DR. AMI BERA | BERA FOR CONGRESS
Making Washington Work Sacramento County needs a bold leader who sees Congress as an opportunity to serve. Like the oath I took to become a Doctor, I take another solemn oath to put people first
Education Headlines
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
School numbers continue to shrink
Enrollment at most Tuolumne and Calaveras county school districts has dropped this fall, continuing a 15-year trend that has seen the number of students in the Mother Lode plummet dramatically.North County school districts prepare for cuts
The outcome of a measure on Tuesday’s ballot could determine whether some local school districts will shorten their 2011-12 academic year, or dip into their reserves, to balance their budgets.New programs help Greenfield students make big improvements
It's "universal access" time for students in the kindergarten class of Sydney Scott, a time when she dedicates a few minutes to her pupils in small groups to practice reading. Or phonics.Oxford Prep officials: Test score success came from working smarter, harder - not cheating
The key to a Chino charter school's chart-topping statewide testing scores isn't cheating, officials at the school say - it's working smarter and harder.Autistic student left on school bus 6 hours
The Anaheim Union High School District is investigating how an autistic 15-year-old student was left inside a school bus for about six hours. The Savanna High student, who is unable to speak and suffers from seizures, sat inside the vehicle parked at the district bus yard for most of the school day, said the child's mother.Private and public school share Carlsbad campus
When a private school moved in two months ago to share a campus with Magnolia Elementary School in Carlsbad, teachers and parents there really didn’t know what to expect. Now that things have more or less settled into place, educators at both schools say the arrangement is working out well.North County school districts prepare for cuts
The outcome of a measure on Tuesday’s ballot could determine whether some local school districts will shorten their 2011-12 academic year, or dip into their reserves, to balance their budgets.Districts prepare for cuts in salary, school year following election
The outcome of a measure on Tuesday’s ballot could determine whether some local school districts will shorten their 2011-12 academic year, or dip into their reserves, to balance their budgets.Principal convicted of failing to report suspected child abuse by teacher
In a verdict hailed by child-abuse experts, a jury Monday found a principal guilty of the extremely rare charge of failing to report suspected sexual abuse to authorities, despite being told by an 8-year-old girl in vivid and explicit detail about a possible sexual act a teacher performed on her.Southwest schools enjoy enrollment boost
School districts across southwest Riverside County got a bit of surprise this fall: additional students on their campuses. The Temecula Valley, Murrieta Valley and Lake Elsinore Unified school districts are all reporting increases in student enrollment when many of them had been expecting flat or declining enrollment this year.LAUSD and mental health partners get grant for trauma work
The Los Angeles Unified School District's mental health department, along with a group of partners, recently landed a $2.4-million grant to work with students exposed to traumatic events.Fresno teachers union lets district apply for federal grant
After a marathon debate, the Fresno teachers union agreed to endorse its school district's application for a federal grant that would require controversial changes in instructor evaluations.San Francisco school district loses big because 4,100 students skipped school for Giants parade
Thousands of San Francisco kids apparently skipped school to attend last week's Giants World Series parade. The school district had sent a letter home to parents on the eve of the victory parade urging them to send their children to school rather than head to the parade. But more than 4,100 students were absent, costing the district nearly $160,000 in California funding. The state pays $38.27 each day a student shows up for school.Baron: State Board to vote on Common Core for English learners
Up to now, California schools have placed a greater emphasis on teaching the state’s 1.5 million English learners the parts of a sentence rather than the meaning of a sentence. That focus on syntax over significance is in for a massive overhaul if, as expected, the State Board of Education votes tomorrow to approve new English Language Development standards aligned to Common Core state standards in reading and writing.6th-grader back in school despite genes
After missing 11 days of class, Colman Chadam has been allowed to return to his Palo Alto middle school after convincing district officials that they didn't need to worry about a couple of genes in his DNA.
Monday, November 5, 2012
When being sent to the principal's office is a good thing
Just about every parent has experienced that moment of dread when the school's phone number shows up on caller ID. Generally it's one of two things -- your child is sick or injured or has done something wrong. But in the Bakersfield City School District, that call just might be cause for celebration.Freedberg: MapLight - Campaign spending to promote Props. 30 and 38 exceeds $100 million
Proponents of Propositions 30 and 38 have now poured a combined total of $117 million to convince voters to support their respective measures, both of which are intended to raise billions of dollars for schools and other programs.Walters: Prop. 30 and Jerry Brown's future
One might wonder, has Gov. Jerry Brown been an asset or a liability in the campaign to persuade Californians to raise taxes – a notion that historically has not fared very well at the polls? And if Proposition 30 is rejected, what does it bode for a man who was just 31 when first elected to office but who is now 74?
Who's Behind Proposition 32? Who's behind Prop 32? And what's their real agenda? Proposition 32 exempts the same corporate special interests that are funding the campaign: Big oil companies, insurance company executives, hedge fund managers, Wall Street bankers, big developers and Super PACs. These are the real people behind Proposition 32: billionaire businessmen, secretive Super PACs and other corporate special interests. Together, they’ve spent almost $100 million trying to influence California elections since 2000 -- so it’s a pretty safe bet that legitimate reform is not their real agenda. To learn more... Click on the colored box at the top of each column to reveal the wealthy businessmen behind Prop 32. Click on an individual picture to learn more about their real agenda -- then share the truth with your friends and family. Check back often. We’ll keep this page updated as new contributions pour in and more information becomes available.