Union City Education

Lisa Duncanson

Stephen Polizer

Lisa and Stephen discuss Race to the Top.

Race to the Top is a Federal Grant for 29 Million.

Late 1980's

Hector Caraballo retired and Julia Strong (Yoho) became the principal of Alvarado Elementary in 1989. Hector had been a strong principal who basically made most of the decisions. Julia had long experience in education. It was a change for the staff when Julia asked for input. The staff was used to Hector making the decisions without much input. Around 1985 Rhonda Neagle became the media specialist/librarian. Nancy Mumm was a volunteer parent and a noon supervisor. Betty Silva became aide in 1986. At that time there were 4 other aides. They were Diane Angelo, Irene Galvan, Elenore Yip, and Jackie Lomax.

Rhonda Neagle was hired by Hector Caraballo as the media specialist in 1987. According to Rhonda, Roger Hoyer, the technology director at the district office, and Guy decided to move the district in the direction of the dot com revolution and worked hard to make it happen from the mid-1980s on. Part of Rhonda's job was to help them do this. Teachers did not have computers in their room. The school had a few Commodore Pets and a few Apple IIgs in the staff room.

Rhonda recalls, "I first met Stephen Politzer at AE. He was a Curriculum Leader then (I think that's what they were called) and he taught me how to use the Commodore Pets that I had in the media center (two or three of them). He and I also ran the site Technology Team. The software titles that were available for the Macs were few and far between. I do remember Dazzle Draw and all of the MECC stuff though like Oregon Trail. Those were fun times."

Julia Strong-Yoho Principal
Tess Melendez Assistant Principal
1989-1990
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Early 1980's

Staff Photo 1980-1981
Hector Caraballo, Principal
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Hector Caraballo was principal at Alvarado for much of the decade. Leonore Sanchez was the long time school secretary. In the middle 80's the office and the staff room were completely remodeled. Melinda Stephen was the librarian/media specialist prep teacher for the first part of the decade.

Liz Jordan joined the staff in 1984 as a science prep teacher. Liz recalls, "the Science preps began the year that I began in the district. There were 5 full time k-4 science teachers: Holly Scroggins, Linda Carey, Fenna Gatty, Mary Rodriques and me (I was at Alvarado and Decoto the first year). Steve Politzer and Steve Zapiain were part time science teachers that first year. Only Holly had formal science training, and Holly was the only one not hired back after the first year. Hector hired her to be a classroom teacher when he found out that she was not being rehired as a science teacher. The five full time science teachers created the entire k-4 science program that first year, working every weekend, attending workshops and creating hands-on lessons for every grade level. It was invigorating and very intense. Sometimes we did not have our own classrooms and had all of our materials in shopping carts, going from classroom to classroom each period!"

Staff Photo 1983-1984
Hector Caraballo, Principal
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