Students in the Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District will each have their own laptop to use at school, after district officials secured a grant that paid for thousands of Chromebooks.
The Emergency Connectivity Fund grant funded 3,000 Chromebooks that bring the district’s ratio to 1:1, meaning one Chromebook per student. District officials said they placed priority on distributing the first laptops to the elementary schools, which had been operating at one Chromebook for every three students.
The remaining Chromebooks will be used to replace all student devices older than two years. This technological upgrade throughout the district means all students will have identical touchscreen models, with no replacements needed until 2027.
“Our intent here is to remove as many barriers as we can to allow for a more personalized and competency-based approach to student learning,” Alex Palumbo, the district’s instructional specialist, said in a news release.
National nomination
Julian Barceló, a first grade teacher at Davis Bilingual Elementary Magnet School, was nominated for the 2021-2022 National LifeChanger of the Year award, which recognizes top K-12 educators and school district employees across the United States.
Barceló was nominated anonymously by a student’s parent, for being a community builder and creating a family-like connection among his students.
“His commitment to children’s right to learn in a caring and dignified classroom shows in his daily teaching practices, welcoming smile and community engagement endeavors he undertakes,” the parent wrote.
The winner of the LifeChanger of the Year award can win up to $10,000 to be shared with their school/district.
Sunnyside recognition
NJ Utters, director of career and technical education for the Sunnyside Unified School District, was named the Arizona School Counselors Association Supervisor of the Year.
The award recognizes an administrator, coordinator, director or supervisor whose leadership has shown outstanding support and impact in the school counseling field.
Utters supports students and counselors through career and technical education and serves as the district coordinator for the AVID college readiness program.
Emily Gray principal
The Tanque Verde Unified School District appointed Elizabeth Egan principal of Emily Gray Junior High School.
Egan, currently the school’s assistant principal, will begin her new role at the start of the 2022-2023 academic year July 1. She will succeed Principal Greg Miller.
She has more than 25 years of classroom and administrative experience, including time with the Tucson Unified School District, where she assisted in curriculum and development, according to a news release.
“It was clear Beth has already made strong positive relationships with students and the community,” Superintendent Scott Hagerman said. “She has deep knowledge of the work we are doing to ensure all students learn at high levels, and we look forward to her contributions to that work in her new role as the (Emily Gray) principal.”
Donation for JTED
The Rotary Club of Tucson Foundation donated the proceeds from its 2021 Tucson Classics Car Show event to the Pima JTED Innovative Learning Center at The Bridges.
The funds, totaling more than $382,600, will support career and technical education programs that provide high school students with the opportunity to earn industry credentials and state licenses to begin working in various careers upon graduating.
Pima JTED was named the primary beneficiary of the Rotary Club’s car event after it competed among nonprofit organizations for the Dream Big Centennial Project.
