Education Headlines
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Long Beach education officials wary of financial future
Gov. Jerry Brown had a clear message in his budget plan released on Monday - Funding for public schools will depend on voters in November.Norwalk-La Mirada, Paramount join growing list of cash-strapped school districts
Norwalk-La Mirada Unified and Paramount Unified are two of 176 school districts to receive qualified certifications, meaning the school districts are in danger of not meeting their financial obligations for the current fiscal year and the next two years.Galt school districts land on state budget watch list
Both Galt Joint Union High School District and Galt Joint Union Elementary School District are on the state’s financial watch list, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced Monday.News Survey shows Galt voters split on support for elementary school district bond measure
About 50 percent of recently surveyed Galt voters support a bond measure to save Galt Joint Union Elementary School District from further cuts to electives, transportation and other programs on the budget chopping block.More school districts' finances dire
The Coachella Valley's three public school districts are among a record number statewide struggling to pay their bills this year.Baron: CA breaks another bad record
More California school districts than ever before are nearing or on the brink of insolvency. The State Department of Education’s Second Interim Status Report for 2011-12, released yesterday, named 188 districts with serious financial problems; of those, twelve have negative certifications, meaning they won’t be able to meet payroll and other bills for this academic year.San Ysidro schools defend family hiring
The son and daughter of Superintendent Manuel Paul are employed by the San Ysidro School District. So is the son of Assistant Superintendent Gloria Madera. School board member Jean Romero has a son and grandson working at the district. The officials say the relationships are not a problem. The nepotism policy bans officials from supervision of close relatives — but officials say it’s OK if there are other supervisors as a buffer in the chain of command.State plans big changes to testing, instruction
California has embarked on a course to fundamentally reshape how every student is taught and tested. These new “common core standards” for grades K-12 go into effect in fall 2014 for English Language Arts and math. Revisions to the curriculum and assessments for other subjects, such as science and history, will follow in later years.California bill would use some Cap and Trade profits for school energy upgrades
Assemblymember Nancy Skinner is expected to introduce a bill on Tuesday that would use a portion of the money that businesses generate from trading carbon emissions permits to make schools more energy efficient.Los Gatos school leaders end seismic-related construction stall
Los Gatos school trustees have rescinded a contentious decision to close a mountain community's elementary school and halt plans for a new campus over concerns about seismic safety and cost increases.Fensterwald: CSBA says vote for both tax plans
The state PTA backs the tax initiative financed by civil rights attorney Molly Munger; the California Teachers Association and the Association of California School Administrators endorsed the governor’s initiative. This week, the California School Boards Association decided to support both.Federal judge won't hear parents advocacy group's suit over Title I funds
A federal judge refused Monday to take jurisdiction of a lawsuit filed by a parents advocacy group, which claims that Los Angeles Unified illegally suspended its operation and seized control of federal money set aside for its use.Record number of school districts in financial jeopardy
The highest number of school districts in state and county history have reported being in financial jeopardy, a record that means 2.6 million California children attend districts that are struggling with budget woes.Walters: Incredible complexity of school finance hits home
During Jerry Brown's governorship three decades ago, the budget was a relatively simple and understandable document. Revenue was relatively easy to calculate and spending obligations were clearly delineated. But today's budget is complex almost beyond comprehension, and Brown wants to make it more so.Monday, May 21, 2012