Lynwood Unified School District and the Lynwood Teachers Association have reached an agreement that will provide teachers with a 5 percent bonus for the 2020- 2021 school year, acknowledging educators for their unrelenting service during the pandemic. The one-time bonus is only for the past year and will be funded using the COVID relief funds the District received to provide needed student resources and services to help mitigate learning loss while supporting activities necessary to maintain the operation and continuity of the District and continuing to employ existing staff. The District and LTA are still in negotiations for the 2021-2022 school year.
Fontana Unified was named the district winner for San Bernardino County in the Race to Submit campaign for achieving the highest percentage of financial aid applications completed by the Class of 2021 in the county. The District was recognized by the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools for the achievement, verifying that 60.46 percent of Fontana Unified students in the Class of 2021 had completed financial aid applications. Race to Submit is a statewide campaign to increase the number of financial aid applications completed by high school seniors in California.
The Covina-Valley Unified School District welcomed Board of Education members to new leadership positions at their reorganization meeting held on Dec. 13. The Board of Education selected Rachael Robles as the new president. Sue L. Maulucci was selected as vice president and Gary C. Rodriguez was selected as clerk. Members Maria M. Caceres and Maria E. Roman round out the Board of Education.
For overseeing the successful implementation of an innovative curriculum designed to help struggling students discover a love for mathematics, Fontana Unified Superintendent Randal S. Bassett was recognized by the UC Davis C-STEM Center as its 2021 Superintendent of the Year. North Tamarind Elementary School fourth-grade teacher Janice Taylor and Elementary Education Coordinator Honey Sacro Swem were also recognized as C-STEM Teacher of the Year and C-STEM Administrator of the Year, respectively, during the center’s virtual conference, held Nov. 29 to Dec. 2. FUSD introduced C-STEM into its middle school curriculum in 2018; it is now available at 23 FUSD elementary schools, five middle schools, and one high school.
Whittier Union High School District Superintendent Martin J. Plourde has announced he will retire effective June 30, 2022, bringing to a close a storied 40-year career in education in which he has served in nearly every capacity, beginning as an English teacher and basketball coach and finishing as top administrator of a diverse and thriving district that serves more than 11,000 students. Hired as Whittier Union Superintendent in 2016, Plourde has overseen a host of successful initiatives, building upon the core values embraced by the District to achieve and maintain excellence in providing a comprehensive education and establishing a culture of success and academic achievement for all students. The Whittier Union Board of Trustees will reach out to community members in the new year for input in helping shape the hiring process for Plourde’s replacement.
Buena Park School District students and their families beamed with excitement as they received presents from Santa Claus during the Orange County Union Carpenters’ Christmas Toy and Food Giveaway on Dec. 11. More than 85 Carl E. Gilbert Elementary School families participated in the drive-through event, where they received toys and food to help during the holidays. Participants were also given KN95 masks to protect themselves from the COVID-19 virus and household supplies such as shampoo.
El Monte High School teacher Joel Whisler has been named the 2021-22 recipient of the Bobby Salcedo Esperanza Award, a distinction given to educators who exemplify Bobby Salcedo’s commitment to education. Whisler, who has taught music at El Monte High School for 27 years, was honored with the award during the El Monte Promise Foundation’s 18th Annual Tamalada on Dec. 9.
Buena Park School District’s Board of Education selected Jerry Frutos to lead as president and Rhodia Shead to serve as clerk and president pro tem during its annual organizational meeting on Dec. 13. During the same meeting, held via Zoom and in-person at the District office, outgoing President Jason Chong congratulated Frutos and wished him luck for the coming year.
Fontana Unified freshman Matthew Barrera was recently honored at the statewide Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) Leadership Summit, celebrating his commitment to academic success and leadership in and out of the classroom. Barrera’s recognition at the statewide summit in November follows his selection as the 2021 Every Student Succeeding Award recipient, an honor bestowed by the ACSA Region 12 Board of Directors in early 2021, when Barrera was in eighth grade at Sequoia Middle School. The award also came with a $1,000 scholarship.
Bonita Unified Board of Education Selects New Officers
Bonita Unified School District’s Board of Education held its annual reorganization meeting on Dec. 8, voting members into new leadership roles. The Board selected Derek Bahmanou as president, Glenn Creiman as vice president and Greg Palatto as clerk. Members Chuck Coyne and Jim Elliot round out the Board.
