Guest column: Educating our kids from cradle to career

The start of the new school year is always a magical time as classrooms and schoolyards come roaring back to life after summer break. The Santa Paula and Oak Park Unified School Districts were the first in Ventura County to welcome students this year, with classes starting last Wednesday. By the end of August, all 19 of our local districts and 12 charter schools will be back in session for the 2024-25 school year.

Ventura County’s public school system serves nearly 125,000 students and provides a comprehensive range of educational services. It begins with our littlest learners even before they’re ready for kindergarten. We’re now in our third year of rolling out transitional kindergarten (TK), a new grade level for 4-year-olds that serves as a bridge between preschool and traditional kindergarten. It combines a modified kindergarten curriculum taught by a credentialed teacher with small class sizes — typically one teacher for every 12 students. This year, TK is available to all children who will have their fifth birthday between September 2, 2024, and June 2, 2025. By next year it will be open to all 4-year-old students.

Students of all ages will benefit from the state’s new Community Schools program, which is transforming neighborhood schools into hubs that provide a variety of social services students need to thrive and succeed. Community Schools strengthen connections with families and uplift student voices to ensure the particular needs of each community are being met. The services will vary from school to school but could include things like food distribution, mental health counseling, and academic mentoring provided in partnership with local nonprofits and government agencies. Community Schools are already starting to roll out in Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Fillmore, and Santa Paula, with more expected soon in other parts of the county.

This school year will see an expansion of library and literacy services thanks to a brand-new bookmobile that’s the result of a partnership between the Ventura County Office of Education and the Ventura County Library. The School Mobile Library will visit schools throughout the county, with a particular focus on those that do not have credentialed librarians on staff. Students will have the opportunity to check out books, access STEAM kits, and sign up for library cards. And our traveling librarian will provide lessons on media literacy, navigating digital resources, and more.

More than ever, Ventura County schools are helping students prepare for what comes after high school, whether they’re heading to college or straight into the workforce. Ventura County is part of the new Central Coast K-16 Regional Collaborative, a six-county initiative that was awarded $18 million from the state to create equitable career education opportunities for students. The Ventura County Office of Education is developing a new welding training facility at our Career Education Center in Camarillo that will offer industry certifications to high school and adult students. It will become the first American Welding Society testing center in our region. In addition, local high schools are deepening their partnerships with Ventura County’s community colleges. These dual enrollment programs let high school students take college courses, with some earning an associate degree at the same time they receive their high school diploma.

I’m also very excited about a new state initiative that will make financial literacy a required high school course beginning in 2027. Particularly in an area like Ventura County, with our high cost of living, students need to understand the fundamentals of personal finance. From learning the benefits of compounding interest to avoiding credit card debt, critical lessons about managing money will become part of the curriculum. This is also an opportunity for local financial services companies and professionals to partner with schools to bring this vital information to our students.

As we begin the new school year, I hope we can all see that Ventura County’s public schools play a key role in building thriving and vibrant communities. I also want to express my gratitude to the thousands of education professionals who give their all to serve our students every day. By expanding educational opportunities and strengthening connections with our local partners, we aim to give more students the opportunity to build careers, start families, and put down roots in this place we are so fortunate to call home.

Dr. César Morales is the Ventura County Superintendent of Schools.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Guest column: Educating our kids from cradle to career