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Friday, May 18, 2012

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Education Headlines

Friday, May 18, 2012

Labor negotiations in Rio School District move to fact-finding

A yearlong labor dispute in the Rio School District remains unresolved, as officials move into the next stage of impasse, called fact-finding. The Rio teachers' contract expired June 30, 2011. Negotiations began in February 2011, but the district declared impasse soon after.

Schools revamp menus ahead of new lunch mandates

Under new standards by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, schools will have to serve more than twice as many vegetables and fruits and limit the meat and calorie requirement.

School district presents final offer to teachers

Carlsbad Unified School District officials say they have presented their final offer in contract negotiations with the district's teachers, but union officials aren't ready to accept some of the terms.

Monterey Peninsula USD's board president envisions vast solar power system

The Monterey Peninsula Unified School District spends about $1 million a year in energy consumption. Board President Debra Gramespacher has a plan that could eventually reduce those costs to zero.

Mill Valley teachers take pay cuts, look to citizens to 'share sacrifices' on budget

Under a two-year agreement approved this week by the Mill Valley Teachers Association and the Mill Valley School District board, some teachers will be taking between $4,000 and $5,000 in pay cuts to help close a $1.4 million budget deficit.

Dawn Vetica excited to step into new role

Dawn Vetica is both excited and scared to be taking on the assistant superintendent of secondary schools job at Lodi Unified School District. But her teaching heart is thrilled to take on the upcoming challenges in the world of education.

Fresno Unified's first black principal dead at 91

Rutherford "Bud" Gaston, Fresno Unified's first African-American principal and a community activist, has died of cancer, his family said Thursday. Mr. Gaston, who was 91, died of bone cancer Wednesday.

Galt elementary school district asks city to improve roads

Faced with transportation funding uncertainty, trustees for the Galt Joint Union Elementary School District have submitted a formal letter to Mayor Barbara Payne requesting the city's support in creating safe routes to school for students.

Twin Rivers trustee responds to allegation of illegal loans

Twin Rivers Unified School District trustee Cortez Quinn released a brief statement Thursday in response to allegations he illegally took substantial loans from a district employee, who also filed a paternity suit against him.

Grand jury suggests 'free school' standards

San Diego schools need a countywide set of standards and training guidelines on what fees can legally be imposed on students, the San Diego County Grand Jury said in a report released Thursday.

Eureka City Schools approves Alice Birney modernization

The Eureka City Schools Board of Trustees on Wednesday unanimously approved a proposal to replace three single-room portables at Alice Birney Elementary School with a three-classroom portable modular building.

San Ramon Valley trustees consider superintendent applicants

Twenty-one applicants have thrown their hats in the ring for the superintendent position at the San Ramon Valley Unified School District.

Antioch hammers home consequences of cutting class

Antioch school administrators and probation officers summoned parents of truant children to a meeting this week and made one thing clear: We don't want to see you in this setting again.

Window opens for improving state’s continuation schools

A contradictory accountability system, insufficient student learning time and a lack of professional development for teachers and school administrators are among factors weakening California’s network of more than 500 continuation high schools, according to a new two-year study of the system.

Fensterwald: Charters, Ed Coalition at odds over buildings

The Education Coalition, the organization that represents mainstream education groups, announced its opposition Thursday to Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan to require a school district to offer charter schools any building that it decides it no longer needs.

LAUSD expanding transitional kindergarten to all its elementary schools

Despite a lack of financial and political support from Gov. Jerry Brown, Los Angeles Unified will expand its transitional kindergarten program this fall to all 400-plus elementary schools in the district, officials said Thursday.
Thursday, May 17, 2012

Butte school official says Brown's May revise extends uncertainty for districts

Although Gov. Jerry Brown's recent revised budget proposes changes in how school funding is determined, restores cash owed to schools and doesn't make further cuts, it isn't necessarily good news for kindergarten through 12th-grade education.

District Attorney's Office reviews case of teacher accused of abuse