Sheila News in Brief

Sheila Wins San Francisco Chronicle Endorsement

Following a three-hour interview with Sheila on May 12 by members of its editorial board, the San Francisco Chronicle in its Sunday May 28 issue endorsed Sheila Jordan for re-election as Alameda County Superintendent of Schools.  Sheila was one of only four incumbents the Chronicle endorsed. "I'm pleased that the editors  recognized my record of service to the schools and my work as an advocate on behalf of the children of Alameda County and their families," said Sheila.

Sheila Speaks to Memorial Day Assembly
At Castro Valley's Proctor Elementary School

Sheila was the guest keynote speaker at a Memorial Day Assembly at Proctor Elementary School in Castro Valley in the morning of May 24.

Proctor Elementary teacher Alex McMurray opened the assembly and served as Master of Ceremonies. The first presentation featured parents in the "Music for Minors" program leading the K-1 Choir in a song.  This was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by another song.  The Kindergarten classes then performed "God Bless America" in sign language.  Ms. Arline Lillak, School Principal, then addressed the students.  "Music for Minors" then presented another patriotic song.  Then Sheila spoke.  This was followed by the playing of "Taps"  by teacher Lieven Smart, closing the assembly.  Read full story, with text of Sheila's prepared remarks.

Sheila  participated in a gathering of Indo American community leaders May 22 at the residence of Dr. Romesh Japra in Fremont.  Following an introduction by Master of Ceremonies Yogi Chugh, Sheila spoke briefly about the importance of high academic standards and cultural intelligence in educational leadership.  Sheila stressed the value of strong relationships between schools and community leaders.  Read full story.

Jennifer Hosterman, Mayor of Pleasanton (photo left), and Marjorie R. Leider, Vice Mayor of Livermore (right), have joined the list of Sheila's endorsers.  Both leaders expressed appreciation for the work that Sheila's office has done with their school districts and lauded the environmentally conscious curriculum that the Alameda County Office of Education under Sheila's leadership has incorporated into its Youth Leadership Program.  The endorsements came at a luncheon of Tri-Valley Elected Women held at a Danville restaurant on May 19.  Click for details, photo.  Click for full list of Sheila's endorsements.

Sheila spoke on May 17 to an assembly of Oakland students observing the fiftieth anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision. The students used the anniversary to demand improvements in the physical plant, supplies, and staffing of their schools.

"The basic point of the Brown decision," Sheila said, was to move toward equality in schools.  Have we reached school equality yet?" she asked.  "No!" came the answer from the crowd of more than 150 students assembled in the gym of the Lincoln Recreational Center at 250 Tenth Street in Oakland's Chinatown.  Read full story with photos.

It was standing room only at the Hayward Ranch restaurant at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday May 17 as business and community leaders gathered to support Sheila Jordan's re-election.  Former Hayward Mayor Jack Smith, his daughter Cynthia Kerwin Birmingham, and Hayward City Council member Bill Quirk were hosts of the event. 

County Supervisor Nate Miley, and hosts Jack Smith, Cynthia Birmingham and Bill Quirk presented remarks praising Sheila's work with the Hayward school district, as did a number of other participants. Sheila spoke about the work accomplished during her tenure as County Superintendent and the work ahead. 

The event raised more than $10,000 for Sheila's campaign chest.

Sheila Wins San Francisco Bay Guardian Endorsement

The San Francisco Bay Guardian in its May 17 issue endorsed Sheila Jordan for re-election.  In a brief editorial comment, the Guardian said:  "Jordan has been tough on local school districts that can't keep their act together (which is good) and a bit too slow to push for removing state trustee Randy Ward from Oakland (which is frustrating).  But her challenger, Newark school superintendent John Bernard, hasn't made a case for replacing her."

With June 6 approaching rapidly, Sheila's campaign has been phone banking and precinct walking.  Volunteers are wanted to help out with phoning and walking, as well as for growing Sheila's email tree.

Read more about precinct walking, about phoning, and about the E-tree.

Former Hayward Mayor Jack Smith, his daughter Cynthia Kerwin Birmingham, and Hayward City Council member Bill Quirk are hosting a breakfast fundraiser for Sheila Jordan on Wednesday May 17, 2006.

The event begins at 8:00 a.m. at the Old Ranch Restaurant (The Hayward Ranch) located at 22877 Mission Boulevard in Hayward.  The suggested donation is $100.  Checks should be made out to "Friends of Sheila Jordan" and mailed to Jack Smith's law office, 22320 Foothill Boulevard, Suite 620, Hayward 94541. Please call (510) 538-6400 to RSVP. 

The breakfast hosts wrote a letter of endorsement to Sheila; click for PDF.

More on this story

The California Nurses Association (CNA) endorsement has gone to Sheila Jordan.  One of the unions with the longest and most thorough endorsement processes, the CNA endorsed Sheila on Friday May 12.  The CNA was a major force along with the unions of teachers and firefighters in turning back Gov. Schwarzenegger's November 2005 special election attacks on public employees. 

A Brief History of John Bernard
in the Novato Unified School District

By Joe Morgan
President, Novato Federation of Teachers

During the three years in which John Bernard was superintendent of the Novato district, teachers became the lowest paid instructors in Marin County, while the administrators enjoyed the highest compensation rate soon after his arrival.  Teacher turnover was at an all-time high.  Twice, negotiations with the teacher’s union reached impasse.   On March 15, 2003, John Bernard handed layoff notices to 125 of the 412 full time teachers in the district. ...  Read more. 

In a letter following up the California Teachers' Association's recent endorsement vote in favor of Sheila Jordan, the president of the CTA, Steve Butler, commends Sheila for a "proven track record for excellence." The letter stresses Sheila's work to improve teacher training, provide adequate materials and supplies, and insist that all students deserve a world class education. More on this story

Sheila spoke to about 70 parents of students in the Chinese School held on Saturday April 29 on the Irvington High School campus in Fremont.  Former Fremont School Board member Anna Muh, Vice President of Citizens for a Better Community in Fremont, introduced Sheila and provided a Chinese translation.  In her talk, Sheila described the role of the Alameda County Office of Education and outlined some of the many services it provides.

Go to full story

The California Democratic Party, both major Democratic candidates for governor, and Los Angeles mayor Villaraigosa have added their support for the passage of Proposition 82, Preschool for All.  Recent polls show that the measure maintains a 13-point lead statewide. If the election were held today, it would win by 52 per cent to 39 per cent.  Only nine per cent are undecided. 

Sheila Jordan is part of the Alameda County leadership group in support of Preschool for All, headed by Assemblywoman Wilma Chan (photo, right.)

Sheila Speaks
In Castro Valley

Sheila spoke on Thursday evening April 27 at a "Meet and Greet" evening sponsored by County Supervisor Nate Miley and hosted by Anna Gee in her home on Highwood Road.  Many of Castro Valley's concerned parents and education activists attended.  Read More on This Story

The Alameda County Office of Education under Sheila Jordan does outstanding work to support school districts facing financial troubles, says a district business officer with nearly 30 years of experience in school finance.

"In my experiences with three County Offices of Education in the Bay Area, the Alameda County Office of Education (ACOE) has been the most knowledgeable and effective office to work with," says Leon Glaster, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services for the San Leandro school district, in a letter dated April 18. 

Click for full report.

Four years ago, I was told that Sheila Jordan was not spending the District’s money properly,” wrote Hayward City Council Member Bill Quirk in a recent email.

“I looked into finding an opponent for Sheila and running a campaign against her. Before I did that however, I did some research and that research changed my mind. Here is what I found out.

“What I found was that Sheila’s budget was a model budget. It spent its money appropriately and it had received great reviews from outside agencies."

Click for full report

A lot of politicians talk a good game, but only a few back their words with deeds, says Deborah Cox, co-chair of the San Leandro Measure A campaign.  One of those is Sheila Jordan ...

Read the full statement.

Academic performance in Alameda County's alternative schools scored the biggest improvement of any comparable county during 2004-2005, according to figures released March 26 by the State Department of Education.

Scores on the Academic Performance Indicator (API) for the county's court and community schools, operated directly by the Alameda County Office of Education (ACOE), improved 163 points during the latest measuring period. Only two other comparable counties showed improvement during the same period. Scores in six other counties with similar alternative school enrollment figures declined.

The newly released figures place Alameda's county school API in the top third of comparable counties. Alameda's score is on a par with Santa Clara County, and above five other counties with comparable alternative enrollment numbers: Stanislaus, Sonoma, San Joaquin, and Ventura. Only San Mateo and Kern, in this enrollment bracket, scored higher.

Alameda County Schools Superintendent Sheila Jordan said she was not surprised by the figures. "We have made substantial investments in these schools over the years, and the results are beginning to show," she said.   Read full story.

County Secures $250,000 for Arts in Public Schools

The Alameda County Office of Education [headed by Sheila Jordan] recently secured $250,000 through the Ford Foundation, an independent grant-making organization based in New York. Funding will support professional development for arts educators in Berkeley, Oakland and Emeryville unified school districts.

“It’s a great thing,” said Suzanne McCulloch, visual and performing arts coordinator for the Berkeley Unified School District. “The arts are often the first thing to get cut when funding’s tough, and funding’s been tough for a few years now. This really supports arts education.”

Read full story in the Daily Planet

On Friday, April 14, Sheila visited the new facility of Friends of Children With Special Needs (FCSN) founded and directed by Anna Wang and Dr. Albert Wang in Fremont. 

Dr. Wang and Anna Wang and members of the facility's staff explained that FCSN is a unique facility that serves young children with special needs, their parents and other family members, and also adults who grew up as children with special needs. 

Read More

Sheila Leads Community Workshops on Preschool For All

Nearly 300 community members have taken advantage of the opportunity to give their input on the future of early childhood education in Alameda County by attending workshops held in Oakland and Hayward. TriValley residents will have an opportunity this weekend.

“These workshops are critical in hearing from the community at large. The workshops are being held in three locations – Oakland, Hayward and Livermore – because we want to hear from all areas of the county,” said Alameda County Schools Superintendent Sheila Jordan. “If we want all of our children to reach their full potential, early childhood education offers a potent strategy.”

Read full story from ACOE

Sheila Jordan was nominated as Administrator of the Year at the recent 29th annual conference of the Association of California School Administrators on March 31, 2006.  The nominating committee, made up of leading school administrators, cited Sheila's successes in promoting staff diversity, upholding fiscal responsibility during the recent statewide funding crisis, and closing the achievement gap. 

Several hundred students and their teachers assembled in the University Theater of the Hayward Campus of Cal State East Bay on Sunday afternoon April 2 for the second annual Cultural Pursuits Student Achievement Awards ceremony of the Southern Alameda County Alliance of African-American Educators in cooperation with the African American Faculty and Staff Organization of Cal State. Sheila congratulated the proud graduates and encouraged them to work hard and aim high.   Read More, See More Pictures

The month of March was a big boost for Sheila's campaign, as Sheila won the endorsements both of the Oakland Chamber of Commerce (Oak-PAC) and the Alameda County Central Labor Council AFL-CIO. 

"I am gratified that these two major organizations both placed their confidence in me again in this election, as they have in the past," Sheila said.

"The past few years have been some of the stormiest times in California education, with budget cutbacks from Sacramento, high housing prices driving parents away, and controversial new federal requirements.

"These endorsements show that leaders both of the business and the labor communities understand the value of experience and continuity in the County Office," she concluded.

In addition to the Central Labor Council endorsement, Sheila won the endorsement of the Alameda County Teachers Association, the California Teachers Association, the National Education Association, the California State Employees Association (CSEA), and Mary Bergan, President of the California Federation of Teachers.  Earlier, Sheila won the endorsement of Carpenters Union Local 713 Alameda County.  Every organization of teachers and of classified school employees (custodians, etc.) has endorsed Sheila. 

See complete list of endorsements for Sheila

Sheila Speaks at Piedmont Arts Day

Officials, parents and children turn out for the event focusing on the works of Piedmont students

By Elizabeth Johnson [Montclarion 3/31/06]

CORRESPONDENT

Most days of the week, the Piedmont school community focuses on math and reading, but this past Sunday, children's art took center stage.

As part of Art IS Education Day, students from all levels displayed charcoal sketches, watercolors, ceramics, sculptures and more. There were also dance, music and dramatic performances. If a budding artist had nothing displayed, they had a chance to create their own: a bug made out of egg cartons.

Read full story from the Montclarion

Sheila Wears Cat Hat at Alameda's Donald Lum School

Sheila put on the "cat hat" made famous by Dr. Seuss, and read a story book to Ms. Mary Butler's first grade class at the Donald Lum Elementary School in Alameda on March 2, 2006.  The event was part of the nationwide "Read Across America" program sponsored by the National Education Association. 

It was the fourth year in a row that Sheila read to Ms. Butler's pupils.

Read full story with photographs

Sheila Opens Bilingual Education Conference (CABE)

Sheila had the honor of opening the 31st annual conference of the California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE) at the San Jose Convention Center on March 1, 2006. 

Hector Garcia, Director of Curriculum and Instruction of the Alameda County Office of Education, one of the Co-Chairs of CABE, made the introduction. 

Named an Honorary Co-Chair of the conference, Sheila welcomed the gathering of more than 1000 delegates. She thanked the numerous administrators, teachers, parents and students whose efforts had led to greater progress for English Language Learners, and she outlined the significant work in teacher training and credentialing, regionwide expansion of Spanish immersion programs, and in outreach and training of parents, that the Alameda County Office of Education has done and is doing in the Latino communities, under Hector Garcia's leadership.  Full Story With Pictures

Sheila attended the Sixth Annual Tri-Valley Preschool Fair held on Saturday Feb. 4 at the Senior Center in Pleasanton. Hundreds of parents, many with young children in tow, came to the center to become more familiar with their preschool choices. 

The Child Care Links agency of Pleasanton again organized the event, and the City of Pleasanton acted as sponsor.  Sheila spoke with Child Care Links organizers and with many of the representatives of dozens of child care providers who set up booths in the hall.

Read more, see photos

Download Sheila's Newsletter in Print Format [PDF]