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Wednesday, July 18, 2012

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Education Headlines

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Valley schools tap state repair fund for $36 million, hope for more

Central San Joaquin Valley school districts have received nearly $36 million in state Emergency Repair Program money and are waiting for more than $12.8 million that the state has approved but not yet paid.

Tustin school district, city heading to court over land

Land on the former Tustin Marine base is at the center of multiple lawsuits between the city and Tustin Unified that have dragged on for two years and frustrated residents and officials on both sides of the issue.

Schools decay as they await state emergency repair funds for years

Eight years after California settled a landmark lawsuit promising hundreds of millions of dollars to repair shoddy school facilities, more than 700 schools still are waiting for their share of funds as students take classes on dilapidated campuses with health and safety hazards.

Brown signs double-dipping bill

Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill into law Tuesday allowing some retired educators to continue collecting their pensions without penalty after returning to work at a school or community college district.

Corona-Norco school officials hold bond vote for further study

District officials shifted gears at the last minute and decided not to vote Tuesday, July 17, on a bond for school improvements that would increase property taxes, saying they needed additional information on whether now is the right time.

Moreno Valley school board rejects $198 million bond measure

The Moreno Valley School Board on Tuesday, July 17, rejected a bond measure for the November election that would have raised $198 million to improve schools and upgrade classrooms. The vote was 3-2 in support of a bond measure; however, four supporting votes were needed to move forward.

Charter expert teams with LAUSD on Future Is Now project

Charter pioneer Steve Barr plans to partner with Los Angeles Unified to create technology-based academies at middle and high schools in Silver Lake, Fairfax and Venice, officials said Tuesday.

New Hayward school to open Wednesday

When East Avenue Elementary School students return to school Wednesday, they will enter a new campus that has been built from the ground up. "This school does everything but fly," said a beaming principal JoDana Campbell, calling it "a beacon on the hill."

Rishwain questions school site

A bar owner and unsuccessful 2012 mayoral candidate has thrown a monkey wrench into plans to open a 300-student charter school that advocates say would help spur downtown revitalization.

State Board of Education weighs cost waiver for Clayton Valley Charter High School

The Mt. Diablo Unified School District hopes state education trustees will side with it Wednesday, when the state board reconsiders a waiver of extra costs to run the new Clayton Valley Charter High School.

Police keep order as Long Beach USD moves to revoke New City School's charter

As the Long Beach Unified School District board moved forward Monday night on revoking the school's charter, protesters disrupted the meeting and were forced outside by campus police.

State defunds program to fix ‘slum’ schools

Eight years after California settled a landmark lawsuit promising hundreds of millions of dollars to repair shoddy school facilities, more than 700 schools still are waiting for their share of funds as students take classes on dilapidated campuses with health and safety hazards.

Obama calls for $1b master teacher program in STEM

The Obama Administration today is unveiling a plan to create a new, national Master Teacher Corps to elevate math, technology and science instruction they hope will lead a transformation of both teaching and learning in the core subjects.

Rosenblatt: With budgets, as with the weather, the problem’s not just the heat

Although not the most familiar refrain to West Coast natives, residents in the rest of the country know that while the summer heat may be tough to take, it’s actually the humidity that truly makes us uncomfortable. Through the last few years of state budget crises, school boards across the state have adopted an analogous mantra: “It’s not just the cuts, it’s the uncertainty.”

Security breach will delay release of CST results

The public release of this year’s California Standards Tests results will be delayed two weeks, until Aug. 31. Blame it on the students who took cell phones into test sites in April, and then posted photos of exam questions on Facebook and other social media.

State Board urged to reject waivers from Transitional Kindergarten

Gov. Jerry Brown’s attempt to eliminate funding for Transitional Kindergarten created so much confusion that a handful of school districts sought waivers from it out of fear they would have to bear the cost of the program. The State Board of Education will consider those waiver requests at its meeting today, even though TK survived the governor’s attempt to de-fund the new program, making the districts’ concerns moot.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Panama-Buena to sell land once intended for school

Panama-Buena Vista Union School District's board on Tuesday will vote to authorize the district to sell a 10-acre property near the Park at River Walk.

Rancho Mar Monte residents want neighborhood moved into Carmel school district

A group of residents at Rancho Mar Monte near Carmel want to carve out their neighborhood from the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District to join the Carmel Unified School District.

SD Unified to sell old schools, surplus property

The most controversial cost-cutting measure to come from the San Diego school board this year might just be plans to sell off some of its most valuable assets: Southern California real estate.

Grossmont charity ties questioned

Relationships between school officials and contractors are under scrutiny, as District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis is prosecuting several in the South Bay for accepting entertainment and gifts and then handing out multimillion dollar contracts. The officials have pleaded not guilty to bribery.