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SCCSBA President's Message

By Shali Sirkay

Welcome to the 2025-26 school year! My name is Shali Sirkay and I am thrilled and honored to serve as your SCCSBA President this year. A little bit about me- my background is in public health (specifically community health), and I often describe myself as living at the intersection of Public Education and Public Health. That is the lens that I bring to my role as a trustee.

If you’re keeping an eye on state and local issues, then you know that we trustees are governing in an ever shifting landscape, requiring us to nimbly handle whatever is imposed upon us. Within this context, how do we do the job for which we were elected- assuring that we always keep the academic and socioemotional wellbeing of our students first and foremost? To explore this, and to give us concrete strategies and actionable steps, I’ve chosen the theme of Leadership in Changing Times for this year to go deeper into this question.

Part of adapting to the ever shifting landscape has led to a slight change in our governance structure- we replaced the role of Vice President with the new roles of Vice President of Programming and Vice President of Advocacy to reflect the importance of advocacy at all levels. Thus, the Vice President of Advocacy will come from the Legislative Action Committee (LAC)- the trustee that the LAC members choose as the LAC Chair will automatically become the Vice President of Advocacy. The role of the Vice President of Programming is similar to the original Vice President role- it covers all things related to SCCSBA events and programs. So this year, I am fortunate to announce that along with myself as President, our governance team will include Renee Lo as Vice President of Programming, Chris Norwood as Vice President of Advocacy, Jennifer Petroff as Treasurer, and Carol Presunka as Immediate Past President.

We have a lot of great programming coming your way this year! To kick off, I’d like to personally invite you to my house on Sunday, September 21 for a fun gathering where you can hang out and learn about all the wonderful things the SCCSBA is up to, our committees and projects, and how you can get involved. 

I’m looking forward to meeting you at one of our upcoming events!

Check out all of our events and activities for the 2025-6 school year on our SCCSBA website: www.sccsba.org



This newsletter covers our events for September and October.

Thursday, September 11 - SCCSBA Zoom Meeting with

County Executive James Williams

Topic: Federal Budget Cuts and Impacts on Santa Clara County

SCCSBA is honored to host County Executive James Williams, who will speak to our trustees about how the federal cuts will impact our county, and how our county is responding. We invite you to join this important Zoom call and present your concerns directly to the highest non-elected officer in Santa Clara County!

Our zoom meeting will be held on Thursday, September 11 from 12-1 p.m. All trustees are invited to attend. Check your calendar/email inbox for the zoom link.

Wednesday, September 17 - SCCSBA Evening Zoom Meeting

Topic: State and Federal Budget Updates from CSBA

Our first evening zoom meeting of the new school year will be held on Wednesday, September 17 from 7-8:30 p.m. Our featured topic will be a federal and state budget update. Our featured guest speaker will be Chris Reefe, the Legislative Director for the California School Boards Association. We will also hear from our Legislative Action Committee about their legislative advocacy activities on behalf of the SCCSBA, in addition to their upcoming annual legislative priorities survey of all trustees.

All trustees are welcome to attend. Check your calendar/email inbox for the zoom link.

Sunday, September 21 - SCCSBA Networking Reception

Welcome back the new school year with our SCCSBA Networking Reception on Sunday, September 21 from 3:00-5:00 P.M. It will be held at the home of our SCCSBA President Shali Sirkay in Los Altos. All trustees are welcome, and it's free of charge. Learn more about our SCCSBA and its activities!

You can register at the following link, and then we will send you the address later. RSVP at: https://2025receptionsccsba.eventbrite.com

Wednesday, September 24 - SCCSBA Lunch & Learn Zoom Meeting

Topic: McKinney-Vento/Unhoused Students in Santa Clara County

Our next Lunch and Learn Zoom Meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 24 from noon to 1 PM. Our Unhoused Students Committee will be discussing what's happening around the county, and will provide information about best practices in school districts regarding McKinney-Vento homeless and unhoused students.

We invite all trustees to attend. Check your calendar/email inbox for the zoom link. 

Friday, October 3 - SCCSBA No-Host Networking Lunch

We will be holding our next SCCSBA networking lunch on Friday, October 3 at Country Gourmet in Sunnyvale. The lunch runs from 11:30 AM to 1 PM. This is a fun way to meet trustees from across the county, and share best practices and advice. All trustees are welcome to come. There's no need to RSVP.

Check your calendar/email inbox for the address.

Wednesday, October 29 - Save the Date for our Annual Fall Dinner

We invite all trustees and superintendents to join us for our Annual Fall Dinner, which will be held this year at Maggiano's Restaurant on Santana Row in San Jose on October 29 from 6-9 p.m. In addition to our networking opportunity with trustees and superintendents from across the county, we will also be featuring a panel of students from school districts across the county discussing their journeys as Multilingual Learners. It promises to be a fun and informative evening, and stay tuned for more information on how to register.

SCCSBA Legislative Action Committee

TAKE ACTION NOW:  SCCSBA Legislative Priorities Survey

Please respond to our brief but informative annual legislative priorities survey that helps us shape the message and advocacy mission for SCCSBA for the school year. We value your perspective and ask that you use your own professional lens as a trustee in Santa Clara County to answer a few short questions! Please respond here by Friday September 5, 2025

EVENTS: The SCCSBA LAC will be hosting a session at two upcoming events:

• Friday September 12: Creating County Wide Alignment in Support of Students Through Advocacy: How-to Panel and Roundtable. California Latino School Boards Association (CLSBA) Unity Conference, San Diego, CA. Register here for the Unity Conference.

• Friday September 26  Policy at the Crossroads: What’s next for Public Education in Santa Clara County: Conversation and Roundtable with County Superintendent of Schools Dr. David Toston and the SCCSBA LAC, Silicon Valley Education Foundation (SVEF) Educational Policy Summit, San Jose, CA. Register here for the SVEF Ed Policy Summit.

WELCOME NEW LAC MEMBERS! The SCCSBA Leg Action Committee (LAC) had its first meeting of the year and welcomed new members Tuyen Fiack (Gilroy USD), Patti Andrade (Evergreen SD), and Jennifer Petroff (Union SD). 

Please contact LAC Chair and SCCSBA Vice President of Advocacy Chris Norwood at LAC@sccsba.org with any questions, suggestions, or comments for the Santa Clara County School Boards Association Legislative Action Committee. 

SCCSBA SUCCESS Committee (Supporting Unhoused students through Communication, Collaboration, Education, and Solutions for School districts)

The SUCCESS team is a working committee of the SCCSBA that is committed to improving conditions of students experiencing homelessness, to improving connections between service providers and schools, and to improving school district policies and practices to support these students. As we start the 2025-26 school year, we expect our districts will see an increase in students who qualify for McKinney-Vento status due to federal funding cuts in rental assistance and other programs. How do we as trustees respond to this growing population? How do we support our families who are experiencing housing insecurity? We welcome all trustees to join our monthly meeting to hear updates, share issues and concerns and work together to serve our most vulnerable students.

First Wednesday of every month, 2:30-3:30PM Google Meet link: https://meet.google.com/xpz-jydc-vid For more info, contact Robert Jung rjung@musd.org

Summer Learning in Full Swing Across MetroED Programs

This summer, students across the Metropolitan Education District (MetroED) immersed themselves in industry-focused learning, career exploration, and future-ready training through two standout programs: Silicon Valley Career Technical Education (SVCTE) center and Silicon Valley Adult Education (SVAE), where adult learners also strengthened their English skills through an English as a Second Language (ESL) conversation course.

220 Students from Six School Districts and Educational Partners Participate in CTE Summer Exploration Program

(NOTE: Link image to YouTube video: https://youtu.be/mqYNhwosVVc?feature=shared)

Incoming 9th through 12th-grade students from across Santa Clara County—including East Side Union High School District, San Jose Unified, Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District, Milpitas Unified, Santa Clara Unified, and the Santa Clara County Office of Education, embarked on a summer of learning and discovery through the CTE Summer Exploration Program, held June 9 to July 3. Over four weeks, students rotated weekly through seven hands-on Career Technical Education (CTE) courses, gaining real-world industry experience and insight into high-demand careers. Film & Video Production, Fire Science/First Responder, Forensic Science, Medical Assisting, Medical Science/Health Careers, Mobile Apps & Web Development, and Pharmacy Technician. Watch the video here.

Fifty-one Students Attend Silicon Valley Adult Education Summer Classes

Fifty-one total SVAE students were hard at work this summer in the ESL conversation course in addition to the High School Diploma/High School Equivalency summer course, where students prepared for their General Educational Development (GED) and High School Equivalency Test (HiSET) exams, and an English Second Language Conversation course. Student Gabriel Gallegos shared that earning his diploma is a way to unlock new opportunities and open doors for his future. He feels empowered by learning and hopes to one day pass that knowledge on to others. View the photos here.

Milpitas Unified School District

Milpitas High School voted as Best Public School in Milpitas Post’s Best of 2025 edition

Milpitas High School was voted “1st Place Winner: Best Public School in Milpitas” for a third consecutive year as part of the Milpitas Post Newspapers’ 35th Annual Best of Milpitas Readers Choice Awards. MHS will be listed as a winner in the Post’s special September 26th, 2025 Best of Milpitas winner announcement section.

Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District

District Announces New Cell Phone Policy for 25/26 School Year

The Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District (LGSUHSD) has adopted a new personal cell phone policy, aligned with the California Phone-Free Schools Act, to promote focus and respectful interactions on campus. While phones are allowed before/after school, use during class is restricted. Students must store phones in designated compartments inside the classroom unless directed otherwise by a teacher. Use is allowed before and after school, during lunch, and passing periods, but prohibited in restrooms, locker rooms, or for recording without permission. Read more details on FAQs and restrictions here. “By setting clear expectations, we can minimize distractions and help students make the most of their time on campus,” shared Superintendent Heath Rocha. 

STAY CONNECTED

www.sccsba.org