As your Ventura County Superintendent of Schools, it’s my honor to welcome you to the Ventura County Office of Education’s annual report to the community. I thank you for your interest in learning more about your local schools and VCOE’s role in the public education system. Since I started my career as a teacher nearly 30 years ago, I’ve witnessed the power that education has to transform lives. I’ve seen it in the children of migrant farm workers who become the first in their families to attend college. And I’ve seen it in the students who learn high-demand skills that launch them into lucrative careers right after high school. The stories are as infinite and unique as every child who enters our classrooms. Access to high-quality, free education is one of the most important commitments we make to our children as a society. In these pages, you’ll discover the many ways VCOE supports local schools and districts to help fulfill that promise.
FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT
Dr. César Morales Ventura County Superintendent of Schools
Each of California’s 58 counties has its own Office of Education that functions as a support system for school districts and charter schools. Many also directly serve their most vulnerable student populations. A common misconception is that the county offices of education govern their local school districts. In fact, each of Ventura County’s 19 districts is run by its own superintendent and elected school board so decision-making happens at the local level. The role of the Ventura County Office of Education is to give districts support and resources to help them best serve students. For example, we ensure that districts remain fiscally healthy and we approve their state- mandated accountability plans that lay out their goals and strategies to achieve them. We distribute federal, state and local funds to school districts and process a $1.9 billion annual payroll for all 24,000 public school employees in the county. We provide teacher training and credentialing services and manage education technology systems that are used countywide. We also operate programs that support student health, school libraries, after-school learning and early childhood education. In addition, we operate our own schools that provide specialized programs for students with disabilities and behavioral issues. We run programs that give migrant, homeless and foster youth the extra support they need. And our Career Education Center in Camarillo provides access to job-related courses to students countywide. You can watch a video that explains more about the function of county offices of education at vcoe.org/about . The Role of the Ventura County Office of Education
2 ● VCOE EDUCATION REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY
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