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Thursday, August 1, 2013

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Fensterwald: California committed to move forward with Common Core tests as planned






Education Headlines

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Fresno, Clovis schools make progress on construction projects

The steel beams forming the outer perimeter of the new Rutherford B. Gaston Middle School in southwest Fresno will soon be covered by cement plaster and metal tiles. Construction crews are sweating through summer to complete the new school -- named after Fresno Unified School District's first African-American principal -- by next August, just in time for the 2014-15 school year.

New charter school opens at New Millennium site in Fresno

Charter Academy, run by Lancaster-based Learn4Life charter school network, will open at New Millennium’s former campus in southwest Fresno on Aug. 19.

Galt offers a different kind of kindergarten

For the first time, the Galt Joint Union Elementary School District will have two independent transitional kindergarten classes this fall.

School safety in spotlight at Garden Grove conference

School administrators and safety officers from across the state will exchange strategies for campus safety and discuss the link between school environments and academic success at the Safe Schools Conference this week in Garden Grove.

Trustees accept $1.4 million to expand Encinitas yoga program

In a quiet Wednesday morning meeting that featured none of the fireworks of earlier hearings on the same subject, trustees in the Encinitas Union School District accepted a $1.4 million grant to expand a yoga program that had garnered national attention and sparked a lawsuit about religious freedom.

Monterey Peninsula USD trustees get lesson in expulsions

Trustees on Wednesday received a refresher course on expulsion hearings, learning what they can do to make sure students receive due process and have their rights protected.

New York City principal to head downtown L.A. arts high school

Kim Bruno, the longtime head of the LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, has accepted the job of principal at the Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts.

Trustees accept $1.4 million to expand Encinitas yoga program

In a quiet Wednesday morning meeting that featured none of the fireworks of earlier hearings on the same subject, trustees in the Encinitas Union School District accepted a $1.4 million grant to expand a yoga program that had garnered national attention and sparked a lawsuit about religious freedom.

Moraga School District to consider parcel tax

Moraga School District officials are once again turning to residents to help fund the district's three elementary schools and middle school following the defeat of a parcel tax last year.

Fensterwald: California committed to move forward with Common Core tests as planned

California is not one of the doubters. The Legislature appears poised to pass legislation this month reaffirming the start of student testing aligned to the Common Core standards in spring 2015. The inclusion of $1.25 billion in the state budget for districts to prepare for the new standards has added momentum for moving ahead.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Meetings scheduled to discuss Local Control Funding Formula

The California State Board of Education and the California Department of Education have announced the dates and locations of stakeholder meetings for those interested in joining discussions of how the Local Control Funding Formula will be implemented.

Baron: Special trustee Bob Agrella talks about saving City College of San Francisco

Bob Agrella, the special trustee entrusted with saving City College of San Francisco, wants to make one thing clear: City College is fully accredited and open for business, and his intention is to keep it that way.

Tran: Local Control Funding Formula: Is there a new rulebook?

The old rulebook that governed how schools spent their money, which was both stifling and (let’s be honest) comforting at times, has been replaced by the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), which now offers an opportunity for communities to take the reins to implement locally tailored approaches, while being held accountable for student outcomes