Wednesday, August 14, 2013

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Education Headlines

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Angry parents storm Panama-Buena Vista meeting over transgender law, vendor contract

More than 100 people crowded into the normally quiet bimonthly meeting of the Panama-Buena Vista Union School District's board meeting Tuesday -- the first since Gov. Jerry Brown signed a new law mandating that public schools allow transgendered students to use restrooms and play on sex-segregated sports teams with the gender they identify with -- and they made their voices heard.

Kern High School District settles whistleblower lawsuit

The Kern High School District has settled with two former employees who had alleged they were wrongfully terminated after calling attention to contracts they said were shady.

San Bernardino City USD opens five new campuses this school year

In addition to easing crowding at existing campuses, the new schools also allow students to attend class closer to home – often close enough that the district no longer has to bus them.

North County schools look to bond for its future

Officials in the North Monterey County Unified School District are banking on voters to approve a multimillion-dollar bond to make needed repairs, erect new buildings and pay for the upgrades in technology to help students prepare for jobs in the 21st century.

Monterey school district to switch health care insurance plans to battle soaring costs

In an effort to tackle soaring health care premiums, trustees with the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District approved plans to drop medical insurance through the state Public Employees' Retirement System and join California's Valued Trust instead.

Nurses unhappy with diabetic ruling

Local school nurses are not happy with the California Supreme Court’s ruling Monday to allow trained but unlicensed employees to administer insulin to diabetic students if a nurse is unavailable, claiming it will be a disservice to fragile students.

Upland school board approves concessions, hears good news on budget

The Upland Unified School District Board of Trustees has approved a money saving agreement with the Upland chapter of the California School Employees Association that includes about $1.2 million in concessions.

Rialto Unified accountant accused of embezzlement resigns

The accountant accused of embezzling from Rialto Unified School District has resigned, according to a district official.

New school year began this week, earlier than ever

What was once a rite of autumn has become a rite of summer instead: School started up for the year at Colton Joint Unified on Thursday, and classes will begin across the Inland Empire this month, rather than after Labor Day, the once-traditional start to a new school year.

LAUSD starts new school year with more security, new curriculum

More than 600,000 Los Angeles Unified School District students returned to class Tuesday after summer break and were greeted with enhanced security measures, new disciplinary rules and expanded health services.

Charter partnership gives L.A. Unified school new name and outlook

As students returned to schools across Los Angeles on Tuesday, the pupils at 24th Street Elementary came back to a history lesson triggered by their parents. In an unprecedented partnership, the L.A. Unified School District has joined forces with Crown Prep, an outside charter operator, to run the persistently low-performing campus south of downtown.

Head Start limiting enrollment, cutting programs as sequester kicks in

Hundreds of children across the state will be shut out of preschool in September as the federal sequestration cuts to Head Start take effect.