Buyers are now involved with paying their agent’s commission

Everything is negotiable, and the new commission rule is no exception.

Sellers are no longer responsible for paying the buyer’s agent’s commission – but someone has to.

Both sellers and buyers now have multiple options and lots of room to negotiate who and how a buyer’s agent is paid. For example, buyers can ask the seller for a credit to cover all or part of their agent’s fee as part of their offer.

If a buyer has already negotiated a fee with their agent of around 1%, the seller will most likely offer to cover the remaining 1.5% or 2% to the buyer’s agent. If your offer includes a 1% seller credit and a competing buyer asks for 3%, your offer could become more attractive to the seller.

If a seller chooses not to offer the buyer’s agent’s commission, the buyer is responsible for negotiating their agent’s compensation. The buyer has several options for this negotiation.

Among a few other options for a buyer, is to ask the seller for a concession with their offer. They could request that the seller pay for fees at closing such as the title insurance or escrow fees. Another option is to include their agent’s commission in the purchase offer or to request an interest rate buy down. Buyers could also opt to pay their agent’s entire commission out of pocket.

Buyers also have the option to search and negotiate alone, however this comes with many risks. One of the biggest risks of buying a home without an agent is not having expert support during the negotiations. Agents bring the knowledge and experience in determining fair market value and negotiating all aspects of the transactions including price, in-depth understanding of current market conditions, trends, and comparables. In addition, real estate agents have direct access to the Multiple Listing Service, not available to the public, but are also connected to a larger professional network. Determining fair market value and negotiating the best deal requires skills and experience .

New Rules bring transparency to the transaction

Previously, a seller would use the proceeds of their sale to pay a commission of 5% to 6% to the listing agent, who would offer half of that to the buyer’s agent. This commission, usually 2.5% to 3% would be advertised on the MLS for that specific listing.

Sellers still have the option to offer to pay the buyer’s agent’s commission. If the seller does decide to offer compensation to a buyer’s agent, their agents are allowed to advertise anywhere but the MLS, for example on their website and/or their brokerage’s website. They are prohibited from posting any offer of compensation to a buyer’s agent on the MLS in an effort to prevent steering from unethical real estate agents.

There will be new forms to review and sign at open houses

Along with these new rules, buyers will be required to sign a written agreement before an in-person or virtual tour of a property and will be asked whether they are a buyer with or without representation.

If the listing agent is not representing the buyer, they will be asked to sign a form entitled Open House Visitor and Non-Agency. This form makes it clear that the listing agent is not representing the visitor.

If the buyer chooses to have that listing agent represent them for that listing during the Open House they will be asked to review and sign a form called Limited Property Representation and Broker Compensation Agreement.

Perhaps the most widely used form before a buyer begins their house hunting journey is the Buyer Representation and Broker Compensation Agreement. This form enables the buyer to be represented by a buying agent for up to 3 months for specific properties and locations the buyer chooses.  This agreement may be renewed after the 3-month period has expired. In addition, this form includes how much and how their agent will be compensated.

These new forms will reform how buyers’ and sellers’ agents are compensated, bringing both parties into negotiations over commissions on the sale of the house– negotiating who pays commission and how it is paid. The buyer will have to negotiate their own contract with an agent and decide for themselves how much commission to pay.

It remains to be seen how this new policy-and the others change the complexion of the industry. The real estate profession and how homes are sold and purchased is constantly evolving and the practice changes are part of that equation.

During my career as a Realtor, I’ve experienced lots of changes driven by technology, how we communicate with each other and buyer and seller expectations. As realtors, we will adapt quickly, and our clients will also understand even more the value a Realtor brings to all aspects of the transaction.

Colleen Bliss, cbliss@sereno.com (925) 922-4401,  DRE 01960410,  Sereno at Christie’s

The post What you need to know about new Real Estate rules appeared first on Valley Voice.

Nothing could be truer for the rural communities here – in the San Joaquin Valley – where we call home.

Something happened in 2020.  The world experienced a global pandemic where we were told (and sometimes forced) to mask up, stay home, and vaccinate.  But while we were sheltering in place, something else happened.  People realized they did not want to go to work from 8am to 5pm Monday through Friday.  We saw a new era where employers desperately sought workers and they were willing to change working conditions to allow remote work, flexible hours, and much higher wages.

This new employment agreement may work for some private sector jobs, but it does not work for government employment where our citizens expect to have a face-to-face conversation and a place to go to receive tax-funded services.  Our county services require us to respond to our citizens with a hands-on and face-to-face approach to address the public’s needs.

In a backdrop where fewer and fewer workers seek jobs without full teleworking or flexible working opportunities, the County of Kings undertook a salary survey. The survey determined how much the county should pay by comparing wages with how much other rural counties paid their workers.  But the county did not obtain adequate information about the types of jobs or services performed.  Only a small percentage of workers were able to fill out the ten plus page survey about their job description.  The salary survey did not adequately compare our workers’ jobs to other county’s jobs.  And lastly, the salary survey failed to consider whether other rural counties were able to fill the jobs with the minimal wages offered.  The end result was a recommendation to pay Kings County workers a median salary compared with other rural counties.

What does median salary mean? It is the middle salary in a list of other salaries give or take 5%. And Kings County median salaries cannot compete with surrounding area.

Kings County loses at median.  Kings County is a small rural county with a population of approximately 150,000 people with 63% of the population of working age.  We cannot only draw workers from our community to work in Kings County.  We must draw from other nearby cities, such as Fresno and Visalia.  This is especially true for professionals with college degrees or graduate degrees.  Approximately 12% of Kings County residents have a college degree and 4% have a graduate degree.  When the county pays its employees at a median salary, it does not take into consideration that its employees can work in Tulare or Fresno Couties for the same salary with a shorter commute.  It makes no sense for an employee to commute 20, 30, or 40 minutes away for median pay.  While the county has offered a flexible schedule and telework for two days per week, Kings County remains understaffed.

As the District Attorney for the County of Kings, I ask Kings County residents to consider the effects of chronic vacancies in our local governments.  Our detentions deputies and juvenile detention staff must work overtime shifts (at overtime pay) to keep these facilities running.  Maintenance for public works projects is delayed.  Responses for emergency services are slower or take away resources from other parts of the county. Prosecution for crime is slower.  These are all examples of how chronic understaffing affects the services we provide to the public.  The county compensates for the understaffing by paying our current staff overtime pay or hiring outside independent contractors to do the work.  While these measures are appropriate options for the short term, we are not building a committed workforce for the long term.

Each and every county employee strives to give the public his or her best, but the Board of Supervisors cannot expect fewer employees to bear the heavier workloads left by others looking for better opportunities.  We face burn out and fatigue.  Some departments have high turnover.  And when people are pushed to their max, there is always a risk of mistake or miscalculation.  The county spends money to plug the holes by paying for recruitment and training efforts. However, when the County constantly recruits and trains our workers at median salary, we are only training someone to leave and find work in a county that pays higher wages.

This is the time where we need the community to take a stand.  We all need and seek the services of our local government.  And we value those who serve our communities in the capacities of firefighter, peace officer, maintenance worker, clerk, nurse, and prosecutor to name a few.  Each week, county employees come to the Board of Supervisors to ask the board members to acknowledge their service and to compensate them accordingly. Let’s join them and advocate for fair compensation.

The county should invest in its workers to pay better wages now so that we are not paying more for delays, constant training, or liability for mistakes.

The post “Pay now, or pay more later”: a call for competitive wages for Kings County employees appeared first on Valley Voice.

This article originally appeared in the Tulare County Farm Bureau News, June 2024 edition.  Tricia Stever Blattler, the Farm Bureau’s Executive Director penned this article to help members understand the recent death of her husband Robert Blattler, who died by suicide on April 28, 2024 at their home in Exeter. 

According to a Penn State University Extension report, more people die every year from suicide than homicide.  From 2000 to 2021 the suicide rate has increased by 36% nationwide, and in rural America the suicide rate in farmers is much higher, 43.7 deaths per 100,000, over the national average of 14.1 per 100,000 population.   This places farming in the top ten occupations that suffer an increased rate of death by suicide.    In Tulare County, there were 58 suicides in 2023, and 51 of those were males and of those 25 males were in the age bracket of age 34-55.

In the case of my husband Robert, he was a healthy, hardworking, 45-year-old male that was overcome with grief this last year and coupled with a medication change, a stressful work environment, and too many new medications prescribed over the last two months, ended up in a spiraling health crisis that ended with his death by suicide.   I share this painful personal story with our members because suicide is still so commonly considered a secretive, taboo topic.  One that we hide from obituaries and speak quietly about as we try to pick up the pieces of our shattered lives and move forward, never quite understanding what could make someone do this most unthinkable act.

Farm suicides are often even more isolated and talked little about, farmers often internalize their struggles, feel hopeless and shameful, and do not seek counseling or care soon enough for anxiety or depression.

While Robert was seeking medical and behavioral support services, he was also struggling to manage the demands of a busy agricultural job.  However, removing Robert from work and placing him on short-term disability created additional feelings of shame and guilt, that he was failing as a husband and as a provider in our home.  Those pressures quickly consumed him, and the doctors’ appointments, behavioral counseling, and too many medications became this hurricane in our lives, that showed up suddenly like a storm, and left devastation in its wake.

What happened? How did we get to this place? For Robert, he experienced a withdrawal syndrome known as rebound anxiety from coming off a medicine too fast earlier this year, and we believe that was the very beginning of his crisis.  He had suffered migraines and vertigo issues for a few years and used anxiety medicine to try to manage those symptoms.  What ensued next was insomnia, panic, and anxiety episodes that had to be controlled by new medications. Robert’s crisis only happened over about 8 weeks from beginning to the tragic ending.

As we found, behavioral health services are overwhelmed in the Central Valley, and so are good doctors, his appointments, tests, follow-ups, and supportive services took precious time in an over-subscribed system, and this was unfortunately a big contributor to Robert’s situation spiraling out of control.   In just 8 weeks his life and mine were completely and irrevocably changed.

While external factors on the farm impact stress behaviors, accessing care alone is a major stressor, and one that men probably find even more difficult.  Here in Tulare County, there is a steep increase in middle-aged working professional males that are ending their lives by suicide.  This is a very alarming statistic, and one that we should all care about changing. In 2023 Tulare County had 58 suicides, which is the highest count since 2008, the trend is moving in the wrong direction.

I want Robert’s life and his tragic passing to be a reason to take pause and consider this important topic.  We all lead lives that seem to have unending pressures and stresses that never get easier.  Stressors in agriculture are plentiful,  external factors like climate, market fluctuations, rising input costs, regulatory burdens, and the physical demands of the work can take a heavy toll on a person. Even with access to medical services, Robert’s situation could not be swiftly managed, and it ultimately led him to take his own life.   I think of the pressures facing farmers today, and I know they are immense.  I know Robert struggled with letting his job occupy too much real estate in his mind, and I know that ultimately that stress was a big part of the strain that ended his life so tragically.

If you have read this far, I encourage you to take time for self-care, and work to reach out to your neighbors and fellow farmers, ask how they are doing.  Listen… really listen and seek to recognize the warning signs that may be present in those passing conversations. Sometimes there are no warning signs, sometimes when a person makes that choice it may be from a very sudden and unexpected need to feel empowered to do something when they have otherwise felt powerless. For Robert he had a very normal day before his death, he took a long Jeep ride with our beloved dogs, it was a beautiful day that he seemed to enjoy immensely.  None of his care providers saw any warning signs.  Sometimes the signs just are not there.

If you need help, I hope you will reach out using the resources below.

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a national network that provides free and confidential support 24/7. Dial the three-digit code 988 to access the Helpline. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have hearing loss, there is a chat option on their website. For TTY users, use your preferred relay service or dial 711 and then 988.

PsychologyToday.com can be another confidential place to find mental health providers and resources in our region. Locally, you may also reach out to the Tulare County Suicide Prevention Taskforce at 559-624-7449 or at sptf@tularecounty.ca.gov.

The post Farm stress and suicide is a topic we should not hide appeared first on Valley Voice.

Ms. Hyde wrote this history as a tribute to her brother David who passed in April. 

The Hyde family was one of the earliest pioneers and founders of Visalia and figured prominently in Visalia’s evolution and development.

Richard Eltinge Hyde (R.E. Hyde) originally from New York, moved to Visalia in 1860, followed by his brother, Jeremiah David Hyde (J.D. Hyde) in 1873. These two visionaries were instrumental in shaping the destiny of the far West in the fields of energy, finance, industry, commerce, transportation, agriculture and conservation.

The current Hydes are descendants of J.D. Hyde.

Beginning with early business enterprises in the mid 1860s. R.E. Hyde established the Bank of Visalia, the pioneer monetary institution of Tulare County in 1874. Additionally, R.E. Hyde was a leader in establishing the Visalia Railroad Company that same year. R.E. Hyde proudly represented his fellow citizens of Visalia for many years as an elected city treasurer, city council member and mayor through the 1880’s.

J.D. Hyde in 1878 worked with naturalist John Muir in protecting the area watersheds. J.D. earnestly worked among a group in the battle to save the giant redwoods in 1885 as part of the conservation of natural resources. These efforts were instrumental in the creation in 1890 of Sequoia National Park and General Grant National Park (later to be renamed the Kings Canyon National Park in 1940). J.D. was a dedicated public servant as evidenced by many years as councilman and mayor for the Visalia City Council, as well as serving multiple terms on the local school board.

Together in 1886 the two brothers helped establish the first electric power plant, the Visalia Electric Light and Gas Company.

Soon thereafter, the Hyde family’s growing interests extended to cattle ranching, the farming industry, commercial endeavors and continued contributions to the San Joaquin Valley region which continues through the present day.

R.E. Hyde had no children, while J.D. Hyde had two heirs; Richard Eltinge Hyde II, (R.E. Hyde, the namesake of J.D.‘s brother) born in 1878 and Lawrence David Hyde (L.D. Hyde) born in 1881, both born in Visalia.

L.D. Hyde studied pre-med at the University of California, Berkeley, and finished his education at the University of Charlottenburg near Berlin, Germany. He practiced medicine for a time in San Francisco, California. Failing health brought him back to Visalia where he died in 1913 at the early age of 32 years, never having married and with no heirs.

R.E. Hyde II graduated in 1900 from the University of California, Berkeley. He married Luella Edda
Burrel, the daughter of another valley pioneer in 1905. Luella’s father, Cuthbert Burrell, first came to the San Joaquin Valley in 1846 as a member of the second survey unit led by General John Fremont. Later he founded the community of Burrel, northwest of Visalia, in 1860, where he started one of the earliest cattle ranches in the area. He assisted in founding the Bank of Visalia with R.E. Hyde Sr. in 1874, and later the Visalia Savings Bank.

Together R.E. Hyde II with his wife, Luella Burrel Hyde, were directly responsible for expanding the financial success for the Visalia branch of the Bank of America, directly descended from the pioneer Bank of Visalia.

R.E. was a director of many agricultural associations, ditch companies, and was the driving force behind Visalia’s westward growth between 1910 and 1930. He was a founder of the Visalia Homebuilders Association and involved in developing several residential subdivisions throughout the area. He developed Visalia’s east Main St. into an industrial and automotive center and erected a number of other commercial buildings in downtown Visalia.

R.E. started the Hyde Ranch Dairy in the 1920’s, serving Visalia and vicinity with a major portion of its domestic milk supply. In 1926 the famous Hyde Ranch Dairy water tank was built. This was a giant replica of a multi-story milk bottle, clearly noticeable at Highway 198 and County Center, marking the western gateway to the City of Visalia for many years. The Hyde Ranch Dairy was sold in the early 1960s and the holdings of dairy cows were converted to beef cattle operations in the local foothills, which are still operational today.

R.E. constructed an airstrip on the north side of Goshen Avenue for the use of crop dusting companies. Hyde Field was later renamed the Green Acres Airport and served pilots into the 1990s.

R.E. and Luella developed the Visalia Country Club Golf Course in 1921. This 18-hole course has continued as a favorite recreational destination in Visalia today.

R.E. was a life member of many service and community organizations until he died in 1934 at the age of 56.

In 1930, the Visalia Fox Theater opened. In 1936 it posthumously honored the Hyde family by naming the theater “The Hyde” in recognition of the family’s long association with community development and interests in Visalia. It later reverted back to being the “Fox Theater” and still operates in downtown Visalia today.

R.E. and Luella raised two sons. Charles Burrel born in 1909, followed by his brother Richard Elting born in 1910.
Luella, a knowledgeable and savvy business woman, took control of the Hyde interests upon her husband‘s death in 1934. In the mid 1930’s, the title of the family ranching and real estate business was changed to “Luella B. Hyde and Sons.” Her sons, Burrel (C.B.) and Richard (Dick) were taught to be altruistic at an early age. After their father’s death, the name “Hyde” would continue to have influence in the community.

Dick studied law at the University of California, Berkeley. He married Virginia Hudson in 1936 settling in Woodside, California. He was a successful attorney and rancher, making weekly trips to Visalia as he continued to stay directly involved with the family business. Dick had three children: Richard Elting Jr. (Rich), Lawrence (Larry), and Diana. Six grandchildren and several great grandchildren followed. Dick died in 1989 at the age of 79.

Luella‘s older son, Burrel preceded his brother by a few years at University of California, Berkeley. After graduating he returned to Visalia where he excelled as an innovative and influential businessman. He married Daphne Grant in 1939. They had two children: David Grant (David) and Shelley. Followed by four grandchildren, and several great grandchildren.

The matriarch of the family, Luella, died in 1967 at the age of 84.

Burrel continued to engage in cattle ranching, property management and finance. He took a special interest in reaching out to the community youth through the sport of baseball. Burrel was one of the early organizers of the National Little League in Visalia, coaching the Visalia Redlegs to many league and city championships.

His involvement in the community, serving on several Board of Directors, the Visalia Rotary Club, and in contributions of property to benefit various needs of Visalia.

Burrel died in 1979 at the age of 70. Daphne died 16 years later in 1995 at the age of 82.

David took over the family operations guiding these interests into the 21st century. His involvement in the community extended into the Visalia Rotary Club, coaching in the National Little League, assistant basketball coach at College of the Sequoias, and as an alumni of Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, California, where he graduated in business agriculture.

The business interests have been managed by a partnership with David, sister Shelley, and Dick Hyde’s son Rich. The management has been transitioning to the fifth generation primarily David’s children, Brian and Jennifer, and Dick Hyde’s grandsons Rick Hyde and Ryan Bailey.

David’s success in managing the cattle ranch, along with the commercial properties throughout Visalia have come to an end upon his recent death in April of 2024, at the age of 75.

A celebration of life for David Hyde will be Monday, May 20, from 4 to 6 PM, at the Visalia Country Club.

The post The Hydes of Visalia appeared first on Valley Voice.

These early meetings and the pioneering spirit of our founders set the stage for a unique approach – one where we work together with low-income families, rather than for them. Over the years, our dedicated staff has collaborated with cities, counties, and residents across the San Joaquin Valley to address the housing needs of our participants and the communities they call home.

“SHE is hardly an institution, it is a dream being realized,” said Robert Marshall, who took the helm as SHE’s Executive Director in 1966 and served for 24 years. “The dream is simple, yet profound. It is the concept that people working together, helping each other can solve their problems. By sharing labor, knowledge and friendship, homes are built, furniture is repaired, jobs are improved, money is saved and the quality of living is enriched. The problems are real and must be dealt with but it is the dream that makes them bearable and solvable.”

As we celebrate this milestone, we are reminded of our commitment to building and sustaining healthy homes and communities. We look forward to continuing our mission and making a positive impact for many decades to come. Stay tuned for 60th anniversary celebration details later this year and more historical highlights in our monthly newsletter. Thank you for joining us on this incredible journey!

The post Celebrating 60 years of Self-Help Enterprises! appeared first on Valley Voice.

It can be difficult to adequately describe the magnitude of the challenge that our clients and staff face as they do the work of the Visalia Rescue Mission. Isaiah 42:16 paints the clearest picture:

“And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them.”

Every day the team at VRM points our clients to a future they cannot imagine. The pain and shame of their lives and their choices bury them in hopelessness and fear. It is our great challenge and great joy to point them to a Savior who tells them that His yolk is easy, and His burden is light.

At its core, the Visalia Rescue Mission exists to introduce the most broken and vulnerable in our city and county to the life transforming power of Jesus Christ. As we enter this holiday season, we celebrate the good work of God in relationships restored, addictions overcome, the hungry fed, and the lost finding hope and salvation in Jesus. As we look back at this year, and what the Lord has accomplished we can’t help but join with the author of Psalm 115 and declare, “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name be the glory, because of Your love and faithfulness.”
This doesn’t happen apart from the generous support of donors like you. Here’s a look at the impact your support has made in our city:

Visalia Rescue Mission receives $0 in federal or state funding that would limit our ability to proclaim the Gospel and force us to compromise our Statement of Faith. We are 100% funded through private donations from individuals, families, and other like-minded organizations like you.

The need in our city and county is greater than ever. We are seeing levels of addiction, homelessness, and overdose deaths unlike anything we could imagine. Visalia Rescue Mission is standing in the gap for some of the most broken of God’s creation.

This holiday season, we need to raise $250,000 to continue and expand the work of pushing back the darkness and proclaiming hope to the hopeless. This work is hard and expensive. We cannot do it without the support of those in our community whose hearts burn to see the broken in their city restored through the Gospel and the work of the Visalia Rescue Mission.

Would you join us?

Chief Executive Officer
Visalia Rescue Mission

The post Year-end message from Visalia Rescue Mission CEO Michael Simmon appeared first on Valley Voice.

College of the Sequoias: A Case Study

College of the Sequoias (COS) is a community college in Visalia, California. It has a graduation rate of 28-34% within a two-year frame, which is below the state average of 41%. This low graduation rate suggests that COS students are struggling to succeed.

One reason for COS’s low graduation rate is its lack of autonomy. COS students are required to take a certain number of general education courses and to pass standardized tests in order to graduate. This leaves students with few choices about what they learn and how they learn it.

As said by PhD, Susan Elizabeth, a psychology professor, “School is a place meant to encourage the type of thinking we need in the world today, in the 21st century. How is a standardized test going to save us from climate change?”

Another reason for COS’s low graduation rate is its emphasis on standardized testing. Standardized tests are often biased against students from low-income families and students of color.

Brent Kennedy, a COS staff member said, “The hardest part people will go through in college is General-Ed, and the system is a limit especially to people of color.” Additionally, standardized tests do not measure the full range of student learning.

According to a 2023 study by the National Center for Fair & Open Testing, students who score in the bottom quartile on standardized tests are more likely to drop out of college than students who score in the top quartile. The study also found that standardized tests are not a good predictor of student success in college.

The Impact of Lack of Autonomy on Student Learning and Achievement

Lack of autonomy can have a negative impact on student learning and achievement in a number of ways. First, when students are not given a choice in what they learn, they are less likely to be motivated to learn. Second, when students are forced to learn in a way that does not align with their learning styles, they are less likely to succeed. Third, when students are constantly under the pressure of standardized testing, they are more likely to experience anxiety and stress, which can also impact their learning.

A 2021 study by the National Education Association found that teachers are increasingly feeling pressure to focus on standardized testing at the expense of other important aspects of education, such as critical thinking and creativity. The study found that 81% of teachers believe that standardized testing has a negative impact on student learning. I personally know I feel stressed, this semester I decided to take 4 courses and in the span of 3 months I’ve had to take over 14 tests that all count for more than 30% of my grade. And they are not subjects that pertain to my career, yet if I don’t pass them I can’t do what I already know how to do? No alternatives. Standardized testing was part of high school, and now in college I find myself, still in the same boat. Professor, Marc Royster, PhD In Astronomy, said, ” There doesn’t seem to be a “tight” correlation between student’s test scores, and how well they are in actually succeeding, for example in research or even applying it to real life situations.”

Conclusion:

“I think that the true purpose of school is to allow a student to choose what they want/need to learn, learn it how they want/need to learn it and display what they learned how they want/need to display it. All supported my the focused encouragement of staff and educators.”

“Multiple Measures Approach” (MMA) is a way of assessing student learning that uses a variety of different methods, rather than just one. This approach is based on the idea that students learn in different ways and at different paces, and that no single assessment method can accurately capture all of their knowledge and skills. The key concept is that there is no one-size-fits-all approach.

Here are some examples of different MMA methods:

• Portfolios: Collections of student work that demonstrate their learning over time. This could include essays, projects, artwork, and other examples of student work.
• Surveys: Questions asked to students to learn about their learning experiences, attitudes, and perceptions. This information can be used to identify students’ strengths and weaknesses, and to develop targeted interventions.
• Observations: Watching students work and interacting with them to learn about their learning. This can be done one-on-one, in small groups, or as a whole class.
• Performances: Allowing students to demonstrate their skills and knowledge in a real-world context. This could include giving a presentation, performing a play, or conducting experiments.
• Products: Assessing students’ work, such as essays, projects, and presentations. This can be done using rubrics, checklists, or other criteria.

MMAs can be used to assess student learning in any subject area, and at any grade level. They are particularly useful for students with disabilities, English language learners, and students who learn in different ways.

Recommendations for COS

COS can improve its graduation rate and student success by taking the following steps:

• Dismantle the “General Educational Approach” to the educational experience.
• Dismantle the “Study-to-Test” course approach to the courses themselves.
• Allow full autonomy over course selection.
• Support student body with “focused encouragement”.

Call to Action:

In conclusion, the lack of autonomy in schools is a serious problem that is having a negative impact on student learning and achievement. College of the Sequoias can improve its graduation rate and student success by giving students more choices in their learning, reducing the emphasis on standardized testing, and in doing so providing more support for students who are struggling. I encourage COS students, faculty, and staff to speak out about the lack of autonomy in schools and to demand that COS give students more choices in their learning and reduce its reliance on standardized testing.

Sources:

• National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
• Data USA: https://datausa.io/profile/university/college-of-the-sequoias
• https://www.bestcolleges.com/research/college-graduation-rates/
• “Rethinking Standardized Tests”. published by the National Education Association (NEA) March 19, 2021

The post The lack of autonomy in schools: a study of College of the Sequoias appeared first on Valley Voice.

Happy New Year!

As we look to the new year, I want to take a moment to reflect on 2022. The start of the 2022-23 school year saw a return to normalcy with school operations and activities all proceeding without COVID-related modifications. While we celebrated this, we also saw the impact the last few years had on all of us. Our student state test data and the challenges students have faced show how difficult that time was for our students, families, and staff. Returning to in-person learning also provided its own unique set of challenges for everyone. In short, the last three years have been difficult.

The Visalia Unified School Board responded to these challenges by taking immediate actions:

• Restructured and enhanced district operations and staff to address safety, communication, and academics.
• Invested in school-based staff including: site counseling and social-emotional intervention supports; district safety and security; additional academic intervention teachers; increased after school offerings (Expanded Learning Opportunity Program); and Special Education to support our students.
• Adopted solutions focused on safety that included new technology to notify staff immediately of a campus emergency and a bus transportation app to notify students and parents when the bus is arriving and any delays in real time.
• Implemented solutions focused on academics including a new 24/7 tutoring platform for all students in 4-12 grades and strengthened graduation requirements by adding a third year of math.
• Developed partnerships with colleges to guarantee admission to qualified students.
• Launched our “One Visalia Connected” initiative to connect every student to meaningful activities beyond the classroom and ensure every student is known by name.

And most importantly, the Board of Education created and unanimously approved our Beliefs and Commitments to guide our path forward together. The design of the Core Beliefs and Commitments provides us with the cornerstone on which to build systems that create the conditions for students, families, and staff to be successful.

As we move into 2023, I am very excited about our future. Building upon the foundation established in our Beliefs and Commitments, we will begin creating the District’s strategic plan and long range facilities plan to chart our path forward together for years to come. These transformational processes need input from all members of our community, including you. This spring, all of our stakeholders (parents, students, staff, and community) will be invited to engage in dialogue with us as we create these plans together.

While these action steps are being developed, we will continue our focus on academics, safety, and communication. Our priorities for Spring 2023 include:

• Improving student attendance through stronger school, family, and community partnerships.
• Ensuring our teachers have the tools and training necessary to deliver the most effective and impactful classroom instruction, and adopting a new phonics program for our primary students.
• Implementation of a new safety process for visitors and volunteers, a transportation notification system for parents, and enhanced safety training for all staff.
• Additional investments in the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program to ensure all students in VUSD have opportunities to extend their learning time, in and out of the classroom.
• Expanding partnerships with local colleges and universities to increase postsecondary opportunities for all students.
• Expanding visual and performing arts opportunities with the passage of Proposition 28.
• Continued development of our “One Visalia Connected” initiative.

I know we have much work to do, and we are not where we want to be when it comes to student learning; however, I am confident that with our School Board’s vision and our amazing VUSD staff, students, and families, we are on a continuous improvement journey to see our students succeed. It is vital that we all stay focused on the most important thing: creating the conditions to maximize student learning.

I am proud to be part of this district and community, and I know our best days are ahead. Let’s move forward together in 2023 with urgency and focus. Happy New Year.

Sincerely,

Kirk

The post VUSD Superintendent: Looking back on 2022, forward to 2023 appeared first on Valley Voice.

Immediately upon becoming Superintendent, the Board and I reviewed feedback from our community, families, staff, and students that was gathered through surveys and forums, and we took decisive action. Your voice matters. The following key investments can be attributed to our Board listening and responding, and we are just getting started!

• Academics
  • Established a three-year math requirement for graduation
  • Began offering a 24/7 online, chat-based tutoring system for students in grades 4-12 called Paper
• Student and Staff Safety
  • Implemented Raptor Technologies – a comprehensive visitor and emergency management platform with real time support for staff
  • Approved a robust transportation information system called Transfinder to keep track of bus riders in real-time and communicate alerts to families
  • Hired additional site and district personnel focused on safety and student conduct
• Communications
  • Developed an intentional communications plan with daily engagement via four major social platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok)
  • Hosted and implemented roundtables and advisories to gather stakeholder feedback

Our core beliefs and commitments provide a strong framework for key areas of focus. Additionally, they unify the Board and district staff to ensure we are all focused on the main thing – the betterment of our students.

The key investments and development of our core beliefs and commitments were necessary to ensure that our students receive the highest quality educational experience. This October, we received our student results from last spring’s state tests in English language arts and mathematics for students in grades three through eight and eleven. The results below represent the percentage of students meeting or exceeding proficiency on their grade-level standards.

• 41.75% English language arts
• 24.88% mathematics

Visalia Unified outperformed Tulare County’s average in almost all student groups, and was the second highest performing district in the county as a whole.

I want the community to know that coming out of this pandemic, our staff, students, and families have worked hard to keep students focused on academics, and I am proud of their efforts. I also want you to know that we are not satisfied with these scores. I have declared publicly that we will be the highest performing district in the county, and then the highest performing district in the Valley; and in future years, the highest performing district in the state. We need to produce the highest-quality academically and socially rounded graduates–with all graduates being college and/or career ready. This will be the fulfillment of our Board’s beliefs and commitments.

Our students’ success rests not only on the shoulders of our district, but the entire community. This is why our Board developed the One Visalia Connected initiative. Research confirms that when a student is connected to a meaningful activity or mentor outside of the classroom, the likelihood of them excelling rises. The goal of this initiative is to connect every student to a meaningful activity, thereby increasing their chances for success. To develop this initiative we have been engaged in hearing from leaders throughout Visalia including: civic, community-based organizations, education, faith, and industry. In addition, we have been seeking feedback internally through my Superintendent’s Advisories which include staff, students, and families. I am confident that connecting with our students on a deeper level will be transformative for all of Visalia.

I am so proud of the work each of our 3,500 staff members do each and every day to ensure that our students receive the best education possible. We have a lot of work ahead of us.

If we truly want to see our students succeed, they need to see us be One Visalia Connected. Our Board has provided us with the first foundational steps in moving forward together, and we are committed to continuing to create ongoing opportunities for listening and feedback sessions.

Please join the Board, myself, and all of our Visalia Unified team in opening up every opportunity for our students to be successful. I Believe In, I Belong In, I am Kirk Shrum, VUSD Superintendent

The post Forward together: reflections on the first three months of the school year appeared first on Valley Voice.

Jehovah’s Witnesses will resume their trademark door-to-door ministry beginning September 1; the two-and-a-half-year suspension of the work will end just in time for the launch of a global campaign featuring an interactive program for Bible study.

The decision to resume their door-to-door ministry marks the complete restoration of all pre-pandemic in-person activities for the nearly 1.3 million Jehovah’s Witnesses in the 12,000 congregations in the United States. Houses of worship (called Kingdom Halls) were reopened on April 1, witnessing in public places resumed on May 31, and in-person conventions are again being planned for 2023.

Longtime Tulare residents Ron and Ann McGriff are excited to reconnect with their community. “This being my hometown, I can’t wait to get back and see how my neighbors are doing,” said Ron. “My community is like my extended family. It’s been such a long time since I’ve gotten to go out and talk to them face to face.”

The suspension of the public ministry was a proactive response by the organization to keep communities and congregants safe. The move was also unprecedented. Jehovah’s Witnesses had been preaching from house to house without interruption for more than 100 years through an economic depression, two world wars and global unrest, but COVID-19 demanded a different response.

“We believe that the early decision to shut down all in-person activities for more than two years has saved many lives,” said Robert Hendriks, U.S. spokesperson for Jehovah’s Witnesses. “We’re now ready and eager to reconnect with our neighbors once again – person to person, face to face. It’s not the only way that we preach, but it has historically been the most effective way to deliver our message of comfort and hope.”

The return to an in-person ministry coincides with a global campaign to offer an interactive Bible study program, available in hundreds of languages and offered at no cost. The course comes in the form of a printed book, online publication or as an embedded feature within the organization’s free mobile application, JW Library. Released in late 2020, the interactive study platform combines text, video, illustrations and digital worksheets to help learners of all ages.

“This study program is designed to match the learning style of the 21st-century student,” said Hendriks. “We’re excited to begin sharing it with our neighbors as we return to making personal visits.”

The pandemic forced Jehovah’s Witnesses to quickly pivot to virtual meetings and conventions while conducting their ministry exclusively through letters, phone calls and virtual Bible studies. This has led to growth in meeting attendance and the number of congregants, with more than 400,000 newly baptized Witnesses joining the ranks of 120,000 congregations globally in just the first two years of the pandemic.

For more information about Jehovah’s Witnesses, their history, beliefs and activities, visit their official website, jw.org, with content available in more than 1,000 languages.

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