FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, January 22, 2014

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The charter school tipping point

Education Headlines

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

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.

Positive behavior support pays off

Positive behavior and character reinforcing programs are gaining popularity - and apparent results - in Mother Lode schools.

Julian Crocker, San Luis Obispo County superintendent of schools, to retire

After 16 years supporting San Luis Obispo County's school districts and advocating for public education, county schools Superintendent Julian Crocker announced Tuesday that he will retire when his term ends next January.

Concerns mount about number of school nurses in Long Beach

Long Beach Unified students are being put at risk because of a lack of funded nursing positions, according to the district’s head nurse.

Sacramento City Unified holds school spending forum

Sacramento-area school districts are soliciting ideas on how to spend new state money intended to aid disadvantaged students.

Denair district, union reach deal; contract will end fears of takeover

Denair Unified School District and its teachers have reached a deal, ending fears of a state takeover, district and union spokesmen said Tuesday.

California schools compete for $250 million in job training grants

California's economy and retiring baby boomers are stoking a growing demand for trained workers the state hopes to fill by handing out $250 million in grants for job training programs at the high school and community college level.

The charter school tipping point

The San Diego Unified School board recently shot down a proposed charter school, opening the door to questions about how many charter schools are too many, and whether the district is on the road to creating a parallel school system.

Should kindergarten be required?

San Diego Assemblywoman Shirley Weber says the state has long centered education policy on the assumption that students attend kindergarten. But kindergarten is not mandatory in California — a shortcoming some say has left too many children unprepared for their first day of school and possibly causing them to fall farther behind in later grades.

Los Angeles City Hall takes a fresh look at LAUSD

Los Angeles Unified Superintendent John Deasy made a rare appearance before a City Council committee on Tuesday, marking the potential start of a closer relationship between City Hall and the school district.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Stockton USD takes shot at keeping kids free of flu and in school

To combat flu illness absences, Stockton Unified has been proactive in offering vaccines at all of its schools.

Bellflower teachers protest for pay raises amid contract negotiations

About 80 teachers from the Bellflower Unified School District lined the blocks in front of the district headquarters on Clark Avenue on Thursday night with signs requesting higher salaries in a silent march before the Board of Education meeting.

LAUSD schools for special-needs students take a more vocational bent

The district is moving toward a model in which all of its 8,000 students with moderate-to-severe disabilities receive some sort of vocational training.

Clovis Unified to hire at least 125 new teachers

After more than a decade of budget cuts and a bout of hiring freezes, Clovis Unified is changing course and planning to recruit several dozen new teachers.

High school hacking probe began months before scandal broke

A cheating scandal at Corona del Mar High School, which surfaced publicly last month, first came to the attention of school officials and the police six months earlier, when a teacher reported that “someone had possibly accessed her computer and altered student's grades,” according to a search warrant for the home of a private tutor suspected in the case.

Hayward truants targeted in business campaign

Decals have begun showing up in store windows throughout the city that warn, "This merchant will report truant students during school hours."

California signals intention to sell former mental institution for schools, parkland

After years of often frustrating negotiations, the state of California has signaled its intention to sell part of the shuttered Agnews Developmental Center for a high school, K-8 school and a park.