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Seeking election to Los Alamitos Board of Education

6/27/2016

I picked up last week’s News Enterprise to read about our local news, and mixed in with news about charity drives, All-Star youth teams, heat advisories, the LA Fitness controversy, crime, and faith, I ran across the one written by Karen Russell, one of the three incumbents on the Los Alamitos Unified School District Board, writing on behalf of them all, about their intent to seek re-election in November.

I was shocked. Kinda. I just thought a combined 40 years on the Board for them would’ve been enough. Guess I was wrong.

Time to throw my hat in the proverbial ring.

I am seeking election for the Los Alamitos School District Board.

I read Russell’s article closely. In it she simply highlighted their “record.” Her rhetoric was more of the same: national awards, AP scores, modernization, ROP offerings, high standards, A-G completion rates, and safety initiatives. While all of these programs and successes are ones we celebrate throughout our communities, as they keep our kids engaged, inspired, and most importantly, safe, this “record” doesn’t address the issues about which our communities are growing more and more concerned. I ended the article wondering, “But what’s next?”

We are desperately ready to hear discussions about and solutions to the traffic nightmares in Rossmoor. We want to hear honest debates about the inter-district transfers that make up over 30% of our student population. We want to understand where all the money goes, including those dollars raised for individual classrooms, programs, schools, the ever-present district-driven fundraising events and the ubiquitous LAEF -- and why we need another bond measure on the ballot again this election cycle. We want to see teaching practices move into the 21st century and educational equity for all students. We want to give our teachers a voice and hold our administrators accountable for leading their teams with purpose and intent. We want transparency into the sports programs’ operating procedures. We want to discuss options for decreasing the sheer number of kids in our schools, so the schools can become more manageable. We want to see research on the value of summer homework.

I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I do have lots of questions. Isn’t that all we really want? A member on the Board who is not afraid to raise the tough questions, hear from our communities, weigh the options, and make decisions in the best interest of us all?

I live in Rossmoor because when my husband and I began having kids we wanted to be part of a great school district. Los Alamitos was that district for us. We moved to this small community district before our kids even started school, and one of them is now at Oak and the other one is at the high school. Crazy how time flies.

This district has served us well, and I want to continue the good work, but I see room for improvement. And rather than rest on our laurels, I’d like to revisit what has made us great and return to a focus on that foundation. We haven’t been great in only the last 15 years; we’ve always been great -- and we’ve been great because we have always been a neighborhood, boutique district. We need, therefore, to continue to move forward, but not forget who we are.

Here’s to Curriculum. Equity. Safety. And a teacher on the board who is focused on why we’re in this business of education -- the kids.

Feel free to contact me via my website at cathylarson.com or via email at mrscathylarson@gmail.com. We are in this together, and it’s time we stand together.

Who’s with me?

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Do some writing this summer

6/20/2016

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I began working with a few dozen kids this week at my two week writing camp that I run every year at Rush Park. Every day begins with a large circle activity that allows all the kids to get to know each other. I ask a leading question and everyone takes a turn answering it. Activities like this remind me why television programs with children are always so popular -- kids are hilarious!

This week I started our camp with this question: “How often are you asked to write in school?”

I like to get a feel for how much experience and practice these young writers have in probably the only setting where they get to write. The answers this summer were more encouraging than they have been in past summers-- it seems teachers are building more writing into their curriculum -- but I am still amazed at the number of kids who respond with answers like “once a week” and “once a month.”

I’m a teacher and a parent, so I understand the importance of taking everything a child says with a grain of salt. And my neighbor would add that an adult can tell teenagers are lying “when their mouths move.” Regardless, I do trust my campers when they tell me writing doesn’t happen very often. I’m especially saddened when I also hear comments from them about not having the freedom to pick their own topics, not getting help when they get stuck, and being told all the things they’re doing wrong.

I work diligently during camp every summer to help kids experience the joy of writing. We play with language, practice writing strategies, experiment with topics, build fluency and work on authentic voice. In the end, however, what we’ve built is their confidence in knowing they can write -- that writing is nothing to fear.

Even if your little ones aren’t joining us in camp this summer, I wanted to take the time to encourage you to give them this same opportunity. A little time spent this summer encouraging “play” with writing will absolutely pay off during the next school year.

Here are a few ideas to try.

Encourage your child to keep a daily journal. This enables freedom of expression and opportunities to take risks with topic choices. You can even do this electronically with a blog. I like Blogspot through Google. It's easy to setup and easy to post entries. Additionally, get extended family to follow their blog; your kids will love the feedback, and it will encourage even more writing and more posts.

Write stories as a family about your individual days or a family vacation that you then share with each other. You'll be amazed at how different your perspectives can be. And take your writing outside, as this is the one piece of feedback we get from our young writers every year ... they love the freedom of writing in the park.

Write letters to family members or friends who live far away. Write them by hand and by email, as sometimes introducing the electronic media for communication makes it more fun.

Set a timer when writing. This reminds your kids that writing is not about page length or number of sentences; it's about using whatever space is needed to tell the story. You can even do this as a family, and then share your pieces with each other.

Participate in writing contests. When they have a real audience, with the potential for a prize of any kind, you’ll be amazed at how interested in writing they can be.

Get them writing Yelp reviews for restaurants you visit. This will help your kids understand how to write for a specific purpose.

Regardless the ideas you try, please remember that writing is about discovery, fluency, voice, experimentation, and storytelling. Please, whatever you do, do not focus on the conventions. There is plenty of instruction in our schools about conventions. In fact, it is usually this instruction that causes anxiety and reluctance in kids. Imagine writing from your own heart about something personal, only to have someone tell you all the things you did wrong: misspelled words, wrong verb tense, lack of periods. These conventions are important for final pieces, but unnecessarily halt the creative process. Please let your children continue to develop as writers, build on the successes, practice without fear of evaluation, and learn to love the process. This will be more powerful than any properly spelled adjective ... I promise!

Enjoy your summer and write away!

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Screen time this summer

6/13/2016

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I spent this last weekend on a soccer field for my daughter’s last tournament of the season. Because the tournament was in Mission Viejo, the families opted to stay near the fields for the four hours between games on both Saturday and Sunday, rather than drive all the way home and then have to turn right back around to return to the field. In the end, I calculated that between the games and the waiting, we had over 20 hours to bond. This left lots of time to discuss lots of topics, but the one that stuck with me this weekend was our discussion about filling the summer now that we are only days away.

“What are you guys doing this summer?” was the question of the weekend. Of course, we discussed everyone’s family vacation plans, the end-of-season soccer party, summer sports camps, and visits to Knott’s Berry Farm. It was the hours of free time the kids are going to have between these planned activities that triggered our most thoughtful discussions, though. How are we going to help fill the kids’ free time with activities and play that eliminate the need for electronics without intruding too much on their time to “be a kid”?

How is that done? Is going completely “black” the answer? Is one hour too little time? Too much? Do they need any? How will they contact their friends? What if I want them to have their phone, so I can get in touch with them? How can I both set a boundary and set a good example at the same time when staying off my phone is just as hard for me as staying off of theirs is for them?

These are tough questions and the questions that got me into trouble last summer when I gave into my kids’ demands only 10 days into the summer. A “blackout” is hard -- for everyone!

This week I thought I’d share a great idea I saw one afternoon (while wasting time on Facebook). Because we’re all so attached to our screens, this proposed solution felt like a great compromise for my family. My kids are in middle and high school, so my rules may be more or less lenient than you’d like, but, nevertheless, this tip helped me envision what I wanted to accomplish and empowered me to create my own set of “Summer Rules.”

My rules are modified from those that I saw that one afternoon, but the brevity, simplicity and direct approach from the sample was what I worked to emulate. I organized my categories by what I want from my own kids, knowing their challenges and propensities, and I encourage you to organize yours by your needs. I’ll share just a taste of our family rules, but know that the full rules have been shared with our kids, printed and posted on the refrigerator.

My hope is that something similar ends up on yours if you’re so inspired. Here goes.

“Summer Rules for Screen Time”

You may earn up to two hours on the computer, your phone/iPad, or TV, as long as all of these requirements have been completed to parental satisfaction. Once completed, you are free to manage your screen time as you see fit.

Health and Hygiene: (1) make your bed, (2) brush your teeth, (3) take a shower, (4) make and eat a healthy breakfast

Academics: (1) read for 45 minutes from a book of your choice

Creativity: (1) make or build something -- Erector set, write a letter to grandparent, bake, woodwork, paint/color, do a puzzle, tinker in the garage, etc

Contribution to the Family: (1) clean one assigned room, (2) ask to help someone with a task, (3) take care of one dog duty

Playtime Outside: (1) ride your bike to the park, take a short run, play with a friend, swim in the pool, play at the beach, go surfing, etc

Note: All electronics are turned in to mom or dad before going to bed.

My hope is for you to enjoy your summer in an old-fashioned way. My hope for you is to be active and nurture friendships. My hope for you is to build memories.

This summer you are not going to spend all your time watching someone else’s life. You’re going to create your own.

God, help us all.

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What is a "good" teacher?

6/6/2016

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For the past couple years, you can find my family on most Friday nights at Macaroni Grill for Happy Hour. This tradition started one night when the families from my daughter’s soccer team were looking for a place to go for dinner after a Friday night practice, because no one felt like going home to cook dinner. We all landed at, what all the kids now lovingly call, Mac and Cheese Grill.

This tradition is something her soccer team has continued all these Friday’s later. It’s where we continue to meet with families who no longer play on her soccer team and get to know new families who join each year.

This past weekend was no exception.

Because I’m a teacher, as are several other parents, the conversation often turns to education. This weekend turned to teacher salary and the raises districts all over Orange County are negotiating for teachers this year.

From our hour-long conversation, one comment from a parent stuck with me. He was arguing the merits of teacher raises and amid his many cogent arguments mentioned, “We need to pay well so we can get good teachers.”

This idea has been percolating now for a few days. It’s a ubiquitous line bantered about any time teacher salary is discussed. I began to wonder this weekend -- what do we mean by “good” and is this argument true?

Let’s start with “good.” What do we mean by a “good” teacher? Sure, teachers have a set of teaching standards by which they are evaluated, the CSTP (California Standards for the Teaching Profession). But how do these standards translate to the day-in and day-out in the classroom?

In addition to the standards, I might argue a “good” teacher must, first-and-foremost, love kids. More money doesn’t change this. I might also add a “good” teacher must love their content. More money doesn’t change this, either. From an administrative perspective, a “good” teacher might mean the teacher is coachable. Does more money change or influence this? I think not.

I challenge you to think about what you think makes for a “good” teacher and ask yourself if more money changes any of those key traits.

During this Friday night’s discussion, we tried to equate teaching and teacher salaries to what I call the “real world.” It felt like an exercise in futility. Industry is driven by results -- you perform, get performance reviews, and earn performance increases, or you get fired. Unfortunately, education isn’t driven by results; both “good” and bad teachers are contractually paid the same. Should ALL teachers be rewarded with an 8 or 10 percent pay increase this year -- just because?

Let’s go back to my friend’s claim that “We need to pay well so we can get good teachers.” I’m going to disagree. Don’t get me wrong. I’m a teacher and would love a big raise, but I think his claim is a fallacy.

I argue that teachers teach because they are called to it. Most teachers are teachers because it’s their passion, because to become a teacher isn’t easy. It’s not a profession that you can just fall into. To earn a credential requires lots of jumping through hoops; it’s an intentional decision. And we don’t have a teacher shortage in California, so many young people are already deciding to teach. Why is this? Could it be that teaching offers something no other career can? Something more than money can buy? How about benefits. Job security. Holiday breaks. Step raises year-over-year regardless performance. Stipends for work above and beyond the contract day. A quality of life that contractually requires a teacher to work only 185 out of 365 days of every year.

Again, don’t get me wrong. I love teachers, and a “good” one can inspire kids to greatness. But I’m not sure pay is the answer to ensuring our kids get one of the “good” ones.

What I wish is that more parents demanded results. What I wish is that more parents spoke up about teachers who cause detriment to our kids. What I wish is that more parents got involved in more ways than just writing more checks.

What I wish is that some of that money going to raises was spent on kids, because, let’s not forget, that’s the business we’re in.

I don’t claim to know or have a silver bullet for “good” teaching, but I do know that money isn’t the answer.

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Seeking election to Los Alamitos Board of Education

Do some writing this summer

Screen time this summer

What is a "good" teacher?

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