FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, June 5, 2012

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Education Headlines

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Defense wants Dumanis off Sweetwater case

An attorney defending Sweetwater school board member Arlie Ricasa against allegations of bribery and corruption requested Monday that San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis be removed from the case.

Unusual partnership offers students birth control

The Los Angeles Unified School District and Planned Parenthood collaborate on a clinic at Roosevelt High, which is in an area with a disproportionately high number of teenage mothers.

Lodi Unified School District board to hire new principals

The Lodi Unified School District board of trustees will meet tonight for their first meeting of the summer break from school. On the agenda is appointing new elementary school principals.

Dormant school construction projects face closer scrutiny

State regulators overseeing school construction money are set to take a closer look this month at a list of idle projects that may no longer be viable and are occupying millions in bond authority that might be put to better use elsewhere.

Monterey schools administrator Kari Yeater to lead North County district

Yeater, described by her peers as a great leader, has just been named superintendent for the North Monterey County Unified School District.

Election politics sideline budget talks, at least for now

With so many lawmakers preoccupied with today’s June primary, budget deliberations in the Capitol in advance of next week’s constitutional deadline have come to a halt – despite a number of major issues unresolved, especially education funding.

Fensterwald: Estimating Common Core costs

The adoption of the Common Core standards comes at tough time for districts that have cut teacher training days and textbook purchases to stave off further layoffs. But a new study for the Fordham Institute co-authored by a University of San Francisco political science professor concludes that the transition to the new standards in the next few years need not be onerous.

Pomona Unified teacher set for trial on accusation of sexual relationship with 14-year-old girl

The Pomona Unified School District has had six documented cases of teacher misconduct over the last five years, including one that is set to go to trial in June.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Suit: Schools got millions, firm got stiffed

The LHA Group filed suit last week against the Garden Grove Unified School District and Y’Deen/Associates Architects, the firm overseeing a 66-school modernization. LHA was asked to swoop in at the 11th hour to help Y’Deen complete plans for 33 schools, so the district could qualify for state matching funds that were disbursed on a first-come, first-served basis, according to court and district documents. LHA jammed, did the work, but never got paid — and was essentially destroyed in the process, it says.

Board candidate's education history adds to Twin Rivers' turmoil

Days before Tuesday's pivotal school board election, new allegations continue to besiege the embattled Twin Rivers Unified School District. Board candidate Michael Baker has come under scrutiny over educational degrees from University of Nevada, Reno, that he claimed to have in voter guides. University of Nevada, Reno, officials said they "found no educational record for him."

Sacramento City Unified teachers to vote on furloughs, health plan concessions

The Sacramento City Unified School District reached a tentative agreement with its teachers union that includes health benefit concessions and two furlough days.

Sacramento County education board races hotly contested

A once-sleepy school board election – in which candidates often ran unopposed and rarely accumulated large war chests – has turned into a hotly contested race bringing in nearly $175,000 and prompting armies of volunteers to call their neighbors and walk the streets promoting candidates.