In the U.S., more than 5,000 schools from all 50 states will participate. Children and adults in 40 countries, nearly 4 million people, participate worldwide. International Walk-to-School Day is promoted in the U.S. by Safe Routes to School.

Walks will begin between 7:40 a.m. and 9:00, with students and adults gathering at neighborhood locations to form “walking school buses.” Activities at their destinations will include assemblies with elected officials.

Congratulations and thanks to Safe Routes to School Coordinator Kara Sergile for organizing the largest Walk in Southern California right here in Glendale. At the September 20 Glendale City Council meeting, Sergile, PTA Council President Elizabeth Manasserian, and a group of GUSD students were on hand to receive the mayor’s resolution naming October “Walktober” – International Walk-to-School Month.

Sergile acknowledged Glendale Public Works, a co-sponsor of the event. Transportation head Jano Baghdanian was with the group and announced to council that working with Sergile, city staff have applied for and received $1.5 million in grants from Caltrans for Glendale Safe Routes to School transportation improvement projects and educational programs.

More information is available at:
International Walk to School in the USA
National Center for Safe Routes to School
International Walk to School

For detailed information on Glendale’s events, contact Sergile at 626-590-6273 or 818-637-2872.

Joylene Wagner, Glendale Unified School Board President, and Nayiri Nahabedian, Glendale Unified School Board Clerk, are both members of the League of Women Voters of Glendale/Burbank, and will co-moderate a panel discussion on this subject Wednesday, September 21, beginning at 7 p.m. in the Glendale Unified School District Meeting room, 223 N. Jackson Street, Glendale.

Panel guests include
Dr. Richard Sheehan, Superintendent, Glendale Unified School District
Mr. Stan Carrizosa, Superintendent, Burbank Unified School District (pending)
Dr. John Garcia, Deputy Superintendent, Glendale Unified School District
Dr. Katherine Thorossian, Asst. Superintendent, Glendlae Unified School District
Ms. Lori Adams, Math Teacher, President of the Burbank Teachers’ Assoc.
Several students from Clark Magnet High School (pending)

The forum is open to the public and written questions can be submitted on the night of the panel discussion.

The mission of the League of Women Voters is to provide outstanding voter education and to encourage citizen engagement. Part of that mission involves studying important public policy issues to educate members, and, if a consensus is reached on a position, to publicly advocate for change.

The $3,000 estimated cost for “wrapping” the truck, which Risner purchased for the band, was a daunting prospect as the small band was limited in its ability to raise funds. Lexus of Glendale stepped in to sponsor the wrap, which was designed by Hoover student Kathryn Paguio and formatted by Hoover art instructor Jason Pinsker. Lexus also offered to refurbish the truck ahead of its “wrap.”

Arts foundation Hoover Groove donated $1000 to the project, which will pay for interior build-out materials for storing instruments.

Congratulations to Hoover High School, its marching band, and band instructor Martin Rhees (who suggested acquiring a vehicle that would protect high-quality instruments during transport). Thanks to Michael Risner, Lexus of Glendale, Hoover Groove, and the many others that worked on this project for the benefit of the school’s music program.

Parents trying to help kids with math homework, take note. The website has an extensive library of free math tutoring lesson links: YouTube blackboard expositions on math concepts in basic arithmetic to differential calculus, with economics and finance lessons thrown in, compiled by a guy in his mid-twenties to help his young cousin.

Today is the last day to register to vote in Glendale’s upcoming municipal election. Go to the Glendale City Clerk’s webpage glendalevotes.org for more information on the upcoming election, and on how to register.

Today at 6 p.m., Metro is offering an online open house, a web-based interactive version of its Series 3 “710 Conversations” on the scoping process; the public can provide input to Metro and Caltrans on their plan (as yet undefined) to close the 710 gap. The final Series 3 meeting in Glendale will be at GCC, Tuesday, March 22 (check this listing for details).

Today at 7 p.m., the Glendale Homeowners Coordinating Council is participating in a joint meeting with the Glendale Unified School District in the district boardroom, 223 N. Jackson St., to discuss the state of Glendale schools and Prop. S. Call (818) 249-8642 for more information.

Consultants have completed Series 2 on the California Environmental Quality Act and National Environmental Protection Act (the Star-News published this report on the South Pasadena meeting) and are now proceeding through Series 3 while Caltrans solicits input on scoping issues. Why continue to drain public time and money, when the project isn’t even clearly defined and cost estimates that exist range from $3 billion to $14 billion? How can such expense be worth it when the state has so many pressing needs?

At Glendale High School Saturday, state legislators and Congressman Adam Schiff met with stakeholders to discuss state education funding. The meeting was open to the public, but most attendees were school board members, administrators, and teachers. Field Elementary School Principal Ana Maria Apodaca said her school library is closed because it can’t afford a librarian; Rowland High School senior Henna Idrees said a class preparing students for academic competition has been canceled; and Clark Magnet High School Senior Lyova Zalyan said Clark no longer holds 7th period classes, and has seven fewer teachers than last year.

Legislators commented after the presentations: State Senator Carol Liu said Governor Brown has taken a bold step by proposing to eliminate redevelopment agencies; State Assemblyman Anthony Portantino emphasized “We have to get our priorities straight and our priority should be educating our kids.” The Glendale News-Press covered the event further in its Sunday edition.

Back to digging ourselves out of a hole: Governor Brown should consider cutting off all state funding for 710 freeway extension studies, starting now. Billions of dollars could be better spent. A 6-mile tunnel, through a known earthquake zone, facilitating more vehicle traffic and pollution, likely to rack up egregious cost overruns well past its incredibly expensive low-ball estimates, is a project California should stop now, and it should be a top target for legislators looking for funds to reallocate.

In addition to school district staffs and student representatives from across the region, the following are confirmed for the forum:

Congressman Adam Schiff
State Senator Carol Liu
State Senator Ed Hernandez
Assemblyman Mike Eng
Assemblyman Anthony Portantino
Assemblyman Roger Hernandez
Ron Bennett, President of School Services of California–moderator

GUSD board member Joylene Wagner has announced this at the last two regular board meetings and is urging Glendale citizens to attend. Other state high officials have been invited and could appear, although they are not confirmed at this point. The program is sponsored by:

California School Board Association Region 23
Los Angeles School Trustees Association
Five Star Coalition
San Gabriel Valley Education Coalition

Glendale residents: you haven’t got far to drive. Go, and join the discussion about California’s education system, finances, and future.

Saturday, March 12, 2011, 1-3 p.m.
Glendale High School Auditorium
1440 East Broadway
Glendale

District officials discussed these issues at a Northwest Glendale Homeowners Association meeting organized to air concerns about the enrollment lottery, which could exclude students living just beyond 1/2 mile from any of the schools.

Notes from the lively discussion:

GUSD Superintendent Richard Sheehan stated “We wrote the grant to be successful.” – His point was that finding funds to keep good programs going is a priority for the district. School Board member Christine Walters had remarked in an earlier conversation, “All the funds we get come with strings attached; this is no exception.”

The publicity surrounding the award emphasized that it created three new GUSD magnet schools – Arts (Keppel), Technology (Edison), and Foreign Language (Franklin), but it is actually a desegregation grant with incentives for students to enroll in schools outside of their neighborhood or district. Assistant Superintendent John Garcia said GUSD lobbied for a provision giving priority to local students living within 1/2 mile of each school, as the federal grant typically doesn’t accommodate any local preference.

Homeowners hoping to send their children to the nearest local school, or property owners hoping to sell their home based on the local school’s reputation, didn’t have that guarantee even before the grant was in place, said school officials. District caps for K-3rd class sizes have placed some GUSD students in schools farther from their homes for years.

Intra-district permits are already being given to 5% of GUSD students who choose to attend other schools. District officials cited statistics showing that an increasing number of students within Mark Keppel’s boundary have elected to attend other schools.

Communication between the school district and the community it serves emerged as a critical need, as the homeowners felt they weren’t informed about this important change in the local school enrollment system. School Board President Greg Krikorian said GUSD will be hosting a special joint meeting March 21 with the Glendale Homeowners Coordinating Council.

Last takeaway: The Great Recession rolls on, forcing compromises, changes, and possibly elimination of educational programs at every level in this state. GUSD board members must stay abreast of developments, be sensitive to the community they serve, and show they are capable of making very tough choices. TUNE IN to the GUSD School Board race – attend the Forum tonight in the GUSD Board Room, or watch on GREGtv (Channel 15 or 99) – and make sure to vote in the upcoming April 5 election.

Walters said that applicants to GUSD’s special programs will first be put into two pools: one for the dual-language immersion programs, and one for the technology and the arts magnet programs. Priority enrollment goes:
First to students currently enrolled (who can stay where they are),
Second to siblings of students currently enrolled,
Third to students at “program improvement” schools**,
Fourth to students within a .5 mile radius (for up to 25 percent of available slots)
Fifth to district students enrolled in the free/reduced lunch program (up to the percentage at each school site that matches the district-wide percentage),
Sixth to any other GUSD student, and
Last to applicants outside the district.
**Currently, no GUSD elementary schools are No Child Left Behind Act “program improvement” sites failing to meet Adequate Yearly Progress goals.

Walters says she is very interested to learn what families have actually chosen for their students. The district is still processing applications for the magnet and dual-immersion programs, and a lottery will only be held if there is more demand than available slots at any site. Walters also said the district has never guaranteed that students will be able to attend the closest local elementary schools, as overcrowding at some sites has historically been a problem.

Walters was responding to community concerns about the new enrollment policies reported here.

The Gem of Glendale Award recognizes one outstanding student (male or female) who is engaged in community service that reflects the core values and mission of the Commission on the Status of Women. The community service should include service to women and/or girls in areas such as homelessness, health, leadership, and financial literacy.

Those eligible must have (or be):
• Graduating high school seniors
• Residents in the city of Glendale, attend private school in the City of Glendale, or attend public school within the Glendale Unified School District
• Registered in an institution of higher education for the Fall 2011 semester
• Minimum GPA of 3.0
• Provided community service that benefits women and/or children

Download Nomination Form here.
Deadline: 5 p.m., February 18, 2011
Return nominations to:
City of Glendale Commission on the Status of Women
Gem of Glendale 2011
613 E Broadway, Suite 200
Glendale, CA 91206

For more information:
phone: 818-548-4844
fax: 818-547-6740
email: women@ci.glendale.ca.us