News Briefs | FYI | April 17, 2023

Association of California School Administrators

News Briefs | FYI

April 17, 2023

Schools warned of flooding risks due to record snowmelt

Schools in flood-prone areas should prepare for possible flooding as California’s record snowpack melts in the coming weeks, according to reporting from EdSource.

With a recent survey showing Sierra snowpack at two to three times the historic average, the resulting snowmelt will send a deluge of water into rivers and streams, putting nearby schools at risk for flooding.

According to EdSource’s analysis of federal FEMA data, one in five California schools are at high or moderate risk of flooding.

In the article published April 5, EdSource interviews school leaders whose campuses have already been damaged by flooding this year, including those in Pajaro USD, Planada ESD and Sunol Glenn USD.

“The school’s 100 years old and it never flooded. This isn’t something we’d even thought about. Until now,” said Sunol Glenn USD Superintendent Molleen Barnes, who was interviewed about the Dec. 31 storm that caused the tiny creek behind the school to swell beyond its banks, leaving 18 inches of mud in classrooms.

Meteorologists and water management experts quoted in the story warned of “inevitable” flooding in the coming months, especially around Memorial Day, when snowmelt will overwhelm the water system and put the state’s levee system to the test.

These risks resulted in the California Department of Education warning some 500 districts to prepare for flooding, according to the EdSource article. Schools at risk are encouraged to update their emergency plans, check to see if they have flood insurance and begin sandbagging.

CA school enrollment dips to 5.85 million students

Enrollment in California schools is still declining, although closer to pre-pandemic trends, according to the latest figures released April 4 by the California Department of Education.

In a press release, the CDE said student enrollment is beginning to stabilize due to increased enrollment in kindergarten and grades seven and 11. The increases held enrollment statewide to a 0.67 percent decline, which mirrors reports from other states, including Michigan, Virginia and Illinois.

The numbers are from a point-in-time “Census Day” headcount taken on Oct. 5, 2022. The data are reported to the state by more than 900 school districts, 58 county offices of education and about 1,300 charter schools. Changes are anticipated as a more detailed picture of enrollment becomes available later this year. This additional information will include local corrections to submitted data and student population fluctuations during the year.

For the 2022–23 academic year, preliminary enrollment figures show the statewide total at 5,852,544 students, down 39,696 (or 0.67 percent) from the previous year. In comparison, academic year 2021–22 showed a statewide decline of 1.84 percent, representing more than 110,000 students; 2020–21 showed a 2.6 percent decline, representing more than 160,000 students.

Private school affidavits filed with the state also show a self-reported decline in private school enrollment of 3,147 students.

At grade level, the latest enrollment data show that the largest increases in statewide public school enrollment were in kindergarten, seventh and 11th grades. The largest decreases were in second, eighth and 10th grades.

COE helps develop app that turns job readiness into a game

San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools Workforce division partnered with Mountain Desert Economic Partnership and app developer Skillsgapp to create an innovative game called, “The Employables.”

“The Employables app is an innovative way to bridge the gaps between the needs and opportunities right here in our community and make our community the perfect place to learn, work and play,” said County Superintendent Ted Alejandre, in a news release.

The free-to-play app provides a fun, safe digital space for students to practice the necessary soft skills employers are looking for in potential employees. It also encourages users to explore high-wage and in-demand career opportunities in the Inland Empire.

Users are able to create and customize avatar characters and play minigames that help them develop the soft skills essential to the workplace such as communication, creativity and critical thinking.

“The Employables” also shares information about regional career pathways through a feature called the “Job Board.” As users make their way through the game, they will unlock new job board entries that include industries such as education, government, transportation, logistics and utilities, which are all growing fields in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

In order to level up from a new hire to an executive role, players must use their positions to navigate the fictional company called Menagerie Inc. where their coworkers are animals.

Before the simulation-style mobile game went public, more than 600 San Bernardino County Arts Media and Entertainment students participated in a beta test, providing vital feedback on gameplay enhancements. The beta test provided students the opportunity to work with an authentic work-based learning experience.

The first week “The Employables” launched, it ranked No. 14 in educational games on app store platforms. The app is available to download on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Visit https://bit.ly/EmployablesAPP for more info.

FYI

Join ACSA Committee/Council events in April, May

ACSA’s Committees and Councils will hold the remaining Virtual Networking Events in April and May. All administrators are invited to attend these meetings based on their job function and/or interest. The last meetings scheduled for the 2022-23 school year are Small School Districts Committee (April 21), Student Services and Special Education Council (April 21), Early Childhood Education Council (May 3), Human Resources Council (May 15) and Adult Education Council (May 17). Pre-registration is required using a unique Zoom link. Visit www.acsa.org/committees-councils and click on the Virtual Networking Events tab to register.

Classified credentialing program RFA due June 16

The sum of $34 million remains from the $125 million that was appropriated for the California Classified School Employee Teacher Credentialing Program in AB 130. Grant awards of up to $4,800 per participant per year over the life of the grant, through June 30, 2026, may be made to funded applicants. Eligible applicants are local education agencies — school districts, county offices of education or charter schools — interested in securing grant funding to recruit and support classified staff who already hold an associate or higher degree to complete a bachelor’s degree and earn a California teaching credential. The Request for Application for this grant opportunity is now available, and proposals must be received at the Commission on Teacher Credentialing by 5 p.m. on June 16. Visit the Classified Grant Program webpage for more information at www.ctc.ca.gov/educator-prep/grant-funded-programs/Classified-Sch-Empl-Teacher-Cred-Prog.