister and "schools", along with housing and salary are the three principal issues that all candidate ministers are requiring the church to address.

Werner Schwarz introduced Beth Gelfand from the Center for Citizen Initiatives. Beth working with Dan Tanita brought the Russian dentists to visit the Bay Area and the club. Prez Dave thanked Beth for being the instrument returning his long lost suit case that traveled with the dentists back to the Russia. (Dave told the story about the suit case but it is too long for here, except to note that the club expect to host Russian visitors again, probably in 2005)

Visiting Rotarians
Although not really a visiting Rotarian, Prez Dave again recognized the prodigal Rotarian Bart Wallace. Bart was so pleased to be back in Richmond (no kidding) that he usurped Prez Dave's agenda and thrust out $20 Happy Dollars to be back from, "… a country where nothing works, Guam, and a country where everything works, Japan, to be home again." Bart said he is really happy to be home.
Prez Dave was delighted to see that besides Bart there was another "visiting" Rotarian, Michael Fenley. Prez Dave welcomed Michael back too and asked where he had been? Michael acknowledged that things had been crazy at a couple of levels and he was sorry he has been gone. As a brief accounting Michael noted his truck had been stolen out of his driveway, but that he was glad to have a new SUV with the help of John Nicol.

Announcements
Prez Dave held up and passed out the East Bay Rotary Club's insert from the Fe. 26th West County Times. They were sponsored by our club and the other East Bay clubs and it put Rotary Club in a good light. Without making specific reference to all the misspelling in the article about our club, Prez Dave recognized Werner who said he had the name of the lady responsible for all the misspellings. Dave and Werner then compared their spelling of Peres, as in the elementary school; Dave = P-E-R-E-S; Werner = P-E-R-E-Z. With Werner actively trying to pin the blame for the misspelling on somebody named Vicky at the West County Times, Prez Dave and the club gleefully pronounced Werner "guilty" of poor spelling and poorer excuse making and fined him $20, settling for $19.95.

Spelling aside, Prez Dave then acknowledged, with great pleasure (and pride) the Citation he received honoring Werner J. Schwarz for his service in the Four Avenues of Service to Rotary. The Citation is signed by International Rotary President V. J. Ratatat and was presented to the members ovation. Werner accepted the Citation and recognized the work that both he and Rich B. put into their effort to get a $5,000 matching grant for education interpreters for Haifa Israel from the Rotary Foundation. Werner noted that the grant effort only took two years and 14 separate applications, the last of which was not lost by Evanston.
District 5160 will have its Conference, "Festival in Fairfield", in Fairfield April 24th-27th complete conference details can be found @ http://www.rotary5160.org./conference.htm.

Showing the lightening ability to think on his feet that the legal profession is famous for, Prez Dave noted that April 26th is between April 24th & 27th. He asked Paul Hodgen what we do on April 26th? Paul correctly replied, "Xmas in April", and gave a brief description of this years planned effort. The club will take on two houses this year (moans and groans from the members). This is because they represent two lightweight efforts. We looked at a heavy project but decided it was beyond the scope of the club to successfully finish. David K., Dan E., Paul and Prez Dave made the final decision on the house and they feel the club will be able to have fun doing both projects as well as complete them in good order. Paul will be circulating a signup sheet for the project which is the last Saturday in April. Prez Dave said that participation in Xmas in April is way down this year as there were only four reps for all the other clubs combined. Paul is looking for 20 to 30 members to participate in the project.

The Rotary License Plate program has until March 15th to get 2,500 new sign-ups. You have more time if you thought about getting a Rotary License Plate but did not act. Prez. Dave reminded the members that a good reason to participate in the program is because our club gets 50% +/- of the fee collected by the State. More information is available @ http://www.ca-rotarylicenseplates.org.

Prez Dave encouraged the members to nominate qualified young people for a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship. The application deadline is March 31st. For more information contact Richard Flanders @ srednalf@pacbell.net or 925-469-9155.

The RI Convention for 2003 will be in Brisbane Australia Registrants from our District are eligible for the Visa known as Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) provided they hold a US Passport. They can apply online or through a travel agent. To apply online have them visit: http://www.eta.immi.gov.au/index.html.
Both a Passport and Visa are required, and you don't want to be "stopped at the gate" because a Visa has not been ordered early enough for travel to Australia.

We will meet on Friday April 11 and Friday April 18 at
La Strada Restaurant in San Pablo. More renovations at Mira Vista?

Recognitions
David K. had no sunshine report , including no update on Father Chris' leg condition. Dave K. reminded the members that he depends on them to keep him informed of any news that should be reported to the club.

Joey Baggs, claiming he was, only following orders, asked the Sergeant at Arms to collect $5 from all members not wearing their Rotary pin. Having picked on Werner enough for one meeting, Joey moved on to a belated anniversary recognition from last year…Michael Fenley had celebrated his anniversary the day before Xmas, or as Michael noted it is sometimes called, Christmas Eve. Michael said their 18th anniversary celebration was a lovely dinner in the City with a walk around Union Square admiring all the decorations, which he and his wife really appreciate being put up each year for their anniversary. Michael belated celebrated his anniversary with a $100 check to the Rotary Foundation.
Joey turned to Donna Uriyu and said she celebrated her birthday on Valentines Day. Donna said it was a good birthday and she was keeping her promise to Joey "to be ready" and make good "on the Xmas thing". So Donna donated $300 to the Rotary Foundation, Polio Plus and her son's Paul Harris.
Joey then turned to Judge Joanie who is having a birthday TODAY!, which was followed by a chorus of Happy Birthday. Judge Joanie said it is the third anniversary of her 39th b-day. Joanie said that, unfortunately, she has been quite busy (not good in her line of work), but she would contribute to her husbands Paul Harris and Polio Plus.

Happy/Sad $$
David K had Happy Dollar(s) for his visit to the Richmond Chamber of Commerce last Wednesday, and the largest office in the City of Richmond, which is occupied by RCC Executive Director Judy M.
Joanna B. had Happy Dollars for Project Seed being back in three classrooms at Peres (z?) Elementary School. And, an apology to Allan Essex whom she didn't recognize in the context of the Richmond Rotary Club.
Judge Joanie had Happy Dollars for the great ski trip they just had as a result of winning the El Dorado coupon she won at the Xmas Auction.
Judy M. had Happy Dollars for the departed disruptors of her (the RCC) office, who after their disruptive visit left in a "big black car".
Joey Baggs had $5 Happy Dollars because his daughter was on her way home to spend the weekend, "…and that is going to be good".
Charlie Fender had Sad, Happy, Happy, Dollars (in reference to Cal), "Sad for the loss to Arizona, Happy to see such a pro team, and, Happy for the pending victory Saturday against ASU".
Prez Dave had a "…fist full of Happy fives…", because he is having dinner with Earl Brown Sunday in Puerto Villarta.

Coming Speakers
March 21st - Don Arnold, Chairman of the Pomo Indians who are proposing the creation of an Indian Reservation/Casino in the inner harbor will discuss this scheme including how it might help resolve the revenue shortfall issues being faced by the city.

Raffle
There was $231 at risk. Dr. G. picked David K. as the rafflee. David picked a white ball.
Prez. Dave rang the bell and the meeting was adjourned.

Jim Young,
Editor