I just read an article in the Press Enterprise from a link on The Banning-Beaumont Patch about the changes at Calimesa's Mesa View Middle School, click here to read the article. Mesa View is now offering a STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) program for the district's sixth graders and STEM classes for 7th and 8th graders.
I have friends who have pulled their kids from Beaumont Unified to send them to Mesa View before the school began offering STEM curriculum. They were moving their kids because Beaumont had discontinued their GATE program and Mesa View was offering the AVID program. AVID , Advancement Via Individual Determination, is a college readiness system for elementary through postsecondary that is designed to increase school wide learning and performance. Beaumont students don't have the opportunity for the AVID program until they reach high school.
All school districts are very concerned during these lean budget times about their ADA (Average Daily Attendance). ADA determines how much money the district receives from the state and is based on the number of students attending the district's schools. Yucaipa-Calimesa school district hoped the new program would attract students, and their ADA, to Mesa View from outside their district. It appears to be working, about 1/4 of the 820 students at Mesa View are from outside Yucaipa-Calimesa.
I have been arguing for a couple years that we should offer something special, such as STEM, for our kids and reverse the flow of Beaumont families moving their kids to neighboring school districts. We can't wait any longer, it is time to do something.
If you agree, please support my candidacy to the BUSD school board. I'm not asking for money or endorsements, I just need help getting my message out. I need to reach Beaumont parents directly. If you are a member of your kids' school site council or PTA organization, I could use your help. Let me know what time and where your upcoming meetings are scheduled, I'd like to come and speak to parents who might be interested in bringing something special to Beaumont.
You, or your organization's representative, can email me at OurFocusOurKids@gmail.com.
After speaking with School Board Member Orozco, he indicated to me that this was the direction the district and staff have been already moving towards. If I recall, it has been Mr. Orozco's initiative to push both AVID and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) Education at both the middle school and high school and should expect to see it at our high school as early as this year. District staff along with Dr. Maureen Latham have shared with me, it has been a challenge to find the resources in a time of a budget crisis, but the plan has been moving forward. Dr. Latham also stated that the school board has been committed in meeting the needs of our students, furthermore, she has been specifically inspired by the commitment of School Board Member Mark Orozco on how he has challenged the administrative staff in making such programs happen. Just to note, I don't think it is appropriate for you to state on the patch that you have been lobbying for this for a couple of years or providing incorrect information. As long as I have been in Beaumont and following school board meetings I have not been hearing anything from you that is NEW! But I guess its election year and we are forced to hear it!!
He chides parents of BUSD students who only ask the BUSD administration for a little transparency regarding the budget.
By the way, this has nothing to do with Mr. Orozco. It basically comes down to you, your lies, and how you bend the truth. Yes, at one time I did comment about Mr. Orozco on the patch and do support him, but disagree at times with him. But again, this has to do with you and your lies!!!
And, McDonald, congrats on being a veteran. But it has nothing to do with this post whatsoever. I have a right as a parent of four children that have been/ are going throught BUSD to criticize and have an opinion about a candidate who will affect my children's FUTURE!
The board did add the STEM curriculum in August, on the 14th at 01:43 minutes into the board meeting if you listen to the mp3 player recording of that meeting. I placed a blog post last nite about the approval of the program and how little our board members actually know about our 350,000 expenditure. I'm for it of course but would like to have researched other options before entering into the agreement with Klein Educational Systems for the Amatrol program we bought. Check out the program, it is pretty nice but we have no clue yet as to which training modules we have actually bought from what I can tell.