Rowland Wins Golden Bell for Community-Based English Tutoring Program

ROWLAND HEIGHTS, CA – NOVEMBER 14, 2007 – A golden opportunity is offered for English-Learner families at Rowland Unified. Committed to “family literacy,” the Rowland Adult and Community Education program has just received notification that it has won a Golden Bell Award from the California School Boards Association for its innovative Community-Based English Tutoring Program (CBET). Helping parents become partners in their child’s education, CBET provides free English language instruction to parents and skills on how to tutor their children at home and at school. This program is offered at 13 elementary schools, four times a week, three hours per day.

            The Golden Bell program promotes excellence in education by recognizing outstanding programs in school districts and county offices throughout California. The District will receive the award on December 1 at the California School Boards Association’s Annual Education conference in San Diego.

            “This award represents a validation of the hard work by our teachers and staff, but more importantly, the adult students and their children that participate,” said Rocky Bettar, Director of Adult Education. “The CBET program, implemented 10 years ago, was a springboard for our other parenting programs in the District such as First 5 and Evenstart. I would like to recognize Mickie Miranda, who oversees the program. It was her vision and desire that has created a robust parent education program in this district that is the envy of many districts throughout the state.”

            Through a partnership with Adult Education, CBET, Even Start and First 5, four elementary schools (Farjardo, Hurley, Northam and La Seda) have CBET/Family Literacy Programs, where skills for family success are offered. In addition to English language skills and tutoring, parents are offered classes in computers, parenting workshops, job development skills, High School Diploma/GED classes – all for free.

            “In Rowland we recognize that education is not a K-12 obligation, but a Pre-K – Adult obligation,” said Bettar. “This bell will sit proudly among the 10 other Golden Bells that our District has received.”

            For more information on the CBET program at Rowland Unified, the public can call (626) 854-8421.

            The Rowland Unified School District is proud to serve 17,500 students at 23 elementary and secondary schools in the communities of Rowland Heights, Walnut, La Puente, City of Industry, and West Covina. Permits allow students from other communities to attend our schools. More than 5,000 adults (16+) are also served by the Rowland Adult and Community Education School. For more information about Rowland Unified, call (626) 965-2541 or visit www.RowlandSchools.org. 

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