California Coast Credit Union launches social media video contest to benefit local schools

East County News Service

April 19, 2016 (San Diego) – California Coast Credit Union, the oldest financial institution based in San Diego, with over $2 billion in assets, has launched a superhero-themed video contest to help raise money

for local schools. The Superhero Video Contest runs from April 1 to July 31 and contestants can win up to $1,500 for a school of their choice located in San Diego or Riverside County, plus $1,500 for themselves.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left: GUHSD trustee Priscilla Schreiber, losing her seat due to redistricting

April 14, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – The San Diego County Board of Education’s Committee on School District Reorganization last night approved the Grossmont Union High School District’s plan to implement trustee elections and approve the map previously approved by the GUHSD board. 

Next up, the state Department of Education will consider Grossmont’s request for a waiver of a public vote.  If the waiver is approved, the transition to trustee districts will be in place for the 2016 election.  If denied, a public vote would take place and if approved by the public, the changes would be delayed until 2018.

East County News Service

April 13, 2016 (San Diego) -- Legislation co-authored by  San Diego Assemblymember Lorena Gonzales to protect students’ private information such as Social Security numbers passed the Assembly Education Committee today on a unanimous 7-0 vote.

100% of proceeds from the sale of the sunglasses to benefit local elementary art education 

April 13, 2016 (El Cajon) — Knockaround Sunglasses is pleased to announce the release of this year’s student-designed Class Acts sunglasses.  The sunglasses, titled “After the Storm,” were designed by a 5th grader named Jayden Crenshaw from Madison Elementary in El Cajon, California. 

Public encouraged to send letters to state and county decision makers

East County News Service

April 10, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – Supervisor Dianne Jacob has sent a letter to the County Board of Education President Gregg Robinson PhD urging support for a public vote to determine the outcome of the Grossmont Union High School District’s proposal for “by trustee” area elections. The GUHSD board majority is seeking a waiver from a state requirement that would ordinarily require a public vote on any redistricting proposal. 

But Jacob writes, “The importance of representing the people through elections is paramount to the political process. Normally, election `by trustee’ is a fair way to ensure that constituents are being properly and proportionally represented. GUHSD’s proposal to move to a `by-trustee’ area election method is not something that is generally considered unusual, however, recent actions and decisions by GUHSD’s Board of Directors has created a sense of public distrust.”

By Janis Russell

“We have the appearance of political gerrymandering.” – George Barnett, Alpine Education Foundation director, speaking against the redistricting plan.

Assigning Jim Kelly as Alpine’s trustee through redistricting “is like putting a hungry, vengeful fox in charge of an unprotected henhouse.” – Mark Price, past president of the Alpine Union School District..

“We have exercised zero influence…please look past the irrelevant rhetoric on building a high school...” -- Trustee Robert Shield,  who voted for the plan.

“Funds spent on litigation would be better spent on children in our classrooms.” – Mike Fowler, Granite Hills principal, speaking in support over fear of a Voting Rights Act violations  lawsuit.

April 7, 2016 (Alpine) - In the third of six meetings on the Grossmont Union High School District’s proposed new election system for trustees, dozens of Alpine residents attended the meeting and voiced strong criticisms of the plan to the County Board of Education’s Committee on School District Organization. 

Source: Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District

April 1, 2016 (El Cajon) -- Grossmont College is hosting a free screening of “Underwater Dreams,” an inspirational documentary about the sons of undocumented Mexican immigrants who built an underwater robot as Arizona high school students in 2004 and defeated engineering powerhouse MIT in an international competition.

By Jim Stieringer, Member, Governing Board, Grossmont Union High School District

March 31, 2016 (San Diego’s East County)--Like my board colleagues I enthusiastically endorse the concept of the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA) and our unanimous vote to implement it in the Grossmont Union High School District.

I recall that our board members’ decision to implement “area” election precincts was engendered solely by a desire to implement CVRA and to obviate a threatened lawsuit if we failed to do so. I believe that no one was motivated by a desire to deny a colleague an opportunity to compete in the 2016 election. Further I am unaware of any direction to our demographers other than to create a minority district that gave consideration to all communities of interest. Each of the three proposed maps accomplished those goals.

Next meetings set for March 28, April 4, 5, and 11

By Leon Thompson

March 27, 2016 (La Mesa) – Turnout was light at the first of five county hearings March 17^th on a controversial redistricting plan proposed by the Grossmont Union High School District.  Members of the San Diego County Office of Education ‘s Committee on School Reorganization emphasized that they hope to see more public turnout and hear from a broad cross-section of the community at the upcoming four hearings.

By George Barnett

March 19, 2016 (Alpine) – Grossmont Union High School District Trustees are in the process of gerrymandering its voter district. Grossmont intends to move from a process of electing trustees on an “at large” basis to a re-districting to a by-trustee basis.  This means that individual communities such as that across Alpine, Blossom Valley, Harbison Canyon – for example – could elect their own chosen representative on the Grossmont board.  Grossmont is being forced into re-districting by threat of separate law suits. 

Fundamentally, it is a sound idea.  However, Grossmont also decided to do this without voter input or approval.  The scheme of re-districting that Grossmont has selected is gerrymandering and results in:

Hear our interview with Rev. Kenneth Anderson, originally aired on KNSJ Radio:  https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/sites/eastcountymagazine.org/files/au...

March 19, 2016 (San Diego) – East County Magazine intern Tasha Matthews interviewed Rev. Kenneth Anderson, director of three prominent gospel choirs at the University of California San Diego, Grossmont College and the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Choir. He’s led choral tours and performances across Europe including at the Vatican. His gospel choir class at UCSD is consistently the most popular course on campus.  He’s also the fifth highest rated university professor in the nation, according to Rate My Professor.

By Miriam Raftery

March 15, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – In response to an East County Magazine inquiry asking why Alpine was excluded from a list of upcoming hearings on the proposed Grossmont Union High School District's controversial redistricting plans, The County Committee on School District Organization has announced it will hold an additional hearing in Alpine on April 4 at 6 p.m. at Joan McQueen Middle School.

The County had previously scheduled four hearings in other locations,  to get public input on the Grossmont Union High School District’s proposed shift to electing governing board trustees by districts. 

For Alpine, the stakes are high. Alpine stands to lose its only advocate for an Alpine High School, Priscilla Schreiber, who would lose her seat under the plan approved by the GUHSD.  Alpine would be represented by Jim Kelly, a vocal opponent of the Alpine High School, an issue currently in litigation that has also led to unification efforts in which Alpine parents are seeking to break away from the GUHSD.

For the full schedule of meetings slated across East County set by the County Office of Education, rules and details, click "read more" and scroll down.

East County News Service

March 10, 2016 (El Cajon) -- As a result of the Morgan Hill Concerned Parents Association (MHCP) vs. California Department of Education case, Senator Joel Anderson (R-Alpine) sent a letter (full text below) to MHCPA, urging them to take precautions in protecting former and current student’s data and identity: Parents and former students over the age of 18 can object to the court’s ruling before April 1, 2016. More information can be found on the California Department of Education’s website: http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/di/ws/morganhillcase.asp.

East County News Service

March 9, 2016 (Alpine) –  The Governing Board of the Alpine Union School District has selected McPherson & Jacobson, L.L.C Executive Recruitment & Development to assist the Board in its search for a new Superintendent. Executive Director Anita Johnson is working with the Board on the search process. The Board wishes to extend an invitation to all parents and members of the community to meet with Ms. Anita Johnson to help identify the specific traits, skills, abilities, and experience desired in the new Superintendent. The meeting will be held on:

East County News Service

March 4, 2016 (Alpine) – The Alpine Union School District is seeking input from stakeholders on developing the profile for the future Superintendent of the Alpine Union School District.