Students Speak Out for Education

A group of student leaders from the district’s high schools addressed members of CJUSD’s Community Cabinet last Wednesday morning for a discussion about what kinds of support they want and need to help them prepare for life after high school. Colton Joint Unified School District’s Community Cabinet is an alliance between business, labor, community and education. Its purpose is to build a stronger future for our region by ensuring that students enter the workforce with skills and knowledge needed for success. One of the strong messages from the student panel: They want more contact with successful adults, as mentors who will give them encouragement and work experience opportunities. Kimberly Aldrete, a junior at Grand Terrace High School, described a career day she had attended where local professionals talked to students about their own struggles to reach success. “It motivates me,” Aldrete said. “I know that if there is something you really want and you put your mind to it, you can accomplish whatever you want.” The Community Cabinet held its first meeting in August, bringing together civic, business, labor and educational leaders as well as parents. Early meetings focused on developing four key areas of focus for the group: early preparation, literacy, academic and career readiness, and mental and physical health awareness. The October meeting featured a panel discussion with teachers and principals, examining what types of assistance from the community would help them better support students. The Community Cabinet will continue next month by starting work on specific action plans for ways to help schools and students. The group follows the district’s Purposeful Community Initiative, which emphasizes working in partnership with various entities throughout our region toward mutual goals, such as building a stronger workforce for the future and strengthening our economy. “We can go so much further and achieve so much more by combining our energy, talent and resources,” Superintendent Jerry Almendarez said. “This process has shown me that there is a huge amount of interest throughout the community in building stronger, more effective education for our youth. People are eager to get actively involved, and we need to find more ways to make that happen.” CJUSD was one of three groups to receive the county’s first Vision in Action Awards this year for exemplary efforts to partner with members of the community to accomplish goals of San Bernardino’s Countywide Vision. The district was recognized at the San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG) General Assembly for the Purposeful Community Initiative.