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Wednesday, October 9, 2013

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Discipline reform advocates rally at Long Beach USD board meeting

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Wednesday, October 9, 2013

State funding questions continue to worry Fillmore schools' chief

The local control funding formula is expected to funnel more money to poor and English-learning students, which could benefit the Fillmore Unified School District because of its demographics. However, interim Superintendent Dr. Alan Nishino said during his bi-weekly report that the district is in a state of uncertainty as it remains unclear how much funding Fillmore schools will receive under the new formula.

Fensterwald: Amid heavy lobbying, Brown must decide teacher dismissal bill

Gov. Jerry Brown has saved a much-disputed bill on teacher dismissals for the last batch of bills facing him before Sunday’s deadline for deciding legislation.

Settlement in lawsuit that torpedoed Monterey Peninsula USD candidate

Lake Elsinore Unified School District officials settled the sexual harassment lawsuit that became a flashpoint when a district administrator was about to get the top job at Monterey Peninsula Unified School District.

Riverside school board doesn’t fund adult program

Riverside Unified School District won’t fund or reopen the Life School special education class for adults, despite requests to reconsider the decision.

Discipline reform advocates rally at Long Beach USD board meeting

School leaders unanimously approved a new discipline policy for Long Beach-area schools Tuesday, agreeing with more than 100 students who rallied at the Board of Education meeting that too many kids are being suspended.

San Bernardino County schools superintendent to retire at end of 2014

After six years of overseeing programs for more than 414,000 students, San Bernardino County Superintendent Gary Thomas announced Tuesday his plans not to seek re-election.

LAUSD teacher placed on leave after profanity-laden outburst is recorded by student

An audio clip of a high school English teacher repeatedly dropping the F-bomb during a classroom outburst has gone viral on the campus of Narbonne High in Harbor City.

Rialto accused lunch money embezzler charged

A former Rialto Unified accountant has been charged with the suspected embezzling of $1.8 million in funds from the district over the past eight years.

Malibu teachers’ illnesses prompt environmental testing on Malibu High School campus

Faculty, students and parents anxiously awaited the results of environmental testing at Malibu High School after several teachers came down with various serious illnesses in recent weeks, including cancer.

Lawsuit threat behind Concord neighbors' request to postpone school stadium vote

With the threat of a lawsuit looming over planned stadium lights that weren't disclosed in a Mt. Diablo school bond measure, Ygnacio Valley High neighbors are asking trustees to delay a vote Wednesday on the field upgrades.

K-8 schools want Salesforce.com funding, too

While San Francisco's 12 middle schools were tickled pink by the $2.7 million in iPads, teacher training, wireless access and cold hard cash that landed in their laps recently, their counterparts at the city's K-8 schools have been green with envy.

LAUSD President Richard Vladovic issues apology; seeking professional help

A day after Los Angeles Unified released two claims accusing him of harassment, school board President Richard Vladovic admitted Tuesday that he’d violated the district’s “civility policy” and apologized to employees who’d felt intimidated by him.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Mentor program for Stockton USD hits snags

Tyler Elementary School Principal Henry Phillips was excited six months ago by the possibility of a new one-on-one mentoring program at his school, a plan intended to benefit a select group of male students struggling with behavioral issues and academic challenges.

Hacienda La Puente Unified School District names Parulan-Colfer new superintendent

The board majority said Parulan-Colfer was the best choice for the job because of her administrative skills. Previously, she headed up the district's adult education and regional occupation programs.

McBride High celebrates grand opening

It cost $75 million to build the 150,000-square-foot campus at Parkcrest Street and Los Coyotes Diagonal in East Long Beach. The campus boasts a number of green features, including an energy-efรฏ¬cient water-cooled central plant and and light รฏ¬xtures that dim automatically.

Accused lunch money embezzler, Judith Oakes, lived lavish lifestyle

Judith Oakes appears to have lived a good life. An accountant for the Rialto Unified School District for more than 16 years, her salary of nearly $80,000 a year was more than twice the $35,000 median income of San Bernardino, the city in which she lives.