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Wednesday, July 31, 2013

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Education Headlines

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Meetings scheduled to discuss Local Control Funding Formula

The California State Board of Education and the California Department of Education have announced the dates and locations of stakeholder meetings for those interested in joining discussions of how the Local Control Funding Formula will be implemented.

Baron: Special trustee Bob Agrella talks about saving City College of San Francisco

Bob Agrella, the special trustee entrusted with saving City College of San Francisco, wants to make one thing clear: City College is fully accredited and open for business, and his intention is to keep it that way.

Tran: Local Control Funding Formula: Is there a new rulebook?

The old rulebook that governed how schools spent their money, which was both stifling and (let’s be honest) comforting at times, has been replaced by the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), which now offers an opportunity for communities to take the reins to implement locally tailored approaches, while being held accountable for student outcomes

Desert Sands Unified School District offers teachers $1,100 stipends

The Desert Sands Unified School District has offered a one-time stipend of $1,100 to every teacher, ending months of bitter negotiations with the teachers union. In total, the stipends are estimated to cost about $1.5 million, according to district documents. The teachers union on Tuesday accepted the proposal, which the school board will vote on Wednesday night.

Fresno, Clovis schools make progress on construction projects

The steel beams forming the outer perimeter of the new Rutherford B. Gaston Middle School in southwest Fresno will soon be covered by cement plaster and metal tiles.Construction crews are sweating through summer to complete the new school -- named after Fresno Unified School District's first African-American principal -- by next August, just in time for the 2014-15 school year.

F.V. district seeks consultant to raise profile

Fountain Valley School District trustees are looking to hire a public relations consultant or firm to help the district raise more money.

Bible club, school district settle lawsuit over fees

In a move to settle a lawsuit, the Buena Park School District will no longer charge religious nonprofit groups – so long as they are not worshipping – to use its facilities after school hours.

New grant to expand school yoga program

The group funding a yoga program that has brought national attention to the Encinitas Union School District now wants to more than double its original contribution to expand such classes for the coming school year.

Modesto City Schools' support staff set to vote on new contract next week

Modesto City Schools' 1,300 support staff will vote Aug. 8 on a new three-year contract. The district's deal with the California School Employees Association Modesto Chapter would restore salaries to pre-recession highs and eliminates furlough days except for preschool staff, according to materials prepared by the union.

Brentwood district opens newest school as classes resume

Brentwood Union School District had built the $21.5 million school expecting that it would open in July 2011, but cuts to the state budget coupled with flat enrollment and the corresponding lack of growth in attendance-based revenue both obviated the need for a new school and made the additional operational costs unfeasible.

Rebooted summer programs in Oakland make learning fun to prevent 'summer slide'

While summer classes targeted at struggling students are nearing extinction on many school campuses, school districts such as Oakland Unified are rebooting the traditional summer education model by blending academics with recreational activities intended to prevent students from falling even further behind.

Adelanto school at center of parent trigger controversy opens

Parents used the state law to transform a public elementary school into a charter campus, Desert Trails Preparatory Academy. By June, the director says, students should be a year ahead of their peers.

Trayvon Martin case will drive campus conversations

Somewhere in the chaos of the Trayvon Martin case is a teachable moment for San Diego students. That's the belief of San Diego Unified trustees who adopted a plan Tuesday to foster a forum where middle and high school students can discuss the case that stirred a national debate on racism, guns and vigilantism.

Senior show and tell no longer graduation requirement

High school seniors in San Diego can cross those nerve-wracking end-of-year presentations off their to-do list.

La Jolla High principal abruptly reassigned

The head of San Diego's academic powerhouse - La Jolla High School - was unexpectedly reassigned as a campus construction liaison by Superintendent Cindy Marten late Tuesday.

'More boots on the ground' with Stockton USD proposal

Superintendent Steve Lowder is proposing changes to Stockton Unified's organizational structure that he says would put "more boots on the ground" and improve service to students, parents and teachers at the school district's 50-plus campuses.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Adult ed returning to Sonora High

Sonora Union High School District will restart its adult education program after a one-year hiatus that narrowed options for older students seeking high school diplomas.

New Bassett Unified superintendent starts job with 48 years of post-retirement health care

Superintendent Jose Reynoso's contract, approved in a 3-2 vote July 18, includes a stipulation that upon retirement the district will provide two years of health benefits to both Reynoso and his spouse for every year the 54-year-old served as an administrator. Reynoso had 24 years of qualified time before accepting the position.

Irvine schools facing growth pains

When it comes to elementary school student populations, how big is too big? Stonegate Elementary will put this question to the test the next school year when its student body is projected to grow to nearly 1,200 students – up from about 975 students a year ago.