Five Kern County schools that applied for California’s “Distinguished Schools” awards were honored in results released by the California Department of Education (CDE) on April 16. The schools designated "distinguished" are: Kern Valley High and Stockdale High - Kern High School District, Woodrow W. Wallace Middle School - Kernville Union School District, Earl Warren Jr. High and Tevis Jr. High - Panama-Buena Vista Union School District. They are five of the 171 California public junior high, middle and high schools that will be honored as Distinguished Schools May 18 at an awards ceremony at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim.

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During the holiday season, many a public school teacher wishes for a gift that will help inspire students to a new year of higher performance. Recognizing that need, Kern County Superintendent of Schools Larry E. Reider annually awards teachers within his organization with classroom minigrants. Dec. 13, teachers in the Special Education and Student Services divisions received 18 minigrants totaling more than $15,000 from Reider in a reception at the superintendent of schools' Bakersfield office. "I love to be able to do this," Reider told the assembled teachers. "This is one award where you can definitely see the fruits of your labor, knowing that these minigrants will help in the education of a lot of children. A wise person once said, 'you will lose good friends, family and health during your lifetime, but education is a gift that can never be taken away from you.'" More

Rachel Emmer stood out in a group of 53 being trained to be tutors for the Central Valley Communities for Children AmeriCorps Program on Nov. 3. She received her B.A. in Theater and Film from UCLA almost five years ago. Emmer had a job in her chosen profession doing lighting and set decoration for a Los Angeles sound studio which produced segments for MTV. She gave it all up and instead was sworn in to do a year's worth of tutoring and community service with AmeriCorps, operated by the Kern County Superintendent of Schools in Bakersfield. "I felt like I wasn't happy and wanted to do something more," Emmer said. "AmeriCorps planted the seed and now my urge to do something for the community is being realized. Tutoring is more than helping children to read and write, it's passing along the joys of schooling which will stay with them beyond their education." More

Thanks to Chevron's generosity and concern for advancing classroom innovation, 32 teachers from Kern, Fresno and Monterey counties received grants totaling $28,250 in ceremonies held Aug. 1 at the Chevron Energy Center in Bakersfield. Each year, Chevron Teacher/Classroom Grants are awarded in individual amounts of between $500-$1,000 to teachers who have formally submitted ideas for advancing education in their classrooms. Among the recipients of the 2006-07 awards were three teachers from the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office. They were special needs teachers Toni Bouck, Marcia Larson and Nora Orizaga. This is the seventh year Chevron has presented the awards intended to "support exemplary projects and innovations in math, science, reading, health and safety training, along with helping prepare students for the work place." Since the inception of Chevron's teacher/classroom grant program, more than $175,000 has funded 218 classroom grants reaching approximately 31,000 students. More

After a three-day weekend and three days before most Kern County high school seniors would take their graduation walk, California Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell could not be found in his Sacramento office. It was May 30, and O'Connell was on the road, stopping first in Bakersfield and later in Fresno, to deliver a message to all California high school seniors, "We remain focused on making certain every student has every opportunity to prepare for and pass the California Exit Exam (CAHSEE)." O'Connell made Bakersfield his first stop on a statewide tour to discuss the status of CAHSEE and to help students who have yet to pass the exam. His visit came just days after the State Supreme Court upheld the validity of requiring California high school students to pass the Exit Exam in order to graduate with the class of 2006. Commenting on what lies ahead O'Connell said, "Later this summer, we look forward to arguing the merits of the exam before the Court of Appeal. I am confident that the Exit Exam will remain in effect for the Class of 2006, the Class of 2007 and beyond, because the exam is helping create a better future for our students and our state." More

Not everything can be taught in the classroom and sometimes students need to see how classroom curriculum has practical applications beyond the school yard. Recognizing that need, State Farm Insurance stepped forward on May 24 presenting a check for $20,000 to Kern County Superintendent of Schools Larry E. Reider to help county school districts fund "service learning projects." Reider accepted the donation from State Farm's Agency Vice President Ken Heidrich, Public Affairs Specialist Hilary Baird and local agents Abir Pulskamp and Jeremy Scheidle. It came during a monthly meeting for Kern County public school superintendents at the Holiday Inn Select Hotel in Bakersfield. While presenting the check, Baird explained that the funding comes from the State Farm Good Neighbor Citizenship Program. "Through the Good Neighbor Citizenship Program, State Farm Insurance Company and its Foundation are committed to provide funds to raise the levels of student achievement and to build strong communities," Baird told the superintendents. More

One works with special needs students, the other with at-risk students. Anthony Goss works for the Kern County Superintendent of Schools, Whitney Weddell for Nueva Continuation High School. They are two teachers dedicated to quality education. But they are more. Goss and Weddell were honored as the cream of the crop of their chosen profession -- selected as the 2006-07 Kern County Teachers of the Year during a reception ceremony at the Kern County Museum on May 16. Another deserving educator, Karen Reyes, a kindergarten teacher at Princeton Street School in Delano was named alternate. Goss and Weddell will now represent the county in the California Teacher of the Year competition. The California Department of Education (CDE) sponsors the annual California Teacher of the Year program. The three were among 34 county teachers who had been nominated for the honor by their schools and districts. More

A message from Larry E. Reider, Kern County Superintendent of Schools

I am pleased to report that the Kern County Grand Jury has praised the staff commitment and student progress achieved by our Court Schools program, operated by the Division of Student Services. The Court Schools program provides education to students who are incarcerated or attend court-ordered instruction in lieu of incarceration. During our average school year, court school programs serve almost 3,500 students. The grand jury notes that our programs for these at-risk students earned accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Very few programs directed at these at-risk students have this accreditation. More

When you are the California Superintendent of Public Instruction and author of the California High School Exit Exam, not everywhere are you welcomed with songs. Not so the case for Superintendent Jack O'Connell who, because of a plane mix up, missed out on an opportunity to meet with students at Bakersfield's Downtown Elementary School two weeks ago. O'Connell, honoring a promise to make it up to them, came "downtown" on Oct. 6. and was entertained by the after school program choir. Their song? "Downtown," the song Petula Clark made a hit years ago. Only this time it featured new lyrics arranged by one of the student's parents. More

Chevron is seeing to it that the ideas teachers develop to help students in the classroom become reality. Annual Teacher Classroom Grants from Chevron, totaling $25,865, were awarded to 33 Kern County teachers on July 28 to help make the ideas reality. Teachers from 12 school districts gathered at the Chevron Bakersfield Energy Center in Bakersfield to receive grants awarded in individual increments of from $250 to $1,000. Grants are intended to support exemplary projects and innovations in math, science, reading, health and safety training, along with helping prepare students for the work place. More

All Pro linebacker Joey Porter has made a big impact on the football field with the NFL Pittsburgh Steelers. But he recently scored big points with public education in the town he still calls home, Bakersfield. Porter donated $17,000 to the Claude W. Richardson Child Development Center in Bakersfield, operated by the Kern County Superintendent of Schools. County Superintendent Larry E. Reider and Richardson Principal Ann Peterson-Saslaw received a check from Porter's wife, Christy, during a June 29 ceremony at the Richardson Center. More

California education got a hearing in Bakersfield, when state Sen. Roy Ashburn, R-Bakersfield, conducted an informational, town hall-type 'education forum' at the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office on June 10. Educators and concerned citizens filled the conference room to standing room capacity, to hear from the leaders in state, county and city education. Ashburn was accompanied by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell and State Secretary of Education designee Alan Bersin from Sacramento. More

Being "neighborly" recently resulted in getting to know a new friend and a grassed-in playing area for the Kern County Superintendent of Schools' Lamont Child Development Center. The creative thinking of Teacher Linda Mickle and the generosity of Toy's Turf made it all possible. "We have been slowly trying to improve the outdoor playing environment for our 150 children," Mickle said. "As I was brainstorming the other day, I wondered how we could transform a large, mostly dirt, area under a huge shade tree into an enjoyable, cool place where we could read stories to them. At the same time, we were looking to dress up the grounds for our 10th annual carnival on April 29. Finally, it hit me. Why don't I call some turf companies and see if they would be willing to donate grass." More

After a one-year absence, the Central Valley Communities for Children AmeriCorps Program is back, with the largest membership in its history, providing the potential to tutor more in need students than ever. Pre-service training began on Sept. 1 at the Kern County Superintendent of Schools’ office in Bakersfield for 56 members ranging in age from 17 to 55. Following the nine-day training period, they begin nine months of tutoring students, seven-hours-a-day, at various school sites in Bakersfield, Delano, Lamont, Shafter and Taft on Sept. 15. More

It says something about the quality of the program, when a school bus driver retires but then asks to comeback as a substitute. Joann Mulholland was recognized with a plaque after spending 15 years driving a school bus for the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office. As Maintenance, Operations and Transportation Services Administrator Don Fowler presented Mulholland with the plaque at a Safe Driving Awards ceremony in Bakersfield's Harvey Auditorium on Aug. 25, he told her fellow drivers, "And Joanne has decided to come back as a substitute driver." More

ChevronTexaco is seeing to it that the ideas teachers develop to help students in the classroom become reality. Annual Teacher Classroom Grants from ChevronTexaco, totaling $25,000, were awarded to 31 Kern County teachers on Aug. 19 to help make the ideas reality. Teachers from 13 school districts gathered at the ChevronTexaco Bakersfield Energy Center in Bakersfield to receive grants awarded in individual increments of from $250 to $1,000. Grants are intended to support exemplary projects and innovations in math, science, reading, health and safety training, along with helping prepare students for the work place. More

Korean educators came to Bakersfield to learn about Internet teaching but also ended up teaching the students they visited about how Korea's education system works. It all came about when approximately 35 educators from the Republic of Korea Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development visited the Kelly F. Blanton Student Education Center, operated by the Kern County Superintendent of Schools, on July 29.Pupils at Blanton are at-risk students who take part in Alternative Education, combining court and community school classes that improve student safety, encourage learning, reduce classroom disruption and significantly reduce Kern County's dropout rate. More

While some nutritionists may argue with the sentence "hamburgers are good," it is whetting the appetite's of Migrant Education first-graders hungry to learn how to write. On July 14, Kern County Superintendent of Schools' Migrant Education Trainer Hopie Gomez had a large painting of a hamburger with all its juicy ingredients hanging from the chalkboard in a classroom at Browning Road School in McFarland. Gathered around her were summer school students anxious to contribute what they knew about hamburgers. In the back of the class, their summer school teacher, Susie Robles, watched and took notes. Written in indelible ink on construction paper were words the students had come up with to describe a hamburger. More

Kernville Union School District (KUSD) was one of only five districts in the entire state to be honored with the first annual “Superintendent’s Challenge Award” of $2,500 at ceremonies held June 4 on the campus of Evergreen High School in San Jose. Kernville Superintendent Mary Barlow received the award from California Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell. KUSD was recognized for developing “innovative nutrition and fitness programs in California schools.” The Challenge is a coordinated effort of the California Department of Education, the California Task Force on Youth and Workplace Wellness and Stonyfield Farm. More

When the Kern County Science Foundation (KCSF) needed help sustaining science training for Kern County high school teachers, just "like a good neighbor" State Farm was there. On May 6 at University Square in Bakersfield, State Farm Insurance Companies Public Affairs Specialist Hilary Whitcomb presented a check for $7,750 to science foundation President John Hester. The donation came at the foundation's monthly meeting. It was in response to a grant request from the foundation, in partnership with the University of California, Merced (UC Merced), to continue biotechnology training offered by the Edward Teller Regional Education Center in Bakersfield. The program, introduced in November 2003, has so far trained 11 high school science teachers in urban and rural areas. More

Kern County Superintendent of Schools Larry E. Reider was among those who gave testimony to the California Senate Select Committee on Air Quality in the Central Valley at the county office Dec. 8. Committee chairman State Sen. Dean Florez (D) - Shafter, convened the hearing to get comments from school administrators, transportation officials, energy and pollution control officials on the topic of “Diesel School Buses and Central Valley Air Quality.” More

Eighty-seven percent of Kern County schools reached or exceeded schoolwide growth targets as recorded by the Academic Performance Index (API), during the 2002-2003 school year. And no school is subject this year to state intervention or sanctions. The API Growth Report released on Oct. 24 can be found on the California Department of Education Web site. More

Students in Kern County who are struggling with math in school are grateful for an educational television program broadcast two days-a-week that can help them called “Do the Math.” ChevronTexaco recently did the math and decided to help sponsor the program broadcast by the Kern County Superintendent of Schools. On October 14 ChevronTexaco Public Affairs Officer Linda Robinson made a live appearance on “Do the Math” and presented anchor/tutors Michael Cushine, Cece Shanyfelt, Manja Ericcson and Harlan Elrich with a contribution of $4,000. More

Did you know 160,000 students miss school every day in the United States because of bullying and threats of intimidation? Or would it surprise you to find out two-thirds of school shooters interviewed by the U.S. Secret Service were teased and bullied in their school careers? Both facts are included in the research document “School Safety Issues and Prevention Strategies: The Changing Landscape of What We Know.” It was written by Hill M. Walker, co-director of the Institute on Violence and Destructive Behavior (IVDB) at the University of Oregon. On September 24-25, Kern County educators were introduced to a program developed by the institute called BEST (Building Effective Schools Together). More

September 4 was a joyous day for the 48 children who attend Shafter State Preschool in Shafter their new playground structure was unveiled. The preschool opened five years ago, without the kind of playground structure that could provide fun recreation and motor skills training. Determined parents got behind teacher Linda Hollingsworth’s appeal for help and in five years raised more than $8,000 to help make the new structure a reality. More

Simon and Garfunkel sang about building a “bridge over troubled waters” to save a love affair from failing. But at Bakersfield’s Pride Academy they are singing the praises of “Bridges” used to help students learn in the classroom. Students are first time juvenile offenders on probation who have been court-ordered to attend Pride Academy, a year round alternative education school operated by the Kern County Superintendent of Schools. More

Classroom innovation and student learning will be enhanced due to $24,350 in grants awarded by ChevronTexaco to Kern County educators on Aug. 18 at the ChevronTexaco Energy Center in Bakersfield. “Our students always receive a value added instructional benefit when we have private sector interest and participation. ChevronTexaco’s participation will give many of our classroom teachers the resources to try out new approaches that increase student learning and interest in the subject matter,” said Kern County Superintendent of Schools Larry E. Reider. More

Last semester 185 volunteers from 17 businesses and organizations gave selflessly of their time to help raise the reading levels of students in Kern County who needed help. The program is called Community Reading Project and since 1999 it has made a difference by raising the benchmark reading levels of more than 50 percent of the children it has served. More

Classroom innovation and student learning will be enhanced due to $28,000 in grants awarded by ChevronTexaco to Kern County educators on Aug. 1 at the Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS) office in Bakersfield. More

The Southeast Bakersfield Community Services Center – a joint project between the county of Kern and county superintendent/board of education – has broken ground and construction is under way. More

Learning Spanish by producing music videos? One hundred and forty students taking the recent three-week Spanish Immersion Summer Institute at Sequoia Middle School discovered many ways to become fluent in a foreign language -- including producing a music video. More

Back in February visualizing the scope of what was taking place on four acres of land between East 18th, Sonora and Tulare streets and Truxtun Avenue in East Bakersfield was not easy. Huge earth-moving machines pushed, lifted, dropped and smoothed tons of dirt - clearing debris, filling holes and leveling land. The final jigsaw piece to an important education puzzle was taking form. More

Sacramento—Christina Mashtaire, former Kern High School District director of instructional media and nationally-known public library supporter, has been named recipient of the California Retired Teachers Association’s highest honor—the Ruth Q. dePrida Award. More

Oil may not be a listed ingredient in teacher Ruth McCarver’s recipe for chocolate chip cookies but without a grant from Chevron her students wouldn’t be learning how to cook. McCarver, a 5th-grade teacher at Bessie E. Owens Intermediate School in Bakersfield, was one of 35 Kern County educators who recently received a Chevron Teacher/Classroom Grant. More

Cindy Diaz remembers virtually nothing about her preschool experiences growing up in McFarland, but she is already having an impact on those currently attending preschool in McFarland. Diaz is the site supervisor/teacher at Kern Avenue State Preschool, the newest of the county office’s 17 child development centers. More

Those traveling down Bakersfield’s 20th or 21st streets between L and M on August 21 might have wondered “why are those people standing around watching two guys changing a sign?” The answer could mean extra safety for area children walking in the vicinity of Downtown Elementary School. More

State Sen. Jack O’Connell, a leading supporter of public education and author of legislation that created the High School Exit Exam lauded improvement in Kern County student performance while underscoring the need to recruit and train more qualified teachers. More

For the third year-in-a-row the trophy went to Greenfield Union School District whose winning drivers were Jennifer Johnson, Essa Hall and Julie Johnson. Individual winners were the county office’s Melissa Hawley-Davis in the under 29-foot category and Greenfield’s Shalona Pendley in the over 29-foot category. A complete list of winners follows this story. More