WriterCoach Connection

Local Control Funding Formula Kicking In

The Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), being rolled out gradually over the next eight years, changes the way education is funded in California, funneling extra money to districts with high proportions of historically under-served students and giving districts increased autonomy with regard to how money is spent. A component of LCFF is the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP), generated by each district to describe its plan for allocating the funding. LCAP is important to us because we hope that the districts we serve and that have with significant LCFF money, particularly Oakland and West County, will allocate extra funding to support WCC. 

The West County district’s draft LCAP is on the district website. Nearly three quarters of the district’s students fall under one of the three categories specified for extra funding under LCFF: English learners, low income, and foster youth. Districts can distribute these funds via:

• Targeted student services — one-to-one services that go only to ELL, LI or FY students.
• School-wide programs — for schools with 100% eligible students or on programs that primarily benefit ELL, LI, and FY students.
• District-wide Programs — initiatives for all that have achievement gap closing benefits to ELL, LI and FY students.

As the information on the district website describes, allocation of funds per LCAP will be tied directly to the district’s new strategic plan, adopted in November 2013.

One result of extra LCFF funding in West County: Richmond High has once again approved $25,000 to cover the cost of WCC not covered by the Cities of Service grant we received in partnership with the City of Richmond. 

The Oakland school district hasn’t yet released its draft LCAP. Information about Oakland funding under LCFF is on the district website, but it isn’t very helpful in terms of explaining how much extra funding will be available under LCFF per the district’s LCAP and therefore giving us an idea of how this extra funding will impact our WCC site budgets. We do know that Fremont High School is planning to allocate funding for WCC for the first time in three years, $14,000 to support WCC in 2014-15. Our draft budget for Fremont for 2014-5 is $36,000.

The draft Berkeley school district LCAP was discussed at the April 30 BUSD board meeting.

Bob Menzimer

Oakland Reads 2020

Oakland Reads 2020, an initiative of the Oakland Literacy Coalition, of which we are a charter member, recognizes that the academic success of children requires engaged communities mobilized to remove barriers, expand opportunities, and assist parents to serve as full partners in the success of their children.

Oakland Reads 2020 has released its Baseline Report, an in-depth analysis of the current state of third-grade reading proficiency in Oakland.  The report, written by Urban Strategies Council on behalf of OR 2020, focuses on third grade reading success as well as the four Oakland Reads levers:  school readiness, school attendance, summer learning, & family engagement.  The report highlights challenges, progress, and community assets already in place serving Oakland students and families. The report dashboard offers a quick overview:

Although the Oakland Literacy Coalition and Oakland Reads 2020 (led by CAFL board member Sanam Jorjani) focus on reading skills up to third grade and we address writing skills at the secondary-school level, I think it’s important that we participate actively in both organizations. Reading and writing are inextricably linked. We are all part of the larger literacy tapestry and mutual support is crucial to helping students become fully literate members of a healthy society.

Bob Menzimer

Lively Gathering for Appreciation Party

Were you there? No one has an exact count, but it looked to me like well north of 100 of our coaches jammed the light-filled space at St. Clement’s Episcopal Church in Berkeley on May 5, a sunny Cinco de Mayo, for our annual Volunteer Appreciation Party.

You think it’s not crazy even during party set-up? From left, Susanne Eneya, Diane Benton, Shelli Fried and Kathleen Hallam offer clear evidence to the contrary. More Photos Here

As guitarist and vocalist Mark Unger serenaded from the stage, conviviality filled the air. Albany Middle School Principal Deborah Brill and Richmond High teacher Maddie Schmalz offered educators’ perspectives on the impact of WCC. I was pleased to present to Kathleen Hallam our first-ever ten-year service pin, and Kathleen in turn honored the following veteran coaches with theirs: Patricia Barkley, Wendy Breuer, Jeanine Brown, Pam Crane, Kathy Kahn, Sahib-Amar Khalsa, Helen Lecar, Laura Marlin, Martha Moses, Lynn Mueller, Priscilla Myrick, Phyllis Orrick, Scott Spear, Renee Watkins and David Williamson. Phyllis and Renee took to the podium for a look back on more than a decade of sitting with students to stimulate their writing capabilities.

Deep thanks to Kathleen Hallam for organizing this year’s party, an enormous task for which she had lots of helpers!

Bob Menzimer