This important notice is from the County Library Commissioner who serves our part of the County, Greg Enholm, and is a request for City Council intervention.
Before the Pittsburg City Council
Presented in person for Public Comment at the Regular Meeting held at Pittsburg Civic Center
Monday, July 16, 2012
TO PITTSBURG CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
Ben Johnson, Mayor
Nancy Parent, Vice-Mayor
Salvatore Evola
Dwaine “Pete” Longmire
Will Casey
CC Alice E. Evenson, City Clerk
James F. Holmes, City Treasurer
Joe Sbranti, City Manager
Ruthann G. Ziegler, City Attorney
Garrett Evans, Assistant City Manager
BY Greg Enholm gbenholm@hotmail.com cell 925 878 5515
RE CITIZENS REMARKS – High school students in Pittsburg should be able to attend Los Medanos College
My name is Greg Enholm and I reside in the unincorporated community of Bay Point.
1. While I have been the District 5 County Library Commissioner for Pittsburg since 2004, I am here today because I have been a high school math teacher for 2000-2009 and a Heald College Concord math professor for a year.
2. Los Medanos College used to allow hundreds of Pittsburg High School students to take college courses concurrently with their high school courses. As a teacher and now professor, I strongly encourage high school students to take at least one college course.
3. By attending, as your County Library Commissioner, the City’s May 15th meeting, held at Marina Vista Elementary School’s Library, I learned from Pittsburg Unified School District Superintendent Linda Rondeau that there are only about 50 Pittsburg High School students currently allowed to take courses at Los Medanos College. PHS students are increasingly going directly to 4-year colleges and universities after graduating so taking an LMC course would be a great experience for them.
4. The college course experience is invaluable for high school students because college is very different from high school. For instance, one college credit typically counts for two high school credits.
5. As you may know, all high school students are eligible to take community college courses subject to criteria and space available under rules clearly laid out in the course catalog requiring an Age Waiver Form or Unit Limit Waiver Form signed by the principal and parent. There are specific rules which must be met by the student.
6. You know PUSD has made dramatic improvements in recent years. PUSD’s high school graduation rate rose to 66.3% in 2011 from 64.3% in 2010 but remained below the County averages of 82.2% and 79.9% and the Mt. Diablo Unified School District averages 81.8% and 74.8%. MDUSD serves Oak Hills.
7. I believe the Pittsburg City Council is the best forum for asking the College District to explain how more high school students living in Pittsburg can take courses at LMC rather than have separate meetings with PUSD, MDUSD, and other groups.
8. Such a request is particularly important because the College Board is planning to ask voters to approve a parcel tax about $11 in the November 2012 election to allow more classes to be offered.
7. I believe Pittsburg voters would be more willing to vote for this tax if more of the city’s high school students could take courses at LMC. Having more Pittsburg high school students take LMC courses is good for the City. An increasing high school graduation rate is good for the City.
8. Encouraging Pittsburg residents to take LMC courses which lead to good, highpaying
jobs in Pittsburg is good for the City.
7. So, I am asking the City Council to request a presentation in the near future by the College District (contact Tim Leong, District Director of Communications and Community Relations, 925 229-1000 ext. 1211) covering both how to increase the number of high school students attending LMC and to provide information on a College District parcel tax.
Thank you.
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