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September 18 Friday Update: Community Events; Facilities Master Plan Help; Redistricting Commission
September 18, 2020
Happy Friday WCCUSD community,
Week 5 saw the return of blue skies and two powerful events that highlighted the voices of parents/families and the community.
Will McGee, the Director of the Office of African American Student Achievement, and team hosted the Black Family Engagement and Empowerment Speaker series Tuesday evening, featuring Dr. Pedro Noguera. Dr. Noguera, a former Berkeley Unified School District trustee and current Dean of USC’s Rossier School of Education, spent the night talking about the challenges and the successes that African American students and families face not just in WCCUSD’s educational system but nationwide.
Dr. Noguera emphasized the importance of not only parent/family involvement in students' education, but the role schools and families need to play, in order for students to thrive. We need to work together to close the opportunity gap and to ensure all students, specifically African American students, can and do thrive.
Wednesday, the WCCUSD community provided additional feedback about the draft Learning Continuity Plan (LCP) and how the collective plan is moving forward with Distance Learning. We heard again the need for mental health and social-emotional supports for students and families. WCCUSD’s team is working to create a menu for all the resources and options for students and families. So please stay tuned.
Throughout the week, the benefits and importance of parent/family involvement were highlighted and we have two immediate ways for involvement that will have a dramatic impact on what the WCCUSD looks like in the future.
The first way to get involved is to help create the district wide criteria and metrics for an update to the Board approved 2016 Facilities Master Plan.
The Facilities Master Plan is the guiding document for the District’s schools and buildings and it needs to be updated. Thanks to the residents of West Contra Costa County, Measure R, a $575 million facilities Bond passed in March. You can get involved in two ways:
- Complete the Community Survey
- Fill out the Self Nomination Form for the Prioritization Committee
- We need family/parent and student representatives from each of the high school families.
The survey and nomination form are due Friday, October 9.
Another opportunity to get involved is with the Independent Redistricting Committee. For the first time this year, West Contra Costa County residents will select school board trustees based on one of the five trustee areas in which they reside. The trustee areas do not affect the current school location boundaries.
Following the November 3 election, the boundaries for the five trustee areas will need to be reviewed and possibly revised based on the 2020 federal census data that will become available in 2021. The District has committed to using an Independent Redistricting Commission to conduct that review and make decisions about any possible revisions to the trustee area boundaries.
Thelton Henderson, a retired Senior United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California and the first African-American Civil Rights attorney for the US Department of Justice in 1962, will select the committee members.
Applications for the Redistricting Committee are due Friday, October 30. More information can be found at https://www.wccusd.net/redistrictingcommission.
Finally, I want to continue to remind EVERYONE on the importance of the school lunch forms. We need EVERY family, regardless of income and or free and reduced priced lunch status to complete the form (English | Spanish). Completion rate and information from the forms impacts the budget and WCCUSD’s ability to provide services and resources. Please fill out the form, share it and encourage other families to complete it.
Thank you again for another great week. Stay safe, enjoy the clear skies, and please remember to continue to follow the physical distance guidelines and wear a mask.
Have a great weekend.
In community,
Matthew Duffy
Superintendent