Latest News and Comment from Education

Monday, October 21, 2013

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team:

Sacramento School Kids Paying for City's Privatization Scheme?






Education Headlines

Monday, October 21, 2013

Davis school district settles parcel tax lawsuit

Davis school trustees settled a lawsuit Thursday that had challenged a $3 million annual parcel tax expected to reduce class sizes and fund academic programs.

Budget deficit at foster youth school

A persistent budget deficit at the county’s boarding school for foster youth has education officials looking at ways to boost San Pasqual Academy’s enrollment and cut costs.

'Excess' teachers going back to work

More than 100 teachers in San Diego Unified went into session in September with no official job assignment for the school year, due largely to enrollment shifts and increases in class size that required redeployments.

School districts get influx of new funding

For the first time in years, school districts across the state are getting an influx of new money. And for the first time, local districts are mostly free to figure out how to spend the money in ways that will benefit students.

Districts must create local control accountability plans focused on eight priorities

As California districts prepare to spend the new money they are receiving through the state's Local Control Funding Formula, they must create Local Control Accountability Plans that include eight priorities.

Local control funding formula timeline

A new Local Control Funding law completely overhauled the way the state allocates funding for school districts, but some districts are waiting to spend the money until the state Board of Education spells out the rules for the new funding formula.

Healthy snacks get a teen taste test at Modesto's Davis High

Davis High teens trying the next new thing in vending machine fare — low-cal, low-fat, low-salt — said the healthy alternatives were generally better than the sodas and sugary treats they usually spend their quarters on.

Galt high school district unions seek raises for district employees

Galt Joint Union High School District employees would like to see the district invest in them using extra funding.

Elected school trustees in Bay Area's poorest performing district paid most

How much does your local school district pay its elected trustees for their service? The answer has nothing to do with how well the students grasp reading, writing and arithmetic. In fact, an analysis by this newspaper of compensation and academic performance data found exactly the opposite.

Orland school board imposes freeze, but questions remain

Last week, the Orland Unified School District board of trustees took a step aimed at getting the district out of a serious financial crisis, but despite the move, many questions remain.

San Juan Unified costs mount as leadership probe continues

The San Juan Unified School District has entered its sixth month of investigating allegations that its superintendent harassed, bullied and created a hostile work environment for some female administrators.

L.A. Unified's English learner action upsets parents, teachers

As the district moves to enforce a policy of grouping pupils of similar English fluency ability together, those opposed protest.
Friday, October 18, 2013

Black Oak, Twain Harte merger is discussed

Black Oak Elementary and Twain Harte Middle schools, which operate on the same campus, could soon become one school again. Twain-Harte Long Barn Union School District's Board of Trustees on Tuesday directed Superintendent Jeff Winfield to look into combining the schools.

Newport-Mesa launches program aimed at avoiding special ed lawsuits

Newport-Mesa Unified School District’s special education program has introduced a new process that school officials hope will encourage parents and the district to talk out their differences before resorting to legal action.

County education leader critiques Common Core

A trustee with the Orange County Board of Education has voiced concerns about new state standards being implemented at California schools during a gathering of local Tea Party activists.