Wednesday, December 4, 2013

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, December 4, 2013

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Education Headlines

Wednesday, December 4, 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.

School merger petition on

Volunteers throughout the Tuolumne County are gathering signatures from voters to put a measure on the November 2014 ballot that would consolidate the county's 11 school districts into one.

Sonora Elementary classes resume; arrest made

As Sonora Elementary School students returned to class this morning, law enforcement officials continued investigating the apparent arson fire that damaged 15 classrooms on Nov. 23. A 17-year-old former student has already been arrested on suspicion of starting the fire, and authorities have interviewed a second youth.

U.S. educators hope to learn from world test results

Educators and pundits all over the country are abuzz over the latest results of an international test that shows students in the United States have made little progress in the past three years.

National group asks Bellflower Unified school board to stop prayers at meetings

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is asking the Bellflower school board to stop its longtime practice of praying before meetings.

Westminster bond deal would evade new debt limits

Westminster School District plans to borrow money Thursday by issuing construction bonds that are so expensive they would be illegal under a state law that goes into effect on Jan. 1.

Zuckerberg, Gates foundations give $9 million to improve schools' Net connections

The effort to expand schools' digital infrastructure will get a boost from a $9 million grant, announced Wednesday, mainly from Mark Zuckerberg's Startup-Education foundation and the Gates Foundation.

LAUSD could lose up to $200 million if families don’t submit financial paperwork

Facing the potential loss of up to $200 million in state money to help educate impoverished students, Los Angeles Unified is scrambling to comply with new state rules requiring financial verification for every low-income pupil.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Santa Paula school superintendent a fast learner with humble beginnings

Alfonso Gamino was selected as the newly unified district's first leader, which meant he had to leave the Central Valley, where he grew up. His eldest daughter was leaving home for the first time to start a pre-med track at Long Beach State University. And two months into the job, his wife, Guadalupe, gave birth to a baby boy, their fourth child.

Eyesore no more: Edison loses '1920s mental hospital' vibe with new addition

Yes, Edison's aging main building at Center and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard remains unchanged from six years ago. But just past that edifice is Edison's soon-to-open, $6.5 million engineering and construction building, 16,212 square feet of new learning space that is changing the look of Stockton Unified's oldest high school.

Monterey Peninsula USD trustee wants to break contract with software provider

A trustee with the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District wants to renegotiate a five-year contract the district will not need after next school year. The contract stems from the administration's efforts to conduct its financial operations independently from the Monterey County Office of Education.

Coachella Valley Unified School District recall effort falls short

Despite months of collecting signatures, a group of disgruntled parents has failed to rally enough support to recall a majority of the Coachella Valley Unified School Board.

Pipes, personnel on LBUSD board's agenda

The Long Beach Unified School District board is set decide whether to take over the water pipes beneath the new McBride High School and discuss a few highlights of contract negotiations with employees at Tuesday’s board meeting.
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