Golden Slate Newsletter: Sacramento Scene | Are We Still a Family? | Building Rapport in the Online Classroom

May 2021

In This Issue

Sacramento Scene

News & Views

Are We Still A Family?
Building Rapport in the Online Classroom
State Conference Information
Ed Source: Over half of California public school students remain in distance learning

Sacramento Scene: May 2021

By: Matt Patton, CATA Executive Director

The legislative budget cycle now awaits the release of Governor Newsom’s May revise. This revision gives the governor’s office and the Department of Finance the opportunity to modify the proposed budget that was released in January. Current economic factors are taken into consideration during this revision period. There is little indication that dramatic changes are in order, but there are no sure things in politics.

Are We Still A Family?

By: Charles Parker, California Department of Education, State FFA Advisor

In agricultural education we often hear that we are a family. I have always found solace in knowing I was part of this bigger group. But, recently I have begun to question if that is still true. When searching I found that the purpose of families is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideally, families would offer predictability, structure, and safety as members mature and participate in the community.

Building Rapport in the Online Classroom

By: Kristina Evanko, Student Teacher, Ernest Righetti High School

As I prepared for the start of my student teaching experience, I was afraid. I was afraid of all the horror stories that I had heard from other educators around the state about the lack of student engagement in the virtual classroom. I was fearful of not being able to build connections with my students through a computer screen. All these thoughts consumed my mind as I entered my first Zoom call filled with black screens.

State FFA Leadership Conference Final Information

By: Dane White, Educational Program Consultant, California Department of Education

Sessions include a keynote speaker, awards recognition, Golden Owl Award presentation, retiring addresses of each State Officer, and announcement of the newly elected State Officer team. Over 11,000 people have registered and the numbers continue to grow. In-person attendance for the State Leadership Conference usually is around 7,000.

EdSource: Over half of California public school students remain in distance learning

Although 87% of California’s traditional public schools have reopened for some form of in-person instruction, fewer than half of students have returned either full time or part time in a hybrid model. A total of 55% of all public school students, including those in charter schools, were at home, in distance learning, as of April 30, according to an EdSource analysis of new data released by the state.