Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Special Report

Jaime and Romeo Gendrano with son Anthony

Jasmine Kiamco


Test of character for teachers
                A day in the life of your typical K-12 public educator can produce its fair share of headaches, as with any job, but these days it’s the stress that teachers face outside of the classroom that is the true test of character.
                In the past three years, California has seen drastic cuts in funding to public education that has resulted in the mass layoffs of thousands of school teachers across the state. Receiving a “pink slip”-a notice that they may not have a faculty position the following year- has become common place in non-tenured teacher’s lives.
                “I was just talking to another teacher at lunch today about our unpacked boxes and how we never took anything out of them yet this year. I know it’s coming [pink slip], and it takes too much energy to unpack and pack our things, so we have a lot of boxes that we’ve left unpacked, just in case next year is the year that they finally don’t want us back,” Bud Carson middle school teacher Jasmine Kiamco said.
                Kiamco, an eighth grade English teacher of five years in the Hawthorne School District, has received a pink slip the past three years. In 2008, the first year of the California state budget crisis, roughly 10,000 teachers received pink slips and an estimated 5,000 ultimately lost their jobs according to the California Department of Education. Schools Chief Jack O’Connell issued a statement in 2008 to address the dramatic layoffs.
                “School districts up and down this state are sending out pink slips to tens of thousands of hard-working, dedicated teachers, administrators, and school staff. Cuts of this magnitude will have devastating effects in our classrooms across the state,” O’Connell said.
                Just a year later, O’Connell’s statement now seemed like a prophecy. In 2009, 23,000 pink slips were issued and over 16,000 teachers lost their jobs, a staggering number compared to just the previous year.
                One consequence of the large cuts to teacher jobs has been increased class sizes. The U.S. Department of Education estimated that in 2010, the national average class size was 25. Kiamco currently has 39 students in her English classes.
                “I get nervous, I’ve never had this many kids before. There’s barely enough space to house all of them, sometimes I think that these classrooms weren’t made to accommodate this many students,” Kiamco said.
                It’s no different in the Long Beach Unified School District. Mark Hankinson, a ninth grade teacher in his eighth year at Cabrillo High School says that he has upwards of 35 to 37 students in his English classes and anywhere from 37 to 38 students in his History classes. Hankinson, who has been a public school teacher since 1988 quips that as overwhelming as it gets, ‘what’s one more kid’?
                “I’m already overwhelmed, I’ve got 35-plus kids in every class I’m not going to notice one more kid. Heck they might as well just give me a handful more in each class,” Hankinson joked.
                For veteran teachers like Hankinson, he can afford to laugh the stresses off. He, along with many other tenured teachers is protected by the union. In stark contrast to Kiamco, who is considered a “temporary teacher”, Hankinson’s job is for all intents and purposes safe. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel his colleagues’ angst or that he doesn’t care for their livelihoods. He, along with a majority of the union (90%) voted last year to take five furlough days in an effort to save as many teacher jobs as possible. A furlough day is a mandated leave of absence, which results in the employee not getting paid. Hankinson estimates that there were potentially 1,000 jobs on the line and that the furlough days saved 200 to 300 of them.
                One would think that these teachers ought to be on their toes and to make sure they dot their i’s and cross their t’s with jobs literally up in the air. Unfortunately in California, and several other states as well, it is law that teachers are laid off by the policy known as “last in, first out” meaning teachers are let go by seniority. A brilliant new teacher in essence, could be let go in favor of a lesser quality teacher simply due to who has been teaching longer. This may have less than favorable results in many instances.
                “Every three years, we’re accredited. Now, we know pretty much two years in advance the exact date these guys are coming to review us. So we’re prepared. This year when they came in to inspect, one of the teachers down the hall was playing ‘Meet the Parents’, just incredible. He’s been working here a while, and the only reason he was embarrassed was because when they came to his class a funny scene in the movie wasn’t playing. It’s shocking. On the other hand I know this other gal, just an incredible teacher; she’s young and so passionate. She’s worried sick about next year,” Hankinson said.
                Virtually the only other solution to maintaining teacher positions is for school districts to tap into their emergency funds. Kiamco’s district for instance has been very efficient, actually over-saving in recent years creating somewhat of a surplus. This has saved everyone in her district, as nobody has actually been laid off as of yet due to the state budget crisis. Teachers have been shuffled around and transferred to different grades, but the Hawthorne District has yet to suffer any casualties. This however, may soon be changing.
                “Even though nobody has been cut yet, I feel like it’s getting worse and worse. More and more of us are getting pink slips and there are no more resources to tap into. I was told it’s going to be a bloodbath next year,” Kiamco said.
                With job security constantly hanging in the balance, and mounting class room sizes, the stress on teachers can reach breaking points. This year Kiamco’s district also voted on five furlough days as well as taking a mandatory pay cut. Mix raising children and a family into the equation, and the problem becomes even more fragile.
                “Some of my co-workers always complain to me about not being able to take vacations, or shopping for themselves or not being able to buy a house. While for me, I have two kids of my own so it’s kind of uneasy for us all. It’s just the reality we’re facing right now, the state budget is out of control,” Kiamco said.
                Jaime Gendrano, a first grade teacher of nine years at Riviera elementary, echoes Kiamco’s sentiments.
                “It’s unfortunate that the budget for education continues to get cut, but being that it makes up a large portion of the entire state budget, they have no choice,” Gendrano said.
                According to the California Department of Finance, K-12 education makes up 52 to 55 percent of the state general fund budget. The state currently faces a $3.7 million budget gap, and Gov. Jerry Brown has designed a proposal that would raise taxes on individuals making more than $250,000 in lieu of slashing more of the education budget.
                “The stark truth is that without new revenues, we will have no other choice but to make deeper and more damaging cuts to schools and universities,” Brown recently said.
                California has already slashed $4 billion from higher education in the 2011-2012 budget. Kiamco’s fear of an ensuing bloodbath may become a reality where not only teachers are affected but students as well.
                “As it is, my kids come into ninth grade completely underprepared, every single year. We try to have assessments, tests; none of it seems to be helping. When I teach them the basics, I mean the bare-bones, it is news to them. These kids need more individual attention, a lot of their parents didn’t even finish high school,” said Hankinson.
                The stress and pressure from both the intensified expectations in the classroom combined with the insecurity of knowing if they’ll even have a job has forced some teachers out of the teaching field for good. Gendrano claims that several teachers at her school moved to different states or explored new careers.
                “For us temporary teachers, there are no guarantees. When I used to be a part of the union, I had some protection. If I was close to getting laid off, I was granted a hearing first and that usually resulted in me keeping my job. Some of my co-workers just couldn’t take it anymore, they couldn’t handle the insecurity,” Gendrano said.
                Other issues that have resulted from the state budget crisis have been teachers being forced to move to new grades on extremely short notice due to teachers being let go. Or some teachers only receive half-year contracts with no guarantee they’ll have a job in the second half of the school year.
                “The stress load is already so high, and then to top it off, some of us have been moved to grades we’ve never taught before on no notice. There’s no way we can prepare for that, and others who are brought back, they might not even make it through the year. I can’t imagine how a mid-year cut would go with the kids. These are our future doctors,” Gendrano said.
                With the impending budget cuts to education, it looks as if teacher cuts may continue. More souls will be searched and characters tested.
                “Teaching is a tough gig, even on the perfect day it’s a tough gig. I’ve seen incredible things and I’ve seen miserable things. We’re not in control ever, it’s how the system’s always been,” Hankinson said.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Obituary

PICTURES COMING SOON!





In Loving Memory of

Lucia Parcarey Gendrano

March 4, 1930- August 14, 2003

               

                Lucia Parcarey Gendrano, 73, passed away Monday in Torrance, near her hometown of Carson. Known to most as “Lucy”, she died peacefully with her family by her side at Torrance Memorial Hospital on August 14, 2003.

                Born on March 4, 1930 in the small town of Pitogon, in the Quezon province of the Philippines, Lucy attended a high school in a neighboring city named Los Banos. This is where she would meet her high school sweetheart and future husband, Victor Gendrano. Unbeknown to Victor, Lucy left town after her second year to work for her home town University in order to have her future college tuition paid for. Employed by and schooling at Santa Isabelle College, Lucy went on to graduate in 1955, and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education. She also had teaching credentials as a bi-lingual teacher in English and Tagalog.

                Later in the summer, by a chance encounter, Lucy happened to be at the same bus stop as Victor who was visiting Pitogon and had not seen Lucy in years. From that moment on, they never lost connection, as Victor had vowed to never let her go again.  In fact, Victor had not let Lucy go back home without him and stayed overnight. The couple went on to get married in 1958 in Lucy’s home city.

                After the wedding Victor convinced Lucy to move back Los Banos with him, and pushed her to use her passion for teaching and apply for a teaching job at the local elementary school. Lucy agreed and eventually landed a job at the school, while Victor was the town’s local librarian. After having six children, the couple decided that in order to give them the best opportunity to succeed they needed to immigrate to the United States. The family of eight officially moved to Los Angeles, California in 1972.

                Both Victor and Lucy both immediately found jobs in the same positions they occupied in the Philippines, a librarian and elementary school teacher respectively. Lucy taught at Vernon elementary school in the Los Angeles Unified school district while her husband was the county’s librarian. Lucy was rarely seen without her husband, and the two enjoyed many hobbies together. One of Lucy’s favorites was flower-arranging and gardening. The two also maintained long standing memberships at St. Philomena Catholic church in Carson and were fixtures there.

                Lucy loved two things the most: her family and teaching. In fact she had taught at Vernon for 30 years before retiring. During her retirement, she often took weekend trips with her husband to Laughlin and Las Vegas, Nevada. The two enjoyed to gamble together. When she wasn’t on the road, she loved keeping track of what was going on in her home country. She would often watch a channel with Filipino programming which also had the local news broadcasts of her home city.

                Lucy is survived by her husband Victor, her children: Victor Jr., Lorna, Manny, Marissa, Romeo and Juliet. As well as her grandchildren: Jasmine, Liezl, Cherise, Vincent, Kira, Camille and Christopher.

                Her funeral is scheduled for Friday at 1 p.m. at All Souls Mortuary, 4400 Cherry Ave., Long Beach, CA.



Monday, November 14, 2011

Juan Cole visits CSULB

Humorous Historian makes appearance at CSULB

               To the average college student, the very mention of the term “historian” could be enough to trigger a yawn or possibly even coax one into a deep slumber. Thursday afternoon on NOV 10 in the Beach Auditorium, American scholar and historian Juan Cole disproved this theory-- combining his impeccable insight on Middle East affairs with a dry sense of humor that ensured very few dull moments during his guest lecture at CSULB.
                Cole, 59, who has been a guest on several television programs on ABC, PBS and CNN made a guest appearance in the Student Union at noon to discuss neoliberalism, insider trading and the Arab Spring. There weren’t too many open seats as students packed the auditorium to listen to Cole’s calculated but engaging opinions on the uprisings in Libya, Yemen, Syria and other Arab nations. Even if students weren’t up to speed on the history and current state of these nations, Cole used clear and concise power point slides for them to follow along with his lecture.
                Hailing from the University of Michigan, professor Cole outlined neoliberalism, which began in the 90’s, and credited it with the birth of insider trading. He explained that there was a global emphasis on deregulation and the privatization of previously public-owned enterprises.
                “If you know which companies will privatize or know which businesses will go under, you get insider trading” Cole said.
                Sandwiched between his critique on economic and social policy, Cole was not shy at poking fun at political figures, often prompting approving laughter from the student body crowd. Notably Ahmed Ezz, an Egyptian business man who is now in prison accused of corruption on many levels. Cole took special care in shrewdly skewering Ezz, whom is believed to have monopolized the steel industry in Egypt, holding more than 60 percent of the market.
                Cole vividly referenced the Mohamed Bouazizi incident, which served as a transition his views on the Arab Spring. He explained the grim realities of being a Tunisian citizen prior to the Tunisian Revolution. Bouazizi, according to Cole, was a street vendor who set himself on fire in protest to unfair treatment by government officials. Cole explained that Bouazizi had experienced a number of humiliating acts at the hands of several officials, even being slapped by a woman at the municipal office.
                Fed up with the daily corruption he faced, such as getting fined for selling goods and not having a license to drive or getting his selling cart confiscated, Bouazizi made one last ditch effort to the governor’s office. He demanded that he received justice but to no avail, as officials refused to see him. In what is seen as a catalyst to the Arab Spring, Bouazizi doused himself in gasoline and lit himself on fire.
                Cole credited social media as a major force in the multiple uprisings in the Arab Spring against corruption, high unemployment and political freedom. The youth movement he said were becoming a force and holding important roles in political positions.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Two hour observation at 10:00 AM

     Seagull sounds in the student union
     Fortunately for CSULB students, its campus does not have a problem that other Long Beach high schools face during the lunch hour: seagulls. Wandering the student union Thursday however, the distinct mating call of the dreaded scavengers instantly resonated the days of dodging their droppings from high in the sky during lunch time as a teen. The booming calls weren’t coming from above however.
     Claudia Rodriguez, a creative writing major, sitting at lunch with her two friends, calmly converses with them one moment, and tranquilly bellows out bird sounds the next. Not something you hear or see every day around campus. Her friends seem unfazed, they appear to be undaunted by the several surrounding students now blankly staring in their direction—and carry on with their spirited conversation.
     “I love Claudia, I wish she was weirder,” English major Yumise Ross explains. Before she can finish her sentence, Rodriguez is on all fours, approaching Ross as a dog would greet its owner. Ross stops Rodriguez just short of being licked on the nose.
      This is just another typical lunch break in the student union for Rodriguez, Ross and business major Beverly Netherly. The trio gossip about boys, taking public transportation, eateries around campus and other things not fit for print.
       In between the back and forth, Rodriguez continues to do her best seagull imitation which again draws numerous eyes and ears in her direction. One male student is thoroughly impressed and approaches her saying “that’s amazing”. Her mating call has seemed to be effective.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Q and A Pt. II with Rosa Del Toro


After setting a school record in the 5K in her previous race, senior Cross Country athlete Rosa Del Toro capped off her historic season by becoming the first CSULB female to win an individual Cross Country conference championship. She did so in record-setting fashion as she once again set another school record, this time in the 6K with a time of 20:27.0.

Del Toro led her team to its highest finish ever in the conference championship, second place. For her efforts, she was also named Big West Conference Athlete of the Year. All in all it was a memorable season for Del Toro and the 49ers. Here's part two of a Q and A with the Cross Country star.

Q: On the day of the race, can you describe what emotions you were feeling and also explain the mood of the team during that morning.

A: Before the race I was mostly excited to just be there and excited to be able to race and do what I love to do. I was a bit nervous right before the race started but not as nervous as I have been for other races.  I was also trying to stay focused and keep myself pumped up for the race as well.  The team was focused and at the same time we were all trying to keep each other from being too nervous. The team atmosphere was definitely positive which helped keep all of us ready to just race. 

Q: Once the championship was finally underway, can you describe the intensity of it all, was there a definite boost not only from yourself but from the other runners?
A: Championship races are always extremely intense, which is something I love. Once the race started my focus was on the front runners and how they were going to start off the race whether it was going to be a fast first mile or a slow first mile. The first mile was where all of the front runners were all very close together in a pack which made the intensity much higher for a lot of people but for me it helped me think through what I had to do later on in the race and see how tired some of the front runners were.  

Q: What was the turning point in the race, when did you make your decisive move and was it the most difficult race in general that you've been in?

A: There were two different shifts that I had to make during the race. After the second mile I tried to push the pace in the front pack which is when it was just one other runner and I but the biggest shift and turning point of the race was definitely right after the three mile marker.  Right before the three mile marker I was neck and neck with another runner and at that point what went through my mind was I want this more than anyone and I am willing to work as hard as I have to, to get it.  So, as soon as we hit the three mile marker I pushed the pace and ran hard all the way to the finish line. This wasn't exactly a physically difficult race but more of a difficult mental race. I had to keep myself positive mentally because I knew that physically I am in shape to run well but, the mental aspect of the race was definitely the toughest part. 

Q: Describe your initial feelings when you were the first to cross the finish line, and just knowing that your training had paid off again this time on such a big stage.
A: I was excited and happy and at the same time in disbelief.  I just couldn't believe it! The first thing that I did was cry, happy tears of course. I definitely was happy that all the hard work and mileage that I had put in all summer and season had paid off. 

Q: Being the first to win an individual conference championship, as well as being named women's conference athlete of the year, where do these accomplishments rank in terms of life accomplishments? And can you explain exactly what they mean to you?
A: These accomplishments mean a lot to me. Running is a big part of my life and being able to do the things I've done with running like winning conference and being conference athlete of the year makes me want to keep working hard. But at the same time I don't run to be recognized for what I do but just because I love the sport and being recognized is just a plus. These two accomplishments are important to me mostly because I get to represent Long Beach State.

Q: Sum up the season and your experience with your teammates.
A: This season has been the most amazing season I have ever had.  I have worked so hard and had great outcomes because of my hard work.  Also in all honesty this team has been the best team I have ever been on, my teammates are always positive and supportive, which makes it even harder to think that this is my last year here on the team. As far as my coaches go I never been happier to have such great coaches that believe in me and push me to do better every time. Overall so far this year has been the best experience I have ever had. 

Q: Now that conference play has concluded, what have you shifted your attention to and what are your new goals?
A: The second that conference was over I shifted my attention to Regionals.  That's been the race I have been working so hard for. I have had my focus on making it to nationals. I know it's not going to be easy but that’s what makes it that much better, the fact that I have to keep working hard to reach that goal. And I definitely want to run a faster time in the 6k. I can honestly say always want to keep improving and run faster. 

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Heading into cross country championships

Cunniff excited about championship weekend

Heading into Halloween weekend, the women’s cross country team aims to finish out conference play with an exclamation point at the Big West Championship at UC Riverside.
Coming off the heels of a very impressive performance at the Bronco Invitational in Santa Clara, head coach Patrick Cunniff says the team is rounding into form at the perfect time.
“Coming into the meet [Bronco Invitational], both myself and our director of track and field Andy Sythe, were very cognizant of the fact that we had a number of athletes who were running really well” said Cunniff.
One of those athletes undoubtedly was senior Rosa Del Toro, who was her team’s top finisher [30th overall] at the 49er’s last event in Minnesota.
“He [Sythe]specifically asked me to make sure we had a copy of our all-time top 10 list going into the meet,  so as we saw the performances of the kids we’d know where they stacked up. That proved to be a good set of foresight”.
It was indeed a smart idea. Del Toro ended up leading the 9ers to a first place finish [out of 21 schools] breaking a three-year school record set by Sarah Apgar in the 5000-meters. Finishing fourth overall, she set the new 49er record comfortably recording a 17:09, five seconds better than Apgar. Del Toro had previously finished seventh in the same event last year.
For Del Toro’s efforts, she was awarded conference Cross Country Athlete of the Week for the second time this season. The Van Nuys native also helped her school place ninth overall in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) West Region poll. Before the Bronco Invitational, they were unranked. Big West rival UC Davis is ranked seventh.
It has been a standout season for Del Toro, whom coach Cunniff notes is an absolute joy to work with and claims is the nicest person on the planet.
“We were extremely happy that she chose CSULB, she has exceeded expectations even as a former junior college champ” Cunniff said.
Besides having elite level talent as an athlete, Cunniff says that she is just as humble.
“Me and the other coaches always joke around with her, trying to poke around to find a mean bone in her body. We always work on her to be a bit more confident and have that swagger” Cunniff said.
Juniors Nina Moore and Michelle Thompson also had strong showings, finishing second and third for CSULB, with times of 17:38 and 17:39 good enough for 23rd and 25th respectively.
“Our goals are to be a very competitive championship level team, and it was very satisfying on that day to be at the event and watch our team perform at levels that reflected that. Not only from the team standpoint but individually” Sythe said.
The 9ers couldn’t have asked for better timing to be peaking heading into championship weekend. They have reason to be confident, as they will head to Riverside with a ninth overall ranking.
“We’re very excited going into the championships. We know we’re not the favorites, we know that there are teams that have been ranked ahead of us or maybe have a little bit longer history, but we’re excited because we feel like our team as well as a few of our individuals all have a legitimate shot to win the title. We also feel that the team is coming around to get ready for their best performance right now” Cunniff said.