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Thursday, November 1, 2012

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Education Headlines

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Sale of Pacific View Elementary site in Encinitas falls through

A deal to sell the Pacific View Elementary School site to a regional arts group that wanted to create an arts center there has fallen through, after a deadline passed with little progress and group leaders decided not to risk losing their deposit.

Online petition supports school yoga program

A local yoga enthusiast who runs a website about the practice has started an online petition to try to encourage the Encinitas Union School District to keep its controversial yoga lessons.

Long Beach area districts may shorten school year if Proposition 30 fails

Like struggling school districts across the state, some Long Beach area districts also are considering shortening the school year if Proposition 30 fails Tuesday.

Valley school districts counting on Prop. 30 funds

Despite fading support, area school superintendents say they still hope voters approve Proposition 30 on Tuesday to stanch the budget bleeding of the past four years.

Fresno teachers union, district to meet on grant

The Fresno Teachers Association has agreed to meet with school district officials this morning to discuss signing a $37.3 million federal education grant application.

School year could shrink if taxes fail

Some students will have a shorter school year if voters reject Prop. 30, and even larger class sizes loom next year without the higher taxes, officials say.

Southwest students could see fewer days in class

Southwest Riverside County schools were required to create contingency plans for midyear budget cuts and plan more furlough days this school year if voters reject Prop. 30 on Tuesday, Nov. 6.

PAC money floods local school board races

With an unprecedented surge of cash from charter schools and their high-tech backers, normally low-profile school board campaigns have morphed into big-bucks contests to elect charter-friendly candidates and defeat their challengers.

Lawsuit alleges Peninsula school employee called African-American student 'my slave'

The father of a 13-year-old African-American boy who allegedly was called "my slave" by an Atherton school employee last school year filed a lawsuit Monday against the Redwood City School District.

LAUSD bracing for severe cuts if Prop. 30 loses

With polls showing support slipping for Proposition 30, Los Angeles Unified is bracing for the budget cuts that would be triggered if the tax-increase measure fails on Tuesday.

Rosenblatt: Student fees will remain a conundrum, even with a new law

Administrators and parents alike have long waited for clarity on what fees schools could and could not charge students. With Governor Brown signing legislation that settles a lawsuit over public schools charging students for educational activities and materials, that day has come, right? Think again.

Skelton: Gov. Jerry Brown's muddled message hasn't helped Prop. 30's chances

Gov. Jerry Brown fails to make consistent, coherent arguments to state voters about why they should back his tax measure.

Gov. Brown pleads for votes for his struggling Prop. 30 tax hike

With time running out and his odds growing longer Gov. Jerry Brown pleaded with voters Wednesday to support his $6 billion-a-year tax increase and warned of deep cuts unless residents send more money to Sacramento.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Fate of ex-school site awaits board's guidance

The future of the former Peralta Junior High site is still unknown as the Orange Unified School District's Board of Education decides what to do amid uproar from neighbors who don't want the campus converted into apartments.

Sweetwater defendant fronts homecoming parade

National School District Superintendent Chris Oram was invited to grand marshal Sweetwater High School’s homecoming parade, but it was instead a criminal defendant school board member who waved from the red Mustang convertible on Friday night. School board president Pearl Quiñones, running for re-election, is one of two school board members charged by the District Attorney's Office with accepting bribes and failing to report meals, theater tickets and other gifts received from contractors while awarding millions of dollars in bond money to those contractors.

Student journalist questions ad sales for credit

A course requirement that called for students to earn grades on commission — by selling ads or subscriptions for the school newspaper — has raised concern among some student journalists and parents at Mt. Carmel High School.