Tuesday, February 12, 2013

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, February 12, 2013

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team:


Just Like Michelle Rhee's Students first only BETTER

Astroturf lobbying refers to political organizations or campaigns that appear to be made up of grassroots activists but are actually organized and run by corporate interests seeking to further their own agendas. Such groups are often typified by innocent-sounding names that have been chosen specifically to disguise the group's true backers

Outside groups trying to influence L.A. school board races





Education Headlines

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Lodi Unified split over proposal to eliminate program for at-risk freshmen

Ninth grade will no longer be offered at Lodi's Henderson Community Day School, a move that has some parents worried their teens will slip through the cracks during their freshman year of high school.

Classroom of Brentwood teacher in kicking scandal had been spiraling out of control

Dina Holder's special-education class at Loma Vista Elementary School had been spiraling out of control for months before she kicked a 5-year-old autistic boy for refusing to go to circle time.

Blattner: Brown’s school finance reform has the right intent but major flaws

Fresh on the heels of having saved – at least for now – California’s public education system through passage of his Proposition 30, Governor Jerry Brown is rededicating himself to the task of tearing down and redesigning the twisted maze that currently serves as the K-12 funding system. This is a wonderful goal, but enthusiasm for the general concept may unfortunately be blinding proponents to the specific, significant flaws in the administration’s proposal.

Baron: Districts to seek NCLB waiver whether or not they’re invited

A collaborative of California school districts known as the California Office to Reform Education, or CORE, plans to move forward with its application for a waiver from the most severe provisions of No Child Left Behind by the end of the month, the next deadline for states to apply.

School resource officers are no 'Kindergarten Cops'

The Murrieta Valley High School school resource officer program includes four Murrieta officers and a corporal who patrol 18 schools in the district, at every level from elementary to high school. The school resource officers, or SROs, in the Murrieta schools are supervised by a sergeant and supported by a juvenile crimes investigator.

Boy's family apologizes for school threat

The family of a 12-year-old boy arrested over the weekend on suspicion of threatening to carry out a mass shooting at his Poway school apologized Monday for the threat and said the boy had no intention or ability to carry it out.

Mountain View school may overrule parents' wishes on when kids start first grade

Trying to reduce redshirting, a practice from college athletics, in kindergarten, one elementary school district is intervening in the parental decision of when a child is ready to start school.

Outside groups trying to influence L.A. school board races

The Coalition for School Reform has raised more than $1.5 million, mostly from a small group of wealthy donors who helped fund past campaigns. Separate campaigns are being paid for by unions.

Fensterwald: CalSTRS board to forward options for saving teacher pensions

Later this week the board of the California State Teachers Retirement System, or CalSTRS, will forward to the Legislature a report laying out options for raising higher contributions into the pension system to ensure its long-term viability.
Friday, February 8, 2013

Mira Monte student caught with gun on campus

A student was arrested Thursday after he brought a gun to Mira Monte High School, but authorities said they're not aware of any plans the boy had to actually use the weapon.

LAUSD, other districts, raid meal funds for poor students to cover other costs, state reports

Driven to desperation by historic funding shortfalls, school districts across the state in recent years have been illegally dipping into cafeteria funds meant to provide meals to poor students to pay other school expenses, according to a report released Wednesday by a state department.

Lucia Mar closer to getting millions of redevelopment dollars

A three-member board agreed unanimously this week to allow the Lucia Mar Unified School District to receive millions of dollars over the next two decades from the former Pismo Beach Redevelopment Agency.