Latest News and Comment from Education

Thursday, July 12, 2012

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Thursday, July 12, 2012

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team:
Stockton, California

Education Headlines

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Lodi and Galt school districts could face more cuts

If the November tax initiative is passed, the state budget and education funding will remain as is. If the initiative fails, up to $460 per student per year will be withheld from Lodi Unified, or about $12.3 million.

Galt high school district hires Michael Roberts as new superintendent

Michael Roberts has been chosen as the new superintendent of Galt Joint Union High School District and will earn $139,382 annually. His three-year employment contract was approved at Tuesday's board meeting.

Signatures turned in for Support Our Schools initiative

The Irvine city clerk received more than 18,000 signatures for the Support Our Schools initiative, which would more than double city support for Irvine schools from 2013 to 2016 if it qualifies for the November ballot.

Solar carports to be installed at 9 of 12 proposed Irvine schools

Solar-panel parking canopies will be installed at nine of 12 proposed school campuses, the Irvine Unified School District board decided after postponing the vote for more than a month to solicit community feedback.

Elk Grove district school gets arsenic-free water fountain

Franklin Elementary students will start the school year with an experience most have not had – drinking from a hallway water fountain. The school, located in a rural enclave south of Elk Grove, has supplied its students with bottled water for five years because its well had high arsenic levels, based on federal standards.

Twin Rivers board leader used school district cops to chauffeur him

Cortez Quinn, Twin Rivers Unified School District's newly elected school board president, repeatedly asked school police officers to chauffeur him on personal trips or errands in 2009 and 2010. School police emails obtained by The Bee through the Public Records Act show Quinn, during his first term as a board member, asked Twin Rivers Police Chief Christopher Breck on at least eight occasions to arrange rides for him.

School contracts go without low bids

None of the modernization projects were awarded using a low-bid competition, as is required for most public building projects. The districts are using a financing method known as a lease-leaseback, in which they make payments by handing property over to a contractor and leasing it back. State law allows no-bid contracts under that scenario.

Alum Rock approves new KIPP charter middle school

KIPP Bay Area, the much-lauded charter school known for preparing underserved children for college, will open a second middle school in San Jose in 2014.

Measure would require charters to enroll in CalSTRS, ‘PERS

Even as Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature’s Democratic leaders trade plans for public pension reform, one San Francisco lawmaker is pushing to require the state’s charter schools to enroll in the California State Teachers’ Retirement System and the California Public Employees’ Retirement System.

LAUSD fights court order to give more space to charter schools

Los Angeles school officials are fighting a court order, which took effect Wednesday, that would set aside more classroom seats for charter schools — even if that means traditional schools will lose space for parent centers, computer labs, academic intervention and other services.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Stockton Unified voters asked to pay more

With the pace of construction slowed by the struggling economy, Stockton Unified School District will ask homeowners in November to vote in support of a property tax increase that would allow the district to accelerate the speed with which it can complete a variety of building projects.

Six Aspire charter schools in California could close

Six Aspire schools in California have one year to gain approval from local school districts or be forced to close.

New Twin Rivers trustees face old wounds, tough tasks

A superintendent search and grand jury response are among the top tasks being tackled by the newly elected Twin Rivers Unified School District