We had a very successful Strategic Partners meeting on June 6; over 80 people attended to hear GUSD Superintendent Dick Sheehan and John Furay, Director/Hearing Officer, Probation Department.  Dr. Sheehan was asked about what happens when a student gets in trouble for drugs/alcohol, say comes to school under the influence.  There is progressive discipline depending on individual circumstances, including counseling services.  If a student brings drugs on campus that’s a bigger issue, and the penalty for possession is suspension.  If there’s a credible tip, they investigate.  The District uses drug-sniffing dogs as a preventive measure.  Many of GUSD’s graduating seniors will attend elite institutions.  GUSD has a Career & Technical Education (CTE) arrangement with Glendale Community College (GCC), Burbank Unified School District (BUSD) and the Workforce Investment Board (WIB) and receives $2.6 million of the $6 million allocated for CTE.  Learn more: http://www.gusd.net//site/Default.aspx?PageID=719

Furay, Director of the Citation Diversion Program at the Probation Department, handles all matters cited to the probation department which require formal judicial determination.  There are between 60,000 – 70,000 lower-level cases in LA County each year.  Between 4000 – 5000 tickets are given out monthly to juveniles, and he alone hears them.  He can either send the case to the DA or divert them.  When he diverts cases, he relies on the help of parents.  Many of the kids show up without a lawyer, giving him a chance to talk to them and to their parents.  Two million kids don’t pay their traffic fines; withholding driving privileges resonates with teens.  The youngest child he saw was 2, for riding a bicycle without a helmet, but that was an anomaly.  While he usually sees young people ages 13 – 17, they can be as young as 9.  Fighting is common among 11/12 year olds; whereas, teens ages 14 and 15 come in for drugs/alcohol.  Furay was impressed by the large number of people attending this meeting, and asked for our help in providing resources to the young people he serves like community service, mental health or substance abuse counseling, classes, or extracurricular activities.  Email him at john.furay@probation.lacounty.gov.

Suzy Jacobs, Executive Director,
CV Alliance
3131 Foothill Blvd. Suite D
La Crescenta, CA 91214
(818) 646-7867  http://cv-alliance.org/