FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, December 12, 2012

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Education Headlines

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Alisal school district names school after outlaw

Tiburcio Vasquez, born in Monterey on April 10, 1835, and hung for a conviction of murder on March 19, 1875, will be memorialized for his contribution and life in early California by adding his name to the list of schools in the community.

Monterey Peninsula USD Superintendent Marilyn Shepherd to retire after school year

Marilyn Shepherd has announced her intention to retire as superintendent of the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District at the end of the school year.

Kentfield school board discusses volunteer-run school lunch program

It'll remain business as usual for the Kentfield School District's volunteer-run school lunch program until it receives word back from the state.

Novato school district staffers criticize charter proposal

A proposal for a new charter school in Novato is flawed in numerous areas including curriculum, budgeting and the likely makeup of the student body, school district staffers said Tuesday.

Desert Sands Unified School District hires new superintendent

Desert Sands Unified School District hired Gary Rutherford to be its superintendent Tuesday. The board voted 4-1, with Wendy Jonathan voting no, to approve Rutherford’s five-year contract.

Lindsay Unified schools win $10 million Race to the Top federal grant

The small Lindsay Unified School District has won a big federal jackpot -- $10 million over four years from the U.S. Department of Education's Race To The Top program.

Galt elementary district lands $10 million federal award

Galt Joint Union Elementary School District will soon have $10 million more to teach children. The district was one of 16 nationwide to win the latest round of federal Race to the Top money, the U.S. Department of Education said Tuesday.

Alvord schools to get rosier budget update

Alvord Unified School District will be able to pay all its bills this year and for the next two years, according to budget updates going to the school board Thursday, Dec 13. This will be the first such positive financial certification for the district since at least 2010 as the district has faced annual budget cuts.

In international comparisons, California eighth-graders score in the middle in science and math

In international comparisons among about 50 countries and states, California eighth-graders scored right in the middle in math and science but lower than the U.S. average.

LAUSD board debates raising salaries or buying students tablet computers

With the groundwork laid for a new digital-learning plan, a request for a strategy to buy computer tablets for all students erupted Tuesday into a shouting match between two Los Angeles Unified board members over setting budget priorities for the district.

Mongeau: Three California districts win in federal Race to the Top competition

Three California school districts are among 16 winners in the latest round of the federal Race to the Top funding competition. The relatively small districts beat out several of the state’s largest districts, which didn’t even make it into the final round.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Charter schools continue to grow

Once a novelty on the landscape of public education, independent public charter schools have become the choice for more families locally and nationwide. For the first time, more than 100 school districts nationwide have at least 10 percent of all students enrolled in charter schools, according to a study by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.

LAUSD workers union endorses both school board incumbents

An important labor group is backing two incumbents and a newcomer for the Los Angeles Board of Education, days after the powerful teachers union issued its endorsements for the March election.

Frey: Legislative support elusive for adult ed funding plan

California’s Legislative Analyst’s Office says the state’s embattled adult education system needs a dedicated and permanent funding stream that can’t be appropriated for other school programs when the state budget goes south.