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Wednesday, February 5, 2014

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AFP Photo / Peter Stefen

Anonymous LA school employees turn to Facebook to spotlight needed repairs







Education Headlines

Wednesday, February 5, 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.

San Joaquin suspension up; question is, by how much?

School discipline statistics released by the California Department of Education last week show that San Joaquin County suspensions increased by 0.5 percent from 2011-12 to 2012-13, and that expulsions decreased significantly.

EdSource: Q&A - The uncommon challenge of Common Core

If you’re like most people, you probably still have some questions: If you’re a teacher, what will the Common Core Standards do to your lesson plans? If you’re a parent, how will this affect your kid? And if you’re a student: Like, what tests are you going to have to take?

Police send evidence in Corona del Mar cheating case to lab

Police have not located the tutor accused of being a central figure in the Corona del Mar High hacking scheme, but detectives have submitted evidence gathered during a search of the man’s Irvine home to an FBI crime lab for analysis, officials said.

LBUSD looks to cut Jordan's international baccalaureate program

Carlos Montes was among about a dozen students, teachers and alumni who addressed the Long Beach Unified School Board Tuesday night asking that they not eliminate the International Baccalaureate program, which has been at the school for decades.

Cortez Quinn ends self-imposed leave, attends Twin Rivers board meeting

Cortez Quinn walked into the Twin Rivers Unified School District board room Tuesday night, camera crews chasing behind him, before joining the rest of the school board last night. Quinn had been on a self-imposed 90-day leave from his board seat since shortly after his arrest Nov. 6 for allegedly accepting illegal loans from a school employee, falsifying a paternity test and using it in court to deny paternity.

Lawsuit targets Rocketship schools in Santa Clara County

In another blow to the flagging fortunes of Rocketship charter schools, four Santa Clara County school districts on Tuesday filed a lawsuit seeking to rescind the approval of 20 Rocketship schools and prevent the county school board from granting similar requests.

Parents outraged by graphic PETA flier given to children at Calabash Charter Academy

As children rushed into class at Calabash Charter Academy Thursday morning, many were handed a colorful comic book with a cute cartoon cow on the front from a small group of people gathered near the flagpole.

How budget cuts and PTA fundraising undermined equity in San Francisco public schools

Parent fundraising for elementary education in San Francisco skyrocketed 800 percent in 10 years. The largesse saved some classroom programs, but widened the gap between rich and poor.

Anonymous LA school employees turn to Facebook to spotlight needed repairs

Los Angeles Unified School District staff have taken to Facebook to put a spotlight on crumbling school infrastructure and neglected repairs - and shame officials.

Sacramento area school districts resist push for smaller class sizes

Gov. Jerry Brown’s new school funding plan promises smaller class sizes, but that is more dream than reality at some California districts.

Walton group funds more charter schools in L.A. than elsewhere

Los Angeles charter schools have been the largest recipients of funding from the foundation associated with the family that started Wal-Mart, according to figures released Wednesday.

State asks all public K-12 schools to make salaries public

State Controller John Chiang has asked every public school district in the state to provide salary and benefit information for all employees and elected officials so that it can be posted on the Internet and shared with the public.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Speakers call on Kern HSD to expand superintendent search

At a Monday hearing held to gather input on the qualities the public would like to see in the Kern High School District's next superintendent, speakers called on the board of trustees to cast a wider net in its search for a successor to retiring superintendent Don Carter.

S.J. school suspensions up; question is, by how much?

School discipline statistics released by the California Department of Education last week show that San Joaquin County suspensions increased by 0.5 percent from 2011-12 to 2012-13, and that expulsions decreased significantly.

Fresno Unified teachers wear black to protest contract proposal

Dozens of Fresno Unified teachers wore black Monday, protesting an employee contract pitched by administrators that lengthens school days and ties student test scores to teacher evaluations.

Top administrator criticizes school district response to cheating case

Calling Newport-Mesa Unified’s handling of a student cheating scandal a “farce,” a top district administrator claimed that the Corona del Mar High principal failed for months to warn parents about a private tutor and his suspected involvement in the hacking scheme.

Twin Rivers school community awaits trustee’s next move

Twin Rivers Unified parents, teachers and administrators are waiting to see if Cortez Quinn will take his seat as Area 5 trustee at today’s school board meeting. Quinn took a self-imposed 90-day leave shortly after his arrest Nov. 6 on three felony and five misdemeanor charges, which include allegedly