Crisis over: California gets waiver for Common Core field tests without penalties - by John Fensterwald
California will not face penalties or multimillion-dollar fines from the federal government for giving all students a preliminary test on the new Common Core standards, instead of on the old state standards that California has abandoned. On Friday, the federal Department of Education announced it would give California a waiver from ... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit the Edsource Today w
Hundreds of districts, partnerships signal interest in ‘career pathways’ grant program - by Michelle Maitre
Competition is shaping up to be fierce for a new state grant program supporting programs that link academics with real-world career opportunities. The California Department of Education has received some 275 letters from parties interested in seeking a piece of the California Career Pathways Trust. The trust is a $250 million one-time grant fund for ... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit th
Special education needs a ‘do-over,’ state panel told - by Jane Meredith Adams
Eight minutes into a public meeting on how to reform the state’s vast special education system, the woman who ran special education in California for nine years came up to the microphone. Alice Parker was blunt. “I wish I could have a ‘do-over’ for the 45 years I worked in special ... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit the Edsource Today website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Former superintendent backs tenure, layoff laws as defense opens in ‘Vergara’ lawsuit - by John Fensterwald
A former superintendent of three school districts defended the current laws for granting teachers tenure, dismissing ineffective teachers and conducting layoffs based on seniority as the defense began in Vergara vs California, the lawsuit putting employment protections for teachers on trial. Robert Fraisse, a 40-year educator who’s currently a Distinguished Educator ... [[ This is a content summa
Proposed bill would provide $1.5 billion more for Common Core implementation - by Kathryn Baron
California school districts would receive another year of Common Core implementation funds under a bill introduced Wednesday by Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla, D-Concord. Last year, as chair of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance, Bonilla pushed for the $1.25 billion that schools are using this academic year to support teacher training, ... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit
School districts should begin planning now for new science standards - by Trish Williams / commentary
The Next Generation Science Standards, adopted last September by the State Board of Education, will better engage and educate all students in science, and better prepare them to enter more in-depth science, computing and engineering courses in high school and beyond. I am a passionate champion of California’s new science standards. The ... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit the Edsource Tod
Judge denies motion to dismiss lawsuit challenging teacher job protections - by John Fensterwald
With the end of intermission, there will now be a second act to the state’s education trial of the year, Vergara vs California, in which nine students are challenging the constitutionality of laws governing teachers’ job protections. On Tuesday, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Rolf Treu rejected a motion to dismiss ... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit the Edsource Today website fo
Loss of supermajority in Senate could doom vote on 55 percent majority for parcel tax - by John Fensterwald
The exit of two Democratic state senators – one as a result of a criminal conviction, the other by indictment – leaves supporters of a proposal to make it easier to pass a school parcel tax back where they’ve been for a decade, needing one Republican vote to put the ... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit the Edsource Today website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Effective teacher training critical to success of Common Core math - by Lillian Mongeau
The quality of teacher training will be crucial to the success of the new Common Core State Standards in math, educators say, and the pressure is on districts to give elementary school teachers the skills they’ll need to provide students with a firm foundation in early arithmetic. “My big worry is ... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit the Edsource Today website for full links, other conten
Summer and after-school programs provide a jump on Common Core - by Susan Frey
Middle school English teacher Kellie Madden already has a good grasp of the new Common Core State Standards. In fact, she has been teaching to those standards for the past two years without realizing it. Madden teaches each summer in a program where students collaborate on projects that require critical thinking, ... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit the Edsource Today website for full lin