February 11, 2005

ESD NEWS BRIEFS

ESD superintendent announces retirement

Clif Black to take helm July 1

Tom Andrade, superintendent of the Evergreen School District, announced his retirement at a Feb. 1 school board meeting, effective July 1. The ESD board of trustees appointed long-time Evergreen resident Clif Black, currently the district’s deputy superintendent, as the next superintendent.

(From left) Deputy Superintendent Clif Black will take over as superintendent of the Evergreen School District when Superintendent Tom Andrade retires July 1.

When asked why he is leaving at such a difficult fiscal juncture for the district, Andrade answered, “I’ve been a superintendent in the state of California for 14 years, and in my 14 years, in only two of them, have I not had to cut [budgets]. I was looking down the road at probably two to three more years of cutting, and after 14 years, I’m ready for retirement—ready to try something else.”

He regrets leaving, but he feels that the situation will “get worse before it gets better, and that’s the case of most government entities at this time. The reality is—it’s time for me to go.” Andrade felt it was in the best interest of the board to inform them sooner rather than later so that he can begin transitioning Black into the superintendent’s role immediately.

Andrade said that he may accept some consulting work with various school districts in the future, but not at the demanding capacity required of his job today. “I’m looking forward to controlling my hours and working for myself,” he added.

Clif Black
Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Clif Black came to California with his family in 1959. He was educated in the Alum Rock School and East Side Union High School Districts. A graduate of San Jose State University, Black taught for 11 years in the Oak Grove School District before coming to Evergreen in 1986 as an assistant principal at Ley Va Middle School.

In 1990 he was appointed principal of Ley Va. He served as the assistant superintendent of Human Resources before being appointed deputy superintendent last spring. He is married and has two daughters and one granddaughter.

10 ESD speech contest winners share special traditions

24th Annual ESD Speech Contest

Ten students from fourth to eighth grade emerged as the winners of a speech contest held across the Evergreen School District in January. Competing first at the classroom level, those finalists proceeded to school contests and then 88 students moved on to the district level to deliver speeches with the theme “Celebrating Diversity: Special Traditions.”

The topics of speeches ranged from traditional holidays, such as Thanksgiving, to a wide variety of ethnic celebrations cherished by these students, including the Filipino celebration Lapazenian, the Chinese holiday Quan Wu and the Swedish recognition of Mid Summer’s Eve.

Most students agreed that spending time with friends and family, while savoring the traditional dishes of their cultures, was what made these memories so special.

Yet Parul Jandir, a sixth grader from Holly Oak, felt that Thanksgiving was her favorite tradition because, “You don’t have to be a certain culture to enjoy it or celebrate it. You can be any culture.”

The contest, sponsored by the Bank of America, awarded the winners with a $100 savings account, trophy and certificate from the Bank of America.

ESD 2005 Speech Contest Winners

Fourth Grade:
Kevin Hong, Dove Hill
Jenna Wetzel, Matsumoto

Fifth Grade:
Claire Karlsson, Matsumoto
Alex Vaughan, Silver Oak

Sixth Grade:
Becky Chien, Matsumoto
Parul Jandir, Holly Oak

Seventh Grade:
Michael Ho, Quimby Oak
Hillary Le, Quimby Oak

Eighth Grade:
Catherine Amutan, Chaboya
Christine Yu, Quimby Oak