(Photo at left: Sunnyvale School District Superintendent Dr. Joe Rudnicki, California Senator Tom Torlakson, California Senator Elaine Alquist, and Project H.E.L.P. Founder and Director Mr. Mike Goltzer.)
California State Senators Elaine Alquist and Tom Torlakson recently visited
Project H.E.L.P. at Bishop Elementary School in Sunnyvale. Members of the Senate Committee on Education, Senators Alquist and Torlakson met with Project H.E.L.P. donors and supporters for an overview of the program before seeing Project H.E.L.P. first-grade students in action.
In December Sunnyvale School District Superintendent, Dr. Joseph Rudnicki, and Project H.E.L.P. Founder/Director Mike Goltzer personally brought the Project H.E.L.P. message to State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell in his offices at the state capitol. Mr. Goltzer and Dr. Rudnicki were joined by key Project H.E.L.P. supporters Alan and Daveen Fox of the Freida C. Fox Foundation - and as a team delivered the message that Project H.E.L.P. - when implemented as a district model, aims to empower the Sunnyvale School District to be the California school district that most effectively "closes the achievement gap." In June of 2008, Dr. Rudnicki and Mr. Goltzer made a second trip to the California Department of Education, this time accompanied by Mr. Eric Panosian, principal of Bishop Elementary School - the prototype "district model" school being supported by the recently created Sunnyvale Community Collaboration. At this meeting the Sunnyvale School District and Project H.E.L.P. delegation shared with Department of Education officials the recent creation of the Sunnyvale Community Collaboration, which is supporting the school district's efforts to close the achievement gap in Sunnyvale, and discussed various ways in which the Collaboration and the California Department of Education could work together to achieve common goals.
Click to view Superintendent O'Connell's letter of support for Project H.E.L.P. and the Sunnyvale Community Collaboration.