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education programs to provide two years of preparation. Currently, teacher credentialing programs in California — which does not offer undergraduate degrees in education — are one year long. The author of SB 5, Sen. (and aspiring secretary of state) Alex Padilla of Pacoima, argued that teachers-in-training are expected to learn so much in a single year that it makes sense to offer them and their credentialing institutions more flexibility.
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THE INDEPENDENT
augusT 29, 2013
On a night when the Santa Barbara school board discussed the role of fundraising in influencing how bond monies are spent, La Cumbre Junior High School principal Jo Ann Caines announced plans by La Cumbre’s foundation to raise $252,470 in order to improve the exterior of the school’s auditorium — the third-largest venue in the City of Santa Barbara, Caines pointed out to the board. Bond funds have already been pledged to improve the interior of the theater, which is outdated compared to facilities at other secondary schools. Students at Adams Elementary School learned about the marketing potential of corporate sponsorships and got some swag to boot when Costco delivered 424 backpacks for kindergarten through 4th graders on the first day of the school year. Inside the bags were back-to-school essentials including folders, scissors, rulers, and erasers. “In order to be prepared, you need to bring your backpack to school,” Principal Amy Alzina told her students after reading a poem about success from a children’s book cowritten by legendary basketball coach John Wooden. Union Bank also donates
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backpacks — via the United Way — to Franklin Elementary School.
STATE A bill authored by State Assemblymember Das Williams to protect wildlife from potentially cruel and unusual deaths was signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown on 8/26. The bill targets the nuisance wildlife trapping industry — and is meant to protect pet dogs and cats — by imposing stricter restrictions on specific traps, when and where they can be set, and their sizes. It also specifically outlaws killing caught animals by drowning, chest crushing, or injecting toxic chemicals such as nail polish remover. “We share this planet with wildlife,” Williams said in a statement. “Animals cannot speak for themselves, so we must speak for them and stop their torturous, slow and painful deaths.”
PEOPLE Army Specialist Kenneth Alvarez of Santa Maria was killed 8/23 in Afghanistan when an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated near him, killing the 23-year-old and another combat engineer. Alvarez was stationed in Haft Asiab, Afghanistan, and was assigned to the 2nd Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade at White Sands Missile Range, NM. He was a graduate of Delta High School. In recognition of his service and sacrifice, the City of Santa Maria lowered its flags to half-staff last week. Alvarez leaves behind a wife and young child and was remembered at a funeral service for his everpresent smile and infectious sense of humor.
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Dog Days for High Schools
In a rare split vote, the Santa Barbara school board approved the renewal of a contract with Interquest Detection Canines to provide drug-sniffing dogs for one more year. For the price of $13,500, a handler and a dog will pay 60 half-day visits to the district’s high schools to sniff around classrooms and parked cars. Trustee Pedro Paz and Board President Monique Limón both dissented. Limón — along with Annette Cordero, who is no longer on the board — also voted against the dogs when they were first brought on. “It’s just not an investment I feel confident about,” Limón said, noting that she had just heard a story about a student whose backpack was identified for marijuana even though there were no drugs in it. Drug use has been trending down for three years, she pointed out, while the dogs have only been here for one. Ed Heron said that the dogs are there to keep drugs off campus, not for intervention. He pointed out that the district invests way more in intervention than prevention: for instance, $195,000 on counselors from the Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse. He and Kate Parker said they felt the dogs played a role in the decreased number of drug-related suspensions. “It’s correlational data at best,” said Pedro Paz, who analyzes data for his day job as a program evaluator with First Five Santa Barbara County. Although Superintendent David Cash noted that all of the high school principals requested one additional year of the dogs in order to collect more data, Paz said that wouldn’t make a difference if the district did not devise a scientific study. He said that he couldn’t vote for an investment of taxpayer dollars based on “faith.” He and Limón also mentioned that the kids are “savvy” about avoiding detection. For instance, they warn each other about the dogs via text. And due to legal precedent, they are allowed to take their bags with them when the dogs inspect their classrooms. Trustee Gayle Eidelson, who voted with the majority, said, “As a parent, school boardmember, member of this community, it’s important … to say this is something that’s not allowed on campus. I feel the drug dogs are a tool enforcing that message.” — Brandon Fastman
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We don’t want to kick a gift horse in the mouth.
– 1st District Supervisor Salud Carbajal on a possible new model for funding anti-recidivism services.