Tag: LBUSD

  • What should LBUSD do with $100 million? Students have ideas…

     

    The Long Beach Post has reported that Long Beach Unified School District is set to receive $99.4 million in federal funds from the December 2020 relief package. The money is based on LBUSD’s low-income and otherwise disadvantaged Title 1 student population. LBUSD spokesperson Chris Eftychiou told the Long Beach Post in an email that the district has been using federal funds from the earlier relief package for “technology, professional development, nutrition of students, distance learning and personal protective equipment.” 

    But what do Poly students think the district should use the money on? Our panel of writers made some suggestions.

     

    Xandria Hines

    With the grant of 99.4 million dollars given to the Long Beach Unified School District through the government’s relief funding, a lot of betterment can be done to the schools that LBUSD resides over, as well as those who work and learn there.

    With everyone stuck within their own homes for the time being, possibly until the end of 2021 or the beginning of 2022, using that amount of money to tear down and rebuild some of the worst areas of the older schools would be a possible endeavor that could be done with the money. Allowing the schools to remain closed until the autumn/winter semester of 2022 would give the school board enough time to plan, budget, and rebuild some of the worst buildings that could become hazardous.

    If the reconstruction of hazardous areas is not a priority, however, the money could still be used for the reconstruction of schools, changing some of the unused, and more unused bathrooms into “sanitary stations”. With Covid-19 back on the rise in early 2021, schools may need to push back in-class schooling until the vaccine is distributed regularly and avoid of more severe effects, but for those who simply will not wait for such a time, having stations within the school where children and teens can pick up gloves to replace their ripped ones, pick up or refill their hand sanitizer, or replace masks they might accidentally throw away or break would help everyone stay safe at school.

    Using that money to redo anything about the standing school (repainting, cleaning, new desks, new supplies, etc.) would be a positive change for any high schooler that would be going back to school when it’s finally safe to do so.

     

    Chansochata Thon

    As an LBUSD student, I believe the most important area in which the budget can go is investing in better laptops for the students who cannot afford their own. First of all, the chromebooks that the school provides are not guaranteed to work well. Many of my friends and myself have a chromebook from school, and we have faced many issues. My chromebook, in particular, cannot handle having more than three tabs open when I am using zoom. This is a problem, because teachers usually require us to have multiple tabs open, whether it be a google doc, website, or peardeck. When I do have my zoom and more than 3 tabs open, the zoom becomes laggy and I cannot access the websites quickly, and at times I get disconnected. This causes stress, especially if the teacher gives a timed assignment. In addition, when I do get disconnected, I struggle in refocusing when I rejoin.

    In addition, the school can direct some of the money in helping students transition to a life with COVID-19. By this, I mean helping students cope and learn what to do when a family member is hospitalized. For me, when my dad was diagnosed with COVID-19, my family and I struggled in knowing what to do when he was sick, especially when his condition worsened. There seemed to be a lack of clarity of what to do, especially when we called an ambulance they would not take him to the hospital. So we had to take him to a hospital ourselves but did not know whether to go to urgent care or the emergency room. Furthermore, when he was admitted to the hospital, we had difficulty in learning how to pay bills. This caused immense stress, interrupting my motivation to learn. I believe some resources that may help include available/well known hot-lines or places that can aid families with bills, grocery, and information. In addition, these resources should also provide access for those whose first language is not English.

    Lastly, a resource that can directly help students during distanced learning is one-on-one tutors or a mentor who can track their grade and provide them support; this can be a tutor who students check up with or just someone who can be relied on for advice. These tutors should go towards the students who are evidently struggling the most with online school and want help (because if they need help but do not want it there will be lots of resistance on their part). This program could assure that the students who do not have the support at home can have access to what they need through Poly.

     

    Sierra Brott-Hunter

    I think that LBUSD SHOULD use the money on giving the students cord baggies filled with mask, hand sanitizer, thermometer. They also should provide better food. This is a good idea because if the students do not have a clean mask at home they have a mask in the bag. Another reason this a good idea to spend the money on the baggies is so students have hand sanitizer with them at all times and it would be easy to get out their backpacks they can also use it if they are in a rush between classes. A third reason this a good idea that should use the money on is the students have a thermometer to see if they have a fever before they go to school to let them know if they should stay home or not. I also think that LBUSD should use the money on better food. This is a good idea because the school food now is okay, but it is not the best food.

  • Why Saturday School?

    Saturday school has been more of a serious matter, this school year.
    In what the purpose of saturday school serves, is for students to make up “work and also days of absences”, stated by Robert Shock.

    The range between freshman to seniors, may be considered to go.
    They’re given the opportunity to catch up and ensure that their grades will be stable.
    This could be considered a new awakening, more specifically to seniors, as if you do NOT attend saturday school and/or miss them intentionally, there is the possibility of getting your privileges taken.
    Such as graduation and maybe even certain senior activities.
    Especially since Seniors are currently going towards a path that staff is “concerned about”. And for Juniors this is a very “important year for them”. Saturday school is made to be “academic based”.

    As for if saturday school is working for students, Shock says that “those taking advantage of it” are the ones benefiting.
    They can also be given the chance to have a space to do their work as they provided chromebooks, books and whatever they need, in order to catch up.

    Saturday school is assigned through the district based on multiple absences.
    At least twice a month Saturday school is in session, and it is said May will be the last month for Saturday school.
    Shock also stated at PAAL they have saturday school almost “every saturday”.

    Many students are unsure of the consequences. The district is looking for what to do and is unsure.
    It is said that for Seniors if they miss school, especially towards the end of the semester, there will be some sort of consequences set in place.
    The purpose behind saturday school isn’t to “penalize students” but instead “try to help them”.

  • The Competitive Nature of PACE

    PACE being the oldest  specialized program in the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD), it was not surprising that the number of qualified applicants has increased. A problem arose when the final number of incoming ninth graders exceeded the maximum spaces available in the PACE ninth grade class.

    The contractual maximum for English teachers in LBUSD is 175 students, which means that accepting more than 175 students becomes a problem for the school’s administration. Between 175 and 185 students are accepted into the PACE program each year.

    The selection process for PACE is based on grades and standardized test scores, which are put into a formula that calculates the High School Academic Index (HSAI). Admission is based on that number. For the past two years, most applicants who met the minimum HSAI to apply to PACE and who listed it as their first choice, were accepted.

    “At the CHOICE events this year, I told parents that based on the past two years’ experience, they need not worry if their child was near the cutoff point on their HSAI, that we had admitted everyone that qualified for the past two years,” said Michelle Aberle, the PACE facilitator. This year, however, there were many more students who qualified than available space in the program. This was true for a number of pathways this year.  This is concerning to Aberle, who worries that parents will feel betrayed by the system. Why this occurred this year is not known.

    Within the past several years, LBUSD has taken control of the CHOICE process, with more inconsistent results, according to Aberle. The district mandated that programs in the district have the same entrance requirements, which for PACE, lowered the GPA and initially raised the standardized test scores. The Pathway Coordinator at Wilson High School, Edward Steinhauser, said in an email, “This year, in an attempt to lessen the nuanced confusion around entrance requirements, QUEST, WAVE, and PACE were all given the same entrance requirements (GPA, SBAC score on English Language Arts, and Algebra 1.  PACE calculated acceptance with the High School Academic Index while QUEST and WAVE used GPA top down.”

    The school district is using the same admission process, using a top-down HSAI, but with results that fluctuate every year.  A few years back, PACE handled their own admissions, using what the district now says is the same process.  But in the previous years, results were much more predictable, and the problem of admissions exceeding contractual maximums did not occur.

    “If a program like PACE has more qualified applicants than allocated spots in a given year, some of the students will be offered places at their second or third choices,” said Russ Anderson, a counselor at Lakewood High School, “Two years ago, Merit Scholars at Lakewood experienced a drop in enrollment for the first time. So, for the first time, we were able to enroll some students who had not been accepted to other programs that happened to be impacted that year.  I would imagine that one reason the current selection process exists is to keep pathways strong across the district.”

    At PACE, the number of acceptances sent out to the eighth graders has been based upon the number of students, historically, that ultimately accept. Some students apply to PACE with the intention of attending private schools, whose acceptances come out later than those of LBUSD. However, far more students accepted than what could be anticipated from the previous averages.

    “I believe that what happened this year,” said Aberle, “is that many students, unfortunately, selected impacted programs for all three of their top choices.  This means that students may be placed in programs that were not among their selections.” It is for this reason that Aberle looks back on the days when programs had more authority in the process and the process was more transparent.  The district maintains, that students get at least one of their top choices.

    PACE has also noticed a trend toward decreasing resiliency in the students coming into the program.  Teachers, counselor Connie Loggins, and Aberle are all interested in finding ways to decrease stress and to increase the satisfaction that comes to students who enjoy learning among teachers who clearly enjoy their students.  The program remains resolute that program standards be maintained at the current high levels.  And according to both Aberle and Steinhauser, all LBUSD high schools are looking at ways to better serve our students, making sure that all pathways are accessible and prepare students for success.

  • Behind the Crime Scenes!

    Behind the Crime Scenes!

    When I first thought of this article,  it was because I was     curious to see what our Poly CSO’s do with their lives outside of school. Have you ever been curious as to what your teachers do in their spare time? Surely they have something they like to do aside from all that grading

    The gate worker and security guard Mike Castillo has been working for poly for the past two years. He is someone students often walk past, but seldom ever greet.

    Castillo, when he isn’t keeping poly’s campus beautiful, coaches youth basketball and youth football. “I was a jock in high school, I guess in that way, I still am.” Castillo said, smiling in remembrance of his past self.

    Nowadays, Castillo’s joy and passion comes not from sports alone, but his family. “My kids are my everything. I’m very soon to be a Grandpa, so I have that to look forward to.” he remarked with a small chuckle.

    Jeff Eyanson (the CSO pictured) has been a part of the Jackrabbit family for 28 years. During 8 of which he has been working toward receiving his doctorate. He was able to find the time to study while he worked. “I was able to work in between the cracks of time. I was able to do a lot of research while I’m at the main gate.”

    All that hard work will soon pay off for Eyanson, “I can see the end of the tunnel.” he said with a wide grin. As of now, Eyanson already teaches youth baseball and colleges courses twice a week in San Diego. He plans to remain working at poly as well as teaching online courses, “Is there anywhere else to go? I went here, stood here for 28 years. My son will go to high school here. Once a Jackrabbit, always a Jackrabbit.”

    Looking back to his years as a student here on campus, Eyanson can only remember being one thing: Busy. “I was in all kinds of clubs, student council, I was assistant coach for volleyball my senior year, and I was coach for 13 years after. We won CIF in 2000.”