Page 17 - Sonoma County Gazette January 2016

Fostering Success
SCOE is a strategic partner to the county’s 40 districts and their 185 schools, providing service and support to help them meet legal mandates, operate cost-effectively, and raise student achievement. SCOE provides fiscal oversight to districts through the annual review and approval of their Local Control Accountability Plans. It operates schools for special education and alternative education students who districts cannot serve. SCOE also offers educational support services to districts, including extensive professional development opportunities for teachers and administrators. SCOE’s Career Technical Education (CTE) support services assist districts in their commitment to graduate college- and career-ready students.
The Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE) is dedicated to fostering student success through service to students, schools, and the community.
SCOE partners with and hosts two additional educational services: School and College Legal Services, which contracts with districts
On March 5-6, 2016, North Bay iHub and Sonoma State University will
be hosting a 27-hour Make-A-Thon at Sonoma Mountain Village in Rohnert Park to inspire, kindle and celebrate innovation in the North Bay. “Makers” of all ages are welcome to participate and create a prototype of their ideas, with tools and mentoring provided. The second day of the Make-A-Thon will include a Makers Expo with prototypes from the participants and other North Bay makers.
Make-A-Thon Madness
to provide
legal expertise; and the North Coast School of Education, a new one-stop-shop for teacher and administrator induction and credentials.
Amee Sas, Executive Director of North Bay iHub, said, “We’re really excited about the Make-A-Thon. Who knows what exciting ideas will come to life?
A team might want to make a highly-specialized drone; or a gamer might
want to create a 3-D rendering of popular video game layouts to improve the gaming strategy, perhaps a student who is passionate about being a mobile deejay might want to build a beatbox system, or a chemist has an idea for a new process to make nano wires. The sky and beyond is the limit. Artists, makers, burners, welders, tradesmen, hackers, coders, dreamers, programmers, designers, tinkerers, students, professionals and humans are all welcome.”
Saturday will begin with a few demos for available tools and some inspirational industry leader talks. Autodesk software and other tools will be
Steven D. Herrington, Ph.D., is Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools. In this elected position, he serves as a state constitutional officer and an intermediary between local school districts and the state. The Superintendent provides leadership, support, and state-designated fiscal and program oversight of all school districts in the county. This ranges from mentoring new superintendents to identifying countywide educational needs and creating partnerships and initiatives to address them.
As SCOE’s chief administrative and executive officer Dr. Herrington ensures that SCOE’s resources are concentrated in these key areas and effectively provide support and services for Sonoma County’s schools, students, and communities. He works with SCOE’s department heads to ensure they are providing excellent fiscal oversight, business support, and professional development to districts. As well, Dr. Herrington works with the elected members of the Sonoma County Board of Education, who provide community stewardship of countywide education initiatives. They also hear appeals for expulsions and in situations where a student is trying to transfer from one school district to another and has been refused.
SCOE priorities:
provided. Although teams may bring materials and tools, the event producers will work with teams to provide specialized tools as well. Then teams will form and flesh out their concepts, after which the mentoring, building, and rapid prototyping commences. As the work progresses, there will be five “progress report points” for the teams to record their progress via social media.
• Common Core Standards: Facilitate and successfully implement the Common Core State Standards, pre-kindergarten to grade 12
• College and Career Readiness: Support academically rigorous and relevant career and college preparation for all students; promote 21st century teaching and learning
On Sunday, the finalist maker teams will present their creations to a panel of judges, with a $2,500 prize going to the overall winner. Also on Sunday, there will be a Makers Expo for the public to view the “makes” by the participants and others in the North Bay.
• School Success for English Learners: Develop and support strategies and professional development to ensure that English learners are successful in school settings
• Assessment and Accountability: Provide technical support, resources, and expertise to help schools and districts measure, monitor, and direct student learning opportunities
Registration will begin on Jan. 4 and close on Feb. 12. The fee to register is $70, with a discounted fee of $30 for students. The fee includes drinks, snacks, dinner and live music. Makers under 18 years of age must be accompanied
by an adult. A Sunday pass for the general public is $15 for adults and $5 for children. Major sponsors of the event include VIAVI, Codding, Autodesk, SOMO Village, Summit State Bank, Innovative Molding, Pisenti & Brinker, and Beneficial State Bank. www.northbayihub.com
• Financial and Economic Stability: Support and facilitate financial decision- making based on sound economic and educational principles and effective fiscal practices
• Service to Youth and Community: Promote activities, events, and community partnerships that support families and help ensure students’ academic success
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