Students ‘Sculpt’ Blackout Poetry • Attorney General Sues Over Rule

COMMUNITY NEWS Students ‘Sculpt’ Blackout Poetry

In Mount Madonna School’s ninth grade Creative Expression class, students have been experimenting with different creative processes and ways of constructing that require them to stretch outside of their comfort zone and work with unusual methods and materials.

“Working in this way can lead to new discoveries, happy accidents, flexibility and refreshed curiosity,” commented Angela Willetts, who co-teaches the course with Haley Campbell.

For a recent project students explored a process known as erasure, or “blackout” poetry. They began with a “found” text - printed language from any source, and using this text, the students “sculpted” a poem using only words from within the text. Students were given pages torn from a 1950s magazine, and they all went in totally different directions.

“The artist must find a way to visually obscure or subtract all the other language so only the words of the poem are emphasized,” explained Willetts. “This can be as simple as crossing out all the unnecessary words, but what a missed opportunity that would be! Instead, our artists were challenged to find ways to emphasize the poem in more visually interesting ways, perhaps even ways that relate to the meaning of their poem. One of the things we try to encourage in the Creative Expression class is the development of artists’ ‘habits of mind.’ Letting oneself play, experiment, and try new processes are skills essential to growth in the art.” n

On Jan. 15, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced a lawsuit against Acting U.S. Secretary of Education Mitchell Zais and the U.S. Department of Education over its “last-minute” effort to ease oversight of questionable forprofit colleges at the expense of students and taxpayers.

The department’s recently finalized “Distance Education and Innovation” regulations allow colleges to bypass requirements set out in the Higher Education Act intended to prevent federal Title IV funds, including federal student loans and Pell grants, from going to low-quality educational programs and predatory for-profit institutions.

“Regulations that hold for-profit schools accountable were created to protect students,” said Becerra, contending the education department’s “new rules harm California students by steering them away from our excellent public college and university system and into educational programs that are questionable at best, and outright scams at worst.” He added that this “last-minute attempt to dismantle oversight regulations on for-profit schools will not go unchallenged by California.” Under the Higher Education Act, colleges and their educational programs must meet eligibility requirements to participate in Title IV federal student-aid programs, including certification by the Secretary of Education that a college has the administrative capability and financial responsibility to receive federal funds.

Becerra alleges the new “Distance Education and Innovation” rule illegally eases this review to benefit for-profit institutions. The new rule helps predatory institutions in at least two ways.

Attorney General Sues Over Rule Helping Predatory For-Profit Colleges

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Gina Castañeda Joins Community me great pride and inspires me to uphold Foundation Board the work of the mission, vision, and values.”

Watsonville leader Gina Castañeda ••• joined the Community Foundation Panetta Attends Inauguration Santa Cruz County Board of Trustees on Jan. 1. On Jan. 20, U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) attended the inau-

A juvenile probation officer with the guration of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Santa Cruz County Probation Department, and Vice President Kamala D. Harris in she is founder and program director Washington, D.C. of Aztecas Youth “In taking their oaths of office today, Soccer Academy, an President Joe Biden and Vice President innovative program Kamala Harris embarked on their duty to engaging youth in the unify our democracy,” Panetta said. “On juvenile justice system the very same steps where we witnessed through soccer, service, an insurrection two weeks ago, today, Presand mentorship. ident Biden made clear his intent to heal our As a Watsonville wounds by working together. We now can

Gina Castañeda teen, Castañeda experienced intervals of rely on our President to lead with faith and empathy to sustain the soul of the nation.” homelessness and domestic violence while He added, “The next four years offer witnessing most of her siblings become so much opportunity for our country and involved in the criminal justice system. the Central Coast and I look forward to She succeeded with guidance from caring working with President Biden and Vice mentors and by playing soccer in high President Harris to deliver vaccines as school. She built self-esteem and a more well as pandemic relief, affirmatively act positive life path that ultimately motivated on the climate crisis, invest in our nation’s her to help her hometown’s youth strug- infrastructure, fix our broken immigration gling with gang involvement. system, advance our values, and ensure

Among her honors are the 2018 Bay greater opportunity for everybody. It Region State Probation Officer of the really is our time to write our nation’s next Year, the Tony Hill Award for Community chapter so that together everyone has a role Activism in Santa Cruz County, to play in the future of our democracy.”

County of Santa Cruz Probation Los Angeles poet Amanda Gorman Officer of the Year, Aptos High School mesmerized those who heard her read her Hall of Fame for Outstanding Accomplish- poem, “The Hill We Climb,” in which she ments, California Assembly’s 28th District said democracy may be delayed but never first Peace Award and American Red Cross defeated. Lifetime Achievement Hero.

Foundation CEO Susan True and board president David Doolin welcomed her experience and her activism.

“Professionally, I have observed how the Foundation has made an enormous impact in our community,” Castañeda said. “ Being part of a team that is dedicated to our community and a positive future brings •••

Senior Outreach Groups Start Soon

Senior Outreach, a program of the Family Service Agency of the Central Coast, is offering support groups for men and women year-around. During these challenging times, the support groups give their members an opportunity to connect of our most impactful electoral reforms. with others once a week in a positive, And the Secretary of State’s office will soon supportive, and nourishing environment, be led by a fierce advocate for civil rights sharing thoughts and feelings. Currently, and voting rights when Assemblymember all the groups meet via Zoom once a week Dr. Shirley Weber is confirmed as our next for six weeks (90-minute sessions) and are Secretary of State.” facilitated by experienced peer-counselors. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced

Four women’s groups and two men’s Dec. 22 he would appoint Weber. The groups begin soon. One of the women’s appointment requires confirmation by the groups, beginning Jan. 26, will offer the State Senate and the State Assembly. The newest format, using a workbook and Secretary of State will be up for election in journal to increase feelings of well-being 2022. and empowerment. It also includes sug- Schwab, 41, a native of Davis, has gestions for activities you can do at home. worked at the Secretary of State’s office

To reserve a place or for more infor- since Padilla took office. Before that, he mation, call 831-459-9351 x206 and leave a was a consultant for then-State Sen. Alex message for a call back within 24 hours. Padilla. ••• Schwab graduated from UC Davis James Schwab Takes Over with a degree in International Relations. as Interim Secretary of State He lives in West Sacramento with his wife

James Schwab has been sworn in as Alma Perez and their three sons. Perez is interim Secretary of State, succeeding the senior consultant for the State Senate Alex Padilla to succeed Kamal Harris as Labor and Industrial Relations Committee. California’s United States Senator. Schwab ••• previously was chief Tech for Takeout at Library deputy secretary of state. The Santa Cruz Public Libraries have created a collection of lendable tech-

Padilla listed nology devices that can be checked out with accomplishments your library card. The collection includes during his six years in Amazon Fire 7 Tablets, Chromebook office: laptops, WiFi Hotspots, and Chromebook • Adding 4.5 million + Hotspot bundles. The collection became voters to the rolls available for checkout Jan. 19. and set modern James Schwab Library cardholders can visit the records for voter turnout. catalog or use our mobile app to search for • Making many business filing services and request any of the devices or the bundle available online.. by name. For example, a keyword search for • Digitizing California history in the “fire tablet” or “hotspot” will work. Once

State Archives and curating exhibits the devices are on hold at the chosen library online. branch, they can be picked up at regular • Adding tools to make campaign Grab & Go lobby service hours. finance data more easily searchable. Borrowers must be 18 years or older,

“The Secretary of State’s office is in and a lending agreement must be signed. good hands,” Padilla said. “James Schwab The checkout period is 3 weeks, just like all knows this agency inside out and has been a other library materials. Instructional guides leader in securing and implementing many in English and Spanish are available. n

“Predatory” from page 9 • A school’s recertification application is automatically approved if it has been pending for 12 months. *** Automatic recertification under these circumstances directly benefits predatory institutions like Ashford University, which Becerra sued in 2017 for defrauding students. Troubled schools often require reviews longer than 12 months pending investigation by the education department, an accrediting agency, or a state attorney general. • For-profit schools can now outsource 100% of a program’s instruction to a different school. *** This new rule leaves students unprotected by repealing an

Obama-era cap of 50% on the amount

of instruction that a for-profit school can outsource to a school under common ownership. This means that a student can now be forced to take all of their courses at a school they did not enroll in. It also allows predatory institutions to operate as “portals” that funnel students into low-quality, online programs. This lawsuit continues Becerra’s work to protect student borrowers: • In November 2017, Becerra sued

Ashford University and its parent company Bridgepoint Education for illegal marketing and collections activity, among other abuses; that lawsuit is pending before San

Diego County Superior Court. • In June 2018, Becerra filed a lawsuit against Navient and its sub-

sidiaries for unlawfully misleading student loan borrowers, engaging in illegal collections practices, and steering borrowers to more costly repayment options. • In December 2017, Becerra filed a lawsuitagainst the education department over its failure to grant promised loan relief to tens of thousands of students defrauded by Corinthian Colleges. • In March 2020, Becerra filed a lawsuit against the education department over its action to repeal student loan borrower protections under the Gainful Employment Rule. • In June 2020, Becerra filed a lawsuit against the education department for failing to implement the Temporary Expanded Public

Service Loan Forgiveness Program. • And in July 2020, Becerra filed suit against Secretary DeVos and the education department for repealing the 2016 borrower defense regulations and replacing them with regulations that would make it nearly impossible for defrauded students to obtain financial relief. n •••

A copy of the rule change is at www.federal register.gov/documents/2020/09/02/2020-18636/ distance-education-and-innovation (tinyurl.com/distance-education-innovation)

A copy of the lawsuit is available at https://oag.ca.gov/sites/default/files/N.D.%20 Cal.%2021-cv-00384%20dckt%20 000001_000%20filed%202021-01-15.pdf (tinyurl.com/ag-for-profit-college)