November 29, 2016 President-Elect Donald J. Trump Trump Tower
725 5th Avenue
New York, New York 10022
Dear President-Elect Trump:
College and university leaders across the country, and here in California, are concerned about reports regarding potential actions you might be considering, including ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. On behalf of DACA students currently pursuing their dream of higher education in the United States, we urge you to continue this important program and allow these young people to continue to pursue a college education and contribute to their communities and the nation.
DACA is rooted in the fundamental premise that no one should be punished for the actions of others. In order to be eligible for DACA, an individual must have been brought to this country as a minor, stayed out of trouble, and continued to pursue an education. These sons and daughters of undocumented immigrants are as American as any other child across the nation, in all but in the letter of the law. Some never even spoke the language of their native land. They do not represent a public safety threat. In fact, they represent some of the best our nation has to offer. They voluntarily came forward, out of the shadows, to participate in the DACA program.
The University of California, California State University, and the California Community College systems each have thousands of DACA students studying at our institutions. They are constructive and contributing members of our communities. They should be able to pursue their dream of higher education without fear of being arrested, deported, or rounded up for just trying to learn.
There will be time for a vigorous debate and dialogue around immigration reform in the days ahead, and we look forward to engaging with you in a healthy and constructive conversation on this important issue. But now, as you continue tobuild your new Administration and appoint members of your Cabinet, on behalf of these Dreamers, we implore you to let them know they are valued members of our communities and that they will be allowed to continue to pursue the American dream.
Yours very truly, Janet Napolitano
President University of California
Timothy P. White
Chancellor California State University
Eloy Ortiz Oakley
Chancellor-Designate California Community Colleges
Human Services Agency Public Benefits Many clients and service providers may have questions or concerns regarding the status of a clients’ health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act or possible impacts to other services given the presidential election results. While we can’t predict the future, HSA would like to share some information that they have at this time.
Covered California's enrollment for 2017 coverage should still be encouraged. Coverage will remain intact for 2017. For Medi-Cal, HSA is continuing to promote and process new enrollments and renewals as always.
While there’s some uncertainty, and concern, about potential changes to these important public programs, HSA will focus on the present and ensure their clients have the health insurance coverage that they are eligible for today and through next year. If these programs change in the future, they will respond to those changes at that time.
For further information regarding eligibility and programs HSA offers, refer clients to the benefits line at 1-800-223-8383
Many people talk about "California weather." They think and say that California weather is easy and wonderful. California, they say, is an easy place to live. No weather problems. No natural disasters.
This is not true.
Weather in San Mateo and California: Not the Same!
San Mateo has wonderful weather. It has a very mild climate. But this is not the typical climate for California. It is not even the typical climate for the Bay Area. San Francisco is often cold and foggy, especially in the summer. Other parts of the Bay Area are very hot or cold, depending on the season.
Sierra Mountain snow storm
Fog in the San Francisco Bay
Many parts of California are very hot in the summer and cold in the winter. In the mountains, there are snow storms in the winter and thunder storms in the summer. The mildest weather is on the coast. This is because the ocean breezes cool down the heat. This is also why the coast has so much fog. When the ocean breezes meet the hot air of California, fog is created.
Redwood City
and their famous sign:
"Climate Best by Government Test"
So, maybe you want to say San Mateo or Foster City or Redwood City has wonderful weather and a mild climate. Redwood City is famous for their climate. They put a big sign up to tell everyone about their wonderful climate.
But for all of California, we cannot say this. In many parts of California, there are many weather extremes - very, very hot or very, very cold. Very wet or very dry. You might call them beautiful - but not easy or wonderful.
The desert in California, Nevada, and Arizona
can reach extremely high temperatures
In addition to weather challenges, California has five of what we can call natural or landscape or environmental challenges.
We have five big challenges in California: 1. Fire
Everywhere in California except in the extreme desert, fire is a big problem. Climate change is making this problem worse.
Everywhere in California, flooding is a problem. Even in the desert, flooding is a problem. Winter rains can bring flash floods in the desert.
Most of California has two seasons - the Wet Season and the Dry Season. The Wet Season is in the Winter and the Dry Season is in the Summer. In the Wet Season, the rains can come hard and fast. Too fast for the earth to absorb. Too much for the river beds. When this happens, we have floods.
Sometimes we have an El Nino and we get lots and lots of rain. In an El Nino, California has more rain and the Northwest is dryer. The last big El Nino we had was in 1997.
Homes in Pacific
EL Nino, 1997-98
This year, they predict a very big El Nino. Maybe the biggest El Nino in fifty years. We must prepare for it.
3. Drought
Drought in California
Depletion of Aquifers
Everywhere in California, drought is a problem. Drought means not enough water. We are in an extreme drought now.
You can learn more about drought in these special blog posts for ESL students:
Loma Prieta Earthquake
Collapse of Oakland Freeway
Everywhere in California, earthquakes are a problem. We have had very big earthquakes in the past. The last big and very destructive earthquake was the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989. It was centered near Santa Cruz but it affected many parts of the Bay Area. People died. Buildings fell down. Part of the Bay Bridge broke. Freeways collapsed.
Of course, this is a huge problem. We need to do many things to prepare.
San Mateo County is at high risk of problems because the county has two coastlines - one on the Bay and one on the Pacific Ocean.
Sea Change of San Mateo County is a website with information about rising seas in San Mateo California. Here are two facts from the website:
"The Bay Area is among the top 10 hot spots for sea level rise impacts across the country."
"In San Mateo County alone, rising sea levels put $24 billion of assets at risk."
Many leaders, including Congresswoman Jackie Speier, County Supervisor Dave Pine, Assemblyman Rich Gordon, are bringing people together to find solutions. We need to be serious about finding solutions because this is a very serious and big problem.
Working Together to Meet the Challenges
In Adult Education, we are working together in a new system, the Regional Consortia system, to provide Adult Education. Schools in our Regional Consortia, ACCEL, are working together to provide Adult Education for the whole county of San Mateo.
We can do the same with all these challenges - fire, flood, quake, drought, and rising seas.
Together, we can learn and prepare, find strategies and solutions.
At this time, we have a serious emergency.
We do not have enough water. This is called a drought.
Drought rhymes with about. The vowel sound is like "wow."
We need water for all the people who live here. People need water for drinking, cooking, and cleaning.
We need to grow food on farms and water animals on ranches. Agribusiness is a very part of the California economy. The fruit, vegetables, and meat from California goes to many places in the United States.
Terra Bella, California (Central Valley)
Photo Credit: LA Times
We need water for fishing. Many in rivers in California are controlled by dams. The fish in these rivers need water to survive.
We need water for industry. Factories and fracking (pulling oil out of the ground) need water.
Bottling water and selling it in other places in an industry in California, too.
Information to help you understand the drought in California:
1. Water in California:
California is like many places in the world with dry land and weather. It moves water to grow food and make cities. It moves water from the mountains or pulls it out of the ground.
California's water system serves over 30 million people. It irrigates over 5,680,000 acres of farmland. Irrigate means bring water in a pipe.
There are many, many, many arguments about water in California. It is not like the air. It does not belong to everyone. Some people have rights to water.
Water rights means the legal right to use water. When non-native people moved here, they claimed land and the water on the land. They claimed the right to use or sell the water on the land.
There are many people in California but not enough water for them unless you move the water from the mountains or pull it out of the ground.
People argue about who should get the water and what to use it for and how to pay for it. Farmers and ranchers and fishermen, factory owners and oil drillers, people in cities and suburbs - they all want water. How about animals and plants? They need water, too.
2. Aqueducts. Look at this map. See the lines? Those are aqueducts - canals that move water from one place to another place.
There are many aqueducts in California. They move water from the Sierra mountains or the Sacramento Delta or the Colorado River to other places in California.
3. Irrigation. The number one source for water in California is snow in the mountains. The snow melts and becomes a river. The water in the river is kept in a dam and then carried in an aqueduct to cities and farms.
A very big part of the farmland in California is dry. You can raise animals or grow many kinds of food only with water from far away. Some crops like cotton, almonds, rice, and alfalfa (for hay for animals) need a lot of water.
4 Hetch Hetchy. That's we get our water from. Hetch Hetchy is a big valley next to Yosemite. Many people say it was more beautiful than Yosemite. Now the valley is filled with water. This is the water we drink. It is the water from the Tuolumne River. The water travels from this valley all the way to us.
Drinking water in San Francisco and San Mateo is from Hetch Hetchy.
Hetchy Hetchy Valley
5. Crystal Springs. That's where our water waits for us to drink. The water flows from Hetch Hetchy to Crystal Springs.
Crystal Springs is not far from San Mateo Adult School. It is near Highway 92. You can walk or ride your bicycle or hike around it.
Crystal Springs runs along the San Andreas Fault. A fault is where two earth plates push against each other, creating earthquakes.
California has many faults. The San Andreas is the biggest.
All the aqueducts and water storage systems in California must be extra strong because of earthquakes.
7. Water Conservation. Conserve means save. Conservation means savings. Because of the drought, we have new water conservation rules. Governor Brown mandated the first water cuts in the history of California. Mandate means order or command.
This drought is a very serious emergency. We must take strong actions.
Each water district must reduce their water usage by some measurement. It is different for different areas.
This video explains more:
7. Water and fire.
There is another problem in California: fire. In a drought, there is more fuel - more dry trees and grass - for fires... and less water to put the water out. This is a big problem. You can read more about fire in California and the big Yosemite Fire in 2013 by clicking here.
8. Climate Change
All over the world, Climate Change is changing everything. The polar ice caps are melting. The water is rising in the seas and oceans. There are bigger hurricanes and storms.
And there are bigger droughts.
Everything is happening in bigger and longer ways.
Scientists are working very hard to understand what is happening. They are doing their best to predict what will happen. Predict means see things before they happen.
We must try to understand what is happening. We must try to predict what can happen next.
And we must create solutions for these problems.
9. Underground Water.
The drought is complicated. Not enough snow and rain is only part of the problem.
Climate Change makes the temperature hotter. With more heat, there is more evaporation. The water lifts up out of the rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. It moves up into the air and moves away to come down somewhere else - maybe far away.
Everywhere on the earth, there is more water underground than in the rivers and lakes. This underground water is called groundwater or the aquifer.
Groundwater is an important part of California water supply. During a normal year, 30% of the state’s water supply comes from this underground water. In extreme drought, groundwater can be 60% or more of our water supply.
For many reasons, we have less water in our aquifer. Our aquifers are depleted. Depleted means less, less, less, finally empty.
One reason is we are pumping water out of the ground. If you drink bottled water, you are usually drinking water from an aquifer. Farmers and ranchers in the Central Valley also pump water out of the ground.
NASA: “The ongoing California drought is evident in these maps of dry season (Sept–Nov) total water storage anomalies (in millimeter equivalent water height; anomalies with respect to 2005–2010). California’s Sacramento and San Joaquin river basins have lost roughly 15 km3 of total water per year since 2011 — more water than all 38 million Californians use for domestic and municipal supplies annually — over half of which is due to groundwater pumping in the Central Valley.”
Many reasons - Climate Change, water pumping, more people living and growing food and raising animals in dry places - combine to bring one result: Less water.
We have another problem with the aquifers: Some of the water in the aquifers is contaminated. Contaminated means it is dirty or poisonous or bad in some way. A new study from the United States Geological Service shows that 20% of the underground water has been contaminated.
Depletion and pollution of the aquifer, the underground water, is the most serious problem of all.
If we get more snow next winter, the lakes will fill with water again. But it takes a long, long, long time to refill an aquifer.
The San Mateo Adult School is part of the San Mateo Union High School District. The district has nine schools. There are 8 high schools - Aragon, Burlingame, Capuchino, Hillsdale, Mills, San Mateo, Peninsula, and Middle School - plus our school San Mateo Adult School.
Scott Laurence
Scott Laurence is the Superintendent of the district. The Superintendent is the big boss of the district. Mr. Laurence has done a wonderful job. He has helped guide the district through a difficult time. He has been a very good leader. And he is a big supporter of the Adult School. But he is retiring. The district is looking for a new Superintendent.
The district wants information from the community. The district wants to know:
* What is important in a leader for our district?
* What opportunities and challenges does our district face?
The district will have a big meeting so people can share their ideas.
They also have a survey for people who cannot come to the meeting. The survey is in English, Spanish, and Chinese.
This is your chance to share ideas about leadership for our district. Please come to the meeting or complete the survey.
Here is more information:
2015 Superintendent Recruitment
SMUHSD Superintendent Scott Laurence, who leaves a legacy of leading significant improvements in academic achievement and increasing vital support systems for struggling students, will be leaving his post this summer. The Board of Trustees is conducting an extensive search for the District's next leader and they would like your help.
Community Forum February 12, 2015
What qualities do you think are important in a leader? What are the opportunities and challenges facing the District? During the community input session, community members will be asked to weigh in on these two questions. Here are the details:
General Community Forum Thursday, February 12, 2015 5-6:30pm San Mateo SMART Center, 789 E Poplar Ave, San Mateo, CA 94401 No appointment necessary.
Online Survey
Can't attend the forum on February 12th? No problem. You can submit your feedback via a quick and convenient online survey.
ESL Teacher Patricia Brown Photo credit: Liv Ames for Edsource
Susan Frey, a reporter for Edsource, and Liv Aames, a photographer, came to our school to interview people and take photos for the article.
ESL Morning Student Council President
Daniel Pec
The reporter talked to ESL Teacher Patricia Brown and students in her class. One of the students she talked to was Daniel Pec. He is the Morning ESL Student Council President.
The article reports:
Daniel Pec is a 28-year-old immigrant from Guatemala who attends San Mateo Adult School. He said even though both San Mateo College and the adult school offer ESL classes, the focus of the two programs is different. Pec is trained in computer science and expects to eventually go to college, but for now he needs to learn English and support his family.
“The community college is very expensive, and it is more book English,” Pec said, adding that he likes the adult school because he has a chance to practice the language, which has helped him in his job at a restaurant.
San Mateo Adult School
Assistant Director Tim Doyle Photo credit: Liv Ames for Edsource
“In some consortia, there is more overlap and more tension between community colleges and adult schools,” said Tim Doyle, assistant director of the San Mateo Adult School. “Here there is much more coordination. The local community college doesn’t do much of what we do.”
This means that San Mateo Adult School does different things than the College of San Mateo and Skyline College and Kenyatta College.
The reporter talked with many students to understand what they are learning and doing at our school.
Hessam Ghajar, left, and Takeshi Naoi
practice English with classmates in a San Mateo Adult School class. Photo credit: Liv Ames for Edsource.
Marco Estrella, right, and Yu Liu practice English
in an ESL class at San Mateo Adult School. Photo credit: Liv Ames for Edsource.
She also talked with other people from other schools and organizations. She talked with Debra Jones. Debra Jones is part of the AB86 Cabinet. This is the group in charge of the new Regional Consortia system.
The article reports:
Debra Jones, dean of career education practices at the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, calls what is outlined in the budget “a gift to adult students.”
“I never dreamed I would see dedicated funding for disenfranchised adults,” Jones said. “We’re celebrating. Overall, this is pretty special.”
That means Ms. Jones was surprised and happy by the Governor's Budget Proposal. Disenfranchised means without privilege or rights, especially the right to vote. The word disenfranchised has a feeling of without power.
We are happy, too. But maybe we are not surprised. Because we know that Adult Students have power. They are smart. They are strong. They can and do express their ideas, experience, and wisdom. They can and do take action. They can and do write letters, visit legislators, and talk to the press.
The budget process is not over. Governor Brown's proposal was the first step. Now the Legislature and the public will discuss things. The Legislature will make their own budget proposals. Everyone will talk and argue and discuss and make changes and finally they will come to an agreement and the Governor will sign it. The start of the new budget year is July 1, 2015. July 1 is a kind of New Year's Day for the state. The budget must be complete and ready to go by this day.
Former Morning ESL Student Council President
Hitomi explains the need for Dedicated Funding
for Adult Schools.
We are happy we are part of this discussion. We need ideas and experience and wisdom from students, teachers, administrators, and the community to make a good future and good budget for Adult Education and the people of California.
When we make a budget for California, we are spending the people's money. To make wise decisions, we need to know what the people need and want; we need to know how much money we have; and we need to think about the best way to spend so we get good results.
Welcome to San Mateo Adult School! Our wonderful school is open and ready to help you.
On Tuesdays we wear Red for Adult Education.
This is the ESL Student Blog. It has information about ESL Student Council, Holidays, School Events, Changes in Adult Education, San Mateo Adult School Classes, and much more!
San Mateo Adult School - and all Adult Schools - are now part of a Regional Consortia system.
The name of our Regional Consortium is ACCEL. You can learn more about in Part 1 and Part 2.
Last week - March 11 to March 15, 2013 - was Adult Education Week. We did a lot.
We stood up for Adult Education. This means we supported and defended Adult Education.
And we celebrated Adult Education. We talked about the good things. We were happy about them.
ESL students paid for materials for to make a banner for Adult Education Week that we can use year after year.. The ESL Student Council approved the money for the supplies.
The students in Teacher Shirley's class made the banner.
They painted it. They inserted grommets so the banner can be tied to the fence. And they sewed the edges.
On Wednesday at breaktime in the morning, staff and students celebrated Adult Edcuation by dancing the Virgina Reel. Toshio was the caller and told us what to do: Right! Left! Swing your partner! Do-si-do!
On Thursday, staff and students bought and wore Adult Education Matters t-shirts.
Thursday afternoon, some teachers brought our Adult Education Matters banner to the Rally for CCSF - City College of San Francisco. They stood up to support for Adult Education.
On Thursday evening, three ESL students and Teacher Mary Peros spoke to the San Mateo Union High School District School Board.
They thanked the School Board for their support of our wonderful school. And they talked about how the Adult School helps them.
Student Azucena Zarabanda explained that classes at the Adult School help her be a better parent.
You can click here to read one of the winning essays.
On Wednesday in the evening, student read their excellent essays. Everyone listened carefully to their power and truth.
On Friday in the morning, students read more wonderful essays. Superintendent Scott Laurence, Councilman Ross and other guests attended the celebration. We listened with our hearts and minds open.
Everyone - staff, students and guests - was impressed with the beautiful, inspiring essays from both evening and day programs.
And finally on Friday, thanks to Student Council member Laura, Univision Channel 14 came to visit our school and interview staff and students.
We explained to Univision that Adult Education matters. We explained that Adult Education needs the K-12 Adult Schools - like ours. We explained that Adult Education needs its own budget. This special budget is called Designated Funding.
You can watch a clip from Univision here. It is in Spanish.
It was a great week.
We worked hard. We did good things. We stood up. We celebrated.
It's Adult Education & Family Literacy Week! September 10 - 16.
Adult Education helps many people in many ways.
It includes
ESL
Citizenship
GED
High School Diploma
Job Skills
Parent Education
Older Adults
Disabled Adults
Here are some important facts about Adult Education.
The English is high level sometimes. If you need help understanding these facts, ask your teacher for help.
You can learn more about Adult Education and Family Literacy Week here.
And now . . . the facts!
Adult Education, Jobs and the Economy
Workers without a High School diploma are nearly 2 times as likely to be unemployed than those w/at least some college & have much lower wages.
Workers with a HS diploma and above are less likely to be on government support, saving states & federal government money.
Helping undereducated adults get a GED or equivalent can raise over $8,865/yr in fed, state, and local taxes per student.
Economists predict that by 2018 63% of jobs will require a postsecondary education. Adult Ed & literacy are the key to success.
Adults in Adult Ed career pathways bridge programs are 56% more likely to earn college credit; 26% more likely to earn cert/degree
To stay on track with other OECD countries, the U.S. will have to produce an additional 24 million credentials by 2025.
College degree gap needs to be filled by adults currently in workforce. Not enough HS grads to meet demand.
Researchers estimate that a HS diploma’s contribution to the economy could amount to more than $250,000/graduate over a lifetime.
Adult Education Supports Jobs & the Economy. Learn more & see how you can take action for Adult Ed: http://bit.ly/AE-Jobs
Adult Literacy
93 million adults in need of raising basic reading & math skills. Get the facts about Adult Ed: http://bit.ly/adultedfacts
More than 35.7 million adults ages 18-64 do not have a high school diploma. C more facts: http://bit.ly/9fJkcU
1 in 7 adults can’t read job apps, bedtime stories, prescription labels, or ballots. What will you do to help?
50–80% of adults in Adult Ed may have a learning disability, explaining in part why they were not successful in public schools
85% of all individuals w/learning disabilities have difficulty reading (National Institute of Child Health & Human Development)
Family Literacy
A mother’s reading skill is the greatest determinant of her children’s future academic success, outweighing all else Children whose parents are involved with them in #family #literacy activities score 10 points higher on standardized reading tests
One year of parent education has a greater impact on the chance of a child attending college than does an extra $50,000 in income.
Kids spend five times as much time outside the classroom as they do in school. Caregivers must be equipped to support their learning.
There is no substitute for the parent’s / primary caregiver’s role as a child’s 1st teacher, best coach, & most concerned advocate.
Teach the parent; reach the child. Support family literacy programs.
Of the 93M adults in the U.S. w/basic or below basic literacy levels, 30 million are parents or primary caregivers of children ages 0-8.
Teaching parents reading strategies increases child’s language and literacy outcomes. Support family literacy programs.
Funding
Preserve and invest in adult education. Adult Ed drives economic mobility for adults & families and economic recovery for America.
Health and Health Literacy
Health literacy programs raise adults’ understanding of medical problems b4 they become critical = medical cost-savings.
Nearly half of American adults– 90 million –have difficulty understanding & using health info. See related facts: http://bit.ly/aUFF2J.
High School Dropouts
Each HS dropout costs the US economy ~ $260,000 in lost earnings, taxes, & productivity over lifetime (Amos, 2008).
Approx 1M youth drop out of HS. Adult Ed is the key to recovering revenue losses and realizing economic potential of HS dropouts.
Students who drop out tend to earn less, perform less well in society, & have a lower quality of life. See more facts: http://bit.ly/9fJkcU
Many HS drop outs must work multiple jobs just to support their family. See more adult literacy facts: http://bit.ly/9fJkcU
Immigration and Integration
Adult Ed helps immigrants integrate into the U.S. See more about Adult Ed’s role & how you can help: http://bit.ly/integrationAE
Limited English language proficiency is a barrier for immigrants to meaningful employment in the U.S.
English language proficiency is critical to obtaining jobs commensurate with immigrants’ competencies.
60% of legal immigrants who are eligible for citizenship had limited-English proficiency.
Legislation
Reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act. See articles on NCL’s WIA Reauthorization Priorities: http://bit.ly/d8w49b .
Poverty
In 2005 21% of families with no HS diploma were living below poverty, compared to 7.1% of those w HS diplomas.
Adult Ed lifts people out of poverty: Higher salaries, good job opportunities, higher savings, better working conditions.
Return on Investment of Adult Education
Adult Ed benefits the economy: Increased tax revenues, business productivity, consumption, & WF flexibility; decreased public assistance.
Adult Ed benefits people: Higher salaries, better job opportunities, higher savings, improved working conditions, professional mobility.
Find quick facts on the return on investment of Adult Ed via @NCLAdvocacy: http://bit.ly/pUFFCb .
Workplace Literacy
Adult workplace literacy programs help workers gain new levels of skills as new demands arise.
Check out these important facts from the National Coalition on Literacy
