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S.B. SBCUSD New School Initiatives

PRECINCT REPORTER GROUP NEWS — Laptops available with free internet for local students to take home is not a secret, but it might as well be. Many parents are still not aware that they can get Chromebooks and free hotspot hookup for their students at San Bernardino City Unified School District just for the asking.

Published

7 years ago

August 10, 2019

Precinct Reporter News

Photo by: precinctreporter.com

By Dianne Anderson

Laptops available with free internet for local students to take home is not a secret, but it might as well be.

Many parents are still not aware that they can get Chromebooks and free hotspot hookup for their students at San Bernardino City Unified School District just for the asking.

It’s one of several ways the district is helping parents help their students make the grade this coming school year. Parents can also look forward to two new initiatives, one for literacy, and the other for free breakfast and lunch to give kids the energy they need to focus.

Tasha Doizan, SBCUSD director of Elementary Instruction, said the district’s literacy community task force starts this Fall to build momentum around reading, and outreach to the community.

“We offer many ways to get books in the hands of our students through the schools, community partners and our district Chromebook initiative in which many schools have digital libraries,” she said.

Doizan said they want to especially reach students by third grade, a critical time when young minds are at risk of falling behind.

The good news is that students of all ages easily embrace technology, she said. The district’s literacy and Chromebook initiative use the love of apps to help students with the love of reading.

With laptops, they can download fun educational apps, and all the free books they can read online.

“Families in the district can come and get a Chromebook with no charge, and they also get wi-fi access,” Doizan said. “Our families can take advantage of that, and have a Chromebook checked out so students can do their homework.”

Some students still enjoy turning actual pages, and parents are also welcome to start accounts to check out books at their school libraries, which is important for families that lack transportation to get to larger libraries.

Doizan, a past principal at Arrowhead Elementary School and Emmerton Elementary, said she is excited to bring the community together around literacy.

Kindergarten through third grade also represents an important time to get parents involved in reading with their children. “We have a district-wide back to school night in August, but you can never get the word out too much,” she said. “We want parents to know that resources are available to them.”

Also new this school year is free breakfast, lunch, snack and sometimes dinner for all students.

Jason Evylnn, assistant director of SBCUSD Nutrition Services, said 92% of the district’s students qualify under free or reduced status, which means that they exceed the required 62.5 threshold, and all the district’s students now eat for free.

When they first started four years ago, he said 50 school sites qualified, and last year, 67 schools qualified. For 2019, every school at their 84 locations qualifies for breakfast, lunch and free snack.

Initially, they had six previous snack sites that are now converted to 22 supper sites. Students enrolled at select school sites and enrolled in the after school program can get a full dinner meal. Some sites have up to 200 participating students, and he said getting food to students is a major part of learning.

Over the years, he’s attended several seminars showing the link between nutrition and brain activity. He said lack of concentration leads to behavioral issues. “Kids that don’t eat breakfast start getting hungry and they can’t focus,” he said. “There have been cases where some kids were labeled as bad kids. They weren’t bad, they were just hungry kids.”

The district was dealing with a high level of classroom disruption, and decided to step up nutrition services and trainings. At all of their staff trainings, Evlynn highlights the need to get all students sufficiently fed so they can concentrate on their studies instead of their next meal.

“The one kid you think is misbehaving, even if you pull him aside and feed him, you’re going to see a behavior change,” he said

Students can also look forward to a somewhat sophisticated menu under Evylnn, a certified classically trained chef, who studied at Le Cordon Bleu. He takes pride that about 65 percent of their menu is scratch-made.

“We make all of our sauces, chili, spaghetti turkey gravy that we make here are from scratch, he said, adding that to his knowledge, the district has the only kitchen with a central chill facility in the Inland Empire. Their building is 63,000 square feet.

While the kids always love packaged foods, like pizza and chicken nuggets, he said the district’s packaged food is better than anything off the shelf.

“We get the same name brands as the grocery store, but we’re like 400% healthier, when it comes to calorie sodium level and sugar,” he said.

For many of the kids, he said the only real meal they get in a day is from school.

“On nights and weekends, they’re struggling to find food. That’s why we try to feed everyone we can,” he said.

This article originally appeared in The Precinct Reporter News Group.

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#NNPA BlackPress

Poll Shows Support for Policies That Help Families Afford Child Care

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — New national polling shows persistent voter concern about the affordability and availability of child care for working parents, alongside broad support across key demographic groups for federal child care policies that help families afford care.

Published

21 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Oakland Post

By First Five Years Fund

New national polling shows persistent voter concern about the affordability and availability of child care for working parents, alongside broad support across key demographic groups for federal child care policies that help families afford care.

The national survey was conducted by UpOne Insight on behalf of the First Five Years Fund from January 13–18, 2026.

Key findings include:

• Parents need help: 80% of voters say the ability of working parents to find and afford child care is either in a state of crisis or a major problem.

• This is an affordability issue: 82% believe federal child care funding will help lower costs for working families — including 69% of Republicans, 84% of Independents, and 94% of Democrats.

• And there continues to be strong support (62%) for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), a federal program that makes it possible for hundreds of thousands of families to afford safe, quality care for their children while parents work or go to school, including a majority of Republicans, 63% of Independents and 72% of Democrats.

• Support for funding child care programs remains strong: 75% believe child care funding should be increased or kept at current levels — including 75% of Republicans, 85% of Independents, and 97% of Democrats.

• 74% say funding for child care is an important and good use of tax dollars, including a majority of Republicans, three-quarters of Independents, and nine in ten Democrats.

FFYF Executive Director Sarah Rittling said, “Voters across the country are sending a clear message: federal child care and early learning programs work. These investments help parents stay in the workforce, strengthen families, and support healthy child development. They have also long had strong bipartisan support in Congress. At a time when affordability is top of mind for families, continued federal funding is essential to ensure child care remains accessible and within reach.”

First Five Years Fund works to protect, prioritize, and build bipartisan support for quality child care and early learning programs at the federal level. Reliable, affordable, and high-quality early learning and child care can be transformative, not only enhancing a child’s prospects for a brighter future but also bolstering working parents and fostering economic stability nationwide.

We work with Congress and the Administration to identify federal solutions that work for families with young children, as well as states and communities. We work with policymakers to identify ways to increase access to affordable, high-quality child care and early learning programs for children. And we collaborate with advocacy groups to help align best practices with the best possible policies. http://www.ffyf.org

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Trump’s MAGA Allies are Creating Executive Order Plan to Steal the 2026 Midterms

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The document that could lead to an executive order proposes using the claim that China interfered with the 2020 elections as grounds to “declare a national emergency.” The move would be an unprecedented step that would grant Trump new authority over the voting systems in the U.S.

Published

4 days ago

February 27, 2026

Oakland Post

By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Correspondent

A group of MAGA pro-Trump activists, who say they are working in coordination with the White House, are circulating a 17-page draft executive order that would claim without evidence that China interfered with the 2020 presidential election. Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential to President Joe Biden by over 7 million votes. Since Trump lost to Biden in 2020, he has repeatedly claimed that the election was “stolen” without evidence. The report of a group of “Trump allies” preparing an executive order to give Trump power over elections was first reported by The Washington Post.

The lies around the right-wing campaign that pushed falsehoods that the 2020 election was stolen was trafficked through right-wing media, particularly Fox News. Fox News was then sued for defamation for the claims by Dominion Voting Systems. Fox lost the case and had to settle for the largest defamation amount on record of $787.5 million in April 2023.

The document that could lead to an executive order proposes using the claim that China interfered with the 2020 elections as grounds to “declare a national emergency.” The move would be an unprecedented step that would grant Trump new authority over the voting systems in the U.S.

The story in The Washington Post arrives as Trump increasingly signals that he may take actions that would alter the result of the 2026 midterms. The Republicans are widely expected to lose as their approval ratings plummet as a result of a failing economy under Trump. Over 50 members of Congress have announced they will retire this year and not return in 2027.

The Trump Department of Justice, which now has a large image of Trump on the side of it, “sued five new states Thursday [Feb. 26, 2026] demanding access to their unredacted voter rolls — escalating a campaign that has been rejected by multiple federal courts and faces resistance from Republican-led states as well,” according to Democracy Docket, a group that works to protect voting rights.

Trump claimed back in late 2020, the last year of his first term, that he had the authority to issue an executive order related to mail-in voting for the 2020 elections — which he would then lose. But the Constitution states that control of elections lies with the states. As the GOP works to place hurdles in front of voting, Democrats worked to make voting easier.

In March 2021, President Biden signed an executive order calling on federal agencies to expand voting access as part of the Biden Administration’s effort “to promote and defend the right to vote for all Americans who are legally entitled to participate in elections.”

Trump’s focus is clearly on altering the November 2026 midterm elections. Trump’s polling numbers and the elections and special elections that have taken place around the U.S. over the last year clearly indicate that Republicans are about to be hit by a blue wave of Democratic victories.

Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent investigative journalist and the founder of Black Virginia News. She is a political analyst who appears on #RolandMartinUnfiltered and hosts the show LAUREN LIVE on YouTube @LaurenVictoriaBurke. She can be contacted at LBurke007@gmail.com and on twitter at @LVBurke

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PRESS ROOM: NBA Hall of Fame Nominee Terry Cummings Joins 100 Black Men of DeKalb County to Launch Victory & Values Initiative

NNPA NEWSWIRE — NBA Hall of Fame nominee and Basketball Legend Terry Cummings was administered the official member’s oath and ceremonially pinned during a special induction ceremony held on Friday, February 20th.

Published

4 days ago

February 27, 2026

admin

Cummings becomes an honorary member, joining other role model sports stars

NBA Hall of Fame nominee and Basketball Legend Terry Cummings has officially become an honorary member of the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County, marking a powerful new chapter for the 100 Black Men and youth development across the region.

Cummings was administered the official member’s oath and ceremonially pinned during a special induction ceremony held on Friday, February 20th. The moment signified more than membership — it marked the launch of the organization’s transformative new platform, the Victory & Values Initiative.

The Victory & Values Initiative is a groundbreaking youth development program designed to empower elementary and middle school students through a dynamic blend of sports, mentorship, and STEM exposure. The initiative focuses on building health, discipline, character, leadership, and access to opportunity — creating pathways for long-term academic and personal success.

“This is about more than sports,” said Cummings during the ceremony. “It’s about using the platform of athletics to teach life lessons, create access, and build the next generation of leaders.”

The induction ceremony also featured notable guests including NASCAR’s newest Star Driver, Lavar Scott and NASCAR Director of Athletic Performance, Phil Horton, who joined Cummings for a powerful Victory & Values Town Hall discussion. The Town Hall was moderated by renowned Sports Emcee John Hollins and focused on leadership, resilience, discipline, and the importance of mentorship in shaping young lives.

A “Day at NASCAR” for 75+ Youth

Cummings wasted no time getting to work. On his first full day as an honorary member, he joined his new brothers of the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County to host a “Day at NASCAR,” escorting more than 75 youth to a once-in-a-lifetime experience at EchoPark Motor Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway).

The youth participants received behind-the-scenes access including: an exclusive tour of Pit Row, access to the Garage Area and exploration of the interactive Fan Zone.

The experience culminated with a surprise meet-and-greet and Q&A session with NASCAR Superstar Bubba Wallace, who shared insights on perseverance, preparation, and breaking barriers in professional sports.

The day served as a living example of the ‘Victory & Values’ Initiative in action — exposing youth to new industries, expanding their vision for the future, and connecting them directly with high- level mentors and role models.

Building Leaders Through Access and Mentorship

The 100 Black Men of DeKalb County – a chapter of the largest, national mentoring organization in the county – continues to expand its footprint with programs focused on academic excellence, economic empowerment, leadership development, and health & wellness.

The launch of ‘Victory & Values’ represents a strategic expansion of the organization’s impact

intentionally integrating athletics and STEM to engage youth at an early age while reinforcing core principles such as integrity, accountability, teamwork, and perseverance.

“Our mission has always been to mentor the next generation,” said Vaughn Irons, President-Elect of the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County. “With Terry Cummings joining the brotherhood, along with partners in NASCAR and professional sports, we are creating unprecedented access and exposure for our youth. Victory & Values is about turning inspiration into structured opportunity.”

By connecting elementary and middle school students to professional athletes, executives, STEM professionals, and community leaders, the initiative aims to:

Increase youth exposure to careers in sports business, engineering, and performance science
Strengthen mentorship pipelines
Promote physical wellness and mental resilience
Build character-driven leadership at an early age

Open Invitation to Youth and Families

All youth are invited to participate in the Victory & Values Initiative, along with the other countless, impactful programs offered by the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County.

Parents and guardians seeking mentorship, leadership development, academic enrichment, and transformative exposure opportunities for their children are encouraged to connect with the organization.

As NBA Legend Terry Cummings’ induction demonstrates, Victory & Values is more than a program — it is a movement designed to build champions in life, not just in sports.

For more information about the Victory & Values Initiative or to enroll a student, contact: 100 Black Men of DeKalb County at Phone at 404.241.1338, info@100bmod.org or Tee Foxx at 404.791.6525,