FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, December 17, 2013

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Gov. Jerry Brown opposes government-imposed standards for schools

Education Headlines

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

FCMAT provides links to California K-12 news stories as a service to the industry. However, some stories may not be accessible because of newspapers' subscription policies.

Search coming soon for new Anaheim schools superintendent

Anaheim Union High School District’s board of trustees met Thursday night, rarely mentioning their controversial 3-2 vote earlier this month to fire Superintendent Elizabeth Novack.

Out-of-county charter programs take root in O.C.

Five-year-old Harrison Chong started kindergarten at the Orange County Language Academy four months ago, and his mother can't rave enough about what the county's first public Korean dual-language immersion program is doing for her son.

New app keeps parents in touch at Folsom Cordova Unified

The Folsom Cordova Unified School District has launched a mobile application giving parents, students and employees access to district resources and information, including school news, lunch menus, athletics, maps and message capabilities.

San Juan Unified School District facing 10 lawsuits

The San Juan Unified School District faces $17 million in claims over harassment allegations, with 10 lawsuits alleging that Superintendent Glynn Thompson created a hostile workplace.

Gov. Jerry Brown opposes government-imposed standards for schools

In an on-stage interview, the California governor says some educational experiences can't be captured in standardized testing.

Pittsburg Unified strives to serve more locally grown food to students

Minds are not the only thing growing at Willow Cove Elementary. So too are vegetables in a garden being tended by second-grade students. The tiny school garden is part of the Pittsburg Unified School District's Farm to School program, which aims to have more of the produce served in school cafeterias come from local growers and from fruits and vegetables grown in school gardens planted by students.

Frey: San Francisco considers eliminating ‘willful defiance’ as reason for suspensions

Suspensions and expulsions for “willful defiance” of school authorities may soon be forbidden at San Francisco Unified, which is considering a broad new discipline policy that focuses on restorative justice practices and other alternative measures.

Monday, December 16, 2013

District poised to name chief

The Linden Unified School District is negotiating a contract with its next superintendent and could name a new hire as early as Wednesday.

Bassett school board hires investigator, deputy superintendent search firm

Bassett Unified School District's newly elected board has hired a legal firm to investigate a series of complaints throughout the district of misconduct.

McKinleyville teachers' negotiations at impasse

The McKinleyville Teacher's Association and the McKinleyville Union School District signed documents Friday to officially declare an impasse in their 2013-2014 contract negotiations.

Sun Investigation: The high cost of skipping school

As early as elementary school, frequent absences significantly increase the likelihood that students will struggle in subsequent years on standardized tests, drop out of high school or be charged with a juvenile crime. Absences siphon millions of dollars from cash-strapped schools, and ultimately cost the state of California billions to support adults who end up living in poverty or serving time.

Contentious meeting, hard choices greet new Denair Unified trustees

Denair Unified School District’s new board weathered an emotional first meeting and faces a critical month ahead. Teachers overwhelmingly passed a vote of no confidence this week against interim Superintendent Walt Hanline, union President Barry Cole told board members, asking them to “get rid of Dr. Hanline and get someone who wants to solve the problems.”

Special education teacher's Facebook post calls autistic child a 'hot mess' and parents 'crazy'

A special-education teacher in the Torrance Unified School District has been removed from the classroom after infuriating parents with a Facebook post saying she was about to enter a meeting with "crazy parents" to discuss an autistic student whom the teacher describes as a "hot mess."