Happy 2020!  Here are some highlights of the year so far:

1. School Board Passes Anti-Vaping Resolution

2. Fund Education Now Week Feb 3-7, 2020

3. EduTrack Foundation launch

4. Superintendent Friday Letters

School Board Passes Anti-Vaping Resolution

On January 13th, our first MDUSD school board meeting of 2020, we unanimously passed a resolution asking local cities to ban the sale of flavored tobacco and vaping devices.  

I encourage you to read the entire resolution and share it out far and wide.  Then please call or email your city council members in Concord, Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek, Clayton, Pittsburg and Martinez to ask them to take action immediately.

As a school board member and parent, I've been hearing a lot about students in our high schools and middle schools that are vaping, that are addicted, and that are struggling to cope.  Contra Costa County Supervisors passed a similar resolution on November 12, 2019.  I joined MDUSD parents and students, along with TUPE and many community members at that meeting, to speak in favor of the resolution.  The stories the students told were heartbreaking, and the county found that the vast majority of students get vape devices from storefronts.  The county ban is only for unincorporated areas, so banning the sale within city limits would make a huge difference.

The FDA, CDC, and California Department of Public Health have issued health alerts urging everyone to quit vaping altogether, no matter the substance or source.

The popularity of electronic vaping devices has soared among youth, with a national increase of 135% within the past two years. According to the National Youth Tobacco Survey, 1 in 20 middle school students, as well as 1 in 4 high school students are vaping. A 2016 survey showed that one in three 11th graders in Contra Costa admitted to having vaped.

We also passed a resolution recognizing Fund Education Now week, Feb 3-7, 2020, in which school districts throughout Alameda and Contra Costa will have actions each day to inform the community and state legislature of our dire need for education funding.The growing Coalition includes Contra Costa County students, teachers, staff, school board members, parents, and superintendents united to bring full and fair funding to California public education.

Join us!

• Follow @CCCFundEd and @MtDiabloUSD on Twitter
• Visit www.cocoschools.org/cccfunded to see how you can participate in Fund Education Now Week.

EduTrack Foundation Launch

Dr Martinez often talks about the importance of student voice. Here's some news about students taking action right here in MDUSD!  Concord High graduate and former ASB President Aasim Yahya is now a university student at Cal, but he's still working on building up student leadership here in our high schools.  On Saturday he, sister Azeema, mom May, and a dedicated new team of Board members launched the nonprofit EduTrack - to provide scholarships as well as student-led college and career programs.

"We believe that students are the best individuals to educate and equip their own peers with college and career resources. That's why our high school programs provide students with the ability to empower their peers. All of our high school programs are led by high school students who use both the resources and guidance of our EduTrack staff and digital tool box to build their own on-campus programs. We are committed to creating our high school programs at sites that serve students who identify with primarily underrepresented or underprivileged communities." Interesting in bringing a program to your campus? Visit http://www.edutrackfoundation.org/get-involved2.html

Superintendent’s Friday Letter

Read Superintendent Dr Martinez’s January 10th and January 17th Friday letters. They include key information such as the newly elected DELAC leaders (District English Language Advisory Committee) and DVC's Diamonte Scholars (offering college credit during high school on a path to transfer & career for STEAM - science, tech, engineering, art, math).

These are always posted at mdusd.org and on Facebook & Twitter.  To receive these as emails, send a message to [email protected] to request to be added to the Superintendent’s email list.

Next School Board meeting January 27th

Here is the agenda.  Items include reports on Holbrook Dual Language expansion and Governor's budget, info/discussion of draft 2020-21 School calendars, and a resolution to support the Public Preschool, K-12, and College Health and Safety Bond Act of 2020 that is on the March ballot.

Visit https://mdusd.org/agendasminutes to see all meeting agendas & videos.

As always, share your ideas with our board via email or attend and speak at our board meetings.

Sincerely,

It was great to see recent Concord High ASB President Hannah Jenevein at the EduTrack event!

Thank you East County NAACP for organizing another beautiful MLK Jr Day celebration!