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Tuesday, July 24, 2012

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El Capitan, Merced River, Yosemite National Park, California

El Capitan, Merced River, Yosemite National Park, California



Education Headlines

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Possible student cheating incidents delay release of state test results

Possible student cheating incidents at a dozen California schools, including Long Beach's Millikan High School, have delayed the release of the state standardized test results this year, officials said.

Natomas Unified and its teachers agree on two-year contract

Natomas Unified School District and its teachers union ended months of deadlocked negotiations this month, agreeing on a contract that could mean hiring more teachers to expand popular programs like kindergarten and International Baccalaureate.

New law increases school police powers, critics say

A new law that aims to address confusion over the authority of school district police departments has come under fire from some critics who say lawmakers have quietly increased school police powers under the guise of "cleanup language."

SD schools poised to ask voters for help

The San Diego school district is poised to ask voters to support a $2.8 billion bond measure in November, a property tax that would generate revenue for campus renovations and technology upgrades while offering relief to its strapped general fund.

Temecula school board moves forward with bond measure

The Temecula Valley Unified school board agreed Monday, July 23, to hold a special meeting to consider placing a $165 million bond measure on the November ballot.

LAUSD employee files lawsuit against former Superintendent Ramon Cortines

A 12-year employee of the Los Angeles Unified School District filed a lawsuit today against former Superintendent Ramon Cortines, accusing him of making repeated unwanted sexual advances, including shortly after the worker was hired in 2000 and again two years ago at Cortines' ranch in Kern County.

Feds say sequestration cuts to schools won’t impact 2012-13

The U.S. Department of Education provided some relief Monday to the collective anxiety building among school administrators over the sequestration cuts that might be triggered come January.

Fensterwald: Big win in court for ‘parent trigger’ organizers

A Superior Court judge has given the parents in a Mojave Desert town who pulled the state’s second “parent trigger” a milestone victory.

Ruling supports Adelanto charter school effort

In an emotional celebration, Mojave Desert parents Monday hailed a court ruling that found the school board illegally rejected their efforts under the state's "parent trigger" law to transform their failing elementary school into a charter campus.
Monday, July 23, 2012

Major changes in math, English instruction coming soon

Teachers and school administrators across the country -- including thousands in Kern County -- are gearing up for massive changes in the classroom designed to improve math and English instruction.

Wright school district reinstates laid-off teachers

The Wright School District Friday reinstated nine teaching positions it cut earlier this month, marking a dramatic turnaround in labor negotiations that had been declared at impasse.

Rowland Unified gets millions in grants for green school buses

The district recently received $2.5 million in grants to buy cleaner buses. The new buses are fueled by compressed natural gas, known as CNG, eliminating the dirty diesel that powered the old buses.

To boost test scores, schools clamor for a horseman's advice

Dennis Parker is a part-Cherokee trainer in rural Zamora, Calif., who sports a silver ponytail beneath his cowboy hat. But his recent demonstration was aimed at training a different breed grappling with far bigger tasks: educators under mounting pressure to raise students' standardized test scores.

Audit headaches come with the pennies offered in new mandate block grant