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Thursday, October 25, 2012

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Education Headlines

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Marin school funding effort bears first fruits

After more than two years, Marin public schools Wednesday received the first payments — $220,000 in all — from a new countywide fundraising initiative, SchoolsRule-Marin. The initiative, a partnership between fundraising foundations of individual school districts, divided the funds among Marin school districts based on enrollment.

Fresno Unified seeks $40 million from 'Race to Top'

Fresno Unified trustees approved an application for $40 million in federal "Race to the Top" funds Wednesday night, but not without dissent. The application is the third try for federal education improvement funds in the past three years.

Chico school district and faculty union at impasse

The Chico Unified School District and the union that represents its faculty and other certificated professionals are officially at "impasse," but neither side seems terribly upset about it.

Measure S would fund new technology in Tustin schools

In two weeks voters will decide whether to approve a Tustin Unified bond measure that would provide funds to upgrade school technology. If approved, Measure S will generate about $135 million through 30 years, officials say. The funds would be used to upgrade wireless infrastructure, buy new technological materials and upgrade science, technology, and engineering and math programs.

Two school administrators reprimanded in Troy election-rigging incident

Two Troy High School administrators have been reprimanded for failing to take appropriate action after learning that a student-government adviser rigged the annual student election, a failure that exposed the Fullerton Union High School District to "undue scrutiny, ridicule and embarrassment."

School bids farewell to beloved principal

Davis Magnet School celebrated Wednesday morning with a rally to bid farewell to Principal Kevin Rafferty, who is leaving the school he helped transform in three years from a campus that struggled academically into one of the highest achieving schools in Orange County.

Two Vista schools maintain music programs with community’s help

Despite the cutbacks, two Vista Unified School District elementary schools have continued to have music programs. Empresa continues to keep its programs afloat with parent-organized fundraisers, and Temple Heights has a large event planned this Friday.

Parents threaten legal action over yoga

A group of parents is threatening to bring legal action over free yoga classes at schools in this beachside community, fearing they are indoctrinating youngsters in eastern religion.

City College SF 'special trustee' picked

A veteran college president from Sonoma County with math smarts has been chosen by the state community college chancellor's office as the "special trustee" for City College of San Francisco, overseeing the troubled school's efforts to remain accredited.

Report: LAUSD misses mandated special ed targets

Los Angeles Unified schools failed to meet targets for providing speech therapy and other instructional services to special-education students as required by the settlement of a 1993 lawsuit, according to a report released Wednesday.

Baron: Corona-Norco a first-time finalist for the Broad Prize

Corona-Norco Unified School District in Riverside County will be receiving $150,000 in college scholarships as a runner-up in the 2012 Broad Prize for Urban Education.

L.A. schools chief urges union cooperation on federal funds

Superintendent John Deasy seeks teachers' backing on a grant application that could bring $40 million to Los Angeles Unified School District. The union fears the grant won't cover all the costs of implementing the district's proposal.

Freedburg: School initiative’s bumpy road to the ballot box

The thicket of obstacles Governor Brown and his allies have run into in trying to convince voters to approve his initiative to raise funds for schools and the state budget underscores the extreme hazards of trying to convince California voters to raise taxes, even for a cause they’re predisposed to support.

Gov. Jerry Brown's tax-hike measure faltering

Amid a relentless barrage of attack ads, support for Gov. Jerry Brown's tax-hike initiative has dipped below 50 percent for the first time in a statewide poll, putting the measure in a precarious position with less than two weeks to go before Election Day.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Solar panels to be installed at Seaside High School

Come 2013, Seaside High School will have a solar array to help offset energy costs for the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District.

Teachers Association of Long Beach union members rally against proposed health benefits cut

Holding signs that read "Health Care Cuts Bleed Great Teachers" and "Health Cuts Never Heal," hundreds of teachers rallied Tuesday outside of the Long Beach Unified School District's Board of Education meeting in protest of a proposal to cut health care benefits for teachers, nurses and librarians.

Indio High work bids $8M overbudget

Plans for the rebuild of Indio High School will need to be scaled back slightly after bids for the first phase came in $8 million over budget. The district identified about $2 million to $3 million in changes to the first phase — which includes the performing arts center, administration building, gymnasium and some classrooms — and plans to cut the number of classrooms in future phases to the same level as Palm Desert and Shadow Hills high schools.