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Monday, August 27, 2012

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Education Headlines

Monday, August 27, 2012

Carmel Unified, Monterey Peninsula USD in deal with parents seeking transfer

A potentially costly and drawn out boundary dispute between Carmel and Monterey Peninsula school districts has quietly gone away after Carmel administrators agreed to take on up to four students from the area in question.

Gay students recount their torment - Second of two parts

Gay, lesbian and bisexual students interviewed by the Press-Telegram at nine of the 20 high schools in the six Long Beach area school districts said they have been targeted for harassment and bullying because of their sexual orientation.

New Stockton school wants athletes to excel — but critics are worried

Inside a spacious gymnasium with black and red walls, over a dozen young basketball players are giving the court floor a workout.

Twin Rivers trustees to vote on hiring new legal firm

Twin Rivers Unified School District trustees will vote Tuesday on whether to sever ties with the outside legal counsel, Timothy M. Cary and Associates, to which the north-area school district has paid $1.3 million in the past two months alone.

Twin Rivers police chief and aide threaten to quit

The Twin Rivers acting police chief and lieutenant charged with cleaning up the once-troubled school district police force will tender their resignations this week if board members block recommended changes within the department, according to a letter obtained by The Bee.

Twin Rivers school employees placed on leave are paid to wait

Twin Rivers has placed at least 38 employees on paid administrative leave since 2008, for reasons relating to discipline or an investigation, according to the data released by the district. Of that group, 16 returned to work. Others were laid off, retired, dismissed or have no resolution.The district has spent $1.2 million for the salaries of the 38 employees.

Q&A: New Elk Grove school trustee is ready to listen and work

Bobbie Singh-Allen was sworn in as the Elk Grove Unified School District's newest board member Aug. 16. She was appointed by the board to fill the Area 4 trustee seat vacated by Pollyanna Cooper-LeVangie. Singh-Allen said she believes she is the only Sacramento-area school board member of South Asian – Indian – descent.

Hemet principal opts for mobility, ditches office

In an effort to force himself to spend more time in classrooms interacting with students and staff, Tahquitz principal Michael Roe has taken the unusual step of not having an office and will instead conduct a majority of his work from classrooms.

Most local school districts ignore state's anti-gay bullying law

AB 9, The Safe Place to Learn Act, requires districts to update their anti-harassment and anti-bullying policies and include actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity and expression, as well as race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, disability and religion. However none of the six Long Beach area school districts complied with the bill's July 1 deadline, and only one, Long Beach Unified School District, has since met the requirements.

Bid to revive teacher misconduct bill fails

Republican lawmakers on Friday mounted an unsuccessful effort to revive a bill that would speed the dismissal process for teachers who engage in sexual abuse.

Mt. Diablo school board to vote on elimination of busing for some students

Besides voting on what to do with the KVHS radio station Monday night, the Mt. Diablo school board expects to vote on a proposal to eliminate busing for some "overflow" students who must attend campuses outside their neighborhoods if their home schools are full.

Mt. Diablo school board to decide fate of KVHS radio station

After Clayton Valley High became a charter school this year, a tug of war began over who would run the KVHS radio station, which has operated on the Mt. Diablo school district campus for more than 40 years.

New in schools: a bridge to kindergarten

About 40,000 California children, age 4 and with November birthdays, qualified for transitional kindergarten - created after the state decided to move back the birthday cutoff for kindergarten entry from Dec. 2 to Nov. 1 this year. The new law has eliminated a conundrum long faced by California parents of children born in the fall.

Fensterwald: Zoning exemption for Rocketship charter riles local districts

Superintendents and school board members were angry last year when the Santa Clara County Board of Education approved plans for 20 Rocketship Education elementary charter schools over the next six years, in addition to the five county-approved Rocketship schools in the works or already open. Now, many are furious that the county board may assert its power to exempt a Rocketship school from San Jose zoning ordinances.

Gov. Jerry Brown lines up unusual allies on his tax hike initiative

To gain business support for his tax hike initiative, Gov. Jerry Brown has cast aside several ideas — such as new levies on oil extraction, soft drinks or alcohol — that are more popular with voters than his plan for temporary sales and income taxes.
Friday, August 24, 2012

Flight school

Stephen Foster stood beside the skeletal wood frame of a single-seat airplane Thursday afternoon in the auto shop at Weber Institute of Technology in downtown Stockton.

San Diego Unified to consider bond restrictions

Amid growing calls to restrict or even ban certain expensive school bond deals, the president of the San Diego Unified school board will ask fellow board members to promise voters the district will not to use the controversial financing in a newly proposed bond measure.

El Dorado school district orders stadium ad for ammunition company removed

The owners of an ammunition supply store in Rancho Cordova are protesting a school district's decision in Shingle Springs to pull down an advertisement for their shop at a local high school.

Alisal school district board won't reduce services at Family Resource Center

Facing pressure from community members and leaders, administrators at the Alisal Union School District have backpedaled on instructions to redirect services from their family resource center to their school sites.