Federal Grant

On behalf of the Board of Education and the entire Glendale Unified School District, I would like to say “thank you” to the greater Glendale/La Crescenta/Sagebrush communities for the overwhelming support they showed for the District's Race to the Top grant application. The district received over 70 letters of support from a myriad of organizations. We decided to submit the 503-page grant to the federal government even without the signature of the teachers' union president. We choose to do this in our quest to find additional funding sources in order to prepare our students for their future.

Glendale officials are crossing their fingers as they await word on a federal application for $2.6 million to fund homeless services programs. Competition is tough as homeless service providers nationwide are demanding $1.7 billion from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to renew ongoing projects, but only $1.6 billion is available. That means some applicants won't get all the money they've requested, said Homeless Services Director Ivet Samvelyan at a City Hall meeting this week.

Although Glendale has used tens of millions of dollars on capital projects that benefit youth and families in the past decade, officials say there won't be many opportunities to continue that kind of spending in the near future. “The city currently would not have the resources to expand any youth programs and services,” Community Services & Parks Director Jess Duran said at City Hall meeting last week. “We are struggling to keep the same level of services.” Programs such as the library's Bookmobile, as well as case management for youth and families, have been reduced, Duran told the City Council, who were acting in their dual role as the Housing Authority.

Glendale school officials are vying for a new federal grant to turn existing neighborhood schools into magnet sites. Under a new grant competition, the U.S. Department of Education will divvy up more than $96 million for districts to create magnet schools, but Glendale Unified officials say just 40 districts could win. District officials estimate schools would win an average of $2.5 million to spend each year for three years. In 2010, Glendale schools won a similar grant worth more than $7.4 million, which helped transform Thomas Edison, Benjamin Franklin and Mark Keppel elementary schools into technology, foreign language and visual and performing arts magnets, respectively.

Undeterred by the lack of support from the teachers union, Glendale Unified officials on Thursday said they're submitting a 503-page application for what could be $40 million in federal Race to the Top grant money. The decision to overnight the application despite a lack of support from the Glendale Teachers Assn. is not insignificant. Federal officials required local teachers unions to agree to the terms and conditions attached to the grant money, such as including student test scores in job evaluations.

CRESCENTA VALLEY — What began as a few parents and police officers promoting drug and alcohol awareness has continued growing and is poised to become a permanent force in the foothills. The group, the Crescenta Valley Drug and Alcohol Prevention Coalition, has seen more families come forward while it applies for federal grants to expand substance-free programs. “Before, we were trying to get a long-term presence, instead of just bits and pieces or a group popping up to fix a problem,” coalition President Howard Hakes said.

A $220,000 federal grant announced Wednesday will help bankroll the cost of replanting kelp forests along the Southern California coast, including off Newport Beach. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded the grant to the California Coastkeeper Alliance. The alliance coordinates the activities of several groups that address issues of water quality. Kelp reforestation off Newport Beach started in 2001. Last year, the Orange County Coastkeeper, a water-quality organization, planted kelp in waters near Crystal Cove and Laguna Beach.

Some educators show public service announcements to address bullying. At arts magnet Keppel Elementary, students are tasked with writing and producing their own. Under the leadership of art and media coach April Faieta, the school last month released a series of student-created videos aimed at educating other young people about the issue. “As a student, I hated sitting there being lectured at,” Faieta said. “My mind would often wander. I just think that kids are capable of doing so much, especially with the technology that we have, that to ask someone who is really bright to just sit there and listen to you - I just don't think that is the most effective way of teaching.” The PSAs were made possible in part by Keppel's share of a $7.5-million, three-year federal grant awarded to Glendale Unified in fall 2010.

Firefighters in Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena could soon be using new life-saving defibrillators after the coalition secured a $1.14-million federal grant.  Officials say paramedics in the three cities currently use outdated defibrillators, but the new 12-lead defibrillators capable of monitoring carbon monoxide and dioxide levels will improve patient treatment for better outcomes, according to city reports. The high-tech tools, which cost about $24,000 each, are used to deliver an electrical shock to the heart muscle in heart attack victims.

The Glendale Unified School District is going after a grant of almost $3 million to boost its science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs. The federal grant became available this spring as most states prepare to adopt new federal standards that further emphasize the programs, commonly known as STEM. Worth $2.99 million, the five-year grant would benefit Clark Magnet High School as well as Roosevelt, Rosemont, Toll and Wilson middle schools. As Glendale school officials wait for federal approval to turn in the grant's full application, they have submitted a seven-page pre-application and started considering how millions of dollars could benefit Glendale schools.

The Glendale Unified School District is going after a grant of almost $3 million to boost its science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs. The federal grant became available this spring as most states prepare to adopt new federal standards that further emphasize the programs, commonly known as STEM. Worth $2.99 million, the five-year grant would benefit Clark Magnet High School as well as Roosevelt, Rosemont, Toll and Wilson middle schools. As Glendale school officials wait for federal approval to turn in the grant's full application, they have submitted a seven-page pre-application and started considering how millions of dollars could benefit Glendale schools.

During nearly six years on the bench at Compton Juvenile Court, Commissioner Catherine Pratt saw scores of children facing prostitution charges. The 1980 Glendale High School graduate made little progress on the cases - they came from impoverished, dysfunctional families and cycled through again and again. “It was very disheartening and, frankly, I wasn't looking at it the right way at the time,” said Pratt, also a product of Glenoaks Elementary and Wilson Middle schools. “I was frustrated with them.

In another bid to enhance its system, Glendale Unified School District this week announced it is seeking a share of $96 million in federal grant funds to turn more of our neighborhood schools into magnet campuses. If its application for the U.S. Department of Education grant is successful, some $2.5 million could flow into the district annually for three years. Glendale Unified has demonstrated its ability to succeed at shape-shifting elementary school campuses in the very recent past.

Glendale school officials are vying for a new federal grant to turn existing neighborhood schools into magnet sites. Under a new grant competition, the U.S. Department of Education will divvy up more than $96 million for districts to create magnet schools, but Glendale Unified officials say just 40 districts could win. District officials estimate schools would win an average of $2.5 million to spend each year for three years. In 2010, Glendale schools won a similar grant worth more than $7.4 million, which helped transform Thomas Edison, Benjamin Franklin and Mark Keppel elementary schools into technology, foreign language and visual and performing arts magnets, respectively.

Glendale officials are crossing their fingers as they await word on a federal application for $2.6 million to fund homeless services programs. Competition is tough as homeless service providers nationwide are demanding $1.7 billion from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to renew ongoing projects, but only $1.6 billion is available. That means some applicants won't get all the money they've requested, said Homeless Services Director Ivet Samvelyan at a City Hall meeting this week.

Although Glendale has used tens of millions of dollars on capital projects that benefit youth and families in the past decade, officials say there won't be many opportunities to continue that kind of spending in the near future. “The city currently would not have the resources to expand any youth programs and services,” Community Services & Parks Director Jess Duran said at City Hall meeting last week. “We are struggling to keep the same level of services.” Programs such as the library's Bookmobile, as well as case management for youth and families, have been reduced, Duran told the City Council, who were acting in their dual role as the Housing Authority.

In case there was any remaining shred of hope that Glendale Unified might stand a chance in a highly competitive federal grant program, the U.S. Department of Education on Monday wiped it clear. The finalists for the Race to the Top grant program, which could send up to $40 million over four years to winning school districts, were announced Monday -- and Glendale Unified was not on the list. In California, the finalists were Animo Leadership Charter High School, Galt Joint Union School District, Lindsay Unified and New Haven Unified.

On behalf of the Board of Education and the entire Glendale Unified School District, I would like to say “thank you” to the greater Glendale/La Crescenta/Sagebrush communities for the overwhelming support they showed for the District's Race to the Top grant application. The district received over 70 letters of support from a myriad of organizations. We decided to submit the 503-page grant to the federal government even without the signature of the teachers' union president. We choose to do this in our quest to find additional funding sources in order to prepare our students for their future.

Undeterred by the lack of support from the teachers union, Glendale Unified officials on Thursday said they're submitting a 503-page application for what could be $40 million in federal Race to the Top grant money. The decision to overnight the application despite a lack of support from the Glendale Teachers Assn. is not insignificant. Federal officials required local teachers unions to agree to the terms and conditions attached to the grant money, such as including student test scores in job evaluations.

The Glendale Unified school board on Tuesday authorized the district to move forward with the federal Race to the Top grant application that could bring $40 million to the district, but with just days left until the Oct. 30 deadline, an agreement has yet to be reached with the teachers union over the terms of the grant. “We are still very hopeful that we will be getting a signature from our GTA president,” said Supt. Dick Sheehan during Tuesday's board meeting. Glendale Teachers Assn.