State superintendent speaks to SCESD staff ahead of school-year kickoff
jose.romo
SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV) — Classes are soon to start, and parents, teachers, and district staff are getting ready. Salinas City Elementary School District hosted a kickoff event.
“I like doing a lot of math, and I like reading a lot of fairy-tale party books.”
Carlos Mendoza says he is ready to start his sixth-grade school year and is excited to meet his new teachers at Sherwood Elementary.
He joined many of his peers on a student panel sharing with teachers and district staff their school experience ahead of a new academic school year.
“Every year we welcome back our staff and what makes this so special is that this is the first time since I started here, over five years ago, that we’re all together in one space.”
Salinas City Elementary School District Superintendent Dr. Rebeca Andrade says the obstacles this summer came after uncertainty over federal dollars. In the meeting on Monday morning, State Superintendent Tony Thurmond shared that through legal efforts on behalf of his office, they were able to recover nearly $1 billion, $25 million of which will fund programs at the Monterey County Office of Education.
“Right now, this is a tough time our families are afraid to even leave their homes, and we remind schools that they do not have to accommodate ICE in any way at a school unless the ICE groups have a specific type of warrant that means that they are entitled to be on the campus but otherwise they’re not.”
Tony Thurmond says he has worked to empower local schools and districts through his two terms. As he moves on to run for California state governor, he looks back at the work he has done in hopes of inspiring his successor.
“I’m proud of being able to sponsor our program to have preschool for every four-year-old, to have two free meals a day for all of our hungry students,” said Thurmond. “These are the things that the state superintendent needs to fight for.
Thurmond adds he is working on legislation to boost teacher salaries by 50 percent by 2030. He says he is proud of the work the Salinas Elementary School District has done and applauds them for their work with the community schools program moving forward.