Google Maps recognizes Phoenix Central Neighborhood Association as a Favorite Place on Google

Congratulations! You have made Phoenix Central Neighborhood Association a Favorite Place on Google. Between July 1 and September 30, Google users found Phoenix Central Neighborhood Association listed 5547 times, and requested driving directions or other information about our association 216 times.

Because we are so popular, Google provided a decal that shows citizens we are a Favorite Place on Google. The sticker includes a special bar code that citizens may scan with cameras on their phones. Then they can see Phoenix Central Neighborhood Association listings on Google, read and write reviews, and be added as a favorite right there. Our office is located in the Executive Towers Condominiums at 207 W. Clarendon Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85013. Stop by and visit the facility and ask the office manager, Cindy Lee or one of the front desk attendants if you can capture the special bar code from the sticker. We have placed it on the condo resident bulletin board in the mail room adjacent to the lobby.

Send us an email at Info@PhoenixCentral.org if you have problems.

We look forward to providing you with more and better ways to grow the Phoenix Central Neighborhood Association.

Alton J. Jones
Chairman
Phoenix Central Neighborhood Association

PhoenixCentral.org

GOVERNING BOARD CALLS FOR MARCH, 2010 BUDGET OVERRIDE ELECTION

The Phoenix Union High School District Governing Board called for a Maintenance and Operations Budget Override election for March 9, 2010 to request voter authorization to continue the existing override that was approved by voters in 2005. The action was taken at the December 3 Governing Board meeting.

The call for the override was in response to a November override which failed to pass by some 1,000 votes, resulting in Phoenix Union facing a reduction of $4.5 million to the District’s M&O budget for the 2010-2011 school year and subsequent reductions as the current seven-year override phases out.

Overrides are voter-approved measures allowing the school district to exceed its operating budget limit by 10 percent each year. The operating budget is used to pay teachers and support staff, along with supplies, repairs, utilities and student transportation.

The proposed seven-year override, if approved, would be for an estimated $13,682,823 for 2010-2011. Homeowner and business taxes would not be increased, according to District officials, because the proposed tax rate for the full amount is estimated to be $0.18, which is approximately equal to the existing override tax rate, and will continue programs that have been in place with prior years’ override approvals. The override portion of the Maintenance and Operations Budget is approximately $18 for a home with an assessed value of $100,000.

Renewal of the override will not generate any new money for the District, but will permit Phoenix Union to maintain programs:

• To preserve smaller class sizes in all grades
• To continue alternative education programs and interscholastic athletics.
• To sustain enhanced course offerings for more rigorous college and career preparatory classes
• To continue to offer students elective courses such as student government, performing arts, vocational education and Junior ROTC
• To attract and retain the highest qualified educators in the profession
• To keep small schools such as Cyber, Bioscience and Franklin Police and Fire open
• To retain student services and counseling as well as security staffing

School districts utilize overrides because the State Legislature does not fully fund inflationary increases to public education. In fact, in the current state budget crisis, reductions to Phoenix Union are projected to be $6.5 million in 2010-2011. Failure of the override would force the District to reduce its operating budget over the next three years by more than $13 million, through the loss of services, programs and employees.

Source: Phoenix Union High School District

Feel Good Story from Phoenix Union‏

A package arrived recently at Camelback without a return address, with two books, a note and a money order. The note revealed that the books were from the Camelback Library, and the writer explained that he (looked like man’s handwriting) had been a student at the school in 1958, but his family moved to Colorado hurriedly and he was unable to return the books. But he calculated that at two cents per day delinquency dues for 51 years, he owed $745. He wrote that he sent along a few more dollars in case the rates had changed over the years, and the money order from “almost a graduate,” was for $1000 to the Camelback High School Media Center. Librarian Georgette Bordine was thrilled with the find, and plans on using the money to buy books. She is also going to frame the letter. Principal Chad Gestson has written a thank you letter to the mystery person whose only identification was a P.O box in Walsenburg, Colorado. The two books were from a National Audubon Society series: Community of Living Things : Forests and Woodlands, and Field and Meadows. Bordine says they were in good shape and still relevant for student reading today.

Source: Phoenix Union High School District

planPHX - Big Question #2‏

IMAGINE PHOENIX IN 2050. WHAT DO YOU SEE?

Go to www.phoenix.gov/planphx and go to Events to find a Visioning Workshop during the month of November.

The Phoenix Central Neighborhood Association participates in the Encanto Village group.

Source: City of Phoenix Planning Department

METRO TECH HOSTS FALL GARDEN FESTIVAL & COMMUNITY FAIR

WHAT:

Metro Tech has turned an annual Fall Garden Festival into a full-scale community celebration to showcase the high school to neighbors, prospective students, and parents.

Students and staff will showcase the unique school, which features over 20 Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, as well as a four-year academic program. This year Metro Tech has been awarded a grant from the Science Foundation of Arizona to create educational projects to help reduce our carbon footprints. This Festival will include a new interactive presentation area that showcases eco-friendly ideas in addition to our famous plant sale, crafts, food, silent auction, rummage sale, kids play area, student art show and exhibits, and portraits at affordable prices. Student organizations such as Future Business Leaders of America, DECA and SkillsUSA, and local businesses will have booths and displays.

Seminars with Metro Techs’ new partner HealthCorps® will also take place.. HealthCorps is a non-profit organization founded by renowned heart surgeon and talk show host, Dr Mehmet C. Oz, to educate and empower students in high schools across America to take charge of their health. Metro Tech is one of only 50 schools nationally offering this groundbreaking program. The HealthCorps curriculum is focused on nutrition, fitness and mental resiliency. Health Coordinators, recent college graduates who defer studies in medicine or healthy policy for two years to mentor teens, carry out the mentoring program.

Metro Tech High School is a comprehensive magnet high school in the Phoenix Union High School District serving 1,420 full time students and almost 1300 dual students from other Phoenix Union schools that enroll in morning or afternoon CTE classes as juniors and seniors. CTE programs are designed to prepare students for entry- level career opportunities, as well as technical, college or university studies. The school also offers evening classes and vocation programs specifically designed to the meet the needs of special education students.

Metro Tech is a Performing Plus school, and Meets Adequate Yearly Progress in state and federal accountability rankings, reflecting its strong academics and student achievement.

WHEN:

Saturday, October 24th, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

WHERE:

Metro Tech High School
1900 W. Thomas Road in Phoenix. (corner of 19th Ave. and Thomas)

WHO:

Metro Tech students and staff, parents, community members and local businesses

CONTACT:

Mary Throop Metro Tech Practical Horticulture Teacher (602) 764-8183
Chris Liebelt-Garcia, Metro Tech Business Teacher (602) 764-8376

Source: Phoenix Union High School District

Vote NO on Your School Override on Nov. 3rd‏

Half of the school districts in the state are holding override elections on November 3rd. (Early ballots have already been mailed to voters.) In some cases, school districts are asking taxpayers and voters for more money. In other cases, they are asking taxpayers and voters to maintain spending at current levels.

The truth is that your school district has plenty of taxpayer money--more than enough to pay for excellent teachers and good administration. The simple fact is that they are WASTING MUCH OF YOUR MONEY.

According to page 6 from the Annual Report of the Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction, school districts in 2008 had revenues from all sources of $9,232,916,095:

http://www.azed.gov/annualreport/AnnualReport2008/Vol1.pdf


On page 8 of that report, you can see that Arizona school districts in 2008 had 951,117 students.

Do the math, and you find that Arizona school districts had resources of $9,707 per child.

(Beginning on page 58 of the superintendent’s report, you can look up the figures for specific school districts, which are organized by county and then in alphabetical order by district).

If your child’s average classroom has 25 students, that means there is $240,000 of resources in that classroom. Think about that for a moment.

There is enough money in your child’s classroom to pay your child’s teacher a very good annual salary-and-benefits package of $80,000.

There is enough money to also have a special education teacher assigned to those students, and to pay that individual $80,000 a year. And, there is enough money left over to dedicate $80,000 for administration, athletics, facilities, and other overhead.

The problem is that your district is mismanaging that money. Much of the blame goes to labor rules imposed by the teacher unions. Good teachers are not paid nearly enough, and bad teachers are not given the pink slips they deserve. Instead, under the union pay scale, good teachers and bad teachers are paid the same. Also, most school districts are very heavy on bureaucratic overhead. Further, Arizona’s school system has spent lavishly on capital projects.

Powerful lobbying groups, such as the Arizona Education Association and the Arizona School Boards Association, promote the BIG LIE that Arizona schools do not have enough resources. Your newspaper editorial boards then repeat that BIG LIE. They tell us that Arizona is 49th in the country in per-pupil spending. Even if Arizona was 49th in the country, $9,700 per child is more than enough money to give Arizona the best school system in the country.

Again, the problem is not a lack of money. The problem is mismanagement.

On November 3rd, when it comes time to vote on your school district’s override, do not be bamboozled by promises that more money will lead to increased student performance. There is no evidence whatsoever to support that notion. If you give more money to Arizona school districts, they will very likely continue to waste that money.

America ’s government schools have sucked up more and more money for decades. Since 1970 we have more than doubled per-pupil spending, in constant dollars. Sadly, we have very little (if anything) to show for those investments when it comes to student performance:

http://www.heritage.org/research/Education/images/b2179_chart4.gif

If your school district is asking to renew an existing override, do not be blackmailed by the myth that the result will be drastic spending cuts. Even school districts that are trying to renew full 15 percent overrides will lose less than ten percent of their budgets if the overrides fail.

Even with a 20-percent budget cut, there would still be enough money in the average district to provide for an excellent education. Instead of an $80,000 salary package, the available resources in your child’s classroom could support a teacher and a special ed instructor at $64,000 each, leaving $64,000 per classroom for administration, athletics, facilities, and other overhead.

Charter schools in Arizona received $7,844 per child in 2008. That is 20 percent less than district schools. And yet, charter schools have proven to do a better job of educating kids, including disadvantaged student populations:

http://www.nber.org/~schools/charterschoolseval/

Further, many Arizona private schools provide an excellent education for tuition of less than $5,000 per year:

http://www.goldwaterinstitute.org/article/1851

There are proven ways to improve school performance, but they do NOT involve giving lots of money to mismanaged school districts. For ideas, start in Florida:

http://www.goldwaterinstitute.org/article/2577

The bottom line is that we need more education for our tax dollars, not more tax dollars for education.

Please join me in voting NO on the November 3rd school overrides.

Source:

Tom Jenney
Arizona Director
Americans for Prosperity

Step Up: College Going Summit‏

Two hundred Phoenix Union sophomores and their parents or mentors, and community and business leaders will attend Step Up: College Going Summit, Saturday, October 17 at Phoenix College, an event designed to prepare students in high school for success in college.

The full-day summit will include student workshops on habits of a successful college-bound student, elevating expectations and academic rigor, as well as parent workshops on a parent's role in college preparation, how to pay for college, and how to help their student build an academic portfolio. The summit is co-sponsored by ASU Vice President of Education Partnerships, the City of Phoenix, Phoenix College, Phoenix Union High School District and funded through a grant from America's Promise Alliance, which is holding 56 such events concentrating on urban schools across the country this year.

America’s Promise Alliance, founded in 1997 with General Colin Powell as its chairman, is a partnership of more than 300 corporations, nonprofits and advocacy groups whose top priority is ensuring young people graduate from high school, ready for college and life.

Besides individual workshops for parents and students, a community and business breakout session will include a call to action on how this segment can help with the mission followed by an action planning session focusing on ensuring schools, parents and community keep students on track toward post-secondary education.

Other community organizations include Be A Leader Foundation, Aguila Youth Leadership Institute, Helios Foundation, College Depot, Wells Fargo, ASU Undergraduate Admissions and Phoenix Union Foundation for Education. Phoenix Union teachers and counselors, ASU and Phoenix College staff will facilitate the workshops.

Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon; Phoenix College President Dr. Anna Solley and PUHSD Superintendent Dr. Kent Scribner will participate, with keynote presentations by Chrystal Morris, America’s Promise Alliance Vice President of Community Summits, and Dr. Deborah Gonzalez, PUHSD Asst. Superintendent.

The event is 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Lunch will include a college and community resource fair for participants.

Source: Phoenix Union High School Districts

Phoenix General Plan Update available for download

The Phoenix Central Neighborhood Association has requested the City of Phoenix Planning Department to make its presentation about the General Plan Update available online for download.

Click here to download a copy of this presentation.

FYI: It's a 4.6MB pdf.

Source: City of Phoenix

Encanto Village Visioning Workshop

Encanto Village Visioning workshops begin on October 5th.

Activity 1 asks Big Question #1:

What do you value most about Phoenix and why?

Please tell us!

Click here for further details.

Source: City of Phoenix

Canyon State and Metro Tech Open Arizona’s First Student-run Credit Union

Students of Metro Tech’s Banking and Financial Services program are teaming up with Canyon State Credit Union to operate the first student-run, on-campus credit union in Arizona. With the theme of Building Smart Money Managers, the Metro Tech Branch will hold its Grand Opening, Tuesday, September 29 at 10:30 a.m.

The Metro Tech Branch will offer financial services for students, faculty and staff members served by student volunteers under the supervision of Canyon State management and personnel. These Career and Technical Education (CTE) students will receive On the Job Training (OJT) credit. Interested students were interviewed, and six students were “hired” and trained for the semester-long positions.

The branch will be open on days when Metro Tech is in session, but limited to eight hours per week: Monday and Wednesday, 1:30 - 4 p.m.; Tuesday and Friday, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. and Thursday, 7:30 - 8:30 a.m.

Students can become credit union members by opening a savings account with at least a $5 deposit. Staff members can join with a $25 deposit. Free checking and ATM Debit cards are offered, however, students must have parent/guardian permission and credit approval. No loans will be processed at the campus branch, and withdrawals will be limited per day. However, members have access to five other Canyon State Credit Union branches in the Valley. The closest is the Osborn Branch, at 2440 W. Osborn Road, a few blocks from campus.

The Metro branch will also offer members entertainment discounts and club savings accounts so students can put money aside for such things as the prom, a class ring, college, computer or a car.

“I am thrilled to be able to give students this opportunity to gain work-based learning experience through on-the-job training at this branch,” Banking and Financial Services Instructor Barbara Renner said. “Part of this partnership will be a financial literacy program for the students at Metro Tech. The Banking students will be instrumental in educating the student body by teaching the benefits of having a savings account, the responsibility that accompanies having a checking account, and the basics of consumer lending.”

“Canyon State Credit Union is excited about the opportunity to open a branch at Metro Tech High School and help bring real world experience to the students,” Canyon State President Steve Dunham said. “Credit unions are committed to the philosophy of “People Helping People” and we look forward to a mutually rewarding relationship promoting financial education and helping the students prepare for their future.”

Metro Tech’s Banking and Financial Services is a two-year Career and Technical Education program that prepares students for entry-level positions in banks, credit unions, insurance companies and retail businesses.

Canyon State is a full-service, federally-insured state credit union with more than 23,000 members and over $140 million in assets. Now with seven branches, it has served Arizonans for 57 years.

Source: Phoenix Union High School District

Imagine Phoenix in 2050

The city of Phoenix is about to begin a very important project and we need your help. Every ten years Arizona State Law requires cities to update their general plans. The General Plan provides comprehensive direction for the growth, conservation and redevelopment of all physical aspects of the city through goals, policies and recommendations. This document is intended to be both long range and visionary and to provide guidance for actions over a long period of time. This project will be broken into two phases. Phase I - visioning, and Phase II - policy plan development. Phase I will kick off on October 5, 2009 and continue through June, 2010. Phase II will begin in September, 2010 and continue through September, 2011. The plan will be presented to the public for approval at an election in September, 2012.

Visit the Phoenix Central Neighborhood Association calendar page at www.PhoenixCenral.org/Calendar.html for specific workshop dates. The boundaries of the Phoenix Central Neighborhood Association (Indian School to Thomas Roads and 7th Avenue and 3rd Street) is assigned to the Encanto Village. A schedule for all villages can be viewed by visiting www.PhoenixCentral.org/village.pdf.

A different activity will be held each month. At the end of each workshop, more details will be provided regarding the activity for the next workshop. You are encouraged to share this list of meeting dates with your friends and neighbors and ask them to attend. These workshops are open to the public.

At the first workshops in October, you will be asked the question "What do you value most about Phoenix, and why?" To help answer this question, ask yourself how you came to be in Phoenix. Were you born here? Did you move here? What attracted you to Phoenix? What keeps you here? What stands out to you as a special moment, event or feeling during the time you have lived in Phoenix? WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! If you are not able to attend a workshop, please emai your response to planphx@phoenix.gov.

THANK YOU!!!

Source: City of Phoenix

George Brooks Jr. named new Governing Board Member‏

Dr. George Benjamin Brooks, Jr. has been selected to fill the vacant Phoenix Union High School District Governing Board seat by Maricopa County Superintendent of Schools Don Covey.

Brooks, who was sworn in August 20, will represent Ward 2. His first Governing Board meeting will be Thursday, September 3. He fills the seat vacated by Rev. Jarrett Maupin II, who resigned April 17. The term for ward representatives runs through December, 2010.

Brooks is an environmental scientist and consultant specializing in sustainability. A native of South Phoenix, he is the son of the late Rev. George Brooks, Sr., a civil rights leader in Phoenix. He has followed in the family’s tradition of public service, serving on a number of boards and committees, including the City of Phoenix’s South Mountain Village Planning committee, Central Arizona Project, and Executive Director of the Arizona Commission on African American Affairs within Governor Janet Napolitano’s administration. Two of his interests, science and education, were piqued when he was a board member of the Elementary Institute of Science in San Diego.

“I am thankful for the opportunity to serve,” Brooks said. “I believe my expertise in education, bioscience and sustainability can create additional connections and synergies between the Governing Board and those dedicated individuals seeking to move the district into tomorrow. Today’s 21st century global needs are knowledge-based. We must train our students whether they are scientists, politicians or technicians to meet these needs with excellence.”

“I am delighted to welcome Dr. Brooks to the Governing Board. He will be a tremendous asset to the Board and to the District because of his professional expertise, his involvement in the South Phoenix community and his personal connection to Phoenix Union,” Governing Board President Amy Kobeta said. “He has a real commitment to making sure that every student has success in career, college and life.”

Brooks, 53, is a graduate of East High, a former Phoenix Union High School District school. He holds a B.A. in Zoology from ASU, a Masters in Marine Biology from San Diego State and a Ph.D. in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences from the University of Arizona.

He is married with four daughters, including one who attends South Mountain High School, which is in Ward 2. The ward includes an area of Phoenix generally south of McDowell Road and east of Central Avenue. The downtown Bioscience High School is also in Ward 2.

The Phoenix Union Governing Board is made up of five members who represent wards or geographic districts, and two at-large members who represent the entire school district. Current members are Amy Kobeta, President, Ward 3; Linda Abril, Clerk, Ward 5; Dr. Cristy Lopez, Ward 1; David Lujan, Ward 4; Lela Alston, At-Large and Ben Miranda, At-Large.

* Governing Board Ward Map is available at www.PhoenixUnion.org/BoardMap

Source: Phoenix Union High School District

Bioscience Excels, Four Schools Performing Plus in State Achievement Profiles

Bioscience High School earned an Excelling label for the second year, and four schools were Performing Plus in the state’s Arizona LEARNS Achievement Profile rankings for 2009.

Metro Tech registered Performing Plus for the second year in a row, joined by Cesar Chavez, Betty Fairfax and Franklin Police and Fire. It was the first year, Fairfax and Franklin qualified for labels. Both schools had sophomores and AIMS testing for the first time last year.

Another 10 schools were Performing, while one small school, Cyber High, received an Underperforming label, the first time in seven years that every Phoenix Union school did not receive Performing or better.

In the No Child Left Behind federal accountability measure, four schools showed Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)— Bostrom and Metro Tech met for the third consecutive year, Bioscience for the second year, and Franklin Police and Fire met AYP in the first year of eligibility.

Bioscience, earned the top state ranking of Excelling by having a greater percentage of students scoring “exceeds” on the AIMS exams. A school’s percentage of students scoring the top score in AIMS is compared with the average percentage of “exceeds” scores per school in the state. For example, Bioscience had 88 percent of its students pass AIMS math, and 33% of those students “exceeded” the standards.

The small science and math school also had 96% pass reading, including 15% “exceeds.” In writing, 86% of the Bioscience students passed, with 12% of the students “exceeding.”

Performing Plus recognizes schools that have enough students demonstrating proficiency to earn a Highly Performing or Excelling profile, but do not have a sufficient number of students who “exceed” the AIMS standards.

The 10 Performing schools were Alhambra, Bostrom, Camelback, Carl Hayden, Central, Maryvale, North, South Mountain, Suns/Diamondbacks and Trevor Browne. Performing means that a school meets the state’s expectations with regard to student proficiency in reaching the state’s academic standards.

“The improved scores and resulting labels are a great tribute to our staff and students who are taking our district-wide college and career-prepared initiative so seriously. This is a reflection of our belief that given a rigorous curriculum and the necessary support, more students will exceed AIMS and more schools will become Performing Plus or Excelling,” Assistant Superintendent for Instruction and Accountability Dr. Deborah Gonzalez said.

The achievement profiles are part of the state’s accountability system that evaluates school performance based on AIMS results for 10th, 11th and 12th graders, five-year graduation and dropout rates. Credit is also given to schools that meet the federal government’s “Adequate Yearly Progress” requirement.

The Achievement Profiles are Underperforming, Performing, Performing Plus, Highly Performing and Excelling.

Meeting the federal AYP standards means that schools have met achievement targets on the 10th grade AIMS tests in math and reading, four-year graduation rates and have 95% or more test takers in each subgroup. Besides the overall 10th grade population, there are eight “sub groups” (Hispanic, Black, White, Asian, Native American, English Language Learners, Special Ed, and low income). For a school to meet AYP, it must meet AYP in each of 63 categories. If a school misses in one of those categories, the school does not meet AYP.

The schools that did not make AYP were Alhambra, Betty Fairfax, Camelback, Carl Hayden, Central, Cesar Chavez, Maryvale, North, South Mountain, and Trevor Browne.

Schools are designated according to the number of consecutive years a school fails to meet AYP. There is a Warning Year (Year 1), In School Improvement (Years 2-3) and Corrective Action (Year 4).

The goal of No Child Left Behind is to have 100 percent of the nation’s public education students proficient by 2014 through incremental gains each year.

2009 Arizona LEARNS Achievement Profiles

Central High - Performing

2008 No Child Left Behind Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)

Central High - DNM AYP

Source: Phoenix Union High School District

Phoenix Union Honors Employees of the Year

Maryvale teacher Selina Alonzo; Trevor Browne assistant principal Tony Camp; personnel specialist Marilyn Cheatham and math curriculum specialist Mona Toncheff were presented with Phoenix Union High School District 2009 Employee of the Year awards by Superintendent Kent P. Scribner and Governing Board President Amy Kobeta at the District’s Opening of Schools Convocation, Tuesday.

Alonzo, an English teacher, is also the department chair, despite the fact that she has only been teaching for five years. A graduate of Carl Hayden High School who benefitted from the Hispanic Mother-Daughter program, Alonzo earned her teaching degree and returned to the community where she grew up. Her background has proved invaluable in motivating and inspiring Phoenix Union students and parents. Alonzo volunteers on the Maryvale YMCA board representing her students. She mentors students and is active with many student groups and clubs. Her colleagues recognize marked improvement and interest in learning among her students. A builder of relationships and a person who has earned the respect of students, teachers and parents, one colleague says “Selina is an excellent representative of what our district is all about.”

Camp has been in the District for 10 years, and as an administrator, he has already made an impact at four different schools. The former science teacher at Metro Tech performed Dean of Student duties there before going to Camelback. He was assistant principal for instruction at Alhambra for the past two years, and has moved over to Trevor Browne this year. Camp is described by colleagues as “a hands-on administrator, who wants what is best for our school. He pushes himself to put instruction first and to focus on what is going on in the classrooms and offers creative suggestions for improving learning.”

Cheatham has been with the District for 31 years, helping employees in human resources for the past 21, and in the payroll department for 10 years. She is an invaluable resource not only for her department, but for hundreds of employees and thousands of applicants. One co-worker called her “a walking District encyclopedia, who is always willing to share information, insight, and the answers.” This year, she accepted the challenge of learning a new Human Resources/Payroll system, transferring massive amounts of data and troubleshooting at every turn.

Toncheff has impacted students and teachers across the District in the area of math. Under her leadership, the District implemented an E-Squared Math program that introduced the concepts of Professional Learning Communities to the District, and improved the delivery of math instruction. Math AIMS scores have improved dramatically as a result. Toncheff works closely with partner elementary districts’ 8th grade teachers to better prepare students for high school math, and together they have increased the placement of 9th graders into Geometry and Algebra 3-4. She co-chaired the Honors Review Committee last year to ensure rigor in those classes. Toncheff began as a math teacher at Camelback 17 years ago, but as a curriculum specialist for five years, no one has made a greater impact district-wide in math than her.

Phoenix Union Certified and Support Staff Employees of the Year were selected by a committee of peers, based on nominations made up of school and site Employees of the Year. Phoenix Union employs over 2800 people, including approximately 1700 teachers. The following is a list of Certified and Support Staff Employees of the Year, by school.

Alhambra: Eileen Snook, Reading Teacher;Tommy Vasquez, Campus Facility Supervisor; Tony Camp, Assistant Principal for Instruction. Betty Fairfax: Phillip Wooley, Instructional Specialist; Dianne Coronado, Bookstore Manager. Camelback: Kirsten Nielsen, SPED Teacher Florentina Maez, Senior Office Assistant; Carl Hayden: James Haugen, SPED Teacher Kelly Newcom, Campus Lab Technician. Cesar Chavez: Dr. MingPing Ji, ESL Teacher Marta Trejo, Instructional Assistant. Central: Patrick Looper, Business Teacher; Heather Earle, Senior Office Assistant; Maryvale: Selina Alonzo, English Teacher; JoAnn Carrillo, Registration Clerk. Metro Tech: Monique Mogro, Social Studies Teacher; Zellita Hernandez, Instructional Assistant. North: Gretchen Clifton, SPED Teacher; Larry Ayala, Senior Security Assistant. South Mountain: Charlene Roll, Law Teacher; Joan Arrington, Service Assistant. Trevor Browne: Nicholas Halonen, Choir Teacher; Shanton Harris, Student Study Facilitator Small Schools: Steve Clendenen, Spanish Teacher, Franklin; Evelyn Gonzales, Senior Office Assistant, Bioscience. Plant Operations: Doug Smith, Chief Plumber. District Office: Mona Toncheff, Math Specialist; Marilyn Cheatham, Personnel Specialist

Source: Phoenix Union High School District

Phoenix Union High School District Classes Start August 3

Over 25,000 students will begin the 2009-2010 school year at 17 campuses as Phoenix Union High School District begins classes, Monday, August 3.

Bioscience High School will welcome 97 freshmen, its largest class yet, and the small science and math-focused school will have its first graduating senior class this year. Betty Fairfax will add another class of about 500 freshmen, and will have an enrollment of 9th, 10th and 11th graders. The first junior class will allow the school to field its first varsity sports teams, marching band and more.

The AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program will expand from seven to 10 campuses, targeting students in the academic middle, and preparing them for college through electives, increased rigor, tutoring and other activities. All juniors will again take the ACT college-entrance exam for free.

Three schools will have new principals- North, Camelback and Trevor Browne. Youthful leadership may be a trend, as Camelback’s Dr. Chad Gestson is 31, and Trevor Browne’s Gabriel Trujillo is 33. The District also hired 95 new teachers this year, however, most come with previous experience, reflecting the tight job market.

All Phoenix Union schools follow a traditional school calendar. There are 180 instructional days, with 90 days in each semester. Students have fall break, October 5-9, a two-week holiday break beginning Friday, December 18, and spring break, March 8-12. Graduation ceremonies will take place May 19 and 20.

Students not yet pre-registered can enroll at the schools in their attendance zone. Students need a birth certificate, two proofs of address and immunization records. Incoming 9th graders who have not pre-registered will need 8th grade AIMS test scores and diploma. Those from other high schools outside the district will need unofficial transcripts from their last school. Students interested in enrolling in magnet programs offered at five campuses or the magnet high school, Metro Tech, can contact the magnet office at (602) 764-1309. Magnet programs afford open enrollment to anyone residing in the district. Bioscience, Franklin Police and Fire and Cyber are also open enrollment schools.

2009-2010 School Calendar can be viewed here.

Registration Phone Number:

Central High School
4525 N. Central Avenue
(602) 764-7518

Source: Phoenix Union High School District

Arizona High Schools Get an “F” in Civics‏

Survey reveals only 3.5 percent of Arizona public high school students could pass citizenship test

Just in time to celebrate Independence Day, a new survey of 1,300 Arizona public high school students reveals that only 3.5 percent have enough basic civics knowledge to pass a U.S. citizenship test. The details of the survey were released by the Goldwater Institute today in "Freedom from Responsibility: A Survey of Civic Knowledge Among Arizona High School Students."

The report's findings are based on a telephone survey conducted by Strategic Vision, LLC. The firm tested the civic knowledge of Arizona high school students by asking 10questions taken from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) exam. In order to become U.S. citizens, new immigrants are asked 10 questions and must correctly answer six of them. The first-time passing rate for immigrants is 92.4 percent. The survey found that only 3.5 percent of Arizona high school students would pass the exam.

Survey questions include:

1. What is the supreme law of the land?
Answer: The Constitution

2. Who was the first President?
Answer: Washington

3. We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years?
Answer: Six

"The results of this survey are deeply troubling," said Matthew Ladner, Ph.D., vice president of research at the Goldwater Institute. "Despite the billions of dollars poured into education, Arizona high school students display a profound level of ignorance about American history, government and geography."

An understanding of government and history are crucial to the preservation of liberty and our democratic institutions. Furthermore, the promotion of civic knowledge continues to serve as a major justification for public schools and the billions spent funding social studies, government and history courses. This survey suggests Arizona's schools fail to teach the most fundamental information required for citizenship.

Although all three groups of Arizona high school students surveyed--public, charter and private high school students--scored alarmingly low on the test, charter and private school students scored slightly better. The passing rate for charter schools was about two times higher than in traditional public schools and private school students passed at a rate almost four-times higher than traditional public school.

The report calls on Arizona lawmakers to require students to pass the USCIS citizenship exam, administered by a third party, as a condition for receiving a high school diploma, or that Arizona universities use it as a pre-condition for admittance. Ultimately, students should have a basic working knowledge of American history and government in order to graduate, Dr. Ladner said.

"Our schools should be required to graduate students that are prepared to fully engage in civic life," Dr. Ladner said. "At the very least, they should be able to identify the U.S. Constitution."

"Freedom from Responsibility" is available online. The Goldwater Institute is a nonprofit public policy research and litigation organization whose work is made possible by the generosity of its supporters.

Source: Becky Bracken for The Goldwater Institute

Why aren't Arizona high schools teaching civics?

Just in time to celebrate Independence Day, the Goldwater Institute will release its new report, "Freedom from Responsibility: A Survey of Civic Knowledge Among Arizona High School Students," which reveals only 3.5 percent of Arizona high school students have learned the basic history, government and geography necessary to pass the U.S. Citizenship test.

To conduct the survey, we hired a firm to interview 1,140 Arizona high school students and ask 10 questions drawn at random from the exam given to applicants for United States citizenship. Applicants for citizenship must get six out of 10 questions correct to pass. A recent trial found that 92.4 percent of citizenship applicants passed the test on the first try.

Below are the survey questions, the correct answers, and in parentheses the percentage of public school students providing the correct answer for each question.

1. What is the supreme law of the land?

Answer: The Constitution (29.5%)

2. What do we call the first 10 amendments to the Constitution?

Answer: The Bill of Rights (25%)

3. What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?

Answer: Senate and House (23%)

4. How many Justices are on the Supreme Court?

Answer: Nine (9.4%)

5. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

Answer: Jefferson (25.3%)

6. What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States?

Answer: Atlantic (58.8%)

7. What are the two major political parties in the United States?

Answer: Democratic and Republican (49.6%)

8. We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years?

Answer: Six (14.5%)

9. Who was the first President of the United States?

Answer: Washington (26.5%)

10. Who is in charge of the Executive Branch?

Answer: The President (26%)

Only 3.5 percent of traditional public high school students passed the test. That's 40 students out of a sample of 1,134 district high school students.

Arizona's 8th grade social studies standards require that students learn about everything from John Locke to the Mayflower Compact to the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution before high school. It isn't clear what, if anything, Arizona students are learning in these classes, but it is abundantly clear what they are not learning--U.S. civics, history and geography.

In the report, I recommend that all Arizona high school students be required to pass a version of the U.S. Citizenship exam in order to graduate. Since then, one of our supporters came up with an even better idea: Make the exam a requirement for receiving a driver's license. Interesting thought...

Source: Matthew Ladner, Ph.D. for The Goldwater Institute

Phoenix Union High School District Truth in Taxation Hearing Scheduled for June 25

The Phoenix Union High School District will hold a truth in taxation hearing on Thursday, June 25 at 6:00 p.m. in the Governing Board room at the District office, 4502 N. Central Ave. Below is the District’s notice, as required by state law:

In compliance with §15-905.01, Arizona Revised Statutes, Phoenix Union High School District is notifying its property taxpayers of Phoenix Union High School District’s intention to raise its primary property taxes over the current level to pay for increased expenditures in those areas where the Governing Board has the authority to increase property taxes for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2009. The Phoenix Union High School District is proposing an increase in its primary property tax levy of $9,564,710.

The amount proposed above will cause Phoenix Union High School District’s primary property taxes on a $100,000 home to increase from $82.76 to $96.65.*

These amounts proposed are above the qualifying tax levies as prescribed by state law, if applicable. The increase is also exclusive of any changes that may occur from property tax levies for voter approved bonded indebtedness or budget and tax overrides.

All interested citizens are invited to attend the public hearing on the proposed tax increase on June 25, 2009 at 6:00 p.m., Phoenix Union High School District – Board Room, 4502 North Central Avenue – 1st Floor, Phoenix, Arizona 85012.

*This tax rate was calculated at the maximum amount of increase assuming no change to the current funding formula. This primary property tax levy does not take into account any Legislative budget cuts for fiscal year 2009/2010 which could cause the property tax increase to be less than indicated in this notice.

Source: Contact: Craig Pletenik (602) 764-1530, Phoenix Union High School District

New Principals at Camelback, Trevor Browne and Interim Asst. Supt. Named

New principals for Camelback and Trevor Browne High Schools were approved by the Phoenix Union Governing Board, June 4, and a former principal will become an interim assistant superintendent.

Dr. Chad Gestson will become the Camelback principal, July 1. Gabriel Trujillo takes over as interim principal of Trevor Browne, replacing Jose Arenas, who has been named Interim Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources.

Gestson was principal at Carl T. Smith Middle School in the Isaac School District for the past three years, and was an assistant principal for two years. He taught for three years in the Roosevelt School District. Gestson earned his Doctor of Education at NAU this year, holds two Masters from NAU and ASU, and a B.A. in English from the University of Washington. Prior to his public school career, he was a commercial construction superintendent in Seattle. Gestson, a Teach for America product, attended the Harvard University Urban School Leader Institute in 2007 and participated in the Arizona Department of Education Wallace Grant Leadership Cadre. He lives in Phoenix.

Trujillo has been the Assistant Principal for Registration at Trevor Browne for the past three years. Prior to joining the District, he served as a principal at a charter high school for one year. He taught social studies and ESL English for five years before becoming assistant principal at another charter high school for two years. Trujillo earned a B.A. in History from Park University (Missouri), a Post-baccalaureate Secondary Education degree and a Masters of Education at ASU. He is currently in the DELTA Doctoral Program of Ed. Leadership at ASU. Trujillo resides in Surprise.

Arenas recently completed his second year as principal of Trevor Browne High School. He was an assistant principal at Cesar Chavez High School from 2000-2006 and served as the District’s Director of Language Acquisition for one year. Arenas was a teacher for nine years and principal for five years in the Isaac Elementary District prior to coming to PUHSD. A graduate of North High, Arenas earned his Bachelors in Elementary Education and his Masters in Education Leadership from ASU. A resident of Avondale, he also serves as a governing board member for the Tolleson Union High School District. Arenas takes over for Nora Gutierrez, who is now the Assistant Superintendent for Operations.

Source: Phoenix Union High School District

Phoenix Union Graduation Ceremonies Eastside, Westside, over Two Days

Graduation Day will actually span two days-May 20 and 21- this year for 13 Phoenix Union High Schools. Over 4200 students will receive diplomas.

Five schools scheduled for the traditional Thursday graduation had to move to Wednesday, May 20 at Glendale’s Jobing.com Arena after a Taylor Swift concert was booked on May 21.

The graduation ceremony schedule for Wednesday, May 20 will be: Alhambra, 10:30 a.m; Carl Hayden, 1 p.m; Cesar Chavez, 3:30 p.m.; Maryvale, 6 p.m.; Trevor Browne, 8:30 p.m.

Five other comprehensive high schools—Metro Tech, Central, Camelback, North and South Mountain-- will host graduation ceremonies at ASU’s Wells Fargo Arena on Thursday, May 21.

Because of the shift of the Westside schools’ graduations to Wednesday, Bostrom High School has moved its graduation ceremony to Thursday, May 21. Small schools Suns-Diamondbacks Education Academy and Cyber High will hold Wednesday, May 20 commencement exercises.

Girls shined brightest in the Class of 2009. Every valedictorian (top-ranked student), but one is a girl, and all but two salutatorians (2nd in class) are girls.


Phoenix Union High School Graduations: Wednesday, May 20

Alhambra High School, 10:30 a.m., Jobing.com (Glendale) Arena. Valedictorian:Tanairi Ochoa; Salutatorian: Kelly Mendenhall; Lela Alston, Dr. Cristy Lopez, Governing Board members; Estimated graduating class: 496

Carl Hayden Community High School, 1:00 p.m., Jobing.com Arena. Valedictorian: Karen Longoria; Salutatorian: Alejandra Rojas. Dr. Cristy Lopez, Ben Miranda, Governing Board members. Estimated graduating class: 420

Cesar Chavez High School, 3:30 p.m., Jobing.com Arena. Valedictorian: Hui Ting He ; Salutatorian: Karina Rodriguez. Dr. Cristy Lopez, Ben Miranda, Governing Board members; Dr. Kent Scribner, Superintendent. Estimated graduating class: 520

Maryvale High School, 6:00 p.m.., Jobing.com Arena. Valedictorian: Elizabeth Doss; Salutatorian: Celaine Moreno and Maria Baez. Ben Miranda, Governing Board member; Nora Gutierrez, Asst. Superintendent. Estimated graduating class: 450

Cyber High School, 7 p.m., at Metro Tech High School Lecture Hall, 1900 W. Thomas Road No Valedictorian. Ben Miranda, Governing Board member. Estimated graduating class: 20

Suns-Diamondbacks Education Academy, 7 p.m., Central High School Auditorium, 4525 N. Central Ave,. Valedictorian: Edgar Trujillo ; Salutatorian: TBA. Amy Kobeta, Governing Board President. Estimated graduating class: 90, including Dec. grads.

Trevor G. Browne High School, 8:30 p.m., Jobing.com Arena. Valedictorian: Cassandra Columbo; Salutatorian: Barbara Bejarano. Ben Miranda, Governing Board member; Nora Gutierrez, Asst. Superintendent. Estimated graduating class: 475

Phoenix Union High School Graduations: Thursday, May 21

Metro Tech High School, 8 a.m., ASU Wells Fargo Arena. Valedictorian: Amber Loyd; Salutatorian: Victor Carrillo. David Lujan, Governing Board member. Estimated graduating class: 300

Central High School, 11 a.m.., ASU Wells Fargo Arena. Valedictorian: Sabra Nuel ; Salutatorian: Ramon Chavez. David Lujan, Governing Board member; Estimated graduating class: 383

Camelback High School, 2 p.m., ASU Wells Fargo Arena. Valedictorian:Yareli Garcia; Salutatorian: Kellie Baer. Amy Kobeta, Governing Board President. Estimated graduating class:250

North High School, 5 p.m., ASU Wells Fargo Arena. Valedictorian: Lauren Partch; Salutatorian: Amanda Glass. Lorrie Drobny, Asst. Superintendent. Estimated graduating class: 440

Bostrom Alternative Center for Education, 5 p.m., at Trevor Browne High School Auditorium, 7402 W. Catalina Drive. Valedictorian: Susana Martinez; Salutatorian: Briget Hernandez-Gonzalez. Linda Abril, Governing Board member: Estimated graduating class: 92

South Mountain High School, 8 p.m., ASU Wells Fargo Arena. Valedictorian: Raynetta Brown and Denise Parada; Salutatorian: Ambra Jordan. Dr. Cristy Lopez, Governing Board member, Dr. Kent Scribner, Superintendent. Estimated graduating class: 410

Source: Phoenix Union High School District
Contact: Craig Pletenik (602) 764-1530

PHOENIX UNION GOVERNING BOARD ANNOUNCES BOARD APPOINTMENT PROCESS

The Phoenix Union Governing Board has a current vacancy in Ward 2, and encourages residents of the community who are interested in becoming a nominee to notify Amy Kobeta, the Governing Board President, with a letter of interest, by May 29.

Nominees must reside within the boundaries of Ward 2 and have lived in that geographic district for at least a year and be a registered voter. Nominees or their spouses cannot be an employee of the Phoenix Union High School District when assuming office or during the term of office.

Phoenix Union Governing Board Ward Map.

The Maricopa County Superintendent of Schools will make the appointment following a collaborative vetting and consensus recommendation process which includes a nominee seminar. The appointee must be able to serve through the completion of the term in December of 2010.

All potential nominees must submit a letter with statement of interest, and a brief summary of why you are interested in serving on the Board, and personal data such as address, home and work telephone numbers. The letter must arrive by mail or hand delivery by Monday, May 29 at 5 p.m. addressed to: PUHSD Governing Board Vacancy; Ms. Amy J. Kobeta, Board President; Center for Educational Services; 4502 N. Central Ave., 5th Floor; Phoenix, AZ 85012.

Application and Information Packets will be mailed to all nominees the week of June 1. The Application and Information packets will provide details on the appointment procedure, as well as District mission, goals and objectives, student assessment data, fiscal budgets and other information. Detailed responses addressing these areas must be returned to the Governing Board Office by Thursday, July 1.

According to Maricopa County Superintendent of Schools’ nominating procedures and process, a Collaboration Team will review nominees, develop a Consensus Statement and recommend the top three nominees, in rank order, to the County Superintendent of Schools by Friday, July 31. Those nominees will be required to attend a Nominee Seminar facilitated by the County Superintendent of Schools, and representatives of the Arizona School Boards Association; Arizona School Administrators; Arizona Education Association; Arizona Association of School Business Officials and Arizona Federation of Teachers. The next scheduled date is Saturday, August 15. The County Superintendent will finalize the appointment within a week following the Nominee Seminar.

For more information, call Governing Board office (602) 764-1523.

Source: Phoenix Union High School District

phoenix central news, phoenix union high school district, phoenix education

The Rev. Jarrett Maupin II submitted a letter resigning...

The Rev. Jarrett Maupin II submitted a letter resigning as a member of the Phoenix Union High School District Governing Board member, Friday, April 17.

Maupin, 21, plans to pursue a career opportunity which requires him to be away from Phoenix, according to the letter.

Maupin represented Ward 2, which includes an area of South Phoenix roughly south of McDowell and east of Central Avenue. He was elected to the Board in November, 2006, and began his four-year term in January of 2007. His term was to end in 2010.
The District will work with the Maricopa County Superintendent of Schools to find a replacement for Maupin on the seven-member board. Maupin’s successor must reside in the ward (Ward 2) they represent.

The Phoenix Union Governing Board is made up of five members who represent wards or geographic districts, and two at-large members who represent the entire school district. The next School Board Election in 2010 will determine the five ward representatives. Current members are Amy Kobeta, President, Ward 3; Linda Abril, Clerk, Ward 5; Dr. Cristy Lopez, Ward 1; David Lujan, Ward 4; Lela Alston, At-Large and Ben Miranda, At-Large.

Source: Phoenix Union High School District

Relics of bigotry triumph over Arizona school kids

The Arizona Supreme Court ruled last month against voucher programs for children with disabilities and for children in foster care. The almost 500 children in those two programs will only be allowed to finish out the remaining few months of the school year, but are out of luck next fall.

In 1999 the Arizona Supreme Court wrote about the Arizona tax credit program (that was challenged by the same groups) in its Kotterman v. Killian decision, "We would be hard pressed to divorce the amendment's language from the insidious discriminatory intent that prompted it." You can read the shameful origin of the amendment for yourself starting on page 35 of the decision.

After the most recent decision, an anonymous commenter on an Arizona newspaper website was gleeful (grammatical and logic errors in the original):

Vouchers was just a scam to give money to parents rich enough to send their kids to private schools. There is no private school that can compete with public ("no profit motive") school, hence the voucher cannot fully fund a private school education. It's a giveaway, plain and simple, with the bonus side effect of destroying the education system for people too poor to send their kids to private schools. Nice try, but no cigar!

I'd like to see this person try to explain this to one of the plaintiffs in the school voucher case. Andrea Weck is a single mom who works in a beauty salon and whose daughter with multiple disabilities has benefitted enormously from the program. School choice for rich kids? Hardly.

The ACLU is employing weapons forged by bigots in order to force children like Lexie Weck out of their schools. Andrea and Lexie are not abstractions in an ideological fever dream, but real people who need and deserve programs like those struck down by the court.

It now falls to Arizona lawmakers to fashion replacement programs that will help these families. Let's hope they have the courage to do it.

Source: Matthew Ladner, Ph.D. for The Goldwater Institute

Consciousness Helps Encourage Equal Respect

Kurt and Brenda Warner hosted two assemblies at Central as the finale to a week-long campus program that encourages inclusion and disability awareness. C.H.E.E.R., a program of Warner’s First Things First Foundation stands for Consciousness Helps Encourage Equal Respect. Central’s Student Government adopted C.H.E.E.R. in collaboration with the school’s special education department to organize a week of activities. Student volunteers, called C.H.E.E.R.Leaders were assigned disabilities March 16-20. 125 students participated in a Disability for a Day, where they had to deal with school blindfolded, hearing impaired, wheel chair-bound or using charades and non-verbal communication. Teachers received daily information on special education laws and definitions, disability descriptions and tips for teaching students with disabilities. The students shared their “disabled” experiences” to the audience at the two assemblies.

The Warners, who have a teenage son with disabilities, addressed the students on the definition of a champion, and encouraged students to embrace inclusion and acceptance and continue efforts to better understand disabilities.

In keeping with the sports theme, the Central Special Olympics athletes and cheerleaders came on stage to meet the Warners and received a warm reception from the Central student body.

Beth Viquesney, the special education coordinator at Central who coordinated the event said the students were standing in line each day to volunteer as “disabled” students. She hopes the week inspires like it inspired her as a student.

“When I was in grade school they added a group of students with a variety of disabilities to our elementary school campus, an idea that was unheard of back then, and more a factor of cost savings than an idea of inclusion. I was one of the students who volunteered to work with the students daily at lunch and weekly in gym class. Those early experiences lead to my current role. I didn't realize the lessons I was learning from those early experiences would have such a profound affect on my future. I hope this experience will provide even just one of our Central High School students the thought of continuing to work with these wonderful young people. “

Source: Phoenix Union High School District

Central singers earned two gold ratings at the Forum Music Festival

Central singers earned two gold ratings at the Forum Music Festival at Fullerton, Calif. March 20. Both Concert Choir and A Cappella Anonymous earned the festival’s highest rating following their performances. A rating of gold signifies that the judges believe that the performance should be rated in the top 10% of all choirs. In addition to the gold, the Men's Section for Concert Choir received the Outstanding Musicianship Award and Erika Lopez received the outstanding soloist award for her performance with A Cappella Anonymous. The concert choir was accompanied by school piano teacher, David Schmitz.

Source: Phoenix Union High School District

Grammy Foundation

Central and Maryvale music students got a first-hand insight into the music industry from professionals at a Career Day, March 25, brought to Phoenix by the GRAMMY Foundation.

Students heard from panelists Larry Batiste, a producer, vocalist, songwriter, publisher instrumentalist and arranger, Manny Marroquin, an engineer and four-time GRAMMY winner. Batiste has written and published over 300 songs and has worked with artists such as Stevie Wonder, Dweezil Zappa, Keyshia Cole and Al Jarreau. Marroquin has worked with Usher, Alicia Keyes; Kanye West, Jennifer Lopez and John Legend. About 80 students from Central, and over 100 at Maryvale asked questions about the recording industry, technology, performing and producing. It is part of the foundation’s efforts to enhance educational opportunities.

Central and Maryvale were two of 31 national finalists for a GRAMMY Foundation
grant.

Source: Phoenix Union High School District

Central Host GRAMMY Career Day

Location: Central High School Band Room

Central and Maryvale music students will get first-hand insight into the music industry from professionals at a Career Day, brought to Phoenix by the GRAMMY Foundation in conjunction with the Ford Motor Company Fund. Students will hear from panelists, and ask questions about the recording industry, technology, performing and producing. It is part of the foundation’s efforts to enhance educational opportunities. Central and Maryvale were two of 31 national finalists for a GRAMMY Foundation grant.

Music professionals, 80 Central students, 100-150 Maryvale students, music teachers. Among the panelists are Larry Batiste, a producer, vocalist, songwriter, publisher instrumentalist and arranger, and Manny Marroquin, an enginner and four-time GRAMMY winner. Batiste has written and published over 300 songs and has worked with artists such as Stevie Wonder, Joe Satriani, Dweezil Zappa, Keyshia Cole and Al Jarreau. Marroquin has worked with Usher, Alicia Keyes; Kanye West, Jennifer Lopez and John Legend.

Alternate location:

Maryvale High School Auditorium,
3415 N. 59th Ave.
12:30 -2 p.m.

CONTACT:

Craig Pletenik, PUHSD Community Relations, (602) 764-1530
Dr. Gerald Petersen, PUHSD Arts Curriculum Supervisor (602) 764-1318

North wins Grammy Grant‏ (Central High - Finalist)

North High School has been selected as a GRAMMY Signature School for 2009 and its music department will receive a $5000 grant, the school announced today.

North is one of 14 schools in the nation to receive the award, and the only school in Arizona. The GRAMMY Foundation program recognizes the top U.S. public high schools that are making an outstanding commitment to music education during an academic school year.

North was one of six schools to win the Enterprise Award, recognizing efforts made by schools with a student enrollment considered “economically underserved.”

“This is the same organization that gives out prestigious awards to the musical accomplishments of various artists. We literally got a Grammy,” band director Matthew Bock said.

The grant proposal, submitted by Bock and choir director Adrienne Meeker, focused on purchasing cutting edge music software for band, choir and orchestra students.

“This software, Smart Music will help us build new ways to teach and assess the music students of North High,” Bock said. “The money will be used to purchase computers, software, literature, and student subscriptions to the service. With this software students will be able to move through method books faster, perform with a full ensemble while practicing at home, and get critiqued on their performance. This is a wonderful opportunity to bring the true talents of Phoenix into the next millennium “

The North music department consists of two teachers and over 150 students. There are 74 students participating in marching band, concert band, jazz band, activity band, orchestra and a student-run drum line, and 80 students in North’s four choirs – “Premiere” beginning choir, “Dolce” advanced women’s choir, “Encore” advanced concert choir and an extra curricular vocal jazz ensemble. There are also 15 students who participate in class piano.

“Music is alive and thriving at North High School and the GRAMMY Grant will help to further the growth and excellence of music education for our students,” Meeker said.

The GRAMMY grants were available to more than 20,000 public high schools throughout the nation. Winners are determined by a panel of top music educators and professionals. Thirty-one finalists were selected in January, including Phoenix Union schools Central and Maryvale High Schools. The finalists had to submit recordings of school concerts, sample concert programs and repertoire.

One school, Martin High School in Arlington Texas was named the National GRAMMY Signature School, and was awarded $10,000. Eight schools received $5,000 and five schools received $1,000.

Funding for the GRAMMY Signature Schools, which was created in 1998, comes from contributions from Gibson Guitar Corp. and the Ford Motor Company.

Source: Phoenix Union High School District

Seven Phoenix Union Schools Compete in Robotics Regional

Seven Phoenix Union High School Robotics teams will compete in the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Regional event Friday and Saturday, the largest district representation in the 42-team field. The Arizona Regional is one of 40 regional competitions internationally leading up to the World Championship in Atlanta in April.

Led by the Carl Hayden’s Falcon Robotics team which has won four consecutive Chairman’s Awards at this event and was the International Chairman’s Award winner last year, the other Phoenix Union teams are relatively new to robotics, starting up last year with the help of a grant. The other PUHSD schools competing are Betty Fairfax; Cesar Chavez; North; Camelback; Bioscience and Maryvale.

The Robotics game this year is “Lunacy” where robots are designed to pick up 9-inch balls and score them in trailers hitched to their opponent’s robots during a 2-minute 15 second match. Schools had six weeks to design, build and program their robots using a Parts Kit of motors, batteries, a control system and other components--but no instructions.

The FIRST Robotics competition began in 1992 and has grown to 1,686 teams and more than 42,000 high school students worldwide.

WHERE:

Veterans Memorial Coliseum (Admission is Free)

WHEN:

Friday, March 20: 9 a.m. Opening Ceremonies, 9:30 a.m.- 4 p.m. matches
Saturday, March 21: Matches 9:30 -11:30 a.m; 1 - 4:15 p.m. (finals),
4:30 p.m. Awards Ceremony

WHO:

41 high school teams from Arizona, California, New Mexico and Massachusetts

CONTACT:

Craig Pletenik, PUHSD Community Relations, (602) 764-1530

Source: Phoenix Union High School District

Phoenix Union Hosts Teacher Career Fair at Metro Tech

WHAT:

Phoenix Union is holding a Teacher Career Fair, Saturday, February 21. Openings are available in all subject areas. Interviews will be conducted by school and district personnel.

Phoenix Union serves 25,000 high school students with 17 schools, and employs over 1600 teachers.

WHERE:

Metro Tech High School Student Union/Gymnasium
1900 W. Thomas Road. (Corner of Thomas and 19th Avenue)

Main parking off Thomas entrance west of 19th Ave.

WHEN:

Saturday, February 21, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

WHO:

Prospective Teachers or administrators, school and district representatives.
Teachers should bring resume, transcripts, teacher certification, letters of recommendation and a copy of a fingerprint clearance card. It is recommended that a completed application also be brought. Applications can be downloaded at www.phxhs.k12.az.us

CONTACT:

Craig Pletenik, PUHSD Community Relations, (602) 764-1530
Laura Telles, PUHSD Human Resources (602) 764-1550

Source: Phoenix Union High School District

Osborn Elementary School District Update

Twenty-four Professional Development School Masters and Certification (PDS MAC) students began their first step toward becoming teachers this week. These individuals already have a bachelor's degree and are enrolled in the Osborn/ASU West PDS MAC program, working with master teacher's in the district and taking coursework that will lead to a Master's degree and teacher certification when they conclude the program in December 2009. Participants include: Stephanie Albidrez, Lori Ballard, Meagan Corona, Maurice Gause, Doug Gerstner, Nick Grammer, Jon Holloway, Barbara Janati, Angie King, Lori Krejsta, Yarizeth Lozano, Kristin Manvel, Tori Matori, Jammie Mays, Tina McMillion, Monica Miller, Brandi Neinaber, Molly Nock, Tiffany Paulino, Rachel Powell, Dave Roberts, Amber Schweitzer, Lisa Stein, and Keith Stepp.

Source: Osborn Elementary School District

Osborn Middle School Update

As an extension of Osborn’s partnership with the Phoenix Sister Cities, OMS will host a Taipei Dance performance for students and guests on Feb 5 at 10:30 am. Student performers will have lunch with OMS students. There will be a wonderful and world famous dance performance from Taipei, Taiwan on Saturday, February 7, 2009 at 6:30 PM at the Orpheum Theatre to celebrate and honor the 30th Anniversary of Phoenix and Taipei Sister Cities, established in 1979. www.OsbornSchools.org/news

Sixty 8th grade and twelve 7th grade algebra students took the Phoenix Union High School District Midterm for Algebra I. Students worked hard preparing for the exam and completed it prior to Winter Break. Each year a number of graduating 8th grade Osborn students pass the Algebra Qualifying tests, effectively placing them in 10 grade mathematics, and giving them high school credit for the work they do in junior high. We anticipate that closer teacher collaboration and preparation will increase the number of students receiving credit this year. We are very proud of our excellent math students and teachers!

Washington D.C. students are continuing their fund raising efforts along with teachers Matthew Kruger, Chandra Crudup, Amber Struthers, and Janice Guerrero. Please consider donating your 2009 school tax credit donation to this dedicated group of students as they prepare for a very educational visit to our nations capital: www.OsbornSchools.org. Thanks to those who contributed in 2008.

8-1 wing students moved into their newly remodeled classrooms and are enjoying fresh rooms and the luxury of not camping out in alternate locations. Team 8-A’s wing is now relocated in temporary quarters while their classrooms are refurbished. School renovations are funded through the passage of the November 2006 bond issue.

Source: Osborn Elementary School District

Encanto Elementary School Update

Encanto 1st grade teacher Michelle Doherty received one of only 250 awards from Target Field Trip Grants. In this nationwide grant, Michelle received full funding of $800. The beneficiaries of the grant will be all 141 first grade students. The grant will pay for a trip to the Herberger Theater for an experience of the magic of books and storytelling, while engaging the students in a hands-on exploratory art gallery designed for young children. The students will take this trip on April 9th.

The Great Arizona Puppet Theater performed “My Prehistoric Birthday” to all Encanto students in on January 12-16. The show was organized by Librarian Lori Sanders and funded in part by Tuition Tax Credits. Before the performance, the puppeteer spoke with the students about the hand and rod puppets made from carved Styrofoam, paper mache, paint and fur.. Students were entranced to watch the show, knowing that the puppeteer created all the voices.

Source: Osborn Elementary School District

Clarendon Elementary School Update

Fourth grade students from Michelle Wright’s and Melissa Bessey’s classes attended an overnight trip to the Phoenix Zoo on the 8th of January. The excursion was funded by a grant from Ft. McDowell Yavapai Nation. Each student chose an animal native to Arizona and conducted internet-based research in order to better prepare for the zoo experience. The students were fortunate to be able to see their individual Arizona animal up close and in person at the zoo. Due to their preparation, they were able to share interesting facts about their animal with the group. What a great experience!

The Clarendon Spelling Bee winners are: 1st- Isaac Solis in Chad Kobold’s 5th grade classroom; 2nd- Kimberly Santos in Kristi Wilhelms’ 6th grade classroom; and 3rd- DeMarcus Pierce in Sara Bill’s 6th grade classroom.

Source: Osborn Elementary School District

Bioscience High Now Enrolling Students for 2009-2010 School Year

Students who are interested in attending Phoenix Union’s Bioscience High School for the 2009-2010 school year will have their best chance if they return applications to the school by the Priority Deadline of February 5.

Applications are available at www.biosciencehs.org or by calling (602) 764-5600.

Students and parents must attend an orientation meeting as part of the application process. Orientation sessions are January 31 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., and February 4 and 5 from 6-8 p.m. at the school, located at 512 E. Pierce Street. Completed applications can be brought to the orientation, or submitted by February 5.

The science and math-themed small school is accepting up to 100 ninth-graders, and a limited number of openings are available for 10th and 11th graders. Students residing within the Phoenix Union High School District will receive first priority for enrollment, but out-of-District students are encouraged to apply.

Bioscience High School, which is an Excelling School according to the state’s Achievement Profiles, scored among the highest in Arizona in AIMS Math, Reading and Science. The school does not require an entrance exam or qualifying grades, but students must have an interest and ability in science and math, be motivated for a rigorous curriculum and have college and career ambitions in science and math-related fields.

“We want to make sure that parents and students know what to expect and be sure that this is the school for them. Students who love science handpick this school, we don’t handpick them. We give more weight to motivation than grades,” Principal Dr. DeeDee Falls said.

The application includes references from teachers, so students are encouraged to start the process early. Students will also be interviewed prior to being accepted.

Bioscience will have a full 9-12th grade enrollment for the first time in 2009-2010 with the first-ever senior class graduating in spring of 2010. Juniors select one of three Pathway programs in Biomedical, Biomedical Research or Engineering and seniors are placed in internships with neighboring research, medical and engineering partners.

The school will also benefit from a $2.4 million grant from the City of Phoenix Capital Improvement Program Bond to renovate the existing historic McKinley building on the campus for a Medical Sciences school.

Source: Phoenix Union High School District

Child Find

The Osborn School District Child Find Program is designed to identify, locate and evaluate children who are suspected of having an educational disability. If you have a concern, please contact Becky McNany at 602-707-2017.

Source: Osborn Reporter

Dual Language Program

Osborn’s Dual Language Enrichment Program has been successfully helping children become bilingual and biliterate since 1998. Students spend equal time fully immersed in English and Spanish, learning the entire curriculum in both.

Osborn students have won state-wide competitions in Spanish Language Essays and Spelling Bees. Currently at Encanto, Clarendon, and Longview schools, Osborn would like to expand the program to other schools in 2009.

Source: Osborn Reporter

TECHNOLOGY UPDATE

Technology is an integral part of the curriculum at Osborn. This year, 100 teachers received new computers; Longview, Solano, and Encanto received new mobile laptop carts for classroom use; and Clarendon and Solano received several mobile projector carts with docu-cameras and
laptops. Each school now has BrainPOP, an animated, curriculum based program funded by the Library Grant.

Additionally, Osborn Middle School has netTreckker, an online tool for students, from the Library Grant.

Source: Osborn Reporter

OSBORN 6TH GRADE AIMS MATHEMATICS SHINES

The sixth grade students in the Osborn School District showed strong results in mathematics demonstrating a higher level of proficiency than any other inner city school district. Bravo to both the students and teachers for their accomplishments!

The same AIMS data that makes us proud of our students' and teachers' efforts also clearly outlines where we need to improve. Osborn teachers meet weekly and plan with Collaborative Peer Teachers to analyze achievement data, discuss effective instruction, monitor student progress, and design engaging lessons in mathematics, science, and literacy.

Source: Osborn Reporter

Osborn Middle School Selected for Arts Program

Osborn Middle School will partner with the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture, ASU Herberger College of the Arts, AZ Dept of Education, and AZ State Library. Since mid October, Herberger graduate students have collaborated with 8th grade writing teacher Karen Levesque to present Art Space, an after-school performing arts program in which students study time through stop motion animation, human sculpting and other exciting art techniques.

Source: Osborn Reporter