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Tuesday, April 22, 2014

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EdSource: Santa Ana Unified caters to parents to boost accountability meeting attendance

Education Headlines

Tuesday, April 22, 2014
FCMAT provides links to California K-12 news stories as a service to the industry. However, some stories may not be accessible because of newspapers' subscription policies.

Common Core boosts push for technology in classrooms

If there’s one thing certain about Common Core, it’s that technology will play a much bigger role in Ventura County classrooms.

Yoga program to expand beyond Encinitas

The foundation that brought yoga to Encinitas elementary schools will hold an open house to announce plans to expand the program nationally Wednesday night.

Sweetwater board backs agreement with teachers

The three remaining trustees on the Sweetwater Union High School District board voted unanimously Monday to approve a contract agreement with the district’s teachers union.

Credit card spending could cost Van Nuys school its charter

Charter High School of the Arts in Van Nuys could lose its charter because officials failed to act when a former employee racked up $27,000 in personal expenses on her school credit card.

Orinda school board refuses to hear complaint against principal

Three years after hearing complaints from parents about what they claim is strict and overly harsh punishment of students by an elementary school principal, a majority of Orinda School District trustees have voted down an appeal to hear a new complaint filed by a teacher against the administrator.

D.A. says no charges warranted over L.A. schools' iPad contract

The Los Angeles County district attorney's office has reviewed an internal L.A. school district report on its iPad contract and concluded that criminal charges are not warranted.

EdSource: Santa Ana Unified caters to parents to boost accountability meeting attendance

Retired principal Frances Byfield used translators, meals, babysitting, and prize raffles to motivate parents to attend the district’s 23 LCAP community workshops. Each meeting venue was prepped in advance to identify locations to set up audio-visual equipment, childcare services, and meals consisting of turkey sandwiches in the evenings and coffeecake in the mornings.
Monday, April 21, 2014

Shoreline superintendent dismissal unpopular among parents, school employees

The Shoreline School District Board of Trustees has opted to move on from first-year Superintendent Tom Stubbs, upsetting many of the district's parents and employees who want him to stay.

Three new high schools in the works in Long Beach Unified

Plans are underway to open three new high schools in Long Beach Unified — two small public schools and a charter school.

High-paid Centinela Valley school chief can cash in lucrative whole-life insurance policies

The embattled superintendent of the Centinela Valley school district — who is under investigation for his massive pay — took out a $750,000 life insurance policy before securing approval from the school board to do so, the Daily Breeze has learned.

Former Woodside principal won't face charges in molestation-by-teacher case

Contra Costa prosecutors said Friday they will not file criminal charges against a former Woodside Elementary School principal for how she responded to the conduct of teacher Joseph Martin, who faces 150 child molestation counts involving 14 Woodside students.

Republican congressmen join legal flap over Cinco de Mayo incident at South Bay high school

Several conservative groups and 20 Republican members of Congress have jumped into the legal fray over a South Bay high school's decision to order a group of students wearing American-flag adorned shirts to turn them inside out during a 2010 Cinco de Mayo celebration.

How can a teacher fired for molestation allegations get another job in East Bay classroom?

The news both shocked and outraged: How did a suspected child molester land a job teaching children after being fired by a different school two months earlier?

Probes target Centinela Valley school district superintendent's pay

County, state and federal authorities are investigating the compensation of a South Bay school district superintendent who received nearly $675,000 last year, far more than the leaders of much larger systems.

California fails to adequately educate youth inmates, report says

California and other states are largely failing to adequately educate most of the 70,000 youth locked up at any given time in juvenile detention facilities, according to a national report released Thursday.

Charter school bill stirs debate over autonomy

Charter school advocates from the county and state rallied Wednesday in San Diego against legislation they believe would chip away at the autonomy that’s crucial to their brand of education.

Santa Monica teacher who scuffled with student to be reinstated

Santa Monica school district officials will reinstate a teacher who was placed on paid administrative leave after video clips showed him locked in a tussle with a student in a classroom.

Republicans see political wedge in Common Core

The health care law may be Republicans’ favorite weapon against Democrats this year, but there is another issue roiling their party and shaping the establishment-versus-grass-roots divide ahead of the 2016 presidential primaries: the Common Core.

Two more managers in Centinela Valley school district put on paid leave

The scandal in the Centinela Valley school district is widening, with two mid-level managers being placed on paid leave as several investigations continue into the excessive compensation of Superintendent Jose Fernandez.

Oceanside Unified adopts ‘zero waste’ goal

The 23 schools in the Oceanside Unified School District are the first in California to adopt a zero waste program. The commitment pushes the district to reduce waste at all school sites and the district office by 75 percent by 2020.

Mentoring group gives L.A. Unified students an extra way to connect

Los Angeles Unified School District teachers say extra support by City Year volunteers in the classroom is instrumental to helping struggling students

Fensterwald: County offices to cut districts some slack for now on their LCAPs

State and county education officials are seeking to reassure school districts that might be worried that county superintendents will reject the new accountability plans they’ll submit by July 1 for the 2014-15 year. Tighter scrutiny will come, just not for the initial plan.