Please send your comments to the Board of Education at: 1401 North Handy Street, Orange, CA 92867, Orange Unified EDGE - Strategic Plan 2019-2025. Board members, who are elected to four-year terms, approve charter schools and hear interdistrict . Franklin McCuneAdministrative Assistant to the Superintendent and Board Specialist, 200 E. King Street, Hillsborough, NC 27278(919) 732-8126 ext. The Foundation for OCPS - Board of Directors School districts can adopt Californias curriculum, tweak it the way they want, or ignore it altogether. They were selected by board members to equalize the districts that have become lopsided as growth continues at a rapid pace in certain areas, such as Pam Gould's District 4. Therefore the Orange County Board of Education declares its opposition to vaccine or health digital passports, mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations or any future legal use of digital documentation of health records, Williams read. At the Board of Education meeting, several members of the public echoed the anti-passport sentiments shared at the Supervisors meetings. OCDE - About the Board Board member Beckie Gomez had departed before the vote. Or is he a victim because hes half Persian and a minority?. Yet, some may still be hesitant for a number of reasons, some of which may be fueled by misinformation. For most screenreaders, you can hit Return or Enter to enter a tab and read the content within. Beginning January 1, members of the Orange County School Board will earn half of what the Orange County supervisors make. At least two districts, Santa Ana Unified and Anaheim Union High, have decided to make ethnic studies a requirement for high school graduation, something California legislators also are considering as a statewide mandate. Colleen Shalby is a reporter for the Los Angeles Times. The OC Board of Education filed two lawsuits against the elected OC Superintendent of Schools. The O.C. LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. In the first week of school, a teacher at Oak Middle School greeted his students and sent out a survey asking them their preferred pronouns during class. Dr. Rebecca Romo, a clinical psychologist who lives in the district, refuted a recall website calling the teacher's pronoun incident and a similar incident when a teacher asked students about their sexual identity at another middle school as grooming kids for sexual activity. 3rd District (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG), Rabbi Stephen Einstein speaks during a press conference by Truth in Education in Newport Beach, CA, on Tuesday, July 27, 2021. As the fourth largest district in the state, it is home to 202 schools and 206,058 students. Trustee Area 5*, Map Prepared by Davis Demographics, November 24, 2014. Dr. Clayton Chau, then the countys acting public health officer, dropped Quicks mandate because no statewide order existed, a decision that was believed to be a factor in the countys surge in cases. Click here to sign up to receive email notifications about all regular and special called OCS School Board meetings. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG), Mari Barke, center, president of the Orange County Board of Education speaks at a press conference prior to a forum about about ethnic studies and critical race theory at the Orange County Board of Education in Costa Mesa on Tuesday, July 27, 2021. At times, the crowd clapped or jeered at speakers on the podium. The Orange County Schools Board of Education includes seven members who serve four-year terms. The Orange County board did not present any data that showed adverse effects of masking on children, or acknowledge public health studies that have shown masking reduces the spread of the virus. Ron DeSantis. People here tend to be more on the cautious side.. The three new schools opening in West Orange County for the 2021-22 school year have been named. The board is an advisory body and does not have the authority to implement rules over the countys school districts, It doesnt matter what a school district wants it matters what parents want, Williams said. From among its members, the Board elects a president and a vice president. In 2020, the Board of Education promoted guidelines calling on kids to return to school without masks or social distancing, and the Board majority largely defended the guidelines by noting they were formulated by a panel of experts. However, the report was written by OC Board member Ken Williams and Will Swaim, president of the California Policy Center, who also moderated the panel. (Voice of OC, 2020). Board Clerk You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot. Orange County School District / Homepage (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG), Overflow seats were set up outside the Orange County Board of Education for a town hall meeting to discuss ethnic studies and critical race theory in Costa Mesa on Tuesday, July 27, 2021. Castor Dentel is a former OCPS teacher and legislator as well as daughter of Florida's former education commissioner, Betty Castor and Teresa Jacobs is the former Orange County mayor. "Right now, I am actually pretty appalled at the CRT training indoctrination of our students," said Dorothy. Some Florida teachers, in the face of a potential felony charge, have gotten rid of their classroom libraries altogether. Classroom and library materials, interpreted as anything made available to a child in the school according to OCPS deputy general counsel John Palmerini, cannot be pornographic, harmful to minors, or obscene the latter two of which are defined the same legally, Palmerini told the school board. Florida's edicts on classrooms are wearing thin with some school board The other is pending and continues to rack up legal fees, paid by taxpayers. "A recall should be used when a board allows the sexualization of children in the classroom," a district parent named Paul told the board. At Newport-Mesa Unified District, the current policy is similar: Indoor masking will be required, and any issue that arises will prompt a discussion with the student and parent. However, some district parents said it's inappropriate for young kids to learn about gender identity at middle school. School board member Melissa Byrd, sharing her own thoughts on Farrant's comments, didnt mince words. Parents like Henny Abraham of Costa Mesa criticized proposals to introduce a curriculum that she said is divisive. (Spectrum News/Joseph Pimentel). Orange Co. school board members re-elected; two face run-off - News 13 Though there were about a dozen supporters of the recall, opponents of the recall seemed to have outnumbered them by a count of three to one. 9 likes, 0 comments - Orange Public Schools (@opsdistrict) on Instagram: "On Saturday, April 29th, the Office of Humanities, led by Executive Director Karen Harris and the . He said the board is reinforcing and echoing the beliefs of people who are hesitant to get a vaccine. Board of Education over ethnic studies, Fossils are helping Chapman University students find new passions, Council set to vote on 380 apartments, new buildings to replace Brea Malls shuttered Sears wing, Youve got a blank canvas; now be creative and live fully alive, Status Update: Dutch Bros. drive-through coffee shop plots first OC locations, Orange County restaurants shut down by health inspectors (April 20-27), More land sliding at Casa Romantica; residents evacuated, trains halted through San Clemente, Orange County Artist of the Year winners announced, Then and Now: Photos of Casa Romantica show damage caused by landside, Fire at Barnes & Noble in Orange disrupts book-signing event, OC Marine who volunteered in Ukraine, survived rocket attack: I would do it again, Cold, drizzly week ahead for Southern California, The DMV says permission to drive is based on ability, but older drivers are scrutinized more, A look at Orange Countys baseball teams and the CIF-SS playoffs, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. If you remember correctly, after I pulled back the order a week later, the governor came down with a mandate.. The OC Board of Education has sued Governor Newsom three times since the summer of 2020. Melissa Moran, who has a daughter in the teacher's class, told the board that the pronoun question was a sign of respect. Last March, the California Board of Education approved a model ethnic studies curriculum. Citing parental rights, O.C. Board of Education weighs in against Enter your address to get a personalized list of candidates and ballot measures, including biographies, top priorities, who supports each candidate, and more. Ethnic studies is the interdisciplinary study of race and ethnicity, which includes the often-overlooked history and contributions of Blacks, Latinos, Native Americans and Asian Americans. Aguilar, who claims to represent 2,000 parents in the district, is attempting to recall three board members Megan Cutuli, Scott Fayette, and Chris Forehan who were elected last year and starting four-year terms. Last year, protests erupted when the board considered and later approved an optional ethnic studies curriculum for the high school and social justice teaching standards for district teachers. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG). The parents blame the school board for fostering what they say is a growing leftist woke agenda, said Staci Muller, a Seal Beach resident who pulled out her two kids from the district and spoke at Tuesday's school board meeting. Incumbent Teresa Jacobs faces two challengers for the chair. According to a tracker from the Florida Freedom to Read Project, a parent-led activist group that's critical of book banning (and Farrant, for that matter), at least 11 books have been challenged or removed from Orange County Public Schools, including Genderqueer (a book Farrant herself challenged) and This Book is Gay. Schools and caregivers have the opportunity to look at whether or not a child has immunizations, its already in place, its been in place for a number of years, Gomez said. Orange County school board member harasses parent handing - Substack I dont need to become a genetically modified organism which is literally, literally, truthfully, what this will do to people, because this vaccine is an mRNA vaccine, its not really a vaccine like anything thats ever happened before., A woman named Laurie said Chaus presumed intent was destructive and evil., We should all refuse to be strong-armed into accepting the COVID passport on any experimental drug, especially this mRNA one, she said. Box 9050, Costa Mesa, California 92628-9050. Thu, Apr 6, 2023 at 9:42 am. It is to make sure that they have the best at their fingertips. Election 2022: Meet the three candidates for OC Board of Ed, Trustee Area 2 Those little yellow cards, I bet if we ask where those are for our children, half of us wouldnt know, Gomez said. The judge upheld the County Committee decision. Email Office 365. The Board stands side-by-side with Orange County residents against mandatory vaccinations, particularly of school-age children, the boards statement reads. Board meetings have become a political battleground, where intense debates rage on about student mask mandates, ethnic studies and other issues. This earned her swift pushback from her colleagues. These kids hear every single word that comes out of the mouths of the adults around them, and I would really caution people to be careful about the words they use.. Orange County will close mass vaccination sites at the Anaheim Convention Center, OC Fair & Event Center, Soka University and Santa Ana College. I was a victim of indoctrination when I was a young child, which created significant trauma, said McCracken, pointedly repurposing the language of right-wing politicians like Florida Gov. The Voter's Edge California voter guide provides in-depth information about what's on your ballot. Trustee Areas The California Department of Public Health said the lawsuit is a distraction from COVID-19 mitigation efforts. The protection of children has been at the forefront of Republican lawmakers minds this legislative session (or so they say) with the introduction of a slew of anti-LGBTQ bills targeting gender-affirming healthcare, drag performances, and classroom discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation. In a 4-0 closed-session vote, the board approved a legal challenge that targets the governors emergency rule-making powers, which includes the recent school mask mandate issued as California schools are fully reopening for in-person learning against a troubling coronavirus uptick fueled by the highly contagious Delta variant. In our community, we found that mask wearing was not an issue for us, Leal said.