Franklin Elementary Honored With California Exemplary Arts Education Award

Art Culture and teaching the value of one's roots are extremely important. Franklin and Cleveland, and Harding, have tricky populations with largely low-income, Spanish-speaking homes with parents that work long hours as the norm. Yes, proficiency in English is important, as is math and other topics, and the school staff work hard on that as well. The solution is not simple, the families need to be taught English so that they can help their children, it is a multi-layered issue that is not easily resolved, or it already would be.

That said, personal culture and history are important and I love that these children are being shown the respect that their heritage also deserves.

Monique Limone got an important bill on universal testing through senate but it stalled in assembly
because the teacher's union was against it. This was an important bill because it would have supported a proactive approach to reading and catch students who struggle earlier. Currently many don't get supports until 6th grade when it is too little too late. Franklin School deserves to be celebrated. It has some of the better scores in the district for a students who are struggling and also experience socio economic hardship. Principal Kilgore is a legend, has been there for over 15 years and has created a home environment there. I was lucky to get a tour once and she knows every parent and every students and understands where they need help. Also she had the innovative idea to rehire retired teachers part time. These teachers have a wealth of experience and help some of the struggling readers improve. If the district implemented evidenced based science of reading approach schools like Franklin would get 95% proficiency for 3rd grade. Way to go Franklin for getting this award. Franklin does a lot with very little. Our community needs to realize that schools can't do it alone and our communities need to own the low literacy rates and address them with summer school and other supports. Speaking up and taking action so all students learn to read by end of third. Watch the movie, The Right to Read at SBFF on Feb 11 at 2:40. It is an eye opener on what communities need to be sure is happening in our schools. It is part of a movement that supports 95% of 3rd graders reading proficiently. Also watch Emily Hanford... Sold a story... it explain so much on a podcast. In the meantime let Franklin celebrate their success.

SBSand: I agree with you that teaching value of one's roots are extremely important. But english proficiency is easy if the leadership chooses to used science of reading, intensive interventions, a proactive approach including universal screening , and teacher training. It is about being proactive instead of reactive. Many students who now struggle would be proficient if they got the supports early and were taught in a way that emphasises decoding... breaking a word apart and getting the sound letter correspondence. Reading is not natural and for about 60% it has to be presented in an explicit way focused on phonics, phonemic awareness, comprehension, vocabulary and fluency. Our district has clung to a failed approach based on guessing at a word from context called balanced literacy. This approach known as whole language is responsible for why over half can't read at grade level. The good news is 95 % can reach proficiency with a proactive approach that focuses on decoding. I am worried so many of our vulnerable students currently are not getting their needs ment. but I so agree with you on the power of the arts and importants of celebrating cultures and roots. Just need to get evidenced based practices to replace failed approaches.