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Friday, January 17, 2014

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Fensterwald: State Board patiently listens, then quickly passes regs for funding law


California Board of Education passes new school funding rules

The template that school districts must use was approved on an "emergency" basis for the current school year, the first year the formula is in effect. But state board members stressed the regulations are temporary and would be refined to take into account input from speakers who crowded the board room in Sacramento.

Galt teachers union seeks salary increase

Galt Joint Union High School District teachers feel that the governor’s recently released budget will be beneficial at the bargaining table as the Galt Federation of Certificated Employees union is in the midst of stalled negotiations.

Alpine teachers vote to authorize strike

The vote was in response to the district’s decision to impose across-the-board compensation cuts for teachers.

Threats close four Escondido schools

Four charter schools in Escondido will be closed Friday because of a threat against one of the campuses, school officials said Thursday night.

Federal probe in San Ysidro gets serious

The defense attorney for former San Ysidro schools Superintendent Manuel Paul said in court this week that Paul is the subject of an active federal investigation and charges are likely forthcoming.

Santa Clara County school board denies petition for charter school in Morgan Hill

In a blow to Latino parents agitating for change, the Santa Clara County Board of Education has denied a petition to open a charter school in Morgan Hill.

Turlock High lawn equipment replaced after theft

Thieves halted Turlock High School’s turf management work last week, but donors have stepped forward with dollars and used equipment to get the class back on track, Principal Marie Peterson said.

Berkeley school district to spend about $2 million on campus shooting prevention

In an attempt to prevent the next school shooting from happening here, the Berkeley school district will spend about $2 million on "armed intruder" training and security devices to prevent or reduce deaths in the event someone comes on campus with a gun.

Big changes to California's school-funding rules are approved

The new system allots more money to schools with disadvantaged students and empowers local educators to decide how to use the funds, as long as needy students are among those who benefit.

Fensterwald: State Board patiently listens, then quickly passes regs for funding law

After listening to nearly seven hours of 1-minute testimonies that were impassioned, instructive and inevitably repetitious, the State Board of Education, after little debate, unanimously approved temporary regulations Thursday fleshing out a historic education finance law. The new Local Control Funding Formula will not only transform how K-12 schools are funded, but also how student success is measured, and district budgets, with community involvement, are created.
Thursday, January 16, 2014

Restroom misunderstanding puts two schools on lockdown

A misunderstanding involving a student in a restroom led to two Indio schools being placed on lockdown Wednesday morning.

Concerns raised over how funds for higher-needs kids will be used

Parents will converge on the Capitol today to rally for more stringent rules tying education funding to direct services for children. The state Board of Education is scheduled to take up the plodding work of sorting through legal wording to guide spending under the new local control funding formula for schools.

Kern High School District restricts superintendent search to insiders

The Kern High School District has decided to limit to internal candidates its search for a successor to retiring Superintendent Don Carter.

Feds issue guidelines against bias in school discipline

Federal officials kicked up their campaign against discriminatory school discipline policies last week, issuing first-ever guidelines for school districts on how to avoid racial disparities in student punishment.

O.C. students accused of hacking, changing grades may face expulsion

The roughly dozen Corona del Mar High students accused of hacking into the school's computers to access tests and change grades are still facing the possibility of expulsion from the district, Newport-Mesa Unified officials confirmed Tuesday afternoon.