Vacaville teacher, Benicia skills trades technician take home SCOE awards
Laura Roberts
Laura Roberts, who served time in the military prior to teaching, took home the top educator award.
She grew up in Vacaville, graduating from Will C. Wood High School. Roberts referred to herself as one of the students who fell through the cracks.
After her military service, she discovered a passion for her history and decided her career should be teaching the topic.
Roberts, in the virtual presentation, said she thinks history is more than just memorizing dates.
Bringing in under-represented voices was key, she said.
Roberts fought for ethnic studies classes, saying they are the counter-narrative to traditional history.
FAIRFIELD-SUISUN, CALIFORNIA
This image shows this year s teachers of the year for the various school districts in Solano County. (Courtesy photo)
SCOE to honor top 2021-22 educators, school staff
The certificated educators nominated are:
Kelly Hughes, a fifth-grade teacher in the Benicia School District; Jenny Campbell, a response to intervention and English language development K-3 teacher at Dixon School District; Joseph Arbizu, a math, Algebra II, integrated math and geometry high school teacher in the Fairfield-Suisun School District; Ronald Major, a multiple-subjects (8-12), teacher for the Solano County Office of Education; Kylie Negin, an English and journalism high school teacher in the Travis School District; Laura Roberts, a U.S. history and ethnic studies (11-12) teacher at Vacaville School District; and Vivet Beckford-Nelson, a biology and engineering design and development high school teacher in the Vallejo City School District.
Recall effort targets 2 Benicia school trustees; Vaca council may be next
FAIRFIELD Two members of the Benicia School District board have been targeted for recall, and the county Registrar of Voters Office has received recall inquiries about the Vacaville City Council.
John Gardner, the assistant registrar of voters, said Thursday the office is just waiting for proof that the notice of intention to circulate a recall petition has been published to give the final OK to collect signatures in Benicia.
The trustees who are the subject of the recall are Sheri Zada, who represents Trustee Area 1, and Mark Maselli, who represents Trustee Area 4. Both have terms that end in 2022.
Supervisors increase fees to administer property tax functions in Solano
FAIRFIELD The Solano County Board of Supervisors approved fees of nearly $3.22 million Tuesday to collect and distribute property tax shares in the county.
That is an increase of $327,341 over the 2019-20 fiscal year, “primarily due to an increase in expenditures,” a staff report to the board states.
The total administration cost is about $7.93 million.
Schools and the county are excluded from paying those fees. The schools’ share would be $3.47 million and the county’s general fund share would be $1.24 million.
In a related matter, the supervisors directed the county treasurer to transfer up to 85% of fiscal year 2021-2022 anticipated property tax revenues from Treasury Pool funds to local school districts when requested by a district.
It is better here with my friends than socializing at home, said Alley Largaespada. Are you learning as much this way? we asked Dominik Ferrucci. No, he said.
They have gathered five days a week since August, attending classes from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. They work together, lunch together, play together, and even have PE together experiences their parents try to make as normal as possible in these strange times. I think it is absurd, said Alley s dad, Carlos Largaespada. We are the only state where our kids can t go to school. Can t play sports. The social element for them is detrimental. Getting up in the morning to look at a computer screen? That sucks.