Small Town News

Educators meet at symposium to discuss future plans

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Local educators, parents and students from throughout the county met to discuss ideas to enhance and provide a better education system for Lassen County.

The two-day Lassen Education Symposium was held Wednesday, Sept. 8 and Thursday, Sept. 9 in the Lassen High School Student Center.

Lassen High School senior Juliana Barbieri said she attended because, "I feel like everybody deserves an input in the community. I think that with administration and parents and everyone here, its great to see all aspects of the educational community being a part of this symposium."

Lisa Gardiner, LCC work experience coordinator said she was in attendance because, "I'm interested in seeing where this collaborative is at this point and what extent I can be a part of it to make positive changes with

education in Lassen County."

Lassen Union High School District Superintendent Dr. Todd Cutler gave the opening remarks and introduced Su-sanville School District Superintendent Jason Waddell, Lassen Community College President Douglas Houston and Rich DuVarney of the Lassen County Office of Education, who he said helped plan the symposium.

On Wednesday evening, DuVarney provided a history behind the symposium.

DuVarney said the symposium began when a group of administrators met at the college and asked, "What can we do better?

"A lot of times we have to ask questions that we don't really feel comfortable asking but that's what we're doing, he said.

DuVarney also said, "We're not just talking about the Su-sanville area, we're talking about Bieber and Westwood and Ft. Sage."

He also provided information that came about during

the April educational summit meeting, which included input from people of what they would like to see as students, parents, administrators, board members and support services.

Several items from the summit meeting intrigued Barbi-eri such as better communication with the elementary schools and the high school.

Those in attendance also heard from keynote speakers KSUE/KJDX news director Mike Smith, Stacy Dixon of the TSusanville Indian Rancheria and Ron Barnes, warden of the California Correctional Center.

Smith said, "I'm really intrigued by the opportunities I see now to take this educational system that we have in Lassen County and move it forward, in steps. I think the community is ready for it."

He said he thought the community was going to appreciate how well the system integrates with both Lassen High and Lassen College.

In 2005, Dixon said the tribe

started a scholarship program and the tribe has awarded $100, 000 in scholarships and last year, seven tribal members graduated from LHS and five are attending colleges.

Dixon said the vision of the Susanville Rancheria is to see no separation between the educational outcomes for native students and that of their peers.

"To achieve this there must be no separation in the partnership between the schools at all levels -- at the elementary level, at the high school and to college and the post-secondary sector.' Together we must seek to close the achievement gap for all students and to accomplish this we need to share vision, missions and goals."

Barnes said he wants to be an active part of the process because when people look at relocating to Susanville to work at the prisons, they always ask, "How are the school districts?"



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© 2011 Lassen County Times Susanville, California. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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