Matt O’Brien has always loved Santa Cruz and its beaches. He visited the area often as a kid. O’Brien went on to graduate from UCSC with a degree in marine biology. His love for the ocean even inspired him to work in the restaurant industry so he could spend his days surfing. But after hearing about a co-worker’s—now-defunct—late-night cookie delivery service, O’Brien was motivated to start his own cookie biz. The Modesto native went grassroots: he printed fliers and baked cookies in his apartment. Seven years later, Cookie Cruz’s baked-to-order, delivered hot and fresh to customers’ doors, has become a local favorite. In addition to the most popular flavors—Nutella, cookies & cream and classic chocolate chip—there are also peanut butter and jelly and orange creamsicle cookies. They also offer giant stuffed cookies, aka “cookie bombs” (try the s’mores!), ice cream, milk and vegan and gluten-free options. Hours are 7pm-2am Tuesday-Sunday. O’Brien recently spoke to GT about Cookie Cruz’s proof of concept and what it’s like being a small business owner.
What proved that your business was viable?
MATT O’BRIEN: Early on, I knew I was onto something when I would come home late at night after my restaurant job, turn on my phone for business and sell out of cookies almost immediately. That showed me that the business had the capacity to grow, so I kept saving my money so I could rent a commercial kitchen space. I’ve never looked back, and it’s been a great experience that continues to challenge me.
What’s challenging about owning a small business?
It’s always on my mind. When I was working for someone else, after my shift was over, I didn’t even think about my job. But now, owning my own business, there’s always something to do and something I could be doing—it’s always there. Now I never feel off, even when I am off. But it’s a great responsibility to have; this is my baby, and it’s so satisfying and fulfilling to see it grow and succeed.
Cookie Cruz, 254 Potrero St., Santa Cruz, 831-419-1257; cookiecruz.com.
All of Santa Cruz seemed to be converging on the outdoor terrace of Abbott Square last Thursday. What’s going on, we wondered as we headed for the Octagon. By the time we came back to our table with our orders from the brand new, barely open Vamonos Comida Mexicana (brainchild of the cuisinartists who gave us Belly Goat Craft Burgers), it all became clear. We’d accidentally entered one of those only-in-Santa Cruz time warps, a feel-good gathering of the Ukulele Club of Santa Cruz, and before you could say “Blowing in the Wind,” a quartet of gentlemen of a certain age, (ukuleles in hand) started things off. I unwrapped my huge Chile Verde Burrito (the evening special at Vamonos), and surrendered to the retro charm of countless ukuleles, and voices, singing along to vintage folk songs.
Showcasing the handiwork of chef Eduardo Valentin, the shiny new home of authentic Mexican dishes is tucked inside one half (opposite Daisuki Sushi) of the beautiful Octagon, still going through many renovations in its decline from glory. Tourists, sweethearts and diehard old-timers filled the plaza behind MAH—a true multigenerational crowd, people from eight to eighty, all drinking, eating, faces glowing, strumming their ukuleles.
It was a sweet moment, made sweeter by the earthy flavors of expertly prepared pinto beans, rice, tomatillo sauce, sour cream and succulent braised pork that filled my enormous burrito ($9.50). I swilled some of my sweet/tangy electric orange, mandarin flavored Jarritos ($2.50) and munched on an order of tortilla chips ($2.75, with a side of guacamole ($3) while listening to a medley of Kingston Trio hits and wondering whether it was too late for me to take up the four-stringed love child of the guitar.
My companion had a hard time choosing from the short list of chef’s signature tacos ($6.50/each). Barbacoa with barbequed short ribs with smoked tomatillo salsa and black bean puree? Or fried chicken with Vamonos slaw? In the end, he went with his favorite, taco de pescado. I loved the feather-light, very crisp fried cod topped with ranch chipotle dressing, pico de gallo and strands of purple cabbage. The pickled pepper rings on top, also inside my burrito, added nice zest to the creation. The tacos seemed a bit pricey, but the enormous, bargain-priced burrito more than made up for it.
And the ambience outdoors, in the soft summer evening, surrounded by at least a hundred folks singing and playing ukes—priceless. Hard not to love that guy in the leopard-skin hat and jacket, playing his ukulele in the lengthening shadow of the former jail. We look forward to another visit to the new Vamonos. That Barbacoa taco has my name on it. Perhaps paired with a margarita from the Front & Cooper bar inside. Tucked inside the Octagon, at the corner of Front and Cooper Streets in downtown Santa Cruz, Vamonos is open from Tuesday-Saturday, 4-8pm.
Inflation Much?
My jaw dropped, it actually dropped, when I saw coffee prices jump $3 overnight. I can live without arugula, or craft bread, but not coffee. Specifically, a 10.5 oz. bag of Peet’s French Roast had gone from an already astronomical $11.95 to a whopping $14.95 in only 24 hours at Shopper’s. My hand moved away from that package of coffee beans as though it had gone radioactive. I considered the future. Will tea drinking suddenly soar? After all, I can make an entire pot of tea with just one spoonful of loose black tea. What will happen at our favorite coffee houses? Obviously there’s some field work to be done, but I have a very uneasy feeling about this.
Two days after Watsonville Police Department faced scrutiny for short videos posted to social media that showed one of its officers punching a man multiple times during an arrest on Tuesday, the department released the emergency dispatch calls and body-worn camera footage of the incident.
The 13-minute video features two calls between Antonio Zepeda’s brother and 911 dispatchers in which he tells them that Zepeda assaulted him and his mother at a home on Chapple Road before leaving and returning with a knife. It also includes the complete encounter between Zepeda and three WPD officers in which he fails multiple times to comply with commands to get on the ground, and then wrestles with the officers when one of them knees him in the back to force him onto his stomach.
The video starts with one officer yelling at Zepeda to leave the front of a home on Chappel Road and come toward them. As Zepeda closes the roughly 40-foot distance, an officer, with a gun drawn, tells him multiple times to keep his hands up, then tells him to turn around and get on the ground. Another officer tells him to get on his stomach.
Zepeda turns away from the officers and puts his hands behind his back and tells the officer to “put the cuffs on, fool. Get me.”
As both officers continue to tell him to get on the ground, one of the officers warns Zepeda that they will use a TASER on him.
“Go for it, tase me,” Zepeda replies before saying again to put him in handcuffs.
Officers, again, tell him to get on the ground. Zepeda then drops to his knees, keeping his hands behind his back. When told again to get on his stomach, Zepeda says no, that they should use the TASER on him and put the handcuffs on him.
Then, one officer knees Zepeda in the back to get him on his stomach, and two other officers jump in to try to constrain Zepeda. As Zepeda breaks free from the first officer and turns to get on his back and fight off the officers, one officer throws at least four punches at his head.
One officer then uses the TASER on Zepeda as the other two turn him around and put handcuffs on him.
The videos that surfaced on social media earlier in the week did not show the beginning of the confrontation. They showed only the portion of the incident after one of the officers knees Zepeda in the back while he was on his knees facing away from them with his hands behind his back.
Those snippets circulated on social media Wednesday, racking up thousands of views and dozens of comments critical of the officers’ actions.
In a statement on Wednesday, WPD said that it was investigating the incident but would not say whether it would release the body-worn camera footage.
The video released Friday evening states that the department understood why the videos posted to social media caused concern among Watsonville residents.
“Our officers respond to calls with the goal of never having to use force. Unfortunately, the use of force is at times the only option to safely resolve incidents like this,” a statement included at the end of the video reads. “We appreciate the inquiries, comments and interest of our community to demand transparency and ensure that our department continues to maintain high standards for the work our officers do in our community.”
Zepeda was arrested for an outstanding misdemeanor warrant and resisting arrest, according to police logs. He was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail on $2,500 bail.
A large wildland fire in Aromas that sparked on Thursday afternoon has charred more than 100 acres and is 50% contained, Cal Fire announced Friday afternoon.
Around 3:21pm Thursday, two fires broke out behind the AR Wilson Quarry, better known as the Graniterock Quarry, in Aromas. Cal Fire, Aromas Tri-county Fire and other agencies attacked the Anzar Fire from the ground and sky Thursday evening and into Friday evening.
Pumped by winds and dry summer conditions, the blaze, which ate through rugged forests and brush, grew quickly, producing a huge column of brown, yellow and white smoke that dominated the sky east of Aromas and spurred evacuation orders for residents of Forest Lane, Harlands Way and School and Anzar roads.
Paul King, who lives on School Road, did not heed the evacuation orders. Instead, he says he jumped on his tractor and helped save three of his neighbor’s homes.
“I saw it and smelled it start right over there,” King said as he worked on his truck Friday outside his home. “It built up real quick. It was harrowing. It was raining fire around here; embers falling here and there. That’s when the hillside right behind my house started burning. There were air tankers and helicopters buzzing right overhead.”
According to Cal Fire, firefighters contained one fire’s progress to the north, but the second fire quickly spread through eucalyptus groves to the south. The fire jumped across Highway 129, but progress was stopped by helicopter water drops.
A helicopter attacks the Anzar Fire Friday from the air above Anzar Road. — Tarmo Hannula/The Pajaronian
Cal Fire propellor and jet air tankers took turns with helicopters, dumping water and fire retardant onto the flames that, at times, veered towards several ridgetop homes.
King said one home on School Road was engulfed in flames.
Watsonville native Rick Havens, who lives on Anzar Road and was once a firefighter, said he watched the cloud of smoke develop into the afternoon.
“I wasn’t worried though because there’s a good fire break up by the Graniterock conveyor belt,” he said. “It was something to watch, those helicopters coming in and scooping up water from that pond right there. They really got a jump on it quickly; I’m really pleased with how fast they got in here and, with those airdrops, knocked this thing down.”
Along with the evacuation orders, Cal Fire had also issued an evacuation warning for properties on Highway 129 between Highway 101 and Rogge Lane.
As of 5pm Friday, most evacuations orders had been switched to warnings, except for Forest Lane, which is still under a “hard closure,” Cal Fire spokesperson Cecile Juliette said.
Anzar High School has been established as an evacuation center.
It was initially reported that downed power lines triggered the quarry blaze, but the cause is still under investigation.
One of California’s oldest environmental groups has been tapped by California’s state fire agency to help protect Felton and Scotts Valley from wildfires.
The $970,000 Cal Fire grant to the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County will fund a vegetation management project called the Lockhart Shaded Fuel Break in North County.
“Our long-term goal is to mimic historical landscapes with fewer but larger and healthier trees that can more effectively endure the impacts of drought and wildfire,” Angie Richman, forest health specialist with the Resource Conservation District, said in a release. “It can’t happen overnight, but the steps that we take today are critical to building the healthy forests of tomorrow.”
Officials say the project will create defensible space around the high fire risk communities of Felton and Scotts Valley and improve access routes to safety if a wildfire does break out.
The project area extends from Graham Hill Road inland to Upper Zayante in the heart of the San Lorenzo River Watershed and is bounded by Zayante Creek and Bean Creek.
The Conservation District says it will work in partnership with the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, the San Lorenzo Valley Water District, the City of Santa Cruz Water Department and the landowners to get the work done, including in the protected Santa Cruz Sandhills area.
Developing the Lockhart shaded fuel break will not only help protect against wildfire but promote the restoration of animal habitats, says Matt Timmer, the natural resource manager at the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County.
“The Land Trust has a vested interest in the project area, having protected nearly 500 acres for multiple conservation benefits including rare sandhills and wildlife movement,” he said in the release. “We are encouraged to see this important project move forward.”
They’ll have a lot of ground to cover.
That’s because the project involves going over about 95 acres of mountainous terrain.
While trees over eight inches in diameter will be spared, dead or dying trees will be eliminated, as will trees leaning over roads, to reduce the chance they’ll end up blocking vehicles during an emergency.
And deadfall will be removed to get rid of fuels that could supercharge a forest fire.
According to the San Lorenzo Valley Water District, reducing future wildfire risks will help protect these important drinking water resources.
“Fire is a major concern for the San Lorenzo Valley Water District and its communities,” said Rick Rodgers, the Water District’s Manager, in the release. “In the past PG&E, illegal activities, and natural disasters have triggered major fire events.”
The district gets groundwater from the Olympia Watershed just to the west of where the fuel break area work will happen, and Santa Cruz relies on the San Lorenzo River for most of its supply.
“The Lockhart shaded fuel break is incredibly important not only for water supply but also for protection of surrounding neighborhoods,” Rodgers said.
Permitting is expected to be completed next summer, with construction set for Spring 2024.
An educational consultant’s report found that diversity efforts at Scotts Valley Unified School District have been hampered by a “pervasive fear” of how parents would react to changes and the belief such initiatives would be “obstructed by vocal community disapproval and retaliation.”
Key findings of the review by Inclusion Counts include minor and major abusive behavior directed at minorities and ineffective discipline systems.
“Instances of racism, heterosexism, transphobia, faithism, ableism, hate symbols and hate speech are pervasive, especially at the middle and high school grade levels,” states the report, which also offers suggestions about how the SVUSD should handle negative situations. “A clear, consistent and calibrated protocol for responding to incidents, preventing escalation, and broadly addressing the community post-incident is recommended to close the communication loop and distill misinformation.”
The review is part of a two-year $13,200 contract with the Phoenix-based company, and is the result of group listening sessions, interviews and data provided by SVUSD.
It comes just months after the suicide of Mateo Deihl, a 15-year-old Scotts Valley High School boy whose mother said he was “mercilessly” bullied at school, including for being Hispanic.
SVUSD Superintendent Tanya Krause was not available for an interview by press time, her assistant said.
The Inclusion Counts report found that SVUSD’s community is “polarized” about the need for diversity improvements. It noted that while some parents offered support, others threatened lawsuits.
School staff shared that families wanted to—and can—opt out of reading “books about diverse populations and people,” the consultant said; it urged SVUSD to reexamine this policy.
“This is not to say that parents should have no influence over how their children are taught,” the report states. “However, when a parent’s desire to inculcate a particular worldview denies the child exposure to diverse ideas, perspectives and values, public schools and educators must remain firm in their approach.”
Inclusion Counts gave SVUSD good marks for its Cultural Responsiveness Committee, which has been trying to ensure the curriculum accurately reflects the student body.
“At the same time, exposure of students to frequent micro-aggressions, microinvalidations and micro-insults, and persistent and pervasive bullying is a source of social inequality,” it continued. “This stressor has negatively contributed to student and family sense of belonging and in some cases, student and family departure from the district.”
It added that test scores reflect “significant achievement gaps” between Latino and non-Latino populations. The consultant recommends administrators monitor suspension rates by race, ethnicity and disability.
And the report notes parents in grassroots groups—such as the Scotts Valley Diversity Equity Inclusion and Allyship Community Facebook Group and the Brook Knoll DEI Committee—have been requesting broader cultural exposure for students and staff, through events, activities and professional development opportunities for employees.
SVUSD has embarked on a few of these efforts. For example, the district partnered with Hope Squad, a school-based peer suicide prevention program, and increased counseling resources.
But, according to Inclusion Counts, SVUSD still has a fair way to go.
“School improvement strategies will require significant financial investments and are codependent on the personnel (people) able to dedicate a significant amount of time to this cause,” the report states. “SVUSD will need to budget accordingly for the cost of programming, school interventions and personnel-needed, while recognizing that implementing new school initiatives requires a ‘give & take’ in which the financial investments in other strategic priorities will need to be reduced to increase investments in new areas.” [formatting in original]
Scotts Valley is hampered by the fact that, while the community is upper-middle class, its school district does not get that much money from the state, relative to other districts. That’s due to a quirk of the funding formula used to divide education cash.
This has led some teachers to voice concerns about being unable to cover living expenses on their meager salary at school board meetings.
Inclusion Counts recommends hiring earlier in the year and casting a wider net to attract a more diverse candidate pool for teaching positions.
In 2020-21, SVUSD had a turnover rate of 20%, compared to the national average of 16.5%.
Distrust of leadership, low pay and hostile relations with parents were cited as the main causes for leaving.
When thousands of attendees file into the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in September for the annual county fair, they can expect the east end of the grounds to look much different than years prior.
If all goes according to plan—and government agencies work at hyper-speed over the next few weeks—pig and sheep pole barns that have been deemed unsafe will be dismantled to possibly make way for a new state-of-the-art multi-purpose building.
While the construction of the multi-million-dollar building is part of a long-range plan that is still in its infancy, the dissembling of the weathered, 67-year-old barns is now at the top of Fairgrounds CEO Dave Kegebein’s to-do list in the weeks leading up the Santa Cruz County Fair.
The Fair Board at a special meeting on Tuesday directed Kegebein to move forward with the removal of the barns, pending approval from various state agencies. The board voted 6-2—Director Michael Pruger was absent—on the motion. Board President Don Dietrich and Director Tony Campos cast the dissenting votes.
The item came to the board on Kegebein’s recommendation. He said their removal is needed because the barns pose a safety hazard. In addition, Kegebein said the move would allow county fair organizers to keep the beloved livestock displays in the same location with temporary display pens and tents.
It’s unclear whether Fairgrounds leadership will receive the approvals they need from the state to dismantle the barns in time for the county fair, which is scheduled for Sept. 14-18. If they do not, Kegebein said they will have to cordon off the barns and use other areas on the Fairgrounds for the livestock displays.
Both Dietrich and Campos, in explaining their votes, said they preferred keeping the barns up and fenced off for the county fair and revisiting the topic at a future date when Fairgrounds leadership had the approval of the state, which oversees the facility.
But their peers said that keeping them around could be a hazard for the thousands that are expected to attend the fair over its five-day run and that if Kegebein does not receive state approval to remove the barns before the start of the event, they will be fenced off regardless.
The barns were built in 1955.
According to Kegebein, they have been in disrepair for at least 10 years. An inspection in 2012-13 found that more than half of the posts that hold up the roofs have been rotted off their base. Since then, they’ve made small but pricey renovations each year to prepare them for the fair.
The barns have become a much-debated issue over the past few weeks as people have raised concerns about what their removal could mean for the future of the livestock displays, and the Fairgrounds’ responsibility as an emergency evacuation center.
In his presentation to the board, Kegebein addressed those concerns, saying that the county fair had no plans to cut ties with its livestock displays—he says they are one of the festivity’s biggest draws and hopes to expand the organization’s relationship with local FFA programs—and that the organization had plans in place to provide emergency shelters for animals if another local catastrophe similar to the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex were to happen in the near future.
About four dozen people showed up to the evening meeting at the Fairgrounds’ Fine Arts Building—a larger than usual turnout, several board members said.
A couple of people said that Fairgrounds leadership was wrong in its assertion that the barns were beyond repair, and asked that the board instead invest the money to renovate them so that the livestock community is not displaced for several years while the organization fundraises for a pricey multi-purpose building.
A handful of other speakers, however, said that the board needed to move forward with the removal and the proposed building that they said could be a year-round revenue generator for the fairgrounds and solve many of the livestock community’s issues with the current barns.
“Each year we are putting bandaids on buildings that have been around for generations,” said Kyle Middleton, a member of the Fair Board’s Livestock Committee. “We’ve always understood that it is not fiscally responsible to put tons of money into buildings that only get used for one week out of the year—we have to take the first step into the future in order to preserve our past.”
The Watsonville Police Department faces criticism after a video was posted to social media showing one of its officers punching a man multiple times during an arrest on Tuesday night.
This week, a video posted to multiple social media platforms shows two officers responding to a domestic disturbance call in a Watsonville neighborhood. The officers are standing behind 39-year-old Antonio Zepeda as he’s on his knees with his hands behind his back.
Then, one of the officers tries to push Zepeda down on his stomach with his knee. The second officer then jumps in to help the first officer wrestle Zepeda down and a third officer attempts to grab Zepeda’s legs. As the first officer loses control of Zepeda, the second officer begins punching him. The officer throws at least three punches before the video cuts out.
A second video shows the officers continuing to wrestle with Zepeda, who is now on his back. One officer uses a TASER on Zepeda as the other two attempt to constrain him before that video ends.
A person can be heard saying, “don’t push him,” as the first officer tries to push Zepeda down. Then, multiple people can be heard yelling at the officers as the second officer starts punching Zepeda.
In a statement issued Wednesday, WPD said it was aware of the video and that the incident was under review.
The statement also stated that the video only showed “a small glimpse of the officers’ interaction with the suspect.”
“Any time there are serious concerns over our officers’ actions, we investigate and share as much information with you as possible,” the statement read.
According to WPD, officers responded to a domestic disturbance call around 6:30pm on the 400 block of Chappel Road. The caller said Zepeda punched his brother in the head and then pushed his mother, WPD said. Zepeda then left the home before officers arrived, but returned armed with a knife and tried to reenter the house less than an hour later.
He was arrested for an outstanding misdemeanor warrant and resisting arrest, according to police logs. He was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail on $2,500 bail.
When officers arrested him in the video, he did not appear to have a weapon.
WPD’s social media posts received more than 120 comments as of Thursday afternoon. Some thanked the department for its transparency, and others asked for the department to release body cam footage from the arrest.
WPD spokeswoman Michelle Pulido said she could not say on Thursday whether the department would release the body cam footage.
New California education data helps tell an old story: Schools with higher rates of low-income students have more underqualified teachers.
A CalMatters analysis of teacher credentialing data released this month by the California Department of Education found this correlation statewide as well as within districts.
The state’s data from the 2020-21 school year details the percentage of classes by school and district that were taught by fully credentialed teachers, intern teachers or teachers without proper subject credentials. The data also shows the percentage of classes taught by “experienced” teachers—those with more than two years of experience.
The CalMatters analysis crossed the state’s data with student demographic information for the state’s 10 largest school districts—which collectively serve about a sixth of California’s public school students. It compared the 10 schools with the highest percentages of students qualifying for free or reduced price meals to the 10 schools with the lowest percentages of those students at each of the districts.
Statewide, 83% of classes were taught by fully credentialed teachers in the 2020-21 school year. But at eight of the 10 largest school districts, classes at schools with the highest percentages of low-income students were more likely to be taught by a teacher without full credentials than at schools with the lowest percentages. Los Angeles Unified had the largest disparity among non-charter schools—the rate of fully credentialed teachers was 22 percentage points higher at schools serving more affluent families.
Source: 2020-21 school year data from California Dept. of Education • Student poverty based on percent of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals. CREDIT: Erica Yee, CalMatters
The 2020-21 school year was the first full school year under the pandemic, which brought a pre-existing shortage of fully credentialed teachers to a breaking point. Educators and experts interviewed by CalMatters said early retirements surged and other teachers left the profession, sometimes in the middle of the school year. School administrators said they rushed to get vacancies filled, often hiring teachers without full credentials. Substitute teachers were also in short supply, especially for schoolswith high rates of low-income students.
Marcus Funchess, who oversees human resources at San Bernardino City Unified, said the district has battled a teacher shortage for years. To fill vacancies, the district hired teachers who lacked a full credential as long as they demonstrated a commitment to staying in the district. Earning a full or “clear” credential typically requires a bachelor’s degree, completion of a credentialing program at a university and working as a student teacher. There can be additional testing or coursework requirements, depending on the grade you want to teach.
“If those teachers are interns, but they have a passion for our students, those are the educators we’re looking for because they’re apt to stay,” he said. “They’re not going to leave when the going gets tough.”
But Kai Matthews, a project director at UCLA’s Center for the Transformation of Schools, said low-income students—defined as those qualifying for free or reduced price meals—have always had less access to better prepared teachers, mostly because their schools were underfunded. And schools serving more affluent families are able to fundraise to pay teacher salaries, allowing them to reduce class sizes.
The socioeconomic disparity among schools is often coupled with racial disparities, Matthews said. A preliminary study she’s conducting shows that barriers to the teaching profession result in fewer qualified and experienced teachers of color, while students of color are more likely to be in classrooms taught by underqualified teachers.
“What does it mean if we keep sending less prepared teachers to less resourced schools?” Matthews said. “There’s no additional pay, just additional heartache and struggle for teachers.”
At Los Angeles Unified, the largest district in the state, the 10 schools with the greatest share of low-income students reported 76.3% of classes were taught by fully credentialed teachers. At the 10 schools with the smallest percentages of low-income students, 98% were taught by fully credentialed teachers. Los Angeles Unified spokesperson Shannon Haber said the district is working to address these disparities for the upcoming school year.
The disparities at the state’s largest school districts are the product of historical underfunding of public education as well as a system of teacher preparation that presents barriers to aspiring educators who come from low-income backgrounds, Matthews said. The credentialing process includes being a student teacher, which means working without pay to fulfill the teaching hours required. Additionally, the relatively low teacher salaries compared to those of other college-educated professionals can deter prospective teachers.
The state data, released for the first time, isn’t a perfect snapshot of teacher qualifications or experience. Statewide, credentialing data was missing for the teachers who teach about 7% of public school classes.
“From my understanding, there could have been a transition from one teacher to another or a mid-year resignation,” said Funchess, the human resources director at San Bernardino City Unified. “It’s just a matter of not having all the information.”
Officials at San Juan Unified in Sacramento County contested the data published by the state. According to the data, 75% of classes in schools with the highest rates of low-income students were taught by teachers with more than two years of experience. At schools with lowest rates of low-income students, 92% of classes were taught by experienced teachers.
However, San Juan Unified spokesperson Raj Rai said the district’s own data shows some of the schools actually have higher percentages of experienced teachers. Rai said the district would work with the state to address the discrepancy.
In at least one case, the percentage of classes taught by inexperienced teachers doesn’t match the percentage of inexperienced teachers at a district. At Long Beach Unified, the state’s data shows that 80% of the classes at the district’s 10 highest-poverty schools are taught by teachers with more than two years of experience. However, the district’s own report shows about 94% of teachers at those schools have more than two years of experience.
Despite problems with the data for some districts, experts like Matthews say this data collection will help policymakers allocate funding more equitably.
“I think we need to get serious about resources,” she said. “How much longer are we going to ask these schools that serve a majority of students of color to make do?”
AN OLD STORY
California’s low-income students have long been less likely to have fully qualified teachers. A 1999 study conducted by The Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning found that “More than 1 in every 10 classrooms in the state are
staffed by teachers who have not met the state’s minimum requirements.” The study also found that a student in a school with a large percentage of low-income students was six times as likely to have a teacher without the proper credentials. Twenty-two years later, about 17% of classes in public schools are taught by teachers with less than full credentials, according to the state data from the 2020-21 school year.
Many experts arrive at the same explanation for the disparities: an historically uneven distribution of funding. For years, schools serving more low-income families received less money because the property taxes in their communities generated less revenue.
Today, California distributes money more equitably to public school districts. Under the state’s Local Control Funding Formula, schools with more English learners, foster children and students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals generate more money for their districts.
But experts say this aspirationally equitable method of funding is often offset by other costs at schools serving low-income communities. Schools in these neighborhoods are more likely to be older and require more repairs, said Saroja Warner, director for talent development and diversity at the research nonprofit WestEd. These communities also may be food deserts and tend to have fewer public libraries.
“It’s sort of this perfect storm in high-poverty communities,” Warner said. “Teachers are another thing they don’t have access to.”
Kristin Bijur, who oversees human resources at San Francisco Unified, said private fundraising in her district allows schools in affluent communities to fund their own teacher salaries. Those schools can hire more teachers and reduce class sizes. Schools in low-income neighborhoods, on the other hand, struggle to hire and retain qualified and experienced teachers despite getting additional state funding and federal Title I money for low-income students.
“The amount of private fundraising in San Francisco is a huge problem,” Bijur said. “That erases the strategy of Title I, which is an attempt to reckon with systemic racism.”
Additionally, class sizes are set without considering that students in low-income communities, who tend to struggle more with food and housing insecurities as well as other traumas outside their classrooms, might need more individualized attention.
“Right now we’re applying the same staffing ratio to all the schools,” Bijur said. “We haven’t yet changed the conditions of teaching in high-poverty schools, which in the Bay Area tend to be schools with high numbers of Black and brown students.”
STUDENTS AND TEACHERS OF COLOR LOSE
Matthews, the UCLA expert, said a preliminary study conducted by her team shows that teachers without full credentials are more likely to be people of color. They are often stuck in the credentialing pipeline because they can’t afford to take an unpaid year to work as a teacher-in-training.
“Getting a teaching credential is expensive,” Matthews said. “Not only are students of color receiving less, but the teachers who are getting less than stellar credentials are teachers of color.”
In rural districts, Matthews said, the lack of nearby colleges and universities to recruit from results in a labor shortage for schools. And while some districts have the marketing budgets to hold teacher hiring fairs, others are stuck in these “pipeline deserts.”
“These are counties where there isn’t a teacher preparation program in a 50-mile radius,” she said. “You don’t even have the pipeline that’s being generated there. It’s almost impossible to get teachers to go to these areas that aren’t their hometowns.”
According to the CalMatters analysis, rural and smaller school districts had a disproportionate percentage of teachers with substandard credentials and less experience. While 83% of classes statewide were taught by fully credentialed teachers, that was the case for only 77% of classes at California’s smallest districts. And 90% of classes statewide were taught by teachers with more than two years of experience compared to 82% at small, rural districts.
Linda Darling-Hammond, the president of California’s State Board of Education and CEO of the education research center the Learning Policy Institute, said research shows that a fully credentialed teacher is the biggest factor contributing to student success. But keeping qualified and experienced teachers at the schools that need them most, she said, means creating working conditions that entice educators. Compensation is the most obvious way to keep teachers, she said.
“First, I would make sure teacher salaries were comparable to other professions that have college degrees,” Darling-Hammond said. “Teachers are on average paid 85% of what their college-educated peers make.”
Teachers union leaders said beyond compensation, districts need to reduce class sizes and make sure principals and administrators are supporting teachers to retain quality educators.
“What is the promise once they get here?” said Cecily Myart-Cruz, president of United Teachers Los Angeles, Los Angeles Unified’s teachers union. “Are we willing to lower class sizes? Are we willing to give them the professional development they need?”
But Myart-Cruz said she does not want raises or bonuses for just the teachers who work at schools with high rates of low-income students. She wants an overall increase in teacher pay and smaller class sizes across the district.
Ashley Alcalá, the president of the San Bernardino City Unified School District’s teachers union, also said she wants to see pay raises across the district. In San Bernardino, nearly all of the schools have a majority of students who are low-income.
“When the majority of schools are high poverty, it doesn’t really make a difference where you’re teaching,” she said. “We’re going to be competing with surrounding districts if we don’t raise the salaries for everyone.”
Alcalá said the state data only tells half the story. She said while more experienced teachers tend to be more effective educators, she said newly credentialed teachers might also bring more enthusiasm and a willingness to try new methods.
“It’s frustrating,” Alcalá said. “If you have the right working conditions then people will stay. If you have an administrator who supports their employees and a school that has a culture that has a positive working environment, then people will choose to stay.”
Myart-Cruz and Alcalá say you can’t just target high-poverty schools with more money. They say the state needs to fix the entire education system.
“When you do surveys, it’s not the money that keeps teachers at a school,” Alcalá said. “It’s the culture, and it’s the administrators that teachers are drawn to.”
The state in recent years has funneled billions of dollars into addressing the teacher shortage. The most recent effort has been the Golden State Teacher Grant Program, which gives college students $20,000 in grants if they commit to teaching for four years at a school where at least 55% of students are English learners, foster children or students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
Darling-Hammond said she’s hopeful about the grant, saying four years is enough time for teachers to get invested and stay in their school communities as long as they receive the compensation and training they need from their school and district leaders.
Teachers union leaders agree with experts that compensation and smaller class sizes help attract and retain fully credentialed teachers. But building a healthy and stimulating environment for both students and teachers will make a school a more enjoyable place to work and to learn. This means hiring more mental health counselors as well as more art and drama teachers.
“The whole system is broken in its design,” Myart-Cruz said. “I want to see a holistic solution.”
CalMatters Reporter Jeremia Kimelman contributed to this report.
YOSVANY TERRY QUARTET Saxophone prodigy Yosvany Terry dazzles listeners with his latest, Ancestral Memories, an effortlessly absorbing 10-track suite. The Cuba native melds inspiration from Africa and France with a killer modern jazz ensemble. Yosvany co-leads the quartet with genius French pianist Baptiste Trotignon, his brother Yunior on contrabass and Jeff “Tain” Watts on trap set. $36.76/$42; $21 students. Thursday, July 21, 7pm. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. kuumbwajazz.org.
PACIFIC ROOTS Following several years on the scene, the Santa Cruz-based reggae rockers regrouped with a new lineup and returned to their roots in 2019. The band is dedicated to delivering a mix of punk, rock, ska and reggae that channels the California vibe ignited by Sublime more than two decades earlier. Boardwalk shows are on the Colonnade Stage, located on the beachside of Neptune’s Kingdom—the dance area is in front of the stage. Free. Thursday, July 21, 8:30pm. The Colonnade at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, 400 Beach St., Santa Cruz. (Free Movie at the Beach features Ghostbusters: Afterlife on Friday, July 22, 9pm). beachboardwalk.com.
‘CANDIDE!’ A score by the incomparable Leonard Bernstein and lyrical contributions from the subversive and legendary Stephen Sondheim, Hugh Wheeler’s book is transformed into a fast-paced musical centered around Candide. “The bastard cousin of Baron Thunder-Ten-Tonck” is expelled from home, dragged into the Bulgarian army, brought before the Spanish Inquisition, swindled out of a fortune, shipwrecked on a desert isle and separated from his true love, Cunegonde. $25-60. Thursday, July 21-Saturday, July 23, 7:30pm; Sunday, July 24, 2pm (runs through Sunday, Aug. 14). Cabrillo Crocker Theater, 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos. cabrillostage.universitytickets.com.
JESSE COLIN YOUNG In support of his recently released Highway Troubadour, singer-songwriter Jesse Colin Young—the Youngbloods’ founding frontman—has been delivering intimate acoustic shows all over the country on his “Highway TroubadourTour.” At 80 years old, the longtime musician continues to showcase his powerful tenor vocals and skillful fingerpicking on newly recorded solo performances of tunes spanning Young’s entire catalog, including an altered take on the Youngbloods classic “Sugar Babe” and a stripped-down rendition of Dreamers’ “Cast a Stone.” Of course, the popular sing-a-long “Get Together” endures as one of the most inspirational hits to come out of the sixties. $33/$48 plus fees. Friday, July 22, 8pm. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. riotheatre.com.
WAVVES WITH BOYO AND SMUT Wavves broke big with 2010’s King of the Beach, the outfit’s third record—it made several lists, including Pitchfork’s “Top 50 Albums of 2010.” The unpolished hook-laden garage rock nuggets in the vein of Dookie-era Green Day explode with an I-don’t-care attitude, and the outfit’s unpredictable and talented frontman Nathan Williams has helped propel the band to one of the most popular indie acts of the last decade. The San Diego rockers recently celebrated the LP’s 10th anniversary. $22/$25 plus fees. Friday, July 22, 9pm. Catalyst Atrium, 1101 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. catalystclub.com.
‘TWELFTH NIGHT’ Directed by Paul Mullins, director of The Agitators, Pride and Prejudice, Love’s Labours Lost, The 39 Steps and Hamlet, Twelfth Night is the story of Viola, physically and emotionally shipwrecked, along with a group of others. “Stuck in old ideas of love and grief that have grown so stale as to become something else entirely, the world of Illyria is shocked from winter into springtime by the passions of young Viola, who disguises herself as a man to survive.”Friday, July 22, 8pm and Saturday, July 23, 2pm. Visit santacruzshakespeare.org for more information about Santa Cruz Shakespeare.
THE CALIFORNIA HONEYDROPS WITH PAPIBA AND FRIENDS Guided by vibrant multi-instrumental talent Lech Wierzynski, the California Honeydrops have been delivering a mixed salad of R&B, funk, soul, blues and just about every other musical genre since 2007. The Bay Area collective’s live shows are more like epic dance parties than concerts. To celebrate their anniversary and return to live performances, the Honeydrops released Covers from the Cave, a unique series collection album featuring, well, covers of their favorite songs. Meanwhile, their Lil Bit of Lovin’ Tour 2022 is a hyperactive spectacle full of all the pent-up energy from the forced two-year hiatus. $45/$49 plus fees. Friday, July 22 and Saturday, July 23, 8pm. Felton Music Hall, 6275 Highway 9, Felton. feltonmusichall.com.
CABRILLO FESTIVAL OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC Dubbed “Music of our time, for our time,” the special two-week event returns to live performances at the Civic Auditorium and additional venues throughout the county. Visit cabrillomusic.org for more information about the event. Sunday, July 24-Sunday, Aug. 7.
COMMUNITY
ANIMAL SHELTER SHOWCASES NEW SPACES The Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter is inviting the public to visit the new cat and rabbit spaces at the shelter, 1001 Rodriguez St. in Santa Cruz. On July 29, between 5-6pm, visit the shelter for “Bedtime Stories with Shelter Animals.” The public is encouraged to bring their favorite book and visit the shelter to read to the dogs, cats and rabbits. On July 30, all shelter animals will be available for a “Pay it Forward” adoption donation of adopters’ choice. The suggested donation is between $20-$200 and adopters can select a fund for their donation to go to: Planned Pethood Fund (low cost/free spay/neuter) or Extra Mile Fund (specialty lifesaving procedures for homeless animals).
SECOND HARVEST’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY To mark 50 years of serving Santa Cruz County, the dinner will host local and national speakers commemorating outgoing CEO Willy Elliot-McCrea’s 44-year tenure. The event is open to the community. $50. Thursday, July 21, 4:30-10:30pm. Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, 2601 East Lake Ave., Watsonville. su*****@*********nk.org.
LET’S TALK ABOUT IT An interactive event designed to bring people together for conversations based on curiosity and to connect across differences, “Let’s Talk About It: Finding Common Threads Through Conversation” is co-hosted by CRC and The Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History. Dialogues cover a wide range of identities and experiences. People of misunderstood and marginalized religious identities, police officers, activists and people experiencing homelessness. The two people share a conversation that fosters empathy and understanding. Free. Sunday, July 23, 2pm. Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History, 705 Front St., Santa Cruz. santacruzmah.org.
GROUPS
TODDLER STORYTIME The weekly bilingual program—in-person—includes sing-alongs, nursery rhymes and books that foster early literacy. Free. Wednesday, July 20, 11:30am-12:30pm. Freedom Branch Library (Meeting Room), 2021 Freedom Blvd., Watsonville. cityofwatsonville.org.
OUTDOORS
SANTA CRUZ SANDHILLS TOUR Experience Santa Cruz’s most sensitive ecosystem, the sandhills, during a two-mile guided walk. Learn about the habitat’s formation and the unique plants and animals adapted to the area. Meet at the campground amphitheater off Graham Hill Road and journey through a breathtaking setting in the mountains. Free ($10/daily use parking fee). Sunday, July 24, 9-11am. Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, 101 North Big Trees Park Road, Felton. thatsmypark.org.
Email upcoming events to Adam Josephat least two weeks beforehand.
The Cal Fire grant to the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County will fund the Lockhart Shaded Fuel Break, a vegetation management project
A statewide teacher shortage has forced school districts to hire teachers who aren’t fully credentialed to teach at schools with high percentages of low-income students, undermining efforts to achieve academic parity with more affluent schools.
