Wednesday, July 25, 2012

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, July 25, 2012

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Education Headlines

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

A school of their own

A new academy will help academically, socially and emotionally troubled elementary students progress while keeping them in the Lodi district.

Central Unified administrators' pay raises protested

More than 70 parents, teachers and staff picketed Tuesday outside Central High School to protest pay raises given to the district's top administrators last month. Five administrators, including Superintendent Mike Berg, will receive annual raises each year if they get a satisfactory performance review.

SD Unified to float new bond on Nov. ballot

The San Diego school district is counting on voters to approve a property tax in November to generate $2.8 billion in local funds at a time when state education revenue is increasingly uncertain.

West County school district will float parcel tax and bond measure to pay for new schools

Encouraged by a poll it commissioned that showed significant voter support, the West Contra Costa school board voted Monday night to place a parcel tax and a bond measure to build new schools on the November ballot.

Dual high school, college enrollment promotes outcome for at-risk students

Analysis of a project designed to promote college entry for high school students least likely to go showed that career-focused dual enrollment programs can provide positive outcomes for these often unprepared and underachieving pupils.

Berkeley Unified's total spending on harassment case unknown

After a Berkeley High School student complained of sexual harassment by her guidance counselor, the Berkeley Unified School District spent $94,000 on lawyers to fight her claim. Then in February, school officials made a $57,500 insurance payout to settle the girl’s lawsuit, according to court records and interviews. The financially strapped school district’s spending on the controversial harassment case probably was greater. But for the past year, school district officials have refused to disclose how much they spent on the case, ignoring information requests filed under the state’s Public Records Act by California Watch and by a legal watchdog group, the First Amendment Coalition.

Schools offer free summer meals, but few kids eat them

Across California, the loss of summer learning opportunities has lowered participation in federally funded summer meal programs, according to a recent report by California Food Policy Advocates. Summer school provides a central location where students congregate; without it, kids are scattered and more difficult to reach.

Teachers' attorney says evals can include test scores this year

In a potentially groundbreaking decision, Los Angeles teachers and administrators agreed with the school district for the first time to use student test scores as part of performance reviews beginning this school year.

Teacher evaluation bill set to come back on the front-burner

Set aside nearly a year ago, legislation to overhaul the state’s teacher evaluation system appears set to resurface after new discussions between legislative leaders and the Brown administration.

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."

California appellate court turns back challenge to Proposition 13

Proposition 13, the landmark property tax limitation passed by California voters in 1978, has survived another legal assault. The 2nd District Court of Appeal in Los Angeles on Tuesday denied, without comment, an appeal of a lower court decision rejecting a challenge to the measure from Charles Young, the former chancellor of the UCLA campus.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Troubled Marin students find success as summer interns

The program, which ends Tuesday, places some 150 students at internships for school credit, but typically few if any of the students have come from the alternative schools.

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.