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Thursday, November 7, 2013

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Fensterwald: States’ testing exec embraces California’s controversial decision for Common Core tests




Education Headlines

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Alum on Coachella Valley High's Arab mascot: 'Times are changing'

A national anti-discrimination group is pressuring Coachella Valley High School to abandon its longstanding mascot — a sneering, hook-nosed “Arab,” sometimes with a single tooth.

Group demands California high school change 'Arab' team name, mascot

A Southern California high school sports' team is not scoring any points for its name, the "Arabs." In a letter this month, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee accused the school of stereotyping and demanded a name change.

Fresno Unified to challenge appeal over no-bid contracts

The legal battle over whether Fresno Unified School District illegally hired a contractor to build a new southwest Fresno school is still alive despite the district's victory in an initial court ruling over the summer.

School district takes multilevel approach to attendance

The Chula Vista district was designated earlier this year as one of 11 districts in the state as a model of attendance improvement and dropout prevention by the state’s School Attendance Review Board, or SARB. The district has received the designation before, including in 2008 and 2011.

District releases transcript of closed-door hearing that led to firing of Modesto High School worker

Modesto City Schools has released the transcript of more than five hours of closed-door testimony before the board’s vote to provisionally approve firing longtime campus supervisor Jackie Munn.

LAUSD school board signals intent to move forward with iPad plan

After taking a second, deeper look at Los Angeles Unified’s controversial iPad project, school board members reiterated their support Tuesday for the plan to equip all 600,000 students with tablet computers while hearing about lessons learned during the first phase of the $1 billion effort to transform kids into “global learners.”

Albany district to demolish continuation school

MacGregor High School will be demolished and replaced with portable classrooms under a decision made by the Albany Unified School District board at a special meeting on Oct. 29.

Moraga School District gauges parcel tax win

Although early results show voters have approved a $192 per-parcel tax to fund the Moraga School District's four schools, district officials aren't celebrating just yet.

Baron: State board backs off integrated science standards in middle school

In a surprise move that disappointed California’s top educator but relieved some teachers, the State Board of Education on Wednesday backed away from a proposal that would have radically changed the way middle school students learn science.

Fensterwald: States’ testing exec embraces California’s controversial decision for Common Core tests

The executive director of Smarter Balanced, a consortium of states developing the new Common Core assessments, said he supports California’s decision to give the field, or practice, test in the new standards to all students next spring, rather than limit the pilot to a small test group as other states are doing.

Feds: Pervasive sexual harassment, assaults plague West Contra Costa County schools

A federal investigation of the West Contra Costa school district revealed a pervasive environment of sexual harassment and assaults by students that schools officials failed to adequately address, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights said Wednesday in announcing an agreement with the district to remedy the problem.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Twin Rivers trustee Quinn arrested on multiple felonies

Twin Rivers Unified school board member Cortez Quinn was arrested Tuesday night on multiple felony counts after allegedly conspiring to falsify his paternity test and illegally receiving loans from a school district employee.

Lodi district to close school

Lodi Unified trustees voted unanimously to close Tokay Colony Elementary as the school's enrollment figures continue to decline and an eleventh-hour effort to transform it into a technology magnet school drew little interest.

Newest charter school gets OK

The Foothill Leadership Academy, the county's newest charter school, has now moved past all required county authorization to open next year. An agreement between the academy and the Tuolumne County Superintendent of Schools Office was presented Monday evening at the county Board of Education's monthly meeting.