Monday, December 10, 2012

UPDATE: FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Monday, December 10, 2012

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Darling-Hammond elected new chair of Credentialing Commission | EdSource Today


Education Headlines

Monday, December 10, 2012

Change in the wind as Stockton USD nears 2013

A variety of factors appears to make conditions ripe for change in a wide range of central-office and school-site leadership positions in 2013, say several Stockton Unified officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Long Beach USD high school projects will exemplify `smaller is better'

For a string of new high schools slated to open in the Long Beach Unified School District in the coming years, the motto is "smaller is better."

Survey says about 20 percent of Claremont students struggle with depression, contemplate suicide

The Claremont Unified School District learned last week up to one-fifth of its students in three grades had struggled with depression or contemplated suicide.

Local school bond financing highlights larger statewide issue

Half a dozen school districts in Humboldt County are among 200 statewide that have borrowed billions of dollars to build and modernize schools using capital appreciation bond -- or CAB -- financing that some critics contend should be banned because it burdens homeowners with high debts that take up to 40 years to pay off at exorbitant interest rates.

Firm sued bureaucrat over suggested bid process

A company that coordinates employee benefits for dozens of Southern California school districts has lost its appeal of a lawsuit accusing a San Diego schools administrator of trying to undermine its business by seeking lower bids.

Educator leaves state administrator post

Former Inland educator Kent Taylor has resigned as state administrator of the Inglewood Unified School District after the state learned of unapproved financial commitments and a new interim administrator, former Assistant Superintendent of Business Services La Tanya Kirk-Carter, was appointed.

Modesto City Schools to consider special election on pool funding

Modesto City Schools board members tonight will consider co-sponsoring a special election for taxpayers to weigh in on funding the Enochs High School pool.

More meat, grains in school lunches

The Agriculture Department is responding to criticism over new school lunch rules by allowing more grains and meat in kids' meals.

Calif sees fewer teachers as enrollment trends up

a's teachers to be sure, but the dim job market has also had an impact on people wanting to become teachers at a time when the state's population of children reaching school age is rising.

Lopez: Does creationism have a place at a public school?

Los Angeles Unified School District biology teacher Tom Phillips is retiring this month, but on his way out, he's decided to go public with a pet peeve. Phillips believes the continued Christian fundamentalist effort to debunk evolution is undermining science education in the United States, and he has seen evidence of that with his own students at Harbor Teacher Preparation Academy in Wilmington.

San Diego school district owes $1 billion on $100 million loan

More than 200 school districts across California are taking a second look at the high price of the debt they've taken on using risky financial arrangements. Collectively, the districts have borrowed billions in loans that defer payments for years — leaving many districts owing far more than they borrowed.

Kormanik: A greater role in math education for parents: mathematical reasoning at home

Turning everyday occurrences and household tasks into lessons not only helps students with their mathematical reasoning skills and sense of applied math, but prepares them for adulthood. I urge policymakers and other education reformers to develop more strategies for including parents in these efforts.

Credentialing commission imposes tougher test to become school administrator

Alone among states, California has permitted passing a primarily multiple-choice exam as one path to become a school or district administrator.

Los Angeles teachers' evaluation victory bucks a trend

Los Angeles teacher appraisals won't be based on "value added," increasingly being used across the country. Now a key question is how test scores will figure in.

Walters: Teacher misconduct bill gets another chance in California Legislature

When the Legislature reconvened last week and legislative leaders offered glowing accounts of what they had done in 2012 and lofty promises of future feats, no one mentioned Senate Bill 1530 – for good reason. Its demise in the Assembly Education Committee was one of the year's tawdrier events. py
Friday, December 7, 2012

Twain Harte school finances improving

The financial forecast for Twain Harte-Long Barn Union School District is much brighter than it was earlier this year, thanks in part to the passage of Proposition 30 on Nov. 6.

More students to boost Chico schools' budget, but deficit lingers

For the first time in several years, enrollment in the Chico schools is up, and the financial outlook for the district is looking fairly strong, except for one dark cloud labeled a "structural deficit."

College of the Desert auditor ties questioned

College of the Desert had questionably close ties to its auditing firm, which it hired for more than 50 years. Still, attendance-counting issues the firm reported to the school went uncorrected for at least six consecutive years.