Large corporations frequently look outside to find a new chief executive. The idea is to find someone with a fresh new perspective on how to run the business. The Grossmont Union High School Board of Trustees did just that in hiring a new superintendent late last year. They went outside of San Diego and hired Robert Collins as the new GUHSD Superintendent and he has delivered beyond anyone’s expectations.
Collins came with many years of experience in the LA school system and hit the ground running with a laser focused vision on how to improve the Grossmont high school district. He has now put that vision in writing in the form of a comprehensive strategic plan that is designed to transform GUHSD into a high caliber high school district that will close the achievement gap.
Grossmont schools will become more competitive with other highly regarded suburban school districts in San Diego County. Given the current state of Grossmont’s schools, this is an ambitious plan but one that he not only believes is achievable but also what he believes we are obliged to provide our students.
Collins strategic plan has two parts;
- An integrated overhaul of the operations and curriculum of the schools and
- A new bond proposal to complete the work contemplated under Prop H (including a new Alpine high school) and adds major improvements to the existing District schools.
The second part (i.e.; new bond) is the linchpin that facilitates the first part of the strategic plan. Superintendent Collins has recognized that the funding available from the Prop H bond is being quickly gobbled up by run away construction and energy inflation that we all experience, and there isn’t enough money to fully complete what was promised under Prop H, including the new Alpine school.
We are about $150 million (or more) short in being able to satisfy all of the Prop H promises so the new bond would raise the money to complete the Prop H work. But Collins wants to do more. There are many badly needed improvements, not envisioned by Prop H that he wants to address including modernizing school cafeterias, libraries, band rooms, auditoriums, gyms and basic support facilities.
He rightly feels that you can’t just bring half of a school up to modern standards and leave the other half stuck with crumbling 1950s infrastructure. Thus, he is seeking additional money that will truly modernize Grossmont’s antiquated schools and fully fund Alpine’s long-awaited high school; with completion of the new school targeted for the fall of 2012.
How much the new bond will cost has not yet been finalized but if the tax rate started out the same as the Prop H bond it would be about $28 per $100,000 of assessed valuation. The current Prop H bond has experienced a reduction in its tax rate to under $22.
The total Grossmont tax rate might come out to about $50. The total tab would be about $200/yr for the typical East County home but Collins (and many realtors) believes that home owners would reap many times that amount in increased property values. With modernized facilities and a new 12th high school in Alpine, the current overcrowding at Granite Hills and other high schools would be alleviated and Collins could implement the other half of his plan.
The Collins plan would create a network of teachers, staff and parents to form and continuously improve programs tailored to provide the best education at each school. For college bound and high achieving students there would be enhanced academic and advanced placement programs designed to provide a smooth transition to, and a head start on college. An enriched math and science focus would be implemented in each school.
Another key aspect of Collins plan is a new career tech education program. This would not be a mere revamp of old shop and vocational classes, but would be a technology-oriented program designed to give students the upper hand in competing for the high tech jobs in today’s world and providing the skills demanded by employers, particularly in San Diego.
Finally, there would be new programs to close the achievement gap for disabled students, minorities, and English learners. All of this would be supplemented by additional specialized programs adopted by individual schools such as arts, media, engineering and design. The bottom line is that our new superintendent has delivered to us on a silver platter a superlative and achievable plan that will forever transform the delivery of secondary education in East County.
So what happens next? At the next meeting of the Grossmont Board on June 12 we are likely to hear more details on the basic plan from Superintendent Collins including the specifics of the bond proposal. Equipped with all the details, the Grossmont Board will then have to vote on the new bond proposal at their July 10 meeting in order to get it on the November election ballot.
To satisfy State law to qualify a Proposition 39 bond for the ballot initiative with a 55% pass rate; at least 4 of the 5 Governing Board Members must vote in favor of the proposal.
You can find Collins’ presentations of his strategic plan and new bond by visiting the GUHSD web site at www.guhsd.net. If you like what you’ve read in this article or the web site then take the next step by showing your support for Collins’ strategic plan, the new bond and, particularly, the high school for Alpine by attending the upcoming June and July meetings. (You may make a 3 minute statement to the Board – Recommended)
This is a critical time for Alpine and East County so join with other concerned neighbors in making your opinion known! As many Alpiners as possible should attend the July 10th Governing Board meeting and support the supermajority (4 out of the 5) favorable board vote for a new bond! For more info please visit www.ahscc.com.
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With full-steam ahead, Pam and Yehudi "Gaf" Gaffen are celebrating their construction management company, Gafcon's, 20th anniversary.
"Daily Transcript" Story Is At The Bottom Of This Web Page
Gafcon-Harris is the Prop H 3rd party managers hired by GUHSD
See Q&A: Robert Collins, Superintendent, Grossmont Union High School District...
With Union-Tribune editorial writer Don Sevrens. What are your...
Saturday, February 16, 2008
GROSSMONT UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT
See || GUHSD Announces New Governing Board Officers
GUHSD Prop H Program Overview -- Web Sites Linked Below
Gafcon-Harris Prop H Program Managers Hired | Copy of GUHSD Press Release
By NATALIE WARDELL, The Daily Transcript
Friday, December 7, 2007
With full-steam ahead, Pam and Yehudi "Gaf" Gaffen are celebrating their construction management company, Gafcon's, 20th anniversary.
The business, which has assisted on projects at the Del Mar Fairgrounds and San Diego State University, has almost doubled its staff this year and increased revenue by 50 percent.
The Gaffens met on a construction project in Cape Town, South Africa in 1979.
They married a year later and immigrated to the United States together, with dreams of starting their own business.
"You always hear that it's a land of opportunity," Pam Gaffen said. "We wanted to give it a shot. We took it very seriously."
Pam and Yehudi "Gaf" Gaffen are celebrating their construction management company, Gafcon's, 20th anniversary.
Photo: J. Kat Wornowicz
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Their first job was to project manage a custom home. From there, the Gaffens created a trend of diversity, lending expertise as a construction advocate for a myriad of projects in San Diego, Orange County and Los Angeles, as well as internationally.
From government-funded endeavors such as schools to parks to government buildings to private projects like mixed-use developments, multi-million dollar custom homes and office complexes.
The company's largest project is designing 1,347-acre Great Park in Irvine.
Gafcon's design, created by architect Ken Smith, won in a competition of 27 design teams, and now its design of a 2.5-mile canyon, lake, culture terrace, amphitheater, aviation museum and open space is being developed on the site. The park is expected to take 20 years to complete.
"I think we've always been pretty flexible in terms of development," Yehudi "Gaf" Gaffen said. "I call it opportunistic."
Flexibility has helped Gafcon handle construction recessions. No employee has ever been laid off. Instead, the business has employees wear different hats, Pam Gaffen said.
At any time, Gafcon may be offering expert witness services to up to 400-500 cases, advising on "someone else's train wreck," Pam Gaffen said.
The company also offers services to distressed projects and companies that were dismissing employees because of recession.
Those businesses still needed to provide services and fulfill contracts, despite not having the manpower -- so Gafcon stepped in, consequentially giving its employees work.
The husband and wife team speaks highly of owning a business together, noting that it's helped sustain their marriage and instill good work values in their two children, now in their 20s.
It helps that they are both energetic entrepreneurs.
"Pam says I'm sick because I look forward to Monday morning," Yehudi Gaffen said.
He said he is a "glass-half-full" type of person who is a "deal junkie."
His wife takes care for the deals after her husband makes them, coordinating production from company's downtown San Diego office. She describes herself as a hard worker, yet nurturing.
Part of that nurturing spirit is the benefits employees receive. The office fills with the smell of hot food around noon every weekday when lunch arrives for employees.
The lunch tradition started by Pam Gaffen who was worried about the then-small company's five employees working through lunch. So she started bringing them sandwiches.
"It's a perk that we really really enjoy," Pam Gaffen said. "To me, it made absolute sense. I
have the philosophy of working hard. I demand a lot, but I also play hard."
In addition to lunch, Gafcon's 160 employees enjoy gym membership reimbursement, a turkey on Thanksgiving, daily yoga classes and many other benefits.
Women at Gafcon celebrate the holidays with an annual gift exchange in which guests arrive in animal print -- in honor of the Gaffen's South Africa heritage -- and exchange lavish gifts like pashima scarves and evening gowns.
The perk to the business owners, is the company's low turnover rate.
"Gaf's job is to take care of the outside clients, my job is to take care of the internal clients," Pam Gaffen said, noting that the internal clients are the employees.
While in their mid-50s, they don't plan on slowing down any time soon.
The two hope to create more sub-companies, such as the information technology company they just formed, SharePoint 360.
Despite other ventures, they said Gafcon will always be the focus.
"We've had offers to buy the company," Yehudi Gaffen said. "But we figure we're having too much fun."
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