By JONATHAN DALE
November 2, 2008
Printed courtesy of Imperial Valley Press, El Centro, CA
State Superintendent Jack O’Connell said he was “excited” to be a part of the Imperial County Office of Education’s centennial celebration Thursday.
EDUCATION: O’Connell ‘honored to be a part’
“I consider county offices of education to be my eyes and ears on the ground. You are in the trenches on a daily basis and have built a keen and invaluable understanding of the issues facing our students.”
More than 150 people gathered in the parking lot at the center of the Office of Education complex along Sperber Road on Thursday evening to observe “100 Years of Service and Leadership” from the county overseer of local public schools.
“It’s fantastic,” said county Superintendent of Schools John Anderson.
The celebration began at 3 p.m. with an entertaining round of music and dance from local schools.
The Southwest High Jazz Band and Central Union High Jazz Band played separate sets, with dancers from the Southwest Academy for the Visual and Performing Arts displaying the art they’ve learned while in the public school system.
Complimentary food and drinks were also provided, as were some unique displays looking back on the history of the Imperial County Board of Education.
“Our departments have gone out of their way to display the work they do, including our past and present,” Anderson said.
Superintendents and educators from various school districts throughout the county mingled with several state dignitaries, including former county Superintendent of Schools Herb Farrar and county Supervisor Larry Grogan, who delivered remarks regarding the celebration.
Also on stage was Cameron Durckel, director of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s San Diego Field Office, along with California County Superintendents Education Services Association executive director Sue Burr, with final remarks by O’Connell himself.
“I am absolutely thrilled and honored to be a part of the Imperial County Office of Education’s centennial celebration,” O’Connell said. “I want to challenge the educational community to really work hard and prepare our students for the future.
“In the past, county offices of education and the California Department of Education did not collaborate regularly or extensively,” he said. “However, things have changed, and they’ve changed for the better.
“I consider county offices of education to be my eyes and ears on the ground,” O’Connell said. “You are in the trenches on a daily basis and have built a keen and invaluable understanding of the issues facing our students.”
Anderson said O’Connell’s trip from Sacramento to the Valley for the celebration underscores how well local schools are fitting in at the county and state level in the 100th year of existence.
“(O’Connell) values all corners of the state,” Anderson said. “He knows the work that we’re doing here.
“We have a great relationship with the schools locally,” he said. “It’s good for the community to recognize that.”
>> Staff Writer Jonathan Dale can be reached at 344-1221 or at jdale@ivpressonline.com