Tuesday, September 4, 2012

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DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION: Pelosi kicks off roster of speakers to California delegation



Education Headlines

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Local students boost test results

Statewide, just over half of students -- 51 percent -- scored proficient or advanced in math. In English, 57 percent scored proficient or above. That's up by a percentage point in math and three in English over last year.

Chino Valley USD reveals 4 teachers had sex with students

Three of the four teachers allegedly involved in sexual relationships with students were arrested, and two of them pleaded guilty to criminal charges.

School busing cuts negatively affect some students

In May, the Corona-Norco Unified School District board cut 17 bus routes for 779 middle, intermediate and high school students to save $645,685, a district report showed. An additional savings of nearly $300,000 was expected from a school boundary change.

Charter school conversion brings big changes to Oakland school

Last fall, the Oakland school board voted to close Lazear Elementary School. In a sense, it did. The charter school that opened last week on the same campus, by the same name, hardly resembles the institution that came before it.

SF test scores rise after funding boost

With new standardized test scores in hand Friday, San Francisco school officials answered a question long debated in the world of education: Does more money make a difference? The answer was yes.

Bill revises school rating system

California schools would be judged less by student test scores under a bill lawmakers are sending to Gov. Jerry Brown. Senate Bill 1458 by Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg de-emphasizes standardized tests in evaluating schools, and requires other factors – such as graduation rates, college-going rates, and other measures – to be used in calculating a school's Academic Performance Index.

California teacher evaluation bill abandoned by lawmakers

Legislative time runs out on the bill that education advocates said would have weakened initiatives in Los Angeles and elsewhere to improve the quality of public school instructors.

Principals who let students quickly make up class are reassigned

After failing a class at one L.A. Unified school, three seniors earned the credit at another in days, then returned to graduate. The consequences for the principals trigger backlash at both schools.

Willie Brown Jr. Academy razed

What had been one of the lowest-performing, under-enrolled schools in San Francisco was little more than a pile of rubble as workers demolished Willie Brown Jr. Academy in the city's Bayview neighborhood.

SIA Cabinet Report: Failure of teacher evaluation bill clouds CA's NCLB waiver

Withdrawal of the teacher evaluation bill in the final days of the legislative session last week likely removes an easy path for California schools to relief from federal sanctions under the No Child Left Behind Act, state officials said last week.

SIA Cabinet Report: Dustup over expensive bonds provokes calls for new regulation

Controversy at a San Diego school district over the cost to taxpayers for new borrowing could lead to legislative controls on school bonds, a spokesman for the state treasurer’s office said last week.

L.A. schools moving away from zero tolerance policies

A new partnership among Los Angeles city, police and school officials aims to support — rather than punish — students, offering counseling instead of citations.

Teachers unions' alliance with Democratic Party frays

Public efforts toward school reform have some Democrats questioning the party's support of guarantees that school districts have made to teachers for decades.
Friday, August 31, 2012

School officials discuss controversial bonds

Oceanside Unified School District officials called a special meeting with an oversight group Thursday to explain the district's use of a controversial type of borrowing that pushes payments far into the future at a higher interest rate.

Long Beach USD budget cuts eliminate security officers from middle school campuses

With the start of the new school year on Wednesday, middle school students will no longer have campus security officers (CSOs) like Big Mike on school grounds. As part of a round of budget cuts in July, the LBUSD eliminated CSOs at all of its middle schools, cutting about 20 positions.

More Lodi schools behind locked fences

More and more elementary schools in Lodi Unified School District are locked up behind tall fences and gates to prevent theft, said Art Hand, assistant superintendent of facilities and planning.

Eureka homeowners to get tax savings thanks to refinanced school district bond

Eureka City Schools will be saving taxpayers about $2.7 million over the next 13 years after successfully refinancing general obligation bonds to take advantage of a lower interest rate, officials said.